Do phone numbers have the same format in SR times? Or is it different? I should probably know this one, but... I'm brain-dead.

I think they do. In SSG, one guy goes like "My LTG is #123-4567", or something to that effect.

There is some psycology to hypenating numbers, most people can 'easily' remember 3-4 strings of 3-5 numbers per but have a very hary time remembering a string of 8+ numbers.

Convergence did in the concept of "phone numbers", I think. Phones are just network devices like any other, phone calls are just instant messaging using voice and sometimes video. Phones should have a Matrix address like any other Matrix access point. SR2 gives examples of LTG addresses using the form "NA/UCAS-SEA-2206" (that's LTG 2206 in Seattle, UCAS, North America), but I'm not sure if that's changed in SR3... I don't recall any more recent examples, and a quick flip through SR3 and Matrix didn't turn up anything (I might have just missed it... I didn't make a thorough search).

John Campbell is right, as far as I know. But it's probably safe to say that you won't have to do the entire prefix if you're calling from the same LTG.

For example: NA/UCAS-SEA-2206-COMBATCAB

Calling from Downtown Seattle: COMBATCAB
Calling from Tacoma: 2206-COMBATCAB
Calling from Boston: SEA-2206-COMBATCAB
Calling from Portland: UCAS-SEA-2206-COMBATCAB
Calling from Europe: NA/UCAS-SEA-2206-COMBATCAB

Not to say that its any source of rule for the Shadowrun Universe, but in the old Shadowrun game for Super nintendo (you know, the one where you played a super cybered Panther Assault cannon wielding Uber pimped dog shaman), the LTG's were 6 numbers, in two sets of 3 (like 435-664). This was probably just to avoid using real numbers, but perhaps in the future, the last 4 digits that are your unique id (like 731-989-3453) are now 6 digits.

That seems easier to me that having to make up a long spew of random but sensible letters and numbers 20 characters long.

There is something to be said for being technically accurate for mood setting, but you also have to be practical.

Simple inertia and psychology will probably dictate how phone numbers look, especially as they don't exactly need to bear a resemblence to the address of the device you are planning to talk to. (A phone in this case)

The ltg-1234-5678 model would be a fair bet, as the number sequences are relatively easy to remember and allow plenty of scope growth/distribution (ie:an area is not likely to run out of numbers)

Canon aside, I personally suspect that "phone numbers" are going to end up looking more like "voice://SexxyElf69@ucasonline.com", and will be connected to an individual rather than a particular communications device... so that single address would connect you to their home telecom if they're home, fall back to cell if they're not - or possibly even hunt for public telecoms that their credstick has notified of their presence near - and finally dump you into their voicemail (indistinguishable from their email) if they don't answer there.

That's my personal take on it, though, and bears little resemblence to the way the canon Matrix is supposed to work. Of course, despite the Matrix sourcebook's valiant attempt to retrofit a shell that makes sense onto a structure that predates widespread household Internet, thinking too hard about the way the canon Matrix is supposed to work still makes my brain hurt.

(More or less random thoughts on the the subject)

In the modern world, phone communications are switching to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). Basically, 2060 all voice communications will have long been converted to run over the Internet (or its precedessor).

As far as I know, Shadowrun canon says that all commmunications run over the Matrix. So can we assume that the Internet became the Matrix (or at least, assumed all its duties).

Given the lack of email addresses in the Sixth World, I'd presume that each LTG number has replaced them entirely. Your LTG represents the logical point with which to reach you, with the method depending on the situation (mostly like what John campbel said).

Although, John, it is a bit faulty to use ''voice", since it could just as easily cover video/data as well.

Even though I know it is in place simply due to FASA's lack of a crystal ball, I think the lack of personal email addresses fits in well with the atmosphere of Shadowrun. Everyone is simply a number, instead of 'fuzzywuzzy@I-wuv-you.com.

(The following probably wont make sense unless you are familar with IP addressing)

IPv6 addresses are commonly used in hexidecimal groupings. Could it be that LTG addreses are simply Ipv6 addresses, with the A-F sections left out (since a 'number' containing them would be more difficult to remember; these unused addresses could be used internally to communicate machine to machine who would have no such problem). Of course, only the last 8 numbers are used, the first 16 are used for area codes and to divide the addresses space for other uses.

I'ld just like to mention that the whole of the internet (and the phonelines), for the most part, had to be replaced following the Crash, Along with almost all electronic computers. So, while rewiring and upgrading to optics, they more than likely changed around protocols, so I don't really agree with the IPv6 idea. More like IPv7 or 8.

I think the it would have been just to much for most people to adjust to if every last bit of the number set-up was changed. They already had to learn a new long distance scheme (which looks easier to remember), so they probably kept the standard 3-4 config on all local numbers. So I think the Combat Cab example would be more like: NA/UCAS-SEA-2206-CMBTCAB.

Just the way I'ld play it.

Solkari, at the rate IPv6 is being implemented it would take something like The Crash to make it a worldwide standard...

But, I also tend to see the LTG# stuff more like you have your Combat Cab example there...

Heh - I simply use 4 lots of 3 numbers (235-558-225-640) for the same thing.

If anyone asks (1 so far) I simply explain that the last 6 are you, while the first 9 (another set is hidden/assumed as the country/nation call/address-code) describe the local area node the call goes.


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