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[33;1m                          V E R S I O N   1 . 0 2[1;35m
Programming/Concept                                         Rob Jacob
Documentation/Font                                  Brandon Bannerman
  
[37m       "The matrix has its roots in primitive arcade games," said
     the voice-over, "in early graphics programs and military ex-
     perimentation with cranial jacks." On the Sony, a two-dimen-
     sional space  war faded  behind a  forest of  mathematically
     generated ferns, demonstrating  the spacial possibilities of
     logarithmic  spirals;  cold  blue  military  footage  burned
     through, lab animals wired  into test systems, helmets feed-
     ing into  fire control  circuits  of  tanks and  war planes.
     "Cyberspace. A consensual hallucination experienced daily by
     billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, by child-
     ren being taught  mathematical concepts...  A graphic repre-
     sentation of data abstracted from the banks of every comput-
     er in the  human system.  Unthinkable  complexity.  Lines of
     light ranged in the  nonspace of the  mind, cluster and con-
     stellations of data. Like city lights, receding..."
                                               [31mfrom[33m Neuromancer
[35m  
  NetRunner is a game based on the genre of Cyberpunk and Cyberspace.
The object is to break into computers and steal as much money as you
can. To do this, you have a cyberdeck, and various programs. But the
systems you are attempting to break into also have programs (called
ICE: Intrusion Counter Electronics) that will try to prevent you
from breaking in. These programs can do anything from alerting a
computer operator who will drop carrier on you, to trying to kill you.

<Getting Started>

  To start out in the game, you must first pick the 'nym (short for 
pseudonym) that you wish to use in the game. This is the name by which all 
the other players will know you.
  Then you will be taken to the Stats Selection screen. The game will give 
you five chances to select stats with varying pro's and cons. If you don't 
choose any of the five, you will be able to try back the next day. The 
stats, also referred to as attributes, are explained below:
  Intelligence
    Lets you do more damage to ICE and helps
    minimize damage the ICE does to you. One
    of the most important stats.
  Reflex
    Decides who is faster and who attacks first.
    And since there are programs that kill you
    in one shot this is very important.
  Body
    Some ICE attack you physically, like sending
    a large amount voltage down the phone line,
    to fry your brains or stop your heart. This
    is how much damage you can take before you die.
  Luck
    This is rather ambiguous. It can help you hit
    an ICE when you would have missed, or cause an
    ICE to miss when it would have hit. It can
    help you do more damage (IE you hit the ICE
    in a tender place accidently). Luck can be
    helpful but don't count on it.  

<Brokers>

  Brokers are your only source of the necessary equipment and software that 
lets you Deck. Since most of the items the Broker sells you are extremely 
illegal to possess, they cannot be obtained by normal meansand they tend
to be expensive. Note that while Brokers are generally quite careful and 
reliable insofar as the programs they sell you, there is always a small 
chance that a rogue virus will pop up in the warez. But don't worry, if 
that happens you'll find out real quick.


<Frannie's Freehold BBS>

  Franny runs a pirate BBS for you to buy/sell software and leave messages
to other netrunners about your exploits or give/get tips etc. She tries to
keep the programs in her program section virus free, but she is busy, and
with the disreputable bunch of users she's got, they keep popping back up.
She'll buy programs if the ones you have are better than the ones she has.
The risk of getting virii here is definitely higher than buying the 'wares
from a broker, but then here they are cheap.
  The BBS is intentionally low-tech (non-cyberspace) so it's harder to
break into. Only known hackers, crackers, and miscreants are given access.
The Secret Service (SS), FBI, and Netcops are not aware of this BBS yet so
don't worry... yet. (Maybe next version)

Techs

  Without Techs, the breed of Deckers would be a dying one. They sell you 
improvements, repairs, and modifications for your Cyberdeck, some of which 
are listed below:
  Deck Speed
    Your Deck Speed starts out at 0,
    but you can build this up to 10.
    The cost to upgrade your deck
    speed is the current speed plus
    one, squared times 1000. So if
    your current speed was 3, your
    next upgrade would cost:
      (3 + 1) * (3 + 1) = 16,000
  Deck Armor
    You start out with 2 points of
    Deck Armor, but this can be 
    upgraded to 5. The means of
    figuring the cost is the same
    as for Deck Speed.
  Deck Memory
    Your Deck Memory indicates
    how many programs your Deck
    can hold in storage at one
    time. It starts out at 10,
    but a one-time modification
    can increase the storage
    capacity to 20 programs. It
    costs 25,000 creds.
  Replacement ROM
    Some ICE, like the Burner,
    will attack your Deck directly
    rather than attacking you. When
    this happen, your ROM will be
    burnt out, which will prevent
    you from Decking again until it
    is replaced. This replacement
    costs 1,000 creds.
     
<Warez>

  Warez are the programs you use to support your socially unaccepatable but
highly profitable activities. They range from simple funds transfers to
super-powerful ICEbreaking virii designed to smash a system's defenses. 
They are divided into three categories: ICEbreakers, Analyzation, and 
Defense.    
  ICEbreakers
    These are your basic (and not-so-basic) attack programs, which you use
    to crack the defenses and ICE guarding a system you wish to rob blind.
    Each of them function differently, and have different strategies 
    attached to them. They include:
      Icepick
        The simplest and least powerful attack program. Effective against
        most smaller ICE, but useless for long-term use. You start out
        with one copy of this, and it costs 2,000 creds.
      Torch
        Slightly more powerful than Icepick. Very effective against mid-
        range ICE, and can wipe out smaller ICE in one hit. Cost is 16,000
        creds.
      Flamethrower
        A common, but extremely powerful ICEbreaker program. Affordably
        effective against almost any kind of ICE. Cost is 64,000 creds.
      Spark/Arc/Lightning
        Similar in power and identical in pricing to the
        Icepick/Torch/Flamethrower set of programs, these are unique in
        that they will destroy any ICE in exactly two hits. This is useful
        against higher-level ICE, against which you could waste precious
        time hacking away with Flamethrower, but against even a lowly
        Crasher ICE, the powerful Lightning would still take two hits. The
        difference in power is that each successive program is more likely
        to hit and cause damage.
      Plastique/Nitro/Fusion
        Similar in function to the Icepick/Torch/Flamethrower set of 
        ICEbreakers, this set of programs is far more powerful. Plastique
        costs 250,000 creds, Nitro costs 1,000,000 creds, and Fusion costs 
        4,000,000 creds.
  Analyzation
    The Analyzation genre of programs deals with information and data 
    retrieval, as well as tactical and diagnostic assimilation.
      Transfer
        This program is absolutely *essential* to any decker's career. It 
        is used to transfer money and data from a system. When you find a 
        Data node that has money in it, run this program and the money will 
        automatically be credited to your account. It works by causing the
        system to perform an electronic funds transfer, and then
        manipulating the data to hide the transfer. Since its operation is
        quite simple, and the fact that it is so necessary and commonplace,
        the price for this program is relatively low1,000 creds.
      Analyze
        While a Decker is certainly able to make his fortune without this 
        program, its purchase is strongly encouraged. This program can only 
        be run while you are in the CPU node of a system, and when 
        activated it gives you a readout of the total number of ICE and 
        credits left in the system, up to the moment. This is invaluable in 
        terms of time saved finding out afterwards exactly how worthless 
        (or valuable) a run into the system would have been, and to find 
        out if you missed any money after a run. It costs 3,000 creds.
      Diagnostics
        Another essential program here, the Diagnostics program checks out
        all your programs in memory, and highlights in red the ones which 
        have been corrupted by hits from ICE attacks. It is advised that 
        you run this after every battle in which you get hit. 
        Unfortunately, the cost of this program is prohibitive25,000 
        creds. However, most Deckers agree that the program is well worth 
        the price.
      Recon
        The Recon program scans the adjacent nodes of a system, and tells
        you what ICE and credits, if any, are in them. Note that some 
        higher-level ICE can fool the Recon program into concealing their 
        existence, so be careful when using it in high-security systems. It 
        costs 5,000 credits, and can be very handy at times.
      Viruscan
        The Viruscan program is the only way of finding out if you have a 
        virus in memory, short of the virus popping out and rearing its 
        ugly head. Virii tend to be several days ahead of Viruscan, so if 
        you got a virus on Game Day 4, only a Viruscan bought on Game Day 7 
        or later would detect it. Luckily, it only costs 1,000 creds, so 
        you're not out by much.
  Defense
    Defense programs are designed to aid you in moving through a system 
    unmolested, and in guarding a system.
      Stealth/Stealth II
        These two sister programs are designed to make you invisible to 
        ICE, so that you may pass through a few nodes undetected. It can be 
        useful if you're hurt bad and don't want to have to tackle a lot of 
        ICE. You cannot run this program once an ICE has seen you, however. 
        Stealth costs 8,000 creds. Stealth II is somewhat stronger and more 
        likely to succeed, and costs 50,000 creds. Note that it is 
        generally considered among netrunners that only wimps use this 
        program, and that they aren't "real" Deckers.
      Matrix Mine
        These are nasty little things that you can use you really nail 
        another Decker. You can run it in almost any node of a system, and 
        once run it will delete itself from memory, and the next day a
        Matrix Mine ICE will emerge in that node, and will attack the first 
        Decker to enter that node (including you). The program is 
        copy-protected, so it cannot be backed up, and costs 100,000 creds.

<Drugs>        

  Drugs will increase your stats to give you an edge in your decking, but
drugs are dangerous. Every time you take them, there is a small chance you
will die, or if you take a lot in one day, there is a chance you will burn
some neurons, lowering that stat some. 

<ICE>

  ICEshort for Intrusion Counter Electronicsare programs that try to
keep you out of the system they are protecting. You can either try to sneak
past the ICE, or try to blow them to kingdom-come. Some ICE include:

  Corruption1-3
    These will try to corrupt the programs in your deck to raise the chance
    that they will crash. NOTE: A corrupted program can still work; it will
    just crash some, most, or all of the time depending on the amount of
    corruption.
  Wight/Wraith/Vampire
    These ICE are little stronger and will attack your program to make them
    weaker. If a program loses all it's strength, it will be deleted from
    your deck. Note that if you copy a damaged program, the copy will also
    be damaged.
  Burner
    This will attempt to burn out the ROM in your deck, making it unusable
    for netrunning till you replace the ROM. If you do not have the credits
    to replace the ROM, don't worryall NetRunners get a small income
    daily from various off jobs, and you'll eventually have enough to 
    replace it.
  Crasher
    Perhaps one of the most annoying ICE, as this one will just crash your
    deck and make you drop out of the system.
  Raider
    A variation of Crasher ICE, this will steal all of your money then Crash
    your deck.
  Hit & Run
    This is just like the Raider ICE, except after it crashes you out of the
    system, it will move to a different node in the system.
  Flatliner
    This ICE will attack your Deck's electronics, in an attempt to stop 
    your heart. If your Body is damaged below 0, you will be effectively 
    Flatlined, and have to return the next day.
  Mindwipe
    This ICE will send high amounts of voltage through the phone lines in 
    an attempt to fry your brain. If your Int falls below 0, you will be
    killed, and have to return the next day.    
  AI
    There are rumors of AI's (Artificial Intelligences) being in some of the
    higher level systems, but nobody seems to have first hand knowledge. It
    could be just stories, or that nobody has survived.
   
<Security Levels>

  Different systems have different levels of security. When decking you will
see these levels as blue, green, yellow, red, or black. The higher the level,
the faster the systems, the deadlier the ICE, but... the higher the rewards.
  Fighting a particular ICE in a lower level system will be easier than
fighting the same type ICE in a higher level system. So beware.

<Nodes>

  There are different types of nodes that you may encounter within a
system. They are...
    SAN
      System Access Node. The entrance and exit between the Net and the 
      system.
    CPU
      Central Processing Unit. Here, all the SubProcessors are organized 
      and the entire system is co-ordinated. You can hook an Analyze 
      program into this node to find out, vaguely, what's in the system.
    SPU
      Sub Processing Unit. Smaller, less powerful processors designed to 
      carry out specific tasks and assist ICE in the defense of the system.
    DATA
      Data Node. Here, money and data are accumulated and stored safely out 
      of the reach of incorrigible criminals. (Heh) You will rarely, if 
      ever, find a Data node with money that is not guarded by an ICE, so 
      beware.
    IOP
      Input Output Port. Monitors, Keyboards, Modems, RS-232 ports, and any 
      other variations on the basic theme of Input/Output. There is 
      currently no way to access these ports... yet.
    DLJ
      Data Line Junction. A section of the system where optical cables by 
      the thousands convey the endeless stream of data which is life to 
      Deckers. Unforunately, the current line of Cyberdecks available to 
      Deckers is insufficiently powerful to access these lines...
    S_N
      Slave Node. A completely independent SubProcessor linked to the 
      mother system for a specific purpose.
      
<Decking>

  Decking is actually going into the system. Not physically into the system,
but it will seem like you are. You are in reality sending your programs into
the other computer and trying to get it to run them, while it is sending
programs to your deck, trying to get it to run it's programs (ICE).
  First, you jack into your deck. (WITH YOUR NUMLOCK ON) Use you keypad to
move through the net. Systems are displayed as small to large boxes. To
enter a system, just move into one of these boxes.
  Also, as you move around the net, you may see 'ghosts' (grey figures).
These mark where another netrunner has left the net at, and when you leave
the net, you will leave a 'ghost' too.
  You enter a system through the SAN (System Access Node). Next move through
the system looking for data nodes (that is where the money is at). You will
only be able to see what is in your node, and what type of nodes are adjacent
to the node you're in.
  If there is an ICE in the node you are in, and it sees you, it will attempt
to attack you (or sound alarm or whatever). You may or may not get to attack
it first. You cannot leave this node until you have destroyed the ICE, except
by jacking out (pulling the plug), which will kick you out of the whole Net 
until you jack back in, and effectively remove you from the system.
  Once you've made it to a data node (there can be more than one), execute
your transfer program, and you are richer. You can lose money going into a
system if it does more damage to you and your deck, than what you manage to
steal. Pick your systems wisely.

<Suggested Cyberpunk Reading Material>

Burning Chrome                      by William Gibson
Neuromancer                         by William Gibson
Count Zero                          by William Gibson
Mona Lisa Overdrive                 by William Gibson
Dreams of Flesh and Sand            by W.T. Quick
Dreams of Gods and Men              by W.T. Quick
Singularities                       by W.T. Quick
Hardwired                           by Walter Jon Williams
Voice Of The Whirlwind              by Walter Jon Williams
The Company Man                     by Joe Clifford Faust
Vickers                             by Mick Farren
The Feelies                         by Mick Farren
The Running Man                     by Richard Bachman
                                       (Stephen King)

Other good sources are various 'CyberPunk' role-playing games
on the market:

ShadowRun                           by FASA
Virtual Realities                   by FASA
CyberPunk 2020                      by R. Talsorian Games
CyberSpace                          by ICE
GURPS CyberPunk                     by Steve Jackson Games

And for a good look at what a 'CyberPunk' world looks like,
rent the movie Blade Runner!

Finally, it works well to listen to speed metal while playing
this game (IE Yngwie Malmsteen, Megadeath, or Metallica).


                               [0;31;1;5mGOOD LUCK![0m
