Idiot's Guide to the Matrix 2.0 Options

[Dashifen]

Way back when, a number of us (I know Synner was involved and, if I remember correctly, Kagetenshi) worked on a thread called the Idiot's Guide to the Matrix. It was an SR3 themed thread aimed at a step by step explanation of a decking run. I got involved as the "player" while Synner was acting as a GM for the run. We didn't worry about any real-world stuff, just Matrix actions.

I'm judging from the amount of confusion about the Matrix 2.0 stuff in SR4, that such a thread would be of benefit to the forum members at large. Thus, I humbly throw my hat into the ring as a "GM" for this thread if someone else wants to act as a player. I suggest using either the Hacker or the Technomancer sample characters because that way we all have a common starting point. If we want to involve Rigging we can either start a new thread, or use the Drone Rigger, though I would add a few programs to that character myself.

I think the Technomancer provides us perhaps the best opportunity for exploration since the majority of actions performed by Technomancers are the same as those for Hackers (disregarding, for the moment, the semantic difference between programs and complex forms) but the Technomancer provides us all of the Resonance skills, Threading, and Sprites to examine.

As I see it there are a number of different scenarios that we could look at:

1. Hacking a security node and performing a data steal.
2. Hacking a commlink and searching for data on it.
3. Hacking a security node and performing overwatch.
4. Hacking someone's wireless equipment.

If we wanted to, we could also include the following:

1. Operating a rigged security system.
2. Intercepting and spoofing commands to a drone.

If you all have any others that we might want to examine, post away. And, if anyone wants to act as the "player" for this thread, volunteer away. For those that haven't seem the original Idiot's Guide to the Matrix thread, it was somewhat similar in structure to the DSF online games in Welcome to the Shadows in that included both descriptive text about the nature of the action taking place (in normal type face) and a description of the dice rolling and mechanical details (in orange). That trend seemed to be successful and helped to make the thread more interesting to read.

Any takers?

[Aku]

I'll be the player, however, i would like to submit the character i made for a game instead. it would allow us to examine some of the "what-if's" as well in gear selection and what not. I can host it and post it in the top of the thread for all to see as well, so we all know what's where, but if you're inisistant on the archetype, thats fine as well.

[Butterblume]

First thing would probably posting the archetypes with errata worked in, and you can take it from there. Or we could use Aku :D.
Thumbs up for your project.

[Magus]

Hey Dash, I have a Hacker you can use
Leigh O'Rourke
Human Female Hacker
B:3 A: 6 R: 4 S:2 C: 4 I: 5 L: 5 W: 3 Edge: 4
Init: 9 Matrix Init 9 Cold: 14 Hot: 15
IPs 2 /2/3
Codeslinger (Hacking) Aptitude Hacking Scorched Spirit Bane Addicted Mod/Hash
Cracking Group 4
Electronics Group 3
Firearmas 3
Etiquette 3
Dodge 3
First Aid 3
Pilot GC 2
Infiltration 2
Novatech navi Upgraded 5 Firewall 5 System
Fairlight Caliban Upgraded 5 response 5 signal
AR Gloves
Sim Module w/HS
Agent Hacking (Exploit/Spoof/Stealth/edit/browse Rating 4
Agent Track (Scan ECCM Decrypt Sniffer Rating 4
Agent Combat (Black Hammer Attack) Rating 3
Edit Rating 3
Track 3
Browse 3
Analyze 3
Encrypt 3
Scan 3
Medic 4
Armor 3
BioFeedBack Filter 3
Defuse 3
ECCM 3
Command 4
Attack 4
Decrypt 4
Exploit 4
Sniffer 4
Spoof 4
Sniffer 4

[Kleaner]

What a hacker does, and how he does it in the matrix are pretty clear from the rules, and have been well discussed on this board.

Some questions to talk about that I'd find helpful:

What isn't clear at all, is what do devices/systems do to detect hackers?

After a hacker hacks on the fly, does the system/device stop it's extended test once the hacker is in?

When does the system/device get a chance to detect the hacker? What kind of test is it?

What can a person in AR do to stop a hacker invading his comm link?

What does a "system" look like in AR? VR?

How do files work? Is there a directory tree that the hacker needs to go to first, or can he just do a data search +browse/scan once the hacker is in the system?

Why would a system NOT put data bombs/encryption on everything?

What is the difference between controlling a object (complex action) and issuing a command to an object(simple action)? For example when is a device (like a security camera) considered to be a device that needs to be controlled, and when is it considered to be something that you can just issue a command to?

p.s. basically I'm looking for information that a GM would find useful.

[Synner]

The old IGTTM thread is still available here for reference. I still feel bad for not finishing that final run, but my workload has not let up. I'm hoping to develop something similar as a walkthrough for the official SR4 website in the future (you all know better than to ask dates) and meanwhile I think Dashifen's idea is perfect to help people out!

[Guye Noir]

I think I can answer a few of your questions kleaner.

In AR/VR, a system looks like whatever it's programmers want it too look like.

You wouldn't put encryption and databombs on everything for the same reason you don't put locks on ALL of the internal doors in your house: convenience. Imagine what would happen to the productivity of the average office if everyone needed to remember a different password to access each and every one one of their files. Now imagine that same office with databombs on all of those files, going off every time somebody got a password wrong 3 times.

I'd say the difference between commanding and controlling is in how much 'control' the user has. Issuing a command is like giving a command to a dog. You tell it to go do something, then wait while it goes and does it. Actually taking control of a device is literally taking direct control of that device and directly controlling all of it's actions yourself.

[Azralon]

I strongly endorse the existence of this thread.

[Dissonance]

This looks like it'll be an interesting challenge. I think what you might want to do is actually make a nice mid-level character, who is focused in hacking, sure, but can do other stuff as well. Sure, your old-school decker could be a meat-wastoid, and your otakus to an even greater extent, but in this'n, you might want to explore secondary skills they'd want.

Like stealth. I'm not saying you'd have to do an entire run with a team of all hackers to explain, but it wouldn't be a bad-wrong idea to include the types of actions that hackers might have to do _prior_ to the actual hacking part, such as stealth and fast-talking. No rolls on those and so forth, but just Helpful Handy Suggestions.

I'd also suggest using things straight out of the box with minimal edges and flaws for your first dude, as well as using a real-boy off-the-shelf commlink.

Technomancers would also be worth exploring in the not-too-distant future, IMO. But right now? More Power To The Mundane.

I loved deckers in SR3. I just hardly ever had a chance to play them, because where I played, almost nobody knew the rules. I'd love to see the geeks get their day in the sun.

EDIT: Once this one is actually done? Or possibly once it gets to a point where it can _become_ done for whatever section you're working on? I'd strongly suggest putting a copy up in, like, Community with all the fat trimmed off and with any editorial changes needed. Go Team Hacker!

EDIT x 2: Man, it's getting to the point where we ought to get a new Dumpshock site that's still being updated with this kind of stuff. Don't we have some out there that haven't been updated since 2E?

[Dashifen]

@Aku: post your character, we'll go with that for the moment. Which scenario do you want to tackle?

@Magus: wait in the wings, I'll jump to you for a different scenario when we get there and we can use this character.

@Synner: thanks for the linkification. I'm available when you want to finish the run, I'll just have to bone up on SR3 again :D

@Others:
If you look at the original IGTTM thread, there were questions interspersed throughout the major activity of the run. So don't worry about questioning or commenting on the system as we go along. Perhaps we'll use more color-coding to help distinguish the "meat" of the thread from the other questions. I propose yellow for the information about what Aku's character and my systems are doing and orange for the mechanics (die rolls, rules explanations, etc) within the thread. Then the normal typeface can be used for general questions or comments and we should all have a relatively easy-to-read thread. Until, of course, we forget about the conventions :D

Edit:
Also, since this thread stands to have a number of different questions from many different people, please do your best to indicate who asked each question when quoting (as I did with the post below this one).

This post has been edited by Dashifen: Mar 22 2006, 08:28 PM

[Dashifen]

[Magus]

Spiffy Dashifen, always glad to help. Your last thread with Synner opened me up to Deckers in SR3.

[Waltermandias]

Yay! I can't wait to see this get done. My new character is a decent hacker and it would be great to have a clear guide as to how it all works. I am precisely the kind of Idiot this guide should be aimed at!

[hobgoblin]

looking forward to see this thread in motion :)
i have even learned something from it. i had missed that the hack-on-the-fly detection test was a extended one. makes it much more nasty to do it the fast and noisy way :P

as for how stuff looks in ar. think of it somewhat like the desktop of today, only that stuff is floating in the air in front of you.

to find a specific node in the matrix, you fire up a program that search diffrent directory services (google, msn, yahoo and so on), other databases like dns and whois records, and maybe other sources to (i realy depends on how the program your using is designed).

ones found the node would probably appear as a "arrow", that when activated allows you to send commands to said host as if you where using it directly (kinda like how remote desktop is a window with the desktop of a remote system in it).

given how desktop search is a hot topic today, i belive that all content of the nodes are indexed into infinity. and if diffrent nodes are linked into a network they may allso share indexes.

so to locate a file you formulate the search terms and see what pops up. if you realy wanted to you could probably get a index dump that shows the diffrent metadata as folders and then you can look under each to check if it contains interesting files.

so in that way you get a directory "tree" but the system itself will probably be using a database as a filesystem and have some hardcoded search terms as "folders" on your AR hud (music, video, pictures, simsense, latest modified files, programs and maybe others). you can probably allso create your own permanent searches...

going VR and things turn into something that should be very similar to the good old days...

[Dissonance]

I kind of figured that AR mode works a lot like it does in, say, Ghost in the Shell, or at least the S.A.C that they're playing on television nowadays. You have your regular reality, but also the capability to open up real-time windows in your perception and so-forth, whereas, yeah, VR mode goes back to the SR3 days.

Which makes sense, really. When you're at home and aren't going anywhere, I'd rather use VR mode from the comfort of my coma-chair and so-forth.

And speaking of the ARO stuff, I'm thinking back to the introductory cola wars run: How the heck could you do what the hacker did in there, what with the map overlay? As a runner, I'd find that _incredibly_ useful, knowing where hostiles were in realtime.

[Azralon]

[hobgoblin]

hacked cameras, all team comlinkes subscribed, some creative ARO work?
hell if i know but i would give the hacker a complex action to update the map...

a lot of people have interpeted it as being something similar ot the battletac stuff, as it basicly does the same job. if some we may see it appear in arsenal or unwired.

you will notice that there is stuff in the SR4 fluff that there are no rules for (like say a ghoul character iirc)...

[Dashifen]

[Aku]

[Waltermandias]

John Barnes fan? That is a very cool book.

[Cain]

[Aku]

[Jaid]

i have a couple of questions...

can you hack a technomancer?

if so, what happens when you do?

[Kleaner]

head explodes! haha...

well, it seems that if you hack them you can crash them giving them dumpshock, but since they don't store any files in the head, you'd have to get any paydata from comlinks subscribed to their noggin.

[Jaid]

ok. i'll put some more specific questions...

can you use command on the technomancer?

can you create an account on the technomancer?

can you edit their memory?

can you unsubscribe them from things (for example, drones)?

can you make them go into VR? can you make them go out of VR?

just curious for opinions =P don't think these are really explained in the rules at present =P