Hacker Motivation [Archive] - Wizards Community

Hacker Motivation [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Outsider
06-19-03, 12:22 AM I'm going to be playing Traveller for d20 soon, and I've made a hacker/psi character. But I'm having a little trouble thinking up some goals and motives for a hacker; I don't plan to just try to steal as much money as I can from unsuspecting electronic bank accounts and call it a character concept. So can anyone toss some ideas at me about why a hacker would be hanging around with a vargr belter and a marine, or even why he's travelling through space at all?
Dauntless
06-19-03, 12:43 AM the best answer: Why not?

What would he be doing instead? It's not like he has a day job. Chances are if he CAN hack into banks, he probably did a couple times already, which means he doesn't have to work for money if he doesn't want to. So what else drives him? Adventure? Exploration? Do-goody ness? Do-evilness?

He's your character, it can be anything you want.
Moridus
06-19-03, 01:18 AM Just out of the blue here...

The party needs his 'expertiece' in their line of work.

Maybe they recover lost ships, and need him to unlock things?

I dunno.
The_Dark_One
06-19-03, 01:39 AM Has anyone seen Cowboy Bebop? Ed is a good example of a hacker that hangs around adventurer types. She practically forced her way onto the Bebop's crew roster. It was never really made clear why she did this, but I would guess that she was pretty bored and latched onto some people she finds intersting. MAybe your hacker found the kind of people that interesting stuff happens to. Three, two, one, let's jam....:cool:
Arctic-Fox
06-20-03, 01:01 PM I am not a criminal hacker mind you, just a hacker. As previous posts mentioned, there is the definite "Because I can" factor. A person who can weild immense power in his field will alway have that "Because I can" attitude. And also, one has to remember, though the hacker stereotype of the guy living in his parents basement eating Ramen Noodles all day is common, that hackers have different reasons, different levels of involvement, and certainly different home lives. I, for example, crusade for freedom of speech. I also take pride not in tearing info from a system(ie credit card numbers.), but instead quietly listening to outgoing and incoming traffic and knowing what is going on. It is a bizarre power trip I get when I do things like that. Some like entering people's machines, stealing info, and leaving. Some, like me, just listen. Others disrupt. Some, the true old school hackers, take old hardware and turn it into something bizarre.
A hacker character may not just be a hacker, but was a systems administrator for a ship's computer. Thats the simplest story I can come up with.
I know this post isn't exactly what you were looking for, but I like dispelling the hacker stereotype. Who would think a hacker would play D&D and paintball, and had previous experience with horseback riding? The aforementioned hobbies and skills apply to me. Remember, characters can be varied too!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Outsider 06-19-03, 12:22 AM	I'm going to be playing Traveller for d20 soon, and I've made a hacker/psi character. But I'm having a little trouble thinking up some goals and motives for a hacker; I don't plan to just try to steal as much money as I can from unsuspecting electronic bank accounts and call it a character concept. So can anyone toss some ideas at me about why a hacker would be hanging around with a vargr belter and a marine, or even why he's travelling through space at all?
Dauntless 06-19-03, 12:43 AM	the best answer: Why not? What would he be doing instead? It's not like he has a day job. Chances are if he CAN hack into banks, he probably did a couple times already, which means he doesn't have to work for money if he doesn't want to. So what else drives him? Adventure? Exploration? Do-goody ness? Do-evilness? He's your character, it can be anything you want.
Moridus 06-19-03, 01:18 AM	Just out of the blue here... The party needs his 'expertiece' in their line of work. Maybe they recover lost ships, and need him to unlock things? I dunno.
The_Dark_One 06-19-03, 01:39 AM	Has anyone seen Cowboy Bebop? Ed is a good example of a hacker that hangs around adventurer types. She practically forced her way onto the Bebop's crew roster. It was never really made clear why she did this, but I would guess that she was pretty bored and latched onto some people she finds intersting. MAybe your hacker found the kind of people that interesting stuff happens to. Three, two, one, let's jam....:cool:
Arctic-Fox 06-20-03, 01:01 PM	I am not a criminal hacker mind you, just a hacker. As previous posts mentioned, there is the definite "Because I can" factor. A person who can weild immense power in his field will alway have that "Because I can" attitude. And also, one has to remember, though the hacker stereotype of the guy living in his parents basement eating Ramen Noodles all day is common, that hackers have different reasons, different levels of involvement, and certainly different home lives. I, for example, crusade for freedom of speech. I also take pride not in tearing info from a system(ie credit card numbers.), but instead quietly listening to outgoing and incoming traffic and knowing what is going on. It is a bizarre power trip I get when I do things like that. Some like entering people's machines, stealing info, and leaving. Some, like me, just listen. Others disrupt. Some, the true old school hackers, take old hardware and turn it into something bizarre. A hacker character may not just be a hacker, but was a systems administrator for a ship's computer. Thats the simplest story I can come up with. I know this post isn't exactly what you were looking for, but I like dispelling the hacker stereotype. Who would think a hacker would play D&D and paintball, and had previous experience with horseback riding? The aforementioned hobbies and skills apply to me. Remember, characters can be varied too!