Jamming/ECM and the impact on Matrix 2.0, Flux rules suddenly much more important? Options

[RunnerPaul]

Since all we have are blurbs right now, there's no details on what medium this new wireless Matrix 2.0 will use, but if it's RF spectrum, all I can say is they need to take a long look at how Jammers & ECM are going to impact decking.

In the past the rules about Flux Ratings of transmitters and Jamming in general have been a little spotty. Some subject matter experts suggested that a non-portable jammer hooked into a vehicle or into a heavy duty powergrid tap should be able to trump any handheld/portable/drone-installed device by nature of being able to flood the RF bands with signal energy that's an order of magnitude greater than what a portable can pump out. However, the Flux Rules never properly distinguished between portable Flux and non-portable Flux, most likely for game balance reasons.

However, Flux/Jamming/ECM has potential to impact more than just drone control networks and comm radios. There are quite a few modern convinces that depend on the RF spectrum. It'd be a shame for the team to have the rigger parked in his van in a parking structure directly across the street from the target building because it provides him excellent coverage to shut down the target's security drones, but the whole op gets blown because the electronics engineer who parked in the next row over notices something's funny because his keyless entry fob isn't working.

Now on top of that, we could be adding a whole new level of data traffic? If this new Matrix 2.0 does run on RF, the situation could just get that much messier. Maybe they'll sidestep the whole issue, and come up with a newer version of the tech that was in the optical scanning datajack, freeing it from having to be stationary, and making it multi-directional instead of point-to-point. Then, all we'd have to worry about is smoke grenades.

[Neuron Basher]

Since we're talking about 65 years into the future, it's easily possible to envision an "unjammable" (or at least mostly so) wireless connectivity mechanism that's not based on RF. Perhaps quantum communication of some sort would fit the bill. It seems that part of the idea is to make the decker more interesting and accessible to players/groups and having ubiquitous access goes a long way toward that.

[Nikoli]

Too bad that would destroy jamming for any other purpose as the unjammable techg would be used for anything in need of a wireless transfer of data.

[Neuron Basher]

... and at the same time makes deckers even more integral since they could potentially tap into the data stream to those wireless devices for their own nefarious purposes. Jamming is overrated. :)

[DocMortand]

Frankly I could see a decker becoming a mobile EW platform - THAT would be cool. The rigger has enough on his plate already between vehicles and drones that it's hard to figure out how to infiltrate opposing RC networks. That always struck me as a decking sort of thing rather than rigging, IMO.

[Aristotle]

[RunnerPaul]

Also, you have Patrick Goodman's coment in the other thread about the walls between Riggers and Deckers breaking down. I wonder what that portends?

[DocMortand]

I have a feeling the role of a decker/hacker (as was written in one of the blurbs) is going to take over EW in addition to everything else. Streamlineing the matrix was long overdue - so that quote was a breath of fresh air for hackers everywhere. :)

Maybe the mysteries of otaku will be solved, or at least explained?

EW definately will be simplified - it was unplayable as it was in the Rigger rules.

At least one would hope so...it's still speculation at this point.

[mfb]

something else that would be cool: applying a streamlined version of the MIJI rules to all communications. the tech guy (rigger/decker/ECM maestro) would be fighting a constant battle to keep his team's comms encrypted, while trying to decrypt the enemy's comms. decrypted comms could, in turn, provide a bonus to the decrypting team's SUT rolls, or even just a straight bonus to CP and/or Rea.

[Jrayjoker]

There is no reason to assume that the jamming rules will change for the hacker as opposed to any other archetype that uses wireless communication as part of their job. I think the most telling word in the release announcement is "technowizard".

OTOH, I could see the jamming and interference of other networks/communications treated similarly to a background count in the current magic rules.

[Link]

[mfb]

the jamming rules need to change. as it stands, they're bulky, hard to keep track of, and insane. personally, i'm just not interested in trying to do it in SR3; the game moves slowly enough as it is (especially if you play online, like i do).