So, I'm making a decker for a SR3 game. This is news only in that I've never played a decker before. So, understandably, I'm going to need a bit of help with the particulars.
In your collective experience, what are the utilities you need to be successful? What are the utilities that you need to be even remotely effective, and what utilities are optional?
Full Version: What to Get For the Decker that Wants Everything..
Buy an orichilum-coated Cyberdeck. 
Heh, let's see... It depends. Can you get your group to adopt Kagentenshi's revision? If not, I think you're boned, because you need damn-near all of them.
Heh, let's see... It depends. Can you get your group to adopt Kagentenshi's revision? If not, I think you're boned, because you need damn-near all of them.
and don't forget, in sr3, you don't NEED 6's in every utility, since they reduce the tn of the test, 3-4's will generally suffice. and since a high rating=higher sizes, that can be useful.
Sadly enough, there is exactly 0% of using the revision. And as much fun as it might be playing a mage with a cyberdeck weapon focus, I play way too many magically active characters. I'm trying to do something new here for once.
So, maybe I ought to rephrase the question. If you, as a decker, could only pick five utilities, what would they be? Ten? Twenty?
So, maybe I ought to rephrase the question. If you, as a decker, could only pick five utilities, what would they be? Ten? Twenty?
Only five? I'd pick the following utilities:
Wired Reflexes [2]
Smartgun Link II
Ares Predator III
Ex Explosive Ammo clip x 15
Form-fitting Body Armor
You can't deck with less than ten, which is like the bare minimum.
Wired Reflexes [2]
Smartgun Link II
Ares Predator III
Ex Explosive Ammo clip x 15
Form-fitting Body Armor
You can't deck with less than ten, which is like the bare minimum.
Alright, what would those ten be?
Ummm, let's see...
Stock SR3...
Sleaze. You absoloutely can't do a damn thing without it.
Deception... Hmmm... Bleh, I can't think of more off the top of my head, except a good D-rated attack proggy.
Stock SR3...
Sleaze. You absoloutely can't do a damn thing without it.
Deception... Hmmm... Bleh, I can't think of more off the top of my head, except a good D-rated attack proggy.
Sleaze
Analyze
Sleaze
Browse
Sleaze
Read/Write
Sleaze
Spoof
Sleaze
Deception
Sleaze
Camo
Sleaze
A good Agent core
Validate (probably)
Defuse and that other one for worms and databombs
Medic
Cloak
Decrypt + Encrypt
Satelite link or other wireless util, to go with the proper wireless access device
Everything from the Agent on up you'll want at rating 6; the others you can get awaywith lower.
Oh, and did I mention Sleaze?
Analyze
Sleaze
Browse
Sleaze
Read/Write
Sleaze
Spoof
Sleaze
Deception
Sleaze
Camo
Sleaze
A good Agent core
Validate (probably)
Defuse and that other one for worms and databombs
Medic
Cloak
Decrypt + Encrypt
Satelite link or other wireless util, to go with the proper wireless access device
Everything from the Agent on up you'll want at rating 6; the others you can get awaywith lower.
Oh, and did I mention Sleaze?
I think you forgot about Sleaze.
Well if you really wanted a character that has everything, you can have every utility from both of the books at rating three for a little over a hundred and fifty thousand nuyen. Now of course some of the key programmes like Sleaze and Deception you're going to want at rating six but even if you take some at max and the rest at three, you're still going to have a pretty good selection IMO.
I'll have a think and post with specifics in a bit.
Edit: Does anyone have the links for Peter's 'Idiot's Guide to Decking' since this is going to be his first decker?
I'll have a think and post with specifics in a bit.
Edit: Does anyone have the links for Peter's 'Idiot's Guide to Decking' since this is going to be his first decker?
| QUOTE (FlakJacket) |
| I'll have a think and post with specifics in a bit. Edit: Does anyone have the links for Peter's 'Idiot's Guide to Decking' since this is going to be his first decker? |
Well, i'm not so much looking for a decker with *everything*, just a nice competent decker. As I recall, augmentation's a nobrainer (encephalon 2, math SPU 3, cerebral booster 2, datajack, plus your choice), but the large selection of programs and stuff in SR3 and Matrix are a little overwhelming.
Besides, it's still on the first page (at least for me); it can't be that hard to find 
Well, yes, it is, but the Idiot's Guide to the Matrix is more a thread about how to do matrix runs, not build an effective decker. Apart from the two sample deckers, there wasn't really much in there about what makes a good decker good. At least, not that I saw.
I would go for:
1 being the most important:
1- Sleaze (And with the highest rating you can afford!)
2- Browse
3- Deception
4- Read/Write
5- Attack
Oh... And don't forget "Kuang Eleven 1.0"
1 being the most important:
1- Sleaze (And with the highest rating you can afford!)
2- Browse
3- Deception
4- Read/Write
5- Attack
Oh... And don't forget "Kuang Eleven 1.0"
| QUOTE (JesterX) |
| Oh... And don't forget "Kuang Eleven 1.0" |
Okay, I'll bite. What's this?
It was an anti-AI program in the old novel "Neuromancer" from William Gibson. This program also figure in the computer game of the same name.
Am I the only geek out there?! ^_^
Am I the only geek out there?! ^_^
Military Grade Ice Cutter, courtesy the PLA.
very "User friendly"
very "User friendly"
| QUOTE (JesterX) |
| I would go for: 1 being the most important: 1- Sleaze (And with the highest rating you can afford!) 2- Browse 3- Deception 4- Read/Write 5- Attack Oh... And don't forget "Kuang Eleven 1.0" |
I'm going to have to disagree with you on number 5. Starting deckers generally don't have the chops to go toe-to-toe with decent IC: while they can certainly defeat reasonably tough IC they can't afford the hit to DF to suppress them. Granted you'll want it to fight security deckers, but if it came down to a choice between Attack and a defensive utility I'd go with something that makes me very difficult to damage or find in cybercombat.
Take Spoof over Attack. Your Decker's team is going to want him doing overwatch: watching/faking security feeds, opening doors, killing lights, overriding security measures, etc. For this, you absolutely need Spoof.
| QUOTE (Mr Cjelli) | ||
I'm going to have to disagree with you on number 5. Starting deckers generally don't have the chops to go toe-to-toe with decent IC: while they can certainly defeat reasonably tough IC they can't afford the hit to DF to suppress them. Granted you'll want it to fight security deckers, but if it came down to a choice between Attack and a defensive utility I'd go with something that makes me very difficult to damage or find in cybercombat. Take Spoof over Attack. Your Decker's team is going to want him doing overwatch: watching/faking security feeds, opening doors, killing lights, overriding security measures, etc. For this, you absolutely need Spoof. |
Yep, spoof would be my 6th choice... But Attack is still more important imho.
Let's face that situation:
You accessed the host without too many trouble... but the system got some results raising the tally too... Your sensors picked up a really bugging reactive IC hidding which seems to be a Probe-5... Will you let let that bugger add 5 dices to the system tests everytime you move or will you beat the shit out of it and then, suppress it?
You always have the choice to improvise a quick attack... but having it on hand can be much more reliable...
| QUOTE (JesterX) |
| [QUOTE=Mr Cjelli,Sep 6 2005, 03:20 PM] Yep, spoof would be my 6th choice... But Attack is still more important imho. Let's face that situation: You accessed the host without too many trouble... but the system got some results raising the tally too... Your sensors picked up a really bugging reactive IC hidding which seems to be a Probe-5... Will you let let that bugger add 5 dices to the system tests everytime you move or will you beat the shit out of it and then, suppress it? You always have the choice to improvise a quick attack... but having it on hand can be much more reliable... |
A very good point. Probe and Scout will up your tally regardless of whether you attack them or not. But, I'm not convinced attacking the Probe-5 is the best solution for the neophyte decker.
If you've got DF 7 or higher, you should absolutely blast the sucker. But that would mean having a MCPC of 7 or higher, which may well be out of the range of a starting 400,000 nuyen resource combat decker. In this case, Attack is a godsend.
If you've got a DF of 6, the Probe-5 will score an average of 5/6 successes against you. But if you suppress it, you'll be increasing the number of successes the host and any future probes score against you by 100%, plus every system operation you try now requires double the number of successes.
So, Attack is great for the starting decker when there's a Probe around and your current effective DF is 7 or higher. But Spoof is great period when the team's collective (not just the Decker's) ass is on the line.
Granted, our hypothetical starting decker has 1,000,000 nuyen. So he can afford a higher DF. So I think it's really a matter of preference and play style.
Really good analysis out there! You're right about DF 7 or more. However, a decker with 1,000,000 
at character creation will probably take more than 5 utilities... ^_^ Including Probe and Attack.
Ahhh I will miss those VR2.0/SR3 Decking rules....
at character creation will probably take more than 5 utilities... ^_^ Including Probe and Attack.Ahhh I will miss those VR2.0/SR3 Decking rules....
| QUOTE (SkeevePlowse) |
| So, I'm making a decker for a SR3 game. This is news only in that I've never played a decker before. So, understandably, I'm going to need a bit of help with the particulars. In your collective experience, what are the utilities you need to be successful? What are the utilities that you need to be even remotely effective, and what utilities are optional? |
Sleeze. More sleeze.
Max out your detection factor. Period. Use the rules about 'modes' and allocating dice from hacking pool to increase detection.
Everything else is gravy.
Modes, hacking pool to DF, hacking pool to supress IC. All three of those rules are wonderful tools to the starting (and advanced, for that matter) decker. With those you can score a DF of up to 11-12 at the very beginning; enough to maybe be able to log into an Orange-Easy or Green-Moderate system and maybe even download a file before you get yourself iced.
But my #5 choice is Cloak. With a good rating on that prog you can evade the Probe/Scout IC essentially forever, even with an Evasion of 5-6
But my #5 choice is Cloak. With a good rating on that prog you can evade the Probe/Scout IC essentially forever, even with an Evasion of 5-6
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