Printable Version of Topic

Click here to view this topic in its original format

Dumpshock Forums _ Shadowrun _ Matrix questions

Posted by: jklst14 Feb 24 2007, 05:33 PM

I'm playing a Hacker for the first time tomorrow and I've been re-reading the rules/FAQ/Errata/Dumpshock extensively. After doing a lot of searching, I have a few questions still.

1. Active Alerts:

Can I set my own commlink on Active Alert and gain the plus +4 to Firewall? Could I do this for my smartlink or for my drones? If yes, is there any drawback for being on an Active Alert? I could imagine some type of performance hit (either system or response) but I didn't see any mention in the rules.

2. Tracking

If I'm talking to someone on the telephone and assuming they're not using an anonymizer node, can I use the Track program to find their physical location (like tracking a persona)?

If I just have their commlink number, could I track them? And if yes, how? (assuming they're not 'running silent' as stated on page 214)?

What if I have the access ID instead? Can I use that to track them down (assuming they're not in hidden mode)?

I picture an access ID like a MAC address (hardwired). Is that true? Or is it more like an IP address (assigned by an MSP)?

Thanks for the help,

JKL

Posted by: knasser Feb 24 2007, 05:56 PM

QUOTE (jklst14)

First off, a lot of the hacking rules are still a little up in the air as to what to apply and when, so if you're not sure about something, it may not be because you missed the explanation. And following on from that, the replies you'll get to these questions will vary slightly according to each GM's interpretation.

That out of the way, I would answer them as follows:

1. In RAW, the active alert firewall bonus of +4 only applies to the intruder that triggered the alert. So you can't pre-emptively go on alert against people. They have to botch their hacking job first. The other aspect to alert is more a case of behaviour, i.e. the node will be sending messages to corp hackers, activating IC programs. You can do that yourself on your own nodes regardless of "alert status." Just tell your IC / Agent to stay active. The only downside is the usual effect of running that program on your comm which is, as you say, a performance hit.

2. Unless you're talking to someone through some weird old fashioned phone thing which you wont be, then yes, in my opinion. This might be more open to debate than the last point, though. The signal is like any other data stream coming through your comm link and you can locate the origin using Trace in the normal manner. I'd want a Matrix Perception test first. If you had the access ID instead, then again I'd allow it, but I would have most people you want to trace (Johnsons, fixers, etc.) using a spoofed access id. Again, IMO, once the spoof is done and the connection broken, you can't unspoof it and find where it really came from.

An access ID is like a MAC address as one way to alter it other than spoofing is with a Hardware + Logic roll to physically alter your commlink. They're definitely meant to be static, not dynamically assigned when you connect, etc. (As an aside, it's not widely known for some reason, but it actually is possible to alter a MAC address).

Hope this helps. The next reply might disagree with me, though.

-K.

Posted by: ornot Feb 24 2007, 06:07 PM

I tend to feel that in SR4 things have moved beyond telephones and telephone numbers, since everyone (who matters) has a commlink anyway.

I also would be leary of equating an access ID to modern day concepts such as IP addresses or MAC addresses. Best just to abstract it to; "you need an access ID to use the matrix. It is possible to spoof your access ID".

Tracking is an extended test, resisted by spoofing and redirecting, but assuming the ID you were tracking didn't go offline before you found it, you'd probably be able to determine its physical location by triangulating the signal from whichever nearby network hubs it is using.

It's a little unclear exactly how hidden mode works in combination with actively using a commlink, but I would suggest that it can be tracked back following its path through the matrix, and being hidden just makes it harder for local users to locate the commlink, which is not broadcasting to all hubs in its location, but only to the ones it is subscribed to.

Active alert only applies to the hacker that triggered the alert, so you need something to actually be on active alert against. That's my interpretation of the rules anyway. Those with a better grasp of networking technology may be able to provide better ones.

Posted by: jklst14 Feb 24 2007, 07:04 PM

Thanks for clarifying Active Alerts. Somehow I missed it when I went over the Matrix chapter.

Posted by: cetiah Feb 24 2007, 09:59 PM

QUOTE

Can I set my own commlink on Active Alert and gain the plus +4 to Firewall?

No.

QUOTE

If I'm talking to someone on the telephone and assuming they're not using an anonymizer node, can I use the Track program to find their physical location (like tracking a persona)?

Yes. Absolutely. You could do everything you normally could with an icon on a local node. As far as I know, you can even Attack them.

QUOTE

If I just have their commlink number, could I track them? And if yes, how? (assuming they're not 'running silent' as stated on page 214)?

Not really. You're best bet would be to do a Data Search in the com directories and see if they have a listed address.

QUOTE

What if I have the access ID instead? Can I use that to track them down (assuming they're not in hidden mode)?

Mmm. No. Again, unless the Access ID was listed.
It's generally much easier to get an Access ID than to track someone. If the rules worked this way, there would be no reason to track anyone ever. Access ID tells you who did it, but not where they are. Although difficult Data Seatches and the like might be able to tell you where that person lives or works if they have a SIN.

QUOTE

I picture an access ID like a MAC address (hardwired). Is that true? Or is it more like an IP address (assigned by an MSP)?

I always treated it more like an IP address. But I think the rules support your interpretation better since it is possible to change the hardwired the Access ID. I suppose its both.

Posted by: Wasabi Feb 25 2007, 07:49 AM

MAC addresses can be set in modern network operating systems. While hardwired, yes, they aren't JUST hardwired.

Posted by: hobgoblin Feb 25 2007, 08:22 AM

my take on the access ID is as something other then a ip or mac address.

its more like a hardware id, something neitehr the IP or the mac is supposed to work as (the mac only id a network interface on the ethernet hardware layer or similar).

as in, its more like the phone number stored on a sim card (if you have used a gsm phone). it ids the hardware and indirectly the owner of the heardware, or may even id the owner rather then the hardware.

as in, its even more high level logical then a ip address. its at the very least a phone number (the ip, given that at present it can often be changed by requesting a new one from a pool, isnt as rigid as a phone number is) or a mail address.