I'm still learning SR4, and I'm coming to realize more and more how damn important your comm is in this version.

People have suggested that there are certain bare minimums any runner must have on their comm - anything from encrypt to attack to ECCM.

So I'm asking the community at large for their ideas on the minimum survivable comm.

Right now, my characters tend to pick something with S/R in the 4 range (more or less depending on cash), and then get one of the high end OS - Iris or above.

It's looking like that's not nearly enough, though....

Standard Commlink for Runners:

6/6/6/6
Encrypt
Analyze
rating 6 agent
(analyze, trace, attack, armour, medic)
rating 6 agent
(analyze, trace, attack, armour, medic)
rating 6 agent
(analyze, trace, attack, armour, medic)

Cost:
10.000 + group hacker (which owns and has hacked every programme available)

hmm nice set uo, but...

1) It's not legal at start up

and

2) Even if it was you'can't assume you know the hacker from the strat.

I think the question was what to start with, rather than what to aim for.

I usually go for the Novatech Navi with Iris orb, most of my tech conscious characters try to have two comms, on obvious to run on open mode which I ignore, and one running on hidden to actually use.

My intent was what to buy from the start, yeah. Although both starting and eventual would be handy....

The dual comm setup is so that someone scans you, finds an open comm, then starts monitoring it, finding nothing?

Man. So devious. I like it.

I mostly made chars with only one commlink, rating 3. It's cheap, and it's safe enough, when you remember to not actually store sensitive data on it, or route cyberware through it.

I dislike the massive use of agents. If my players start using that, so will the NPCs.

If the NPCs have the money or the illegal connections for cracked software, of course they will, why shouldnt they?

Runners commlinks are extremely sensitive, as they are a way into the users PAN including the cyberware. And all the communications go over the comlink. I can think of nothing that should be more important to a runner, except his life. commlinks have to be protected at all costs.

So the followup would be "Why"?

Are those agent 4 really going to have any effect on a skilled hacker?

As for cost:

Agent 4 is 10k.
Analyze, Trace and Attack are 4k each at rating 5, 5k at 5.

So your set up is 30k for agents, 36k for their programs, 10k for the commlink programs.

You can't actually buy Firewall at 5k in stock, so it would have to be constructed.

You could get a Transys, with 4/5 for 8k, and then add Novatech Navi at 3/4 for 1.5k.

Or you could build it, for 10k flat at 5/5/5/5 if you GM will let you.

So 86k for that setup, or 18 bp.

Somehow, don't imagine people are paying 86k for commlinks....

I defintely would go the route of picking up a 5/5/5/5 comm to start with. There are also 7 common use programs that I think about everyone should have, so I would pick all of those up at rating 5 as well.

That should really be the basics right there. Go with the cheapest commlink and OS and then just use the upgrade tables to enhance the firewall, system, response and signal.

So, the cheapest comm is 100. Getting each of the ratings up to 5 will cost 10,000 more. Getting the 7 common use programs at rating 5 will cost 3,500...so a total cost of 13,600.

Now, the signal rating might not be as important to have at a 5. A few of my players just pick up the Renraku Sensei for 1,000 (2 response/4 signal) which saves them 100 from the build above, as they leave the signal at 4.

Obviously, you can go above this or below this, and there is always the potential need to buy some hacking programs, which at rating 5 is 5,000 a piece, but just the runner-ready generic comm, I would say 5's across the board and 5's in the 7 common use programs for 13,600 would be the minimum (non-hacker, obviously).

I have yet to have any players purchase agents...

I think agents/IC all depend on the GM...

I'm through about 8 sesssions with my players (bi-weekly campaign) and none of them have been hacked and really, besides some basic tracking/analyzing IC, there hasn't been much contact with that sort of thing in the matrix.

All the player's know that they are vulnerable to attacks, but until I start taking advantage of that, there is no need to spend a ton of money for something they are not going to use.

Again, I think it will all depend on your GM. If s/he is spending a lot of time hacking the PCs comms, then beefing the security up on them is a good idea...if not, I would spend the money and time on other areas. Even though a node doesn't have IC defending them, doesn't mean they are defenseless. A hackers commlink is going to set an alert pretty quickly if someone is in there doing something illegal. And once that happens, the hacker is going to jump into VR and take care of it, or simply shut the commlink off...

I'm not against the use of agents. I don't like it it when someone uses 3, 6 or 10 agents to defend his commlink. But that might be just me .

...I still miss the ol' credstick. So much more secure & you didn't need computer skill to use it.

heck, the credstick can probably run better security than the team hacker's commlink...

though of course, one of the most common houserules i am aware of is that credstick response can only be used for a few limited things (ie, you can't take the OS from a credstick and transplant it to your comm, nor can you do the same with it's response chip... and they are only useful for performing credstick related tasks).

...maybe it's just me, but I look at commlinks vs credsticks in SR as being similar to cash vs plastic in RL today.

With cash transactions, I don't get spam, junk mail, or have to worry about ID theft.

Kind of the same situation with credsticks in SR since it hard coded and you need a stick reader to hack one.

I think Firewall 6 is a major consideration. Nowhere in the rules does it state that Firewall is restricted by System or Response, and you can buy it at chargen for 3000 . I think that unless the person is the team hacker, they just need the common use programs at at least 3 so they would need a commlink with Response and System 3, then just have a hacker contact do datatrail spoofs and such on their comm. Definitely let them know that purchasing the lowest end comm and buying up it's stats is a lot cheaper then getting the off-the-shelf models. I think even custom built comms are even cheaper but don't know.

They are listed as "Common Use" programs in SR4.

And, uh, Grinder wins my contest to find the page number!

Yeah, that's what it was.

Standard Commlinks are listed as coming with some crap pre-installed. Is it really neccessary for the non-Hacker 'runner (or even the average Joe) to load out his link with actual Programs in order to function in day-to-day life?

As an aside, how many people (both as a GM and as a Player) allow their characters' Commlinks to be 'decked out' (pardon the pun ) by a PC or NPC Hacker?

most of my players have a single commlink of the best they can buy (ratings wise). Most of them havent gone hogwild on the programs yet.

My runners have always had a really good one for what they do, then a "burner" one on a fake id. This is the one that I let the corps scan when running a mission. cheap commlink and cheap fake license is the cost of doing business. My guys always throw their "burner" comms/ids away when they think they are caught or potentially caught.

"Bubba Joe Earl" the demolitions guy, would actually blow up the commlinks using plastiq-12 and enough to destroy the unit 10x over. on purpose.

everyone will be different....
dog

You know what?

In SR3 I used to have encrypted transponders so my character's drones had a friend-or-foe identification that was easy to pick up. What I never told the other characters when I handed them out is about the chunk of C-14 embedded inside each one, with a remote detonator. You know, just in case.

I may just have to invest in high rating commlinks with the same setup...

"What are you using? That's crap, won't stop anyone hacking in, use this one."




-karma

With the current wireless networks and cheapass commlinks, I would go for just having 'better than standard' will protect your average runner from wanna-be hackers. Why? cause there's easier targets out there. After all, why would a hacker go after a runner, when rich mr. corpslave might have some interesting information - or at least an real identity to steal.. going after a well protected comm can get you into more trouble that most want.

Seeing as the description lists that the commlinks come as a package OS. As a GM I offer the common programs with a commlink at the system rating.. cause (in my opinion) that's a standard OS. The hacking programs have to be purchased seperately - they are also not available at your local electronics store... meaning that if you want to upgrade your hacking tools later, you need an underground contact.

For my non-tech runners, I actually suggest they run the lowest signal rating possible.. the harder it is to find their commcode the safer they are. Signal rating equals broadcast range, the lower your signal, the closer an opponent has to be to locate their commcode through a random network search. (mind you that also means they sometimes get dropped calls in weak signal areas, but that's life chummer.)

Can a person voluntarily run their Commlink at a lower Signal than they actually have? For example, if Mary Sue Retton has a 'link with a Signal Rating of 4, could she somehow choose to have the 'link run at Signal Rating 2?

Minimum runner programs:

-encryption (not useful by the rules, but cheap and required by gameworld logic). cheap
-sneak? (If thats what it´s called in english) to give hidden mode a meaning.
-basic ICE for anyone not possessing matrix combat. That one needs armor and attack programs.

After the game has started every runner will have every programm at rating 6 availible.

Resoning:

Every SR4 runner group neads a hacker (even morethan it needs a mage).
Every hacker worth his salt will have every programm at 6 from start
Every hacker will crack his programmes
q.e.d.

And, as most runners have already paid for ~3 months lifestyle, thier first run together should net every member of the team some 6 across the board commlinks and a lvl 6 agent.

As a non-Hacker PC, exactly what do I want an Agent doing on my Commlink? What's neccessary, and what's gravy?

Agetns, when loaded up with the appropriate programs are IC. As any hacker can gain access to your commlink, basically at will, you need more active defenses (the agents) which will hopefully kick him out before he gets too far. Having firewall 6 just keeps the riff-raf out.

Yeah, I gather that much. My question was more towards specific program needs within the Agents themselves. For example, how many Agents do I, Average Joe McSammy need, and what should be loaded into them? Am I cool with just Analyze and Attack, or do I need a whole spectrum?

The programs are cheap/free once you get a rating 6 agent, probably: analyze, trace, attack, armor, erm dunno about the last one.

yes.

Though you will have to worry about the following:
Is your hacker friend loyal? He could have modified the programmes a little and couild use them to easily get admin access to your comlink and trace everything you do and such.

Be sure you can trust your hacker. He can own you more than any mage could.

Well, your mage buddy could have control thoughts, influence, and alter memory... For all you know your memory of watchin the big game last night could have just been hacked in, what really happed is that you got used as bondage furniture for those 4 hours.

Who says Phycotropic (sp?) IC couldnt do the same thing? You just have to knock out someone, throw some trodes on their head and have at it. Hell, you can inflict permanent changes in their brain.