What is the Matrix?

To me we are wither lving in the Matrix right now or we could be living in it, in the future. Theres no way that we could tell or not wether we were in the matrix or not. People say "Well they wouldnt be dumb enough to make a movie about what is really happening" But I think that we would be too dumb to even now if it was right in front of our faces.

"...It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth..."

                                                                          -Morpheus

To Abierto: I think Rarebit said once that he either doesn't own a TV or doesn't watch it.

To the thread at hand:

To me, the Matrix was exemplified through several dominant themes. Primarily, the varying levels of control: the simulation that controls the majority of humanity, the facade of freedom represented by Zion, the One and the factors in place that were designed to control him. Coupled with this, there was also the inherent mystery within every story and side story. Never knowing what exactly was going on kept the imagination running full speed. Even after the completion of the movie trilogy, the majority of the story is still open to interpretation and debate as to whether things were as simple as they seemed or if it was an even deeper system of control at work. Plenty of philosophical infusion too.
For one thing, I don't think there has ever been the appropriate emphasis on Exiles in MxO. There's all kinds of generic soldier Exiles that are just space fillers for missions, but nothing special. Think about how popular the Assassin was and continues to be, not to mention the Effectuator and, of course, the Twins. When I think of the Matrix, I think of just how many independent programs exist, making up the whole of the simulation, and just how many unique Exiles there could be out there. The story has been so human and Zion-centric so far.

Anyways, there's a few details I managed to spit out. I think I kind of strayed from the actual question. I have trouble expressing what stories mean to me because when I watch/read one or write something, I capture the feeling behind it but have trouble putting it into words. Kind of like trying to describe what a color looks like.

Dunno if this helps, but I asked this same question a month or two ago and there's about 4 pages of responses.
http://forums.station.sony.com/mxo/..._id=10400151372

good question.....

I'll have an indepth answer for you tomorrow.

The Matrix to me is life. What I mean by this is that I feel the Matrix from the movies reflect alot on American society today as a whole which in one respect is why I suppose Im a Cypherite.

You see in alot of respects Machines I feel represent our goverment. Were nothing but profit margins and in many respects expendable. In a best case scenerio this is wrong but I feel it also reflects that we are given a controled area to live our lives in peace as long as we dont threaten the system. Forgive the cliche but I feel The Matrix and our countries society as a whole let us pick what is on the menu but dont let us choose whats on it so it doesnt threaten the system and helps it run efficiently.

 I feel Exiles really reflect deeply on Criminal Society in America alot. When you cant go to the goverment in the Matrix you go to organized crime. I think exiles in many respects show the in ability to predict the criminal element as a whole as well as its unique culture. Although the Merovingian's name suggests the royal bloodline his method's he uses with running his organization are similiar to that of the Italian Mafia. Although Flood didnt come onto the scene until after the movies he is a perfect example of this.

Zion reflects deeply on the religous right wing. I think that it reflects in this manner due to the fact that they are willing to kill over faith based beliefs and believe anyone who isnt with them is against them. There arnt many grey areas with Zion on how they feel and I believe its their greatest weakness and has reflected deep into the actual online story.

The Matrix is a mix of combat and philosophy. We already have alot of combat but maybe we could do with some more philosophy linking with religion like in the movies as this site shows.

Just thought I'd ask, since this is a question that underlies a lot of discussion that goes on concerning features added to the game. I don't want you to think about what *isn't* the Matrix here--laser pew-pew discussions have already been done to death. And this isn't a question about MXO the game directly. In fact, just imagine that MXO doesn't exist. Clear your mind, and ask yourself: What is the Matrix to you?

It's, indeed, a difficult question, and I don't want to simplify it. However, if there's one term to describe the "Matrix", it's: cross-over. The Matrix is a cross-over. Wherever you look, it's a mixed pot of seemingly uncombinable ideas and styles. There is hardly one definite style to the music or atmosphere, to the look or action, to dialogues, to structure, to story elements etc.. The concept allows a great diversity, and impressive contrasts.
We have a cold, menacing city, agents in suits and guns contrasted to medieval castles, mythological creatures and swords, and it just doesn't want to seem out of place. I find it great how the concept allows to take elements from pretty much any area, be it science-fiction cyberpunk, comics, mythology/fantasy or horror without breaking the logic or the style. 

To answer more specifically and personally (now i remember making the perfect answer to this in one of said pew pew discussions but to heck if im hunting it down... though it really was awesome... meh, i might) I'll just throw out words which spark 'matrix' in my mind.

"Dark"
"Grunge"
"Goth"
"Cyper-Punk"
"Stylish"
"Secretive"
"Psedu-Reality"
"Ever Shifting"
"Mysterious"
"Questioning"
"Dangerous"
"Cold war"
"Half truths"
"Doubt"
"Lies, using and being lead"
"Un-easyness"
"Conspiracy"
"Tension"

Some small phrases...

"A battle to find one's place in a struggle of ideals"
"Either fighting blindly for ones beliefs or instead questioning everything"
"Final realisation and enlightenment"
"The Matrix has, beneath it's dark exterior, the potential for undescribable wonder and beauty (sati sunset)"

But like it's been said the Matrix is simply full of potential, its limitless, its boundless, it's a mix of everything all at once.

Just the above is what screams OMG MATRIX to me is all.

Now that I think about it today, the Assassin seems to me to have been the closest thing to the essence of the Matrix. He was dark, he was mysterious and enigmatic, we didn't know where he came from or who he worked for or what he was doing or how to get rid of him. Plus he wasn't just some trash-talking punk, he was a killer.

Looking over the coherent responses scattered in the old thread I had posted, it seems that the cold war atmosphere is something that people liked and wanted to see developed further.

Anyways, it's a hard question to answer posed as is. It's hard to describe things without relating to the movie or the game storyline or some external source.

"What is the Matrix to you?"

I have seen a few of the answers to this, looking for the one that is profound enough to make a difference. Then, I realized that all of these answers will make a difference. So, let me add mine.

To me, the Matrix is two things. On the one hand, it is representative of the future of Mankind's arrogance, as well as a testament to his instinct to survive. It is a unique mythology that simultaneouly portrays our greatest weakness and our greatest strength. The Matrix is a vision of a world that belongs to someone else, someone higher on the evolutionary ladder, or food chain, than us. It is a world that has been nearly consumed, and is on the verge of being dead.

The second thing is that the Matrix is a philosophic look at the human condition. A new "microscope" under which we can examine human inperfections, looking at the darkest shadings of our humanity, such as enslavement, bigotry, violence, and ego. It is a world of constant struggle where humans carve their survival from the earth, while they do battle in the virtuality of their minds. It is also a place where the greatest achievements of mankind can be celebrated. Where an ordinary person can "wake up" to the fact that their lives are not as normal and mundane as they were led to believe. That they were, in fact , deceived about the true nature of the world. And that they are more in control of their own destinies. And that they have an opportunity to play a direct role in the creation of a new world.

The Matrix is to me a place to fight against our own normalcy, our own mundanity. It is a place to explore ourselves, our capabilities, and our own human condition. It is an idea that is bigger than our real world, where we can fight a fight that cannot be won or lost, but must be fought all same.

Because it is the question that drives us.

When I first saw The Matrix, I thought that the Matrix was a about a certain style of hero I thought was cool in every sense of the word. The second and third in the genre made me begin to think of what else could be possible in a world made of ideas? Now, playing the Matrix, I gain a much greater feel. You get a sense that you are helping to write a great story, even apart from the main storyline. Having seen the Animatrix, the Matrix has a whole new histroy wich adds to the depth of stroyline. It also allows for characters to gain a better understanding of the way the world has changed.

Hope that made sense to ya.

   I'd just like to mention that I've had no problem with the storyline so far.  It's one of the reasons as to why I've never left.  But this new "We're going to change things so it's more like 'The Matrix'" makes me wary, because it seems that the people who spout the word "Matrixy" want the game to rehash the trilogy.  I like the story because it's expanding the Matrix universe, not keeping it in a box.

   I'm not going to leave because of it, but I worry that the things that expand the Matrix universe will be reduced and we'll get more "[Important Character] has been captured!  We want you to shoot up a lobby, blow up an elevator, jump into a helicopter, and blast the people holding them hostage" scenarios that would probably keep all the "Matrixy" people happy.

What is the Matrix to you?

The Matrix is my passion.  It's what got me into philosophy and writing.  It helped me develop my own interpretations of reality, fate, free will, purpose and causality.  It taught me to appreciate the interpretations of others, and to see things from all angles.  It taught me to appreciate and practice Socratic Method.  It motivated me to learn more about other cultures and religions.

The commercials for the Ultimate Matrix Collection DVD set said The Matrix "...sparked a global phenomenon", and it couldn't have been more right.  The Wachowskis have unwittingly created an army of thinkers.