A Shadowrunners Best Practices v0.1, -or- Standard Operating Procedure & Tricks of the Trade Options

[knasser]

My feelings on the subject can be quickly summed up with one picture.

http://mirror.servut.us/kuvat/motivation/shadowrun.jpg

Laughing heartily at that one. This picture is every player that I've ever had in my games. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[raggedhalo]

I'm interested to know how having a dead-slow commlink fits with your image. You're talking:

Encrypt
Scan
Analyze
Data Bomb
Facial Recognition
Gait Analysis
Visual Spotter
At least one Agent
That Agent's copy of Analyze

That's already slowing your commlink down hugely.

[Kingboy]

What is beardy about not allowing the player to skate pass in-game using his knowledge instead of his character's?

Reread what I wrote, we are in agreement. I merely pointed out that calling it cheating is a bit harsh if the player is playing a character that is truly that paranoid, and mentioned that being that paranoid in game and in character brings its own problems.

My feelings on the subject can be quickly summed up with one picture.

http://mirror.servut.us/kuvat/motivation/shadowrun.jpg

I may not entirely agree with that, but it's funny, and does bring to mind stories from my buddies' high school campaign where sleeping in the bathtub with a gun pointed at the door was de rigeur...

I'm interested to know how having a dead-slow commlink fits with your image. You're talking:

<snip>

That's already slowing your commlink down hugely.

I'd say it's fair to assume that someone running at this level of rote "professionalism" is likely to be running at least some of that as Ergonomic programs.

[TeaTime]

I'm interested to know how having a dead-slow commlink fits with your image.

You're right. Not well.

The thought was that the Public commlink just broadcasts a disposable SIN and passcodes required in mandatory areas, and contains the contact number. The hidden rating 6 jobber does real work.

Hoping to push the Facial Recognition, Gait Analysis and Visual Spotter onto the offsite system.

[Socinus]

While the picture I posed may not be standard fare, being paranoid in Shadowrun IS healthy.

At the end of the day, you have to remember a few things.

1. You are disposable
2. You have gear that's probably illegal
3. The Better Business Bureau doesn't have a Shadowrunner division.
4. Double-crossing someone is A LOT cheaper than making with the loot.

[AllTheNothing]

I'm interested to know how having a dead-slow commlink fits with your image. You're talking:

Encrypt
Scan
Analyze
Data Bomb
Facial Recognition
Gait Analysis
Visual Spotter
At least one Agent
That Agent's copy of Analyze

That's already slowing your commlink down hugely.

Software Suits and Ergonomic option are your friends, put Facial Recognition, Gait Analysis, Visual Spotter, and any other Sensor soft you have in a single suit and splat an Ergonomic option over it, do the same with all the agents and the programs they use; obviously none of this is aviable on the market (something might go around shadow networks or corporate internal security networks), but after the rules for obsolescence have been errataed hackers can go out of their way in showing their coding prowess without wasting time in worthless manner.
On the top of that no shadowrunner should run corporate made software on his/hers/its comlink, you never know what the hell the corps put into them along the code that you want and pay for.

[AllTheNothing]

You're right. Not well.

The thought was that the Public commlink just broadcasts a disposable SIN and passcodes required in mandatory areas, and contains the contact number. The hidden rating 6 jobber does real work.

Hoping to push the Facial Recognition, Gait Analysis and Visual Spotter onto the offsite system.

There are also the node clusters if you want to run alot of programs simultaneously.

[HardSix]

...Facial/Image/Gait analysis software continually compares sensor records looking for potential tails. Alert is posted if unrecognized, improbable matches are detected.

Without resorting to the Ministry of Silly Walks guidebook, how does one beat Gait Analysis sensors/softs? I've been mulling over some kind of ActiveSoft or standalone neuralware that constantly tweaks the PC's gait patterns... like the Fremen learn to do to avoid attracting Makers.

...All gear has RFID tags physically removed.

Any ideas on how small a RFID eraser can be made? I've been thinking about having one installed in my PC's cyber-forearm.

...During meets, no food or drink is consumed, even if ordered. Surfaces are wiped down afterwards to remove fingerprints.

How could a Mr. Johnson (or enemies/rivals) resist mentally f**king with the PCs when he finds this out? Maybe easier for everyone to wear gloves, and the Face wears latex/nano gloves with someone else's fingerprints.

...Gear is weighed to identify hardened and stealth tags.

I didn't think hardened/stealth tags weighed that much.

Never sexually harass a dragon.

1) It isn't harassment if the dragon is willing (shudder), 2) If the dragon is willing, you are in serious trouble. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

[AllTheNothing]

1) It isn't harassment if the dragon is willing (shudder), 2) If the dragon is willing, you are in serious trouble. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

You got my point.

[Socinus]

I have skipped this one because dragons aren't standard runner's fare, but having already been brought up the dragon theme:

Never sexualy harass a dragon.

"You want me to what in this cup?"

[AllTheNothing]

"You want me to what in this cup?"

Wasn't that dragon's piss?

[Draco18s]

1) It isn't harassment if the dragon is willing (shudder), 2) If the dragon is willing, you are in serious trouble. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

You obviously haven't seen some of the porn that I have. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lick.gif)

Wasn't that dragon's piss?

I always thought of it as...another liquid.

Though that may be because I had just finished reading the new spells (Orgasm/Orgy)...

[Socinus]

Wasn't that dragon's piss?

They didnt say, it was part of a description for the magical nature of various natural substances.

[Tyro]

Without resorting to the Ministry of Silly Walks guidebook, how does one beat Gait Analysis sensors/softs? I've been mulling over some kind of ActiveSoft or standalone neuralware that constantly tweaks the PC's gait patterns... like the Fremen learn to do to avoid attracting Makers.

Wow - Monty Python and Frank Herbert in 2 back-to-back sentences! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/notworthy.gif)

[AllTheNothing]

They didnt say, it was part of a description for the magical nature of various natural substances.

That was a joke.
Originaly I thought that "bodily fluids of a dragon" meant its blood.

[Tyro]

That was a joke.
Originaly I thought that "bodily fluids of a dragon" meant its blood.

"bleed in a cup" just doesn't have the same ring to it. I'm thinking pee or dracospooge (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Abschalten]

If you're trying to beat gait analysis software, the best thing to do is become another person for a little while. Just chip a personafix and blam - suddenly you aren't you anymore. They're also great for social infiltration purposes.

[Heath Robinson]

Without resorting to the Ministry of Silly Walks guidebook, how does one beat Gait Analysis sensors/softs? I've been mulling over some kind of ActiveSoft or standalone neuralware that constantly tweaks the PC's gait patterns... like the Fremen learn to do to avoid attracting Makers.

Agility + Disguise. Training for traditional skills gets updated to incorporate an understanding of modern technology. The end of The Usual Suspects includes someone dropping a gait disguise.

You just need to become aware of your own walking style. I play about with the way I walk as a distraction when I've nothing else to do on a long journeys by foot.

[overcannon]

Well, my group has a planning system that we called A-F. It's not a true grading scale since that is only really measurable by objectives are accomplished, but it more or less represents the level of problems occurring.

A is for Awesome. Everything goes perfectly. No one, friend or foe gets killed (unless that is the objective) and nothing gets destroyed (unless that is, again, the objective). Quick, clean and quiet should be the hallmarks of a successful plan A.

B is for Backup. Like plan A was ever going to work. At this point, a little bit of destruction and mayhem is acceptable, but it should be relatively subdued. Nothing obvious, and no extracurricular killings.

C is for Combat. If things go badly enough, it doesn't matter who you kill. At a plan C level of execution, property destruction is to be kept to a minimum, but this involves a firefight.

D is for Demolitions. Nobody likes modern architecture anyways. Grenades around every corner. If you need a door, make one. That five pound brick of C4 you were saving for a rainy day? That is today. That subcompact stuffed to the rafters with a fertilizer bomb could be useful. Short term survival is more important than making a mess, albiet a bloody, rubble covered mess.

E is for Escape. If absolutely everything goes to hell, get out. At this point, the mission doesn't matter. Get out alive. This part can be partially extracted from the A or B escape plans, but it should be beefed up due to the increased nature of the threat.

F is for Failure. Not everyone is going to make it out alive. Accept it. Salvage whatever you can and get out with whatever you can. Someone might have to make a last stand. Someone might have to volunteer a friend's area effect cranial bomb for the job. Life sucks.

I have personally witnessed plans jump from A to D in a combat turn, and having explosives in place beforehand was the only thing that kept it from being an F.

Granted you may not have time for all this planning, but when it comes down to it, the Face, Hacker and Infiltrator can plan A&B. The gunmen can best plan C, or at least have some group tactics handy. D has to be handled by a demo-man for it to work out. E is handled by the rigger, vehicle experts, or even pilot programs hopefully protected by a good firewall. F is a handful of sketches, a short straw drawing contest, and just about the grimmest thing you may have to plan. but F is jus tsome ideas since when things get that bad, no one knows what the colossal mistake will be.

Otherwise:
1. Don't screw your fixer.
2. Copious amounts of plastique couldn't hurt.
3. A good decoy is worth his weight in gold.
4. If things get dicey, shoot first, grab some swag, GTFO, then ask questions.

[InfinityzeN]

4. If things get dicey, shoot first, grab some swag, GTFO, then ask questions.

Edit to...
4. If things get dicey, shoot first, shoot second, shoot third, grab some swag, pop smoke, GTFO, blow the preset charges, get to a secure site, then ask questions.

[AllTheNothing]

If you're trying to beat gait analysis software, the best thing to do is become another person for a little while. Just chip a personafix and blam - suddenly you aren't you anymore. They're also great for social infiltration purposes.

Personafix is a paticular type of BTL, using it may cause undesiderable sideffects, maybe it would be better using a skillsoft (it requires skillwires thought).

[AllTheNothing]

Edit to...
4. If things get dicey, shoot first, shoot second, shoot third, grab some swag, pop smoke, GTFO, blow the preset charges, get to a secure site, then ask questions.

Wouldn't be easier just to kill everyone and don't ask any question later? Or failing that to use a subtactical nuke a distraction for your getway? (ask nothing later.)

[Earlydawn]

To be honest, a lot of things in this thread don't resonate with me. I think most of these hyper-paranoid protection measures are discrepant with how runners are known to maintain their security. Runners aren't running around scrubbing fingerprints off counters and wearing nanopaste disguises over their latex facemasks; they're relying on their fixer's judgment to filter out the majority of Johnsons who are likely to screw them, and are taking relatively basic "gentlemen's agreement"-typed precautions to cover their asses, like bringing a blank commlink to the meet, and meeting at places that are runner-friendly. It's pretty reasonable to think that most corporate Johnsons have the resources to bring you down regardless of what kind of safety measures you take at the meeting.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that people generally don't hedge their bets against the extreme. I could get hit by a micrometeorite on my way to class, but I don't drive an MRAP to college. The professional portion of the shadow community is self-regulating. I see total paranoia measures being taken for runs in the governmental espionage sub-sector, but not at large.

[Edit: If it's not clear, I'm very specifically referring to the job meeting segment. I know this is a universal thread, but that's what particularly galvanized me, for whatever reason.]

[Neraph]

Always sexualy harass a dragon.

Typo fixed.

[ICPiK]

Wear pink mohawks.
Solve payment issues with arm wrestling.
Be on as many drugs as you wish, you're not in it for the money after all.
Hurl beer cans at guards.
Defecate in the CEO's office.

Man you would be the perfect mentor for sprawl children...lol