The Matrix for the Uncybered |
The Matrix for the Uncybered |
May 22 2007, 07:47 PM
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#1
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 380 Joined: 19-May 07 Member No.: 11,698 |
Okay, imagine it, just because you are a mage (or an adept or, maybe a cooky technomancer) doesn't mean that you may not want to engage in full AR in the matrix, through your commlink right? (they, STREET MAGIC says that Chaos mages love the matrix.)
So, how do you do it without a datajack? I know trodes exist, but how far? Will a Trode rig and a rating 5 comlink make you just as good as a hacker who's "running cold?" What if you have bioware reaction enchancers, wired reflexes, or a sustained "increased reaction" spell? Does that make you as good as any hacker running hot, with the added bonus of "running cold?" (The description of Reaction enchancers and increased reaction is that it makes you "think faster" so my default impression would be yes.) |
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May 22 2007, 07:53 PM
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#2
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,266 Joined: 3-June 06 From: UK Member No.: 8,638 |
I seem to recall that the FAQ supported superfast interaction with AR. I've never liked that, but there is quite a lot of support for the concept on DS.
As far as 'needing' a datajack to be any good, that has been done away with. Now the thing that makes a hacker is to a large extent his gear, and an Awakened character can make a perfectly good hacker if they invest in a skill or two and all the high end gear. But the BP for that have to come from somewhere, so they'd be less pokey than an Awakened who sank all their points into 'being Awakened'. Don't even get me started on Adept hackers! |
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May 22 2007, 08:02 PM
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#3
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Mr. Johnson Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,148 Joined: 27-February 06 From: UCAS Member No.: 8,314 |
If u gots teh sk33lz, then yes. |
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May 22 2007, 11:18 PM
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#4
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 524 Joined: 12-April 06 Member No.: 8,455 |
If you're AR hacking, you don't even need trodes... you can use gloves and your glasses or contacts.
How about high-force ally AR hackers? :P |
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May 23 2007, 12:32 AM
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#5
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,512 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 392 |
You'd need trodes, commlink, and image link to access AR. You need a sim module to access Cold VR. If you want to access Hot VR you need to hack your module to provide Hot/BTL levels of Simsense. Alternatively you could get a Sim Rig and an Image Link and then you could also record simsense.
Unfortunately none of the rolls in the matrix use Attributes so your Enhance Attribute spells don't help. Increased Reflexes specifically aids your initiative in AR. As long as you have the gear you'd be just as good. This means you need the programs at rating 5, comm link with everything at 5, and you'd need the skills. If you've got all of that then you are comparable. With the points sink of being a mage you're probably better off specializing into one of the hacker specialties. You can only get bonuses from magic/cyber/etc while in AR. VR (cold or hot) overrides all of that. |
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May 23 2007, 01:53 AM
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#6
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 524 Joined: 12-April 06 Member No.: 8,455 |
Trodes and a sim module gets you VR.
For AR, gloves and a visual display will do. However, that's a rather clumsy way to do it, and trodes *are* cheap. |
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May 23 2007, 05:00 PM
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#7
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 749 Joined: 28-July 05 Member No.: 7,526 |
bottom line tradeoff - all things being equal, a superfast AR hacker gains immunity to black IC and dumpshock, and is able to freely split his actions with the real world. A traditional hot sim hacker has neither of those, but gains a +2 dice bonus (IIRC).
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May 23 2007, 05:07 PM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 168 Joined: 23-April 07 From: Aurora, CO Member No.: 11,514 |
True but some things can take longer to do. VR is needed for some tests to be practical like breaking into a node passively IIRC (no book handy.) |
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May 23 2007, 08:51 PM
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#9
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
true, your looking at 1 hour VR vs 1 day AR... i just wish that they had done a similar thing on other extended tests, like say data search. |
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May 23 2007, 10:06 PM
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#10
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 749 Joined: 28-July 05 Member No.: 7,526 |
Probing test. It's not worth mentioning because everyone knows you need to go VR to do it, and it's the only test where being in AR or VR changes the time required to do it. No one does it in AR. The gulf between the two intervals is huge - it's a non-choice.
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May 23 2007, 10:13 PM
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#11
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Shadow Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 3,737 Joined: 2-June 06 From: Secret Tunnels under the UK (South West) Member No.: 8,636 |
But probing is only necessary on the initial hacking attempt where you're unlikely to get stomped on by IC. Maybe if you're hacking the new node from an existing and potentially hostile node, perhaps. So the upshot is that you can go VR while your still outside the node and safe, hack the node and switch to AR as soon as you enter the dangerous innards of the system. Personally, this is house rule number 2 or 3 in my game. Initiative boosters do not give you bonus actions in the matrix. That's easy enough to justify with some fluff and means the best hackers are ones that use VR, not AR which is how I like it. Of course initiative boosters are still very useful. Now the samurai can continue to dodge and fight whilst instructing his Piloted car to come round an pick him up. Now that's worth having! -K. |
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May 23 2007, 10:55 PM
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#12
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 380 Joined: 19-May 07 Member No.: 11,698 |
Okay, so, let's just get this down for postarity (which is what we all try SO HARD to maintain on this thread.) Just so I can make sure I've got it right in my head.
(in order or how awsome it is for hackers) AR: "Augmented reality" uses AR gloves and goggles, or just your comlink (if you are cheap) and you can do anything in AR you can do in VR, but it takes a rediculus amount of time. AR still leaves you in pefect control of your body, and you are not "Zoned out" VR (Cold) Full on, total imersion Virtual reality. Usually, you are compleatly unaware of your body (but this can be changed) and you "imerse" yourself in the matrix. Times between tests are a lot faster, you gain an extra initiative pass while in VR combat (total of two) and you cannot be killed, or even hurt. Requires a comlink modified for a simrig, and either a data jack or trodes. VR (HOT) you purposfully remove all the safties in 'cold' VR to make yourself faster and more responsive. You get two initiative Passes in the matrix (total of three) and gain plus two dice on all hacking tests. Black IC CAN hurt you while running hot, but otherwise is the same as VR above. Reqires a comlink modified for simrig (with the safties removed, a.k.a. modded for BTLs/Hot Running), and a Datajack. So, as far as I can tell, anyone without a datajack can still be an OK hacker using Cold VR, and they don't need any cyber implants. They won't be able to beat a grade A hacker running Hot, but they don't have to have any cyber either. |
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May 23 2007, 11:05 PM
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#13
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Target Group: Members Posts: 78 Joined: 26-February 07 From: Hildesheim, Germany Member No.: 11,107 |
another question: if i get attacked by black IC while in HOT-VR, can i then switch to Cold-VR and so be protectet of any (stun/physical) damage? Or is the connection not only "jammed open" but also my "Hot-Sim-Mode" is "Jammed open" ?
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May 23 2007, 11:17 PM
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#14
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 380 Joined: 19-May 07 Member No.: 11,698 |
hmmm, interesting question. Switching between VR and AR is a simple action, as is switching between VR(Hot) and VR(Cold). But you are right, it would make sense for Black IC to try to keep the victim "Running Hot" so it can stun him unconcious.
A simple thing to do would be to apply the same test against attempting to Jack out. As outlined on 231 of the core book, any attempt to jack out requires a complex action and opposed test (Willpower+biofeedback filter) aginst the IC's (Rating +response). Just do the same thing if the hacer wants to switch modes. If the hacker manages more hits, he manages to switch to "Safe" cold mode. (Note that emergency jack out from cold mode still gives you a nasty dumpshock headache, in the form of stun damage. This is the only time I can find when Cold mode users can take damage.) Note however, that this uses up one initiative pass, and that cold mode makes you slower and a worse hacker. And, if you are trying to get things done ASAP, then this might not be the way to go, especially if you don't want security finding out where you are. |
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May 23 2007, 11:21 PM
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#15
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,838 Joined: 1-September 05 Member No.: 7,669 |
Do you need a Datajack to use BTLs? I was under the impression that trodes were fine. If you can use BTLs, shouldn't you also be able to go Hot without a datajack? I'm afraid that I'm not too up on the hacking rules. :( |
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May 23 2007, 11:43 PM
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#16
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
One thing, getting a sim module moded for hot sim have nothing to do with sim rig...
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May 23 2007, 11:49 PM
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#17
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 380 Joined: 19-May 07 Member No.: 11,698 |
Er, yes sim module. That's what I said. Yes. Don't even bother scrolling up to make sure I didn't make a stupid mistake. It's not needed. Totally not.
*Critically glitched con roll* |
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May 24 2007, 04:52 AM
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#18
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Cybernetic Blood Mage Group: Members Posts: 3,472 Joined: 11-March 06 From: Northeastern Wyoming Member No.: 8,361 |
Yeah HappyDaze according to RAW Trodes can do basically everything that a Datajack can. (If I remember correctly a Datajack can slot Knowsofts without a Sim Module which Trodes can't, but I could very easily be wrong on that count.)
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May 24 2007, 05:36 AM
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#19
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,838 Joined: 1-September 05 Member No.: 7,669 |
Thank you.
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May 24 2007, 06:35 AM
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#20
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 524 Joined: 12-April 06 Member No.: 8,455 |
Actually, using my weak search fu, from what I could find you don't even technically have to have the skills. Just have a high INT, and you can default everything except electronic warfare.
That seems massively wrong to me, but it ties back to the issue with hacking where you normally use skill *instead of* attribute, not with it. |
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May 24 2007, 02:57 PM
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#21
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 749 Joined: 28-July 05 Member No.: 7,526 |
In SR4, the datajack is assumed to include unlimited headware storage memory. That's where the knowsoft limitation comes in. Obviously, a trode net can only connect you to data stored elsewhere. |
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May 24 2007, 03:15 PM
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#22
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
nothing like having a 3D map of the city your in stored in your head ;)
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May 24 2007, 08:05 PM
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#23
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 380 Joined: 19-May 07 Member No.: 11,698 |
Hey, now that I think about it, cyberware seems a lot less impressive than it did in 3rd ed.
Trodes can sub for Datajacks (and, apparantly, let you 'run hot'), people with a smartlink hooked to thier goggles get the same bonus as cyberware smartlinks, and (if I'm reading this thread right) you could feed Knowsofts and Skillsofts through your comlink, to your trodes, and get bonuses that way. Wow, suddenly and adept with money just got WAY more scary |
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May 24 2007, 08:37 PM
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#24
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Cybernetic Blood Mage Group: Members Posts: 3,472 Joined: 11-March 06 From: Northeastern Wyoming Member No.: 8,361 |
Only if your DM glosses over the 'common sense' problems of equipment slipping out of position during runs, being detected, ect...
And before anyone points out that it isn't following :S RAW :S let me reply in advance; "Yeah, so what? It balances things back somewhat towards Third Edition's "feel", which is a good thing in my opinion." |
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May 24 2007, 08:44 PM
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#25
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Target Group: Members Posts: 49 Joined: 28-April 07 Member No.: 11,557 |
Yes, yes they are. I'm starting a game soon and just worked through character creation with my four players (hi guys, I know some of you read Dumpshock). To my surprise, all of them are going with adepts -- hacker adept, silent-way-type adept, gunslinger adept, and face adept. They are each very good at what they do, probably almost as good (or in many cases better) than a cybered-up version. Coming from a 3rd (and 2nd... and 1st) edition gamemaster, it's all just a little weird to me. /begin-grampa-mode Why in my day, our deckers were cybered up with datajacks, chipjacks, skillwires, VCR, eyes/ears... bah. /end-grampa-mode |
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