Do astral beings look any different from real beings?
If not, how can you tell them apart?

Also, can I read something that is written while astral?

Are auras always present or only if you are specifically looking for them?

Now that I have someone who is playing a caster, I have to account for these things.

Needless to say, the nature of runs in my world has been turned upside down. I never thought about the idea of peeping on someone, or looking over someones shoulder in astral to steal their PIN number, etc...

Can't read text from the Astral Plane.

Everthing not alive looks hazy and indistinct.

Everything is hazy? Damn. Now I have to explain that to my player. Within which book is that noted?

LOL!!! ATM focus, huh?

Just look in SR3 for the basics of astral. Astral beings can tell when something else is astral, or even perceiving. You can see active spells and foci, too. Writing can't be read, but like was stated earlier, emotive contect can be gleaned, such as love from a love letter. Auras are around, but for the most part, ya have to at least make the motions of looking. I very much thought of it in terms of Lord of the Rings- especially the scene on weathertop. Imagine the ringwraiths as dual natured, and you can see their astral forms quite clearly. People are like the ones in Bree- you know they're alive and there, you can hear them, but they aren't quite the same.

How far does your "emotive content" go? I extend it to anything handwritten... technology just can't transfer the intent properly. Stop signs ans their ilk, despite being manufactured, are still obvious, however.

I use amount of emotion.

"I love you"

Little twinge.

Sixteen page long, drooling, soppy and heartfelt letter-

Major vibes.

Economic reports and other corps stuff- nope.

I meant routine data. You'd get emotion, but it'd likely be subdued, since it is a corporation and people don't matter.

Got it.

But, I must be blind or dumb. I cannot find anything in SR3 that states what you see while astral. Help, please!

It may have been in MitS. I'll look it up sometime when it is tomorrow in any sense other than the most technical.

~J

You know, shoulder surfing an ATM'd work... hell, all you do is watch the motion of the hand... who needs to read numbers when you can mimick the motions...

I think I've found a new pastime. Just gotta think of a catchy handle, like the 'ATM bandit', only infinitely cooler. I think emotive content of e-mails would be up to the GM's discretion. If the same emotion is poured into it, who cares if it was produced by pen, crayon, or keystroke. But let the GM decide.

Digital media cannot "hold" or "be impressed upon by" emotional content. The keyboard can though.

I'm fairly positive ATM transactions require a thumbprint.

Doesn't that depend on how good of a credstick you have? Like the cheapest are PIN, then stuff like thumprint, voice recognition, etc.?

Depends on the value of the transaction and credstick color. Lower the color the lower the limit, the lower the transaction the lower the precautions.

I would think someone tried this long ago and now they randomize the number set up on a digital screen.

No, not really. The printer is not going to impress the emotion of the user unto the paper. The person who reads the book, paper memo, ect will imprint the object, however.

If viewing in astral is blurry, peeping in on someone wouldn't be as fulfilling as I had thought. Captain Chaos (pg 22 SR3) seems pretty concerned about the idea though.

Only non living objects are indistinct. They don't stand out, seem dull and lifeless unless imprinited upon.

People and everything else appear bright and lively (depending) with bright auras about them.

Well, I don't know that it would be all that blurry...perhaps the association with Lord of the Rings should be a loose one....then again, plenty of people get "fulfillment" out of watching scrambled TV channels. American Pie anyone?

So, was there ever an example given by any book on what it would look like?

SR2 had a color picture of a projecting mage fighting watchers or some other spirits in a museum.

This isn't too bad, Astral.

Another.

I picture Astral as similar to what Neo sees in the Matrix...

Here's a link to an old thread on the subject. Astral Perception.

You'll find comments related to:
real world appears dull and muted, astral plane gray, astral forms glowing with colors.
"Light" on the astral plane comes from living things