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> Infiltration Challenge, Examining situation variables
Talia Invierno
post Aug 16 2003, 09:17 PM
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The previous thread

Edit: New link to the previous thread


Repost of initial challenge:


Amazing how much more difficult basic jobs become when only a few assumptions are removed ...


Challenge: to find and retrieve a kidnapped wageslave. Unharmed. The Johnson's information suggests she is unharmed at present, but might not remain so, and almost certainly won’t if there is any sign of an attempt to free her. So far, nothing exceptional.


Location: middling size building (10 floors), classic brick exterior covered with ivy, double-paned windows (bulletproof and reinforced, probably as strong as the walls, and what’s that floating between the panes?), lobby entrance, well-placed cycling security cameras (covering each other's arcs). Two vehicle entrances into the building itself: one into what looks like an underground parking lot, the other a service entrance. Still nothing exceptional.

Exterior: The building, like every other building in this area, occupies its own block, and each building in the area has a similar exterior layout – at least, this one doesn’t look exceptional. A few cars do park on the street outside, but most of them won’t be going anywhere. (Hard to move without wheels, an engine ...) Roughly 30 metres or so on every side of tarmac. (This means that the next building over on any side will be at least an additional road-width plus 30 metres away.) Ten-foot chainlink fence surrounding the whole, topped with barbed wire but probably not monowire: you’ve seen pigeons land on the posts. The gate opens to admit each vehicle by transponder and stays open maybe 5 seconds before closing behind them. There is also an occupied guard shack by the gate. The top strands might be electrified after hours, you’re not sure but you doubt it. (But see “Catches” below before shrugging and thinking it’s a piece of cake.)

Between 6 pm and 7 am security teams patrol the grounds, it's not one of the big companies anyway. Actually, they're mostly inside, probably monitoring the cameras. There's also at least one dog handler: some nasty canines are released to roam the in-between areas during the off-hours. A cleaning team arrives at 6 pm and leaves at 9 pm by the service entrance. They use an unmarked van and you haven’t been able to learn which company they work for. And they don't use a consistent route of arrival or departure. Maybe you could find out more, but you've run out of time, and this is the information you have to plan with.


Catches

1. You're not sure the kidnappee is actually at this location – but so far it’s your only lead. If she's not here, this place itself will hopefully provide you with your next lead(s).

2. You can't leave any traces of your having been here. It’s a condition of the job. If anyone here is harmed, heads will roll: yours. And you can forget about being paid. Besides which, if the kidnappee isn't here and the kidnappers discover you've been here, it's going to make your job a whole lot more difficult. (Don’t forget about spell signatures!)

3. The place has a significant background count (3). For this version of the challenge, "house" rules interpret every point of background count as an extra "1" roll – and any spellcasting rolls which result in more net "1's" than successes are treated as botches. (Some of the later challenge versions won’t allow spellcasting PCs at all: so this is a "nice" variant. Mwaa-ha-ha.)

4. The building computer system is completely isolated from the Matrix. Damn.

5. According to the city planning department and every other source you can tap, this building doesn’t seem to exist. The block is licenced as commercial use, but all those power conduits and sewer maps and so on just show the area in blank gray.


That's just the challenge to kick off the thread. I'll hope that others come up with new challenges and requirements as to how they are to be filled as each one gets solved. The only condition is that each challenge has to in some way limit common assumptions. Some possible examples include that no one can get hurt, that no magic can be cast, that no property damage can occur …

Oh, and you can't custom min-max PCs just to deal with this challenge. You can't change your PC each and every time you are given a job, after all!
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Talia Invierno
post Aug 16 2003, 09:28 PM
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There's too much information given in the other thread to easily summarise, but I'll repost some general information:



If you do choose to build the characters, it's 120 base build points, usual starting maximums of 6, maximum 5 each Edges and Flaws: then dump 100 karma into each of them whatever way you want, to a maximum skill/Force/whatever of 8 (and if you want to buy off Flaws it's 10 x points in karma). For resources, over and above what you choose to start with, magically active characters get 300 kY and non-magically active characters get 600 kY, spend as you like but maximum availability 8 and subject to GM approval, basic rulebook, Companion, and MitS only, and if something's in an earlier edition book I might approve that too. Sorry, but that's what I currently have access to. (As someone pointed out earlier, these are moderately established characters.) Yes, this means you can start with a conjured elemental (two services up to Force 4, one service up to Force 8) - but you have to pay from your nuyen for it. No, you can't start with modified equipment or foci etc. you made yourself: you're runners, not manufacturers!

The Johnson won't spring for equipment as such, but is willing to pay specific run-related expenses later. You can't buy on credit though. (Ah, the joys of the itemised expense account: he'll be expecting one, and he won't approve anything I consider "unreasonable" - but you get to find out what that is after the run.) If there's something I do approve as run-related which ran over 100 kY, that counts as your bonus upon successful completion: that's over and above the 200 kY per team member being paid for the contract itself. The J won't approve anything, even if it's specifically run-related, over 200 kY.

Bear in mind that it is a continuing team: future challenges will need to be met by the same team.



Since that initial post, a team has been created to test possibilities. Next post summarises them.

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Talia Invierno
post Aug 16 2003, 09:31 PM
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Team consists of:

Diamond: Mage, ‘The Face’
Trogdor: Dragon Slayer shaman, ‘The Mage’
Ghost: Infiltration Adept
Advent: Drone Rigger
Solitaire: Decker

(5 people total)



‘Diamond’ (The Face)

B 3(4), Q 4, S 3, C 6, I 6, W 6
Magic 6, Essence 5.04

Skills [specialties in ()]:
Active
Sorcery (Spell casting) 4/6 , Conjuring (Summoning) 2/4, Etiquette (Street) 4/6, Interrogation (Verbal) 2/4, Intimidation (Mental) 2/4, Negotiation (Bargaining) 4/6, Performance (Acting) 2/4, Athletics 3, Instruction 3, Computer (Decking) 1/3, Unarmed Combat 3, Stealth 3, Assault Rifle 3

Knowledge
Magic Theory 4, Area Knowledge: The Barrens 6, Economics 3, History 3, Philosophy 3, Literature 3, Political Science 3, Local Politics 3, Paranormal Animals (Urban) 1/3, Psychology (Social) 1/3, Law (Criminal) 1/3, Forensics (Magical) 2/4, Housecleaning 3

Full Hermetic Mage

Spells (E means exclusive for cost)
Increase Reflexes III 1, Stunbolt 6, Levitate 4, Sterilize (E) 3, Heal (E) 6, Cure Disease (E) 4, Antidote (E) 4, Healthy Glow (E) 3, Clean Item (E) 3, Fashion (E) 4, Makeover (E) 4

Initiate Grade 1 (Group, ordeal: meditation)

Metamagic: Masking

Foci: Sustaining 1 (reflexes)

Edges: Good Reputation I, Quick Healer, Good Looking and Knows it
Flaws: Obligation 1 (reworked Day Job 10/hrs), Infirm 1, Compulsion light (Cleanliness)

Cyberware (all alpha):
Plastic Bone Lacing, Datajack
Cyber Eyes: Disp Link, Low Light, Flare Comp, Thermographic
Cyber Ears: Dampener, Hearing Amp, Select Sound Filter-2

Other Gear:
Cheap Deck (for data searches)
Standard runner stuff

Contacts:
15-20 contacts (mostly street level)

Something of a SR Che Guerva, has philosophical issues with things like ‘power’ and ‘agency’, spends a lot of time teaching local youngsters how to fight the man, and has a good reputation due to doing things like Fashioning out-grown clothes, curing the common cold, healing broken bones, and so on.

Was taken seriously ill as a child, due to naturally good immune system (quick healer) did not die, but suffers some continuing health problems (infirm). He can some times be mistaken for a cat shaman due to constant grooming/cleaning. Bacteria fear coming to his house like doughboys fear a call of ‘Over the top lads!’.
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Talia Invierno
post Aug 16 2003, 09:39 PM
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'Trogdor' (Dragon Slayer shaman, 'The Mage')

B 4k (6), Q 5, S 3, C 8, I 4, W 6
Reaction 4, Initiative 1d6(4d6)+4, Astral Init 1d6(4d6)+27
Magic 9(11), Ess 6, BI 0
Pools: Karma 6, Combat 7, Spell 6, Astral 3, Astral Combat 7

Skills:
Active - Sorcery 6, Conjuring 7, Stealth 5, Assault Rifle 4, Etiquette 4, Edged (sword) 1(3)
Knowledge - Magic Theory 4, Gang Identification 3, Smuggling 3, The Metaplanes 3, Ecology 3
Languages - English 4, Sperethiel 2, Russian 2

Spells (Force - none are limited):
Increase Reflexes III (1), Stunball (6), Mind Probe (6), Alter Memory (6), Levitate (4), Catalog (1), Sterilize (1), Ice Sheet (1), Increase Body (2), Heal (3), Impr. Invis (5), Manabolt (6), Physical Mask (4)

Metamagic:
Masking, Invoking, Shielding (sorry, no anchoring)

Foci:
Power 2, Sustaining 1 (reflexes), Sustaining 2 (body)

Edges: Focused Concentration, Good Reputation II, High Pain Threshold II
Flaws: Spirit Bane (sea), Mild Allergy (dogs), Mild Phobia (sea travel)

Typically, no more than 3 force worth are active at a time, so they can be covered by masking.

Other gear:
Tricked out assault rifle with laser sight.
Highly concealable pistol and dart pistol (use default rules)
Armor with plenty of environmental protection.
B&E and survival gear.
Rating 6 medkit.
Shamanic Lodge hidden somewhere in the city (Force 9)
Com gear (suitable to whatever the rest of the team has)
Odds and ends (standard stuff like a trauma patch, white noise generater, bug scanner, etc.)
~40,000 Y cash on hand

Contacts:
t-bird smuggler (lvl 2)
smuggler's wingman (lvl 2)
talismonger
fixer
TPF officer
russian mob enforcer
chop shop owner
Telestrian Johnson
Lone Star vice cop

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Talia Invierno
post Aug 16 2003, 09:42 PM
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'Ghost' (Infiltration Adept)

B 4, Q 6, S 4, C 3, I 6, W 4
Magic 10, Essence 6

Edges: Double Jointed, Well Connected
Flaws: Sensitive System, Pacifist

Skills specialties in (), adept boosts in []:
Active
Whips (Manriki-Gusari) 5/7, Pistols (Narcojet) 2/4, Stealth 6 [12], Athletics 4 [6], Etiquette (Street) 2/4, Negotiations (Fast Talk) 2/4, Demolitions (Safe Cracking) 2/4, Bike 3, Divination 3, Electronics (Maglocks) 4/6, Electronics B/R 4

Knowledge
Yoga 3, Local Fences 3, AK: Seattle 4, Smuggling Routes 2, Archeology 2, Architecture 3, Art 3, Security Systems 5, Magical Background 3, Chemistry 2, Dreaming (linked divination) 3, Magical Threats 2

Physical Adept

Adept Powers:
Improved Stealth 6
Improved Athletics 2
Spell Shroud 6
True Sight 4
Traceless Walk
Magic Sense
Pain Resistance 1
Improved Reflexes 2
Improved Senses: Low Light, Flare Comp, Smell, Direction

Initiate Grade 1 (Group, no ordeal)
Initiate Grade 2 (Group, ordeal: Meditation)
Initiate Grade 3 (Group, ordeal: Deed)
Initiate Grade 4 (Group, ordeal: Oath)

Metamagic: Masking, Divining, Centering (+ technical Skills)

Gear:
Motor Bike
B&E Gear (Maglock passkeys, etc)
Gas Detector
Gas Mask
Plastic Explosives
Narcojet pistol
Manriki-Gusari (basically a long weighted chain, reach 2 str +2L)
Gas and smoke grenades
Runner stuff

(Would have bought a weapon focus, but they start at 390,000 Y, I should have gone into enchanting instead…)

Contacts:
8-10 contacts (mostly fences, smugglers…)

‘The Ghost’ started a life in the shadows as a rather greedy thief, but has recently changed course due to an encounter with (magic threat of GM discretion) (deed) and a recent (magical) oath to dedicate at least some of her (non-money making) time to fighting these things. She is still easily motivated by a large paycheck, but is slowing transforming into a magical crusader. Though if you want to move an expensive piece of artwork, a 50 kg solid gold Buddha, or some other difficult to dispose of item she is the one to talk to (well connected is applied toward the sale of high priced, odd, or hot items). She is a pacifist in the ‘I’m a thief, not a murder sense’; she will not take wet work, etc. Note that this pacifism no longer applies to ‘magical threats’.

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Talia Invierno
post Aug 16 2003, 09:49 PM
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We don't have created characters yet for Advent or Solitaire. Thus far I've been responding based on typical averages. We do have the following fixed drones for Advent (which do count against the nuyen total given earlier - but if the total happens to come out more in this case, I'm letting it slide).


Artemis Nightglider

Handling 3, Speed 60, Accel 4, Body 2, Armor 0
Signature 9, Autonav/Pilot 1/-, Sensor 0, Cargo 4, Load 190
Seating 1, Fuel Electric (100 PF)
Econ Landing/Takeoff .25km/PF STOL
Cost 34,500 nuyen

Add rigger adaptation (1 CF, 10 kg, 2800 nuyen), remote-control interface (5000 nuyen), Rating 1 Sensors (1 CF, 12 kg, 5000 nuyen), 4 CF External Cargo mount (1000 nuyen, +1 to handling) and 1 bucket seat (6 CF, 100 kg, 700 nuyen) for a final cost of 49,000 nuyen


Condor (LDSD-23) p174
Small (~ork sized?) blimp.

Hand Speed Accel Body Armor Sig Auto Pilot Sensor Cargo Load
4 60 3 2 0 10 0 1 1 1 50

Avail SI Cost
2/24 1 9,000

Arachnoid Mini-Drone p178
Small (~10-15cm) 'spider' drone.

Hand Speed Accel Body Armor Sig Auto Pilot Sensor Cargo Load
3/3 2 - - 0 12 0 1 1 0 0

Avail SI Cost
2/24 1 12,375


Ferret p174
Small wheeled drone (don't know approx size, maybe microwave oven sized)

Hand Speed Accel Body Armor Sig Auto Pilot Sensor Cargo Load
3/4 30 2 1 0 8 0 3 4 4 50

Avail SI Cost
2/24 1 18,500

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Talia Invierno
post Aug 16 2003, 09:59 PM
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The following plan has been proposed and the first stage has been implemented:


Objectives:
1 Get extractee safely from target building.
2 Leave as little evidence of the presence of the team as possible.
3 Safely extract all team members
4 Safely extract all supporting elements (the gang members)
5 Preserve equipment for later use

Notice that this list of objectives give the ‘priority’ (you said the team motivation was high, right?). Also notice that pulling out the extractee is given priority over not leaving evidence. So if it comes down to a choice between leaving the extractee and starting a gun fight, we will come down on the side of getting the extractee out.

Pre-game positions:
Rigger, Mage, and Decker in the riggers ‘war-wagon’ several block away.
Adept in night glider, circling over the area.
Diamond with gangs members.

Plan Outline:

1 Air duct infiltration drone approaches target building.
2 Air duct drone anchors over target building, begins infiltration.
3 Dataline tap installed by drone
4 Gangs stages ‘tense meeting/face-off’ (no shooting yet).
Gangs members given magazines containing blanks, etc.
Gangs briefed on hell-hounds, etc.
Diamond has full complement of watchers standing by for communication (along with regular radio)
Diamond has 3 elementals paid for, Air, Air, Fire (all force 4, 2 services)
5 If extractee found by drones, gang face-off degenerates into shoot-out.
Rigger monitors police radio to warn of potential interruptions by Lone-Star
6 The Adept inserted into air ducts.
The Mage provides astral backup.
(Shamans need a great form spirit to cross domains?, not sure).
The Mage also has full complement of watchers already summoned.
7 Adept gets extractee, leave building
8 Infiltration drones and gang members extract.
9 Adept flies with extracee to medicine lodge. Mage still provides astral cover.
War wagon waits to retrieve drones, then meets adept at medicine lodge.
Diamond extracts with gang members, meets at medicine lodge.

Contingencies:

Extracee not present:
Team extracts, as per plan, meets at medicine lodge.
Heavy Magical combat:
Gang members extract early, take Diamonds body to pre-determined location. Diamond goes astral, call elementals to support the Mage.
Heavy Physical combat:
2 pronged attack by combat drones and gang members to cover extraction of the Adept. Gang members receive bonus income.
Lone Star or other outside intervention in ‘Gang Event’
Gang extracts early, Diamond provides astral cover as per ‘Magical Combat’.
Extractee Dangerous (Infected, Possessed, etc)
Extractee hit with KO drugs/Fist of Justice by adept, sorted out at medicine lodge.
Decking difficulties:
Possible mission abort, Decker makes decision.
War Wagon comes under attack:
Possible mission abort, Rigger makes decision.
Adept Disabled before insertion:
Diamond levitates into place, replaces adept. Gang members attempt to retrieve Adept’s body.


I think that's as much as I'm going to attempt to summarise. (Maybe it's too much already.) There's tonnes more information on the other thread. Anything else you want highlighted on the first page or two of this new thead - including the initial results of the first stage - or if you think I missed something crucial that needs reposting - is up to you guys :D

As to actual update: give me another couple of hours. Although I knew it was coming this change still caught me by surprise - I really hadn't been expecting the former threads to be frozen! - and there's a few other things I have to get done as well. I would appreciate it if the specific posts you want me to react to were reposted here: easier!
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Game2BHappy
post Aug 16 2003, 10:06 PM
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I'm curious why this isn't in the Runs & Run Ideas section? :noflame:
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Talia Invierno
post Aug 16 2003, 10:13 PM
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No extinguisher needed, it's a perfectly reasonable question.

Because its direction completely caught me by surprise, and later no one said otherwise. I wrote as much here. It was originally intended as an examination of how taking out things taken for granted suddenly complicated what might otherwise have been extremely basic runs. (And my GM, over my shoulder: it started from "how would someone do something this way" and then somehow went to "let's do it")

But if it should be, I think it's possible within this board's coding for it to be moved? I'll follow as needed.
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Everial
post Aug 17 2003, 12:21 AM
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Sorry for continuing this in the Shadowrun (general) area and not the Runs section, but couldn't some astral recon be performed by moving through the earth near the second basement level? It was mentioned access couldn't be obtained by any pathways known to the Ork Underground, but the old thread seemed to place tunnels (or sewers, or whatnot) in the general area.

[Edit: changed 'vicinity' to 'area' because I couldn't ascertain correct speeling offhand]
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Crusher Bob
post Aug 17 2003, 03:53 AM
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We were avoiding astral recon of sub-level 2 because it seems to greatly increase the team's chance of detection. Notice that one of the requirements is that there be as little evidence of the team's action as possible. Setting of the wards or getting seen by a spirit, or whatever ruin this whole thing.

Also, note that the 'travel through the earth' thing only applies to 'living earth'. I assume that you can go through concrete, etc just fine, except for it being dark. I would assume that the top layer of a city street (at least in a modern city) would not qualify as 'living earth' so is rather trivial to pass through.

To expand my eariler comments about radio coverage (made in the previous thread), the wavelengths used by 'tactical' radios does not tend to penetrate the earth that well. While the teams radios should have no trouble communicating on sub-level 1, sub-level 2 may be deep enough to make our radio coverage 'spotty' (but probably not deep enough to completely block the radio waves). Thus, I was asking Advent to investigate the possibility of using one of the spider drones to extend the teams radio coverage down into sub-level 2 (i.e. team talk to drone, who re-broadcasts the message to Ghost and vice-versa). This will hopefully reduce the chances of any inconvienent radio outages. Since the spider drone would be getting it's radio message via wire from the roof, there would be no trouble getting the msg to the drone, then since the radio msg from the drone only had to go through the 'floor' between sub-level 1 and sub-level 2... The fact that the team's radios would be using digital signal processing would also tend to cut down on the static, but it is best to cover all the bases that you can.

When you said that the company had other offices in 'Georgia' did you mean American Georgia or Russian Georgia?
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Deacon
post Aug 17 2003, 07:54 PM
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I tell the Johnson where he can stick his job and take the hit to my rep. No skin off my nose -- the GM has to keep running for me anyways. :grinbig:

What? The GM won't keep running for me? Fine, I open my own game. The runner gets hired on as a security consultant to a global-scale fixer. I win, either way.
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Entropy Kid
post Aug 18 2003, 03:32 AM
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So, the projecting mage is going to follow the spooky wageslave, the adept is ready to go and circling the area, the drones are moving to -1 and -2 for a look-see via the air vents. the gangs are mustering, the decker is waiting for the security tally to drop....

Then the next move will be determined by what the mage or drones can find out. If the wageslave goes all the way down, I don't think the mage should follow, since the drones are going to search down there. If the drones can't see anything, then there isn't any other option. This might be overly cautious, any other opinions?

There has to be something useful for the decker to do... are there any large Matrix controlled flying things for the decker to take control of? You know, in case they need to crash it into the building later. For those that don't know, a Mona Lisa Overdrive reference.
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Talia Invierno
post Aug 18 2003, 02:34 PM
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As you will have noticed, weekends are truly bad for me access-wise. Apologies. (And this format is still disorienting to me!)

Thanks to your thread, Everial, I seem now to have an answer why not to place this into the Runs and Ideas forum: it's open season in this thread, not individual-specific. Certainly I don't want anyone feeling any need to ask permission before jumping in with possibilities and new ways of looking at things!

I'll be back - really, this time - in about two hours. (Sporadic access today, but not weekend-bad.)
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Talia Invierno
post Aug 18 2003, 04:11 PM
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I'll start with what's in this thread and then filtre back to the original, if it's not been superceded. Again, if I miss anything, tell me! (It's entirely likely.)

Travel through earth:

Anything in a city up to upper sewer level (roughly equivalent to one floor below ground level) I'll consider totally man-made. There's a chance of losing your way - like Crusher Bob said, dark - but nowhere near as bad as the original rules on moving through living earth.

Anything below that, case by case basis. Find a sewer or subway line, concrete a good 3-4 metres on either side of that, no problem. Quite possibly living earth beyond that, though. (How deep are the Muscovite subway lines again?) And living earth, as we all know, makes its own rules: and they're not really fun for the astral mage.

QUOTE
the wavelengths used by 'tactical' radios does not tend to penetrate the earth that well. While the teams radios should have no trouble communicating on sub-level 1, sub-level 2 may be deep enough to make our radio coverage 'spotty' (but probably not deep enough to completely block the radio waves). Thus, I was asking Advent to investigate the possibility of using one of the spider drones to extend the teams radio coverage down into sub-level 2 (i.e. team talk to drone, who re-broadcasts the message to Ghost and vice-versa).
- Crusher Bob


Nice catch (and thanks for the explanation: I don't comprehend that well when I'm tired and rushed). Significant electrical and magnetic systems can also interfere with communications, also (in some rulings) some side effects of significant magic. You can get the relay as described to work, but you'll need the drone in a reasonably central location (just by way of example, in front of the elevator would do for the front half of the -1 parking donut but not for the back half). You could probably get a good relay going using several drones appropriately placed.

QUOTE
When you said that the company had other offices in 'Georgia' did you mean American Georgia or Russian Georgia?


Oops, that wasn't clear, was it? I had meant in Russia (not the Ukraine!), near the [former SSR] Georgian border, not all that far from Odessa.

QUOTE
There has to be something useful for the decker to do... are there any large Matrix controlled flying things for the decker to take control of?
- Entropy Kid


Well, I had understood that the decker has already looped (and is presumably monitoring) the cameras and such, and watching the security office, and digging out more files ... (Incidentally, you already have a couple of large files for later analysis: it will take some time to make head or tail of them, you won't be able to do it in the middle of a run.) Large Matrix-controlled flying things around: well, there's always a few Lone Star (and others') surveillance drones out there.

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Talia Invierno
post Aug 18 2003, 04:27 PM
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From the last page of the original thread:

QUOTE
Begin mapping exfiltration routes for Ghost from sub-level 2
- Crusher Bob


You're having duct problems beyond -1, and for that matter in the donut centre of -1. After an extensive search you find a single (grilled) duct that heads into the centre. (In fact you found it almost by the drone almost falling into it: it's not what anyone would call obvious.) By the sounds it might be blocked by a fan further down. It heads straight along one of the "rayed" passages from the elevator. It looks like (maybe) there might be a couple of vertical shafts further down. Taking it as far as the grill, you spot a sign just behind you and down on the inside of the door below where the drone is: Thank you for feeding the dogs. You seem to have found the hellhound kennel. They're a bit sleepy, but a couple of them are looking up and have their ears pricked.

I'll keep Ghost's "Enhanced Smell" power in mind. You're right, it could be useful. Just on an approach vector to the roof at the moment (with possible holding pattern), right? (Or was that superceded by Doc Sportscar's comment?)

Assuming no further decking infiltration beyond the cameras and the files I've already mentioned, the security tallies should be reset by the time you feel ready for Ghost to enter the system.

I read and re-read everything - and I'm still not sure if you're deciding to astrally follow the (happy anticipation) wageslave or not? This isn't any of you: I might well have misunderstood.

I think (hope) that covers everything? And again, sorry for the delay. This will continue to happen on weekends.
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Talia Invierno
post Aug 20 2003, 06:40 PM
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Is this idea dead?

(And no, what follows isn't [completely] OOG, just by way of a hint)

Nasrudin used to take his donkey across a frontier every day, with the panniers loaded with straw. Since nearly everyone who crossed that border was involved with smuggling one way or another, the frontier guards searched him again and again. They searched his person, sifted the straw, steeped it in water, even burned it from time to time. They searched the panniers, they searched the rope binding them together and the harness carrying them. They even made Nasrudin dismount and searched him. Meanwhile Nasrudin was visibly more and more prosperous, until after a while he retired and went to live in another country, where one of the (now-former) customs officers happened to run into him, years later. "You can tell me now," hinted the man, "whatever was it that you were smuggling, when we could never catch you out?"

"Donkeys," said Nasrudin.

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Crusher Bob
post Aug 21 2003, 03:24 AM
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Personally, I am sorta busy at work this week. So I can't post that often. I don't think we've had a post from Doc Sportscar since the thread was re-booted. Since he was the other regular contributor, you might need someone to take his place...

Going on the next 'stage' which would be trying the get the drones down the sub-level two, and putting Ghost in the building may attract some attention too.
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Doc Sportscar
post Aug 21 2003, 03:13 PM
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Don't count me out yet, troops. I've been busy relocating and being caught in the NYC blackout, but I'm still watching. My net access is going to be sporadic for a couple days more, but come Saturday I should be back in the swing of things.

Just to give Talia something to do in the meantime: we had the drones heading for level -2 for a look-see and to extend the range of our comm network. Since there were no cameras or vent access in -1, I think the consensus was that we have to insert Ghost to take a look at that area, since the girl is probably there if she's present at all.

How's Solitaire's security tally these days, by the by?
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Talia Invierno
post Aug 21 2003, 03:36 PM
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All right ... have to break off to do some work-type stuff ("just to give Talia something to do" ;)), but will update at ~7 pm this board's time. Hope everyone caught in that blackout didn't lose too much by it or had any serious consequences as a result. It has been a crazy couple of weeks, no? And I'm dead opposite everyone else wrt weekend free time. Means Monday is catch-up time, is all.

I hadn't gone to -2 because that was a physical problem - elevators don't go down that far, ditto vents etc. Thus far, all you really have of that is rumours of excavation ... might be a bit more than rumours now since one of the drones in the parking area has picked up sounds of digging. The wageslave is heading for the elevator. You've already managed to get one of the drones into the central part of -1 (as described earlier). Ghost was in a holding pattern, can land whenever you want: down to the main floor won't really pose much of a problem (all you're doing is dodging cleaners - and you had the door-opener card, yes?), but let me know if Ghost wants to catch up to said wageslave. And you still had the shaman astral.

Solitaire's security tally was in the process of resetting, I thought ...? You've got four large files out of it, they'll take time to make heads or tails of though: the joys of financial records. Looks like there might be a few more business names which could potentially be attached to addresses, but that will take some time to decipher.

Reminder to lurkers that this is a free-for-all thread: I'm just holding back descriptions where they're dependent upon specific actions actually having been taken, but suggestions, questions, proposals and scoping are always good.
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Doc Sportscar
post Aug 23 2003, 02:14 AM
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QUOTE
All right ... have to break off to do some work-type stuff ("just to give Talia something to do" ),


Yes sir, sorry sir, please don't kill me, sir. :D

Out of curiosity, what did we find on the central part of the -1 level? I didn't think we'd gotten there, and I can't seem to find the description of it in the old thread. If we haven't found the girl there (and I assume we haven't), it looks like it's -2 or not at all.

I suggest that we have Solitaire locate the elevator-control host and insert Ghost. We can try sending drones down the elevator shaft if Solitaire can get the doors open, but it looks like we might have to do it the old-fashioned way. I'd rather have Ghost in, now, to widen our options.
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Crusher Bob
post Aug 23 2003, 02:42 AM
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Considering it's going to take a while to get her down to level -1 to even start getting into level -2, we should put her in now. The drones have not found anything that would be a danger to her with Togdor on astral overwatch. IIRC we are 1 hour to 1.5 hours into the run. It will take at least 30 minutes for Ghost to work her way down, and then maybe another 30 to creep out. This means that if it takes more that 30 minutes to find a safe way into level -2 we'll need to start thinking about what to do about the spiders (they have only aroud 4 hours of power for non-idle work (iirc)).
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Doc Sportscar
post Aug 23 2003, 04:32 AM
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Makes sense. Okay, Ghost goes in now and starts making her way down to -2. Solitaire starts hacking the elevators, both to get the drones access to the shaft and to get Ghost down there eventually. Just for fun, we'll swap the files we downloaded to an offline datastore in case we meet any really interesting IC.

Drones will sweep around the -1 central level (since they're apparently in), then go back into the ducts and idle until we have elevator access.
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Shanshu Freeman
post Aug 24 2003, 09:33 AM
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QUOTE
there's always a few Lone Star (and others') surveillance drones out there
that makes me really wanna find out who else is watching right now.... maybe *this* company has an eye in the sky? If it's not gonna significantly impact what everyone else is doing, or distract them, can we have our decker take a look around along those lines?

Also, schedual - wise, where are we in relation to the security shifts, and cleaning crew shifts? Perhaps our girl goes in and out with them, a la the parable?

Talia, thanks for running this thread, I've found it exciting to follow along. I hope you keep doing it for a long time!
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Shanshu Freeman
post Aug 25 2003, 09:13 AM
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[QUOTE]=Shanshu Freeman,Aug 24 2003, 09:33 AM] [QUOTE]
Also, schedual - wise, where are we in relation to the security shifts, and cleaning crew shifts? Perhaps our girl goes in and out with them, a la the parable [/QUOTE]
or maybe she can be found at the home offices of the cleaning crew?
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