The Matrix

[Arnwyn]

Here's how I understood it, based on what both Smith & the Architect said: /snip/

Yeah, that's pretty much exactly how I understood it, as well.

and pretty much clinches that he is the One in each cycle.

What does that mean for Neo's physical form? "Neo" is just a program/patch, and downloads into a physical human form?

 

[John Crichton]

What does that mean for Neo's physical form? "Neo" is just a program/patch, and downloads into a physical human form?

Considering the VR tech & memory modification tech shown, I don't think personality implanting is too far from what we are already seeing. They just say - okay, we need a Neo - boot him up.

Think a floppy disk, just more fleshy and squishy.

 

[Arnwyn]

Considering the VR tech & memory modification tech shown, I don't think personality implanting is too far from what we are already seeing. They just say - okay, we need a Neo - boot him up.

Think a floppy disk, just more fleshy and squishy.

Thanks - that was pretty much my working theory for the most part after I saw Revolutions. The explanations put forward in this thread have further helped me parse out my thoughts/theories regarding this movie.

 

[RangerWickett]

So why isn't there a Matrix RPG.

I've had a thought kicking in my head since I first saw The Matrix. Before Smith sits down to personally interrogate Morpheus, he takes his earpiece out, and when the agents show up to tell him what has happened, they look a bit mollified that he did that. Then later, only after Neo breaks Smith's glasses in the fight in the subway is he able to get close to beating him.

In the later movies we see an agent lose his necktie, too.

So, in a Matrix RPG, each piece of an agent's outfit gives it some sort of power.

Glasses - Prevents hacking (eyes are the window to the soul). Normally it's not useful if you're the only person fighting an agent, but if you have an ally trying to hack the agent, you've got to batter down this shield first.

Earpiece - Allows the summoning of other agents, tracking of noteworthy events, and possibly downloading programs for martial arts styles and such. All programs have personalities, so sometimes they want to act without being monitored, in which case they remove the earpiece.

Tie - Inhibits the powers of the agent somehow, figuratively 'tying him down.' Not quite sure what this does mechanically. Maybe without the tie the agent loses the ability to cheat the rules. With a tie, he can bend rules a bit (for things like those huge jumps and dodging bullets), but if he does it without a tie he degrades his program.

Suit - Physical defenses. From what we've seen, the suit is nigh impregnable, since the only things that ever got through it were a mini-gun and a train. You can, however, hurt their faces.

Shoes? Cufflinks? Socks? Undershirt? Who knows. Probably should just fall under 'suit.'

Gun - Just a gun. It seems like hardware can't break rules in the matrix. You can't, for instance, have infinite ammo, since if you could, you'd think the agents would have that, but Smith specifically runs out of ammo.


Also note that you never see more than 3 agents at a time. Maybe there's a limit in the coding of the Matrix that prevents more than that. Otherwise, don't you think Smith would have called in the cavalry in the first movie, since he was dealing with Morpheus and the keys to Zion? Why would you use human SWAT team folks if you could just have unlimited agents?

Agent . . . angel . . . the similarity is close. How many archangels are there in classical Christian belief? If the Architect is God (or the Devil?), Neo is Jesus . . . ah, it's silly to try to draw too many parallels. But I do like the idea of software programming concepts manifesting physically in the world of the matrix, so that if I destroy, say, an agent's tie, I'm actually denying him some programming process.

Gun - It's just a gun.

 

[John Crichton]

Also note that you never see more than 3 agents at a time. Maybe there's a limit in the coding of the Matrix that prevents more than that. Otherwise, don't you think Smith would have called in the cavalry in the first movie, since he was dealing with Morpheus and the keys to Zion? Why would you use human SWAT team folks if you could just have unlimited agents?

Using the movie logic, you really only need one agent. The only thing that can stand up to an agent is The One and in that circumstance, he is unstoppable anyway. 3 agents = standard operating procedure and overkill.

 

[Zappo]

Unlimited agents would look far too weird to the rest of the Matrix humans. They sent SWAT because that's what stereotypical-FBI-looking-law-enforcement-persons do. I strongly suspect that exposing "sleepers" to unexplainable situations greatly increases the chances that they eventually realize their condition. But more agents would have been useful - even if they are undefeatable and can effectively teleport wherever there is at least one "sleeper", they can't be everywhere at once and the rebels exploit this continually.

That said, it's a cool movie but nothing mind-blowing. Old philosophy dressed up to look new, no lack of plot holes, subpar acting, good one-liners and great action. But the sequels outright suck. Obvious money grabs.

 

[Testament]

Unlimited agents would look far too weird to the rest of the Matrix humans. They sent SWAT because that's what stereotypical-FBI-looking-law-enforcement-persons do. I strongly suspect that exposing "sleepers" to unexplainable situations greatly increases the chances that they eventually realize their condition.

The Animatrix certainly seems to support this, with the House episode and World Record suggesting that the extraordinary and unusual pushes humans close to awakening.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

I've only seen the first one, but I found myself wondering if the machines were so bad. I mean, as far as I can tell, humanity screwed up, yet again, but is being preserved, body and culture, in what is overall probably a better existance than they made for themselves. The machines even tried to give them a utopia, but had to settle for a fairly comfortable life as software programmers. Humanity lives on, in the one version of life on earth that they can't screw up. Where's the bad?

(only somewhat devil's advocating here)

 

[RangerWickett]

Kahuna Burger, I love you. I think I have a plot for my next campaign.

 

[Welverin]

What does that mean for Neo's physical form? "Neo" is just a program/patch, and downloads into a physical human form?

Clones, some kind of stasis (I'm not convince Neo is dead when he's carted off at the end of Revolutions, at least not his body anyway).

Smith/Bane, gives a good indication that any intelligence can be stred in the human brain, so Neo's consciousness could then be downloaded into some body or another. Just need to account for residual self image thingy.

I've only seen the first one, but I found myself wondering if the machines were so bad. I mean, as far as I can tell, humanity screwed up, yet again, but is being preserved, body and culture, in what is overall probably a better existance than they made for themselves. The machines even tried to give them a utopia, but had to settle for a fairly comfortable life as software programmers. Humanity lives on, in the one version of life on earth that they can't screw up.

This is discussed on the philosophers commentary on the boxset dvd's, where, as I recall, it's mentioned that any badness/corruption in the machines is there because of what is in humanity. Or some such.

Where's the bad?

In the whole loss of freedom bit, we're taught (in the U.S. at least) about how all important freedom is, being deprived of that, no matter how well off you are otherwise, is always bad[B/].

So why isn't there a Matrix RPG.

Someone(s) out there on the intraweb made one, if you like I see about finding a link or sending you the pdf (which I'm sure I can find).