Shadowrun
Shadowrun General => The Secret History => Topic started by: Mirikon on <05-04-12/0630:47>
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To those in the know, the following words are enough to make your heart feel like a chunk of black slush: “Things have been kind of quiet in Renraku lately.”
As Cosmo said, the conspicuous lack of anything involving Renraku as more than a bit player has me a little worried. Mitsuhama, Saeder-Krupp, Evo, Horizon, Ares, NeoNET, and Aztechnology have all had serious screen time recently. Shiawase and Wuxing are the only others of the AAAs who haven't had some major goings on, but it is Renraku that has me wondering. At least Shiawase and Wuxing are getting embroiled in politics in Shiawase's case and exploiting the Quints in Wuxing's case. What have we heard from Renraku lately? Zilch. They didn't even play that big a role in the whole Technomancer/AI thing! All of which boils down to me getting very anxious about what is going on in Chiba...
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You're looking at it through a microscope. Renraku has done one of two things. 1) Keep the brand name out of the spotlight 2) Stay out of the shadow.
Renraku got hit pretty hard with the SCIRE/ACHE fiasco and that is still hurting them in North America. On the other hand, they have plenty of proprietary software that keeps the other corps coming back. So rather than pushing the Renraku Subsidiary "X-co", they are pushing 'X-co"* (subsidiary of Renraku Computer Systems)
There is so much focus on Renraku by government oversight, that they don't dare try anything shadow worthy.
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Yeah. Like Aztechnology for example...
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Except Renraku, like all the megas, is extraterritorial. Government oversight doesn't apply.
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http://forums.shadowrun4.com/index.php?topic=6437.0
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Except Renraku, like all the megas, is extraterritorial. Government oversight doesn't apply.
exactly sir...
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Read up on the requirements to be extraterritorial.
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Yes, yes. There are steps to take to become extraterritorial. Once you get that, however, you don't have to listen to government oversight any more on corporate property, Joe. And Renraku's been extraterritorial for a while. The only time a government can force people onto corporate property is in extraordinary circumstances, like a godlike AI taking over a building with a hundred thousand people in it that happens to be sitting on three nuclear reactors in the middle of a heavily populated city. If there isn't a crisis on that scale, extraterritorial corps don't even have to take the government's calls.
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I seem to recall something about pollution that spills onto the government's land, but don't remember from where. Regardless, the corps just can't willy-nilly despoil everything, there is some accountability.
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You need a long term lease for your facility to be eligible for the extraterritorial rights. That facility also needs to be labeled as such and must have defined borders. Activities cannot extend beyond those borders into public lands. The government and more specifically New York City can set terms in such a way that Renraku isn't allowed a facility with extraterritorial status. Considering the problems caused by Renraku in Seattle, I would be surprised if they were granted extraterritorial facilities anywhere in the UCAS. All it takes is limited short term leases, subdividing the property and hooking up the facilities to public utilities. As soon as one Renraku turd flows into the sewers, the government can go in. It is easier and more profitable to simply have government oversight and simply bribe them. But that means playing by the rules until their reputation is repaired. Now they've still got their grip in the Japan, so there, business as usual. It's just in UCAS where they are having problems. I think CAS has an oversight thing too some acronym like ERLA or something.
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I seem to recall something about pollution that spills onto the government's land, but don't remember from where. Regardless, the corps just can't willy-nilly despoil everything, there is some accountability.
Eminent Domain. Renraku Shutdown.
The UCAS moved in during the Dues Event in the SCIRE due to the Nukes in the basement (Power Plants rather than bombs, but nonetheless.).
I describe what happened to the SCIRE as the UCAS Armed Forces handing the Mega a Bill for getting rid of the AI. ;D
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Renraku still has facilities in the UCAS, though not in Seattle right now (unless they've put something up in Redmond and didn't tell anyone). But what you're missing, Joe, is that Renraku isn't JUST in the UCAS. They practically own all of Chiba, and everyone there loves them, so they can do what they like. And there are lots of areas all over the world where they can put up a research station or other facility and not have any government oversight, even on what you're dumping out, either because it is in someplace that the government doesn't go (Barrens), or you've bought the government (MCT and Tsmshian, or Aztech and Aztlan), or you're just very far from anywhere (parts of CalFree, pretty much all of Africa, half of Asia, lots of islands in the Pacific, etc.). Renraku might be playing 'good corporate citizen' in the UCAS, but that doesn't mean they're playing nice everywhere else. They have facilities all over the globe, and in orbit. Better believe they're working on something. And the fact that we haven't heard word one about it means they're keeping things real quiet. Which is not a good thing.
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There hasn't been much on Renraku in what 10 or so years? The Arcology and Lanier incidents are big reasons. The corp seems to be one of the more conservative ones. They are just chugging along making money without trying to paint a bigger target upon their backs. As I said in the earlier thread they seem to be making a big push into the firearms market.
Not every corp is going to be big and flashy, Renraku seems like one of those. They have made mistakes in the past and seem to be hesitant to be too revolutionary to make another big blunder.
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So far. ;D
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Renraku still has facilities in the UCAS, though not in Seattle right now (unless they've put something up in Redmond and didn't tell anyone). But what you're missing, Joe, is that Renraku isn't JUST in the UCAS. They practically own all of Chiba, and everyone there loves them, so they can do what they like. And there are lots of areas all over the world where they can put up a research station or other facility and not have any government oversight, even on what you're dumping out, either because it is in someplace that the government doesn't go (Barrens), or you've bought the government (MCT and Tsmshian, or Aztech and Aztlan), or you're just very far from anywhere (parts of CalFree, pretty much all of Africa, half of Asia, lots of islands in the Pacific, etc.). Renraku might be playing 'good corporate citizen' in the UCAS, but that doesn't mean they're playing nice everywhere else. They have facilities all over the globe, and in orbit. Better believe they're working on something. And the fact that we haven't heard word one about it means they're keeping things real quiet. Which is not a good thing.
Renraku also provides backbone Matrix lines for almost half of the Europe IMO
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Actually, Renraku has a Biotech compound in Auburn (Algona-Pacific) and took over the Algona Community Hospital. Flavor text in the Seattle Sourcebook stated that Bellevue had a big Renraku facility but the location was never published.
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Renraku still has facilities in the UCAS, though not in Seattle right now (unless they've put something up in Redmond and didn't tell anyone). But what you're missing, Joe, is that Renraku isn't JUST in the UCAS. They practically own all of Chiba, and everyone there loves them, so they can do what they like. And there are lots of areas all over the world where they can put up a research station or other facility and not have any government oversight, even on what you're dumping out, either because it is in someplace that the government doesn't go (Barrens), or you've bought the government (MCT and Tsmshian, or Aztech and Aztlan), or you're just very far from anywhere (parts of CalFree, pretty much all of Africa, half of Asia, lots of islands in the Pacific, etc.). Renraku might be playing 'good corporate citizen' in the UCAS, but that doesn't mean they're playing nice everywhere else. They have facilities all over the globe, and in orbit. Better believe they're working on something. And the fact that we haven't heard word one about it means they're keeping things real quiet. Which is not a good thing.
Renraku also provides backbone Matrix lines for almost half of the Europe IMO
Especially after people got a little leery of S-K having put a kill-switch in every utility they set up in Europe...
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Renraku also provides backbone Matrix lines for almost half of the Europe IMO
That wouldn't be consistent with Corporate Guide:
Corporate Guide, page 143
Instead of battline the industry giant head-on, [Renraku Europa] has downplayed the products and services that overlap with S-K, instead focusing on areas of strength. The corporation has made a name for itself in Renraku's trademark data management sector. RE is also known throughout the region as a major biotechnology provider.
Corporate Guide, page 153
By outmaneuvering NeoNET in the political arena, [S-K subsidiary] Aetherlink has managed to reclaim most of Saeder-Krupp's old digital dominion and now operates the grid infrastructures in most European countries and sprawls (excepting those in the Scandinavian Union), as well as numerous networks in Russia and the Middle East.
And Scandinavian countries' network would more likely be run by Neonet, since there used to be local AA Erika in charge there.
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The Renraku subsidiary Iris Firmware (?) did the wireless Athabascan Grid before wireless was cool.
8)
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...The corporation has made a name for itself in Renraku's trademark data management sector...
seems like facts get a biit foggy in my memories. I meant this one and aslo forgit abiut NeoNet...long time since last run in the area...
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Renraku *has* been doing stuff, it's just that it's been on the down low since it has TERRIBLE PR right now. Best to stick to the shadows until it blows over (And, in fact, it largely has. AIs are now hip and edgey and cool, like Pulsar, instead of scaaaaaary, like Deus.. Almost as if someone wanted this to happen. Hmmm...)
It's still a mega. It's just one that got a black eye a while back, so isn't getting into boxing matches right now.
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My impression about UCAS mobilizing in response to the shutdown was that the ground levels of the archology was a huge mall. As such, it was not just Renraku citizens inside. The reactors did not help much either, given their potential regarding downtown Seattle.
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My impression about UCAS mobilizing in response to the shutdown was that the ground levels of the archology was a huge mall. As such, it was not just Renraku citizens inside. The reactors did not help much either, given their potential regarding downtown Seattle.
The reactors allowed the UCAS to go "Eminent Domain", and take over the operation of getting Dues out of the control of the building.
With a HUGE Drek-Eating grin on their faces! ;D
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Except that Deus pulled out on his own, and left UCAS with a mess and a huge expensive building to deal with.
i wonder how big of a blip that whole write off made on the Renraku spreadsheet.
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A pretty big blip, as I recall. It was the ninth-largest building on Earth in 2050, and to finally get it 100% operational and self-sustaining cost quite a bit of resources as I recall.
Plus all the R&D and manufacturing capacity Renraku lost.
Also, Renraku owns what was left of the Morgue data haven in Singapore and restarted it. So a lot of pure information Asia relies on is in the hands of Renraku.
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I don't remember seeing any legal fallout from the UCAS seizing major corporate sovereign asset.
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Another reason for the UCAS seizing eminent domain on the arcology to was there was the governor of Seattle was attending some kind of party at the arcology when it was shut down and was trapped inside.
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Reminds me of some squabbles over who gets to intervene in international incidents...
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Because that is exactly what the issue was. AAA-Corp is their own country.
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And Renraku slunk off with their tail tucked between their legs. Says a lot about how powerful corps are vs. (developed) countries. Granted there realy wasn't any profit involved in Renraku fighting the UCAS for control, but still.
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And Renraku slunk off with their tail tucked between their legs. Says a lot about how powerful corps are vs. (developed) countries. Granted there realy wasn't any profit involved in Renraku fighting the UCAS for control, but still.
That, and trying to fight off the issue would have gotten laughed out of the Corporate Court. They've pulled that trick as well, so if they ruled against it, all their previous arrangements suddenly come into suspicion.
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As I recall, the UCC and Corporate Court sided with the UCAS. And this was also just after the Court had considered hammering Renraku with an Omega Order.
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I really admire Renraku for surviving all they did. The shutdown and the losing the Arc, Lanier basically straight up jacking them, and the behind the scenes sniping not to mention the feeding frenzy after their perceived weakness. With all that they came out shaken but not stirred.
I can't recall if Fuchi was bigger or not but it splintered, while Renraku is still chugging along. They took Kenny Rodger's advice to heart.
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Fuchi was the second-largest corp after S-K when it broke up.
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Renraku is modular... Extremely modular. From their coding to their corporate structure. This isn't the same hierarchical structure of Fuchi or most of the other corps. If they lose something, it is self contained. The arcology was a project unto itself and the fallout was a small black eye in the North American division of Renraku. While it is a big loss, it was also a huge money sink. They may have lost that limb, but it was hemorrhaging cash to begin with. The big loss was really any research that wasn't reported back to Chiba in last quarter of 2059. A bigger black eye would be data loss in the matrix crash 2.0. When your raison d'etre is to store data, and that suddenly goes poof, who is going to re-invest in an incompetent company?
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Fuchi was the second-largest corp after S-K when it broke up.
I didn't recall their size. It seems Villiers has the golden touch, can't quite crack that number 1 spot though.
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If you want military clout, Ares, SK and aztech are more likely candidates.
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A bigger black eye would be data loss in the matrix crash 2.0. When your raison d'etre is to store data, and that suddenly goes poof, who is going to re-invest in an incompetent company?
Because of Deus they came out of Crash 2.0 mostly unscathed and sitting on top of a pile of their fallen foes. They backed up the MRG in Singapore and kept redundant, offline backups of all of their data. So they are just fine in that regard.
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Right, their core business (data storage and cyberware) was largely unaffected by the shutdown or the crash, which meant that they came out of things significantly better than their primary rival, Fuchi, and Novatech took the top spot on people's lists of corps to hate because of their IPO being the start of the Crash (hence the name change to NeoNET). And with MCT, Aztechnology, NeoNET, Horizon, Ares, Wuxing, and Evo all hogging the public spotlight at one point or another, Renraku has had a solid decade of not being the main guy in people's crosshairs. A corp like Renraku isn't going to just sit around and enjoy that, they're going to find something new, which is why some of us are wondering when that other shoe is going to drop.
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It was a tough time and place for Renraku. The Corp War was raging in the shadows with everyone trying to gain an advantage. The Acrology was located in the heart of Seattle, a major metropolis in the 2050s, and was sitting on three nuclear powerplants. The Governor and other digantries where trapped inside (including a number of high level players in Renraku itself)... and then its CEO wandered of to Tibet.
The UCAS didn't take control of the operation on the first night either, it happened with the full support of the UCC and with only weak resistence from Renraku (I loved that part of the Shutdown book, if for the fact that Karen King of Ares was chair of the meeting and shes a character I use regularly in my game)
In any other sitiuation, I think the UCAS would have been told to go away and live with it. But with the other corps support and the obvious fact that Renraku just wasnt capable of cleaning up it own mess....
I wonder how may 'advisors' from other corps got access to Renraku tech. I'm sure Ares was more then happy to consult on some of the stuff found in the Arc.
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A bigger black eye would be data loss in the matrix crash 2.0. When your raison d'etre is to store data, and that suddenly goes poof, who is going to re-invest in an incompetent company?
Because of Deus they came out of Crash 2.0 mostly unscathed and sitting on top of a pile of their fallen foes. They backed up the MRG in Singapore and kept redundant, offline backups of all of their data. So they are just fine in that regard.
Now you see, this is where I get confused. I've got some people on these boards saying that the second crash wiped out all this information and people became SINless and all that rot, but then I also get rational business strategies that say that the Crash was just a momentary hiccup. It's almsost like there are multiple authors trying to push different agendas. ;)
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A bigger black eye would be data loss in the matrix crash 2.0. When your raison d'etre is to store data, and that suddenly goes poof, who is going to re-invest in an incompetent company?
Because of Deus they came out of Crash 2.0 mostly unscathed and sitting on top of a pile of their fallen foes. They backed up the MRG in Singapore and kept redundant, offline backups of all of their data. So they are just fine in that regard.
Now you see, this is where I get confused. I've got some people on these boards saying that the second crash wiped out all this information and people became SINless and all that rot, but then I also get rational business strategies that say that the Crash was just a momentary hiccup. It's almsost like there are multiple authors trying to push different agendas. ;)
I always got the impression it was big, and thousands of people did get their records wiped... I suspect non-corpers mostly, people who didn't have the protection of the fail-safes put in place by the people with the money and resources to do so. But the world got back on its feet relatively unscaffed. Not many corps when down, and none of the megas, which suggest a great deal of continuity. No country toppled, the workers got paid, society didn't crumble. I believe the first crash was much more devestating. Now, the world has become a tad more resilient.
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Oh and I figured out how the wired matrix infrastructure could be damaged as badly as some people make it out to be. In some areas where the right of way for power lines and such are restricted, they will sometimes run the power lines and fiber optics as a bundle. Not just on the same pole, but actually a combined 'smart' cable. In those areas where the grid isn't physically separated, a power surge could blow out something on the far end, which lessens the capacity of the system, causing the next weaker node to blow, etc. in a cascade failure. Since the power line and datalines are bundled together in those areas, when the power line blew, it melted the fiber optics as well.
Note that in many areas, the expensive 'smart' cables aren't necessary so the 'last mile' of the cable is likely separated and sent out to homes that way. Most likely, the transformer stations where the power gets stepped down is where the cable splits and also where the physical damage was apparent. Getting power up and running on the grids would be relatively easy, since the cable is fairly basic. However, re-running all that 'smart' cable (or even fabricating it in the first place) would take too long. So its a matter of get power up in a week, or get everything up in 18 months.
A major issue with this theory is that it necessitates that the gridlink system build into the highways of Seattle is completely fried and would mean digging up the entire roadway to replace. Local municipalities might be able to cobble together something, particularly downtown Seattle, where the gridlink is accessible from below, but the vast stretches of highway connecting the metroplex would likely be a non-starter. That would seem to mean more gas powered cars again, since electric cars would have to rely on battery power. That means more pollution and gas prices going up.
That doesn't address the data loss though. If people lost SINs and whatnot, that had to be a direct assault on the SIN registry. I think that whatever vulnerability was exploited or whatever safeguards were put in after the Crash, these are the methods that allow the Erased quality to be effective.
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A bigger black eye would be data loss in the matrix crash 2.0. When your raison d'etre is to store data, and that suddenly goes poof, who is going to re-invest in an incompetent company?
Because of Deus they came out of Crash 2.0 mostly unscathed and sitting on top of a pile of their fallen foes. They backed up the MRG in Singapore and kept redundant, offline backups of all of their data. So they are just fine in that regard.
Now you see, this is where I get confused. I've got some people on these boards saying that the second crash wiped out all this information and people became SINless and all that rot, but then I also get rational business strategies that say that the Crash was just a momentary hiccup. It's almsost like there are multiple authors trying to push different agendas. ;)
Well SINs are a bit of a oddity, as they seem to get their "strength" from their user history. That is, they are code that follow each person from birth to ashes, across a whole host of databases. And it may well be that these databases do not get wholesale wiped, but that various subtle errors are introduced (bit rot) that pile up across the system and results in a SIN getting flagged as invalid or forged. Now if this happens while your out of town for some reason your pretty much hosed.
I think that is what we are looking at more than massive wipes of data. There data is still there, but changed. Maybe there was a rapid fire series of transfers that resulted in the fortunes of a person spread across multiple accounts? A pain in the behind to roll back at best, especially if they all look legit as far as the bankers can tell.
As a real life example, consider the kind of pain ID fraud can cause for future credit checks.
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There's a catch 22 in there. If you are dependent on your SIN, then you use it a lot and there is a lot of data out there to resist tampering. Lots of opportunity to borrow it, but not easy to wipe out (unless you hit the SIN registry). If you have a weak SIN, you don't use it much and thus you aren't dependent on it. Losing it would be inconvenient but you weren't using it much anyway.
Of course, the simple rumor that the SIN registry is corrupted is enough to cause financial collapse.
And for those that think I'm just complaining, I'm actually trying to add story which can be hooks for games. Did the SIN Registry get corrupted? Or did some people simply take advantage of the chaos and target specific people? If the former, getting access to that ability would be a fortune and a big target on your back (think Sneakers level plot). If the latter, why were those people targeted (Pelican Brief).
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SR was never made to be internally consistent from day one. It was instead designed around some kind of rule of cool.
End result is that if we want to build some kind of consistency on top of the foundation we have to accept some level of oddity, if not downright contradiction. Hell, the whole matrix system was in essence the US telco network of the 80s, with phreaks and 3D BBSs.
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The big loss was really any research that wasn't reported back to Chiba in last quarter of 2059. A bigger black eye would be data loss in the matrix crash 2.0. When your raison d'etre is to store data, and that suddenly goes poof, who is going to re-invest in an incompetent company?
The funny part here is Renraku Computer Systems already suffered from a massive loss of data in June 2059. Brightlight (aka "Leonardo") then erased all the data related to his cooperation with Renraku. That was 12 to 18 months of work of Renraku best R&D labs based on Brightlight technology trashed. Following that, Renraku had to perform reverse engineering on its own products. Since Renraku could not publicly admit they were working with a wanted Matrix terrorist that erased data while a Corporate Court investigations was underway, they may have conveniently blamed loss of data on the arcology situation instead.
Though the books mention only the kill switch as the reason for the AEP to become sentient as Deus, Brightlight maybe suggested consequent changes to the AEP code and simply erased the modified parts when he left, without putting back the old ones.
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That data hack may have been what saved Renraku. In order to avoid the same situation from happening again, they may have backed up information offline as a policy. Then when the crash happened years later, they were ready with backups.
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And Renraku slunk off with their tail tucked between their legs. Says a lot about how powerful corps are vs. (developed) countries. Granted there realy wasn't any profit involved in Renraku fighting the UCAS for control, but still.
[conspiracy hat]
That's just what they WANTED you to think! I used to have proof of the TRUTH, until THEY took it from me. Keep watching the skies!
[/conspiracy hat]
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My guess is the people who lost their SIN are not necessarily UCAS or a AAA mega corp citizens, but they are probably people who may work for an A or AA corp that had their data stores near one of the places that got hit with an EM bomb.
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Again, the EM pulse does not affect optical chips. The data cannot be lost through that pulse. There is a way for the fiber optic lines to physically get fried via proximity to the power lines, which may blow as a result of the EM pulse, but that doesn't affect data stored in optical media. Access to that media may be difficult without power and if the trunk lines burned out, connecting to the matrix outside your region becomes problematic.
I'm not sure where the SIN registry is stored. I thought it was on Z-O. But every nation has their own database as well as feeding that data to the registry. So, to be erased, you need to hit both the registry and your nation... and then probably your company and local municipality depending on how connected you were. If you hit one of those spots, the data can flow back in from the other redundant systems and databases. Data casualties need to be caused by a data attack. Probably a worm that attacks the SIN and then infects any system that inquires about that SIN.
The people hit by the SIN worm were probably welfare or retirees with little active injection into the economy but a consistent monthly check coming out. Those are the ones that hackers would target to have funds diverted to their own accounts while knowing the victims didn't have the power to fight back.
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Fires and riots, OTOH, affect optical chips nicely.
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But why are they rioting? I can see gangs going into cities to loot during the black outs, but they're going to be hampered by the crashed system as well. So they can't get too far out of their home turf. They still have to get by security, and guns aren't really affected by a power outage. In order for 'fire and riots' to hit the SIN registry, they would have to find it first (and again, I think it is stored on the Z-O in space)
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Don't know the human race, do you?
People would Riot over TUESDAY if they thought they could get away with it. A Matrix Crash is just another damned good reason because the police services are overwhelmed/uncontrolled/rioting themselves.
Of course, that might be my cynical side talking. ???
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Unless the people that are rioting are the computer nerds working the SIN registry, rioting isn't going to affect that database.
Data loss needs to be conducted by a data attack, not something in the physical world. If you go to the library and burn one book, it doesn't destroy every other copy of that book. The intellectual property of that book continues to exist. That specific book might have been a limited edition signed by the author and then stained by his blood when the adoring fan jabbed him in the eye with the pen when it was signed, but that aspect of the book is more of a magical oddity than data. The SIN equivalent would be if you did a transaction at a store and then burned the store down before it could update its files for the evening. Yes, that transaction may not update your SIN, but your SIN is still out there. Erasing a SIN is the equivalent of going back in time and killing the author before he publishes his book... or more likely simply grabbing the copy from the editor's desk before going to print.
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Data loss happens in two ways. Either the files are erased or corrupted (say by a worm sweeping through and munching on things), or by the physical media on which the files were stored being damaged. The worm didn't erase or corrupt everything in its path, but it did enough damage that what remained in affected systems was of questionable use. And facilities that held the data then got hit with the fallout from where the worm did take out critical safeguards. Power systems malfunctioned all over the planet, resulting in power surges and blackouts, fire suppression systems going off, water mains bursting, and all other kinds of chaos. Then you have the metahuman element, where all it takes is one person breaking a window to steal a new trid for their apartment, and suddenly you have a citywide riot. Hell, even today there is always looting when you have blackouts and communication outages.
As for how Renraku's data stores were spared in Asia, I'd assume that in addition to extensive firewalls and security deckers which would have slowed the worm down, they'd have some way to cut the hardline to the servers, or even cutting power to the entire facility (which would cut the servers off from the Matrix, naturally). This is not as simple as it sounds, but it could be done fairly quickly, though getting systems back online afterward would take time. But the data would be safe, as long as you had enough warning to isolate the host and cut it off. The Worm didn't hit everywhere all at once, afterall. There were eggs spread around the world, but even so, there's a limit to how fast the worm could move through systems and replicate.
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A bigger black eye would be data loss in the matrix crash 2.0. When your raison d'etre is to store data, and that suddenly goes poof, who is going to re-invest in an incompetent company?
Because of Deus they came out of Crash 2.0 mostly unscathed and sitting on top of a pile of their fallen foes. They backed up the MRG in Singapore and kept redundant, offline backups of all of their data. So they are just fine in that regard.
Now you see, this is where I get confused. I've got some people on these boards saying that the second crash wiped out all this information and people became SINless and all that rot, but then I also get rational business strategies that say that the Crash was just a momentary hiccup. It's almsost like there are multiple authors trying to push different agendas. ;)
Both are true, and it is presented as both horrible and inconsequential in System Failure and other books.
*shrugs*
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That's because it really was horrible in some (ok, most) places, and inconsequential in others. The more warning people had, the easier it was to lock down connections and physically disconnect. And in some areas, where there wasn't much Matrix access to begin with, there wasn't really any change to speak of. And there were places where the worm was fought off, such as the Nexus in Denver.
The Worm was a chaotic entity, and chaos can leave islands in the storm, like a lone house seemingly untouched when the entire rest of the street has been completely leveled by a tornado.
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This ^
I'm actually very happy with that explanation. Sure there were some riots, it was a tuesday after all. Sure some people lost everything, they were playing with virtual stuff the whole time anyway. Some people weren't affected. Corps kept chugging along. Parts of the Matrix were destroyed. Parts survived.
What bugs me is when it is painted with a uniform brush claiming that a minor side effect was widespread and affected every one.
I like my wired matrix, but I also like wireless on that last mile for mobile linking. I think they both have a place.
I like that optical chips are 'immune' to EMP, but I still like that much of the hardware to access that data IS affected by EMP.
I like that the Elite can have this whole augmented reality thing with commlinks and such, but I think it is stupid to imply that every scrub has one. I'm very happy to accept that scrubs get 'tagged' with cheap RFIDs so that they can be tracked by commlinks.
I like that commlinks and PANs are convenient, but I think it is completely bone headed to link everything to them.
I like my credsticks, but I'm also happy with commlinks serving the same function if you've got them. I don't see the credstick going away.
Most importantly, I like that SR is SR. I will shake my fist impotently and rock so hard on my porch when people try to make it DND or Ghost in the Shell, or any other fanboyish clone. You can do it ironically, but stay off my lawn!
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Most importantly, I like that SR is SR. I will shake my fist impotently and rock so hard on my porch when people try to make it DND or Ghost in the Shell, or any other fanboyish clone. You can do it ironically, but stay off my lawn!
Amen.
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Most importantly, I like that SR is SR. I will shake my fist impotently and rock so hard on my porch when people try to make it DND or Ghost in the Shell, or any other fanboyish clone. You can do it ironically, but stay off my lawn!
Amen.
Does ... does this mean that Kawaii no Ichiban! Shadowrun in NeoTokyo's crystaldome is a bust?
Because, you know, that pop singing bunnygirl you had with the glittery comet eyes was just amaz
...
choking...
James ...
my throat...
ggkkk
...
need that...
...
CACK
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Well, actually, pretty much everyone at a Low lifestyle or better would have a commlink. And even some who don't might have a cheap one, thanks to people like Horizon giving them out. The exceptions would be places like Chicago, Bogota, Lagos, Geneva, or Antarctic research stations, where either it is a feral hellhole, or if you're there, you're in the ass end of nowhere, in a facility that firmly believes in not allowing leaks, period.
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Lagos
Ugh
Lagos is the perfect place to have a massive mesh network that probably works better than most major cities.
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Except that most people are so drek poor they can't afford to eat, much less keep a commlink, or, y'know, pay the bills to keep it charged. There is a mesh network, but it is extremely unreliable as people move about.
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I'd go for low end commlinks on the bread winners in middle income families. The unemployed dependents would have either credsticks and/or RFID tags for identification. In the low income bracket, credsticks would be the norm, usually password protected. If they need a commlink for their job, it would be provided at the job site and set off alarms and be disabled if it left the premises/server range. Low income bread winners would likely be tagged by their employer for security reasons. Also, they can be located on the matrix if the guy passes close enough to an RFID reader. Squatters and lower typically run on a barter system and if they are tagged it is because they recently (last 5-10 years) got canned. Older squatters that never had a job probably won't be tagged.
If you want commlinks to be common even in low income households, then they need to be given away free. And the way that happens is advertising. You can tell a free commlink by the way it constantly spams you with advertisements. They will also be constantly gathering information in the area to build up a database. And they will have helpful Clippies there to suggest purchases.
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Except that most people are so drek poor they can't afford to eat, much less keep a commlink, or, y'know, pay the bills to keep it charged. There is a mesh network, but it is extremely unreliable as people move about.
Considering how common cell phones are in Africa now, I don't buy that for a second.
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Cel phone commonality, since there wasn't the ability to create technological infrastructure, further lead to the push for low-end solar panels in small African communities. A single solar panel about as large as your hand is enough to charge several celphones, and has allowed them to start using tiny LED lights, so that they could have light after the sun set, which allowed kids to read, which is boosting education levels like never before.
The level of innovative use for tech in those areas that are well beyond poor is really dang cool to read about.
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Cell phones in Africa are:
1) mostly the older phones that first world countries have traded in for the newer model
2) heavily subsidized
A commlink is not the same as a cell phone. A commlink would be closer to a smart phone or tablet, which you're not seeing in Africa right now. Also, the low income users would be getting second hand commlinks from trade ins and also be chipped by the new provider with extensive advertising packages to subsidize them.
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Also, things in Africa are substantially worse in 2074 than they are now.
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Also, things in Africa are substantially worse in 2074 than they are now.
Also in the news, water is wet. ;D
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To paraphrase Adam Carolla, I've had an impacted ass full of this continued Dark Continent bullshit. It's 2012. We can stop perpetuating racism in cyberpunk and RPGs.
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Also, things in Africa are substantially worse in 2074 than they are now.
Also in the news, water is wet. ;D
(http://prittynachrel.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/ice_cubes_openphoto.png)
:D
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To paraphrase Adam Carolla, I've had an impacted ass full of this continued Dark Continent bullshit. It's 2012. We can stop perpetuating racism in cyberpunk and RPGs.
Exactly!
BRING ON THE CANADIAN DEATH SQUADS!!! ;D
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Except that most people are so drek poor they can't afford to eat, much less keep a commlink, or, y'know, pay the bills to keep it charged. There is a mesh network, but it is extremely unreliable as people move about.
In fact, When you go through Feral Cities: Lagos Chapter, you fiond out that Lagos was one of plaes where Horizon distributed used commlinks amongst people and children, so there is huge meshwork built on this. And Festac town is one of places where mattrix crime and bussines is really hot...
On opposite, I have to agree that Chicago is not a good place...they mostly lack coverage and that whole place would make every technomancer want to cry...
well
not just technomancers, actually...
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To paraphrase Adam Carolla, I've had an impacted ass full of this continued Dark Continent bullshit. It's 2012. We can stop perpetuating racism in cyberpunk and RPGs.
Exactly!
BRING ON THE CANADIAN DEATH SQUADS!!! ;D
What would they use hockey pucks? Or Canadian (Back) Bacon? Maybe attack moose? :P
Edit- We have been using attack moose for a hundred years. http://www.history.com/photos/teddy-roosevelt/photo11
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To paraphrase Adam Carolla, I've had an impacted ass full of this continued Dark Continent bullshit. It's 2012. We can stop perpetuating racism in cyberpunk and RPGs.
Exactly!
BRING ON THE CANADIAN DEATH SQUADS!!! ;D
What would they use hockey pucks? Or Canadian (Back) Bacon? Maybe attack moose? :P
See, there you go, stereotypes.
They'd beat people to death with Lacross sticks or the Black Squad of RCMP would impale them at a charge (While simultaneously doing the Musical Dance.). ;D
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Two words: Michael Flatley
Who is oddly enough a Golden Gloves boxer from the south side of Chicago.
Also see my edit for the attack moose.
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Is this still Shadowrun/Renraku oriented topic?
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The latest from Renraku biolabs, Attack Moose!
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Is this still Shadowrun/Renraku oriented topic?
Well, Michael Flatley is a good merge insect spirit Artisan adept lurking in Chicago, and Renraku now makes attack moose biodrones I'd say yes it is.
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Ah...I see :)
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Well, it seems that Renraku is indeed going to be making a play coming up:
Renraku has refused to answer inquiries regarding their seizure of current and former members of the CAS legislature. Link
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To update that, they've just sentenced a former CAS Congressional Representative Lance Jennings to death for corporate espionage. To be carried out on Sept 13, 2074.
In retaliation, the CAS has revoked dual citizenship with Renraku from nearly 700 people.
Source: The Land of Promise
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To update that, they've just sentenced a former CAS Congressional Representative Lance Jennings to death for corporate espionage. To be carried out on Sept 13, 2074.
In retaliation, the CAS has revoked dual citizenship with Renraku from nearly 700 people.
Source: The Land of Promise
What is renraku upto? Why were they kidnapping politicians? And what's up with getting caught on the espionage? What were they trying to achieve that required such public exposure?
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As has been said numerous times, the phrase "things have been quiet at Renraku lately" ought to put a shiver down anyone's spine.
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It's funny though, this Lance Jennings was arrested during a job interview.
Do you think this is related to the potential CAS/AZT war brewing? Hardball negotiations for weapons contracts?
As has been said numerous times, the phrase "things have been quiet at Renraku lately" ought to put a shiver down anyone's spine.
Honestly? "Renraku" should put a shiver down anyone's spine. I'm glad they're correcting the lack of the corp's visibility in recent releases.