Project Hack

[Tamashii2000]

Project hack is a story told over a series of different mediums, It starts in Hack/Sign (showing on the cartoon network) continues in the Playstation games Hack/Infection through a total of 4 games, 2 OVA and one manga series (so far)

 

The short version is a set of players of an MMORPG are investigating events where players go into coma's while playing said game (the game is called "The World" and is lously based off Everquest)

 

Now..the question: How would you do this in a hero game format? Most action takes place online (as the characters search "THE WORLD" for clues as to whats going on) but also offline as the events in the world are effecting computer systems and such world wide.

 

The problems arise when you try to come up with a way of simulating this.. Do we use Mulit-form (on and off line) create a character with a lot of points but 'online abilities' have only online attached to them? How do you simulate 'leveling up online?" If using multiform it would be possible for the GM to give a set number of EXP per level (seperate from the exp the 'offline' character gets) and of coarse, how to do Data Drains (a legendary abilty to hack monster codes and change them into weaker monsters... but if used on a Player Character online..it can cause the offline character to go into a coma.)

[McCoy]

Re: Project Hack

 

Originally posted by Tamashii2000

Now..the question: How would you do this in a hero game format? Most action takes place online (as the characters search "THE WORLD" for clues as to whats going on) but also offline as the events in the world are effecting computer systems and such world wide.

 

The problems arise when you try to come up with a way of simulating this.. Do we use Mulit-form (on and off line) create a character with a lot of points but 'online abilities' have only online attached to them? How do you simulate 'leveling up online?" If using multiform it would be possible for the GM to give a set number of EXP per level (seperate from the exp the 'offline' character gets) and of coarse, how to do Data Drains (a legendary abilty to hack monster codes and change them into weaker monsters... but if used on a Player Character online..it can cause the offline character to go into a coma.)

I'm thinking either Duplication or Desolidification, must leave real body behind. Let me consult FREd and get back to you.

[Snarf]

I think I saw this in Star Hero. It was done with extra dimensional movement. One of your forms is used in the real world and the other in the game world, with a limitation reflecting that you leave your body behind when you "cross over." I guess attacks in the game that hurt you in the real world have the transdimensional advantage.

[McCoy]

OK, never seen the Source Material, but let's see if this is Something Like.

 

I assume that "characters" can be pulled out of the game at any time (easy, ranged recombine), if, like the Matrix, they need to find an uplink or exit, remove the "ranged."

 

I'm also assuming that players are not totally immersed in the game, will be aware of the surroundings of their physical body. If not, increase the concentration to 0 DCV.

 

This allows players to construct 350 pt characters (340 + mind link) in The World, and have their offline skills in the original body.

 

For the Data Drain, use drain with a massive side effect. Make sure the side effect is more STUN than the original has STUN pips.

 

Cost	Power	END
47	Duplication (creates 350-point form), Easy Recombination (Zero-Phase Action at Full DCV), Ranged Recombination (+1/2), Altered Duplicates (100%; +1) (200 Active Points); OAF Immobile (-2), Feedback (Only STUN Damage Feeds Back; -1/2), Limited Power Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (Original can only exist offline, duplicate can only exist in The World; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; Original only; -1/4)
10	Lifelink: Mind Link , duplicate class of minds, One Specific Mind, Any dimension, Psychic Bond (20 Active Points); Only With Others Who Have Mind Link (-1)

Powers Cost: 57

[Snarf]

I'm also assuming that players are not totally immersed in the game, will be aware of the surroundings of their physical body. If not, increase the concentration to 0 DCV.

It doesn't make that much sense but they seem completely immersed in the game even though they just use realistic VR equipment. The outside world is almost never shown.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Originally posted by McCoy

OK, never seen the Source Material, but let's see if this is Something Like.

 

I assume that "characters" can be pulled out of the game at any time (easy, ranged recombine), if, like the Matrix, they need to find an uplink or exit, remove the "ranged."

 

I'm also assuming that players are not totally immersed in the game, will be aware of the surroundings of their physical body. If not, increase the concentration to 0 DCV.

 

Normally you can "log out" of the World by going to a save point, saving your game, and exiting. You are also kicked out of the game when you 'die", and have to log back in (having lost anything you gained prior to your last save). the problem explored in .hack//SIGN is that of a player who is trapped in The World and can't log out, despite the efforts of the company that runs the servers to kick him out of the game. Essentially there is some evil 'virtual spirit" that lvies in The World and manipulates it for its own purposes, and was manipulating the hero(ine) until (s)he found a way to resist and was able to finally log out.

 

One of the major characters was a notorious "player-killer" who acted out all his agressions in the World because he was utterly powerless in relaity. Another was a "gaurdian" type whose desire to ehlp other players extended into reality -- he ended up becoming the hero(ine)'s real-world guardian when (s)he finally logged out.

[Tamashii2000]

The 'players' access the world using high tech 3d visors with built in head phones which are connected into a standard desktop computer. (strangely enough...the controls are done with playstation controls...) althrough they have on the visors they can hear (but likely not see) whats going on in the real world.

 

At least one time in the OVA the main villianess/evil spirt (Her name is Morgana) stops a player from logging out..

[Tamashii2000]

Originally posted by Snarf

I think I saw this in Star Hero. It was done with extra dimensional movement. One of your forms is used in the real world and the other in the game world, with a limitation reflecting that you leave your body behind when you "cross over." I guess attacks in the game that hurt you in the real world have the transdimensional advantage.

 

Didn't even think about that.. and I have star hero...

[greypaladin_01]

Project Hack(ing)

 

Not to go against everyone thats trying to come up with hard rules to govern the difference between the "real" characters and their on-line counterparts, but wouldnt this be a good example of letting the GM control their own game.

 

As fans of the series my group and I have actually given some thought to how to translate series into HERO. However after looking at the rules and some of the ways to handling things according to FREd we decided that the best thing to do is just make 2 seperate characters for each players. One (design in the normal to skilled normal) ranges for when in offline and then the second (in the heroic ranges) to handle adventuring in "The World."

 

I admit that its taking liberties but it saves costs and math hassles for something that overall is nothing more than a plot device.

 

Just my thought on it....

 

Greypaladin_01

[Old Man]

I was going to suggest that too. It generally makes it easier to just make two different characters. You'd have to use two characters sheets with the Multiform and Duplication options anyway.

 

As a GM, I would just hand wave the whole thing as the different types of forms would never interact with each other cross dimensionally.

[Snarf]

As long as everyone has the extra character it's fair. The math is only necessary when some people have them and some don't, or some people have different conditions on them.

 

From what I saw of the show, it would also work to only make a VR character and handwave the whole real world character.

[greypaladin_01]

Very true. If you went with the style of hack//SIGN you could get away with not even needing a real world character sheet. However hack//Liminality (which is 4 eps included with the video game) shows stories that can be done in the Project Hack universe that either dont take place inside "The World" at all or only reference it slightly. This stories are dealing more with the effects that the program seems to be having on the computers that control the cities and other functions in real life.

 

Either one could be interesting to run games in and one could easily have a team of investigational "troubleshooters" that handle investigations both inside and outside the game.

 

Such a game might have to ignore some of the events that take place in the games and tv shows though so that the PCs are able to have a greater effect on the story at large.

[Tamashii2000]

Good points all, I think the 2 Character Sheets for each player thing would work best (even if some choose to never go into THE WORLD in order to investigate there.)

 

Think I am gonna have to give this a shot.. Maybe on Openrpg or Webrpg.

 

 

Hmm now to use hero or (gasp) BESM?

[Snarf]

I hear that BESM gives equal emphasis to physical and social abilities of characters. So if the entire game is going to be spent talking and forming alliances and such, like the episodes of the show I saw, then it should work well.

[Tamashii2000]

Originally posted by Snarf

I hear that BESM gives equal emphasis to physical and social abilities of characters. So if the entire game is going to be spent talking and forming alliances and such, like the episodes of the show I saw, then it should work well.

 

I concider them both to be fine game, BESM is more streamlined but its combat system has a few small flaws, while hero is more complex (althrough just as flexible) and combat runs much more smoothly (althrough a bit slower)

 

As to social abilities those can be done with hero easy enough through the use of Pre skills and (GASP!) actual roleplaying. (BT is a great example of a character in HACK that was primarly social based)

[Snarf]

As to social abilities those can be done with hero easy enough through the use of Pre skills and (GASP!) actual roleplaying. (BT is a great example of a character in HACK that was primarly social based)

The thing about Hero is that it prices social abilities as considerably cheaper than powers and most combat abilities. For instance, the relative costs of PRE and DEX. The simulation aspect works fine but the game balance might be off in an almost entirely socially based campaign.