Actually i had given some thought on how to do The Matrix in an MMO Shadowrun setting. What i had considered is combine both the SEGA/SNES Matrix renderings together to get the both of best of them. The way it would work is, the player would travel along wire connections at a high speed until he hits a node, and then he would do battle with it ala SEGA to gain access to it. Once the ICE is tricked/disabled/overriden, the node would then 'open up' and allow the player to walk inside of it like the SNES version, altering and effecting functions inside (possibly with other 'failsafes' and ICE like systems to get in his way). The whole layout of the system itself would have reflected that of the SEGA version, with specific nodes having specific functions, and the whole 'System Alert' mechanisms for the ICE's would make things quite interesting. ;D

Actually its easier than this...

Shadowrun describes the matrix as a virtual reality system. Most companies use thier own internal icons and such. Its impressive graphics but "obviously" computer made. The easiest way to do this is to handle matrix runs as regular zones. While in the zone movement is at a double or higher rate of speed. Icon's work like normal mobs...and you use your programs along the same line as spells.

Certain programs will alter the reality of the system so that a person see's thier own version of the host.

Quote:

Original post by robert4818 Actually its easier than this... Shadowrun describes the matrix as a virtual reality system. Most companies use thier own internal icons and such. Its impressive graphics but "obviously" computer made. The easiest way to do this is to handle matrix runs as regular zones. While in the zone movement is at a double or higher rate of speed. Icon's work like normal mobs...and you use your programs along the same line as spells. Certain programs will alter the reality of the system so that a person see's thier own version of the host.

this is basically exactly what i was thinking of. maybe the view will be switched to 100% overhead or something like that, and combat would be doen with "mobs", except the would be "ICE" or whatever.

Thats fine...just remember different ICE work very differently and not all should be treated as "Mobs".

The idea in my book is to make the matrix zones very cool looking, but with a lower resolution and Polygon count...this would seperate the "reality" of the shadowrun world from the "obvious" setting of the matrix.

Just remember...lower resolution does NOT necisarrily mean ugly, just not as polished.

I've been reading through some of my books, and it looks like the idea we had about adding in extra cyberwear is already in shadowrun....damn they think of everything :)

I should hope they did. Shadowrun's been around a long time and, with the possible exception of GURPS, has the most source material created for it.

When I've got a high-Karma char, I usually multi-skillset him. Samurai/decker is very easy. Hell, if you don't mind slightly weaker adept/mage abilities, mage/decker is very doable (and it leaves you with .84 essence to futz around with, adding a bit more cyber to make you a combat machine).

Oh, and skill monkeys are very easy to do. Datajack, chipjack, and skillsoft jukebox. Any skill, any time.

Yes, but skill monkeys also need activesofts so that they can use active skills such as pistol and such...that gets VERY expensive karma wise, not to mention headware memory so they can have multiple skill sets loaded at once...Skill monkeys can get very very scary

There's no reason for skillmonkeys to need activesoft for weapons. In fact, it's a bad idea, unless they're DIMAPped, 'cause they don't get their pool.

Been wishing for a nice Shadowrun MMO for the PC for quite a while myself, it was always one of those things along the lines of "I'd like to do this some day if nobody else gets to it."

The MS thing is upsetting, but it's not the end of the world, a "shadowrun-like" world isn't a difficult concept to come up with and make original.. SR itself is basically just any run-of-the-mill fantasy RPG thrust thousands of years into the future.

That would take away from the great amount of source material (read: IP) you have to draw upon without fear of infringement however, and would also be a harder sell to the core fanbase that would probably be what got the project out of the shadows in the first place.

I've never played the Sega or SNES versions of the game, PnP only, but I'm in a somewhat unique position to my knowledge -- my best friend did a fair amount of writing for FASA in the "Matrix" source book. Ken Peters is his name, in the credits, and I would be Allen. :) He, Ryan, Chris, and myself listed there all went to jr high and high together oh so long ago.. so, I guess my 15 minutes is up.. heh.

Making this work as a real MMO, with all the elements, wouldn't be easy -- especially with the Rigger and Decker classes. It would definitely be easier if it was turn based however.

The problem is timescale and complexity of actions. Deckers and Riggers can take a lot more actions in "realtime" than a less technosavvy person, and in the PvP world, you have time to think for a moment about what you want to do, and explain it in detail, without time passing and you missing your opportunity.

Everyone wants games like this to be realtime like an RTS or FPS, and I think it can be done, but it's a tall order to tie the disparate time-domain worlds together into something that's fun for everyone involved.

Ah...its not as generic as you've said... The idea is generic, but the world is one that has been done with the utmost care and concern. Its truly a unique world.


Though I agree rigger and decker would be hard to deal with if you tried to keep the speed of the mind up...but I doubt that it would have much impact if you dropped that part of the game down a bit.

I think its the world in general (with a very generous helping of the ruleset idea) that would make the game worth running. Do I think that classes would kill the game, NO. Do I think that levels would...Yes.

Does the game system have to be D6 based...absolutley not. But does it have to keep the general idea of the D6 skill/successes alive...IMO yes.

The biggest hurdle is of course KARMA.

No way around that unless you up the skills beyond base 6 system...which i think is very possible.