Nothing's Free in the Free Zone (OOC), Adventure 1: Broken Star Options

[DrZaius]

First off, I rule that Grease's Doberman must look exactly like that picture you linked to.

Jack would easily be able to lift it out of the trunk.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

My plan was to send RHex along with the team for fire support. I would probably rig in RHex, while relying on my car's sensors to let me know if anyone is approaching the vehicle.

[Jack VII]

OK, sounds like it's settled then. Grease could also use whatever flying drone he is going to have to provide overwatch for probably both himself and the team.

If the plan is set, we can fast forward, unless you want us to hash it out IC. Up to you, Lobo.

[Lobo0705]

OK, sounds like it's settled then. Grease could also use whatever flying drone he is going to have to provide overwatch for probably both himself and the team.

If the plan is set, we can fast forward, unless you want us to hash it out IC. Up to you, Lobo.

Ok, so lets just go over the basic plan, as there is a chance for combat (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

1) Grease will drive all 4 of you, plus Rhex in the trunk down S. Chambers Road, make a right onto E. Layton Place, and then a right onto S. Evanston Way.
2) He'll drive up S. Evanston Way until it hits the park (marked Entry Point on the map), stop, all of you will get out, Jack will grab Rhex out of the trunk, and then Grease will continue driving up S. Evanston and park somewhere north of the park.
3) Grease will be jumped into Rhex.
4) Flying overwatch will be his two Fly Spy drones
5) Amy's spirit of Man will be told to see if anyone is in the park (using up a 2nd service)

If that is the basic plan, great, if there is something I got wrong, please let me know.

In addition, what 6 devices will be slaved to Overkill's deck (if any)?

[Chrome Head]

Since it's a pretty smart spirit, I'd give him a more involved and precise task, asking him to assess the threat level of the living and non-living entities found in the park, to the best of his abilities while not taking too many risks himself, or something along those lines. With a logic of 5 and intuition of 6, that spirit should be able to come up with a good strategy to accomplish this task, I believe, and it is well within his expertise, especially as a Man spirit.

What I think I can expect from that service is something like this. On top of counting and observing in the astral, he might choose to assense their auras to get a clear picture, and might manifest (maybe using concealment on himself to hide if deemed necessary, even though he can choose to be high up in the sky) to observe what kind of weapons they have in the physical world, as well as to assess any defensive positions they may have.

Is this far-fetched or reasonable?

[Jack VII]

4) Flying overwatch will be his two Fly Spy drones
5) Amy's spirit of Man will be told to see if anyone is in the park (using up a 2nd service)

I think we were going to have the drones do a sweep of the park using thei sensors to determine if anyone is there. Once we've identified possible impediments to our movement, we might have Amy's spirit go roust them (thus not using a service from the spirit to search the park but saving them for actual engagement).

In addition, what 6 devices will be slaved to Overkill's deck (if any)?

Isn't it (DRx3)? Or does it already include the devices Overkill has slaved.

ETA: Good news/Bad News. Got a new computer for work. Unfortunately, they are only allowing DropBox access through the web, so I'll probably be updating DropBox stuff from home.

[Always Overkill]

In addition, what 6 devices will be slaved to Overkill's deck (if any)?

My Blizdrive (Renraku Tsurugi) has a device rating of 3, so can have 9 devices slaved to it.

Drave item's that are slaved: Datajack, Hermes Ikon Commlink, Cybereyes, Earbud Audio Enhancement, SCK Model 100, Ares Crusader 2.

I could probably scratch a couple to make (the Earbud and Eyes) room for Grease's Rig, as well as their 3 main commlinks. Tips on which slaved items should have the highest priority to safeguard would be appreciated.

[DrZaius]

Ok, so lets just go over the basic plan, as there is a chance for combat (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

1) Grease will drive all 4 of you, plus Rhex in the trunk down S. Chambers Road, make a right onto E. Layton Place, and then a right onto S. Evanston Way.
2) He'll drive up S. Evanston Way until it hits the park (marked Entry Point on the map), stop, all of you will get out, Jack will grab Rhex out of the trunk, and then Grease will continue driving up S. Evanston and park somewhere north of the park.
3) Grease will be jumped into Rhex.
4) Flying overwatch will be his two Fly Spy drones
5) Amy's spirit of Man will be told to see if anyone is in the park (using up a 2nd service)

If that is the basic plan, great, if there is something I got wrong, please let me know.

In addition, what 6 devices will be slaved to Overkill's deck (if any)?

The one note I'd have is that Grease would only have 1 fly-spy on overwatch. That way, if Overkill wants to protect something from hacking, it's 1 less than to worry about.
-DrZ

ETA: Grease's RCC gives him a Firewall of 4. Not sure if that factors into the priority of which devices you're slaving. Also, I think if he's jumped in it's pretty tough to take command of his drone, short of physically jacking in.

[Jack VII]

ETA: Grease's RCC gives him a Firewall of 4. Not sure if that factors into the priority of which devices you're slaving. Also, I think if he's jumped in it's pretty tough to take command of his drone, short of physically jacking in.

The only real concern with the drone would be if it got dataspiked. You being jumped in pretty much takes primacy over any other control method.

I just updated my last IC post with my gear so I don't have to go wading through it all. If the gear indicates it is wireless with a (W) it is set to run silently. None of my gear performs matrix actions as far as I am aware, other than my commlink, but I hopefully shouldn't need to use it for any matrix related stuff. I am going to slave all of my devices to my Hermes Ikon.

[Lobo0705]

Ok - lots to respond to (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

1) I was counting the Deck as 9 devices capable, but I figured at the very least Overkill would want his commlink, eyes and datajack slaved. (I wasn't counting any of the other things, since the equipment list doesn't mark them as running wireless on.) Overkill, if you are going to run stuff with wireless on, just put a (W) next to the item on your list.

2) Duly noted on the 1 Fly Spy, not two

3) Amy - that isn't an unrealistic request. Bear in mind the spirit is not going to give you specific weapon models - it might say "submachine gun" but it won't say "Ingram Smartgun"

[Chrome Head]

3) Amy - that isn't an unrealistic request. Bear in mind the spirit is not going to give you specific weapon models - it might say "submachine gun" but it won't say "Ingram Smartgun"

Yeah of course! That's more than enough.

[Lobo0705]

One more thing:

How far away do you want to be when you send the spirit in to scan? Still on the Fronts side of E. Smoky Run?

[Chrome Head]

Well I'd only send him if the fly spy can't do the job well enough, as suggested by Jack. In any case, I'd only send him when I'm close enough to the action. What's the range on our telepathic link?

[Lobo0705]

Well I'd only send him if the fly spy can't do the job well enough, as suggested by Jack. In any case, I'd only send him when I'm close enough to the action. What's the range on our telepathic link?

600 meters. You can send him farther away than that, but then it would be a remote service, and would use up all your services.

It appears that you can be on the far side of E. Smoky Run (i.e. outside of Yak territory) and still be within 600 meters.

[Lobo0705]

Ok - update:

So:

1) Grease will use his Fly Spy to sweep the park.
If he sees anyone, we'll cross that bridge.

2) If he sees no one, the team will drive as I described above, and get out at the entry point, and Grease will park the car further up the road, while jumped into Rhex

3) Overkill has his Datajack, Hermes Ikon Commlink, Cybereyes, Earbud Audio Enhancement, SCK Model 100, Ares Crusader 2 slaved, leaving room for at least 3 more devices, I'm assuming it would be at least the Fly Spy and two more - more if he frees up some room. Need clarification as to what exactly that will be.

4) Assuming no one at the park, the team will sneak through the treeline to the grave site, and then Amy will dismiss her spirit of Man, and summon a spirit of Earth to dig up the bodies.

Again, if I'm wrong, let me know.

[Chrome Head]

Well I'd only send him if the fly spy can't do the job well enough, as suggested by Jack. In any case, I'd only send him when I'm close enough to the action. What's the range on our telepathic link?

Scratch that. I don't see why not to use the spirit. If there's no one around, it will confirm this for us and I won't need him anymore anyway, so might as well use the service. If there are people in the park according to the flyspy, then we probably want to check if they have magical/astral support and the spirit can go check that out for us as well. He might even have useful info, like who's an adept or mage, who has cyberware, etc. (depending on rolls, but it's a possible piece of info).

What do you guys think?

[DrZaius]

Scratch that. I don't see why not to use the spirit. If there's no one around, it will confirm this for us and I won't need him anymore anyway, so might as well use the service. If there are people in the park according to the flyspy, then we probably want to check if they have magical/astral support and the spirit can go check that out for us as well. He might even have useful info, like who's an adept or mage, who has cyberware, etc. (depending on rolls, but it's a possible piece of info).

What do you guys think?

If the plan is to ditch the spirit as soon as we get to the dig site, then I concur. That said, you may want to bank a service to have him be able to fight for us if we get into trouble *before* we get there. So, not a useful opinion on my part at all!

-DrZ

[Jack VII]

If the spirit still owes Amy two services and it can scan the park with one service, you might as well. If the Spirit had the Fear power, I would have said just let the FlySpy do its thing and then send the spirit to go scare the drek out of anyone in the park using its power. Since it doesn't, might as well have it take a gander and report back, then keep it until we're set up at the dig site.

[Lobo0705]

OK - IC thread going up, this will include the sweep of the park by the Fly Spy, which will be running silent and slaved to Overkill's deck.

It should put you just on the other side of the Yak border, probably a minute out from your destination.

Will still give you plenty of time to decide any other things slaved to the deck, as well as whether or not to send in the spirit.

[Jack VII]

Remember how we didn't want the spirit to use concealment on the car? We might want to have it use it on the four of us on foot as we head over to the gravesite.

[Lobo0705]

Updated the map

ETA - the Fire Pit is approximately 150 meters from the grave site.

[Always Overkill]

I added what devices are running wireless to my last IC post listing gear. I dropped the Earbud, so I have 4 slots total remaining which means I can add Grease's FlySpy as well as each team members' commlink to my PAN.

Think I should I drop my Cybereyes from the list so I can add Grease's Control Rig or Rhex? Not sure which choice would be better.

[Jack VII]

Think I should I drop my Cybereyes from the list so I can add Grease's Control Rig or Rhex? Not sure which choice would be better.

If Grease is running the drones through his RCC, I'm not sure if they can be slaved to Overkill's deck (since they would be slaved through his RCC and I don't think a device can be a slave to two different masters). The PAN section of the rules is pretty screwed up to be honest since RAW basically says if you're accessing the Matrix with a commlink/RCC/deck, you can't form a PAN (since your persona subsumes the device icon and personas aren't listed as valid icons to be part of a PAN). Since people are presumed to be walking around in AR, it gets ugly and nonsensical...

[Lobo0705]

If Grease is running the drones through his RCC, I'm not sure if they can be slaved to Overkill's deck (since they would be slaved through his RCC and I don't think a device can be a slave to two different masters). The PAN section of the rules is pretty screwed up to be honest since RAW basically says if you're accessing the Matrix with a commlink/RCC/deck, you can't form a PAN (since your persona subsumes the device icon and personas aren't listed as valid icons to be part of a PAN). It's ugly...

That's my understanding, that a master cannot be a slave as well.

Thus, if I slave my gun to my commlink, I can't then slave my commlink to a deck.

I thought (I guess incorrectly) that for this encounter that the Fly Spy was going to be slaved to the deck, not the RCC.

[DrZaius]

I will have the Fly-Spy record the conversation of the men in tracksuits. Am I able to tell anything about them? Asian, Eastern European? Can I make that much distinction of the language? I'd share the recording within the team, in case anyone can pick it up.

-DrZ

ETA: I'll protect my own stuff to make it easier. Be ready to rescue RHex when he gets bricked from my lack of defensive skills; he's worth more than you warren rats put together!

ETA2: Actually, I take it back- let's run it with Overkill protecting them. I'm only rigging one a time- it's ok to have them slaved to his Deck, so long as I can get in and rig them live.

-DrZ

ETA3: My understanding is that the RCC is just so I can deck multiple drones at once, and issue broad commands. If I'm just using one, that seems less necessary.

[Jack VII]

I think the drone could still be slaved to the commlink, although the whole master/slave + owner thing gets a little weird at that point. At least based on the last time I looked at what Aaron had written on the matter on the official boards. With that said, I don't think any of it has appeared in the official errata yet so I think we bow to your determination.

ETA: The RCC lets you deal with multiple drones at once, but it also acts as a transmitter. You need something to contact the drone, which could be a commlink, RCC, or cyberdeck. The only time where you only need a control rig is if you're directly plugged into the drone/vehicle (probably not too useful with Rhex unless you turn him into a thunder wheelchair of destruction).

It looks like the only master/slave/owner consideration is that you are the owner of the device, which you presumably can be (contrary to Aaron's position) and still have a device slaved to another person's device. It also circles around to the whole personas can't be part of a PAN, and your drone is essentially replaced by your persona when you jump into it.