Just trying to get my head around how certain parts of the setting work, and interested in how other people handle this in their games.
The Core Rulebook (p. 246) says, "Every mesh user (and, in fact, every device) has a
unique code called their mesh ID." By this, and by the way it is described throughout the chapter, it seems like the book is using the term "mesh ID" interchangeably to mean something like an IP address (for device mesh IDs) and something like a universal single-sign-in user account (for people mesh IDs). In many places the rules imply that whenever you access the web, you are identified by *either* your personal mesh ID, *or* the mesh ID of the device you are using to access; in some places the rules even imply that these are the same thing.
This seems weird to me, because really the mesh should be tracking both of those things independently. Shouldn't it?
A personal mesh ID should not be difficult to swap around (the core book actually seems to imply doing so is often illegal, which is doubly weird). In the real world, I can trivially change my personal "mesh ID" by opening up a new gmail account. However, if I continue to use the same computer to post to that account, it would be equally trivial for an administrator to determine that both accounts are tied to the same device by comparing IP addresses.
So then the core book points out that you can just use disposable ectos, which implies that what you're really swapping out are the *device* mesh IDs. But presumably most mesh services can and will identify a user by her personal mesh ID, independently of the device being used -- otherwise, getting a new phone would be a nightmare (as would sleeving into a new morph with new mesh inserts). So disposable ectos won't do you any good unless you are also switching around your personal ID as well. But the core book makes no distinction; it refers to both as changing your "mesh ID" and implies that doing one or the other is sufficient.
I guess my questions are: does this make sense to anyone else? and, do any of you make this distinction in your own games, and if so how is it working out for you?
Welcome! These forums will be deactivated by the end of this year. The conversation continues in a new morph over on Discord! Please join us there for a more active conversation and the occasional opportunity to ask developers questions directly! Go to the PS+ Discord Server.
Quick question about mesh IDs
Mon, 2013-10-21 21:34
#1
mikegentry
Quick question about mesh IDs
Tue, 2013-10-22 10:04
#2
hhexo
The way I interpret it...
From what I can gather, in "normal" circumstances the mesh ID of your ego and that of your device are linked because you are using your Basic Mesh Inserts, i.e. the implants that reside in your own head.
If your ego is known for wearing a particular body, their "IP address" is the mesh ID of the Basic Mesh Inserts in that body and their "universal account" is linked to their ego.
Most people don't egocast, don't have cover identites, and don't use disposable ectos, so the mesh is designed to treat that as the "default" situation. In the real world, this is you using your laptop computer every day with the same internet connection.
When you switch bodies by egocasting, the new body will have Basic Mesh Inserts too, but because of the laws against forking it is assumed you have one personal "universal account" per ego - and you carry it with you. So your personal mesh ID is the same even if the "IP address" of the new Basic Mesh Inserts is different; after a while, however, I think that the mesh notices and probably updates the record of which device IDs correspond to your personal ID. At that point the two device IDs can be used (and recognized) as linked to the same personal ID, but there is a short delay.
In the real world, this may correspond to connecting to the internet with a different computer and on a different provider - you get a different IP address, but if you then log in to your email account and facebook and twitter, eventually they can track which IPs correspond to you (and believe me, pretty much all websites track you).
Cover identities are a way to have different personal mesh IDs, although it's better if you don't get caught impersonating a new identity, otherwise there'll be consequences. And don't ever connect with a cover identity personal ID but using your own Basic Mesh Inserts that you also use for your real identity! :-) That would give you away pretty quickly.
In the real world this is like creating a new email account, a fake facebook profile, etc. - but if you use your computer and your usual IP address to set them up you can get caught easily.
Since egocasting is expensive (you have to pay / burn rep for the new body), and cover identities are risky, you can use disposable ectos. Because ectos are just devices (like mobile phones) they're probably not linked to an ego. So they just have a device ID, and using those makes you completely anonymous - until somebody does proper research and finds out the payment transaction of you purchasing that ecto at the shop, but that requires a lot of effort.
In the real world, this corresponds to buying a disposable pay-as-you-go SIM and a new mobile phone and then doing something nasty with them (e.g. stalking or threatening calls). If the police investigates, they can find out where the SIM and phone have been bought, then they might look at the CCTV of the mobile phone store (or get a subpoena to examine the financial transactions of the shop and get the credit card number you used to pay) and eventually get to you... maybe. It takes some effort.
Tue, 2013-10-22 10:33
#3
NewtonPulsifer
The gamebook misses the
The gamebook misses the obvious utility of an ecto that can simply change its mesh id via software.
Analagously you can get cell phones with software controllable IMEIs.
Even if that is beyond a character's abilities - simply buy a separate radio (and in fact *everything* you buy has a mesh radio for free) for your ecto (or slave the radio of another device) that has its own id and use it instead of the built-in. Toss just the radio or cheap-o slaved device.
—
"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."- Isoroku Yamamoto
