An Avatar is a virtual representation of a participant in the Virtual World.
Overview
Other than insignificant enhancements, such as better clothes or more makeup, avatars are digitally identical to the participant on whom the avatar is based. Daniel Graystone has Joseph Adama step into a booth that scans him. The computer then uses that information to create his avatar. ("Pilot")
A healthy sex drive, along with a desire to please, are baseline components the program builds into every avatar. ("False Labor")
While in the V-World pretending to be another girl named Rachel, Zoe suggests that she made her avatar look like Zoe Graystone on purpose to keep the perverts away. She also mentions that additional avatars cost cubits, implying that modifications to avatars cost money. ("Know Thy Enemy")
Variations
Stealing Code
Heracles uses a hand-held machine to steal Chiron's code when he is distracted. He touches Chiron's back with the device and copies the code. He is then able to use the stolen code to impersonate Chiron. As "Chiron", Heracles successfully pulls off a heist in New Cap City to steal Chiron's game credits. ("There Is Another Sky")
Artificial Sentience
Zoe Graystone took her standard avatar and developed sentience for it using:
- An Artificial Intelligence search engine to datamine past records of herself.
- Transfer of a person's memories into useable data.
- A biofeedback protocol connection to Artificial Intelligence, which transfers the emotions and memories of the real world person to the sentient avatar. The Avatar feels and experiences in real time what the real person feels and experiences. ("Pilot") ("Things We Lock Away")