Starting that hacker, Just one question for now, but it'll probably spawn more Options

[longbowrocks]

SR4A has a table for hardware upgrades on page 222. the table goes up to module rating 6 for both response and signal, but the rules say that each of a device's rating can only be augmented by 2.
By stretching this, I can see you buying a rating 4 module for 800¥ (50 for rating 2 signal, and 750 for rating 2 response) and increasing both signal and response by 2, but that's all I can think of.
In all, why does the table go so high?

[Dez384]

Devices in War! go up to rating 10.

[Halflife]

When you upgrade hardware you replace the old with the new, not tack on a new module. If you want Rating 6 response upgrade you upgrade to a Rating 6 module and use that cost and availability.

[longbowrocks]

yes, but whatever the device's original attribute rating was, modules can only increase it by 2.

So if I device starts at 6 signal, it's other ratings can be 10, and signal can still only go up by 2.

[longbowrocks]

When you upgrade hardware you replace the old with the new, not tack on a new module. If you want Rating 6 response upgrade you upgrade to a Rating 6 module and use that cost and availability.

Ah, thanks. I'll look for that.

[Dez384]

You can build custom commlinks or buy better commlinks.

[longbowrocks]

By the way, it looks like credsticks have a signal of 6. that's a 4 kilometer range for people to detect that you have money. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[Halflife]

Ok let's break it down.

You purchase a Hermes Ikon commlink (Response 4, Signal 3). You decide that you want to boost your Response up to 6 to be a better hacker. You purchase a Response 6 Module (8,000¥ , Avail 14) and install it with an appropriate test. You now have a Custom Herme Ikon (Response 6, Signal 3) commlink, with the option of boosting Signal with a module later. If you wanted to go higher you would need some of the silly hardware from WAR!.

[Dez384]

By the way, it looks like credsticks have a signal of 6. that's a 4 kilometer range for people to detect that you have money. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

SR4A says that credsticks have a device rating of 6. Unwired says that they have firewall and system of 6, but response and signal of 2. I'm going to stick with unwired.

[longbowrocks]

You can build custom commlinks or buy better commlinks.

Yeah, I was just looking for a way to improve on the 8 signal for the best commlink in WAR, and my second thought, after having an AI make its home there, was modules. Apparently the modules wouldn't work for that level though.

[longbowrocks]

SR4A says that credsticks have a device rating of 6. Unwired says that they have firewall and system of 6, but response and signal of 2. I'm going to stick with unwired.

Aww.

[Halflife]

By the way, it looks like credsticks have a signal of 6. that's a 4 kilometer range for people to detect that you have money. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

Device rating is a little bit lazy and that leads to sillyness like signal 6 credsticks. In reality everything should be broken down into individual categories, the most common thing that should be much less than the Device Rating is Signal.

A Credstick has the ratings Response:2 Signal:2 System:6 Firewall:6 per Unwired p. 48 for example. Device rating is more for on the fly "my hacker is in something I didn't bother to stat how many dice do I roll for firewall" type checks and less for powergaming like building clusters or cannibalizing common (cheap) objects to build your commlink.


EDIT: Damnit Dez type slower

[Dez384]

War has signal 10 modules. Costs 17250 nuyen with an availability of 40F (page 162)

EDIT: Damnit Dez type slower

Maybe you should be in VR, Mr Hacker.

[Halflife]

You could also use something like a directional antenna (Unwired 199) to boost your signal by 2 in a specific direction depending on what you need Signal 10 for.

[Halflife]

Maybe you should be in VR, Mr Hacker.

You know I always ran in AR with Wired Reflexes. I like my addictions non-existent and my brain in my skull

[longbowrocks]

You can build custom commlinks or buy better commlinks.

Ah, I hadn't reached the rules for that yet (I'm reading sequentially in depth), but I did just reach the part about building modules. RatingX2 extended check? I'll build a signal 10 module, use it to upgrade the best commlink in WAR, and follow up by destroying the world with my 40,000km range monstrosity. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)
I saw "mutual signal range", but I'm betting that there's a way around that.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

War has signal 10 modules. Costs 17250 nuyen with an availability of 40F (page 162)


Maybe you should be in VR, Mr Hacker.

In VR, with a Simsense Booster and Accelerator, for the Win... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[longbowrocks]

War has signal 10 modules. Costs 17250 nuyen with an availability of 40F (page 162)


Maybe you should be in VR, Mr Hacker.

Don't you mean the Transys Cybernaut which has signal 8 and availability 48F, and must be upgraded with a 192k¥ rating 10 module to get 10 signal?

*edit: ah, I see what you're talking about. You still need the really expensive high availability Transys though.

[longbowrocks]

Found an error in the rules:
"Devices can run in one of three modes: Active, Passive, and Hidden."

There's actually a fourth mode: off. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

If your GM disagrees, make that mode "I pulled the batteries out. Whatcha gonna do?"

Ah, I missed the word run. I guess they can't run in off mode, can they?

[Yerameyahu]

The 'upgrade by 2' rule is to stop you from buying a disposable and just slapping in the highest chip/OS you can get. It's pretty realistic, anyway: no matter what CPU you drop into certain machines (if possible at all), they've still got slow bus, memory, cache, etc.

Honestly, you don't *need* a really high Signal very often. Most of the time, you'd want it dialed down; there are rare cases when you'll need to beat jamming or something, yes.

No, they can't run in off mode. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Watching you work your way through the rules is hilarious, longbowrocks! You can, however, turn off the *wireless*.

[Epicedion]

Don't make the mistake my group's hacker did! Upon finding that an agent had hacked his commlink and loaded itself on there, the hacker promptly pulled the battery. Well the problem was that the agent was still loaded on the commlink, so when he turned it back on, it immediately started attacking his OS.

IP 1: Load Attack.
IP 2: Load Armor.
IP 3: System crash.

This happened three or four times before he finally got wise to attacking first and then loading programs, to force the agent to defend itself rather than keep hammering at the OS.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

No, they can't run in off mode. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Watching you work your way through the rules is hilarious, longbowrocks! You can, however, turn off the *wireless*.

Yep... Off is definitely the epitome of NOT runnig. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Yerameyahu]

I'm not sure it works that way, Epicedion. It's not a virus. Even if it's still present on the node, it can't log into its (hacked?) account and load *itself* upon reboot.

[Yerameyahu]

--

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

I'm not sure it works that way, Epicedion. It's not a virus. Even if it's still present on the node, it can't log into its (hacked?) account and load *itself* upon reboot.

Agreed... Loaded Programs are Purged when you turn of the device. Therefore the agent no longer exists on the Node once it is turned back on.