Cyberpunk 2077 - The Net & Its History
Before the 4th Corporate War (a pivotal conflict in Cyberpunk 2077’s history) The Net was a robust global communication network that was able to transmit and store all kinds of data. Net access via a traditional computer or cybermodem and interface were the methods in which you could access the Net and its infinite potential. A cybermodem allowed you to view the net in 3 dimensions and accelerated data transfer rates for virtually no latency from brain to machine.
Rache Bartmoss & The Destruction of The Net
The Net was divided and fragmented after the events of the 4th Corporate War, largely due to one of the most brilliant and paranoid Netrunners of all time, Rache Bartmoss. He likely created the Demon and Hound series of programs, both with the ability to track and kill netrunners.
Many rumors are circulating on Rache’s death, but there is no debate on how his demise triggered one of the most cataclysmic events for the net. At the moment Rache died, his life-support system ceased sending delay codes, unleashing a flurry of advanced programs, namely the RABIDs into the net, corrupting data, damaging files, scattering them across the Net & frying all netrunners that were connected to the Net at the time. These RABIDs of Roving Autonomous Bartmoss Interface Drones were sleeper programs that when awakened were designed to create as much havoc in the net, destroying as much data as possible, leading to a net wide DataKrash. Distributed randomly through cyberspace, this meant that any hope to combat it relied on an airtight emergency protocol. No such protocol existed and by the time one did, it was much too late and the net was irreparably damaged.
Legendary netrunner Rache Bartmoss
Rache Bartmoss in his life-preserving fridge “hideout”
The RABIDS virus
The rebuilding of the networks was largely on the shoulders of NetWatch in collaboration with the European Commission. Cyberspace became a digital battlefield, and only the most talented were enlisted to combat anything that lurked in the remnants of the Old Net. The efforts of Netwatch and the EC although valiant, did not address the issue of the crash and thus the Blackwall project was born, as isolating and containing the Old Net was the only option left.
The Deep VS Shallow Net
The Blackwall is an impenetrable wall of Black ICE that separates human networks from those under the control of the intelligent systems. There is absolutely no crossing allowed, but thrill-seekers and overzealous runners attempt anyways, whether it be for notoriety, curiosity or to steal secret documents and data that might still exist beyond the wall.
The “Blackwall” protecting Cyberpunk 2077’s old net from the new, isolated data-forts
The shallow net, otherwise known as the human net in Cyberpunk 2077 are local or city nets that make sure each are isolated from one another. Europe has re-networked thanks to NetWatch, and the New USA’s city nets are also in the process of being built. The Deep net is beyond the Blackwall and is the complete opposite of isolated nets, as it is the vast network of cyberspace and allows for long-distance communication.
Local nets can be accessed but safety measures have made it that you must be in the local area network to access it, and need the appropriate netrunning gear. Netrunning gear comes in 6 tiers, from tier 0 to tier 5, and allows you to interface with the net in a variety of different ways.
Tier 0 Netrunning Gear
Tier 0 is the archaic old cyber modems, which are all but obsolete in Cyberpunk 2077. Their data transfer rate is serviceable but they lack the utility and functionality, but it is still a mobile device that at the very least grants a connection.
Tier 1 Netrunning Gear
Tier 1 is your simple personal link, a USB like device that can be connected to devices, computers, and even other people to gain access to networks. Once connected and with the right programs, control can be taken wirelessly. A personal link grants you access to more basic devices and uses like shutting down cameras, hacking drones and robots, and jamming elevators.
Tier 1 netrunning gear - a personal link
Tier 2 Netrunning Gear
Tier 2 is where things start to get more involved. Cyber goggles and helmets allow you to view the net in 3 dimensions, allowing you to reach deeper into cyberspace. Data transfer is higher with this tier of equipment and because the body is a proxy for the transfer, overheating starts to become a problem due to accelerated synaptic activity. The best way to combat this problem of overheating and causing damage to the brain, body, and organs is to sit in an ice bath or have a modded AC unit next to the runner.
V climbing into an ice bath to keep her body cool during a netrunning session
Tier 3 Netrunning Gear
Tier 3 is where professional-level equipment begins. It is an upgraded version of Tier 2, which includes a full-body suit with extreme cooling to prevent the netrunnners blood from boiling. These suits cover the full body and eliminate the need for ice baths and refrigerator units in cooling a runner as he or she interacts with deeper cyberspace. A netrunning chair is essential for this setup, because the suit allows for extended netrun sessions. There are also systems and equipment in the chair itself that act as a biomonitor for the netrunners letting them know their vitals.
Tier 4 Netrunning Gear
Tier 4 is for the upper end of professionals otherwise known as the elite. These runners have all the bells and whistles of all the other tiers, but with the addition of server banks, cryostasis, and blood-coolant systems, allowing for hard-hitting offense in the digital realm.
NetWatch agent Bryce Mosely equipped with tier 5 netrunning equipment
Tier 5 is the top grade of netrunning equipment in Cyberpunk 2077, usually reserved for NetWatch agents. This consolidates all of tier 4’s equipment in a highly mobile piece of cyberware. It performs just as good or better than the tier 4 upgrades, but with the benefit of being able to undertake any netrunning action while on the move in real space. Neural boosters adorn the back, kneck, and head and a cooling system runs down the spine and along the arms for dispersal of heat. This is used to track down the most sophisticated AIs and renegade hackers.