Tangled Currents - OOC Options

[Imladir]

Beta: for us the only calm places were Downtown and Fort Lewis, nothing specific was said about Tacoma nor Auburn. Not that it's really important of course.

Oh and Cynthia gave all the info about the agitation in the streets to Tanya an hour before Preston does (at 02:06 exactly), Preston will have to do better to make an impression ^^

[Mercy]

Tanya is evaluating everyone's efficiency based on challenges and equipment. She is trying to put together the best team possible for the next stage. Can everyone spell Columbia?

[Beta]

Imladir - - ah, tbh I stopped reading the other threads back near the beginning, and didn't really make any effort to find out the reality expressed in them. Mercy gave me a timeline of 'this is what you figure out when,' and I've just been improvising from there to make a bit of a story out of it.

[Imladir]

If it can help, the stuff you're working on happened here for Cynthia (the white text in the middle of that message).

[Beta]

If it can help, the stuff you're working on happened here for Cynthia (the white text in the middle of that message).

I'm prefering not to know more than Preston knows for now, but might go read it once I've passed that time point.

Preston was supposed to take an hour to nail down the discrepancies then half an hour to figure out what is really going on (starting from 2pm). It looks like he is getting some help in that latter part now, so he should have a fair picture within a few more posts, and then perhaps I'll take a look at things from a different POV. Or maybe not, I'm kind of willing to be surprised if/when Preston ever gets to meet the others.

ETA: Mercy: what is the noise level like out there? I'll have to wait until I get home tonight to check the noise for the distance. Tanya's place is somewhere along the Pugget Sound coastline, I'm assuming more or less in the middle of downtown? (Just figuring out one end of the line for calculating distance). The target area is, I'm assuming, somewhere in mid-Redmond? My first rough estimate is ~16km, just based on a middle-to-middle estimate.

[Mercy]

Sorry that you have not been reading all the threads, Beta. I find them kind of interesting and try to read them all.

[Imladir]

I'm prefering not to know more than Preston knows for now, but might go read it once I've passed that time point.

Preston was supposed to take an hour to nail down the discrepancies then half an hour to figure out what is really going on (starting from 2pm). It looks like he is getting some help in that latter part now, so he should have a fair picture within a few more posts, and then perhaps I'll take a look at things from a different POV. Or maybe not, I'm kind of willing to be surprised if/when Preston ever gets to meet the others.

Fair enough (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

ETA: Mercy: what is the noise level like out there? I'll have to wait until I get home tonight to check the noise for the distance. Tanya's place is somewhere along the Pugget Sound coastline, I'm assuming more or less in the middle of downtown? (Just figuring out one end of the line for calculating distance). The target area is, I'm assuming, somewhere in mid-Redmond? My first rough estimate is ~16km, just based on a middle-to-middle estimate.

That would be -5d for the distance. Don't forget you would probably have a -2d for different grids too (unless you get lucky). Plus one or two noise from the local conditions.

[Mercy]

Yes, it is going to be tough from where you are. Do not be afraid to say that you cannot do this. After all, you and Tanya are testing your limits.

[Beta]

I started off following all of the threads, but then I got busy and didn't have time, and never tried to get caught back up. I kind of regret falling off teh pace, as there is lots of good writing out there, no question of it! But at the same time I found that I kind of enjoyed flying blind. I always figured that at some point Preston might be teaming up with others and that will be great, but that in the meantime I'd take the opportunity to wallow in some fairly extensive character exploration and development.

As for the noise, the dice will tell us if he can do it or not ....

Intuition + computer = 11 dice. Noise around Monique is 2, +5 for distance = 7. Against that he is using a datajack (-1 noise), and is running signal scrub (-2 noise). Sadly he doesn’t yet have the hardware module that would reduce noise further, so the net noise is 4, leaving him at 7 dice. He has data processing as his top ASDF attribute at 6, boosted by overclocker to take it to 7 (limit should not be the problem!).

matrix perception @ Monique: 7d6t5 2

Meh, I think that is enough to see personas within 100m, but I don’t think matrix perception lets you get more precise than that as to location? Might catch cheap links running silent, but pretty hit and miss.

IC for this coming later today.

[Imladir]

For a more precise location, you need to Trace each individual icon yup.

[Mercy]

@Imladir Is one of your actions trying to identify or get information about the user or are you just interested in the files she is looking at?

[Imladir]

Oh I do want to know who it is too (which is why I asked for the commcode, but I didn't think to be more precise, sorry).

[Mercy]

Your Matrix Perception of the user can be resisted if the user is hiding that information, correct?

[Imladir]

The only way to hide anything is by running silent, otherwise I don't think it's possible.
Of course, a simple Matrix Perception only gives the commcode. It's only by hacking that you can find more (which Cynthia does here so it doesn't really matter), like agenda, directory, etc.

If we wanted to do that by the book, once I have marks on the Persona, I'd have to look for each file she has, identify the interesting ones by their icons, then check for databombs, remove encryption if there's one, and finally copy its content. So if you prefer I can make the rolls, but there would be a fair amount of them. And given the relative dice pools, I don't feel it would bring anything interesting on the (metaphorical) table ^^

[Beta]

There is/was a Dumpshock poster who liked to say (maybe had as his siganture?) something like "Magic gets more powerful as the GM understand it better, the matrix gets less powerful as the GM understands it better." I'd add "and players" in after "GM" in that, then nod enthusiastic agreement.

The task sounds simple enough: scan the matrix to see what personas are near Monique (who had let Preston mark her gear before she headed out), and let her know where they are. At first I was thinking that this was a simple matrix perception task, but then I tried to figure it out in actual game terms last night. Yikes -- this is actually a lot harder than I'd realized at first.

Imladir, or anyone else, please check me on the following:

Step one is locate Monique. Despite having marks on her link and smart-gun, after reading through the rules I think Preston has to succeed at Trace Icon action (Computer+Intuition [data processing] vs firewall + willpower). In essence, although Monique wants Preston to be able to trace her, there doesn't seem to be a way to selectively lower your defenses other than for inviting marks, so to be protected in general she also makes it hard for Preston to locate her.

This is 11d - 4d net noise* = 7d vs Monique's firewall+willpower, which will likely be 11+d. Meaning that just locating her could be challenging, despite the marks ( * noise was worked out in yesterday's posts. Really wishing I'd moved faster to get that 'vectored signal filtering' (aka noise reduction) module, but I hadn't expected to need it just yet).

Before the roll, I'll buy Preston's edge up to 4 (20 karma -- thankfully I just imported 18 karma from a couple of now retired characters in another Stormy Waters universe game, so have more than enough), then I'll pre-edge the roll (going 11 dice and exploding sixes) and hope that luck is on my side.

I don' think that there is anything else that could be done -- Imladir, anything else you see? (I'll roll for this soonish, but was hoping that I've missed something that makes it more likely to succeed)

Assuming that he can locate Monique, then Step two is yesterday's matrix perception roll. Mercy wrote me and said that "Preston uses will see three links in a line ahead of her plus a group of four in a bunch at the head of the line and another two about fifteen feet away off to the right"

However, from what I can tell, Matrix Perception will give a general set of info (there are so many persona around, in roughly this configuration), while Trace Icon is needed to get more precise location. So off the matrix perception, Preston will send an initial ARO to Monique about overall numbers and grouping.

Step 3 could be to get more exact locations. To make life easier on myself, I'm going to assume that the initial matrix perception at least gives some idea of the grouping, so running trace icon on one per group should be enough to get the more precise locations.

However, Trace Icon requires two marks, so first he'd need to get those, which would start attracting GOD's attention. He can dump his overwatch score by re-booting afterwards, but then he'd also loses his marks on Monique's gear, and so not be able to locate her later on.

(and a side note: if he were running an RCC and could slave Monique's smart gun, he'd then be able to share target information, giving her extra dice, but while Rigger 5 says that you don't have to be a rigger to use the new matrix actions that it lists, it then says that things have to be slaved to your RCC to use that ability. (I was all excited about the possibilities on this one until I read more carefully).)

ETA: Next time he gives them stealth tags (which he owns) to carry, I think you can always locate items you own?

[Mercy]

@Imladir From what I can see, an agent is not a program, even though it fills a program slot. Your request was for programs currently running. Am I reading this wrong?

[Imladir]

I'm afraid I don't any good news, except that maybe, if the owner of a device allows you to locate it in the Matrix, you don't need to Trace it (something like "the owner knows where it is and transfers the data to you"). A cheap an easy way to negate most of the noise would be a satellite link (negates a noise up to 5 for the distance component for the cost of 500 nuyens), maybe there's one not far.

On the bad news however... Not "too" bad, but if you're not on the same grid as the devices you're working on, you suffer from a -2d penalty (same if you or them are on the public grid). And yes, that makes the Public Grid the best grid to use if you want to protect yourself. You can identify the grid with a Matrix Perception, and changing grid is a Hack on the Fly action resisted by 4d for the local grid, 6d for any other grid (so you'll succeed, the point is that it's likely to increase the overwatch score).

You always know where something is on the matrix as long as you have Marks on it (and being owner is as if you had 4 Marks). As for the physical location, I don't think anyone would ask you to run a Trace against your own stuff...

[Imladir]

Agents are autonomous programs that are rated from 1 to 6. Each agent occupies one program slot on your deck. [...] An agent runs as a program and can use programs running on the same device as them.

Here it is (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Mercy]

Thank you. Apparently I should have told you that she has an agent running.

[Imladir]

And since the Agent is a program taking a slot, she has one program running that shouldn't be (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
But I'll survive, don't worry ^^

What about the Trace though?

[Mercy]

I checked everything out, program wise, in Hero Lab and nothing is red, so not sure why there is an extra program running.

[Beta]

You always know where something is on the matrix as long as you have Marks on it (and being owner is as if you had 4 Marks). As for the physical location, I don't think anyone would ask you to run a Trace against your own stuff...

Ah, this is most of the problem solved. Can get to the matrix location, can use matrix perception to see what other persona are nearby on the matrix (most people will be with their personas). Do don't need to do a trace icon to travel to Moniques's location -- Phew!

So "Step 1" goes away, "step 2" was the perception roll already covered, and he can do step 3 to give some exact coordinates to Monique. I'll IC it from there.

[Beta]

This goes with Preston post 211

Matrix attributes were ASDF=3475 (+1 from overclocker applied to D).

Turn 1:
Init: 13+3d6 = 26 Preston init: 13+3d6 26. nobody else rolling so Adrenalin Surge doesn't apply

init 26:
Change to public grid from Emerald City Grid (legal, no roll)
Free action swap S with F, giving ASDF=3574

Init 16:
hack on the fly (HotF) vs Nazgul: hacking(devices)+logic=12, -4 noise -2 public grid = 6d[5] P HotF vs nazgul: 6d6t5 5 wow, what a roll!
Nazgul defense, let's assume will 4 for 5d Nazgul def: 5d6t5 2
OW =2+2d6, 1 mark on Nazgul

init 6:
HotF vs Nazgul (same dice): P HotF vs nazgul 2: 6d6t5 3
Nazgul defense: nazgul def 2: 5d6t5 2
OW 4+2d6, 2 marks on Nazgul

Turn 2:
Init: 18 P turn 2 init: 13+3d6 18

init 18:
Trace Icon action: computer+intuition=11d, -4d noise, -2d public grid = 5d, ugh. But defense is willpower plus sleaze, links have no sleaze, so 4d on defense.
P trace icon: 5d6t5 1
nazgul trace icon def: 4d6t5 2
no joy
ow 4+2d6, still 2 marks on Nazgul

init 8:
Trace icon again: P trace icon 2: 5d6t5 2
def: nazgul trace icon def 2: 4d6t5 1
Free action: >>Monique [Peter] One of them to your right<<
Free action 2 (from perfect time): squirt coordinates to Monique
ow 4+2d6, still 2 marks on Nazgul

Turn 3 init (just in case I need it) Preston init turn 3: 13+3d6 26

[Mercy]

Where do I find the frigging rules on assensing?

[Imladir]

CRB, p312 & 313.
In addition to the table, the main points to keep in mind is that any barrier blocks astral sight (a wall of course, but a window too) but not movement (you can go through walls in the astral, no problem). Mana barriers make things harder to see from one side to the other (a penalty equal to the rating of the barrier, a Lodge is considered a barrier), and you can never move through the ground (you need to find passages, natural or not for that) or go beyond ~80km of altitude (limits of the Gaiasphere).
Without Assenssing, you only know basic information: there's an aura and that's pretty much all. Even the shape of the aura (metahuman type or sex) is open to debate. One thing you would instantly know is if an aura is in the astral or merely visible there (something present in the astral has a much more vibrant aura)
If a mage (or anyone in the astral for that matter), wants to know more, an Assenssing roll must be made. And an Assenssing roll is an observe in detail action (complex action, so only one per IP) which only works on one aura at a time: no Assenssing every members of a group in one fell swoop.

Finally, to Assensse, you must have the dual nature (naturally or through astral perception/projection), which means it's pretty easy to be spotted in turn.