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SleepIncarnate
Hey all, I know a lot of people hate TM's, but a lot of us love em too, but one of their biggest problems is that they're so limited at character creation. With the Logic x2 rule for CF's, they can start with at most 12, but most will go with 8-10, so what in everyone's opinions are the top 10 or 12 CF's that every TM should start with, in order of priority, and which ones they should just leave to their sprites or buy as progs on a commlink until they get karma? If you think hacker and rigger TM's should have different ones, then say so and list them.
Summerstorm
Hm...

1: Stealth, Exploit, Decrypt - so you can be wherever you want

All other you can just sent sprites to do or thread *g*.
Mäx
QUOTE (SleepIncarnate @ Sep 22 2010, 01:22 PM) *
Hey all, I know a lot of people hate TM's, but a lot of us love em too, but one of their biggest problems is that they're so limited at character creation. With the Logic x2 rule for CF's, they can start with at most 12

Actually they can get as many as 22, max starting Logic for a TM is 11(mundanes can get to 12).
But that wont really be a viable character. smile.gif
Karoline
Lets see... Stealth and analyze are your top two programs. Without stealth you can't enter a hostile system without being quickly found out, and without analyze, you are literally blind on the matrix.

After that I'd say exploit for getting into systems. If you really wanted you could get in with sprites, but time can be a big factor, and that adds several IPs to the break in time.

Lets see. Then shield is important for not getting hit in combat.

After that it kind of depends on what you want to do. Browse can often be left to sprites in hostile systems, and commlinks when you are searching the entire 'trix.

An attack program is potentially important unless you have a tank sprite, and even then it is nice to have extra firepower when you need it.

Oh, nearly forgot scan. You can't hack into a node if you can't find it, and you can't find it without scan. You could maybe use a commlink for this, but that could add some time as you go back and forth.

Decrypt and disarm are good, because alot of data is protected, edit is important for keeping yourself out of the logs and has some rather important applications. Okay, lets see if I can list all programs in personal preference order.

Analyze
Stealth
Exploit
Shield
Scan
Attack (If you have tank/paladin drop bellow defuse)
Spoof (If you're using unwired, otherwise drop it below edit)
Decrypt
Defuse
Edit
Armor
Black Hammer/Blackout
Nuke
Command
Sniffer
Browse
Track
Encrypt
Data Bomb
Medic

Might vary somewhat based on a TM's exact style, but the first five in particular are highly important.
SleepIncarnate
I see that not only did you leave out the Armor CF there, but you actually rated Medic higher than it (which is pretty useless for a TM unless they wanna heal their sprites or others).
Karoline
QUOTE (SleepIncarnate @ Sep 22 2010, 03:41 PM) *
I see that not only did you leave out the Armor CF there, but you actually rated Medic higher than it (which is pretty useless for a TM unless they wanna heal their sprites or others).

Oops, figured I'd forget something. I suppose it'd go right in there just before the Black stuff. TMs should be focusing more on not getting hit in the first place than in soaking a hit, so it doesn't get a great rating from me. All the more so because if a TM works at it some, they can become near immortal on the matrix.

Threaded stealth so they are near impossible to find, and when they do get found, threaded shielding to be impossible to hit.

If you're real worried you could put it a bit higher, but it doesn't make it into the top five for me.
SleepIncarnate
Nope, but it does just barely make it into the top 10. Why are track and encrypt so low? I can see track I guess, same as browse (have sprites do it), but encrypt not so sure. According to Unwired, you need it to have encrypted Matrix communication that others can't pick up as easily (it's in the fluff), so I'd imagine that as something every runner wants.
Karoline
The reason it is so low is because you can use a commlink to encrypt a file, and you can run your communications through a commlink and have it encrypt said communications. The main time you need a CF over a program is when it has to be done in a hostile node. Rarely do you have to encrypt something while inside a node that you don't control. It might pop up every once and a while, but that is what threading and sprites is for.
SleepIncarnate
Where does Attack fall in that list? Black IC won't work on sprites, agents, etc so you need an Attack as well. You mentioned it in your whole big important ones, but not in your list Guessing it's in your top 5 along with Shield?
X-Kalibur
Seeing as we're already using Unwired in here with Shield being mentioned, I'm going to nominate Nuke over Attack. After you're done nuking them you can thread attack if need be (or black <x>)
Karoline
QUOTE (SleepIncarnate @ Sep 22 2010, 04:07 PM) *
Where does Attack fall in that list? Black IC won't work on sprites, agents, etc so you need an Attack as well. You mentioned it in your whole big important ones, but not in your list Guessing it's in your top 5 along with Shield?

Yeash, I even opened my book to make sure I caught all the programs nyahnyah.gif

Guess I'm going senile or blind at the ripe old age of 22.

It doesn't quite make the top five though. Just misses it at 6th place, largely because depending on how you build your TM, you might be better off just doing what you're doing while shield causes all attacks on you to miss, and just hurry up and get out of there. It is however a more subjective one. It is for instance slightly less important if you have a tank or paladin sprite who can either fight for you or make it so you don't need to fight. If you've got them, I'd say drop it just below defuse.

@X-Kalibur: The biggest reason I wouldn't take nuke over attack is it doesn't work on other TMs. They aren't a common opponent, but fighting another TM can be very difficult if you've been investing in nuke instead of attack. Otherwise, you're right, nuke is fairly handy, because even with a handful of hits, you lower all their program ratings, and can quickly make them into a non-threat.

Edit: Alright, adjusted my list again smile.gif
SleepIncarnate
Let's not forget all the nice program options you can load up on an attack CF.... Area, Armor Piercing, Rust, Shredder, Targetting......
Karoline
QUOTE (SleepIncarnate @ Sep 22 2010, 04:39 PM) *
Let's not forget all the nice program options you can load up on an attack CF.... Area, Armor Piercing, Rust, Shredder, Targetting......

You can load those onto blackout/hammer and nuke too.
SleepIncarnate
Except for Shredder, it's for attack only (specifically used for crash tests).
Karoline
QUOTE
targeting
Program Types: Hacking (Combat programs only)
The Targeting option enables an offensive cybercombat pro-
gram to zero in on a target and pinpoint its weaknesses, providing
a +2 dice pool bonus on Matrix Attack Tests.

I see nowhere that it says it only works on the Attack program.
SleepIncarnate
You're looking at targeting. Look at shredder.

QUOTE
Shredder
Program Types: Hacking (Attack programs only)
The Shredder option enables the Attack program to more
effectively subvert code that stabilizes a program or OS. Apply a
+2 dice pool modifier for all Crash Tests.
Karoline
Ah, I was misreading what you wrote. I thought you meant that everything except for Shredder only worked on Attack.
SleepIncarnate
Let's throw in an odd loop and ask then the top 10 echoes as well. I know a lot of people would say overclocking and its advanced form, but what about biowires and the meatspace IP ones? Or swap, or sprite link, or any of the "boost your firewall/system/signal/etc" echoes?
jakephillips
QUOTE (Karoline @ Sep 22 2010, 08:23 AM) *
Lets see... Stealth and analyze are your top two programs. Without stealth you can't enter a hostile system without being quickly found out, and without analyze, you are literally blind on the matrix.

After that I'd say exploit for getting into systems. If you really wanted you could get in with sprites, but time can be a big factor, and that adds several IPs to the break in time.

Lets see. Then shield is important for not getting hit in combat.

After that it kind of depends on what you want to do. Browse can often be left to sprites in hostile systems, and commlinks when you are searching the entire 'trix.

An attack program is potentially important unless you have a tank sprite, and even then it is nice to have extra firepower when you need it.

Oh, nearly forgot scan. You can't hack into a node if you can't find it, and you can't find it without scan. You could maybe use a commlink for this, but that could add some time as you go back and forth.

Decrypt and disarm are good, because alot of data is protected, edit is important for keeping yourself out of the logs and has some rather important applications. Okay, lets see if I can list all programs in personal preference order.

Analyze
Stealth
Exploit
Shield
Scan
Attack (If you have tank/paladin drop bellow defuse)
Spoof (If you're using unwired, otherwise drop it below edit)
Decrypt
Defuse
Edit
Armor
Black Hammer/Blackout
Nuke
Command
Sniffer
Browse
Track
Encrypt
Data Bomb
Medic

Might vary somewhat based on a TM's exact style, but the first five in particular are highly important.

Why does it matter if you are using unwired?
Dumori
touch link, swap, overclockingx2 are my top 4 the biowires/meat IPs ones are nice but but nor as nice as hacking by touch making any tech restraines useless as well as most doors openable is always usefull.

Karoline
QUOTE (jakephillips @ Sep 22 2010, 07:03 PM) *
Why does it matter if you are using unwired?

It matters because with just the core book, spoof has a single use. Unwired introduced about a half dozen new uses for spoof.

I'll have to think about Echos.
Karoline
Well, here is my list
[ Spoiler ]

The problem is that Echos are far more subjective based on what kind of TM you are. Every TM is going to need certain CFs, but the Echos allow for a much greater degree of specialization. Immersion for example got a fairly low rating, not because it is bad, but because only a dronomancer is going to get any real benefit from it. Any other TM is just going to use command. The bottom two however, got low ratings because they truly deserved them. Amplification is pointless, you rarely have to worry about what your signal is thanks to the way the matrix works, and even if you are worried about it, just grab a cheap commlink and stick a good signal in it. Similarly with ECM, there is no real reason for a TM to bother becoming a living jammer when a technological jammer works several times better and is absurdly cheaper. Now, I could see an interesting plot with a TM with 12+ submersion grades and that Echo crashing an entire city or something like that, but it just really isn't going to pay off for any character with less than double digits in their submersion grade.

And yes, Macro claims the top spot for me. The extra response and IP from Overclocking is nice, but Macro doubles the number of complex actions you can take in an IP (and thus a combat turn) for a paltry -2 penalty. And yes, I know I put Mesh Reality higher than its prereq Echo. The position multiprocessing gets is one it holds on its own, without consideration for it being a gateway for Mesh Reality.

P.S. The reason that Coenesthesia, Blur, and Flexible Touch got such low ratings was less because of their own ability, and more because of the general rarity of TMs, and especially of using things like resonance fingerprints, at least in the games I've played in.
Smokeskin
Be aware that if you're delegating tasks to sprites, most of the time you can only uses sprites with Stealth. Without stealth, anything running Analyze will spot your sprite easily and sound an alarm.
SleepIncarnate
QUOTE (Smokeskin @ Sep 23 2010, 01:43 AM) *
Be aware that if you're delegating tasks to sprites, most of the time you can only uses sprites with Stealth. Without stealth, anything running Analyze will spot your sprite easily and sound an alarm.


Guess it's a good thing then that every sprite either already has stealth or is designed for times when stealth is either unnecessary (such as data searches, use of knowsofts or lingusofts, controlling one of your drones, etc) or out of the question (combat).
Smokeskin
So you never hack into a node and want to browse or command? Of course you do. When you pick sprites, you can't rely on the Stealth-less ones to assist you on hacks, and it would really suck to have some essential programs not covered by a CF or stealthed sprite. Needing powers from two different sprites to have the essentials covered also gives some hassle.

You might even want a combat sprite ready to fight at any time, rather than having to compile it first before it can help. You don't have that option with Tank and Paladin.
SleepIncarnate
Data sprites can get stealth as an optional CF, so browsing while hacked into a node is easy. And every stream gets data sprites. As for command, can always thread if you don't have it. And why compile a combat sprite when the shit hits the fan when you can prepare one in advance by either compiling and dismissing it, or have one registered. It's a simple action to call one as opposed to the complex action to compile one, and then use your other simple action to command it. And a smart TM will have a high stealth CF and have mute on their exploit CF so they're going to be hard to detect and if they are detected, half the time they'll know in advance that they set off alarms. The fact of the matter is that a TM really wants EVERY CF in the long run, but they can only start with so many unless the GM waives that rule, so they need to prioritize.

Edit: Just checked Unwired, and sleuth sprites start with stealth and browse, and can pick up command as an optional CF, so yeah, can basically rely on sprites for just about everything. Fault sprites have stealth and are the default combat sprites, you don't pull out paladin/tank sprites unless combat is a guaranteed situation.
Karoline
QUOTE (SleepIncarnate @ Sep 23 2010, 04:15 AM) *
The fact of the matter is that a TM really wants EVERY CF in the long run, but they can only start with so many unless the GM waives that rule, so they need to prioritize.

And even if the GM did waive that rule, it would be hard to gather up that many BP without gimping your character in other areas.
sabs
Stealth
Exploit
Edit
Browse
Analyze
Decrypt
Disarm
would be my absolutely must haves
SleepIncarnate
QUOTE (Karoline @ Sep 23 2010, 07:31 AM) *
And even if the GM did waive that rule, it would be hard to gather up that many BP without gimping your character in other areas.


Which raises the question, what advantages does a starting TM have over a starting mundane or adept hacker/rigger? Sprites and threading are the only things that come to mind. The shield CF too, I suppose.
Jaid
QUOTE (SleepIncarnate @ Sep 27 2010, 09:19 PM) *
Which raises the question, what advantages does a starting TM have over a starting mundane or adept hacker/rigger? Sprites and threading are the only things that come to mind. The shield CF too, I suppose.

you need more reason than that?

(there are in fact a few minor ones... you're resistant to hacking, for example, +2 matrix perception for another, unlimited active programs for a third)

but ultimately, sprites and threading are really quite frighteningly powerful, if you use them well. threading program options can be particularly interesting... like on-the-fly psychotropic options for your black programs. you can, essentially on a whim, inflict just about any phobia or mania you wish on the target (or an addiction, or a number of other ridiculously life-altering qualities). with threading, you can nearly duplicate the full possible effects of a PAB machine whenever you feel like it. only instead of taking a long time, it takes less than 3 seconds to use. and instead of a large, bulky machine, you can do it with a spare trode net, commlink, and sim module.

and of course, there's the ever-popular rating 18 command program to control drones, or the rating 18 stealth so that you are nearly undetectable, or the rating 18 attack program (or blackout/black hammer/etc) that can instantly destroy an icon or take even a cold sim user into physical overflow if you use black hammer (note: blackout does not overflow. but black hammer can). alternately, blackout is the only way to 100% reliably fill someone's stun track without touching their physical track...

but yeah, if you think sprites and threading are not a big deal, think again. an out-of-the-box technomancer can be terrifying at what they do. oh, they might suck at combat, but they can do ridiculous things if they set their mind to it.
SleepIncarnate
I never said they weren't, but those also come with penalties. They are frightening, but they're the only advantages a TM really has until submersion. The mundane can have 5 IPs, a ton of mooks, every prog at rating 6..... the TM HAS to adapt on the fly with threading or sprites. Their greatest strength is also the only real way to overcome their greatest weakness (lack of CF's).
Dumori
QUOTE (Jaid @ Sep 28 2010, 09:41 AM) *
you need more reason than that?

(there are in fact a few minor ones... you're resistant to hacking, for example, +2 matrix perception for another, unlimited active programs for a third)

but ultimately, sprites and threading are really quite frighteningly powerful, if you use them well. threading program options can be particularly interesting... like on-the-fly psychotropic options for your black programs. you can, essentially on a whim, inflict just about any phobia or mania you wish on the target (or an addiction, or a number of other ridiculously life-altering qualities). with threading, you can nearly duplicate the full possible effects of a PAB machine whenever you feel like it. only instead of taking a long time, it takes less than 3 seconds to use. and instead of a large, bulky machine, you can do it with a spare trode net, commlink, and sim module.

and of course, there's the ever-popular rating 18 command program to control drones, or the rating 18 stealth so that you are nearly undetectable, or the rating 18 attack program (or blackout/black hammer/etc) that can instantly destroy an icon or take even a cold sim user into physical overflow if you use black hammer (note: blackout does not overflow. but black hammer can). alternately, blackout is the only way to 100% reliably fill someone's stun track without touching their physical track...

but yeah, if you think sprites and threading are not a big deal, think again. an out-of-the-box technomancer can be terrifying at what they do. oh, they might suck at combat, but they can do ridiculous things if they set their mind to it.

psychotropic reprogramming Is awesome when mixed with the stupid I suck your mind in to my bio node power. Mania must obey the TM nyahnyah.gif dance my puppets DANCE! Area blackout with it lets you do it to as many people as you can touch smile.gif OP maybe funny as hell to do to those two goons manhandling you in to the van most certainly.

This does depend on wether your orders count as uncomman or not hardly easy to judge that you you can pull a modertate fear of your self even counting as comman they will put them selves at risk to avoid you. You can also make them imcompertent though I don't think you can give mulpitul qualities with it though so you'd have to pick well I guess unarmedcombat would help in the being manhandled case.

If you have set up time CDS and the mania to obey you would give them a -7 to the test to reist your orders.
Jaid
QUOTE (SleepIncarnate @ Sep 28 2010, 05:12 AM) *
I never said they weren't, but those also come with penalties. They are frightening, but they're the only advantages a TM really has until submersion. The mundane can have 5 IPs, a ton of mooks, every prog at rating 6..... the TM HAS to adapt on the fly with threading or sprites. Their greatest strength is also the only real way to overcome their greatest weakness (lack of CF's).


1) 3 IP is generally enough anyways.

2) the TM can also have a ton of mooks. there isn't any magical (or resonant) barrier preventing a technomancer from issuing orders to agents, any more than there is one preventing a technomancer from issuing orders to drones.

4) you likely don't need that many programs at rating 6 all the time. really, look at the list of programs you use on a regular basis. so long as you have the key programs at rating 6, you're doing just fine. a technomancer can pull this off at chargen typically, either by using his/her own CFs or through a sprite or through a combination of threading and assisted operation from a sprite.

4) the 'only' advantage of the technomancer being that they get to smack around anything in the matrix and there isn't a whole awful lot the target can do about it is not particularly a problem for a matrix-focused character.

@ dumori: actually, if you want a cheesy combo, try combining mania: do what i say with phobia: not doing what i say. (you can most certainly inflict multiple qualities... you would just have to thread, hit them once with the first quality, then thread a new option and hit them with the second... any other interpretation means that in exchange for incompetence: pilot exotic vehicle (human-powered orbital skateboards), everyone in the group could be immune to psychotropic effects, and i think we can agree that isn't the intent nyahnyah.gif )

also, remember that the more uncommon the mania/phobia subject is, the more powerful it can be. now, your GM will probably get an urge to slap you with a trout if you try this, but "mania: obeying shadowrunners who are in the corporate facility you are guarding for the next two hours and are also wearing <describe your character's clothes or someone else in the group> etc etc" is undoubtedly a very uncommon event wink.gif

(note: i don't recommend actually trying to pull that one though. not least of all because of the fact that the tests to resist the action in question are already going to be extremely hard to pull off even without you using this kind of absurd stunt)
Dumori
QUOTE (Jaid @ Sep 28 2010, 07:29 PM) *
1) 3 IP is generally enough anyways.

2) the TM can also have a ton of mooks. there isn't any magical (or resonant) barrier preventing a technomancer from issuing orders to agents, any more than there is one preventing a technomancer from issuing orders to drones.

4) you likely don't need that many programs at rating 6 all the time. really, look at the list of programs you use on a regular basis. so long as you have the key programs at rating 6, you're doing just fine. a technomancer can pull this off at chargen typically, either by using his/her own CFs or through a sprite or through a combination of threading and assisted operation from a sprite.

4) the 'only' advantage of the technomancer being that they get to smack around anything in the matrix and there isn't a whole awful lot the target can do about it is not particularly a problem for a matrix-focused character.

@ dumori: actually, if you want a cheesy combo, try combining mania: do what i say with phobia: not doing what i say. (you can most certainly inflict multiple qualities... you would just have to thread, hit them once with the first quality, then thread a new option and hit them with the second... any other interpretation means that in exchange for incompetence: pilot exotic vehicle (human-powered orbital skateboards), everyone in the group could be immune to psychotropic effects, and i think we can agree that isn't the intent nyahnyah.gif )

also, remember that the more uncommon the mania/phobia subject is, the more powerful it can be. now, your GM will probably get an urge to slap you with a trout if you try this, but "mania: obeying shadowrunners who are in the corporate facility you are guarding for the next two hours and are also wearing <describe your character's clothes or someone else in the group> etc etc" is undoubtedly a very uncommon event wink.gif

(note: i don't recommend actually trying to pull that one though. not least of all because of the fact that the tests to resist the action in question are already going to be extremely hard to pull off even without you using this kind of absurd stunt)

If I get resance trodes and am in situation where it's necessary I might have to do this wink.gif also its the only time I could realy dare and maybe get away with it. Make it look like quick witty thinking not a prolong examination of rules to lead to insanity.
SleepIncarnate
TMs are the new DEUS..... ok not really, but still awesome. But related link here:

Echo Thread
SleepIncarnate
QUOTE (Jaid @ Sep 28 2010, 01:29 PM) *
2) the TM can also have a ton of mooks. there isn't any magical (or resonant) barrier preventing a technomancer from issuing orders to agents, any more than there is one preventing a technomancer from issuing orders to drones.

Every BP spent on nuyen at creation is a BP the TM isn't spending in CFs/Resonance/mental attributes/skills, and while TMs ARE ungodly powerful later down the road, at character creation they tend to be one of the weakest character types. Like free spirits, they're really designed for more long term games.
Wasabi
The best CF's to get are the ones missing on your sprites that have Stealth.
So the CF's from a Fault Sprite, for example, are usable in a large # of situations but those from a Paladin Sprite are only useful once an alarm is set off.

And to who said 3 IP's was enough I beg to differ. If you get a fourth pass and are only facing Sprites/Agents/IC then you can full defend all of their passes then AOE them with an Edge on Pass 4.

Since Matrix combat has no "-1 per time you've been attacked since your last pass" modifier this tactic is pretty unique to matrix combat.
Jaid
QUOTE (SleepIncarnate @ Nov 29 2010, 08:15 PM) *
Every BP spent on nuyen at creation is a BP the TM isn't spending in CFs/Resonance/mental attributes/skills, and while TMs ARE ungodly powerful later down the road, at character creation they tend to be one of the weakest character types. Like free spirits, they're really designed for more long term games.

3 BP = rating 6 agent = as many rating 6 agents as i feel like assuming nothing more than time spent.

alternately, after chargen, i can simply buy a pirated rating 6 agent. it will cost me 1,500 nuyen. i can then simply start copying those agents as well, free of charge. likewise, it won't even be particularly expensive to pirate any software i may want for them.

alternately, within the first couple of runs, i am confident that i will be able to find and steal at least one decently-rated agent from someplace.

agents are not hard to get.
Eratosthenes
QUOTE (Jaid @ Sep 28 2010, 01:29 PM) *
@ dumori: actually, if you want a cheesy combo, try combining mania: do what i say with phobia: not doing what i say. (you can most certainly inflict multiple qualities... you would just have to thread, hit them once with the first quality, then thread a new option and hit them with the second... any other interpretation means that in exchange for incompetence: pilot exotic vehicle (human-powered orbital skateboards), everyone in the group could be immune to psychotropic effects, and i think we can agree that isn't the intent nyahnyah.gif )

also, remember that the more uncommon the mania/phobia subject is, the more powerful it can be. now, your GM will probably get an urge to slap you with a trout if you try this, but "mania: obeying shadowrunners who are in the corporate facility you are guarding for the next two hours and are also wearing <describe your character's clothes or someone else in the group> etc etc" is undoubtedly a very uncommon event wink.gif

(note: i don't recommend actually trying to pull that one though. not least of all because of the fact that the tests to resist the action in question are already going to be extremely hard to pull off even without you using this kind of absurd stunt)


The sidebar on psychotropic-inflicted qualities (pg. 115 Unwired) specifically states that only the most crude form of psycho-emotional effects can be applied (and of course the GM has final say, natch). Somehow I think those aren't very crude. biggrin.gif
Saint Sithney
I'd say

1) Analyze - because it's perception
2) Stealth - because not fighting is victory by default
3) Exploit - because it's every matrix action ever
4) Shield - because TMs have garbage for response
5) Nuke - because it kills everything dead, and quickly
6) Command - because it's every non-matrix action ever
7) Data Bomb - because dropping a rating 12 Data Bomb is an atomic-level "fuck off" sign
cool.gif Spoof - because rating 12 spoof means that the drone is damn well listening to you
9) Sniffer - because there's a threshold 3 test to grab airborne signals and snooping on wired transmissions is an opposed test to not be noticed, like stealth.
10) Blackness - Sometimes you just gotta off a dude.

What don't you need in the bionode?

Scan and Encrypt can be handled by your commlink. I suppose it would be nice to thread Scan to uber levels for that threshold 4 find hidden node test, in those rare cases when you don't have the 6 seconds to do the extended test. Still, not particularly worth it, considering how comparatively easy it is to write common progs. You need that high Software skill to thread anyway, so why not put it to use.
ECCM should be software as well since you'll want it on drones too. Might be cool to thread it to bust through jamming though.. Possible sub-in for 10-12.

Track and Decryption are for sprites/links. Decryption is an extended test, and a gimmie. Track isn't much different.
Defuse is for sprites too, since a TM shouldn't risk a Data Bomb anyway.
Edit and Corrupt will serve similar functions. Edit is useful for real world interactions like trid/audio manipulation. Corrupt is awesome because it doesn't even require you to find the info in order to trash it. Neither is particularly difficult, so neither needs more than Sprite-level attention.
Medic? Sprite, heal thyself.

Disarm? Ha! no.
Armor? Almost as useless as disarm.
Attack isn't as good as Nuke in any way vs digital threats or as good as Blacks against persistent people/TMs.
Purge and Reality Filter are total garbage.

Did i forget anything?
Saint Sithney
QUOTE (SleepIncarnate @ Sep 22 2010, 01:46 PM) *
Except for Shredder, it's for attack only (specifically used for crash tests).


Shredder doesn't work anymore since they changed how crash node/program tests work.
Neither does Crashguard.
Saint Sithney
As for cybercombat, really, why bother?

If you can't take a single node on their system, then you're already screwed, so spoof a new ID and start your hack over. If you've taken that one node and own the hell out of it, drop a R12 Data Bomb with Pavlov and Biofeedback options on it.
Now you've got a fortress. Do that to every node you enter. If something (other than Black IC, which you can nuke anyway,) within the node overwhelms you, retreat to a Bomb node, thread your Command CF up and use it to remotely administer First Aid through the R6 medkit strapped to your meatbod. Now, try and hack back in, or go around whatever was giving you the trouble. Meanwhile, every node-external threat that tries to come after you gets blown to hell by the data bomb, the bomb resets and you laugh at them.
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