Unwired PDF: a small and fast review, I am not a native english speaker ... Options

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… so you have to excuse my language and my errors.

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These are my first impressions about the Unwired pdf. Of course it is not a very deep review and I am quite sure that some of my impressions will change during the following month and during gaming.

Artwork: good
It has some nice pictures, especially the cover, it has some strange pictures who, I assume, should symbolize the gaga-ness of the matrix, it has some boring pictures. Until now I didn´t found any pictures where I get instant eye cancer. My personal favourite is the size comparison between a shoe and a micro drone ... I really hope it is a true SR-picture and not one of those pictures who found its way into a book but don’t have anything to do with Shadorun (like many pictures in SR3).

Short stories / chapter entry: very good
Like in the other SR4 books every chapter starts with a one page short story. I really like this SR4-feature, the stories are really nice. IMHO it is one of the best changes in SR4 and I really hope the authors will continue this kind of feature.

Matrix Overview: good
Like the similar chapters in Street Magic or Arsenal 70 it describes typical matrix use in 2070 in different areas in the world. For old gamer nothing here is really new, but for new player or player who have some problems imaging the importance and reach of the matrix world it will be very helpful.

The Matrix User: acceptable
Here, the rule/crunch concerning a hacker character is described. To be honest: you have to make a large effort NOT to know that a hacker needs a commlink or the hacking skill. I think even very new player can imagine that a hacker will need the basic cracking skills. On the other side there are new qualities (they seem to be ok) and a new (and very stylish) lifestyle

The Idiots Guide to the Matrix: very good
Personally I would have called it "The guide for people who cannot read the basic book"... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) . It describes in easy words/steps the total basic of the modern matrix, from DNI over icons the the first steps of neural interaction in an VR/AR environment. For new and old players alike it is very helpful if they have trouble imaging the matrix.

Matrix Topology: good
cruuuuuuunch, much crunch: description and explanation of old and new hardware, nexi, standard and not so standard nodes, data requests, subscription. Many of the questions during the last years are answered here. I hope that this chapter will reduce the amount of new questions when it comes to the understanding of the matrix.

System Security: acceptable
crunch/data for the wifi-inhabiting colour ... this chapter describes the possibilities of the GM to oppose the hacker/runners. How systems are built, how does security function, numbers for spiders and systems etc. Crunch for the GM. At the end there is a sample hacking described from the view of a spider, very helpful and I think this kind of longer example/description to show actual rules for an entire sequence ingame should be used more often for other kind of rules.


So, why "acceptable"? SR4 has some problems with encryption. I personally think that in a world like SR good encryption rules are important to describe the world and with both some problems concerning strong encryption and the ruling that through mathematical breakthrough decryption is always stronger than encryption I am not quite sure if that doesn’t open a can of worms (do you say that in English?)

I choose "acceptable", because I accept the author’s argumentation that you need a playable hacker on the game table but I am not quite sure if there are not other, better possibilities. If the encryption rules for your group are ok, then you can raise the mark to "good".


Hackers Handbook: *sigh*
Cracker underground, piracy, tricks and tips, shadowtalk, a lot of information, malware, agents (together with the killing of Agent Smith), DDOS-attacks, virus, hacker services, paydata, forgery ... a very good and very useful chapter for serious hackers.

But: together with the software and the matrix security chapter the complexity of a hacker increases much more than (for example) a mage in astral space. If you want to use all options you can put as much work into your network/system setup as into the rest of your character or run. You can, with these 3 chapters, make a hacker-only group and this group will have as much diversity as a mundane/normal group. Note: I say "complex", not "complicated". The rules are not complicated but offer incredible possibilities.

Software: *sighsigh*
The software chapter describes ... software. ARE-software, legal/pirated software, program options, new software, autosofts, how to make malware, TacNets with a lot of fluff and crunch boni ... for the dedicated GM and hacker player a thousand opportunities to wreak havoc on each other. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

personal note

So why "sigh" and "sighsigh", although both chapters are really good.

To be short: SOTA. Monthly bookkeeping, 20+ different rolls (rolling or buying hits) each month, the rules are on three pages in two different chapters, there are contradicting each other, they have unclear consequences, they are unclear and they produce for a small amount of spent money and time for the character some serious headache for the GM and the player

In one word: bullshit!

(And no, I can accept SOTA rules in general but the implementation is horrible. I really miss the elegance of other SR4 rules here, like the change for memory capacity for example).

Technomancers: no rating
*ahem* In the last 3 years I never had the possibility to read anything about the TMs ... so, I cannot comment on this chapters, on the consequences of the rules and how powerful TMs now are. Other people must do this. This chapter has new initiation powers, mentor spirits, traditions, background, coming outs, social description, shadowtalk etc.

Sprites: no rating
Same as above. New spirits, free and wild spirits and some rules. The chapter is very short; I think you could have placed it into the TM chapter. The pictures of the new sprites are funny.

Matrix Phenomena: "good"
Matrix legend, AIs, UV, resonance realms, entropic Sprites, dissonace streams ... AIs are not any longer the god-beings but much more comparable with hackers and agents. I take bets which will be one of the new player races in Runners Compendium.

I liked this chapter, but I just scanned it very fast, so a cautious "good".


Simsense&Skillwire: very good
Background and rule information for simsense and skillwire: how is a sim produces, what are the social consequences, chipped labour force, brainwashing, skillwire portals etc. Very good, very nice, very helpful for imaging the sixth world.

Matrix Gear: good
A lot of new gadgets, drones, nothing world breaking, although some things look very powerful (5IP hackers etc).


Conclusion: a group who used the matrix just as a tool or as a side effect this book will be overkill. For every other group with serious hackers and GMs who want to incorporate the new AR world into their gaming world, this book will be heaven. However be prepared that you carefully have to choose which kind of elements you want to use ... the complexity of Unwired can be very high.

Personal rating: good ... with the exception of SOTA which is just plain stupid.

SYL