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moosegod
What, exactly is a UV host, anyways?
hermit
Real-life-quality sculptured. Better than all other hosts. Double digit levels that are sky-high. It's what you'D imagine the most advanced computer systems in 2064 to look like.
Vuron
Basically a system in which the processing power is high enough to create a hyperrealism not found in standard hosts. Basically it overrides the deckers icon and essentially places a conceptual avatar of the decker into the host. It would be more of a Matrix the Movie type environment.
Endgame50
Stands for Ultra Violet Host (going by the color scheme, it's past red). Basically what's been said, except I'd stress that you can only use your decker's real life skills in those systems, though he can emulate any missing skill with 1/2 his Computer programming skill. Only pool that can be used is hacking. All damage goes to the meat body.
moosegod
Thanks. Is it addictive, or is Pax just really messed up?
Vuron
Apparently extremely addictive but Pax does appear to be using it to somewhat stave off the fading.
Endgame50
It's technically not addicting, but it's "realer than real" and I think you *can* get BTL level sensations off them if they're programmed to--they get real time Full-X simulation, and they override all the limiter on your deck...so if one ruled it was so, maybe that's why she needs a fix.

But Pax, she's really messed up, either way.
Edward
I believe they are addictive but not sufficiently so to show up on SR addictives tables, like tobacco.

Edward
hobgoblin
i dont recall seeing tobacco on those tables. unless your counting some sort of awakend variant, but then all bets are off nyahnyah.gif
Pedant
Where would you find one, apart from the Renraku Arcology? How rare are they?
Vuron
I'd say most high end corps geared towards matrix research likely have at least one example of UV Hosts. Of the nation states the UCAS has at least a few as would the PCC. The high end data havens likely have the ability to generate UV host ratings when they desire.

However the main thing to note is that enormous processing power is required to generate a UV Host environment and that environment significantly degrades the amount of processing power available to do more work oriented tasks. So while Renraku might have several database hosts with the processor power to do it they generally don't because of how it would impact the functionality of the database.
DrJest
Just as an addendum, it is believed that a UV host is mandatory for the creation or spontaneous expression of an AI.
GrinderTheTroll
Interestingly enough, SR never sees UV systems until SR3 (maybe VR 2.0). The whole "UV" idea was in a few Cyberpunk novels like many other SR things.
Vuron
UV systems showed up fairly early in the fiction with Findley's second novel having one used by the UCAS military. Not sure of the timeline but that would be before VR 2.0 IIRC.
Nikoli
That and the Virtual Machine within a Machine concept works nicely in a UV host. You're hacking your little heart out, thinking your the shizznit and then you realise you've been running around someone's digital rat maze...
GrinderTheTroll
QUOTE (Vuron)
UV systems showed up fairly early in the fiction with Findley's second novel having one used by the UCAS military. Not sure of the timeline but that would be before VR 2.0 IIRC.

I was referrring to SR rules, sorry.
Endgame50
UV systems are pretty rare--in Target:Matrix, there was a decker who accidentally accessed one and thought they were just urban legends up to that point.
Pedant
Aside from creating AI, what would a AA corp or nation want with one? They seem very impressive but what do they actually do?
RunnerPaul
QUOTE (Vuron)
UV systems showed up fairly early in the fiction with Findley's second novel having one used by the UCAS military. Not sure of the timeline but that would be before VR 2.0 IIRC.

And it's been a while since I read it, but I seem to recall a UV system in the Secrets of Power trilogy. I may be wrong though.
Pedant
I meant an AAA corp by the way.
Demonseed Elite
QUOTE
Aside from creating AI, what would a AA corp or nation want with one? They seem very impressive but what do they actually do?


Mostly, I'd imagine they are used for pie-in-the-sky research, either in AI research or in the research of the Man-Matrix interface. Like Vuron mentioned, sending a host into UV does cut down on its ability to do sheer number-crunching and processing for other tasks, but it allows for experience other hosts can't match. Most of the artifice of Man-Matrix interface goes away (for instance, the decker in a UV host being able to use their real-life skills) which could open up researchers to new ways of tackling a problem. It's reduction of the Man-Matrix interface also allows you to create simulations on pretty much as close a scale to reality as can be imagined.

It's possible, for instance (though I'm not sure it's ever said anywhere), that the UCAS military may have used UV benchmarks to help in coming up with a system for fighting the Crash Virus.
Endgame50
If nothing else, it tends to put the decker at a disadvantage. Instead of being able to use his good computers skill for everything, he has to either rely on his physical skills or 1/2 his Computer(programming) skill--either way, he's not as good as he is in the normal matrix. He also can't swap programs or modify his deck without a good deal of effort if the GM allows it at all...and I think it's a Will(High Number) to be able to jack out. In short, it's good security...in theory... but it uses so much processing power to run a UV host, it's probably better to seed the host you want to protect with tons of IC and other assorted traps.
Shockwave_IIc
UV host's aren't really the ones to worry about (not that they can be dicounted mind).

The ones you have to worry about are the ones that are Generic No processing power used for the impressive icons. it's all going into spanking your arse.
FlakJacket
QUOTE (Pedant)
Aside from creating AI, what would a AA corp or nation want with one? They seem very impressive but what do they actually do?

As I understand it, they're not specifically designed as UV hosts. All a UV is is a host with such large amounts of processing power that it turns into a UV once it crosses a certain threshold. The most likely places you're likely to find them are major corporate and governmental R&D projects or high end projects - think the levels the NSA has today compared with the rest of the world moved to the 2060's.
Demonseed Elite
I would doubt the idea that a UV host is purely accidental, since I'd assume the host would have some control over how much power was being put into rendering the host environment. Hosts like the SCIRE had sections that were designed to be UV, so they could host their AI projects, and I'm sure there are hosts which could be UV, but are not, because it would be impractical.
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