Cyberdecks in the wireless matrix, How and whats the bonus? Help me build this. Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Switch to: Outline Switch to: Standard Linear+

[Eponymous]

Ok in my game I want to still have Cyberdecks around - I just dig them.

In my game they will enhance the capabilities of a comlink and provide a mechanical bonus. If you cant agree with that thesis please don't post on this thread. Its what I'm going with.

Ok so if your still with me how would you do this?

[Yerameyahu]

+1. Done. Why did you need help with this? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Also, some huge penalty to conceal, naturally.

Kidding aside, you have to at least give us a hint. Faster? Stronger? Tougher? Dafter?

[Makki]

replace the word "Cyberdeck" with "Nexus".
btw Unwired explicitly says, Simdecks are better than sim modules. but there's no bonus.

[Udoshi]

Hack it, probe it, spoof it, crash it? Shadowlogic?


I'd suggest you look at the Nexus rules in unwired - specifically, something like the portable hub - and stat up a few single-persona Hubs. Basically, beefier hardware thats bulky, annoying to haul around or conceal, but is designed for a single user instead of a whole network.
The main benefit to running a nexus is that your program ratings aren't capped by your System, so a decent CyberDexus can run bleeding edge software out of the box - THATS your mechanical bonus.

Or, as yeramehu suggested, a +1.

Edit: Bah, dammit makki! You stole my thoughts.

[Yerameyahu]

Makki: Which means, by definition, that they're not better. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) It's just Monster cables and 300kbps audio files.

[Udoshi]

Honestly, a Simdeck should probably give a '+2 superior tools' bonus for doing Sim-Editing work. Computer+edit, I think it'd be.

[Eponymous]

Hack it, probe it, spoof it, crash it? Shadowlogic?


I'd suggest you look at the Nexus rules in unwired - specifically, something like the portable hub - and stat up a few single-persona Hubs. Basically, beefier hardware thats bulky, annoying to haul around or conceal, but is designed for a single user instead of a whole network.
The main benefit to running a nexus is that your program ratings aren't capped by your System, so a decent CyberDexus can run bleeding edge software out of the box - THATS your mechanical bonus.

Or, as yeramehu suggested, a +1.

Edit: Bah, dammit makki! You stole my thoughts.

I love this and I like the superior tool idea too as thats a nice rules-light implementation.

Q /Re: the why did I need help/ just give it +1 A: Your right I should have given a bit more info. I was after something like the CyberDexus Udoshi coined and Makki indicated. In fact I think that's an inspired implementation and I'll adopt that and keep the old cyberdeck 7 concealment equivalents.

Thanks guys

[Udoshi]

You're quite welcome! Anytime!

Also, please let us know what you come up with! I haven't played around with nexus costs at ALL, but i know it can vary wildly depending on its capabilities - and there's probably a few models around.


Also, as an incentive for your players to USE them, I would consider giving these CyberDexus more Commlink Modification slots - after all, they're bigger.

As a followup for intersting ideas, take a look at the EVO mobile terminus in unwired. Its kinda similiar - basically a network hub that can get anywhere.

[CanRay]

Bah, strip out the old circuitry, Deckmeister a Commlink into the case, and put in shock padding and armour. Lots of both. Now you have a Cyberdeck that doubles as a beating stick for some Old Skool "Hacking".

[Udoshi]

Thats actually what my hacker did.

He bought an old Fairlight Excalibur case. Just the case, and put an emergency commlink in it. Put a carrying strap on it, and reinforced the heck out of it - and put sme hinges on the lid. (The Armor mod, actually, for electronics).

In combat, he just opens up the case, and hides behind it. Like a keyboard sized riot shield.

What. Those things were HUGE, man.

[Eponymous]

Bah, strip out the old circuitry, Deckmeister a Commlink into the case, and put in shock padding and armour. Lots of both. Now you have a Cyberdeck that doubles as a beating stick for some Old Skool "Hacking".

AHH!!! Perfection right there. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif)

[CanRay]

He bought an old Fairlight Excalibur case.

Bah, if you're going to old skool kitbash like that, do it with a Fuchi Cyber-6!

And then watch the Skript Kiddies try to pronounce Fuchi while you pwn them!

[Udoshi]

Sorry, canray, i'm not too familiar with the older editions, so i think i lost some of the joke.

Whats the deal with a cyber-6? I thought the excaliburs were pretty much top of the line - half the reason my character went for the old fairlight case was for nerd cred and bragging rights.

[CanRay]

The Fairlight Excaliburs were top of the line.

The Fuchi Cyber-6 Cyberdeck was the first Keyboard-Sized Cyberdeck on the market (IIRC, that is.). Also, Fuchi has changed it's name so many bloody times that it's an ongoing joke in the game now.

[Ascalaphus]

I've missed cyberdecks too. Just because you can get all the power of an old deck in a commlink, shouldn't mean you don't want even more power in a deck-sized package.

The way I've thought about doing it is by making that deck a cluster of say, 30 or so top of the line commlinks, in order to get around annoying subscription and program limits.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

I've missed cyberdecks too. Just because you can get all the power of an old deck in a commlink, shouldn't mean you don't want even more power in a deck-sized package.

The way I've thought about doing it is by making that deck a cluster of say, 30 or so top of the line commlinks, in order to get around annoying subscription and program limits.

That is the best way to do it... with each 'link customized for a certain program. At one point, there was a writeup ere on Dumpshock for just such a device... it was not all that bad... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smokin.gif)

[CanRay]

The only problem is size. Which, when we're considering things like Multi-Core Processors, isn't as big a thing as before.

Don't forget that we can get Cray-Level Computing Power out of a bunch of networked PS3s running Customized Linux as a Multi-Core Processor, for a fraction of the rental cost to use a Cray itself. And you own the thing! The only problem is electricity to run the multiple units, and the fact that they're not designed to run constantly. (I burned out my PS3 a few days before the warranty expired. I was in bad mental shape and the only thing that helped was Fallout 3.).

The best advantage of a "Cyberdeck" in 2070s now is that you can set up "Killing Jars" like FastJack had for the Denver Data Haven, making for a nice, fairly secure defense system.

[sabs]

The Nexus rules would work pretty well for a CyberDeck in 2073.
Processor limits in the 20-50 range. Persona limits. Some good customizations.
The matrix rules are missing a couple of things, 1) persona limits to mean something, 2) reality filter rules that make sense.

[Fatum]

replace the word "Cyberdeck" with "Nexus".

Absolutely that.

[Udoshi]

The Nexus rules would work pretty well for a CyberDeck in 2073.
Processor limits in the 20-50 range. Persona limits. Some good customizations.
The matrix rules are missing a couple of things, 1) persona limits to mean something, 2) reality filter rules that make sense.

As a houserule, i've been considering letting Reality Filters give a -1 threshold on matrix extended tests. This suddenly makes them worth taking, and using.
As written, however, they're pretty awesome to slap on riggers and pilots. Free response is free response is free dice pools and initiative.(and also very cheap with ergonomic)


A potentailly scary houserule that makes Multiple persona programs much, much more scary is simple: Subscriptions and Processor limit per persona.


Edit: See unwired 51; Subscription limits are per Persona. If you change it slightly so that each user has its own Program/Processor limit too, suddenly its more useful. And scary, when you consider how cheap IC is.
Edit2: See also Unwired 52; Programs. Its possibly for a persona to use programs remotely, and they don't have to run programs on their own persona node to be used by said persona. Nexi providing free browse programs for its users, for example, is specifically called out. In practical terms, this means a Nexus with a Pro User Suite can let that same Suite be used by more than one of its users.

This kind of houserule is already kind of quasi-supported by the rules, as i'm finding out as I look into it AFTER posting.

[Yerameyahu]

Yeah, Udoshi, isn't what you're describing already RAW (and has been)?

[Udoshi]

Not exactly. There's a pretty significant difference between having, say, 10 programs split between two users, and 10 programs per user.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Not exactly. There's a pretty significant difference between having, say, 10 programs split between two users, and 10 programs per user.

But as you indicated, Sunscription and Program Limits are PER PERSONA, not Split amongst them. OR am I misunderstanding what you are saying? The value of a Nexus is that fact that you can have multiple Persona on the Nexus, and they all receive their own Program Limit and Subscription Slots.

[Udoshi]

yeah, you are misreading it.

Its only subscriptions that are per persona.

I can't find anything to support Program Limits per persona, thus the houserule.
However, it kind of doesn't matter, because programs can be kind of shared(see also networked skillwires) across the node.

Also, i messed up slightly earlier in the thread: Nexi don't ignore the System Caps Program rating rule, instead System isn't capped by Response. So I think you still need to pay for a good OS on your nexus.