Why runners run the shadows and don't steal cars, How to stop chronic car stealers? Options

[Inncubi]

See this, love it, use it. No player who steals cars for extra profit will ever do it again, after this:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/...a-stakeout.html

[CanRay]

There are cars in Winnipeg that have bumper stickers that read "Stealing This Car May Lead To A Severe Beating".

They are not lying.

[ravensoracle]

There are cars in Winnipeg that have bumper stickers that read "Stealing This Car May Lead To A Severe Beating".

They are not lying.

There are cars in the Midwestern US that have stickers that mean more than a severe beating may come your way. I would not recommend stealing a car that has an NRA (National Rifle Association) Sticker on it. You may get a surprise when the owner catches you.

[Warlordtheft]

There are cars in the Midwestern US that have stickers that mean more than a severe beating may come your way. I would not recommend stealing a car that has an NRA (National Rifle Association) Sticker on it. You may get a surprise when the owner catches you.

Reminds me of the time one of the PC's tried stealing a car in the suburbs of DCee. The elf shot him dead with a hunting rifle.

[CanRay]

There are cars in the Midwestern US that have stickers that mean more than a severe beating may come your way. I would not recommend stealing a car that has an NRA (National Rifle Association) Sticker on it. You may get a surprise when the owner catches you.

Mid-Western US is not like the Midwestern-Canada.

Now, if this were Northern Ontario that had the Car Theft Problem...

...

Actually, problem one would be getting the car to start in the first place. Damned Canadian White Trash. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[James McMurray]

Actually, problem one would be getting the car to start in the first place. Damned Canadian White Trash. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

That's not just Canadians. My number two defense against car theft is a dodgy starter. It trails closely behind number one: have a car that looks like it's going to fall apart if you start it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[CanRay]

That's not just Canadians. My number two defense against car theft is a dodgy starter. It trails closely behind number one: have a car that looks like it's going to fall apart if you start it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I thought the best Anti-Theft Device around was a Standard Transmission? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Wounded Ronin]

There are cars in the Midwestern US that have stickers that mean more than a severe beating may come your way. I would not recommend stealing a car that has an NRA (National Rifle Association) Sticker on it. You may get a surprise when the owner catches you.

I live in the US, and I've decided not to investigate certain properties upon seeing a, "Tresspassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again" sign on the window.

[James McMurray]

I thought the best Anti-Theft Device around was a Standard Transmission? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

That'd be even better, but then I couldn't drive it! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[phlapjack77]

That's not just Canadians. My number two defense against car theft is a dodgy starter. It trails closely behind number one: have a car that looks like it's going to fall apart if you start it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I used to live in a rough neighborhood, and my defense was to leave the windows down, nothing inside. Cars next to mine would get broken into all the time. I was of course also following your number one defense rule too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[KarmaInferno]

One thing I would love to have as a product is something that appeared I think in one of Gibson's novels.

Spray-on rust.

It was really just a can of spray paint that sprayed a rust-looking spatter. You could clean it off later with a special solvent. Great for making your stuff look run down and crappy enough that it's not worth stealing.





-k

[CanRay]

In a different Cyberpunk game, we just used crappy vans that were "Sleepers". Rusted to hell on the outside, custom engine, transmission, and suspension underneath.

We had a special deal going with an importer of Eastern European vehicles. We were so happy customers of his.

[Fortinbras]

I need to make up a car theft table, in which the car could have Lone Star lying in wait, a creepy AI controlling the rig, dodgy starter, possessed by crazed VooDoo spirit, guy tied up in the trunk, etc.

The problem I had was runners renting vehicles and then trying to sell them to chop shops. I ultimately said that burned their fake SIN and the 10% cost of the vehicle in question rarely covered the rental & SIN cost, but I would've liked something deadlier and more creative.
"We don't steal random cars unless we have to because of book keeping" is far less cool than "We don't steal random cars unless we have to because this one time a Go Gang/Free Spirit/Technocritter/Great Evil from the Bowels of Nothingness kicked our butt!"

Also, learn to drive stick. Once you do, you'll wonder why you ever drove anything else.

[KCKitsune]

I thought the best Anti-Theft Device around was a Standard Transmission? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

Nothing wrong with standard transmission. A lot more fun to drive than an automatic.

[Faelan]

Standards are great...most of the time, they suck during rush hour.

[The Jopp]

Below is the handy little list from SR4 regarding fencing gear.

Let’s say you steal a car worth around 10K, it’s a common car, cheap, easily available and hard to trace compared to more expensive models – especially if we would use price and availability as a tracking factor for law enforcement.

10 000 Vehicle
-2000 -20% Stolen
-1000 -10% Market Flooded
-2000 -20% Item Used

That’s 4000 for 1 car.

Now, that might sound good for one car but remember that the fence wants to make a profit so let’s say that the base price the runner will get is about half that.

That’s a negotiable price at 2000 for 1 car.

After five of these cars the fence might get a bit tired of becoming a used car salesman.
After 10 of these cars the price drops to 1000 as the runner seems to get the damn things from the Quick-E-Mart.

After 15 cars the law is starting to take notice (Item used in a crime during investigation – closest description I could get).

So we are down to perhaps 500Y for 1 car – on a good day.

Let’s also think about competition apart from the flooded market.

How many other runners or professional car thief’s get the same idea?

Go even further, have someone steal their cars and sell it, im sure the Rigger will be thrilled that the same thing was done to them.

Or even better, make the mistake and steal things from a well backed prime runner team – who gets pissed…

Item counterfeit –20%
Item stolen –20%
Item used –20%
Item used in a crime under investigation –10%
Price war between rival dealers –10%
Market flooded –10%
Distribution channels monopolized +20%
Law Enforcement crackdown on item +50%
Market dry +20%

[The Jopp]

See this, love it, use it. No player who steals cars for extra profit will ever do it again, after this:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/...a-stakeout.html

Some players (and their characters) would love to loot the teams armor and guns while shruggin off the bullets...

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Some players (and their characters) would love to loot the teams armor and guns while shruggin off the bullets...

It would likely go the other way, however. These Bozos were under surveillance by the team, they had plenty of time to evaluate their capabilities with Weapons, Armor, and whatever else. Not to mention the surprise factor of having 4 heavily armed special forces types just waiting for you to open that door. Not going to go well for those intruders. In game, there would not even be a surprise roll for the SF Team. They were prepared, and had effectively set up an ambush. The Intruders, on the other hand, would be caught flatfooted and unaware. Sucks to be them. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

[Draco18s]

I used to live in a rough neighborhood, and my defense was to leave the windows down, nothing inside. Cars next to mine would get broken into all the time. I was of course also following your number one defense rule too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

It's the best defense. Right after leaving the keys on the seat with a "FREE!" sign in the window.

Standards are great...most of the time, they suck during rush hour.

This. I have an automagic now. Mostly due to the "It was a very nice car at a very nice price, but it came in one color and had only one choice of transmission" (ahh, used cars).
But I used to drive a stick. But it was hell in traffic (and I drive in traffic a lot more than I used to).

It would likely go the other way, however. These Bozos were under surveillance by the team, they had plenty of time to evaluate their capabilities with Weapons, Armor, and whatever else. Not to mention the surprise factor of having 4 heavily armed special forces types just waiting for you to open that door. Not going to go well for those intruders. In game, there would not even be a surprise roll for the SF Team. They were prepared, and had effectively set up an ambush. The Intruders, on the other hand, would be caught flatfooted and unaware. Sucks to be them. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

To be fair, the SAS weren't trying to bust the car thieves. They were there on an anti-terrorism mission and aborted when the thieves broke into the van.

[Fortinbras]

It's the best defense. Right after leaving the keys on the seat with a "FREE!" sign in the window.

In most bad neighborhoods folks just break the windows out of your car and riffle around for stuff, they rarely want to steal your car, just the stuff inside it. It's very common at Texas Wesleyan. A friend of mine had her car broken into 3 times. The radio was gone after the first time and she never left anything valuable in there, but getting her windows and locks fixed every time was getting ridiculous.
She finally just rolled down her windows and kept the thing unlocked and didn't have a problem for the rest of her tenure. She got the idea from an episode of "Car Talk."

That being said, in most places like downtown Dallas you should always lock your car and keep your valuables out of sight. But in the "Barrens", I've found it to be an effective strategy.

[Bigity]

Car Talk, great show.

In fact, I think there should be a SR version in some of the fluff, except they talk about things like how to get blood and brain matter off of your custom paint jobs or the best way to patch an engine that has had some full auto fire put through it.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

To be fair, the SAS weren't trying to bust the car thieves. They were there on an anti-terrorism mission and aborted when the thieves broke into the van.

To be fair, yes, you are right. But in Shadowrun, in that situation, the thieves would be getting a beatdown, if not dead. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

[sabs]

Shadowrunners do steal cars. But honestly, stealing cars should bring in less than a good run.

Firstly, to steal a car in shadowrun you need:
Hacking, Hardware skills.

Then, the car needs to be run through a RFID eraser, then it needs to have all it's electronics wiped, and double checked. Then comes the hard part.
Prep it for sale:
Selling it in the barrens:
Put a generic pilot in it, sell it for 1/10th the MSRP. It can never go on gridguide.
Selling it to unsuspecting public:
1) You need to reconnect it to the Shiatsu-Ford update system.
2) You need to give it a new identification chip
3) reconnect it to the gridguide
4) place it on a car lot of some kind
5) Profit.

It's easy to steal a car, it's HARD to make money doing it.

[CanRay]

To be fair, yes, you are right. But in Shadowrun, in that situation, the thieves would be getting a beatdown, if not dead. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

Now I'm picturing a group of gangers trying to get their BTL money by boosting cars and finding a Shadowrunner Team on Surveillance. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

As for a Fence feeling like a Used Car Salesman, you need to find a specialist fence if you're going to go through so many cars. They operate out of places called "Chop Shops", you might have heard of them. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

But, yes, if the same crime keeps happening, the prices will drop, and the heat will go up. That's why going around to random nodes and stealing paydata for InfoFences constantly is a bad idea as well. So is extractions of certain experts, spread out who you steal. Same goes for Hijacking Transports of Goods. Again, you do any one thing constantly, things are going to go bad.

Mix it up a bit. Variety is the spice of life.

[James McMurray]

Below is the handy little list from SR4 regarding fencing gear.

Let’s say you steal a car worth around 10K, it’s a common car, cheap, easily available and hard to trace compared to more expensive models – especially if we would use price and availability as a tracking factor for law enforcement.

---snip some numbers---

By RAW selling stuff is 30%, not half, so its even worse than you pictured.

It would likely go the other way, however. These Bozos were under surveillance by the team, they had plenty of time to evaluate their capabilities with Weapons, Armor, and whatever else. Not to mention the surprise factor of having 4 heavily armed special forces types just waiting for you to open that door. Not going to go well for those intruders. In game, there would not even be a surprise roll for the SF Team. They were prepared, and had effectively set up an ambush. The Intruders, on the other hand, would be caught flatfooted and unaware. Sucks to be them. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

Don't you mean "the sammie and physad in the team beat the SAS members' surprise rolls and kill them all with no defense allowed?

I'm not sure where "In game, there would not even be a surprise roll for the SF Team." comes from, but it's a house rule. Waiting in ambush is +6, not + infinity and the most elaborate of ambush attempts that would spell instant death in the real world fall apart when confronted with SR's rules and a really fast target.