My vote is Hawthorne, but we can wait until Chrome chimes in.

Realistically, my character doesn't have any strong opinion on this. I'm good with going to the Hawthorne scene.

If any of you happen to be gay, I apologize for the caricature I am portraying Grease as. I have it cranked to about 11.

Well, that was quick. My entire juror panel was excused within 3 hours of getting there. I actually wanted to serve, sigh... Will get caught up in the thread and post if necessary.

You know its kinda sad, so many people who have no interest in serving on jury duty, others who are actually interested in it, and there is no way to actually just step up and volunteer. I wanted to serve last time I came up, I actually had the time, and same story as you out of there in no time.

I wouldn't mind being on jury duty either. You know, I wonder if gamers tend to be more interested in that kind of thing. It's like solving a mystery, and you have to stick to the rules and apply them.

I wouldn't be surprised if gamers had a higher likelihood of interest in the jury duty process. Your point on familiarity with applying different sets of rules certainly rings true.


Also, Drave wants to see Amy in action, so he can better critique her performance, he will let Amy take the lead for this one.

Hmm... InvisibleCastle seems down again. Care to roll a perception check for me on the carpet area? 9d6: Perception (4) + Intuition (3) + VE (2)

The carpet that is cut up is a square cut out of the carpet, approximately 6 foot square. The center of the square is about 3 feet from the window facing the street.

The padding has also been removed, and the floorboards underneath have been cleaned.

This may be the first time I roll a stealth check to avoid a real estate agent.
-DrZ

Also; feel free to roll perception for me as well: Dice pool of 7, Mental Limit of 4

Ok - slight screw up on my part - nothing big.

I had originally had Brandy ask you for your commcode - forgetting that she had it since you called her originally

She would have sent Grease (whom I'm assuming would have forwarded it to Jack) the AR version of the listing.

The house is listed as a 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath on a half acre for 150,0000

A quick perusal of the listing mentions no water damage, nor any mention of the murder.

Not sure if you want to modify your IC posts - to reflect this info.

In the meantime, assuming that Grease is going to let Jack distract her, I've made your stealth check (I've never made a perception check for a real estate agent before either ) and she seems to be paying attention to Jack.

Wandering through the hall you see the kitchen, a half bath, and the dining room. Any particular area you'd like to go?

Your perception check does not turn up anything particularly interesting - it seems that the home is still lived in by at least one adult and a child - evidence of school art on the fridge, sneakers on the mat by the back door, etc.

I think my IC post is okay WRT to the water damage question (particularly since nothing was disclosed in the listing that would explain the actual cause).

I'd like to wait for her response to my question before moving somewhere else in the house (probably the kitchen). I also want to inspect the window as well before we move on, pretending to check the view, but trying to notice if any of the glass looks particularly clean/new...

I'll also be somewhat loudly announcing the next area we're heading to prior to moving there to give Grease a head's up.

Jack,

This is probably my fault for not referencing this, and (completely unrealistically) expecting you to remember from when Amy and Overkill were there (which is now over a week ago in real life)

If you look at post#312


"Continuing their drive around the UCAS Zone, Amy and Overkill arrive at a quiet neighborhood. Children are playing in the street, and Overkill playfully kicks an errant soccer ball back to one of them. The children smile and wave, and go back to their game.

The home of Officer Manuel is a nice bi-level, the exterior brick and stucco, with a rock garden and a screened in porch on the side. A large sign in the front proclaims "For Sale" by Whitney Real Estate, both in the physical and virtual world.

There is a child's bike in the driveway, and a swingset visible in the back yard. The first thing that catches there attention is the large bay window in the front, a piece of duct tape over a section of the glass. "

Emphasis mine.

Go ahead and edit the IC post, and I'll have Brandy respond.

ETA - if you still examine the glass (which is completely normal) - you will notice that his is bullet proof glass, requiring a high caliber or armor piercing round to penetrate.

Ah, thanks! I did forget about that. I'll edit the IC post.

I am gonna be out for the evening, gaming (D&D) at a friends house.

Probably will check in when I get home.

Is that normal? Actually, I don't know if my character would have the appropriate background or knowledge skills to know that.

ETA: Jack will be performing perception checks in every room to see if he notices any indications that an adult man lived there at one point in time.

Ok - to clarify the word "normal" since it got used a lot

I meant, that it is "normal" for you to examine the glass, since it is patched.

Whether or not it is "normal" for bulletproof glass to be used in a home is outside your knowledge base. The construction you are used to in the Warrens is too cheap to use this material, so you are unsure if this is a custom window, or if it is standard for the homes in the area.

ETA - per your perception check in the living room, you do not see anything overt that a man lived here. However, you do notice:

1) There was probably a piece of furniture where the hole in the carpet is, but none of the other furniture in the room seems like it would go there.
2) There are photos on the wall of the woman you saw before and a young boy, but there are more hooks than photos.

Very funny slip

I think we need to put together all the info we have (real or not) on all the suspects. I'm personally at a loss with all the descriptions of various runners pulling hits on cops all over the city, some from witness accounts, some from video footage. I'll do it this evening if I have time.

Since I feel that way, I figure that my Logic 2 character is just as confused, hence why I ask the smart guy sitting next to her for the answer

Sounds like Lynx. I'll update the association matrix tonight.

If it is, then we're really gonna need to get to him, I bet.

You also have the doctored video of the van from the Newton case. While part of it was doctored, editing the entire van might have been difficult.

Very good point, thanks.

I've updated the map with as much info as we have. I also updated the excel file of the association matrix, although I need to review it when I have more time to make sure I don't need to upgrade/downgrade some of the associations.

ETA: Also, now that I am going through and reviewing evidence and information, it might not be a bad idea to go back and check with Jill at Schaefer's if the driver she saw in the Newton case matched the image of the shooter from the Jackson case.

At this point, I'd actually wait for overkill. There might have been something else he wanted to ask, and once outside I'm not sure whether he wants to hack the cameras or not.

Did we see any cameras while we were there, inside and outside?

If there's nothing else, I think the best thing to do is to drive to near the other two, so that Grease can join us for the next step when they're done. I assume it'll be late enough that Jack will just choose to go see his contact.

Based on your Perception checks that I rolled for you (using plain old actual dice, since IC is still down) - you spotted a cameras both outside and inside the Tasty Burger.

I put a word document in the Broken Star folder with outstanding leads and follow-up that need to be done. Feel free to update it as needed.

Is 150,000 nuyen high / low for this neighborhood?
I want to check all the rooms, but I think the most interest would be in the kitchen, followed by the dining room.

If buying a lifestyle works the same as before (costx100) and most of that cost comes from buying the land and house themselves, then I would conclude that it's pretty low, unless the whole neighborhood is cheap.

I'm not sure how much your character is aware of current real estate values in that particular neighborhood, but your gut feeling says it is a little on the low side.

What in particular are you looking for in the kitchen and dining room?

Signs of the father in the house, or anything that appears to be his. How many seats are there at the table in the dining room? etc.

-DrZ

Ok - so I critically glitched your perception check, and rather than have you discover a secret stash of Ambergel in the cupboard (and kudos to those of you who recognize that reference), I thought a better method was to have you "discovered" while searching for something.

Ultimately rather harmless, since you can (truthfully ) say that breaking the bowl was an accident - just adding a kink into the plans that allows for more RP

Ok - so I've looked at some house rules by Blackjaw (another member here) and he has some Matrix rules that I like - and will start to apply. In general, they are filling holes/fixing issues. If someone has a huge problem with these, please let me know, and we can absolutely discuss the problems - but I think overall they should be welcome additions:

1) Public and Cross Grid Penalties as Noise
Instead of a -2 penalty for all matrix actions when connected to the Public Grid, being connected via the public grid counts as having 2 points of spam/static zone Noise, thanks to the spotty connection and increased advertising. Similarly, the penalty for working across a grid becomes a static/spam Noise 2 instead of a flat -2. Ignore all the rules about cross grid and public grid penalties applying in some situation and not others. As Noise, the apply unless compensated for with Noise Cancellation. Host systems continue to have no physical location, and thus no distance Noise.

2) Cyberprogram Tweaks
Programs are no longer separated between Cyberdeck and Rigger versions of the program. Additionally, Commlinks are able to run any of the Common Cyberprograms, but not the Hacking Programs. Commlinks can run a number of programs equal to half their device rating, rounded down. Rigger Control Consoles use their Sharing rating for program capacity in general, but only Autosofts are explicitly shared with drones.

3) Detecting Hidden Icons
"If you know at least one feature of an icon running silent, you can spot the icon (Running Silent, below)" on page 235's list of uses for matrix perception is interpreted to mean that if you know at least 1 feature of an icon you think is running in silent mode on grid or in a host you occupy, you may attempt to directly spot that icon instead of first attempting to determine the presence and number of hidden icons, and then picking randomly among them. The more details you have on a target, the more broadly you can define your search, so you don't need to know the exact make and model of a gun to locate it's icon if you know it's approximate location. If you search broadly, your GM will randomly pick among the applicable options: So looking for a hidden gun icon within 100 meters will get you a random gun running silent, which may or may not be the one the ganger has. Similarly, looking for the wrong thing automatically fails. Note: the Wrapper cyberprogram does not affect the direct targeting of icons. Just because your gun's icon looks like commlink doesn't mean "gun" isn't a feature of the device anymore. Wrapper is useful for running devices in public, not silent.
Valid Examples: "That gun that ganger over there is shooting at me with" or "The Payroll database."
Example of picking wrong: Attempting to locate Wired Reflexes when a character is using Reaction Enhancers.

4) Missing Prices
Local Grid access tends to cost about $200 for a week or $500 per month, but is included in the Middle Lifestyle for your home region. Traveling outside that coverage area will put you on the public grid unless you buy more access. Global Grid access tends to cost $400 for a week or $1000 per month, but one grid is included in the High Lifestyle. At Luxury Lifestyle you can access all the grids.

5) Base CyberDeck
The following cyberdeck is added to the list of options on page 227/439:

"Cobbled Together Links and Electronics," Device Rating 1, Attribute Array 3 2 2 1, Programs: 1, Availability: 2R, Cost: $20,000

6) Cracking File Protection
The Crack Protection matrix action can now be down as the user's choice of Attack or Sleaze. However, if you choose to use it as a Sleaze action, you take a -4 die penalty.

I have added these to a spoiler section in Post#1 of this thread

My only questions:

1) Hackers can still hack their way off the public grid to avoid the Noise penalty, right?

2) Now that commlinks can run common cyberprograms, can we retroactively purchase some?

3) As with #2, can we retroactively buy access to the local grid as part of our lifestyle?

1) Yes - they only take the noise penalty to the Hack on the Fly to get to the local/global grid. Once on those grids they don't take the penalty anymore.

2) Yes - no problem.

3) Yes - no problem again. None of you have high enough lifestyles to support free access (yet)

""Cobbled Together Links and Electronics," Device Rating 1, Attribute Array 3 2 2 1, Programs: 1, Availability: 2R, Cost: $20,000"

I like it! Fits well with the "Scratch Built Junk" Rigger Command Console.

-DrZ

Awesome, thanks. I'm probably going to wait on the upper grid access until I pay lifestyle again. I will buy a few programs though, thanks!

I thought I had a middle lifestyle, for some reason. Maybe it just seems that way in comparison.. No offense!

Jack, we gotta get you a DNI or a subvocal mic at some point! Maybe bug Honeypot about it later.

-DrZ

You actually have the same lifestyle as Overkill and Jack - you just chose to not live in the Warrens

Trodes are pretty cheap - and concealable under a baseball cap

I have a sub-vocal mic, but by my reading anyone close can generally tell you're sub-vocalizing but may not know what you said. I'd rather just leave it as is. I am very much considering a datajack after this adventure. Also, I have trodes with my combat getup.

I was also under the impression Grease had a Middle as well. Funny.

He just *acts* superior.

-DrZ

It's all the novacoke - its giving you delusions of grandeur

@Jack - what next?

Haha! Oops! Hopefully she follows Grease since he's been breaking shit.

Lol - I can just picture Brandy standing at the top of the basement stairs thinking "Where did I lose control of this walkthrough?"

Yup. Anyway, I'm quickly scanning the boxes to see if any of them are more clearly marked (Case Files, Work Stuff, etc). If not, I just pick a box and start going through it as quickly as possible. I assume there were no camera icons in the basement...

Correct - no camera icons.

There are about 10 boxes. They are labelled:

1-5: Clothes
6: Trophies
7-8: Work Stuff
9-10: Misc

Do you start with box 7 or 8?

Saying "We don't have a Realtor currently" is a great way to get a Realtor to talk for 45 minutes