Yeah I’m not gonna lie it’s pretty comic book/anime-core lmao (textdump incoming)

Much like real-life, data to those with interest is more valuable than gold. Most fights that happen are a matter of taking data from another, whether be between rival corporations or anti-viruses fighting ransomware. Programs generally have some sort of ability, whether a virus or not.

Jackie, while not a Program, gained some abilities when transferred into the digital world. They are a 3D artist by trade, and their tablet pen went in with them. Their pen can now create 3D models on the fly, they just have to craft it. It’s just geometry though, as it would need code to have any meaningful abilities. However, it does come into use pretty often.

Chase’s abilities are pretty simple, high electrical output and possession. He’s not very good at elaborate planning despite his best efforts, he usually ends up winning by force. Just completely frying his foes. On top of that he can hijack another program and inhabit their body (like a ghost ooooo). He has to focus though as if he loses it, he can lose control and be kicked out. He can also levitate.

Socket has size/form augmentation. She can copy another Program’s form 1:1 if she comes into contact with them. She also has invisibility as a bonus.

Monty is largely a pacifist, but he’s the most powerful both from his hulking size and raw strength. He of course can breathe fire(wall), and has a seemingly infinite amount of storage within him. It’s what he uses to store the various wares he sells. He can also encrypt anything he stores so if someone takes it from him it’s completely useless unless they decrypt it. He also has wings he flies with, but doesn’t usually use them.

Khordata has a toxic venom that when in a Program’s system causes them to go into a trance, and become a part of a larger botnet of anyone else who has the venom in their system. The venom is highly addictive, as the trance state they’re in is like a high they never want to leave. They are zombified in a sense. Khordata uses their massive network to do the fighting for them, however they’re very capable on their own, possessing 4 khopeshes they use as weapons (one for each hand). The spider on their tail can also administer their venom, and it acts like a pet for them.

Molly is normally very timid, however angered easily. When angered she transforms into a raging beast. Second most powerful behind Monty. She has 3 rows of teeth that can destroy virtually anything, razor sharp claws, and a tipped tail that paralyzes anything that comes into contact with it. Her pure animalistic rage is what makes her so dangerous.

Agent 34 is a shapeshifter. She can shift her body into any body/form she wants. She largely uses this for her sex work, appeasing clients with the body they want, however it’s useful in combat too. When she’s between states she’s in a liquid-like state. The only thing she cannot change are her colors and her hooves, which is pretty annoying when her client wants big fuzzy blue paws. She can also do “metadata reading”, which is basically surface-level mind reading. She does this both to gauge what her client wants but also to obtain info in her spy work. She also is skilled in martial arts when in hand-to-hand combat.

Sorry for the late reply! I was on vacation for a while

They are completely digital or “pixelated” as you said, but mentally Programs in general are sentient. They range in consciousness, it can be akin to Pokemon. Some are more “primitive” but still have a lot of human personality and agency, while some are 1:1 human consciousness. They feel pain and emotion as far as anyone can tell.

None however, go beyond human intelligence. People have tried, but there’s something in their coding ever since the first Program iteration that prevents them from becoming what AI in our world could potentially become. No one knows how to completely reverse engineer the Program foundation as the person who made it seemingly made the first Program in a fit of madness, and it’s taken multiple decades to iterate upon it.

The Cores stand out, as their name suggests, their cores allows them to manifest in the real world. Any other Program would fizzle out of existence as they’re just made of intangible code, nothing that can keep a physical form (and unfortunately there were test subjects that proved this). The Cores can strangely survive.

Though the only one who really knows about this advantage rn is Chase because he’s the only one dumb enough to try and go against common knowledge lol

“hey this will kill you”
Chase: bet