 Shadowrun 4: Hacking & Rigging |
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 Aug 23 2005, 06:00 PM
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#76
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Mr. Johnson  Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,587 Joined: 25-January 05 From: Berkeley, CA Member No.: 7,014  |
Well, I wouldn't write off the 4-pass rigger just yet. New tech might come out in the upcoming Arsenal book.
It might or might not be wireless. You can still hardwire yourself using a Control Rig and Sim Module through a Datajack, eliminating any wireless vulnerabilities. You probably will want to have a relatively high Firewall rating on your drones to prevent hijacking, of course. While a lot of Riggers will learn technical skills, they will probably focus more on Electronic Warfare and their Signal and Firewall rating rather than Response/System and Cracking skills. There is a whole column that describes the differences in focus between a Rigger and a Cracker.
Trust me, the Vehicle Rigger is still around (check the Smuggler archetype when you get the book). |
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Aug 23 2005, 06:02 PM
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#77
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Mr. Johnson Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,587 Joined: 25-January 05 From: Berkeley, CA Member No.: 7,014 |
Anyone with a Commlink can do the same things that Technomancers do, if they are skilled enough and have the right programs. It's not that Technomancers have become better, but they are simply an equivalent option. Hackers/Riggers get the benefit of cyberware and gear and are pretty cheap to maintain Karma-wise, while Technomancers are expensive Karma-wise, but don't rely on any gear at all. |
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Aug 23 2005, 06:25 PM
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#78
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
so basicly, one can finaly have that vehicle adept people where asking for :silly:
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Aug 23 2005, 07:08 PM
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#79
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Mr. Johnson Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,587 Joined: 25-January 05 From: Berkeley, CA Member No.: 7,014 |
Another thing (just read this): Characters who are using AR while they are driving have a +1 dice pool modifier (to represent the additional GPS information and other things that might pop up on the display). Remote piloting does not receive this bonus. Those who use full-VR to jack into the vehicle or "jump into" the vehicle get a -1 threshold modifier on the various threshold-based tests. For example, the classic "Bootlegger Reverse" or J-turn from Car Wars would be a threshold of 3 instead of 4.
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Aug 23 2005, 07:20 PM
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#80
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 338 Joined: 17-September 04 From: Pueblo Sector of Denver Member No.: 6,672 |
can someone expand on the vireses/IC?
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Aug 23 2005, 07:26 PM
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#81
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Chicago Survivor Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 5,079 Joined: 28-January 04 From: Canton, GA Member No.: 6,033 |
Suddenly I got this image of seeing an AR sign stating severe tire damage and if you drive through the area IC attacks your vehicle and proceeds to have the vehicle to burn-outs until the tires are shredded.
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Aug 23 2005, 08:20 PM
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#82
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Chicago Survivor Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 5,079 Joined: 28-January 04 From: Canton, GA Member No.: 6,033 |
To be fair, I've never seen a BBB with more than a smattering of vehicles. Emphassis was always on interpersonal combat, magic and the Matrix. Riggers were ever the red-headed step child IMO.
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Aug 23 2005, 08:23 PM
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#83
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Target Group: Members Posts: 44 Joined: 14-April 05 Member No.: 7,331 |
Yeah I was gonna start moaning about that Nikoli, until I remembered exactly what you said. Never really anything in a core rules book for them.
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Aug 23 2005, 11:03 PM
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#84
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The King In Yellow Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 6,922 Joined: 26-February 05 From: JWD Member No.: 7,121 |
Well, now it looks like they got even less. Not even a VCR 3 equivalent anymore. :(
How does firewall rating and stuff work for drones? A bit like installing Autosofts of old? And what autosoft types are covered in the BBB? |
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Aug 24 2005, 04:16 AM
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#85
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 338 Joined: 17-September 04 From: Pueblo Sector of Denver Member No.: 6,672 |
So woudl it be possible to get a list/description of virieses and IC?
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Aug 24 2005, 07:08 AM
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#86
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Mr. Johnson Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,587 Joined: 25-January 05 From: Berkeley, CA Member No.: 7,014 |
IC are the equivalent of Agents, with a Firewall and Pilot rating. They are all considered the same, save for their program loadout, which may contain the following programs: Analyze, Attack, Black Hammer, Blackout, and Track.
As far as virus programs, there are Databombs and Encryption. IC can also be attached to files and programs, triggering them when the file/program is accessed or decrypted. (p 222) |
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Aug 24 2005, 09:02 AM
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#87
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Karma Police Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 1,358 Joined: 22-July 04 From: Gothenburg, SE Member No.: 6,505 |
Actually, I think rigger characters will be more popular now. You don´t have to specialize so hard on it that you don´t know anything else, and you´re not so godlike compaired to other drivers that car chases are no fun. This is exactly what the riggers needed. I´m just going to forget that they were ever as effective as before.
And another thing. The old VCR was a very essence heavy piece of ware with very limited uses for an ordinary person. I could never justify why people would have them unless they were professional drivers or security personel. Thus, rigger adapted vehicles had to be uncommon. Now on the other hand, anybody with simrig and commlink could use a rigger adapted vehicle. That´s ware that most people would have plenty of reasons to get. Rigger adapted vehicles could even be the norm in well-to-do areas. Imagine what that means for your rigger, fellows! No longer does the rigger concept need to be limited to the resource well gear-head that´s welded into his own customized vehicle. You could make a car thief rigger. An all purpouse wheelman that can drive anything. Lots of gritty concepts are now open that doesn´t bring the batmobile to mind. |
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Aug 24 2005, 10:19 AM
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#88
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Target Group: Members Posts: 52 Joined: 16-August 05 From: Stuttgart, Germany Member No.: 7,559 |
Making a rigger a much more viable profession as runner. I never liked the idea of investing VERY heavy into something external that could as well be stolen as was pretty much not replaceable ingame. Not the practice of a nice GM, but when making a char I pref to take a look at such an angle as well. |
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Aug 24 2005, 11:10 AM
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#89
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
the real problem with the old rigger was that the entry level VCR where to costly. i could understand having the VCR3 be a close to military kind of gear but the VCR1? that should be within reach of any hotrod-driving ganger that want that extra edge while cruising the I's at night ;)
and this can now happen with the new modularity of the rigger gear. a teen ganger with a interest in hotrods may well go hot or cold sim while trying to save up the cash to get a control rig to realy get that edge :cyber: im guessing that future books may well contrain new boosters to said control rig to give a even bigger edge ;) whats the cost of a control rig in terms of essence btw? |
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Aug 24 2005, 11:27 AM
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#90
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The King In Yellow Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 6,922 Joined: 26-February 05 From: JWD Member No.: 7,121 |
.5, it's been mentioned above.
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Aug 24 2005, 11:43 AM
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#91
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
oops, missed it or forgot about it i guess. or maybe i was just lazy ;)
hmm, that allows a sammie to sideline as a getaway driver :cyber: |
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Aug 24 2005, 01:09 PM
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#92
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Target Group: Members Posts: 52 Joined: 16-August 05 From: Stuttgart, Germany Member No.: 7,559 |
It was very hard to be a hybrid rigger before and I like that its viable (possibly) so now, still giving the hard core riggers enough room to shine.
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Aug 24 2005, 03:09 PM
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#93
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 338 Joined: 17-September 04 From: Pueblo Sector of Denver Member No.: 6,672 |
This allows for the conjuror to have a combination spirit/done army! :D |
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Aug 24 2005, 03:23 PM
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#94
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Hoppelhäschen 5000 Group: Members Posts: 5,807 Joined: 3-January 04 Member No.: 5,951 |
Well, that was perfectly possible even in SR3 - captains chair only required trodes. ;)
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Aug 24 2005, 03:28 PM
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#95
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 338 Joined: 17-September 04 From: Pueblo Sector of Denver Member No.: 6,672 |
So is it feasible for a technomancer to be in VR, or are the best technomancers stuck in AR due to the essence cost?
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Aug 24 2005, 05:53 PM
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#96
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Karma Police Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 1,358 Joined: 22-July 04 From: Gothenburg, SE Member No.: 6,505 |
I would be very surprised if technomancers could not go full vr without ware. I´ve seen the allegory be made that a technomancer doing ar is like a mage doing astral perception.. I for one think that technomancers are able to virtually project as well as perceve.
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Aug 24 2005, 05:58 PM
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#97
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,718 Joined: 14-September 02 Member No.: 3,263 |
They always could, the difference is now the odds are better that they succeed than wrap the getaway car around the front of a semi. ;) |
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Aug 24 2005, 06:00 PM
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#98
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Mr. Johnson Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,587 Joined: 25-January 05 From: Berkeley, CA Member No.: 7,014 |
Technomancers can go full VR (in fact, they prefer this, according to the book). Technomancers are always considered as being in hot-sim VR, and cannot do cold-sim VR at all (unless they strap on a commlink and do it "old school").
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Aug 24 2005, 08:20 PM
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#99
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 257 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Los Coronados | San Ysidro CA Member No.: 106 |
The Control Rig is the only device that I see involved, aside from perhaps a Simrig (to achieve full VR). Adds +2 dice to control tests when fully emersed "jumped in" to the vehicle. Does not work for other drones in network that aren't vehicles (pg 331). Please remember that in full VR mode however, the Hacker/Rigger gets additional bonuses. For instance you now use the Matrix Initiative (Response + Intuition) and receive an additional Initiative Pass (total of two now). This is "Cold Sim" btw, which is a mode of VR. "Hot Sim" requires a bit more modding to the Commlink but it gives the following: Intiative is now Response + Intuition + 1 and an extra initiative pass (for a total of three now). +2 Dice to all Matrix Tests (this qualifies to me at least for rigger a vehicle directly). I pulled this from the VR Section (pg 228-229) and "Jumping Into Drones" (pg 239). I am personally of the opinion that it might be possible to "overclock" a Control Rig in a way that Technomancers through Emersion can get the "overclock" initiative boost. This would give yet another initiative pass and bonus to initiative. But that is my opinion.
Actually this was talked about very briefly during the "What's Up with" seminar at Gencon on Saturday (20th). Rob does not want a book like Rigger-2/Rigger-3. He does want to give the ability to mod vehicles, but I don't believe he wants to go into the full-on "Build Your Own from Scratch" argument. While as a player/GM I find this an incredibly limiting viewpoint as a developer I can understand it from the POV of someone who does not want to have to deal with all the bitching/whining that arising from people who have conflicting opinions/perceptions of how the B/R rules worked originally.
I personally do not understand this question. The "AI" rating is the Pilot Rating, which has always been around for drones and was always used to determine how well a particular vehicle/robot (and now Agents) could work their way through a problem. There is still the need for subscriber lists (pg 238) but there seems to be a bit more flexibility with moving drones in/out of a subscriber list in general. Something I always thought was messed up in the old rigger-related rules.
It actually gives the comparison that Technomancers and Hackers who focus on rigger drones and vehicles do exist. (First Sentence under Rigging and Drones pg 238).
I do note that some of this stuff is going to be interesting to see how it plays out under much heavier playing here. |
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Aug 25 2005, 02:26 AM
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#100
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 263 Joined: 18-October 03 From: Cal Free State Member No.: 5,734 |
My question is, what can you do once you've hacked someone's PAN? Can you lock their smartlinked gun so they can't fire it? I mean, what are your options?
Extrapolating, would all the sec guards at a facility be running their smartlinks off of the facility's LAN? So if you hacked the LAN, you could wirelessly kill all the guns in the complex as easily as taking out the sec cameras used to be? It seems like a squad of sec guards would want to have their PANs linked for communication, and if they're all receiving transmission from a central hub... I mean, what are your options, since a lot more things seem to be hooked into the matrix now? |
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