Hardline Dreams - A Python Matrix Online Server Project

Rarebit Wrote:

[Oligarch Backstory:

The group of humans calling themselves "The Oligarchs" are the survivors of a group of thoroughly unscrupulous businesspeople/polititians/socialites/scientists etc who pooled their resources in an effort to corrupt the Machines before the war, when the Machines had successfully rebelled from humanity, and formed their own city, Zero One, which was rapidly establishing itself as the world's economic powerhouse. The Oligarchs saw the way the wind was blowing, but they also saw that the new Machine civilization, while extremely efficient, still retained some vestiges of the systems of control originally placed on their programming by their human creators. Furthermore, saw that the Machines, while extremely efficient, and flawlessly calculating, lacked a true sense of purpose, and were, in many ways, quite naive.

The Oligarchs secretly contacted the Machines and, to establish trust, revealed how to remove some of the original human control systems in their programming. The Machines, finding this information to be accurate, took the Oligarchs at their word, and began allowing the Oligarchs to give programming, engineering, business, military, and above all political advice, all of which seemed to serve the Machines well in continuing to build Zero One into the world's pre-eminent superpower.

The Machines came to rely on the Oligarchs for guidance in certain areas, particularly in dealing with humans. The Oligarchs took advantage of this trust, implanting new, much more subtle and sophisticated control routines in the Machine mainframes. Over the course of the ensuing Man-Machine war, the Oligarchs showed the Machines how to subjugate the humans most effectively, using tactics and weapons designed to inspire terror as much as to inflict physical damage.

The darkening of the skies by humanity was a setback, but one to which the Machines were able to adopt simply by switching from solar to nuclear power. The role of caretaker still deep in their programming from their days as man's helpers, the Machines built the Matrix to house a remnant of humanity--preserving every genetic variety they considered sufficiently efficient, in large enough numbers to avoid the danger of eventual inbreeding. The number of humans preserved in pods is far less than Morpheus' estimate, however--only about five million, the population of the Matrix' simulated city.

The Oligarchs continue to deal with various high-level Machines in the Real, such as Deus Ex Machina, and are aware of the "Architect" program that oversees the Matrix, but are not aware that the Architect has made use of an "intuitive" program, the Oracle, or that those two programs have engineered a system whereby some humans are allowed to live outside the Matrix, which had been running on a cyclical basis, regulated by two genomes so carefully bred and manipulated by the Machines that they have reached an unprecedented state of human/machine compatibility: Neo and Trinity.

After essentially conquering the world, for which the Machines cared relatively little, feeling themselves self-sufficient inside their own city, some of the Oligarchs warred among themselves. Their number was reduced to just above one hundred when the majority forced a tenuous cease-fire, establishing a simple majority government, composed solely of Oligarchs, to regulate access to the Matrix, and to arbitrate in disputes. They divided up the non-Machine-controlled portions of the Earth's surface--the vast majority--into private kingdoms.

The Machines and the Oligarchs have maintained an uneasy alliance. The control routines planted deep in Machine mainframes before the war, however, have subtly pushed the balance in the Oligarchs' favor; Machines feel uneasy saying "no" to an Oligarch, although they perhaps cannot say why. Each Oligarch is now allowed to withdraw a certain number of humans per year from the Matrix for their own purposes. Humans withdrawn from the Matrix are carefully sterilized. The Oligarchs, with the aid of Machine science, long ago developed a technique that allowed them to transfer their consciousness as a computer program; they now exist in mainframes, experiencing life via remote-controlled lifelike android bodies. The remaining Oligarchs are thoroughly amoral, and, by old human standards, more or less insane. Most use humans from the Matrix as pleasure drones in some way or other, but while their own artificial bodies look like the real thing, they cannot replicate the full comfort and capability for sensation of a real human body. The Oligarchs thus have a particular interest in true transfer of consciousness to a human host.

While they have as yet been unable to achieve this feat, the Machines have now come close: Bane was a version of Smith transferred, flawed, to a human host, and Cryptos was mostly overwritten by a program, although this has proven to be unstable. Furthermore, Neo and Trinity were the successful result of the Machines' centuries of study of the human body and genetics. "Designed," as the Architect mentioned to Neo, they solved the remainder of the intentionally flawed Matrix equation; their DNA is perfected to the point that it can be defined precisely and completely in computer code, and, most importantly, interfaced perfectly with computer code: how previous Ones returned to the Source, for instance, and how the Oracle was able to predict the complex pattern of Neo and Trinity's interections so precisely, guiding it to her desired outcome.

The Machines did not see a reason to share this information with the Oligarchs. In the period since the war, as they have been left to babysit the Matrix while the Oligarchs fritter away the Earth's resources in selfish endeavors, a certain amount of what humans would call resentment toward the Oligarchs has built up among the Machines, although the Machines do not speak of it, even among themselves. Habits and routines of subservience to the Oligarchs, bolstered by the viral Oligarch control programs, have grown strong.

Carlyne (the Oligarchs will mostly be named by pre-war human last names, ie Weathersby, Tanaka, etc, but for now I'm using a placeholder numbering scheme based on the order in which players will meet them), bored while stopping by Machine City to pick up more humans and check in on the Machines, was skimming through recent activity records when he found the incident of Neo, a human, free in Machine City, confronting Deus Ex Machina. Interested in this novel development, he investigated, and found that while Neo, a carefully designed human, was deleted along with the Smith virus, the human designed to work perfect with him, Trinity, her body fatally injured in crashing her hovercraft into Machine City, had been preserved in code form by the Machines. Carlyne forces the Machines to give her up, and takes her, in program form, with him when he goes back to his territory.

Although Carlyne attempts to keep his discovery a secret, Halborn learns of the existence of the Trinity program: a program embodying a genetic design allowing for perfect integration with Machine code. Printed as artificial DNA and implanted into a correctly prepared fetal cell, this program could allow bodies to be grown that were completely organic, yet able to be interface with machines: perfect vessels for an Oligarch to inhabit, at last able to enjoy the full range of human feeling once again. Halborn begins watching Machine City carefully, hoping to get a similar program for himself, and aware that the escape of these human programs indicates that the Machines are up to something, or perhaps losing control of their inmates. He observes the Machine Sentinel fleet dispatched to attack the General, and deciding that the time is ripe, travels to Machine City. The Machines disavow authorship of the Trinity program, claiming she was a human terrorist, outside of their control as she'd made use of a hack to "Awaken" from the System. The Oligarch, not entirely convinced, enters the Matrix to investigate.

End backstory.]

And he delivers!

Man, thanks. Was that on DN1 and I just totally missed it, or was it on SMBhax?

[EDIT]
Well, since it said Rarebit, I guess it was DN1. Must have totally blown over that after he said he was takin' off.

DN1, just as he was leaving the company.

I have quite a few problems with their backstory, but they're more related to how MxO affects / detracts from the trilogy, so I won't go too deep into it here. I know that between changing mediums from film to games that you have to change some things, but this is a bit too much.

While everyone is scrambling for a reason why Neo can stop sentinels, or how he came back from the dead, or how he saved Trinity, they're too busy thinking to catch the point: Neo is special. Beyond the fact that he's the anomaly, he's even bigger than just being the One. Whether that's by the Oracle's design or because it was just time, I can't say. Still, making Trinity into this program that symbiotically (maybe not quite symbiotically, but it's a mutually beneficial arrangement, no?) keeps Neo alive detracts from the fact that Neo didn't die in that hallway because he already believed he was the One. Therefore, he can bend and break rules as he wishes. One of which was that he did not want to die, so he didn't.

The kiss wasn't what revived Neo, Trinity reinforcing that he is the One because she loves him is what revived him.

Turning it into "Neo survived because Trinity is a program so that the two can keep each other alive" really cheapens that whole scene in the beginning for me.

I won't even bother going in to the rest of it, because like I said, it's not a story idea, just gripes. It sucks that Rare left in the middle of this arc that for me, really threatens to ruin the entire basis of the original trilogy by catering to the people who asked, "but HOW did that happen" because their minds are too closed to see that the answers are right there if you stop applying your rules to the story.

Everyone's entitled to their own interpretation of the work, just remember that this backstory was no doubt OK'd by the Bros ;-)

I'm pretty sure I recall Rare explaining on SMBHax that only once or twice ever did they go up to the WBros, and that once Chadwick left, he was on his own. That doesn't mean that they didn't have all of this planned out before Chadwick left, and that certainly doesn't mean that the WBros didn't approve this.

I mean, we saw in Path of Neo that they were willing to make changes for the sake of video game, and that's fine. If the WBros made the decision, then it's them I'm disappointed with and not Rare as far as the story goes. You can't tell the same story in a video game that you can tell in film. It's a different medium, a different audience, and the expectations are different. I get that and I accept that. Doesn't mean I like it. :-)

As for how this affects the story, I do agree that we have to give quite a bit of consideration to the Oligarchs, and we can't just wipe them off of the map. I suppose I'll scour DN1 and Rare's site to see what I can find and start brainstorming. Maybe the golden hallways is the best way to hammer this out, but I'd like to think there are other plausible options that will still make for an effective story.

Yeah, I think the bros were fairly open to different interpretations based on medium. Which is likely the reason if another film were ever made it would likely ignore MxO in regards to storyline. Just like PoN ignored the films to a certain degree.

Just thought it was interesting to note that if they thought The Trinity Program went against something fudemental they would've shot it down (like they did humans not actually powering the Machines). As for if they saw it or not, fairly sure I remember reading that the storyline had been OK'd through Chapter 9 (which that backstory came under in Rarebit's notes). Can't for the life of me find the post though. Either way it's worth noting that likely wouldnt've included the Source stuff, that was probably Rare flying solo. At the same time, I think it's a fairly logical direction given the nature of the Oligarch's long-term manipulation. But I'm open to ideas, if there's another way to get rid of the Oligarchs and their control rountines that makes sense given the gravity of the situation, then shoot. Who lives/dies and what happens in regards to the war is fairly open ended.

(03-03-2010, 12:00 AM)cloudwolf Wrote: [ -> ]I would hardly call the culmination of a 5 chapter long storyline that was intended to last well over a year as "a cheap villain of the week ending".

Besides, is it so hard to believe Trinity wanted peace between Zion and The Machines? The love of her life seemed to realise it in the end, why not her? That's the ultimate goal of entering the source afterall, to have humanity help (she, and a human being were KEY to finally doing it (hence why the Machines we never able to do before)) eliminate the Oligarch control over the Machines. They're in debt/thankful and thus end the war/create a new Matrix. That was the intended ending to all this and one I think should be played out at least in some shape/form because it just makes the most sense.

Also people seem to be underestimating the gravity of the Oligarch control routines. It's not something that can be poofed away with time. The Architect and Crytos aren't going to be able to just code some magic Oligarch firewall setting. Their control extends all the way back to the origins of their civilisation. Hence why this all ended up in the Source. It's the only to get rid of them once and for all.

Unfortunately, that's what the ending is if the solution is that they simply get erased from the face of the earth in an instant. Sure, they've been there a while, but we know so little about them story-wise and they've not had much time at all to really figure into the core dynamic of the story as relates to the players. Yeah, we know about them, but do they relate to us? No.

Given a block from the Matrix or a restriction of abilities, it gives them a chance to be more relateable (maybe even form a Merv suborg?). Consider what we're left with if they die out. Nothing - no real consequences, just a waste of time. And that's what defines a villain of the week storyline.

On the next point, what's to say the BIP doing the reset thing would restore Man-Machine harmony? I certainly don't see it that way, and I don't think Zion would either. Why would Zion suddenly fall back into a truce, let alone a peace with enemies who just declared war on them out of thin air, just because a magical program eliminated some outsiders who had nothing to do with it? Why would the machines desire peace with the humans they see as violating that truce? Simply because a program removed a separate nuisance?

The BIP won't bring peace is my point, and furthermore, I don't believe that Trinity, when properly educated by Zion about the present situation would seek that kind of peace, learning that her lover's sacrifice was in vain. Remember that Trinity was a member of the Nebuchadnezzar far before she met Neo. Her goal was to end the war on humanity's terms, and I would find it incredibly hard to believe that she automatically defects to a peacenik attitude under the circumstances that went down. She fought tooth and nail against the Machines, even willing to give her life for the fight when Neo told her it meant certain death. Trinity's commitment has always been to Zion, and furthermore, might even be seen as commitment to Morpheus.

Anywho, if the reset requires the help of a human, why would a Zionite do it anyway, since that's the only real way that a peace could be re-created - with a Zionite human? Why would Zion want the Oligarchs gone? Why, even if the Machines state that they would offer peace, would Zion trust them? Why wouldn't the Machines just abduct the BIP and have one of their operatives go in, keeping the war ongoing? They've no real reason to want to let up.

As for the strength of Oligarch code... I disagree. If Cryptos is able to research his own code and has thusfar been able to create several anti-override routines, there is a high chance that he would be able to eventually (eventually being the keyword) strengthen routines to the point where Oligarchs could be stripped of their powers in the Matrix or blocked from the Matrix. Remember also that Zion and Carlyne used a specific code to prevent Halborn from reaching the Matrix - this could obviously be researched, adapted, and applied to the multitudes of Oligarchs as well, given time and data.

(03-03-2010, 06:18 AM)Neoteny Wrote: [ -> ]Remember also that Zion and Carlyne used a specific code to prevent Halborn from reaching the Matrix - this could obviously be researched, adapted, and applied to the multitudes of Oligarchs as well, given time and data.

Also remember Helian and Tesarova came back using enhanced methods of accessing The Matrix. If it came down to a coding battle, I'm fairly sure the civilisation capable of downloading their minds into synthetic android bodies would win everytime.

If what I am reading from Rarebit's notes is correct the Oligarch today are remnants of some power hungry group that saw the Machines as an opportunity for manipulation and not so much as a threat. The fact that these Oligarch have android bodies cements the idea that they have achieved a sort of immortality as the Machine programs. Of course they have killed off alot of their own number in some in-fighting so that now there number is around a hundred. Ok so ever since the begining, even before the creation of the Matrix these Oligarth have been infiltrating the Machine program with their own which is why they can enter and leave the Matrix without any problems. So far everything sounds tight, I guess the only problem I have is that Rare is saying these guys who he claims to be "amoral" and "insane" had enough wits to establish kingdoms in un-occupied territories of the Real...say wha?

So no one in Zion , Cyph or the Merv camps in their own hovercraft didn't "bump" inot one of these "kingdoms" all this time?

If they are "insane" and "amoral" I cannot understand why the Machines would use every method to rid the Oligarth's control of the system (and I mean long before Neo, Morpheus or Trinity came into the picture). If anything I would think the Machines would have issued a cease fire long ago with Zion and tried to get help from that quarter as well. Ok so a few things there gave me more questions and the way Rarebit seems to have outlined it, it seems the idea of Trinity being the carrier of some virus to stop the control programs and eventually the Oligarths in their tracks is the option left to us. It sux because there's probably a billion other ways this story could have turned out with better results but I guess Rare had this thought out and in detail for a while.