Help - Search - Members - Calendar
Full Version: House rules: Nodes
Dumpshock Forums > Discussion > Shadowrun
cetiah

Okay, everytime any topics of the Matrix pop up there seem to be two required topics that have to be addressed first: subscription and nodes. There's a few rules on when and how to use nodes, but it's not entirely clear where one node ends and another begins.

My initial evaluation of the Wireless World chapter led me to believe that anything with a System rating created an independant Node. This became further complicated, though, when I realized that all devices had a System rating eqaul to their Device Rating. It was especially annoying in the case of drones with Pilots (that act as Systems)... do they create their own node? I had initially assumed so, and my rigger turned out weird... he had to buy programs, IC, and a Firewall rating for each drone. I still have a little difficulty with the practicalities (or lack thereof) of giving a Signal rating to each drone.

There have further been discussions on tiering systems (lowercase 's') in a corporate IT network and users tiering their own commlinks. Even if this was possible, it's a pain when you actually go to make these things useable by installing programs and firewalls and determining subscriptions and agent locations and response times.

So, I don't think it's actually a rule, but I've decided that most devices that have a System or Pilot (i.e., most electronic devices) are CAPABLE to establishing a Node, but usually don't in their default modes.

For example, a car left completely on its own with its own computer system plugging away at its mapsofts constitutes its own Node.

However, the moment a character gets into his car (assuming he's the authorized user), tries to communicate with it in anyway, or maybe just gets within an appropriate range of the car, here's what happens...

Assuming the user is operating in open mode with an active matrix subscription, or the user has the car subscribed, the car's node requests access.

This is interpreted by an icon appearing on the user's AR. The user can analyze the icon and discern information about the icon, where its from, what its trying to do, etc. In this case, the car is requesting its node to be assimilated into the user's Personal Area Network (Node). At this point, interaction with the icon is minimal, but you can still percieve it and communicate with it - the icon is in its own node, but also existing on the Matrix. You can percieve it on the matrix, until you authorize it to come into your Node. Once authorized, the icon enters the user's Node and is now an active part of that node. The car has access to the user's programs, agents, and commlink attributes (including Response and System) and uses these things instead of the car's own installed hardware/software.

For the player's own items, this is all assumed to happen automatically. We can further assume that this has tons of miscalleanous AR convinience as described in the Shadowrun fluff, that we just really can't stat (and I'm still trying to train my brain to comprehend it and it's many uses). All the items are communicating with each other over the PAN, and consequently, the items react to you as conviniently as possible. (Perhaps the cars doors open automatically, it starts itself, and adjust to your favorite subscribed radio stations, for example.)

A Node can assimilate any smaller node within its Signal range. It can establish any two-way communication within its signal range. Rather than representing raw broadcasting power, Signal also represents antenna access and relay subscriptions in the mesh Matrix. (Thus a character with a Signal 2 might have 10,000 relays it can potentially route its signals to, while a Signal 3 might have 25,000 relays.) Two-way communication uses the higher of the two signal ratings, assuming the higher signal rating device is authorizing the communication. Thus, wireless signals represent less of the server-router-bouncer-hub wireless connections of today, and more of the series of interconnected relays used to route long distance calls. You don't need a long-distance service subscription to recieve phone calls if someone else has a relay network (long distance service) they can use to speak to you.

Anyway, a Node can assimilate any smaller node within its Signal range. The virtual "size categories" are device --> cyberwear --> vehicle --> Commlink (or Technomancer brain). There may possibly be larger categories of items that corporate security firms can use to provide protection and communication for all employees within a building or city grid, but that's open to interpretation on a case-by-case basis.

I'm thinking of making a device for hackers that will allow them to establish all the commlinks of their team on a single central commlink (so that they can all use the same Firewall and programs of the hacker). On the guidelines outlined above, without such a device, a commlink can not asssimilate the node of another commlink because they are the same size.

Signal ratings are an exception to the "use the attributes of the node" rule, as the Signal rating of the Node is assumed to be equal to the best Signal rating of any device within the Node. So, if your car has a satellite uplink, you effectively do to. In fact, you could just leave the satellite uplink at home on top of the 'fridge. So long as within its range, you're all on one super node.

Anything on the same node does not need subscriptions to communicate with each other. Nothing can exist on two or more nodes simultaneously, but your icon can still access and communicate with other nodes without leaving their node. Cybercombat and many hacking actions don't require icons to be in the same node, so long as they can send traffic from one node to another.

Did I miss anything?




DireRadiant
Much too complicated for me.

I just think of a "Node" as the AR or VR construct for a real device.

Yes, in reality there may be hundreds of thousands (Nay, Billions!) of autonomous processors and systems involved, but in the end, when interacting and manipulating the device there is a single interface to "work" with it. That's the "Node". It's what I use my skill with.

Just think about what I am doing right now as I type on this keyboard that sends signals down a wire to a cpu which talks to memory which talks to cpu, which talks to a network card and a video driver, which talks through a computer network, to other computers and then to other networks and then to the computer that hosts thsi web site, which talks to a database which then stores some stuff on disk and bazillions of other steps to numerous and complicated to really think about.

But at the end fo the day, all I'm doing is typing some stuff, hitting "Add Reply" and voila, people get mad at me and spend hours figuring out how to complicate things unnecassarily anyway.
Serbitar
I define a node as the entity to which you log on. As long as you do not have to enter another password (or is done automatically for you) you are in the same node.

Furthermore I have to agree with DireRadiant that the above mechanisms seem a little complicated. Thhis what is discribed as "being assimilated" wcan also be discribed as a simple communication between the node, or, in another picture, the persona run by the commlink node entering the node it is interacting with.

Do not forget: In the matrix you are, where you interact. Thus a an AR user interacting with the vehicle is actually in the vehicles node (though it is not displayed in AR) and he could even be attacked by another AR user or VR user.
RunnerPaul
The definitions in the Matrix Jargon sidebar in the core rulebook say that a node is "Any device or network that can be accessed". Devices are "Individual electronics that are connected to the Matrix" and networks are "Interacting groups of computerized devices".

So since a node can either be an individual device, or it can be a group of devices interacting, the only way to tell when to treat a set of connected devices as a single node and when to treat them all as separate nodes is, like Serbitar has pointed out, by going to the other portion of the definition: access. If the same accounts are defined on all the networked devices, and you only have to enter your password once to legitimately access any portion of the network, it's a single node. If one device has accounts that don't exist on the other devices on the network, or if any device requires you to enter a password again to specifically access it, then that device must be handled as a separate node.

Of course, this raises the question of how to determine the matrix attributes of a node that's made up of devices that all have different matrix attributes of their own. The core rulebook doesn't have anything to say on the matter. I spelled out my methodology in this thread. Other GMs have a simpler, more direct solution of just merely assigning a set of "effective" matrix attributes on a case-by-case basis.
hobgoblin
as long as both ends of a call (or similar connection) is within a urbanized area, forget about signal range.

and as serbitar points out (wtf?), the assimilation part can just be described as the persona entering the node of the car.

given that you can be present in response X 2 nodes at the same time. that should not be a problem at all.

most likely you would have a list or similar of nodes your in. kinda like the task bar in windows. or better yet the tab bar in firefox. while your in the car node it can present you with a kind of portal "page" that gives you driving aids. or if your using VR it would basically take over your senses if the car is equipped for rigging.

hmm, i would hate to have my persona get attacked while doing rigging. dropping in and out of rigging mode to defend oneself could get really messy...
Serbitar
QUOTE (hobgoblin)

and as serbitar points out (wtf?), the assimilation part can just be described as the persona entering the node of the car.

Damn, seems like I have to change my mind to stay in opposition.
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.
Dumpshock Forums © 2001-2012