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Message no. 1
From: Luke Kendall <luke@********.CANON.OZ.AU>
Subject: Character durability?
Date: Sun, 15 Jan 1995 23:54:12 +1100
Our game is going through a bad patch at the moment.
One of the problems is that long-running characters
gradually get `exposed'.

I mean, given the common presence of security cameras,
the mind-boggling capacity for computer storage of high-res
video footage, Bertillon body measurement matching,
thermographic `bodyprints' etc. etc. -

how do you avoid having your long-running characters
eventually being unable to risk being scanned by _any_
security camera or Lone Star cop?

luke
Message no. 2
From: "J.D. Falk" <jdfalk@****.CAIS.COM>
Subject: Re: Character durability?
Date: Sun, 15 Jan 1995 16:00:09 -0500
On Sun, 15 Jan 1995, Luke Kendall wrote:

> how do you avoid having your long-running characters
> eventually being unable to risk being scanned by _any_
> security camera or Lone Star cop?

Every now and then, get some major cosmetic surgery -- enough to
change the way the character walks, talks, everything. Including (of
course) the illegal stuff like faked retina prints and fingerprints.
Might also be worthwhile to have similar work done on somebody else so
that they look like you used to, and you can have them killed off in some
way that the Powers That Be will assume it was you but not get any acutal
leads as to your whereabouts.
Obviously, this would not be cheap or easy. But once you're
powerful enough, what's cost or hardship? *grin*

-------------========== J.D. Falk <jdfalk@****.com> =========-------------
| "Eat one lousy foot and they call you a cannibal" |
| -- The Big Bus |
--------========== http://www.cais.com/jdfalk/home.html ==========--------
Message no. 3
From: Luke Kendall <luke@********.CANON.OZ.AU>
Subject: Re: Character durability?
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 11:53:44 +1100
J.D. Falk wrote:

On Sun, 15 Jan 1995, Luke Kendall wrote:

> how do you avoid having your long-running characters
> eventually being unable to risk being scanned by _any_
> security camera or Lone Star cop?

JD> Every now and then, get some major cosmetic surgery -- enough to
JD> change the way the character walks, talks, everything.

Mmm, yeah. I couldn't think of anything better than that, either.
And of course, everyone in the group really needs to do it. One
recognisable person would give away the whole team.

Oh - and to change the way the character walks - won't that require
rolling for Magic loss?

And what do you do when someone has such a distinctive personality that
that in itself would be enough to recognise him or her? I suspect that
unless you think about this problem during character design, it will
come to bite you very hard later on, if your character is successful
as a runner for long enough ...

luke
Message no. 4
From: Robert Watkins <bob@**.NTU.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Character durability?
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 11:07:51 +0930
>
> J.D. Falk wrote:
>
> On Sun, 15 Jan 1995, Luke Kendall wrote:
>
> > how do you avoid having your long-running characters
> > eventually being unable to risk being scanned by _any_
> > security camera or Lone Star cop?
>
> JD> Every now and then, get some major cosmetic surgery -- enough to
> JD> change the way the character walks, talks, everything.
>
> Mmm, yeah. I couldn't think of anything better than that, either.
> And of course, everyone in the group really needs to do it. One
> recognisable person would give away the whole team.
>
> Oh - and to change the way the character walks - won't that require
> rolling for Magic loss?
>
> And what do you do when someone has such a distinctive personality that
> that in itself would be enough to recognise him or her? I suspect that
> unless you think about this problem during character design, it will
> come to bite you very hard later on, if your character is successful
> as a runner for long enough ...
>

*cough* And where would you get such major cosmetic surgery done? A shadow
clinic? All the big ones (and major cosmetic surgery is big-league stuff)
are undoubtedly funded by either corps or major crime syndicates. And if
MCT is after you, so are the Yaks.
Changing the way you walk would require either lots and lots of practise,
or extensive surgery. Talking is the same. Neither would be able to be done
all that often.

Besides, you're still you, right? If the corps want you bad enough, they'll
track you down via your aura.

The real way to avoid becoming so wanted is to play the game impartially,
working for everyone against everyone. Oh, and having some "life insurance"
always helps.

--
Robert Watkins bob@**.ntu.edu.au
Real Programmers never work 9 to 5. If any real programmers
are around at 9 am, it's because they were up all night.
Message no. 5
From: Luke Kendall <luke@********.CANON.OZ.AU>
Subject: Re: Character durability?
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 14:15:57 +1100
Robert Watkins wrote:

luke> how do you avoid having your long-running characters
luke> eventually being unable to risk being scanned by _any_
luke> security camera or Lone Star cop?

JD> Every now and then, get some major cosmetic surgery -- enough to
JD> change the way the character walks, talks, everything.

RW> *cough* And where would you get such major cosmetic surgery done? A shadow
RW> clinic? All the big ones (and major cosmetic surgery is big-league stuff)
RW> are undoubtedly funded by either corps or major crime syndicates.

I'd estimate there'd be as many as 6 people in the whole of Seattle who
have decided that since they have A) Magical healing powers, and B) cosmetic
surgery skills, then they can C) make a great deal of money by providing
this service to too-high-profile (i.e. rich) runners.

> Besides, you're still you, right? If the corps want you bad enough, they'll
> track you down via your aura.

<Shrug> That I can live with. Having each computer behind every security
camera in Seattle ready to trigger when my presence is noted - that I
can't live with.

> The real way to avoid becoming so wanted is to play the game impartially,
> working for everyone against everyone. Oh, and having some "life insurance"
> always helps.

It would be sad to think that runners-with-morality are an impossibility,
though. And besides: sooner or later, you'll tick someone off badly.
Then the problem hits, full force.

luke
Message no. 6
From: ArchBishop <hessoun@*******.COM>
Subject: Re: Character durability?
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 13:56:19 -0500
Well, long running characters aren't ususally a problem for our game, but
here's a few thoughts:

Don't overestimate the level of coordination between all these various
databases. Just because the information's out there, doesn't mean
everyone knows it or can get to it.

Most of our longest running characters have either bought into
semi-legitimacy (lots of decker hours deleting/creating stuff) or have
sufficient funds to lay really low and entertain themselves when they're
not working; when they are on a job, there are lots of ways around
security measures on a temporary basis.

If we're talking about a mage here, this gets a lot easier. The vast
majority of security systems are simply not set up to deal with magical
methods of disguise.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
cHAD hESSOUN, "the UnWilling" / For more info about OTIS \ Others who try
ArchBishop of Kenyon and Greater \ and OTISianism, contact: / to show their
Gambier Area, Ohio, U.S.A. / HailOTIS@******.sci.fau.edu \ existence is
President, HailOTIS! Ministeries \ Hessoun@******.edu / necessary, I
Subsidiary of the InterGalactic / IGHF@******.com \ shall call
House of Fruitcakes \ Zecchin@**.netcom.com / scum. -Sartre
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Message no. 7
From: Erik S Jameson <esj@***.UUG.ARIZONA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Character durability?
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 14:20:47 -0700
Hmmmm...You could go the cosmetic surgery/elaborate disguise routes
mentioned previously. Or you might wish to align yourself with a
government or corporation. You freelance for them (maybe even work in
their black-ops division) and in your "off-time", work for whoever you
want, except the corp you already work for. Then you pass on information
and other paydata you get from those "off-time runs" to your corp
bosses. When the drek hits the fan, you have become a valuable employee
that deserves some protection.

This can get rather complicated and Machiavellian, but if you are good to
them, the corps will often return the favor (depending on the good-old
bottom line of course, but as long as having you on their side makes a
profit...)

I mention this because this is one of the ways my character (the
Whistler) has managed to survive for as long as he has.

Erik, a.k.a. the Whistler
Message no. 8
From: The GREAT Cornholio <mruane@***********.HACKS.ARIZONA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Character durability?
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 15:39:55 -0700
On Mon, 16 Jan 1995, Erik S Jameson wrote:

> Hmmmm...You could go the cosmetic surgery/elaborate disguise routes
> mentioned previously. Or you might wish to align yourself with a
> government or corporation. You freelance for them (maybe even work in
Or you could do the Spellslinger option: Always wear a helmet! In cases
wehre you don't have helmets, his physical mask lock works real well.

> their black-ops division) and in your "off-time", work for whoever you
> want, except the corp you already work for. Then you pass on information
> and other paydata you get from those "off-time runs" to your corp
> bosses. When the drek hits the fan, you have become a valuable employee
> that deserves some protection.
>
> This can get rather complicated and Machiavellian, but if you are good to
> them, the corps will often return the favor (depending on the good-old
> bottom line of course, but as long as having you on their side makes a
> profit...)
>
> I mention this because this is one of the ways my character (the
> Whistler) has managed to survive for as long as he has.
>
> Erik, a.k.a. the Whistler
>
Mike, TGC
Message no. 9
From: Joel Ricker <a018907t@*********.SEFLIN.LIB.FL.US>
Subject: Re: Character durability?
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 08:49:04 -0500
> > JD> Every now and then, get some major cosmetic surgery -- enough to
> > JD> change the way the character walks, talks, everything.
>
> *cough* And where would you get such major cosmetic surgery done? A shadow
> clinic? All the big ones (and major cosmetic surgery is big-league stuff)
> are undoubtedly funded by either corps or major crime syndicates. And if
> MCT is after you, so are the Yaks.
> Changing the way you walk would require either lots and lots of practise,
> or extensive surgery. Talking is the same. Neither would be able to be done
> all that often.

Minor surgery wouldn't work either. It would have to be something major
(changing appearance from an elf to a troll). Pattern recognition
camaras are available NOW that can still detect a person even after minor
changes (eye color, hair, glasses, etc)

------------------------------------------------
"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And is heard no more." - Macbeth, Act V Scene V
Renegade William Shakespeare
a018907t@*********.seflin.lib.fl.us
jricker@*******.fsu.edu
Message no. 10
From: "James W. Thomas" <cm5323@***.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Character durability?
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 14:10:22 +0000
>
> > > JD> Every now and then, get some major cosmetic surgery --
enough
to
> > > JD> change the way the character walks, talks, everything.
> >
> > *cough* And where would you get such major cosmetic surgery done? A shadow
> > clinic? All the big ones (and major cosmetic surgery is big-league stuff)
> > are undoubtedly funded by either corps or major crime syndicates. And if
> > MCT is after you, so are the Yaks.
<CHOPPER> unless one pc is a Good Biotechie, you've got to go to
one of the organised crime run places.

> Minor surgery wouldn't work either. It would have to be something major
> (changing appearance from an elf to a troll). Pattern recognition
> camaras are available NOW that can still detect a person even after minor
> changes (eye color, hair, glasses, etc)
<CHOPPER>
so you just beg/borrow/steal/buy the software the cameras run
and learn how it determines a match. then you just alter
your appearance to outside the softwares 'match' parameters.
s'easy.

> Renegade

CHOPPER
i once know someone who blew 1.2 million on a new body (in
Cp2020) he went up 4" to 6'5", put on 80lbs of muscle, went from
causasian to afro-caribean, had his hair replaced with vat grown
folicles, new eyes with unlisted retinas, new prints, and new
voice pattern.
He then set up a new id for his new persona, and there was no
way the mob could catch him.

Them he Phoned a known contact of his and told the guy who he
was, and then told his contact to call him back and gave the
payphones number.
The Mob thought it was christmas!
not only had he given his new id away, he'd told them where he
was!
some peaple seem destined to die

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