UPLOADS

[unplug]

UPLOADS ◀

BASICS 01 - Premise 02 - Rules 03 - FAQ 04 - Taken List 05 - Applications 06 - Reserves OOC 07 - Calendar 08 - Mission Control 09 - CR Meme 10 - Test Drive Meme 11 - Hiatus/Drops 12 - Player Contact 13 - Mod Contact WORLD 14 - History 15 - The Matrix 16 - Reality 17 - Zion Defence Grid 18 - ZDG Fleet 19 - Uploads 20 - Recruitment 21 - NPCs COMMS 22 - Info 23 - Network 24 - Logs 25 - Memes 26 - OOC

This page is devoted to explaining our game mechanics surrounding the uploading of new skills and abilities for when unplugged characters enter the Matrix. By using a weighted system, our goal is to allow characters to represent their strengths and weaknesses as well as to allow all characters to participate fully in Matrix missions. ▶ UPLOAD CAPABILITIES & WEIGHTING SYSTEM When you first apply for a character, you will notice a section in the app template devoted to a weighting system. This weighting system is your opportunity to allot points in each category based on your character's innate qualities and life experience, and later on, these points will indicate to you how many extra skills your character can upload for a given mission, or whether they will be able to take on certain advanced skillsets. Please note that this weighting is to measure specialist type uploads -- no matter what weight you give each category, your character will always be equipped with a baseline of new skills in order to participate in a mission, as a default. The weighting helps determine what more they can bring to the table. We won't be keeping to a strict one skill = one point system, but offer some skills for a given mission that may require two, three, or more points. If you were to put zero in technical skills, this just means your character will not be able to act as a technical specialist in a given mission and be unable to take on particularly advanced skills, such as hacking into an extremely advanced target's system. However, they will still be able to take on less difficult hacking projects, accurately assess security risks, fully understand the specialist’s communiques, and organise reasonable technological precautions. Similarly, all members of a team may be equipped with expert-level combat-related skills (e.g., “wire-fu” stunts) that would allow them to easily defeat the majority of AIs or humans in a Matrix world. However, the martial arts specialist may be able to last against or outrun Agents more effectively. (Note: Closer to time of game open, we will provide some examples in the form of sample apps for prospective players to get a better idea about how to distribute their points.) The skills categories are as follows: ▼ ANOMALOUS SKILLS This is for any kind of skillset that is beyond baseline human capabilities, such as performing magic or demonstrating superpowers. A character who has special abilities already must automatically attribute two points into this category, at minimum. Add additional points if you feel as though your character has a certain intuition for the superhuman, or other personality traits that might lend themselves to being able to take on more skills in this area. Such traits might include an emotional empathy; a fascination for the divine, mystic, or radical; exposure to other superhuman beings; in essence, an open mind. ▼ MARTIAL ARTS Points in this category will enable characters to take on advanced forms of close range combat. While all characters will be equipped with the means to fight, characters who specialise in this area will be able to adapt to diverse arrays of fighting styles and perform them with more grace, dexterity, and strength, and square off against particularly dangerous enemies. This skillset depends on a character's innate sense of coordination and physical intelligence, and so while warriors and soldiers may pile points into this category, so too can athletes and dancers. ▶ PROJECTILE WEAPONRY Guns. Lots of guns. The handling, maintenance, and creative usage of guns and other projectile weapons, such as crossbows and archery. If your character is used to projectile weapons of any kind, then that means they may have a mind for taking on more of these uploads than usual and be able to use a diverse array of equipment. At a range, they also have the benefit of being further from harm and making use of cover. For those that have never handled guns or other projectile weapons, they could still put points in this category if they are tactically minded, participate in non-contact sports, or have played an awful lot of video games. ▼ TECHNICAL SKILLS Knowing one's way around machines. Piloting helicopters, hijacking buses, hacking into a security system, fixing machinery, adapting to new technologies not yet uploaded into simulations for training, or building new kinds of equipment in simulations or the Matrix itself. This skillset also covers off other sciences, which means that technically minded individuals can be good receptacles for advanced knowledge or information. While computer experts and other characters with mechanical experience should claim some innate ability in this category, so too can other kinds of scientists and academics. ▼ WILD CARD You never know when you need a horse riding skill, or a quick upload for a new language. Although this inherently can't describe an expertise, this might be a good category to pile remaining points into if your character is not a specialist in or innately inclined towards any of the above categories, but acts more of a jack-of-all-trades. Your weighting score will remain fixed throughout the game, and all characters are allotted ten points, but there may be opportunity to claim another point or two as time wears on. We will allow you to request to redistribute your points only once, if you find that your current weighting is not working in practice. ▶ TRAINING PROGRAMS During downtime, Matrix operatives may wish to test out the skills they've taken on. Knowing something is one thing, but everything needs practice. Training programs are simulations -- you do not enter the Matrix itself, but rather, you enter the Construct, a loading program built by human hands that supplies operatives with anything they need, including training modules. You can load all kinds of environments, and while you can get hurt in these environments, it will stop you short of dying in them. Not only are these training programs ideal for testing out uploaded skills, but it can also train people to govern their interaction with virtual reality. Although no one will be able to achieve One-levels of mastering the Matrix, there are some limits that can be pushed, some rules that can be bent and broken. Skilled Matrix operatives will be able to leap from building to building, or protect themselves from general hurt and trauma by minimising the impact it has on their real body. They will be able to move faster and be stronger than what's expected of a normal human being. This kind of mastery is usually achieved from a psychological standpoint first, but also practice. This is not an attribute of the weighting system, but left to your discretion as to your character's psychological relationship with the Matrix. ▶ EQUIPMENT The Construct is also used to load equipment, anything from clothing to weapons to vehicles. When a person enters the Matrix, their appearance is dictated by what is called "residual self-image", a projection of how they subconsciously see themselves. Over time, a character can minimally alter this projection through conscious effort, but only so far as haircuts and clothing goes. You will need to request your needs from the operative acting as your monitor, but almost anything can be obtained. Every piece of weaponry imaginable, every model of car, with the standard iteration of contemporary Earth being their default reference, but as more Matrixes are discovered with advanced kinds of technology, these can be downloaded or virtually constructed for later loading too. ▶ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Weighting System Examples (and 2/10/15 Reminders) Further Clarifications