[SamTwist]

Hi everyone,

I would like to know if some of you might be able to provide assistance regarding my narration.
I started quite recently as a GameMaster so I'm still learning the ropes.

So far, my players are enjoying the game, however, there is one player who feels that my descriptions are a little stale when things happen in the Matrix.

I'd like to know if you guys would be so kind to give me your take on how you would narrate a specific sequence.

Imagine the Decker/Technomancer needs to hack into an Horizon Database in order to create credentials so that the rest of the team can get into the building without suspicions.

I understand the mechanics involved to make this happen, but I'm in need of inspiration for some extra fluff to properly describe the Matrix.

Thanks in advance!

[SlowDeck]

I'll give you the same advice my face-to-face GM gave me for my matrix descriptions: Ham it up.

The Matrix is, from what I have read, designed primarily to be practical. While this is actually realistic and makes for writing mechanics better, it's also narratively boring. The key to what is, by nature, mundane being made narratively exciting is to overact a bit or go a bit over the top when describing it; otherwise, usually, narrations just gloss over it.

[farothel]

Try to read Tom Clancy's Netforce novels (there is also one movie about one of those if I'm not mistaken).  There they also have VR and he gives some descriptions.  You can use that as basis for your own games. 

You can also enlist the help of your decker/hacker.  If he has a reality filter on his system (and if you play 5th edition, if it still exists), have him describe himself what his VR reality looks like.  He has the reality filter, so he can think up something himself on what it looks like.

[Magnaric]

I always imagined some of the scenes from Hackers mixed with things like Reboot could give a good idea of what the Matrix can(though doesn't have to be) like. Just my suggestion though.

Also, my go-to rule for general descriptions, not just matrix or anything, is if it's something brand-new, a first time experience for the players, keep it to a small paragraph or a few lines. Remember to use the 5 senses, because if they're in VR or have simsense stuff, that can be important.

If it's familiar territory, keep it to a single line, just detailing any changes they notice to the landscape.

[RHat]

One thing they did a better job of communicating in SR4 - in the Matrix, anything can basically look like anything.  So, for example, a Horizon host might be sculpted to look like an old Wild West flick - complete with safety deposit boxes for secure file stoarge, stock characters for certain sorts of IC, that sort of thing.  For the narrative, you describe not what is happening mechanically, but what it appears to be doing in the metaphor of the host.

The Matrix gives you full freedom to make things present however you want them too, so take full advantage of that.

[SlowDeck]

One thing they did a better job of communicating in SR4 - in the Matrix, anything can basically look like anything.  So, for example, a Horizon host might be sculpted to look like an old Wild West flick - complete with safety deposit boxes for secure file stoarge, stock characters for certain sorts of IC, that sort of thing.  For the narrative, you describe not what is happening mechanically, but what it appears to be doing in the metaphor of the host.

The Matrix gives you full freedom to make things present however you want them too, so take full advantage of that.

I think this was changed a bit for SR5. They talk a lot about standardization of icons, so there seems to be less freedom of representation in SR5. At least, when in the public sections of it.

[RHat]

One thing they did a better job of communicating in SR4 - in the Matrix, anything can basically look like anything.  So, for example, a Horizon host might be sculpted to look like an old Wild West flick - complete with safety deposit boxes for secure file stoarge, stock characters for certain sorts of IC, that sort of thing.  For the narrative, you describe not what is happening mechanically, but what it appears to be doing in the metaphor of the host.

The Matrix gives you full freedom to make things present however you want them too, so take full advantage of that.

I think this was changed a bit for SR5. They talk a lot about standardization of icons, so there seems to be less freedom of representation in SR5. At least, when in the public sections of it.

The standardization appears to be in terms of size and such more than in terms of what it can be.