| From: | "J. Keith Henry" <Ereskanti@***.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Couple of things... |
| Date: | Wed, 25 Feb 1998 08:43:13 EST |
> > Have to disagree with you on the notion that their deckers are the best in
> the
> > world...I'd say they're world-class, sure, but they lack the backing and
> the
> > nationalistic/capitalist furor behind their financial sources that the
> truly
> > terrifying corporate or government-sponsered deckers have. As I see it,
> if
> > someone like the UCAS _really_ wanted Shadowland shut down, they could
> pull it
> > off double-quick. In fact, lots of the major players have no reason to
go
> > after Shadowland and indeed a bit of an interest in its continued
> operation.
> > What Shadowland has to offer is enough security to deter anyone with less
> than
> > major corporate or governmental resources _and_ be a relatively safe
haven
> for
> > Shadow business to be conducted.
>
> The deckers of Shadowland and the Nexus are among the best in the world
> but FASA themselves have set a precendent for establishing that there are
> a few deckers out there that are better. Most notably Fastjack in the
> Denver Sourcebook when he knocks Bash off the system and locks him out.
>
> In Prime Runners they set up Michael James Sutherland as another such
> decker. I personally rank Dodger in my own games as another decker of
> such calibre.
>
> The point in all this is that against the average shadow decker, the
> SysOps of these boards can pretty well handle them but like RL, there are
> people out there that will always be bigger and better.
>
> As for governments shutting them down. They have the resources to hamper
> and cripple them but they would never be able to keep them shut down as
> another pirate board would just develop from the survivors. In the end it
> would be a continuous battle in which the resources used could be better
> spent elsewhere, as well as the fact that these boards do serve a purpose
> for the very governments themselves in the long run. It's a good source
> for intelligence after all, though they would still have to take them to
> research and confirm it.
>
I have to toss one thing in here as well. And yes, it involves the Otaku of
VR2 infamy. That is the other edge. The Otaku communities that have made the
Nexus home would defend it with a determination and matrix knowledge that the
would-be invader would probably regret it instantaneously. Bash, Shiva,
Spirit and the others are also ancient masters in the field, and have made the
Matrix their livelihood, literally. Very few others could truly say the same.
As for the intel resources that the Nexus and Slands represents, I do agree
with Bruce, it would be a waste of time for them (whom ever them are) to
simply go in and try and pillage/maim/destroy the Nexus.
Especially since at least one of the Megacorps had investments in it (read the
books carefully) and the now recently invented Draco Foundation is also
involved.
-K
