Decker opposition, Is this completely broken? Options

[FuelDrop]

What is the status in FuelDropverse of highly augmented samurai with hundreds of thousands of nuyen in 'ware?

They worked their way up to that state. The 'buy-in' for a street-sam is very low (sure you're a street thug, but you can get lucky and move up the ranks), after which you earn and gradually get all that 'ware.

Deckers can't deck without a deck. They can't earn money with their primary skill until they have a deck, which requires a considerable upfront investment which, let me reiterate, they can't build up to by taking on small jobs with their skills because their skills are useless without that initial investment.

Also, why are decks availability R despite all having an illegally modified hot SIM as standard?

[Aaron]

They worked their way up to that state. The 'buy-in' for a street-sam is very low (sure you're a street thug, but you can get lucky and move up the ranks), after which you earn and gradually get all that 'ware.

That makes sense.

Deckers can't deck without a deck. They can't earn money with their primary skill until they have a deck, which requires a considerable upfront investment which, let me reiterate, they can't build up to by taking on small jobs with their skills because their skills are useless without that initial investment.

Can they take out loans, or work on someone else's deck? I can imagine a criminal lord, gang boss, or fixer who has the capital but not the skill offer the chance to work on low-level crimes with the boss's gear, maybe even with a work-to-own deal. When my students learn to code chips and build robots, they use our gear, not their own. Might that work in the FuelDropverse?

Also, why are decks availability R despite all having an illegally modified hot SIM as standard?

Good question. I don't know, but I do know there are folks on DSF that worked more closely with the gear rules than I did who may answer.

[Wakshaani]

Hmmm, won't the corps themselves be interested in spreading the knowledge of how the new matrix can be hacked? After all, if the new matrix is 100% secure, they can't spy on their competitors...

-CJ

Well, IOIYAM (It's Okay If You're A Megacorp) comes into play here. They have the financial resources that money dropped on a deck is insignificant and, more importantly, they have the righteous morality to never abuse the privledge. They just protect their own assets and would never, ever, use it in an immoral fashion.

*kaff*

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Because it's only mentioned in passing and never given any hard rules for (atleast in unwired, I don't own any of the SotA/Black books... Not a gear porn fan)

That and I don't like that the highest 'publicly' available software should be the starting point... It puts you in a spot where the hacker can either access anything that's not Lofwyrs personal fanfic collection or where even grandmas cookie shop is covered in R6 Black ice... Which is both really inconvenient from a balance standpoint and really detrimental from an immersion standpoint...

It has stats. See War!

But it isn't. I am sure that there are plenty of places that run Rating 2-4 Software (hell, I even have some hackers in 4A that do that) and absolutely no IC at all (Seeing as how it is illegal tech for most people). So, from a beginners and balance standpoint, it is only a problem if you design your univers that way. If you do not, there is no incentive for the Hackers to START with top of the line Hardware/Software. When they graduate to the Milspec Level stuff, then yes, expect them to upgrade. My Cyberlogician did. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Lionhearted]

Uhm, after reading dumpshock what makes you think I'd pick up War? Im not a machosist

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Uhm, after reading dumpshock what makes you think I'd pick up War? Im not a machosist

You miss out on a lot of good stuff. *shrug*
There are problems with WAR! to be sure, but there are problems with ALL RPG books, in one form or another.

Can't really complain about something not being there if it really is there, and you just did not bother to pick it up. That information has been out for years for SR4A. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Remnar]

Can they take out loans, or work on someone else's deck? I can imagine a criminal lord, gang boss, or fixer who has the capital but not the skill offer the chance to work on low-level crimes with the boss's gear, maybe even with a work-to-own deal. When my students learn to code chips and build robots, they use our gear, not their own. Might that work in the FuelDropverse?

That's kinda what I see happening, so I guess that'd be the "mentor" thing. You got some up and comers that a fixer/organized crime/tech gang(!)/whatever wants to maybe turn into something useful. They are smart, they've jailbroken their commlinks, they are all over the public grids and trolling forums and such.

So he lets them borrow one of his expensive decks, they gotta hack in his controlled place and do small jobs for him. Usage charges and any damages to the circutry gotta come outta their cut or they gotta fix it themselves. If they get brainfried, eh, just pull the plug and get out. Probably pay some up and comer razorby a pittance to sit and run overwatch, grab the deck and bail if things get hairy. Eventually the new hacker gets enough work done to keep the deck, or buy an old used one, or whatever.

Actually a pretty good background for two new runners, they can come up the ranks together.

[Lionhearted]

Can't really complain about something not being there if it really is there, and you just did not bother to pick it up. That information has been out for years for SR4A. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I can, it's not in the core or the main supplementals, leaving hackers in an akward position where there's no worthwhile progression (hence them doing other stuff on the side) and the power scale being out of whack without using handwavium, if you have the core book and the supposed hacking book (I'll start calling it decking when it once again is) and you still don't have the tools to solve the aforementioned problems... Wouldn't you agree something has gone wrong?

I know you're a strong proponent of solving things like these at the table... But I can't honestly expect my players not to max out their programs and proceed to rob granny blind.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

I can, it's not in the core or the main supplementals, leaving hackers in an akward position where there's no worthwhile progression (hence them doing other stuff on the side) and the power scale being out of whack without using handwavium, if you have the core book and the supposed hacking book (I'll start calling it decking when it once again is) and you still don't have the tools to solve the aforementioned problems... Wouldn't you agree something has gone wrong?

I know you're a strong proponent of solving things like these at the table... But I can't honestly expect my players not to max out their programs and proceed to rob granny blind.

No, I wouldn't agree. The Military Spec Stuff is in the Military Spec book. If you want better stuff than the civvies use, you need to get the book it is in. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
AS for granny, she has nothing for them to rob. If you are allowing them to do so, well, that is a table issue in and of itself.

[Voran]

Mulling over the rules a bit more, I was wondering. If a location is setup as a 'host', does it need to have a decker with an actual cyberdeck? Seeing how Hosts have all 4 categories, and mid range (say rating 5-6 host, since hosts can go to 12), can end up having stats nearly equal to the rating of a fairlight excalibur with host+3 host+2 host+1 and host ratings. Their onsite spider just pops into whatever static security room setup they have and runs with it, as opposed to having a deck you can actually loot off their body.

[Sendaz]

Pg 73 in Unwired talks about using remote spiders.

Remote Spider
Having a spider on-site ensures that a system has a living person
available and (usually) in the node, ready to handle security
breaches. However, many spiders choose to work remotely. This
allows them to confront intruders without the vulnerabilities that
can be associated with an opponent in one’s node of residence (for
example, if an intruder successfully hacks into a node and gains
admin privileges, that hacker can simply deactivate and delete a
spider’s programs because they are running on a node on which
the hacker has an admin account).

Also removes the possible looting of the spider since they are offsite. Course if the runners cut all links in the facility to the outside world, the system is down one spider, but that would ring other alarms as well.