The Commlink, What's really the minimum? Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Switch to: Outline Standard Switch to: Linear+

[lorechaser]

I'm still learning SR4, and I'm coming to realize more and more how damn important your comm is in this version.

People have suggested that there are certain bare minimums any runner must have on their comm - anything from encrypt to attack to ECCM.

So I'm asking the community at large for their ideas on the minimum survivable comm.

Right now, my characters tend to pick something with S/R in the 4 range (more or less depending on cash), and then get one of the high end OS - Iris or above.

It's looking like that's not nearly enough, though....

[Serbitar]

Standard Commlink for Runners:

6/6/6/6
Encrypt
Analyze
rating 6 agent
(analyze, trace, attack, armour, medic)
rating 6 agent
(analyze, trace, attack, armour, medic)
rating 6 agent
(analyze, trace, attack, armour, medic)

Cost:
10.000 + group hacker (which owns and has hacked every programme available)

[Ophis]

hmm nice set uo, but...

1) It's not legal at start up

and

2) Even if it was you'can't assume you know the hacker from the strat.

I think the question was what to start with, rather than what to aim for.

I usually go for the Novatech Navi with Iris orb, most of my tech conscious characters try to have two comms, on obvious to run on open mode which I ignore, and one running on hidden to actually use.

[lorechaser]

My intent was what to buy from the start, yeah. Although both starting and eventual would be handy....

The dual comm setup is so that someone scans you, finds an open comm, then starts monitoring it, finding nothing?

[DireRadiant]

[lorechaser]

Man. So devious. I like it. :)

[GrinderTheTroll]

[Serbitar]

[Butterblume]

I mostly made chars with only one commlink, rating 3. It's cheap, and it's safe enough, when you remember to not actually store sensitive data on it, or route cyberware through it.

I dislike the massive use of agents. If my players start using that, so will the NPCs.

[Serbitar]

If the NPCs have the money or the illegal connections for cracked software, of course they will, why shouldnt they?

Runners commlinks are extremely sensitive, as they are a way into the users PAN including the cyberware. And all the communications go over the comlink. I can think of nothing that should be more important to a runner, except his life. commlinks have to be protected at all costs.

[lorechaser]

So the followup would be "Why"?

Are those agent 4 really going to have any effect on a skilled hacker?

As for cost:

Agent 4 is 10k.
Analyze, Trace and Attack are 4k each at rating 5, 5k at 5.

So your set up is 30k for agents, 36k for their programs, 10k for the commlink programs.

You can't actually buy Firewall at 5k in stock, so it would have to be constructed.

You could get a Transys, with 4/5 for 8k, and then add Novatech Navi at 3/4 for 1.5k.

Or you could build it, for 10k flat at 5/5/5/5 if you GM will let you.

So 86k for that setup, or 18 bp.

Somehow, don't imagine people are paying 86k for commlinks....

[deek]

I defintely would go the route of picking up a 5/5/5/5 comm to start with. There are also 7 common use programs that I think about everyone should have, so I would pick all of those up at rating 5 as well.

That should really be the basics right there. Go with the cheapest commlink and OS and then just use the upgrade tables to enhance the firewall, system, response and signal.

So, the cheapest comm is 100. Getting each of the ratings up to 5 will cost 10,000 more. Getting the 7 common use programs at rating 5 will cost 3,500...so a total cost of 13,600.

Now, the signal rating might not be as important to have at a 5. A few of my players just pick up the Renraku Sensei for 1,000 (2 response/4 signal) which saves them 100 from the build above, as they leave the signal at 4.

Obviously, you can go above this or below this, and there is always the potential need to buy some hacking programs, which at rating 5 is 5,000 a piece, but just the runner-ready generic comm, I would say 5's across the board and 5's in the 7 common use programs for 13,600 would be the minimum (non-hacker, obviously).

I have yet to have any players purchase agents...

[GrinderTheTroll]

[deek]

I think agents/IC all depend on the GM...

I'm through about 8 sesssions with my players (bi-weekly campaign) and none of them have been hacked and really, besides some basic tracking/analyzing IC, there hasn't been much contact with that sort of thing in the matrix.

All the player's know that they are vulnerable to attacks, but until I start taking advantage of that, there is no need to spend a ton of money for something they are not going to use.

Again, I think it will all depend on your GM. If s/he is spending a lot of time hacking the PCs comms, then beefing the security up on them is a good idea...if not, I would spend the money and time on other areas. Even though a node doesn't have IC defending them, doesn't mean they are defenseless. A hackers commlink is going to set an alert pretty quickly if someone is in there doing something illegal. And once that happens, the hacker is going to jump into VR and take care of it, or simply shut the commlink off...

[Butterblume]

I'm not against the use of agents. I don't like it it when someone uses 3, 6 or 10 agents to defend his commlink. But that might be just me :D.

[Kyoto Kid]

...I still miss the ol' credstick. So much more secure & you didn't need computer skill to use it.

[deek]

[Jaid]

heck, the credstick can probably run better security than the team hacker's commlink...

though of course, one of the most common houserules i am aware of is that credstick response can only be used for a few limited things (ie, you can't take the OS from a credstick and transplant it to your comm, nor can you do the same with it's response chip... and they are only useful for performing credstick related tasks).

[Kyoto Kid]

...maybe it's just me, but I look at commlinks vs credsticks in SR as being similar to cash vs plastic in RL today.

With cash transactions, I don't get spam, junk mail, or have to worry about ID theft.

Kind of the same situation with credsticks in SR since it hard coded and you need a stick reader to hack one.

[WhiskeyMac]

I think Firewall 6 is a major consideration. Nowhere in the rules does it state that Firewall is restricted by System or Response, and you can buy it at chargen for 3000 :nuyen:. I think that unless the person is the team hacker, they just need the common use programs at at least 3 so they would need a commlink with Response and System 3, then just have a hacker contact do datatrail spoofs and such on their comm. Definitely let them know that purchasing the lowest end comm and buying up it's stats is a lot cheaper then getting the off-the-shelf models. I think even custom built comms are even cheaper but don't know.

[lorechaser]

[GrinderTheTroll]

They are listed as "Common Use" programs in SR4.

[lorechaser]

And, uh, Grinder wins my contest to find the page number!

Yeah, that's what it was.

[Fortune]

Standard Commlinks are listed as coming with some crap pre-installed. Is it really neccessary for the non-Hacker 'runner (or even the average Joe) to load out his link with actual Programs in order to function in day-to-day life?

As an aside, how many people (both as a GM and as a Player) allow their characters' Commlinks to be 'decked out' (pardon the pun :P) by a PC or NPC Hacker?

[Jaid]