I was goofing around with a band name generator (namely http://www.namepistol.com/ ) and came up with some band names that were too good not to share. Use them if you feel like it!

Intergalactic Karma Collective – an electronica band, some of their songs are “Solar Karma,” “Experience,” “Rare Passion” and “Classic Vampire”
Serious Dynamite Queens – playing either light metal or indie, their latest is “True Lust”
The Satanic Polka Clan – This band does Weird Al covers. Sometimes they even write parodies of their own.
Giant Science Hounds – what can we say about a band that wrote songs called “Freeze Pimps,” “Knowledge Machine” and “Atomic Casino” ?
The Fabulous Glitter Code – No! Not the reincarnation of disco!
The All-Seeing Fire Junkies – probably Kittenburner's favorite band

Hah. Nice.

And I just remembered, I haven't gone into Angelo's contacts, yet.

Secutiy check

Is Hop's sister's name on the List??? As Hop and his sister are both at school on fakeSINs it would be interesting to know what has been flagged as being deviant...

Nope. They don't seem to be gathering entire families at once.

Welp! That's it.

I've had it up to here with Koekepan's bullshit. I'm officially withdrawing from the game, and I exhort anyone who was drawn in by the thought of a quirky, mohawk-y high school game to do so as well, because he has more grit than sandpaper and likes to fuck players over.

Allow me to quote some choice bits from IRC chat.

[02:28] <Koekepan> Meh, it's OK. When they figure out that their reports that the tiny blue elf needs to go to the reformatory keep vanishing, they'll probably put out a BOLO or something.
[02:28] <@ShadowDragon8685> Funnily enough, the lack of evidence cannot be taken as evidence.
[02:29] <Koekepan> Want it spelled out?
[02:29] <Koekepan> Or do you prefer the surprise?
[02:29] * ShadowDragon8685 sighs.
[02:30] <@ShadowDragon8685> Fine, spell it out.
[02:30] <Ziathra> Surprises are more fun.
[02:30] <@ShadowDragon8685> What?
[02:31] <Koekepan> OK, pretend for a moment you're the Big Boss in Charge of Unspeakable Things. Your mission, which you choose to accept, is to ruin the futures of a bunch of kids. You know who the kids are, and you knowwhere they're supposed to go. In particular, one of them stands out so immensely that it would take an amnaesiac to overlook her....
[02:31] <Koekepan> You keep putting in the FuckerDroid9000 command for her ... but it keeps vanishing ...
[02:32] <@ShadowDragon8685> Yes, and?
[02:32] <Koekepan> Eventually, after you have witnesses confirm that the entry was made, and that it keeps vanishing, this is prima facie evidence of electronic tampering - tampering which applies to the one in question NOT theothers who were ridden out of town on the proverbial rail.
[02:32] <@ShadowDragon8685> That's not evidence that she's doing it.
[02:32] <Koekepan> Doesn't matter if it's the man on the moon doing it.
[02:33] <Koekepan> At THIS point, they put out highly unusual NON-electronic reports, along with scads of warnings about electronic tampering ....
[02:33] <Koekepan> which catches the eye of every single enforcer who wants a promotion in 500 miles ....
[02:33] <@ShadowDragon8685> You do realize that Erased is a positive quality, right?
[02:33] <Koekepan> And they print out and pass out reward papers (on the very noblest of bases, of course) ....
[02:33] <@ShadowDragon8685> So please kindly stop trying to use it to fuck me over.
[02:34] <Koekepan> That doesn't mean a positive quality stops happening if its consequences might be inconvenient.
[02:34] <Koekepan> Here's the kicker .... are you ready for it?
[02:35] <Koekepan> Kicker alert: I'm not trying. You're doing it to yourself, really, really hard. I'm just sitting here drinking my tea, and fumbling around on the floor for my jaw while you bend over, grab your ankles, and startscreaming for your reaming.
[02:35] <@ShadowDragon8685> For fuck's sake.
[02:35] <@ShadowDragon8685> By choosing a positive quality?!
[02:35] <Koekepan> I can't BELIEVE that you're doing this .... but apparently ShadowDragon8685 isn't Erased on my computer.
[02:35] <Koekepan> So the evidence mounts before my very eyes.
[02:36] <@ShadowDragon8685> ... What?
[02:36] <Ziathra> I once had a positive quality that should have been billed as a negative.
[02:36] <Ziathra> Perhaps an analogy to a chess game would help?
[02:36] <Koekepan> Did you ever take my advice and ask Ziathra about my nature as a game master? I know I told you that she's very experienced with me.
[02:36] <@ShadowDragon8685> I didn't even know her when I made Zoé!
[02:37] <Koekepan> No, but you did know her when playing Zoe.
[02:37] <Ziathra> I could swear I warned you while we were making my character.
[02:37] <@ShadowDragon8685> I repeat: For fuck's sake.
[02:38] <@ShadowDragon8685> Something paid for with twenty BP which is explicitly made for the purpose of preventing the player from being hounded by law enforcement should not be used as a JUSTIFICATION for them to behounided by law enforcement!
[02:39] <@ShadowDragon8685> RPGs are supposed to be fun. Not - I repeat, not - an excercize in screwing the player over at every single fucking turn.
[02:40] <@ShadowDragon8685> I signed on with this game because you had a premise that sounded neat - High School and only 100 BP less than hardened career criminals - in the anticipation of wacky high school hijinks.
[02:40] <Ziathra> Define "fun". I warned you that Koekepan is a Lovecraftian tentaclemonster.
[02:40] <Ziathra> Mind, I enjoy the challenge.
[02:40] <@ShadowDragon8685> This?
[02:40] <@ShadowDragon8685> THIS is not fun!
[02:41] <Ziathra> I'm having fun.
[02:41] <@ShadowDragon8685> Even putting aside the way you inject your real-life bullshit into the science-fiction future every goddamn twenty minutes, now you're promising that I'm going to get utterly fucked for a positivequality?!
[02:41] <Ziathra> He did it to me in Mage, years ago. No big deal.
[02:42] <@ShadowDragon8685> Uh, yes. Yes, it is.
[02:42] <Koekepan> If you don't have a challenge, where is the fun?
[02:42] <@ShadowDragon8685> It's a very big deal, and I'm about ready to go thermonuclear over it.
[02:42] <Koekepan> OK, scratch that question - I realise some people don't want the challenge, and that's OK.
[02:42] <@ShadowDragon8685> "Challenge?" This isn't challenge, this is bullshit!
[02:43] <Koekepan> I'm not judging your play style - although I will observe that I did offer you knowledge of my style when we were creating your character.
[02:44] <@ShadowDragon8685> Jujitsuing a positive quality meant to help a character evade detection by saying "paper trail" is bullshit.
[02:44] <Koekepan> It's not the paper trail that is the problem.
[02:44] <@ShadowDragon8685> Not to mention that you billed this as a high school game, not as a bullshit "Oh look, now you're in deep fucking shit" game.
[02:45] <Koekepan> It's the disconnect between what the computer does, and what the people expect it to do, because Erased doesn't apply to their cortical matter.
[02:46] <Koekepan> On a point of order, mister Chairman - I said that it STARTED in high school.
[02:46] <Koekepan> I never said it'd end there (although that's still an option).
[02:47] <@ShadowDragon8685> I'll also point out that Erased explicitly says it keeps information the character wants around.
[02:47] <Koekepan> Oh, so you WANT to be on the shitlist?
[02:47] <@ShadowDragon8685> Which means information that would be hard to explain vanishing when said character is, for instance, being constantly monitored by the same set of people.
[02:48] <@ShadowDragon8685> Erased is a positive quality. It exists to help me.
[02:48] <Ziathra> I quote: "The campaign is intended to consider the case of people who enter the shadows at an early age and examine how they get there mentally as well as in terms of skills."
[02:48] <@ShadowDragon8685> It should never become a fuck-you.
[02:49] <Koekepan> Now I have to raise the tentacle of the GM and make a pronouncement.
[02:50] <Koekepan> EVERYTHING in Shadowrun, EVERYTHING, can become a fuck-you. Your name, your face, the fact that you have powerful friends, or enemies, or ANYTHING. The woman you rescued, or the woman you failedto rescue. The kind deeds you did and the horrible crimes. ANYTHING. It's a dystopian environment in which life is cheap.
[02:51] <Koekepan> The fact that you're more awesome than the next stud in line just means you're his target, and if he can fuck you with no risk to yourself, well better butter up because here it comes.
[02:54] <Koekepan> I'm actually mildly surprised that I even have to say that....
[02:59] <@ShadowDragon8685> There. It's been ten minutes since I last spoke.
[02:59] <Koekepan> Ziathra: sanity check. Did what I just pointed out look particularly outlandish to you?
[02:59] <@ShadowDragon8685> I think I'm reasonably calm now.
[02:59] <Ziathra> No. I know Shadowrun is a dystopia. I exercise care in playing it.
[03:00] <@ShadowDragon8685> So.
[03:00] <@ShadowDragon8685> I am calm.
[03:00] <Koekepan> Cool
[03:00] <@ShadowDragon8685> Let me speak, or rather, let me type, and when I type, I shall be exceptionally clear.
[03:01] <@ShadowDragon8685> You have pushed me to within a hair's breadth of telling you, in no uncertain, yet very vulgar, terms and metaphors, exactly what anatomically improbable acts you may perform upon yourself withthis game.
[03:02] <Koekepan> Translation: you're not having fun and you want to quit. Right?
[03:02] <@ShadowDragon8685> For about an entire week now, we've been locking horns over bullshit ranging from the trivial to the major.
[03:02] <@ShadowDragon8685> The camel's back cannot take so much as one more straw.
[03:03] <Koekepan> Straws will undoubtedly be forthcoming.

So, yeah. I'll also point out that Koekepan feels no problem whatsoever in using his real-world experience to override the rules as they are written, so, you know, if you're playing a tech oriented character, you have another incentive to vacate.

Twitch_, Vegas, Aria: You three were the only good thing about this game, in all honesty. I loved the interpersonal RP between our characters. We should try and find a GM who's less grit and more pink mohawk and say our characters all transfer to that area of Seattle.

Hey kids, here's the situation.... My time is precious, I enjoy gaming but when I don't have a lot of time to devote to DSF, my priority is going to be the game I've been involved with for 5 years.

Right now I don't feel like I have the time to devote to this one and I'm not sure my availability meshes with that of some of the other players so.... I'm afraid at this time I need to pull Daiyu out of the mix.

Sorry, but something has to give on my end and unfortunately in light of everything happening, it has to be this game.

Wish you all the best.

Take care, Vegas! It was nice playing with you!

I caught up with Audacity, and he's still in, his real life has just exploded recently.

So, there's something wrong with my pdf of the core book. And my paper version is not available right now. I'm trying to recall the hacking rules from off the top of my head. Please let me know if I get anything wrong.

The programs currently loaded on the Novatech Airware are Analyze (R6), Stealth (R5), and Exploit (R5).

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4329122/

Rolls to Hack on the Fly. Disregard the last two rolls. I forgot I only had 3 passes.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4329124/

And here's a roll for Matrix Perception on his surroundings.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4331212/

One more Matrix Perception roll.

I'm sorry, but I won't be able to post for at least 3 days. Finals are next week, and I need to study. If need be, someone can take over as Angelo for the time being. I'll be back as soon as I can.

I will NPC Angelo until Christmas.
Good luck in your finals.

Hop is still lurking around somewhere but as I'm swamped with other stuff at the moment (and the other PCs he was talking to have gone their separate ways), I'm happy to pick this up in the New Year if that's ok?

I'm fine with that, just give us a heads-up and I'll bring you in.

I'll be all done with school by tonight and ready to start playing again. Koekepan, thanks for taking over for me in the meantime.

No problem. If you have questions, just get in touch.

Folks,

Since I don't think any of us have anything further to say at lunch, why don't we fast-forward to after school? Then Dare Mo can contact Papa Gotcha and the rest of us can contact various people. We could even fast-forward to the evening, although I think some of all that contacting people should probably be played out.

If Todd and Andrew want to do some data analysis in the mean time I can provide an outcome based on off-screen work and rolls.

Sounds good. What kind of rolls do we need, and how many? Data Search?

Todd is willing to help Andrew on the crunching . I also want to know what I need to roll.

Dare Mo is interested in trying to find specifically the following:

1. email or other corespondent involving the the test and implement of the results on Friday. Names and dates included.
2. The evil test as well as related data and analysis
3. More details on the Friday operation including security details and authorizations.
4. Look for example of truant and potential criminal activity of any students Not on the list as a possible counter-point to their claims their plan is a effective attempt to preempt potential anti-social behavior.
4. See if there is expert opinion online that could refute the conclusions of Ms Melinda Xavier and her backers.
5. Any other data that can be valuable to someone other than the TEA.

The rolls in question depend on exactly what you intend to achieve; the recent posts suggest a deeper analysis which would go beyond data searching and into topics like mathematics, statistics, maybe psychology - it really all depends on your goals.

Here's a breakdown based on Happy Noodle Boy's list:

1) straightforward data search
2) again, data search, but depending on the kind of analysis, probably psychology (or related discipline) and statistics
3) data search
4) data search, with some additional logic + intuition rolls to get an understanding of the situation outside simply what is retrieved, if anything is
5) very open-ended. Political or media knowledges seem to be relevant. Maybe criminal organisation knowledges.

Data search on E mail and Correspondence 1st pass 10 minutesEmail and Correspondence

Data Search on Evil Test 1st pass 5 minutes Evil Test

Data Search for Security details for the Friday Operation security on Friday

Data Search for Truant or anti-social students not on evil list Why are these kids not on the list

Data Search for Data valuable to people other than TEA Revenge alone doesn't pay the bills

Extended Business Analysis 30 minutes Business

Extended security Analysis 30 minutes security weaknesses

Extended conspiracy theory rolls Even Paranoids have enemies

I thinking of asking if Gra1ciana can find out if her contact knows any expert in psychology, sociology or education who could take a look at it at the evil list

That's doable. If Andrew is careful about it, he could ask Shane for help with the Statistics related stuff. Morgan would have Psychology and Politics or Media covered. He and Todd can do the Data Search rolls.

Here are Andrew's Data Search rolls.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4338953/

For Andrew's and Todd's combined work, here are some comments and answers:



Very little indeed. Just copies of messages containing the list and ancillary data. Doesn't look as if she actually used this for saving correspondence.



You got it, including an answer key and some preliminary analysis data.



None whatsoever. The correspondence hints that that's all in the TEA's hands, and her consulting is limited to the test, analysis and recommendations. She's keeping her hands far from the dirty work.



Not hard - a couple of dozen. The answer depends on later analysis rolls, but your best answer available is that the test doesn't just look for bad behaviour - that is after all something which could be ascertained by a glance at the records - but some combination of other psychosocial traits relating to anticipated malfeasance, rather than current mischief.



Data obviously, inherently valuable? The test and key has some value, in that it may help others skate through such tests.



Aside from possible (and this is an outside chance) business value to her test data, not much.



No real value unearthed here.



The big money here is in the political value. Candidates for TEA elected posts, the current enclave authorities, the holders of contracts related to the school systems - properly packaged, it's very toxic stuff. On the other hand, loudmouthed media gadflys live for this stuff, and would pay big money for the scoop.

Anything from our contacts, or do we save that for the IC thread? If so, I'll have Angelo ring up his uncle.

Doesn't have to be in the IC thread, but you should outline your questions/goals if so.

I'm going to be gone from about now until either Thursday or Friday, with no computer access. Koekepan, if you need to run Graciana, do so.

Happy Holidays!

I'm reading up on the IC I've missed...so I don't yet know how I can fit Hop back into the game...any ideas welcome...anyone need another infiltrating teen?

An easy option which strikes me is that Hop can cast around among other teens who have been relegated to the reformatory plan for assistance in completing the job which Papa Gotcha gave to them. It wouldn't take huge amounts of effort to get the contact data of a couple.

Just need a plausible reason for the others not turning up then...will have a think, maybe Zoe's aunt dragged her off before Juvvie got her!

Sure, that works. Or just disappeared on weird gang business, either way, Hop would be none the wiser.

As for the others, if they flaked subsequent to Zoe not showing up, it would be time for Hop to find someone more reliable.

At this stage, I want to give Hop a chance to catch up, as well as have folks tell me what they're up to between now and 11PM.

I might sheepishly have to confess that I'm not sure how much time I can devote to the game at the moment as work is suddenly kicking me in the teeth and I probably ought to focus on my GMing before my playing (greater good and all that...), so I will mumble along in the background if that's ok, but please don't wait for me!

It looks as though Graciana's being left unmolested. Unless that changes, she'll brood, nap and possibly even watch Tri-D until 11 P.M. .

OK, give or take a few back-and-forths, zooming ahead to 11PM.

When you post at that time, add some details on where you are, and what you've done in the interim.