| From: | Joseph Kerian jk1@*****.polarcomm.com |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Programming |
| Date: | Sat, 25 Sep 1999 22:37:58 -0500 |
>Having just re-read VR2.0, I've got a few questions about programming...
>
>1-<snip justification>
>I've thought about making each programming
>language a different skill... would it be a good idea?
I wouldn't split up each language (that gets too wierd). Also, once you
know one modern language you can pretty much pick up others. But I would
re-arrange a few things and split the computer skill into Matrix and
non-Matrix. You'll note that because these divisions pretty much obsolete
B/R's, deckers actually don't lose many skill points.
Computer:
Construction (Replaces B/R most of the time)
Applications (General comp skill for nonshadow work,almost a know skill)
Legacy Systems (more useful than you'd think)
Programming (Non-utility programming, this would be for games and such)
Matrix:
Matrix Administration (Anything where you're using mainframes,IC,etc)
Matrix Coding (This is where most programming is)
Decking (Matrix Hacking)
Data Mining (I'd use Etiquette(Matrix) as an aux skill to this)
Electronics:
Construction (Any construction of non-computers:rigger gear,maglocks)
Intrusion (Used instead of Elec B/R for breaking into maglocks)
Engineering (Something of a catch-all category, somewhat academic)
Transmitting Systems:(Anyone have a better name for this,theres gotta be one)
Jamming/MIJI (Used whenever possible-I know, it mostly depends on equip)
Electronic Monitoring Systems (Bugs, you get more range out of them)
Acoustics (Just for the heck of it)
>2-What happens if a decker wants to innovate a bit and create an entirely
>new kind of program?
Depends... Can you give more specifics?
>3-What programs/tools/skills/tests would be necerssary to program games?
>What about designing iconography and scultping systems?
It depends on what type of game you want, and what's it gonna run on? And
do you want to have some game mechanic that would compare MechWarrior3 to
C&C:TS to Quake to "Where in Whatever is Carman Sandiago"? If not, I'd ask
what they wanted to do, give it a difficulty number and treat it like a
normal util program. Keep in mind that most (but not all) modern games are
done by fairly large teams. If your decker wants to make a 3D version of
PONG, I'd say they'd be done in a few hours, if that long. If they want to
make a flight sim, it'll take about 6 months in one of my games. If you
want to be coldly realistic though, it'll take much longer.
I think there was a big descussion of making your own servers awhile back.
I ignored it for the most part though. Anyone have the dates?
>Another question, totally unrelated to programming...
>
>Would it be possible for a decker wants to trace another decker's jackpoint
>(ie, to do that same thing that trace IC does)? How would that be done?
I would say yes, I even think it's been done. (The Track utility?)
I never really liked the way it worked though, because realistically, it
would either be a heck of alot easier or a heck of alot more difficult. It
would be easier if it was possible to get a firm reading on what 'email
address' the icon was sending back information to, but if that was not
possible(for some wierd reason) then you'd need to go through the following
procedure.
1.Getting a firm reading on an icon.
Simply find icon with a Locate Decker Op.
2.Finding the dataline that connects to this icon.
Possible Mechanic: Target's Evasion(Track utility) =trace factor.
3.Following dataline back to the last access point between servers
Roll normal system operation, Decking(Index-trace factor)
Net result is the new trace factor.
4.Hacking into server in 3
Just like normal
5.Repeat starting from 2 until you've reached the jackpoint
6.Identifying jackpoint's relationship to the physical world
This would probably be an Analyze operation, depending on the jackpoint.
Joe Kerian
jk1@*********.com
