| From: | Wordman <wordman@*******.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Islands in the Net |
| Date: | Fri, 3 Jul 1998 12:48:15 -0400 |
myself for about five years, but have yet to write anything, which means
I'll probably never finish it on my own.
FASA seems to be under the impression that the Matrix is only interesting as
a playground for deckers. To me, 99% of Matrix users are not deckers at all,
but people like us who use the Matrix for real work and play. The idea is to
create a sourcebook that gives GMs ideas on how to make the Matrix more
useful for non-deckers in general and Shadowrunners in particular. It could
be called NERPS: Islands in the Net or NERPS: The Guide to the Matrix or
something.
This is not an original idea, but but here is my conception of it:
1) No gaming rules at all. No new decks, software, IC, or anything else, or
at least very little. Perhaps a catalog of mainframes might be OK. Maybe a
catalog of things like corporate groupware (with an emphasis on how it
looks, sort of as a way for GMs to add believable visuals to their Matrix
hosts).
2) Main text would be like a Dummies Guide to the Internet book of today.
Naturally, decker comments would provide rumors and so on. Some sections
(particularly those about encryption) could be Shadowland articles, or
something different.
3) The book would depart strongly from FASA party line about the ease with
which encrypted files are decrypted. In standard SR, files are trivially
easy to decrypt, but this should not be the case. If it were, many of the
foundations of the SR universe (digital money, in particular) would simply
not work. Encrypted files should be nearly impossible to decode by 2060
without the original key. Some will say that this takes away some dramatic
possibilities from the game (i.e. you can no longer learn secrets with
datasteals if the files are encrypted), but I think just the opposite. The
"easiest" way to decrypt a file is to get the key from the person who
encrypted it. This can add whole new twists to runs, as the runners need to
find and "convince" someone to decode something. One aspect of this that I
like is that it takes what is currently a decker task and involves the whole
party.
Another aspect of encryption that could be interesting is that the gap
between those who have access to strong encryption and those who don't could
grow much stronger. It would be in the interests of megacorps, for example,
to get themselves strong encryption and pull strings to make sure lower-teir
corps and the public are forced to use weaker encryption.
I'm a bit of an encryption nut (can you tell?), and so I apologize if this
seems like I'm harping on an issue you consider unimportant. However,
encryption is likely to be the most influential factor in the development of
the Internet as a commercial tool, and I think it's important to use it as a
starting point to develop how the Matrix would work.
Some of the articles that could be included in the book are:
The history of computing and the Matrix (Creation, Babbage, von Neuman,
Manhattan Project, first program, clipper, infobahn, cable rush, crash, Echo
Marage, etc.)
Encryption primer
Key servers (and who runs them)
Who really needs a VR interface? (I have posted something like this to
the net a while ago. I can do so again.)
Virtual vacations/Theme Parks
BBSs
Shadowland
Magicknet (and the other billboards on page 14 of the Grimoire)
Data Havens (in particular those not dealt with before. There's some
hints at them in T:SH).
Where to get city information like floor plans, sewer maps, etc.
JobNet (which perhaps has a shadowy side
MOM's BBS (metahuman info)
Some sort of Rigger BBS
Business
VR Stock floor (how it looks, how to use) and on-line trading
Financial expert systems
Digital money (perhaps part of the encryption primer)
Digital signatures (perhaps part of the encryption primer)
Virtual meeting companies (useful for surveillance and possible
Johnson or fixer meets
Telecommuting in 2060 (emphasis on how it can be exploited)
Corporate sites of note
Groupware (Wren databases, collaborative programming tools, etc.)
Mainframes
Data miners: How corps really use the Matrix.
Entertainment
Virtual bars/spas/arcades/whatever (this could potentially be the
largest and most useful part of the book).
Sex
Various sex sites (I'm thinking these would likely be training
grounds for deckers, as young kids would want to break in
somewhere to get dirty pictures.)
Matrix sex and society (how players and NPCs use and react to those
who use Matrix sex. I'm thinking contacts known only through
Matrix sex would be common.)
Games
You just know their would be a Quake-like game with servers all
over the Matrix.
Flight simulations
BattleTech :-)
Music
Society
Access to encryption
Polling/Voting
Decker circles
Secrecy vs. ego (on of the more interesting parts of hackerdom, IMO)
Lexicon
Computer terms and slang
Who's Who (deckers, Matrix companies, etc.)
AI
I'm sure you all can think of tons more. Comments?
Wordman
