| From: | Bruce Ford <shaman@*******.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Mirrors, Corners, the Past, the Future |
| Date: | Sun, 8 Mar 1998 23:35:59 -0700 |
> I'd like to hear that very long story before I give my consent to such a
> thing unfolding on ShadowTK. I may sound hostile here, but I have very strong
> beliefs about the way technology works (and as a researcher in the field of
> hardware design I think I'm entitled to many of them) and I emphatically
> do not want to see this list overrun by AI's, Invae, or any number of the other
> bugbears waiting in the wings. Can you tell us why your story requires a
> true AI as opposed to any number of other dramatic devices that could be
> adapted to the same purpose?
I'll leave it to Keith as he is the GM for the Aztlan Summerfest game. I
would like to point out that this is a fictional story-list or so I have
been informed by the FAQ.
The AS AI (if it is truly one - I for one do not know for certain) did
gain some form and level of sentience by accident (from my understanding)
which does seem to coincide with any mention made of AI's in the novels
and hinted at within more then a few sourcebooks. Before anyone screams
that the novels are not canon, I agree but they do tend to give FASA's own
background of their world and many of the novels mention various
informaion or events from sourcebooks and modules and vice versa.
They have cross-linked both and many players of the game use a fair amount
of this background. However, it's funny the minute someone states
something on these lists, they automatically think they have to consider
it fact (see the whole astral in space argument), what is stated and what
is are not always the same thing. Some people also tend to think that the
given subject is going to play a huge part in the story that unfolds,
again that is jumping to a conclusion.
In the case of the AS AI, we're approaching freeing whatever it is <again
I am using AI as a term because that seems to qualify what we know of
it..whether it is a true AI...we <the players> don't know and in the year
we've been playing we have had no contact with it and the only contact I
expect to have with it is in the brief few posts where we open a link for
it to escape and in all likelihood we'll never interact with it
again...some huge part of the story....
As for the list, I was under the impression that this was a story board
where several writers could if they so choose interact and in a sense
write a tale about occurrances in the world of Shadowrun. Some limits
must be set to maintain cohesiveness but one of the main ones was keep it
to base FASA publications, I find your statements about Invae
interesting...Invae are FASA Canon. They ARE part of the world, they do
affect it ... hell they affected the Election of '57.
I doubt I would ever use bugs on this list as I have my fill in real games
but I would not object to others using them. There are other things on
this list I am not comfortable with and as such I will likely ignore them
and not interact with said storyline but I will not ask them to stop
because it is not my world view.
Please keep in mind that this is a group of people and each person has
their own view of what Shadowrun is, you may not like the ideas of bugs or
even that a dragon won the election or whatever...the point to keep in
mind for everyone myself included...this list is not our personal game
world...it is a shared setting and to keep it to something that everyone
is familiar with ... it was stated to keep to what FASA has developed so
that people are familiar with it when they join and if someone wants to
use something within that setting to let them.
It's funny in a way, cause there was a comment about an old boy's club
running around and it may not be as bad as it once was but it certainly
seems like the 'Old-timers' have a vision of what this list is and where
it should go and what should be allowed....Some of you have stated you
have stretched what is canon, please give us the courtesy of potentially
doing the same before flying to the attack.
Most new people to the list will likely not go as far as the one's who
have been around a while as they tend to want to get a feel for things and
not upset the apple cart.
When I joined the list I asked about why magic wasn't as involved in a
series of bus killings because my interpretation of what FASA had stated
for LS's use of magic was different then the authors involved. I caused
quite the little stir because it was thought I was attacking the posts. I
was not, I was attempting to do what I stated in the previous paragraph.
I still do not totally agree with their interpretation but I respect it
and let it drop because it was their story.
As long as the story is within the realms of FASA canon then I think
whatever it is should be allowed on the list. If you happen not to like
it or don't agree with it, you don't have to interact with it.
Just my opinion,
Bruce.
