Full Version: Decking versus Hacking
Right on. Especially the part about trying to describe deckers to other people. Especially not the part about blazin' a J (I don't need one to chill out, never have).
Hey, blazin' the J is the best part of the run!
Ah, burnt flesh.
~J
Ah, burnt flesh.
~J
Don't go knocking cane sugar soda my friend ;7 That HFCS is all fine and good until someone hands you the real deal with cane sugar, and you realize how awful the stuff we get in the States is 
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I can appreciate that a lot of the game's terminology was updated, but if you prefer the gaming conventions that you're used to (ie: deckers, riggers, etc), then go for it. To take it a step further, maybe your GM would be willing to use the old school naming conventions on his NPC's for the sake of continuity and respect for your preference. If not, there's still nothing stopping you from calling your character whatever you like.
For example:
I've patterned my character after Trent Castanaveras in my favorite Daniel Keys Moran novel "The Long Run" and use some of Moran's naming conventions.
ie: I refer to my Face/Technomancer as a Player/Webdancer
Everything is the same, except the flavor text I chose to call myself.
As far as SR is concerned, I personally like the instantly recognizable SR names like Decker and Rigger more than the overused and too "real world" term Hacker too. Long story short, go with what you prefer.
For example:
I've patterned my character after Trent Castanaveras in my favorite Daniel Keys Moran novel "The Long Run" and use some of Moran's naming conventions.
ie: I refer to my Face/Technomancer as a Player/Webdancer
Everything is the same, except the flavor text I chose to call myself.
As far as SR is concerned, I personally like the instantly recognizable SR names like Decker and Rigger more than the overused and too "real world" term Hacker too. Long story short, go with what you prefer.
sweet jesus, the dead walk!
I have no idea why, but I find the fact that you call your face a player ridiculously funny. 
| QUOTE (hyzmarca) |
| Decker is a slang term. Hacker is a slang term. Street Samurai is a slang term. Slang changes and it changes fairly quickly. That they'd still be using the same term after 20 years would be strange. Of course, Shadowrunner is also a slang term. But, changing that would be silly. |
Hehehe, sorry, I just found this funny!
Deniable Assets, 4th Edition
Afterdarksneakers, 4th Edition
Covert Troubleshooters, 4th Edition
Hehe, laughing too much to think of any more.
| QUOTE (SirBedevere) |
Calling everyone who uses computers, building security systems, drones, vehicles and electronic warfare a hacker is going to cause huge (IC) confusion. If a Johnson wants 'a hacker' what does he mean? A 'decker', a 'rigger' an electronic warfare expert or what?  |
Well, when you think about it, no Johnson would simply ask for a "hacker" for a particular job in SR4, just as in SR3, a Johnson would not simply ask for a rigger because there are too many types. A Johnson would be more specific when recruiting, something along the lines of:
"I need a hacker who can [insert mission action required here]."
just as he would have said:
"I need a rigger who can jack into the building's security and [insert mission action here]."
If you're playing in a game where the team is contacted for a job, chances are the fixer who contacted the team or the Johnson (if the team was contacted directly) already knows part of the mission profile and whether or not the team is capable of providing the skills necessary to perform the run.
I just get the feeling that they changed a bunch of names for the sake of change, and not for any actual progress or "updating".
I mean, they supposedly "split" Quickness into Agility and Reaction; but the truth is, Reaction was always there. All they *actually* did was make it a purchased stat; Quickness was just renamed. And so, few of the actual Quickness problems were fixed.
The same thing applies here. Changing the names might be to "update" the system; but it's just another change for the sake of making changes. The game could run just as smoothly if they left it alone. Unfortunately, that's the trend I'm seeing in SR4-- they just changed a bundle of things, not because it's any better or "updated", but because they wanted to make a bundle of changes.
I mean, they supposedly "split" Quickness into Agility and Reaction; but the truth is, Reaction was always there. All they *actually* did was make it a purchased stat; Quickness was just renamed. And so, few of the actual Quickness problems were fixed.
The same thing applies here. Changing the names might be to "update" the system; but it's just another change for the sake of making changes. The game could run just as smoothly if they left it alone. Unfortunately, that's the trend I'm seeing in SR4-- they just changed a bundle of things, not because it's any better or "updated", but because they wanted to make a bundle of changes.
I think it's a bit simpler than that. Deckers were called deckers, because they used cyberdecks to access computer system. They don't anymore. They use commlinks, just like everyone else around them. Decks don't exist anymore, so calling them deckers would be pointless
Riggers are still called riggers, it's just the way they rig that has changed.
Otaku have been renamed technomancers, but that's because they are a different beast to the Otaku. The were created by a different event and have abilities that Otaku don't.
Riggers are still called riggers, it's just the way they rig that has changed.
Otaku have been renamed technomancers, but that's because they are a different beast to the Otaku. The were created by a different event and have abilities that Otaku don't.
| QUOTE (Cain) |
| The same thing applies here. Changing the names might be to "update" the system; but it's just another change for the sake of making changes. The game could run just as smoothly if they left it alone. Unfortunately, that's the trend I'm seeing in SR4-- they just changed a bundle of things, not because it's any better or "updated", but because they wanted to make a bundle of changes. |
I'm not surprised. The more changes they make, the more the average consumer making the transition from SR3 to SR4 feels like he's getting his money's worth. Theoretically, anyway.
| QUOTE (NightRain) |
| I think it's a bit simpler than that. Deckers were called deckers, because they used cyberdecks to access computer system. They don't anymore. They use commlinks, just like everyone else around them. Decks don't exist anymore, so calling them deckers would be pointless |
Yeah, but they don't hack either. Hacking is all about writing well-made programs on-the-fly, and is meant as a term of respect for those that do it. With Thresholds being what they are in SR4 it's unfeasable for most hackers to in fact do any hacking at all; by the time you spent the years it takes to hammer out an OS by the current rules the SOTA will have changed and the damn thing will be worse than the code you started with. The lesson is clear: most programs in the '70s are cracked.
And that's the term they really wanted to use: Cracker. But they didn't; they bought into the pop media terminology that a hacker is and was someone who breaks into systems and exploits them, which has nothing to do with the truth. If the alternative is to use an improper term from back in the 1970s, why not just keep the proper term from the 2050s?
The terminology is fundamentally irrelevant for gameplay. It's been only a few years since deckers "evolved," and there certainly should be plenty of people around who still default to the old words.
That is to say, call someone a decker and while they might look at you funny, they still know what you mean.
That is to say, call someone a decker and while they might look at you funny, they still know what you mean.
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