QUOTE (galvatron42 @ Feb 25 2012, 08:49 AM)

As I'm trying to get ready to run my first ever SR game, I'm getting really nervous abut the matrix and how it functions in the game. What are the limits to what the characters can do with it? Hacking is what I'm thinking about mostly right now. I have 3 drones in the scenario I'm running and I'm worried I'll mess it up. How does the hacking work exactly? Some specific questions...
1: can someone use the hacking skill to hack one of the attack drones? can he hack it to make it stop attacking them or even fight for them? would he have to be wired in to the drone to hack it? would drones be programmed with IC?
2: security cameras...can they be hacked? does it require wires or can it be done at a distance?
3: smartlinked weapons...i know i've heard talk of weapons being hacked. thats what they make skinlink for, or so i'm told. how do you hack a weapon? what can you make a weapon do once it is hacked, simply stop functioning? i can get that it would disable the smartlink, negating the bonus dice to the attack pool, but can it stop gun from shooting at all?
I guess I'm wondering about the limitations of the hacking skill. I don't want to allow it to be too powerful, but I don't want to screw the hacker player either. Thanks for any help you can provide.
There's a quote floating around in someone's signature about how magic is technical and restrictive whilst computing is wild and boundless and there's a lot of truth in that. The Matrix changes made in SR4 were clearly intended to decrease mechanical complexity and free up player potential so many GMs find it very daunting at first. The best advice I can give is that the less you worry about going by the letter of the RAW the better. The feel you should aim for is quick and vivid.
1. Yes, drones can be hacked. I don't think completely unhackable systems are possible. With a hacked account the intruder can cancel orders and give new ones - security access might be sufficient, but no lower. Assuming the drone has wireless enabled (a certainty if it's mobile) then a wired connection is not required for hacking. However, if the drone is slaved to another node then all (non-wired) communications are redirected to the master node which must be hacked instead (and is usually better defended) and the drone will only take commands from its master. Drones can indeed have IC, but be mindful of processor load. The IC itself and any program it runs all count towards the load and every multiple of the processor limit (System) you hit you lose a Response, which will decrease combat effectiveness.
2. Security cameras can indeed be hacked, but the same rules apply about connectivity. They are more likely to be wired, but that's not to say it's more likely than not. There's still convenience and savings to be had from not running cables throughout the building.
3. A weapon doesn't even have to be smartlinked to be hackable - most have a wireless node if only to provide an ammo count. Expect wireless to be at Signal 0 or, as you say, skinlinked. That means getting very close or hacking the guy's 'link first. The functions available via electronic command vary a lot, but one should at least be able to eject a clip (but not a magazine as they're integral), activate the safety and disable certain accessories, like a laser sight or smartgun system. You'll only be able to fire it if it has an electronic firing system, which most don't.