Salted Wounds [OOC], a Deep Black Sea game Options

[Volker]

yep, and also her former employer.

Am I assuming correctly that Kerstin spoke the record in German?

Also, what about Eliza's commlink. Could I find it with my 6 hits?

[Jack_Spade]

Former employer? I think you are mixing something up.

Yes, the recording is in German, but it's a voice to text transcript (not that it matters, you can also play the raw data)

@Eliza's commlink: You manage to find her Persona, but it's not in a commlink but an expensive custom cyberdeck. DR 6 ASDF 8 (hurra for Kill Code)

[Volker]

Okay, thanks.
As the story advanced too far in the meanwhile, I'll attack Eliza's commlink another time.
I want Nacl's commcode, or whatever she uses to contact him. What would I need for that? Am I thinking too straight when I believe it should be as simple as reading the call log file? Of course, as every file so far, it will be encrypted and have a data bomb, I know...

[Gilga]

@Eliza's commlink: You manage to find her Persona, but it's not in a commlink but an expensive custom cyberdeck. DR 6 ASDF 8 (hurra for Kill Code)

WOW -how much does that kind of technology costs?

[Jack_Spade]

If you ask Eliza she'll have no problem giving you the commcode - also he promised to meet up with you in three days near Innsbruck.

Nacl didn't call any of you directly so far, but yes, if he had called you, you'd be able to call him back - provided he doesn't use a burner that he discards afterwards.

[Volker]

If you ask Eliza she'll have no problem giving you the commcode - also he promised to meet up with you in three days near Innsbruck.

Nacl didn't call any of you directly so far, but yes, if he had called you, you'd be able to call him back - provided he doesn't use a burner that he discards afterwards.

Sure, but Eliza said she's got a number over which she can reach him. And I want this number ^^

[Jack_Spade]

Nun, du kannst es versuchen (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Volker]

Was für Aktionen würd ich denn brauchen? Hacking, Databomb auflösen, Encryption ... das übliche Verfahren?

[Jack_Spade]

HotF/Brute Force für 1 MARK
Matrix Perception
Decryption
Edit File

5 Punkte Distance Noise + 5 Punkte S&M Noise

[Volker]

S&M? Sadomaso?

bnc wants to make sure that the PDA itself or any tools attached to it are unable to send information. Matrix Perception (hot-sim): 15d6t5 4
retry: Matrix Perception (hot-sim): 13d6t5 5

If there are any hidden icons on the PDA, please let me know. Also, is there a hardware way to figure out if it can send information?

[Jack_Spade]

S&M= Smoke&Mirrors (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

The old commlink is physically incapable of using wifi in any form - both antenna and the requisite platine has been removed and even the Universal Dataport has been removed from the mainboard.

Also, there is nothing on it beyond the basic operating system and 15 year old bloatware.

The thing is as isolated as it gets.

[Volker]

5 Punkte Distance Noise + 5 Punkte S&M Noise

The S & M noice doesn't bother me, only herself. Also, she must be a hell of a decker if she runs S & M permanently. Even with my really, really good dicepool I can hardly afford going into silent mode. A permanent 5 points of noice would render me incapable of doing anything except ordering pizza. Unless she only runs it when she isn't using her deck, of course.

[Jack_Spade]

The S&M noise also affects tracking - and it's all a question of noise compensation (and being able to switch configurator programms very rapidly)

[Gilga]

It is a good practice to run S&M at full capacity anytime you are not using the deck. Lower it to whatever level you need when you do use the deck.

That said, I think that S&M is kind of an overkill for some reason. By far the most useful program in the list.

1. The negative of this program the noise - is actually something that you sometimes want. E.g. you can use Ewar + logic to generate noise with your deck as a complex action - here you get it for free.
2. It gives like 5 sleaze + 5 noise making you impossible to detect - and even if you are detected difficult to target. (like you feel with Eliza).
3. If you have perfect timing you can lower S&M to whatever level you need, (free action) Do whatever you want (complex action), and then raise it up again (free action). Your opponent faces terrible noise, and you don't take a negative dicepool. (and if you run silent you are sort of undetectable).

Not sure if Jack endorses such tricks, but perhaps for you to know as bnc might want to exploit them if it is allowed.

[Volker]

@Jack sure does but I don't try to performe Trace Icon. You wrote it yourself:

HotF/Brute Force für 1 MARK
Matrix Perception
Decryption
Edit File

I don't try any tracing.

@gilga
By that logic, turning the fragging things off is even more OP: It gives you +infinite points of Sleaze when it comes to detecting at, and +infinite Firewall against any attempts of attacking it. And if you need it, you just turn it on.
The noice you generate only affects
a) all of your own actions; and
b) Trace Icon against your deck.
It does not add any dice against Matrix Perception!

Against Trace Icon, even without S&M, I have 15 dice to defend, without crippling myself. Don't confuse it with Ewar+logic with which I can cripple others rather than myself!

I can think of no situation whatsoever where S&M could be useful. If I know I'm being tracked, I just reboot the thing and watch those buggers retry to find me and get marks on me again. With Sneak, I'm even immune against GOD's auto-tracking. If I don't know I'm being tracked, I wouldn't ever suffer negative dice pools mods only to raise my limit a little more.


PS: How can there be 5 points of distance noice if she's mere 100 metres away from me? O.o
Or did you mean background noice?

[Jack_Spade]

That's why I noted the noises separately 😉
I not only endorse such tricks, I actively develop them.

With two free actions and a configurator program you can rapidly switch your program and limit layout. S&M ist only active while Eliza doesn't use Matrix actions of her own. The additional sleaze makes it harder to be found and traced - something she is very careful about.
And no, she is not in the van, she merely owns it. Her deck is far enough away that 5 distance noise apply

[Gilga]

Jack - I learned most of these from you. Volker, I usually modify my (cheap) decks with a vectored signal processor (-2 noise) and a program module with signal scrub (-2 to noise) this hopefully leaves room for S&M to increase sleaze without removing dice. E.g. with no noise I can get away with +4 sleaze.

Now my deckers are not that good to enjoy very high limit, but having +4 sleaze (+5 with the other program, or even +7 for HoTF) means that I can put the lowest attribute on sleaze and enjoy better data processing and firewall.
E.g. My Erika (1,2,3,4 deck) would typically be configured when I do Sleaze actions: Sleaze 2, Firewall 4 and Data processing 3. So I find the S&M to be perhaps the most powerful program. Perhaps now that you have a super expensive deck you disagree as all your deck attributes are good.

By the way, you might want to check out the new decks from kill code. I did not find anything better than my Erika - but I got under the impression that for your price range you can have perhaps better decks. E.g. custom made decks.

[Volker]

May I assume that S&M is not running while she's doing research..? ](IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) >

[Thanee]

I didn't mean to send Eliza data searching, but rather, that she might already know from their past run... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Bye
Thanee

[Jack_Spade]

May I assume that S&M is not running while she's doing research..? ](IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) >

Actually, research wouldn't be impeded by noise as there is no distance noise to contend with and the noise reduction is high enough anyway to not be impeded by it.
That said, Eliza doesn't need to research the question since she already knows about the Black Lab.

[Volker]

@Thanee Ah okay (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
well, I guess bnc got you wrong ^^

@Jack okay, that sounds fair
But: wait. Are you telling me that any decker can just have an agent perform I am the Firewall 24/7 and then roll on demand? I can remember when I had my agent search all icons in the area (Munich, BMW center), you ruled that if I do that, the agent has to buy hits (rather than rolling them) and since the opponents can buy more in their Sleaze tests, my agent can't find anything. I don't understand why her agent doesn't follow the same rules.
Mind you, it would change anything about the situation. Even with a dice pool of 12 she would have spotted my attempt with this defense roll. But are you really sure you want to allow 24/7ing IatF? That would basically grant immunity against hacking for everyone who affords an agent and I'm relatively sure that's not what the rule writers intended (though I can't read thoughts, of course).

If you really want that: Assume that henceforth, if the agent is tasked otherwise, it will always firewall me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Luckace]

@Jack: When was the file created and last accessed and/or modified?

[Thanee]

@Thanee Ah okay (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
well, I guess bnc got you wrong ^^

Happens. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Bye
Thanee

[Jack_Spade]

@Volker

Yeah, buying hits it will be from now on - it's the first time I got to try out the new rules and wanted to see how it would work out.
But yes, if you do want, Eliza can share this protection with the team.
As for what the writers intended: I'm still not sure how practical the new rules are, but there is only one way to find out. (Playtesting is probably something that happens to other RPG Franchises, it seems)

[Volker]

Okay, that makes sense. For me, it's a relatively cheap way to render yourself practically immune against hacking attempts. But sure, it makes sense to try something out before judging it.
So, consider bnc's agent busy (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)