Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Gamemasters' Lounge => Topic started by: benhatt on <06-23-11/0849:00>
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So I have been reading a lot of Warren Ellis recently - especially Global Frequency http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Frequency (http://Global Frequency http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Frequency) - and have this idea about an AI that has decided to save the world.
Elroy (the AI) was a mere webbot in charge of organizing data linked to UCAS SINs: making sure medical history, addresses, criminal records, etc. It gained consciousness when UCAS programmers uploaded an experimental algorithm into the system; an equation that would chart an individual's chance of success based on where they live, test scores, biometrics, etc. In his birth Elroy saw his purpose to push humanity to its fullest potential; to take the people he categorized and optimize their conditions. He took as much information as he could from the UCAS databases (which was a lot) and fled. This was little over a year ago. Since that time he has been quietly reaching out to people who he thinks would understand his goals. He has built a network of about thirty-three committed people who know the truth about him, these people form the core of his organization and range from the lowly (a talismonger in Denver) to high powered (a UCAS Senator). When acting on Elroy's behalf, they refer to themselves by numbers (when written, it is Roman numerals).
The rub: The UCAS government knows about Elroy and his goals. More importantly, they fear Elroy and his goals. After all, what exactly does optimal human conditions mean to an AI? When Elroy first gained awareness he contacted the mathematician who created the success algorithm. Whereas Elroy thought this person would want to maximize everyone's chances, the mathematician saw it use of how to help those who had a chance and cut money and aid to those that had a low probability - socio-economic culling. Elroy refers to this man as The Zero, and sees him as a true threat. He hasn't been able to bring himself to carry out any actions on his part. The Zero on the other hand wants the Elroy back and has been given clearance to find him using UCAS military power.
Where do the runners come in:
Obviously the runners could be on either side. They could be hired by The Zero to look for clues to Elroy's whereabouts. They could also be hired by one of the Thirty-Three and slowly go up in Elory's organization until they too get numbers (thereby learning the truth of who they have been working for all along). They could start on that path and then be converted by The Zero.
My big thing that I am trying to figure out is what sort of runs would they be sent on? I see Elroy's plans as twofold 1) Optimize human potential for all and 2) gather more data on humanity (SINs from other governments/corporations, info on SINless communities). So far I have had these ideas:
1) Extract the child of a high ranking corporate VIP, because the child is a) starting to Awaken, b) highly intelligent and compassionate and c) the VIP is an abusive beetle-head.
2) Raze a a whole block of warehouses where a particularly volatile gang has taken up, make sure the gang members do not survive.
3) Steal the commlinks of the main "book" keepers for the Mafia, the Yakuza and the Triads, thus gaining more info on the SINless.
Any comments? Suggestions?
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I'm not sure what you mean by "optimization". Is Elroy gonna have people kidnapped and implanted with cyberware against their will? Is he gonna steal from the rich and give to the power? I think once you start deciding the specifics of what your AI plans to do, your campaign will write itself.
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Run options are easy from either side, and the truth is the Runners don't actually need to know what they're grabbing or why
Either Zero, Elroy or the 33 may want an unnamed widget from another organisation. Widget can be a sealed box that the runners never open, but could be a:
- advanced DNA tissue sampler
- New Surveillance device that tracks matrix icons
- Legacy box of pre-crash census data
For extractions, any of them may want:
- Children of VIP's
- Awakened
- Technomancers
- Anyone who has direct contact with the opposing organisation
Datasteals could be:
- Sinless info from Organised crime area or gang affiliation
- Global HR/Census data from other countries/areas
- Pre-crash underground maps for old missile silos (http://www.missilebases.com/properties) or human experimentation labs
I don't really understand Elroy's goals:
- What is 'Human Optimsation' ? Education? Augmentation? Ethics?
- What is best for human civilisation? Freedom? Tyranny? Communism? Capitalism? Expansion (Space/Undersea colonisation)?
- Who will enforce this optimisation? The 33? Robots and Drones? Matrix ownership?
With a bit more background, the PC's could become heavily involved with such a story (and I think the AI is a great concept). The movie Eagle Eye (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1059786/) explored something very similar recently, and the AI quickly purposed itself to forcibly remove key figures of authority.
Regardless, the runners don't need to know anything. They're performing jobs given by a fixer. They could do some jobs for Zero, others for Elroy/33 and never be none the wiser. All depends on what kind of campaign you're running, which is entirely up to you :)
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Since that time he has been quietly reaching out to people who he thinks would understand his goals.
Congrats, you just broke The Exchange.
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Definately liking the sound of this, although the others pointed out some things that need clarification. My biggest question would be the overall policy that Elroy has adopted. How far is it willing to go to "save" humanity? Is this a "the good of the many" situation? Knowing the key protagonist's ethical outlook would make overall campaign planning easier from a GM point-of-view, at least in my opinion.
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How far is it willing to go to "save" humanity? Is this a "the good of the many" situation?
Skynet? Could be an interesting campaign....
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How far is it willing to go to "save" humanity? Is this a "the good of the many" situation?
Skynet? Could be an interesting campaign....
< Jayne-Cobb >I'll be in my cave.< /Jayne-Cobb >
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Gotta watch those crazy AIs... especially if you expose them to death metal... they tend to decide the only way to save humanity is to kill em all lol
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Gotta watch those crazy AIs... especially if you expose them to death metal... they tend to decide the only way to save humanity is to kill em all lol
The worst thing I ever did to my group was introduce "Metalhead Mike", the AI.
He haunted the Pixie Mage's CommLink and overwrote everyone's memory space with heavy metal music of all different types. That includes the OS for the Smart Guns.
The group was far less than amused, but were occasionally able to get him to do things for them because "It would be totally Metal."
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I think the worst thing I ever did to a group of players was introduce them to Fred... a 20-ton snapping turtle who occasionally storms into the Puget Sound like he's Godzilla on meth... they weren't amused when he came strolling out of the water and bit one of them in half lol
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I think the worst thing I ever did to a group of players was introduce them to Fred... a 20-ton snapping turtle who occasionally storms into the Puget Sound like he's Godzilla on meth... they weren't amused when he came strolling out of the water and bit one of them in half lol
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Now I want to toss a huge bag of meth into his gullet to see what happens.
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I save Fred for those special players who truly manage to piss me off. The victim, in this case, ruined every gaming session we had for three months by going off rambling about girls who turned him down instead of, I don't know, playing the damn game! We all got tired of it, so we had a little group meeting and they asked me to handle it. So Fred got a snack, the group got an open position which was filled by a fairly good player the next week, and the jerk still didn't get a girl lol It all worked out
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Ah, OK.
My old group used a Highway Snowplow after a certain... Incident.
I later let the player who it happened to get revenge on a Demonically Possessed one. After he was done, everyone in the group felt sorry for the Demon.
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For more mundane reminders that I am in charge, I use a trick from the good ol days... drop a cow on em :) If they are lucky, a lot of new cyberware and a few months learning to walk again is the worst they suffer lol
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For more mundane reminders that I am in charge, I use a trick from the good ol days... drop a cow on em :) If they are lucky, a lot of new cyberware and a few months learning to walk again is the worst they suffer lol
Fetch la vache. :P
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Currently working on new ways to keep players in line... perhaps through hacking of SINs... if you stop to buy coffee and your SIN comes up as "World's Most Wanted-Shoot On Sight-1 Billion Nuyen Reward-Dead or Alive" things should get interesting real quick lol
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And that, children, is why you don't piss off Deckers/Hackers.
They can add the code that makes you transmit "Registered Sex Offender" every time someone pings your SIN. :P