I personally think Netrunning should involve a Scaling world Architecture.
1. You have the grid level this is where you see the entire Telecommunications Grid of Night city here you fly faster than light - think Galaxy style visualization. There is teeming constant traffic and other icons spinning around and through the GRID. You choose the node area you want to move to and ZOOOOM.
2. You fly there. At this level the rest of the grid is distant motes like stars int the sky, but in the node you get the higher resolution level of the working computer systems and data fortreesses and icon activity. Here you get to see the data fortress and information stores etc. This is where you start to run into security software, data walls, traps, and ICE. Hacking, masking, search programs, sprites, sleaze, distraction, and subtle to non-subtle attack programs. This is where data store missions, reprogram, virsu bombs and stuff happen. I think this should be a hyper stylized and cool. I still love Johnn Mnemonic style matrix (movie!) but amped up and re-interpreted for 2077 CP.
3. Once you've penetrated into a NODE level system. it goes into a layered Isometric "ghost view" of the real world. The node system and the way it relates to the realworld is represented for example if you have hacked the security camera node and the sec cam system - you see all the security cameras working in an opaque "underlayer" real time and those cameras data signals connect in colored lines to the Node's layout wireframed or visualized over it. Now you get to have control of the vid cameras and you get a series of options. Like look through a particular camera, off on, etc. At this level your focused on one Node subsystem for the betterment of your crew who you can see now moving through the building. While system security acts normally etc. searching for yo while you stay sleazed meaning each additional node you access could trigger a security response etc.
The key here is when your a net runner you're going at the speed of light so moving through the 1st and 2nd layer happens in minutes while the 3rd layer takes place in real time - what I think is cool about this once you get to the Node subsystem level you get to see EVERYTHING that's happening the area of the city/building that the Node relates to as the ghosted under layer everything is repersented as normal EXCEPT for any subsystem you can control from the node these pop in only when you access them. Now being able to see say the whole floor in realtime that the security node controls isn't realistic, BUT as a gaming device I think it's necessary. This way if you get comprimised at the Node subsytem level - let's say the auto turrets you deactivated become active again as you fend off ICE and the system alert goes up as you struggle to turn them off again- you get to see your buddies moving through the floor in the ghosted underlayer in real time walk into the auto turrents and get ambushed UNLESSS YOU fend this ice off and get back in control of the system. This gives you a sense of urgency to the net as well makes your netrunning feel meaningful as you see the real consequences of being a net runner providing cover.
This 3 layer system would IMHO feel like the way Netrunning always seemed in my head and give the flexibility of generating lots of small contained environments rather then and "ENTIRE WORLD". It'd be just building out intelligently the buildings and assets they are already making.
