[Xenon]

How official is that?

I would personally assume that commcode would work a bit like an email, Skype account or ICQ account. That the email, Skype and ICQ is connected to your Internet account rather than the mobile device you currently use. That you can check your email, get calls on Skype or messages on ICQ no matter what device you use. That you don't get a new email, Skype account or ICQ account just because you get a new smartphone.

Even phone numbers today are not tied to a phone. You can get a temporary prepaid SIM card. Use that in your phone. Pull it out and throw it away. Put in your regular SIM card.

As I see it commcode should be something you tie to a persona. Something that you can use no matter what avatar you use. That you are not forced to get a new commcode just because someone steal your commlink or just because you use a commlink rather than your cyberdeck. That technomancers can communicate with others and that others can communicate with technomancers (sending a message) no matter if they use an avatar based on a device or not.

That you still can check your messages even if you base your persona on a toaster with a persona firmware.

That unique matrix commcode identity is linked to a unique virtual matrix... "thing" (like your unique matrix persona) rather than a unique physical.... "thing" (like one of your commlinks).

[Kincaid]

Totally unofficial.  I doubt we'll ever see official word on this type of question, to be honest.

The problem (-ish) of using the email model is that your Matrix connection is tied to your Lifestyle which can be tied to your SIN.  From a design standpoint, that's something I try very hard to avoid.  If your SIN gets burned and you have to ditch your cyberdeck license, that's one thing.  If you have to ditch your cyberdeck, that's another.

I totally agree with the second part of your post, but I think that's still possible.  A single persona could have multiple commcodes and check them all from a single device without a problem.  You've been able to call your own phone to check voicemail for ages--that's such an antiquated way of doing things, I'm not actually sure you still can, but the basic design principle is the same.  If I'm logged into the Matrix using my Joe Wageslave commlink, I can still check my messages on my Joe Shadowrunner commlink without a problem.  It's just that the two devices have two distinct commcodes.  Joe's persona is still the owner of both items, so you can use them no matter what avatar you're using at any given moment.

You never actually call Bishop's (my main character) commlinks; you call his router (essentially, a separate commlink that works like Grasshopper).  The router then pings his PAN with an "incoming call" message.  Based on who it is and what Bishop is doing, he'll answer the call with a different commlink.  He has a totally clean router and a totally clean SIN that he keeps for recurring expenses and buys new routers every month or so for business use.  Since he owns all these devices, he can see and interact them all without a problem.

[Xenon]

I am not suggesting your commcode is tied to your lifestyle, SIN or commlink... Just like your persona is not tied to your lifestyle, SIN or commlink. I suggest that your commcode is something you only access when you are "on line". That a commcode is a matrix "alias" rather than a SIM-card hardwired into a physical commlink.

No matter what grid you are currently using. No matter what SIN you might or might not have on your commlink. No matter what device you might or might not use to base your avatar on.

[Zweiblumen]

I am not suggesting your commcode is tied to your lifestyle, SIN or commlink... Just like your persona is not tied to your lifestyle, SIN or commlink. I suggest that your commcode is something you only access when you are "on line". That a commcode is a matrix "alias" rather than a SIM-card hardwired into a physical commlink.

No matter what grid you are currently using. No matter what SIN you might or might not have on your commlink. No matter what device you might or might not use to base your avatar on.

Is this like a permament attachment that every matrix entity gets a commcode at creation that is immutable?  Or is this more like, to use a current day AWS reference, an ENI that can be detached and re-attached to various entities?

If the former, I think that breaks a *lot* of things.  If the later, than I don't see the mechanical difference between that and the "sim-card" analogy.

I dig the idea of a commcode being more or less it's own thing indepenent of "gear."  That would let TMs get multple codes without needing to buy a bunch of hardware, but I think you'd need some kind of limiting factor on it, otherwise TMs get "free" burners.  Dunno, maybe thats why codes are attached to specific peices of hardware.  Buy a burner commlink, take the code from that and attach that to your deck or your LP.  Food for thought.

[Xenon]

I like the idea that technomancers can have a matrix alias/commcode you can Send Message to and that technomancers may use when they Send Message back to you.

Doesn't say you need an avatar based on a commlink to use the Send Message matrix action.


That - or that you, in addition to Send Message to a commcode you know, also can use Send Message to communicate with a persona that you currently Spot.


When you receive a call from the matrix you may use matrix perception to spot the icon from where the call originated from. If I recall correctly this is described in a red box named uses of snoop... The example with the Decker and Rigger fooling around also suggest that you can send a message to a persona just by spotting it (or maybe reply to whomever send you a message even if he is currently hidden from view).

[korusef]

Isn't commcode something like IPv6x? It is "unique" address that other could use to reach you, but you can change it easily and you could use multitude of them.

[Xenon]

It's not well described at all.

If I recall correctly; Core only mention it a few times. In a red box with matrix jargong and briefly mentioned under Send Message.

For a long time I also thought it was listed as one of the characteristics you could ask with matrix perception,  until someone pointed out that it actually said commode and not commcode (still not sure what a commode is -that word is not mentioned anywhere else- or if it is a typo and that it actually should say commcode). Data Trails didn't mention the word even once.


Could someone please copy pasta the book definition of commcode from the red box in the matrix chapter?

[Kincaid]

A commode is a Kommode.  I'm certain that's a "it's a real word, so spellcheck missed it" typo.  It's meant to say commcode.

Page 215

Commcode: Combination email address, phone number, and IM name that identifies an individual for communication; if people want to get a hold of you, this is what they need.

For the sake of completeness, here's the definition from Unwired.

Matrix service providers (MSPs) issue commcodes (see p. 214, SR4), which are not to be confused with access IDs. Whereas your access ID is a sort of serial number that you use for all of your interactions online, and which is recorded in access logs (like an IP address in real life), your commcode is more akin to a phone number or email address.

I don't want to draw too many parallels between how the Matrix used to work and how it works now, but the core idea of it being an email address/means of contact remains.  In 4e it was clearly distinct from your access ID (which is roughly similar to how personae govern ownership in 5e).

A rule of thumb I try to keep in mind when I'm writing stuff: Shadowrun needs to be playable for a smart 15-year old.  That's one of the reasons guys sitting around eating pizza can come up with a plan to break into a multi-billion nuyen facility guarded by highly-trained dudes with assault rifles.  Having reference points like email, phone number, and IM name helps 15-year olds easily grasp the game concept.  I'm 40 and generally the youngest guy at my table.  We have ex soldiers, guys who work in IT security, guys who worked in "regular" security, a guy who owns a gun dealership, and a guy who looks exactly like Gary Gygax.  Like, exactly.  So I'd tailor my stuff to make things a little more challenging for them, but that really shouldn't be the baseline of the rules.  I'm all for adding whatever level of complexity folks feel is appropriate through houserules, but adding complexity to the core rules, while not something I'm against in all cases, is something that I'm very cautious about.

[Xenon]

Page 215

Commcode: Combination email address, phone number, and IM name that identifies an individual for communication; if people want to get a hold of you, this is what they need.

To me this sound as if a SR5 commcode is your "Internet Alias".

Your SR5 ekvivalent of your 2015 Skype account (combined with your Gmail account, combined with your Instant Message account, combined with your......)

That you can access it with your unique Persona, no matter what device specific Avatar you might use.

That technomancers have a commcode even if they use their deviceless living persona.