From: gm1116@albnyvms.bitnet
Subject: Netrunning as an art, not science  
Reply-To: gm1116@albnyvms.bitnet
Organization: University of NY at Albany
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 92 07:56:46 GMT

	Ok, agaiin my basiic premis, as in all my cyberpunk games, ideas,
etc, is that the RPG genre is derived from the sci-fi book genre, and therefor
therefore the books descriptions take precedence over the RPG meagre attemptes
to explain fiction in real life terms.  So, if you prefer game logic
to book logic, STOP READING this post now!  Otherwise, continue

	Typicaly, in the books, netrunning is described as more of an
art than a science.  Many times charectors have no real idea HOW decking
works, they get in cyberspace and DO IT.  Sort of like a RPG, you
might not know WHY a longsword does 1d8 damage and what the rationale
between having a THAC0 of 5 is, you just roll the dice and eagerly
await your GM's response(you hit, you just missed, you cut your
foot off, etc).  Good netrunners understand the "rules of cyberspace"
VERY well but they usually don't have a great grasp of the mechanics
behind cyberspace(fictional charectors at end of post).  In many
of the books, even a "novice" hacker was far superior to a logicalt computer.
computer.  I would say the reason is because, rather than the deck
being an interface between you and the matrix(supplying images
to you based on your environmental setup) your brain is merged with
the deck.  The deck, like all computers, performs simple calculations
VERY fast.  Your brain, on the other hand, is used to perform the
non-simple logic problems.                                            
	Why do I say the result of a novice netrunner is better than a straight
computer?  Take some present day examples:
	A) An outfiielder in a baseball game.  The ball is struck to his section
of the field.  His brain QUICKLY calculates trajectory and he places his
mit where the ball is going to be and catches it.  A combination of
subconcious mathematical computation, estimation, and intuition.  
	B) ever see those logic puzzles, what iis wrong with this picture?
thingies.  Do you systematically go through and check EVERY detail(like
a computer would) starting with small detaiils and building up?  OR do
you just intuitively know which is wrong?  
	C) Closure - the human brain can "fill in the gaps".  Draw a circle using
using dashed lines.  Any other human can recognize it as a circle(well, most
other humans.  some people have problems doing this).  To the computer
this is just a bunch of curved lines.  

	Ok, now that I have some examples that might help explain what I'm
talking about.  When your netrunning, the computer handles the cimple stuff-
such as navigating the net.  When you see a program, the deck will start
examing the program in minute detail to try to discover dangerous 
segments of code.  The human on the other hand will look at the image
generated, not by the deck but by hiis mind as a way of iinterpretiing
the raw data whiich is hooked up to sensory inputs, the human looks at
the program and determines if any part "looks funny".  When attacking
IC the decker examines it for a "weak spot" a segment of code that can be
easily corrupted.  In some cases, such examinations may take time (Case took
a couple weeks to design hiis virus).

	Now, I'm hope you get the point(or am i just babbling?), IMHO using
netrunning as an ART instead of a science requires more "feel" for the
game and less rules.and fast" rules.  

	Now, I'm at work so many of my examples lack names, but I do
remember the books(and sometimes even the AUTHOR)

	Gibson:
	Neuromancer- Case made several references to not understanding how
the deck he used navigated or why when he jacked out but left it
running, when he would jack back in he would be in the same segment of
cyberspace(even though he unhooked it from the phone jjack and hooked
it back up to a space chip comm channel!)  Of course, we could
argue that Case wasn't really a GOOD decker, he jjust happened to fit
the psych profile wintermute needed.
	Burning Chrome - (short story Burning Chrome in book of short stories
titled Burning Chrome) - the REALLY REALLY REALLY good decker in the story
knew nothing about the hardware.  That was his friends department.  One was
a great decker, one was a great tech.

	Steven Barnes
	Gorgon Child-the main charector, who up to this point in the book had
never really used a computer, jacks in at one point when their decker gets
majorly hurt.  With vocal guidance from the decker, the hero is able to navigate
navigate and operate to an extent in the matrix by feel.(note, he could
not read)

	Nightside City
	Heroine at one poiint attacks city records with program to search
and find some info for her.  Program was written by friend who was good
at that sort of thing.  She states she had 2 options with the attack -
she could stay online and guide the sucker in.  This would increase the chance
chances of finding what she wants.  OR She can let it run the attack on its
own.  Less chance of getting what she wants but SHE won't be endangered by
thiis option./


	That's all I can think of for now, sorry for the inconvenince of making
you wade through these ramblings.  Later

Badger
GM1116@albnyvms
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc