The many old Shadowrun adventures and sourcebooks include, among other thing, outdated (both in terms of in-game history and in terms of game rules) Matrix hosts and systems. So, how do we "Reload" the Matrix?

RTGs should be considered as the routers and mainframes of very large, regional WANs. LTGs could be treated as LANs and/or WANs but are far less relevant than in SR1/SR2/SR3 unless extreme layring is applied for security reasons. The same goes with PLTGs, though these are far more likely to be layered than RTGs and LTGs.

In SR1/SR2, Each Host consisted of a map of Nodes, which had to be accessed in a linear fashion. They should be converted to SR4 networks of wireless nodes as following:
- SANs should be ignored unless the system is mostly isolated and wired (which is rare)
- SPUs should be ignored unless they are specifically labeled as "chokepoints" or similarly, and then the nodes connected to them (I/OPs and SMs) can only be accessed through them; you'd have to establish a wireless link with the chokepoint ("SPU") before connecting to the layered nodes.
- CPUs should remain "CPUs", that is the facility's/building's mainframe/miniframe/server/security hub/data security hub, but usually one cannot shut down the entire network from them. You could also use them as the local LAN.
- I/OP's and SMs are the devices controlled through them i.e. cameras, doors, etc.
- Datastores are file servers and/or personal terminals (terms).

Unless extreme security layring is in place, assume all or most of the nodes to be accessible via wireless link.

Now, on to Ratings:
Response: 75% of the SR1/SR2 node's Security Rating number, rounded up.
Signal: Assign as you see fit, but typically 3 to 6.
Firewall: If an Access or Barrier ICE is present, the base Firewall rating would be 75% of it's rating, rounded up, plus +1 if the ICE is a Barrier if no such ICE is present, use 75% of the Security Rating number, rounded up; add to that a Security Color Modifier:

Now on to SR1/SR2-style ICs (or maybe SR3 too?). First and foremost, their Pilot rating equals 75% of their old "Rating", rounded up; for simplicity sake, assume that their programs are of that rating too, as is their Firewall (as usual).

Access and Barier are discussed in my previous post.

Scrambler: Simply assume that all the files and/or devices in the node are encrypted with a Rating equal to 75% of that of the old IC, rounded up, and add a data bomb of the same rating to each.

Trace and Report: Has the Analyze and Track programs.
Trace and Dump: Has the Analyze, Track, Exploit and Stealth programs, and tries to crash the Hackers system.
Trace and Burn: Has the Analyse, Track, Attack and Armor programs.
Tar Baby: Has the Analyze and Exploit programs, and tries to force the Hacker's system to unload programs.
Tar Pit: Has the Analyze and Exploit programs, and tries to force the Hacker's system to delete programs.
Killer: Has the Analyze and Attack programs.
Blaster: Has the Analyze, Attack and Exploit programs.
Non-Lethal Black ICE: Has the Analyze and Blackout programs.
Lethal Black ICE: Has the Analyze and Black Hammer programs.

An actual SIMPLE conversion scheme that works effectively 99% effectively for past products all the way to first edition. Danke!

[Edit: I can't spell.]

Only one point I disagree with - there would still be RTGs. They'd be somewhat reduced in importance, but they'd still be there.

I agree. I think that there are still regional grids. They are what bounce your signal from point A to point B when you make a call outside your personal signal range. (i.e. the cellular network.)

That's important to remeber because it means that anytime you go to a node outside your personal signal range, the traffic is travelling through the RTG, and therefore anyone on the RTG can try to intercept the signal.

Corrected.

this is AWESOME thanks, always good to be able to play a generational campaign if desired this helps allot.
Shadowrun has a neat story arc going on with what, like 20 years game time Being able to play through "historical" events is boss.
If i'm not ready for matrix 2.0 and don't want to ditch my old characters i don't have to. etc. etc.
If i want to play through maria mercurial or bug city i can. I think the new rules and setting are pretty great but they totaly didn't think about the entire setting.

Maybe in a source book.

Thanks for the wiz conversions chummer. I'm prepping to run a few SR2 adventures for my group, the conversions are much apprieciated. So gracias, domo and thanx.

BTW the adventures are Eye Witness and Dark Angel. We don't really give a damn about universe continuity, mostly 'cause I'm the only one who knows it.

Anyhoo, thanks man.

Thanks, this will make it so much easier to run 1st ed modules for my 4td ed group!

I disagree, Aaron. That approach essentially amounts to relying on the generousity of strangers. From a technical perspective, yes, every device could act as a router for every other device. And if this were a designed network - a bunch of devices in a corporate office, say - that's probably what they'd do. There, you're dealing with a collection of known, friendly devices.

Outside of a controlled environment, though, you can't ASSUME there will be 3rd-party devices in range that are willing to forward your signal. After all, why should they? They don't care whether your call goes through. And of course, if you want a reliable connection, you want to know and trust the node that's forwarding on your data. A pure mesh of peer nodes will be vulnerable to vandalism - all it takes is for someone to claim to be the least-cost route to some distant spot and then throw the data on the floor.

You might end up with some sort of managed peer network, though. Something like current-day celphone service, where part of the deal was that everyone on the service agreed to pass traffic for anyone ELSE on the service. There could be a sort of settlement process, where you get credits for routing other peoples' traffic, with the credits reducing your fee for the month.

Well I guess my question would be why would the Megas set up a system that they basically couldn't even pretend to control? Although I won't pretend to be a network wiz or anything and may just be showing off my ingonace in this matter, but if I'm understanding the way you're setting up the system then Commlink A is bouncing off clothes, RFID Tags, other commlinks, ect in order to access the 'Trix, and all you need to play is a commlink with enough power to reach out and touch someone...

In a world where big brother is watching and all powerful corperations seek to rule the virtual landscape it doesn't really make sense to me anyways to set things up that way. Well plus I don't agree that your shirt is going to have a signal greater then 1, or that people would allow their commlinks to be used as automatic routers without getting something in return. (Plus I don't buy the argument that you can always count on hitting ad-hoc routers in order to go where you want to go.)

Besides, the book itself mentions Public Access Wi-Fi Routers having a range of 10 km just like cell phone towers, with that short of range they can't have been meant for long distance traffic so given the fact that bandwidth is appearently not a huge concern I'd imagine that for cities and towns at least, you get access to the Matrix through your ISP which in turn 'buys' access to a city's Wi-Fi Routers. (After all given what we know about the Megas, why would they settle on a system where they only got to sell data, when they could charge an access fee and then sell the data as cream.)

Ok, I've reread the Welcome to the Machine and I've come away convinced that we must have two completely different books. About the closest I can find reguarding ad-hoc networks is the ability to link up with your friend's PAN in order to comunicate with them, in fact the way I read the bit about going to the mall you have to first subscribe to their network if you even want your commlink to even aknowledge the mall's existance.

When I move on to page 206 under the section entitled Matrix Topology it does talk about the wireless MESH network that is made up of PANs and other wireless devices, *BUT* it also explictaly talks about "hardwired base stations to the local Matrix infrastucture" which is in turn wired into local telecommunication grids. And it is the linking of those grids which forms the backbone of the Matrix.

And then the way that I read the PAN Modes section on page 211 Active Mode is the only one which other nodes can even access your PAN at all without your premission. In Passive Mode although your PAN does show up as an active network, only pre-authorized nodes can actually access you, and I for one have a very hard time believing that if the Matrix was supposed to be an ad-hoc network of various PANs that Hidden Mode would even be an option without somehow altering your commlink.

And in my opinion more evidence can be found on page 212 in the Linking and Subscribing section, where it talks about just because you have a wireless device(s), like the streetlamps, cars, and PANs you mentioned doesn't mean that they will actually talk to one another unless you tell them to. And given the fairly hard limit to the number of Nodes your commlink can even talk to at once, if my link were automaticaly using one or more as a wireless router then why isn't it mentioned? Because I'd bet that while on a Shadowrun and in Hidden Mode that extra subscribtion slot(s) might come in handy and I'd most definently wouldn't want corp security to use my commlink as an automatic router unless I was tapping into their conversations on purpose.

As for the rest of your post, well, given the way that I read your "hymnal" it's not relavent, there is still in use a hardwired Matrix infrastucture and wires are still the backbone of the 'Trix, not an ad-hoc network based off a "social contract" in a world that is supposed to be a dystopia.

Well even based off the wiki links I still disagree albeit a little more informedly , because the way I see things, the local Matrix infrastructure which we know does exist per RAW would basically equate a combination of dedicated wireless routers and the station(s) where they convert into wires and are connected to the regional/global infrastructure that we also know does exist per RAW.

So basically when Joe Street-Sam logs into the Matrix and browses a Hong-Kong node for a listing of local whorehouses, a simplifed version of his datatrail might look something like this...

(Joe's) Commlink ==> (Joe's) Apartment Terminal ==> (Joe's) District MAN ==> (ISP) District MAN ==> ISP Node ==> (ISP) District MAN ==> WAN ==> (Hong Kong) District MAN ==> (Hong Kong) Node

However, provided that the commcode Joe's buddy Frank Mage gave him for the Node in question is correct then Joe probably isn't even aware of the route his datatrail took as he enters the stylized palor and starts bringing up 3D pictures of the girls and notes their prices.

Whereas when Frank fires off a quick call advising which girls to pick up the trail might look like this.

(Frank's) Commlink ==> (Frank's) Apartment Terminal ==> (Frank's) District MAN ==> (Frank's ISP) District MAN ==> (Frank's) ISP Node ==> (Frank's ISP) District MAN ==> (Joe's ISP) District MAN ==> (Joe's) ISP Node ==> (Joe's ISP) District MAN ==> (Joe's) District MAN ==> (Joe's) Apartment Terminal ==> (Joe's) Commlink

However once again Frank isn't even aware of the datatrail as his Commlink/ISP handles it all for him.

Now under your stance of an ad-hoc network how would it work, and what exactly do you consider the Matrix infrastructure mentioned in RAW to be then?

*Edit*

If your datatrail model is accurate, why are the rules for intercepting traffic so restrictive?

Your datatrail for Joe and his buddy Frank makes sense from a modern standpoint. In The Future, though, the apartment terminal, the district MAN (which isn't a node, but a network, incidentally), the ISP node, et alia just aren't necessary. In 2070, each chunk of data sent back and forth would travel through a bunch of different routes, hopping from device to device, then through say half a dozen uplinks, over to Hong Kong, where it would travel through a bunch of different routes, hopping from device to device.

Incidentally, I'm not sure whether I'm conveying this well enough. When Spring Break is over, I'll try to remember to glance through my lesson plans and see if I can find anything that might be adaptable.

The beautiful thing about every device being a router is that you don't need an infrastructure, or rather the population of devices is its own infrastructure. Sure, you still need something to propagate signal through sparsely populated or unpopulated areas, but that's the next bit:

You see, here is where I think we are getting stymied, I've read the bit about the WMI in the core book, ect, but appearently we have gotten two very different ideas on how extintsive the changes were. You read RAW coming from the view-point that it really was a nearly complete changeover where-as I read RAW from the view-point that for the most part only the surface levels were changed and that the completely new and shiny feel is only true when viewed from the prespective of an average user.

So I'm not going to try to argue with you how a wireless ad-hoc MESH network might or might not work in Real Life, but according to RAW the 2070 Wireless Matrix does require local hardwired infrastructure even in a city, so based off the way I read your descriptions of how a true ad-hoc network would work the Matrix 2.0 simply can't be set up that way.

We also know that in the very least there are Matrix Server Providers, although RAW isn't totally clear whether all they do is provide you with your Commcode and an email drop-box or if they are actually necessary to browse the Matrix. Given the choosen name, I tend to lean towards the latter, with the exception of course Nodes which you are close enough to connect with directly. And according to RAW most people do pay for such services which I would assume is part of Lifestyle, but there are free albeit unreliable Matrix Service Providers out there as well for those with Squater or Street Lifestyles.

We also know that commcalls can and do pass through multiple wired Matrix Nodes and that in order to intercept them you just need to have access to any one of the Nodes in the path, and that these taps are detectable abeit difficultly. You only need to be close to the commlink if you are intercepting the wireless signal before it gets transfered into the Matrix itself, otherwise if you could securely send commcalls through an ad-hoc wireless network and only worry about people evesdropping on you within your link's signal rating why would you do anything else? So I say that the rules for intercepting Matrix Traffic aren't really that restrictive and support my way of viewing the Matrix 2.0.

And we also know you can direct your traffic through black 'anomymizer nodes' whoes sole purpose is to confuse traces, ect...

And speaking of Traces, if virtually the entire Matrix is no longer wired in lue of an ad-hoc wireless network why does RAW make such an effort to point out the effects of intercepting commcalls through wired Nodes, or tracing the Datatrail to a wired node? In fact, how exactly would a trace through an ad-hoc network work as the nodes involved would be constantly moving and changing in and out of each other's Signal Rating so the same pathway(s) most likely don't even exist anymore.

As for technomancers getting Matrix Access, well with the exception of the Nodes that happen to be close enough for them to hit directly via wireless, they would have to pay an Matrix Service Provider for a commcode. I don't remember if this was in the FAQ or if it appeared as a post, but I seem to recall one of the designers saying that Technomancers would do well to have a working commlink, if for nothing else then storage for IDs, commcodes, ect... (That is of course assuming that my aging memory isn't failing me, so be forewarned.)

Ravor, could you give some page numbers for your assertions in your last post, please? Some consider it rude to make other people do your research for you.

Sure, no problem...

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...but according to RAW the 2070 Wireless Matrix does require local hardwired infrastructure even in a city...

Thanks.

Thank you for breaking the rudeness barrier. It lets me do this:

Next time I'll have to remember that getting heated in my discussions allows you to feel free to ignore relevant points. So, I'll apologize for getting heated but leave you with this, taken by itself RAW still supports my agrument that ad-hoc networks aren't the way of the Matrix 2.0 whether they would make more sense or not.

Oh and thanks for the offer of a drink, but I can never get away from work and family long enough to attend CONs so I'll have to take a raincheck.