High-End Computer Networks Options

[Socinus]

I'm playing a Technomancer character and our team recently came into a substantial pile of cash. I have a plan but I'm not quite sure how to go about it.

Im looking to kit out the safehouse with a high-end computer system for long-range Matrix support. I'm looking for something beyond your average flat 6's. How do you get a system beyond just the full 6, even by two points.

I had originally planned to buy a couple of fully loaded nexi and cluster them, but the rules for clustering seem to render that idea somewhat useless.

[Summerstorm]

Hm Hm... well, i would say: two medium nexi are pretty much all you need for practical applications. Make sure the processor limit is up to 50... more than enough for running a full suite of programs for a task. The second one you can load with agents and support software and command them. The one thing this setup is bad with is initiative. But some boosters can fix that up a bit.

Also with the ratings: There is this weird ... hm, schism(?) in the rules & fluff that says rating 6 programs and hardware is military-cutting edge stuff... all while other rules imply that they are VERY easy to duplicate and surpass. The REALLY heavy programs are more rating 10+. It is feasible, under the current rules, to have some AI on homenodes or exceptionally programmers on souped-up nexi to run programs of rating 15. Yet only rating 4-6 gets mentioned.

Clustering Nexi isn't really that good of an idea i guess (You need to upgrade every single one of them, can only have a "net" optimized for one task, opposed to several nexi all for different tasks) and you already have a insane high processor limit. COMLINKS on the other hand...

[Udoshi]

I'm playing a Technomance
I had originally planned to buy a couple of fully loaded nexi and cluster them, but the rules for clustering seem to render that idea somewhat useless.

One good Nexus with a high process limit/program load(whatever its called), pirated programs and agents at 6.
In a life style with Fung Shui(hacking is a technical skill), In Tune(all resonance related stuff, such as cf's +2), and Privacy Screen(matrix) 3 (because Stealth is a perception threshold while hacking or probing)
Done.

Maybe Resonance Well if you're feeling like pimping out your safehouse.

Nexi aren't useless. They ignore the 'system limits program rating rule'. Grab a nexus, throw it full of rating 6 programs, and don't forget to Ergonomic all the common use.

[Sengir]

May question would be...what do you want with a pimped nexus? Sprites and CFs don't care about the system you run them on. Well, you could say that the whole computing power ist a prequisite for something like a Resonance Well.

[Ascalaphus]

AFAIK, Technomancers can still employ Agents, in addition to sprites.

[Dashifen]

May question would be...what do you want with a pimped nexus? Sprites and CFs don't care about the system you run them on. Well, you could say that the whole computing power ist a prequisite for something like a Resonance Well.

Could also be a hidden TM trying to provide a realistic reason for their Matrix skills by creating a believable false-hacker front.

[Socinus]

May question would be...what do you want with a pimped nexus? Sprites and CFs don't care about the system you run them on. Well, you could say that the whole computing power ist a prequisite for something like a Resonance Well.

Im trying to get a high-end system that can handle lots of high rating programs as well as keep me fairly safe in the Matrix.

[Udoshi]

May question would be...what do you want with a pimped nexus? Sprites and CFs don't care about the system you run them on. Well, you could say that the whole computing power ist a prequisite for something like a Resonance Well.

Because you may only have one Compiled sprite. Registering sprites beyond that limit takes time, and each time you want them to do something, it uses a Service, and you'll never have more than 9/10 of them if you min max.
Linking them takes gobs of karma, too.

A nexus, on the other hand, can be chock full of agents and IC, only uses money to advance(not karma), and doesn't care about services at all. It doesn't even have Resonance signals that can be traced back to you.


One of the main benefits to having Sprites is that they're Intelligent. They have edge, don't need to make dogbrain tests, have decision making capabilities. More importantly, you don't need to Issue Commands to them: A free action to Transmit Phrase is all you need to use to say "Hey! Gank that user!" because... they're smart, and will understand. They also share a Sprite/Technomancer mental link.
What this means is a TM, using a nexus full of hackware can do, is put a Sprite in charge of the nexus as a sort of chief. It just kind of sits there, on a remote service, waiting for orders. Such as "Tell my agent to look up information on *blank*."

[Sengir]

Im trying to get a high-end system that can handle lots of high rating programs as well as keep me fairly safe in the Matrix.

High rating programs: That's what you have threading for.
Keep you safe in the matrix: I'm sorry, could you elaborate on that?

It seems to me that you have just encountered the problem of most TM characters: There is not much you can actually do with all the money you earn, except buying loads of drones or maybe bankrolling a submersion group. Programs, hardware, ammo, implants et cetera are no concern if all your power is in your brain, even foci or ritual materials don't exist. But you know, there are some problems in life you simply have to take like a man (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Because you may only have one Compiled sprite. Registering sprites beyond that limit takes time, and each time you want them to do something, it uses a Service, and you'll never have more than 9/10 of them if you min max.

That's like saying "a sam can only have 0.5 Essence worth of implants". A TM simply needs a couple of registered sprites, because only registering gives you access to the fun stuff.

[Ascalaphus]

One of the main benefits to having Sprites is that they're Intelligent. They have edge, don't need to make dogbrain tests, have decision making capabilities. More importantly, you don't need to Issue Commands to them: A free action to Transmit Phrase is all you need to use to say "Hey! Gank that user!" because... they're smart, and will understand. They also share a Sprite/Technomancer mental link.
What this means is a TM, using a nexus full of hackware can do, is put a Sprite in charge of the nexus as a sort of chief. It just kind of sits there, on a remote service, waiting for orders. Such as "Tell my agent to look up information on *blank*."

Are you sure of that? It sounds like an interpretation, not quite the rules. After all, spirits are intelligent too, so the same would apply to them.

[Wasabi]

A big advantage to a Sprite defenders is the Shield CF, attack powers like Electron Storm (effectively Black IC that affects any type of icon and stacks with Black IC), and if you can get a rating 9 sprite a stupidly large dice pool with an insane # of optional powers. Then spend 9 karma to link that rating 9 sprite and for 256 days it's there 24/7 doing one task.

Sprites make great bodyguards and bouncers and could be used as a Fetch Module on crack cocaine.

[sabs]

A big advantage to a Sprite defenders is the Shield CF, attack powers like Electron Storm (effectively Black IC that affects any type of icon and stacks with Black IC), and if you can get a rating 9 sprite a stupidly large dice pool with an insane # of optional powers. Then spend 9 karma to link that rating 9 sprite and for 256 days it's there 24/7 doing one task.

Sprites make great bodyguards and bouncers and could be used as a Fetch Module on crack cocaine.

And yet Technomancers aren't broken how?

[CanRay]

And yet Technomancers aren't broken how?

You mean other than Corporate "Headhunters" that are going after them faster and harder than against Magicians?

[Socinus]

High rating programs: That's what you have threading for.

Except you need a high rating system to run these programs. A system of flat 6's will only let you run Rating 6 programs/forms. Even if your program/form is Rating 12, a system of flat 6's will only run these programs/forms at Rating 6

[Johnny B. Good]

Except you need a high rating system to run these programs. A system of flat 6's will only let you run Rating 6 programs/forms. Even if your program/form is Rating 12, a system of flat 6's will only run these programs/forms at Rating 6

Nope, TMs run programs off of their brains, which are not limited to the system of the node their persona is active in.

[Socinus]

Nope, TMs run programs off of their brains, which are not limited to the system of the node their persona is active in.

Except your mental attributes still dictate System Attributes and Complex Forms still are subject to the System rating of the Technomancer's biological node. Willpower serves as the System rating so with a Willpower of 6, your System rating is 6 and you can only run complex forms at 6 or lower. Yes you can boost your Willpower up with 'wares or drugs, but you arent going to get it much higher than 6.

[X-Kalibur]

Except your mental attributes still dictate System Attributes and Complex Forms still are subject to the System rating of the Technomancer's biological node. Willpower serves as the System rating so with a Willpower of 6, your System rating is 6 and you can only run complex forms at 6 or lower. Yes you can boost your Willpower up with 'wares or drugs, but you arent going to get it much higher than 6.

Incorrect. You can only have a base CF of up to your resonance, your CFs are not limited to system or response. You can thread a CF up to 2x Resonance and it runs at that rating while you sustain it, but you take a -2 penalty to actions that don't involve that CF. Please read your main book for more information strictly regarding technomancers and not hackers.

[Wasabi]

Note that if a TM has a resonance of 5 and thus CF's capped at 5 they could still get a rating 14 CF using a Registered Sprite doing Assist Operation. The Resonancex2 limit is for when its threaded so if you can get above Resonancex2 using ONLY Assist Operation that perfectly ok. Yet another reason TM's are best built as summoners.

(not directed at X-Kalibur, just adding to the RAW he shared)

[Wasabi]

(Double Post)

[Udoshi]

Are you sure of that? It sounds like an interpretation, not quite the rules. After all, spirits are intelligent too, so the same would apply to them.

Yes: 4a 299: You speak a text or phrase as you would in the physical world(see p146), only to one or more recipients over the matrix. This may also be used to have an agent or device start or stop executing previously issued orders, such as having a drone launch an attack on a prearranged target or an autocooker start a pre-programmed dinner.
(edit: damn dumpshop, premature ejacu-posting. Fixing)

Sprites are not spirits,despite the rules similiarities. You can indeed set things up to respond to transmitted phrases.

Nope, TMs run programs off of their brains, which are not limited to the system of the node their persona is active in.

Partially correct. TM's CF's are limited by Resonance.
Unless they're threaded, in which case its twice resonance.
Also, a Threaded + assist operated CF is...... still limited to twice resonance. Because its threaded.

[Ascalaphus]

Yes: 4a 299: You speak a text or phrase as you would in the physical world(see p146), only to one or more recipients over the matrix. This may also be used to have an agent or device start or stop executing previously issued orders, such as having a dr

Previously issued orders? But then you've already allocated those tasks, just with a condition of "but wait to do X until I say Y" attached. I suppose the same is possible with spirits; in either case you're sacrificing flexibility (more unallocated services) for speed.

[Sengir]

Incorrect. You can only have a base CF of up to your resonance, your CFs are not limited to system or response.

And just for completeness, neither are sprites.

[Fatum]

Im trying to get a high-end system that can handle lots of high rating programs as well as keep me fairly safe in the Matrix.

Well, actually, after everything said about the TM abilities, you can just get a nexus with a high processor limit. Thus you'd be able to run lots of high-level (up to level 6 without GM fiat) programs on it.
Why would you want that is another question - but oh well, you could be running the team's tacnet from it, for example.

[Voran]

Unfortunately I don't think tms get to benefit from programming suites and nexi made for programming, cause the dice bonus and 50 percent reduction in interval is certainly useful to hackers. If they did, I'd certainly see the benefit in throwing together a nice home nexus.

[Socinus]

Incorrect. You can only have a base CF of up to your resonance, your CFs are not limited to system or response. You can thread a CF up to 2x Resonance and it runs at that rating while you sustain it, but you take a -2 penalty to actions that don't involve that CF. Please read your main book for more information strictly regarding technomancers and not hackers.

Where does it say that complex form's effective rating isnt limited by the System rating of the system it's deployed in?