stupid question, would a dolphin be otaku??? Options

[zenpoetsix]

one of my players handed me her new character sheet for a decker and listed under contacts is a level 2 (buddy) contact: a dolphin decker like in that book by gibson, kinda. in my game, i require players to flesh out level 2 contacts so i can use them in a game but she looked at me and asked how she would make a dolphin npc.

i thought about telling her to pick another level 2 contact but i thought about it and thought a dolphin would be cool in the game. than i thought if a dolphin would naturally have otaku-like abilities. has anyone had this come up in one of their games??? gibson's book is pretty popular in this genre and the movie wasn't that bad.

any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

[Kagetenshi]

No, a dolphin would indeed have no basis for natural Otaku abilities. They tend not to end up in the environments that generate them. Then again, Dr. Halberstam may have been hard at work again.

~J

[hyzmarca]

Non-metahuman sentients have some difficulty using the Martix because of differences in brain structure. However, no one really knows what makes an Otaku, except, possibly, Deus and some other AIs.

Just make it an Awakened dolphin that was a victim of a corporate experiment. Kidnapped from his or her home, surgically modiffied, magical ability was burned out due to poor cyberware compatibility.

It would make a nice angry at the world character.

[Kagetenshi]

Actually, a good reason not to allow this is because allowing it is an unclaimed bequest in Dunkie's Will.

~J

[hyzmarca]

[fistandantilus4....]

Little worried about how a dolphin would "sexually violate" someone....

[hyzmarca]

[Edward]

My first instinct is to say no

Assuming somebody managed to get a dolphin datajack to work (even if it was only one of hundreds attempted) there are some practical issues. A cyber deck will not appreciate submersion in water, especially not salt, even is the optronics don’t short out it will damage the plugs. And a dolphin lacks the appendages to manipulate a jack and a RAS override activating in its natural environment would result in drowning. The likely solution would be a radio data jack, a handler to maintain the cyber deck and a specially made shelf to lie on while decking, this of cause implies continuing captivity.

I would say that a dolphin has the same chance of being an otaku as a metahuman, this means you can decide he is or is not at your discretion. If he is an otaku having been in the aforementioned experiment he could have escaped and access the matrix using his radio link but there is still the issue of drowning and defense of the meet body while in the matrix.

Edward

[hyzmarca]

[fistandantilus4....]

[hyzmarca]

[Edward]

The sleeping with half a brain thing is a good point. I did consider a cranial deck but not the cyber tail, either would have the problem of building it to sute. I would expect any corporation designing data jacks for dolphins to leave of the development of other wear until the mind mashie interface was stable, during development the dolphins can just cope with ether radio decks of having a human or even robot) tech insert there data jack. Although if the port was located on eth belly the prehensile penis would solve that issue carying an external deck would still be an issue.

Another issue is where to get stats for a dolphin.

Edward

[hyzmarca]

[weblife]

If the dolphin is fitted with a belt, which has two tool using arms on it, then it can do stuff itself. It simply uses the arms by datajack, like we'd drive a car or use a forklift.

I think using the Otaku rules for it would be the easiest. Then just pour on Karma.

Its other contacts might not even know its a dolphin. It might order stuff to be dropped into the sea in sealed caskets. People would think its some paranoid fragger who dives in after it later.. and it sorta is, isn't it? :D

[hyzmarca]

Now that I think about it, a dolphin would need a custom deck or, at least, a heavily customized ASSIST converter.

Even Otaku ned an ASSIST converter to translate matrix data. I very much doubt that standard metahuman simsense would be very usable for a being whose primary sense is sonar. There would have to be a device to convert the metahuman sensory data to a dolphin-friendly format.

[weblife]

Which really makes it nearly crucial that the dolphin is an Otaku.

[Fix-it]

[hyzmarca]

Hey, did Renraku Arcology have an aquarium? If so, that would the perfet excuse for a matrix dolphin. It would also be the erfect excuse for giving it cybertentecles and mounting a firelance on its head.

Cybertentacles would be great weapons in the water and could provide some mobility on land, as well. Because a dolphin in a trech coat walking on his cybertentacles is cool contact to meet in a bar.

He can always claim it was SURGE. No one would argue with him and his combat laser.

Also, he should collect antique German beer steins. I don't know why, but he should.

[Ancient History]

Well, I suppose it's time I could add a word or two.

Dolphins would not make ideal deckers. The need to jack in eliminates their usefulness in most applications-underwater arcologies, submarine hunting, etc.

Therefore, it only makes sense for dolphins to be riggers. Dolphins are particularly suited to the more instinctual use of rigger-gear, and their sonar abilities can be capably mimiced by drones to prevent undue confusion. With the proper cyberware and equipment, a dolphin can tap into the wireless networks of other riggers, or have their crab-drones crawl up to an arkoblock security outlet and tap into the rigged security system. They make ideal mobile signal booster, ECM, ECCM and ED platforms; and may also make suitable scouts, mappers and mine-sweepers. "Stealth" dolphins may even be equipped with specialized suits to lower their thermal signature...and what metahuman sonar listener will pay attention to one more dolphin cry?

Furthermore, a dolphin "leader" whose pod is equiped with snake-eyes and BattleTac gear becomes a fearsome underwater security force, able to launch three-dimensional assaults against intruders and command an impressive picture of the battlefield with conjoined sonar. In the event of a disabling jammer-strike, a dolphin security pod could switch off their link and still capably defend themselves using their natural abilities.

Naturally, the militaries and corporations in charge of rigger-dolphins will need to find some way of maintaining obedience...drug addiction would seem to be preferable, as psychotropic conditioning would be problomatic to develop.

Of course, things might change when Augmented Reality comes into play...

[Astelaron]

[Hasaku]

Wasn't there something called a "reality filter" or similar that reinterpreted the matrix feed to the decker's appropriate metaphor? A dolphin would no doubt be more comfortable in the matrix if everything is presented in aquatic metaphors.

[Ancient History]

Yeah, until the Black IC becomes a kraken or the tunafish datafiles turn black and rotten from databombs...

[hobgoblin]

what are we talking about here, blue planet?

there one can play uplifted dolphin and orca, with drones and more.
like say envision a orca with a strap on weapon rack of torpedos and sasers (sonic "lasers") and flanked by weapon carrying drones under his command.

lets just say that nasty does not even start to cover it :silly:

[weblife]

Orca Gunbunny.

Trolls go home.

[Kagetenshi]