In Ghost In The Shell and Man Machine Interface (more man machine) There are numerous references to "E-Brains" (Electronic Brains) and the verious types and complexaties of them. And Being that Shadowrun (or man machine/ GitS depending on what why you look at it) has some simulites. I was wondering what would consitute for an "E-Brain" in shadowrun?

Datajack, The simplest form of E-Brain, allows you to control things Via DNI.

Others thing that would be "in" an E-Brain would be, Encephalon, Math SPU. Tactical Computer? and VCR's would they make up part of an E-Brain, how about Crainal Cyberdecks.

See Motoko Kusanagi has what appears to be a VERY advanced E-brain. She does some computer hacking indicating a Crainal Cyberdeck, She "rigs" Clarice M, thus indicating a VCR. Now she also "Ghost hacks" (read effects people with Psychotropic Black IC). Also there are mentions of her commenting on a fight she just had say "they were running the same combat software as me but without the ability to improvise" (or something close) indicating that she's running chipped skills (with ECD?).

She also calculates speed and trajectory of a fly dataline so she can catch it (with her foot).

First, the datajack is the obvious one (IIRC, in SR riggers wear them on the neck, closer to motor areas), with some memory. They're online all the time, so normal folk certainly have cellphone. Security services probably add radio as well. Since they don't have to speak, they obviously have tranduscer. The core of most GitS stories lies in brain-hacking. In SR there are no implant that really match to allow such thing. The closest thing I see is the Encephalon which enter in the brain processing loop, though it's supposed to be only as a support. Hacking would be closer to SR rules as a personafix-type program programmed "on-the-fly" by the hacker.

Because we only see through the perspective of particular people, it's not clear if everybody has the processing and treatment power of a cranial cyberdeck. I'd say probably no, as a "cellphone" by 2060 may include widely enough feature for a normal user. People like Kusanagi would of course have more dedicated hardware: the cranial cyberdeck but also smartlink and maybe tactical computer.

The use of VCR is not very obvious. They rather seem to drive only through simple DNI.When Koil Krasnov hack the military robots, it seems it's only a captain chair mode (Bato says something about them still sucking), accessible with only a datajack by SR rules. Only Kusanagi at the end of GitS, and Chroma throughout MMI seem to assume full control of humanoid decoys. But they are full cyborgs, so they have for the control of her own body a technology that could suffice. The same way, noboby ever seem to use any kind of skillsofts. There is only Chroma reference to such program. So I'd take it as an information that such technology is available, as it is in SR, not meaning it is widespread and included in every e-brains.

I thought Kusanagi wasn't actually human, but an advanced robot with a highly sophisticated AI. and the other robot got taken over by a hacker that downloaded his brain into the internet, right?

You can't run any IC off a CC. There's a reason the Black Hammer/Jackhammer utilities showed up decently after lethal Black IC did.

~J

Ok how about having a PAB unit, installed in a arm, controled via DNI?

PAB units are big and bulky, and require long periods of time. Inventing a new utility or worm would probably be the best way to go, keeping in mind that you're definitely diverging from canon here.

~J

In answer to the Kusanagi question, while they never confirm if she's human in a full borg body or some kind of AI, I think there's strong inidication she's not AI as she's asked a couple of times why she joined Section 9. I don't see why an AI would have any choice about the matter, at least in the GITS world, what with the Puppet Master's play for freedom.

Actually, the first episode of GitS take place before the Section 9 is created. Their first unit got dissolved and the Section 9 replace it instantly. Also, the "wall ornament" at Sagawa Electronics in "Phantom Fund" wrongly calls her Captain or Lieutnant Kusanagi (I don't remember) based on a previous encounter. I really don't see anything that could support the idea that she is an AI. Aramaki makes clear her greatest value is not her computer skill, but her web of contacts. Plus, nobody would give a shit about the Puppetmaster if there was an AI walking around with a clear ghost, even falling in lov... having a relationship with that guy from Sec1. How many months was it ?

In Stand Alone Complex serie, Kusanagi has several discussion with Batou and Togusa IIRC, about the fact she get a full cybernetic body around the age of 6.

She has a full cyborg body when the book starts, which is before the creation of the team she's in in Section 9.

Edit: however, her current body is government property one way or another. It just isn't necessarily her first.

~J

Cyborg is by definition the melding of man and machine. If she was an AI she would have a robot body not a cyborg body. The Fuchikomas strictly are robots, not cyborgs.

It's not an assassination. They hit an orphanage involved in illegal brain-programming work, IIRC, though I may be mixing it up; it was certainly not the hit on the diplomat helping the programmer defect.

~J

Na was right. In the book it's a hit on a Dipolmat, which was order by a dead president (hmm sounds famaliar). In the film it's about the programmer. The orphanage is actually the second story in the book. (with the film being about the 9th)

Ah... been too long since I read it. Ah well.

~J

IRRC only the chief and Togusa were mostly 'original'. I don't think it's explicitly mentioned wheter anyone else had a full borg body though.

Togusa and the Chief are the only two whose bodies don't come with a warranty.

~J

They keep togusa around as a "human perspective" as well, so there is some evidence that all that cyber has mental effects, or at least massively changes your perspective... but they were defenitely human once.

-Mike R.

Of course it changes your perspective. Hell, I'm already completely out of touch with my technology-illiterate friends when the topic shifts to computers; if you've got Wired Reflexes and a Math SPU you're going to have a hard time realizing that people have a hard time responding to quick stimuli and can't calculate a tip in their head in about the time it takes to read the bill.

~J

It was also a question of training and background. Everyone else seems to have a military/specops background. This means that they would all tend to interpret things and react in the same way. Add to the this the fact thay they were all hevily borged and it becomes even more pronounced. Add Togusa who is a cop and au natural and you get a much different prespective on things.

IRL this is why different nationalities and organization cross train with each other, to help avoid this problem.