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Brainscan subversion

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CordialUltimate2 CordialUltimate2's picture
Brainscan subversion
Also posted on r/eclipsephase Background: I'm currently on Mars, in a beautiful city of Noxis Qinjao. I had recently acquired a cache of wonderfully crafted fake IDs. I want to use them to create a legal microcorp staffed by core team of my alpha forks. As far as I know alpha forks are illegal/draw attention/require paperwork. I can easily circumvent ID nanotat scans with flux ID. But alpha forks have this unfortunate (in these circumstances) property that their brainscan is identical to my legal, official first identity alpha fork. If they ever got brainscanned not only would their cover be blown instantly, but my primary identity would be instantly recognised as complicit. Why bother using my alpha forks instead of indentured/forknapped egos? I want to use 3 forks with 40 COG (possibly with Savant Cyberbrains) and Parallel Processor to act as logistical backup for Firewall and my team. Indentures would be lower class workers. So my question is: Do you know a way to spoof/fool a brainscan? There are 3 ways that I can think of: -Hacking the scanner. It seems to be impossible to do unnoticed while being under the scan. External help is required. -Major psychosurgery That alters fork's thought patterns enough so it would be recognised by a brainscan as a different ego. I worry that would undermine the whole endeavour, possibly making merging impractical due to stress penalties. -Ghostrider shenaningans Use a MASKED ghostrider module, with normal brain and the puppetsock/somethingequivalent. You would sleeve the morph from ghostrider module, and the passenger in the primary brain would be along for the ride. Brainscan works by giving you audiovisual stimuli and recording brains response, if the passenger ego would be able to recieve stimuli, basically by allowing it to hear and see, it would output a correct brainscan. They would be scanned, and the dominant ego would be safe in the ghostrider. I leave the morality of this method up to you. -Fake Brainprint for Cyberbrains Nothing to add here. I'm asking for legit "by the book" exploits, because I want to be able to make compelling case to my GM if he starts using brainscans, while avoiding bringing them to his attention ;-) TL;DR Do you know a way to fool a brainscanner?
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SquireNed SquireNed's picture
I mean, alpha forks are as
I mean, alpha forks are as illegal as the jurisdiction you're in. Just wait, make alpha forks in orbit, and problem solved! Alternatively, keep in mind that you're likely not going to get brainscanned every day. Think of it like Gattaca: you only get scanned frequently if you're doing stuff that requires you to get scanned. If you have your forks in your own facilities doing their own business, who cares? How many people will have the ability to do multiple brain-scans on multiple forks of yours? Absolutely needing to merge is a problem, but you might not actually need to to do anything "ethically dubious" (aside from alpha fork creation, which really is every ego's God-given right) to achieve what you want to do. Simply run the alphas' egos in time acceleration until their brain patterns shift away from yours, and voila!
Trappedinwikipedia Trappedinwikipedia's picture
CordialUltimate2 wrote:I want
CordialUltimate2 wrote:
I want to use 3 forks with 40 COG (possibly with Savant Cyberbrains) and Parallel Processor to act as logistical backup for Firewall and my team. Indentures would be lower class workers.
At the very least, getting parallel processors is a waste here, as aptitudes don't go above 40. I don't really see any advantage here above just hiring, or having a Register handle it. I'm assuming your character is a Sentinel, and really shouldn't be linkable to any Firewall resources like shell corporations; a Router should probably intervene in the security hole you're opening for Oversight.
Quote:
-Ghostrider shenaningans
I don't really see those tricks working long term. For getting through a checkpoint maybe, but you're talking about falsifying employment records, which is more complicated and longer term. At the very least, you need to hire fake people to hide your real egos, and ensure that no whisper of data gets out about what you're actually doing; not simple in a Panopticon.
CordialUltimate2 wrote:
I'm asking for legit "by the book" exploits, because I want to be able to make compelling case to my GM if he starts using brainscans, while avoiding bringing them to his attention ;-)
This is a stupid way to play a game. Mars orbit is not out of the reach of Oversight.
SquireNed wrote:
If you have your forks in your own facilities doing their own business, who cares?
Oversight
SquireNed wrote:
you only get scanned frequently if you're doing stuff that requires you to get scanned.
Considering brainprints are the most definitive form of ID, you likely need to get brainscanned in order to work. It's even better than an SSN or other forms of modern ID.
SquireNed wrote:
How many people will have the ability to do multiple brain-scans on multiple forks of yours?
Oversight can, and that kind of thing is their job. White collar crime is kind of their thing.
CordialUltimate2 CordialUltimate2's picture
Trappedinwikipedia wrote:
Trappedinwikipedia wrote:
At the very least, getting parallel processors is a waste here, as aptitudes don't go above 40.
You are right about wasting the +5 COG bonus, but I would use Parallel Processor for the +30 help bonus which IMO is really powerful. Also the if you read Parallel Processor description you could see the line about avoiding using it for more than 6 hours a day to minimise the risk of "personality bleedover". I would make a case to my GM that it slows the forks divergence hence, making merging easier.
Trappedinwikipedia wrote:
I don't really see any advantage here above just hiring, or having a Register handle it. I'm assuming your character is a Sentinel, and really shouldn't be linkable to any Firewall resources like shell corporations; a Router should probably intervene in the security hole you're opening for Oversight.
Thats a valid concern. For your information for the last three sessions we're chasing a ego copy of an agent that was forknapperd by OZMA, so I would take any measures to avoid similiar debacle. As for relegating it to Registers, the Firewall is stretched thin and could use any help it can get. My character is experienced covert operative. In the worst case I will just burn the whole operation.
Trappedinwikipedia wrote:
Quote:
-Ghostrider shenaningans
I don't really see those tricks working long term. For getting through a checkpoint maybe, but you're talking about falsifying employment records, which is more complicated and longer term. At the very least, you need to hire fake people to hide your real egos, and ensure that no whisper of data gets out about what you're actually doing; not simple in a Panopticon.
That's exactly what I'm going to do. I believe it can be done. It will require extensively leveraging my connections inside Guanxi and Hypercorps. As for the egos and hirelings indenture system works in my favor here. Honestly indenture on a specialist is only [Expensive].
Trappedinwikipedia wrote:
Considering brainprints are the most definitive form of ID, you likely need to get brainscanned in order to work. It's even better than an SSN or other forms of modern ID.
SquireNed wrote:
How many people will have the ability to do multiple brain-scans on multiple forks of yours?
Trappedinwikipedia wrote:
Oversight can, and that kind of thing is their job. White collar crime is kind of their thing.
My "masked" forks would be going nowhere near any place that requires full brain and bodyscan. The whole plan is to make them able to pass a cursory brainscan on a street for example, which otherwise would out the whole operations in 5 minutes.
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SquireNed SquireNed's picture
I think that another thing is
I think that another thing is that Oversight doesn't really care about what you're doing unless you make it their problem. Does the PC really have a thing against alpha forking? I don't see a lot of anti-Alpha sentiments except in the JR, and the JR hates everything fun.
Armoured Armoured's picture
Brain scans don't work that way
CordialUltimate2 wrote:
My "masked" forks would be going nowhere near any place that requires full brain and bodyscan. The whole plan is to make them able to pass a cursory brainscan on a street for example, which otherwise would out the whole operations in 5 minutes.
Well, given that brainscan-at-range technology doesn't exist, you are probably fine. Street cameras can't capture your brain state like PSYCHO PASS.
Eclipse phase wiki wrote:
Brainprint Scanner: This portable skullcap extrudes ultra-sensitive nanoelectrodes into the scalp, then plays media to the subject via a visor and ear plugs. It takes approximately 5 minutes to thoroughly scan a subject’s brain patterns in response to the media, producing a verifiable brainprint which can then be authenticated against a meshed database entry. (Moderate)
Portable, but not exactly convenient for random street checks. Given the difficulty in running a test, I'd expect to only see them run when doing a full security check. I remember reading somewhere that cyberbrains can undergo an accelerated scan through access jacks, but I can't find it now.
CordialUltimate2 CordialUltimate2's picture
OFFTOPIC:
OFFTOPIC: Panopticon mentions there are some habitats that use full invigilation and precog software AIs to prevent crime "Minority Report" style. As far as I know that's exactly how it works in PSYCHO PASS. In a habitat like that I wouldn't even think of going undercover.
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Trappedinwikipedia Trappedinwikipedia's picture
Now that I think of it,
Now that I think of it, Multiple Personalities is probably the simplest way to mess with a brainprint. If your forks are in Multiple Personality augmented bodies, they at least shouldn't register as you. I'm not sure what you'd want to use as the other personality though. However I don't think anything is stated about interactions between the Multiple Personalities augment and brainprints, so you might want to ask the GM what they think would happen.
CordialUltimate2 CordialUltimate2's picture
That's better SIMPLER idea.
That's better SIMPLER[sup]TM[/sup] idea. :-) As the other personalities I would of course use the people that match the brainprints for my identities. Or maybe their Beta/Delta forks to minimize brainspace required. I will ask my GM about it. Only thing that worries me is that maybe he would rule that Multiple Personalities as lowering COG maximum, since you're basically partitioning half your brain. Unfortunately this forum doesn't have upvote button :-/
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Trappedinwikipedia Trappedinwikipedia's picture
The COG lowering could happen
The COG lowering could happen I guess, but that seems a weird as the implant doesn't say anything about stressing cognitive abilities. TBH there isn't a lot said about the Multiple Personalities augment. If that's a problem you could try a Goya Machine, but basically that's taking a running jump through the moral event horizon into Soul-Eater Exhumanism. It'd work though.
CordialUltimate2 CordialUltimate2's picture
Hmm Now I'm trying to imagine
Hmm Now I'm trying to imagine 1 morph with 2 cyberbrains both of which have Multiple Personalities and Parallel Processors for every personality. Instant +30 to every aplicable action, +5 COG, and many, many mental actions. I assume that Goya Machine is the Ego Breeding (Forced Evolution) Simulspace, where you throw your ego and it competes in tournaments and battle royales against itself and other egos? I will pass on that for now.
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SquireNed SquireNed's picture
Aaand we're exhuman.
Aaand we're exhuman.
CordialUltimate2 CordialUltimate2's picture
SquireNed wrote:Aaand we're
SquireNed wrote:
Aaand we're exhuman.
As an Ultimate (the Ultimate?) I am positive that there are degrees of Exhumanism, and that is pretty tame in comparison to for example: Soul Eaters. My GM gives out measly 2-3 RP per session. I have to develop my character someway.
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Noble Pigeon Noble Pigeon's picture
SquireNed wrote:I think that
SquireNed wrote:
I think that another thing is that Oversight doesn't really care about what you're doing unless you make it their problem. Does the PC really have a thing against alpha forking? I don't see a lot of anti-Alpha sentiments except in the JR, and the JR hates everything fun.
Based on what I've read in the books, opposing the use of alpha forks is not limited to being bioconservative. As Transhuman points out,
Quote:
It challenges the basic assumption that an ego is unique, and for many transhumans—even those with otherwise extensive physical or mental modifications—the thought of being a “copy” is distressing if not terrifying. Throughout the system, one’s place in society depends on active management of personal identity and information, and forks threatens that position.
The book goes on to explain that the majority of surviving transhumans still views forking in various shades of a negative light, primarily thanks to the vivid scars from the Fall and the social and judicial nightmares that spawned immediately afterward. Excessively using anything past short-term beta forks is a thorny issue at best, although I'd imagine certain professions would be more open towards forking in general. Just because a lot of player characters (or at least a lot of the Firewall NPCs) tend to be extremely utilitarian with the way they approach things in EP, particularly forking, doesn't mean your average person in the setting does too. (note to self, "shades of negative light" sounds like a cool title or name for...something)
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Fenrir Fenrir's picture
Multiple personalities would
Multiple personalities would definately screw with a basic brainscan, but a more complex machine could probably recognize the augmentation and deduce a scan of each ego (which has to be doable, or you wouldn't be able to seperate the egos into two seperate morphs later). The ghostrider shenanigan seams like a good way to go. Heck, if you're willing to look like a monster, you could use Freeman morphs and have "dummy" egos in the meatbrains and use your forks as the "Monitor AGI". Most people won't notice (or know; freemans are used to covertly control populations), and the ones who do will assume you're using them to make slaves of the meatbrain ego, and not check if your monitor is an AGI or not. The Ego Breeding is DEFINATELY exhuman, but it would work too. Of course at that point you'd end up with highly-competitive forks who probably consider themselves superior to the original, so be aware that that can of worms gets ugly fast without proper precautions. As an alternative, you could just get a Hive license; I forget which book it's in, but there's a section that talks about people who have expanded the concept of "I" to include multiple egos. While the most prominant example is La Familia, there are supposedly more mundane versions in the PC, such as "twins" or even "families". Because it's alpha-forking, you'll probably need some sort of license from your local legislation, but once you've got it you basically have permission to be multiple people. Hypercorp CEOs do it with betas, but supposedly it happens with alpha-forking too. Your GM may disagree on the "in the PC" aspects of this though. As a last-ditch attempt, you're probably going to know about brainscanning ahead of time, so you may just hack it. Pre-load it with a dummy scan that it will output instead of yours, and then undo your changes on your way out the door. And, for the crazy-prepared, you can always hack the person doing the scan. Ego-nap them, give them psychosurgery to not recognize when multiple people have the same brainscan, and then replace the original with your copy. Ironically, this last part is the hardest >_>" But if you want the same mechanical benefit, you're already at 40 COG so no point in getting bonuses there, and for the +30 you can get ghostriders in your primary morph and load them with alphas. +30 helping bonus for all mental or mesh actions, and you can just delete/merge as soon as your done with whatever your latest problem is. You'll probably get some funny looks from security doing augment-scans, but if the ghostriders are empty, who are they to say you don't use betas like half the other CEOs who pass through there?
CordialUltimate2 CordialUltimate2's picture
Fenrir wrote:
Fenrir wrote:
But if you want the same mechanical benefit, you're already at 40 COG so no point in getting bonuses there, and for the +30 you can get ghostriders in your primary morph and load them with alphas. +30 helping bonus for all mental or mesh actions, and you can just delete/merge as soon as your done with whatever your latest problem is.
So lets drop some context: I want the forks to be able to operate independently in hostile legal enviroment. That's the whole point. The +30 for help from Parallel Processor would be necessary to perform merging Psychosurgery test as currently my Psychosurgery skill is quite low. Ego breeding is not for my character. Used in exhuman way creates sociopathic monsters and destroys an... THE identity of the ego. Maybe used somewhat differently (trivia competitions, and empathy tests instead of battle royales) it could produce different results. I was planning on using optogenetic modules to control the "front" egos eventually, when the operation was established. As an Ultimate using "genetrash" this way doesn't give me any moral qualms. My campaign is very lethal/morphdestructive. So having 3-4 semindependent forks would be a good backup policy. Using 3 ghostriders would be investing in one fragile morph what could better be used for its combat efficiency.
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Trappedinwikipedia Trappedinwikipedia's picture
Goya Machines are automated
Goya Machines are automated forced merge machines. It's basically a box which jams egos together and creates a new one with elements of both, but dominated by the one with the strongest will or self image. Exhumans use them to "eat" skills and memories to gain them, but it would definitely bypass a brainprint scan. It's sort of the reverse of ego breeding. Anyway, excluding the very immoral options, I think an unregistered multiple personality augment might be very difficult to detect with a brainprint scan. It's not an actual brainscan, and it doesn't access the cortical stack, as that's the real telltale. It just looks at a fancy EEG of how the brain reacts to stimuli. A full hour-long test might catch it, but I don't see a 5 minute EEG catching that subtlety for what it is. The trick with an unregistered ghostrider should also work, but sourcing the dummy egos might be harder.
CordialUltimate2 CordialUltimate2's picture
I guess nie is time for
I guess nie is time for summary post :-) And speaking to my GM.
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CordialUltimate2 CordialUltimate2's picture
I guess nie is time for
I guess it is time for summary post :-) And speaking to my GM.
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