This chapter is very hard for me to understand. I could really use some help if some of you guys have time to spare.

So I have my team make a run against a Medical company. They have to steal some things.

MEDLAB Technology system:

Orange-6 10/10/10/10/6

Here comes the newbie questions!:

Since the firm isn´t big enough to have a PLTG, can I assume they are on an LTG?

When the Decker jacks into the LTG is that a free action with no required tests?

I am thinking of using Tiered access for this system. With only one host directly connected to the grid. Can there only be 4 hosts in a system? (A|B|C|D|)

So to access the MEDLAB Tech, the decker needs to perform a Logon to host (A)!

Optional operations could be controlling security cameras, elevators, maglocks, finding data, downloading data, planting data, looping cameras ect.!

I assume that when the decker makes his Log on host test he is inside the host. From there he has access to 3 other hosts (SR3 example tiered access) (B|C|D)

Would the subsystems (access, control ect) be inside that host or inside one of the other hosts?

Exactly what is inside host A?

If the subsystem "Slave" is in one of the other hosts, the decker will have to make two seperate operations right? 1: log on host. 2: locate slave.

Then make additional operations to control slave ect.?

I am also a bit confused on how the "jacking in" part works. If the decker is inside a operation room, will he still need to "jack in"? Is there a physical access point in such a room? The decker will need to jack his deck into something?

Please help!!

Top

and the realy heavy ones may well have scramble ice running on theyre access subsystems...

other then that most seems to have been answerd allready...

Thanx for all the help.

My naivity continues:

Example:

The decker is trying to get into MEDLAB´s system. He is accessing LTG. This requires a log on LTG operation. Once inside the grid, how can he find MEDLAB´s host on the grid? Does he automaticcaly know where it is?

Well, eventually he finds it. He performs a log on host operation to enter MEDLAB´s system. When he gets in he´s icon appears inside the host. He would like to lock all elevators except one specific elevator. This requires a locate slave operation right? If the slave subsystem isn´t in the host he currently is in he won´t find the slave right? Even if he has enough successes on the locate slave test.

Can a decker only search the host he is in or does a locate slave operation scan the entire system?

example:

Once inside the first host, the decker makes a locate slave operation. He succeeds. But the slave isn´t located in that specific host he is in at the moment. The slave is in another host of the system. Does the decker get that information or does the GM simply say: "There´s no slave in this host!" Then the decker must access a different host and make the search again, until he finds the slave subsystem??

I have a tough time working out the graphics of a system but here goes. This is how I picture the system:

H=host
ACIFS=access/control/index/files/slave
G=grid (LTG)

----G-----H(A)------H(B)-------H©ACIFS

So the decker has to get in LTG, access Host A, access Host B and access Host C. Once inside Host C he performs operations to control the elevator since this is the place where the slave is located?

My head is spinning!!! I have no idea what I just wrote above.

Dang it, matrix is tough!!

I might be wrong but you seemed to be confused (a little) about what Slave is. You don't have all the Slaves in host A (or B or C for that matter).

Slave is the Generic term used to discribe any "program" that controls a Physical thing (in your case elevators)

So If the decker is in Host A and looks for the elevator Controls (locate Slave) but they are not there (after getting3 succes's), then the Gm turns round and says "The Slave for the levators doesn't appear to be no this host.

Thus the decker then has to deside wheather or not to logon to Host B to see if they are there, But remember in this case his tally WILL carry over (hence why most deckers hope what they are looking for is no the first host)

Shockwave, could you draw me some graphics so I can see what it would look like?

The team needs to get to the 24th floor. Elevators
They need to steal data. Files

Sorry im not sure what your asking for.

Slaves and Files can Technically placed anywhere (Host A,B or Y and Z if you like) It's just that the more Important the company deams the Slave/Files the more Host's the decker will have to logon to and through and thus the more likly they will get detected.

Can I find a big Matrix scene example somewhere?

Where a newbie can be guided through some of the basic steps. (Rules wise)

The examples in the core book is simply too short to fully grasp the bigger picture.

I guess I am looking for detailed description on:

How to log on to a LTG, RTG, ect.
How to search for a specific host.
How to enter a Host
How to find subsystems
ect...!!

Heh, I know exactly what you mean; most of the Matrix rules are pretty out there. Let me see if I can clear up one thing for you, though: the subsystems.

The big thing to realize here is that *every* host has ACIFS subsystems. Think of them like attributes for the host, much like every deck has an MPCP , Bod, Sensor, and (for deckers) Evasion and Masking ratings. It's not so much whether the subsystem exists so much as whether or not it's connected to anything. For instance, with your nested host model it may be that only host D's Slave subsystem is "connected" to the elevators; all the other hosts have Slave subsystems, but none of them are connected to the elevators.

So what are all the other hosts' subsystems for? Well, it depends on the setup. Maybe host A is a chokepoint (Orange-hard or Red), and the only thing it's connected to is host B. In that case, both the Files and Slave subsystems are pretty much useless, because they connect to nothing at all. They still exist, though, for the same reason the chokepoint exists in the first place: to force an invading decker to waste his time and up his security tally searching around inside this host for things that aren't there. OTOH, maybe host A is the public server (Blue or Green), and has files on it that aren't mission-critical in any way, that are essentially public-domain. You wouldn't hook the elevators up to such a server because they should have restricted access; the easygoing public server would allow everyone to have complete control over the elevators, which doesn't make sense.

In any case, now you should be able to figure out the answers to your own slave questions. First off, no, a decker cannot logon to host A and use "Locate Slave" to find a slave hooked up to host C. There is no "scan the entire system" command; each host is its own completely seperate system, with its own ACIFS ratings and the like. That the decker would most likely have to do is go to Host A, attempt to Locate Slave(the elevators), find nothing, then move on to Host B (of course he'd have to *find* it first), then Locate Slave again, etc.


By the way, now you see why it begins to drag a bit when you have several hosts daisy-chainned together like this. This is why a few of the posters above have suggested that you make your network a bit smaller. By the time your decker has gotten all the way to finding Host D he's probably accrued a bit of a tally, and the moment he logs on he's going to be getting hit with a small swarm of IC. Remember that whenever you log on to a new host you take your Security Tally with you, and so you automatically trigger everything on the sheaf up to your current tally right when you log on.

You're also facing some belivability issues here; hosts in SR are expensive. I'd be surprised if a mid-size lab could afford more than two, let alone four, especially since the lab you're building isn't rich enough to have its own PLTG.

Let me just get this straight!!

Each host also has all the subsystems inbeded right? But not all of the subsystems have usable info in them?

example:

The first host (A) have all the ACIFS subsystems embeded, but they don´t do anything. Host (B) have all ACIFS subsystems, and store files, Host © have all ACIFS subsystems, and have all the slaves systems (Elevators, cameras, drones ect!)

Do each host have more than one working subsystem?

Thats entirely up to you, and how you want the system designed...

Edit: But as someone already mentioned each host is a multi-million investment, so most small local corps usually only have a single host if their lucky. Bigger corps = bigger matrix assests. In your case, remember that Hosts do NOT need to be connected to the matrix either. Perhaps this place has a public host that faces the world, and another non-public one only accessible from on-site.

Yes, now you're beginning to get it!

And yes, a host can have more than one subsystem active, just like a decker can have both Sensor and Bod ratings at the same time. Remember, ACIFS subsystems are nothing more or less than the "attributes" of the host; each of them tells you how difficult it is to do that particular action on that host illegally*. The Access rating tells you how hard it is to get into a host. The Control rating tells you how hard it is to, for example, forcibly crash the host or validate an account. Index tells you how difficult it is to look for something. Files controls file access, Slave controls peripheral acces (like elevators, maglocks, etc).

*When you're using a valid account you don't have to roll against these subsystem ratings to do things you're authorized to do; this is what makes the Validate program so valuable, and explains why most GMs are real hardasses about the Control subsystem.

ok, I am beginning to get that part of it. Now, for tally´s and IC.

Do all hosts have the same security measures?

The decker gains access to host A. 1 tally. now he enters host B which gives him additional 1 tally. He has to go back to host A, to get to host C, and gets 2 tally´s when re-entering host A. (4 total) This will activate a Probe-5 security measure. Does all hosts have the same security? I mean does it matter which host I am in? the system will send the security measure the equals the tally´s accumilated? (3,7,10,13)

So it doesn´t matter if I am in Host A,B,C,D right. The current host will automatically send the the security measure?

Well, not really, no. Each host has its own, usually unique, security sheaf, just like each ost has its own color (Orange, Blue, etc), Security Rating, and ACIFS subsystems. The one on page 211 is a sample, not one that applies to every host. Note that this is different than the Security Tally, which is something that belongs to the decker's Icon, a temporary value like the Condition Monitor (damage). What security measure(s) you activate depend entirely on which host--and thus which security sheaf--you are on.

The only thing every host has in common is that the first trigger in every security sheaf is Probe IC.

The secruirty Tally is Compared to the Security Sheaf to see what IC (and alerts) will be actvated.

So using your Example: A tally of 4 Actvates The Probe on Host A but on Host C (when he gets there) it Might actvated the probe AND a Tar Baby

Most commonly. Not always as TinkerGnome said.

I think me and TinkerGnome were typing at the same time

Sounds like someone needs to do a quick example run to make sure we've covered everything

Good thinking

So TinkerGnome you gonna look for that thread or shall i??

What, this one?

Yeah, that thread is nice and all, but if I remember correctly it goes a little too in depth about the iconography and the like. Something much simpler would be useful here.

I've not got Matrix on hand, so me doing it probably won't work out too well.

And im soon to be going out to get bladdered....

I think I´m gonna roll myself up in a corner and start crying.

Just read the thread about Matrix (91 posts)

And I am now 20% dumber than before.

I am switching nationality,....hoping my english skills will increase heavily, cause I don´t understand half of what you guys are saying.

Our first game is saturday, I am GM´ing, and I have to make some sort of system so my Decker doesn´t just sit for 12 hours doing nothing. I have no idea how to begin or how to run it, if I by some miracle should cook something together by Saturday.

I am poo!!!

Give us a minute. Well throw together an example.

First, tell us about what MEDLAB uses as its theme. The system could be sculpted to look like the inside of a human body, or a mad scientist laboratory, or whatever you choose.

Second, you need to decide what each host does. Is Host A the public website, with information about the company and its stock performance? Then Host B is personnel and marketing files while Host C is the security and building operations?

Don't worry, Topper, we'll get you through it. The reason I didn't suggest that thread is because it gets heavily into the descriptive side of the Matrix and you have to really filter for rules. Let's take a pretty standard case. We've got DeckerA. He has a stock MPCP-6 deck and every program he could ever want at 6. He has a computer skill of 6 and a hacking pool of 5 (from his Math SPU). Okay, he's going to try to crack the system we're looking at here.

Basicly, the system is a three tier system. The first node is the general employee node, which is rated Orange-6. This is where transcription occurs and various other medical tasks. It's not quite so hard to get into, but there is little of use to us here.

The second node is rated Orange-8 and covers building security. This is where our target node is, along with other helpful stuff like security cameras.

The final node is for data storage. Because this is so critical to the business, it's rated Red-8 and is loaded with Paydata. Unfortunately, getting any of it is outside of our decker's job and likely outside his experience.

All of the nodes have a similar security sheaf which goes:

5 Probe-6
10 Probe-8
15 other stuff...

Okay, so the run begins. The decker sets up at a jackpoint somewhere and accesses the LTG (Logon to LTG). He will then perform a handful of Locate Access Node, Logon to RTG, Logon to LTG actions and find himself at the right LTG. I'm skipping these because the security tally he generates on the LTG and RTG don't carry over to the system itself as far as I know.

Now it's time to crack into the system. Our decker has a Detection Factor of 6 (his deck has a rating 6 Masking persona and he's running rating 6 Sleaze) and the host has a rating or Orange-6 10/10/10/10/10. Who rolls what?

Note: All system tests are opposed rolls. The decker rolls dice and the host rolls dice. You then compare successes. If the decker gets more successes than the system, he gets some effect (either something happens or, in the case of long actions, something starts to happen). If the system gets more successes, the decker doesn't get anything to happen just yet. In both cases, the total successes (not just the net successes) that the system rolls are added to the decker's security tally.

Decker: Logon to host operation, using the deception utility, TN of (Access rating of 10)-(rating 6 program) = 4. Dice: Computer of 6 + up to 6 hacking pool.

Host: System rating dice (6) against TN (detection factor) = 6.

So our decker manages to log on with no trouble and the system gets 1 success against him giving him a security tally of 1. 1 is less than the 5 attached to the first step on the security sheaf, so no ice is triggered.

We can assume that our decker doesn't know where the slave he wants is, so he will try to locate the slave. To do so, we roll more dice.

Decker: Locate slave, using the Analyze utility against TN of (Index rating of 10) - (rating 6 program) = 4. Dice: Computer of 6 + up to 6 hacking pool.

Host: System rating dice (6) against TN (detection factor) = 6.

Our decker manages 3 successes on the test, which nets him the fact that the slave is not on this host. However, the system still gets to look for him and gets 1 more success. His security tally is now 2, which is still significantly less than 5, so he does not trigger any ice.

Now, the decker tries to move on to the next host, which requires more die rolls.

Decker: Logon to host, using the deception utility against a TN of (Access rating of 12) - (rating 6 program) = 6. Dice: Computer of 6 + up to 6 hacking pool.

Host: System rating dice ( against TN (detection factor) = 6.

The decker gets lucky and manages to beat the system by 1 success. The system still adds a single success to the security tally, raising it to 3, which is approaching the first piece of IC at 5.

Now on the right host, the decker tries to locate the slave again.

Decker: Locate slave, using the Analyze utility against TN of (Index rating of 12) - (rating 6 program) = 6. Dice: Computer of 6 + up to 6 hacking pool.

Host: System rating dice ( against TN (detection factor) = 6.

As you can see, things are getting harder now. Our decker friend manages one net success, which is not enough to find the slave (requiring 3 successes) but enough to keep him in the game. The system gets 1 success total and adds that to the tally, bringing it to 4. One more and a piece of IC will trigger.

Because Locate Slave is an interrogation action, our decker can keep doing it and his successes will add up from round to round until he succeeds or flees.

Decker: Locate slave, using the Analyze utility against TN of (Index rating of 12) - (rating 6 program) = 6. Dice: Computer of 6 + up to 6 hacking pool.

Host: System rating dice ( against TN (detection factor) = 6.

The decker manages to roll a 3 successes on his roll and the system gets only 1. This brings the decker's successes up to 3, meaning he has found the slave he is looking for. Unfortunately, the system's 1 success is enough to raise his tally to 5 and trigger the first piece of IC.

The decker doesn't realize the IC has been triggered because it is passive (ie, it doesn't attack) and he failed a test with his sensor rating against the IC rating (decker rolled sensor 4 against TN = IC rating = 6). However, his attempt to control the elevator is about to get more dangerous.

Decker: Edit slave, using the Spoof utility against TN of (Slave rating of 12) - (rating 6 program) = 6. Dice: Computer of 6 + up to 6 hacking pool.

Host: System rating dice ( against TN (detection factor) = 6.

IC: Probe rating dice (6) against TN (detection factor) = 6.


The decker rolls his dice against the system and comes up with 2 successes. Unfortunately, the system is doing better now and rolls 2 successes. The decker fails his operation and his tally increases to 7. The probe IC rolls its rating and comes up with one more success, raising the decker's total tally to 8.

Realizing he has to hurry, the decker tries again (same rolls) and this time scores 4 successes (he burns some karma to do so). The system almost counters but gets only 3 successes. The Probe IC fails to get any successes. The slave is edited, but now our decker has a tally of 10, which means that another piece of IC has triggered.

Our decker's job is done, so he decides to bolt and tries to perform a graceful logoff operation.

Decker: Graceful logoff, using the Deception utility against TN of (Access rating of 12) - (rating 6 program) = 6. Dice: Computer of 6 + up to 6 hacking pool.

Host: System rating dice ( against TN (detection factor) = 6.

IC: Probe rating dice (6) + Probe IC rating dice ( against TN (detection factor) = 6.

As you can see, things are getting hot in the host fast. Our decker manages to log off, but not before the Probe IC brings his tally up to 15 and triggers another piece of IC. Fortunately for our decker, he's not around to have to deal with it.

Keep in mind if this is a newbie team I'd seriously suggest cutting down on the number of chainned hosts--probably to 2, maybe 3 if you're feeling sadistic. Nothing is more boring to the rest of the group than waiting for the decker to wander around the 'trix looking for the right host to Sleaze himself into. The fun way to run remote-ish deckers are to have them on overwatch--deactivating pressure sensors, looping cameras, opening maglocks, looking up paydata, that sort of thing--while the rest of the group is doing the physical infiltration. This means that the building itself should have the complicated security, rather than the host architecture.

Another note: unless you're running some marathon 12-hour gaming session (and even then) don't expect your group to actually get to the run itself on your first session. I have next to no experience myself, but from what I've seen meeting the Johnson and planning the run should take one or two sessions all by itself. This is where your decker and the face (many times the same person) should be having all the fun, really. They're the ones who will be "beating the street", looking for building blueprints, looking for security loopholes, etc etc. Make sure you have a lot of these kinds of details down before the session; that's where DSers really come in handy.

You might try alternating the actions between the decker PC and the rest of the team- although it doesn't model how things in the Matrix happen "faster" than in the meat world, it'll be better than making everyone wait until the decker player is done, then making the decker player wait until there's something to do

ex: Decker (D), another team member(atm), D, atm2, D, atm3.... If there's some task the decker must complete before the team can move on, like opening a door or grabbing the target file, then everyone else will have to wait, but as you get better at running the amount of time the other players wait will decrease.

Well, Since this is our first time playing, I have sculpted a classic getting in and out run.

MEDLAB is in fierce competition with another medicin production company, and MEDLAB is loosing.

In one last attempt, they have made their chief chemist design and produce a virus, and a cure for the virus.

Their grand plan is to release the virus and sell the cure, hence making millions.

bla bla bla, the runners get the job.

Get inside the building, steal the two prototypes (virus & cure)
Download the formulae, recepies, and any other virus/cure related data.
Erase all virus/cure data from mainframe when downloaded
kidnap chief chemist

So I need the decker to enter the system and "clear" the way for the rest of the team. (opening doors, closing elevators, looping security cameras, downloading data, erasing data, shut down sensors ect), but from a distance.

I am thinking of using only 2 hosts. Since the company is in dire straits, they have had to slack a bit on their matrix security.

I understand that the first thing the decker needs to do is accesing the grid. The confusing part is that you guys give very good advice but contradictive advice. Some say the decker has to log on to RTG, some say LTG. Which is correct?

once on the grid, the decker will have to find the right host. (MEDLAB´s host)

Are we talking about 1 host or should there be more to enter directly from the grid?

Once inside MEDLAB´s host, the decker should be able to take control of the above mentioned systems. (Cameras, sensors, data, doors, elevators ect)

All of those could be found on the second host right? or is there a limit to what one host can hold?

So the decker makes operations, using utilities against the ACIFS rating of the different hosts, and the system makes a test each time the decker makes a test, giving the persona tally´s as he goes along. This could eventually activate IC, and the decker could find himself fighting in cyberspace.

I think my problem is that I can´t "see" the graphics involved here. I tried drawing it in one of my earlier posts. Making it look like a tree, with branches sticking out, and hosts attached.

Really, what I need is some sort of Matrix for dummies. But only the basics descriped in full detail. How do a decker enter the grid(s), how do a decker find a certain company host, how do a decker enter that host, once inside how do the decker find the sensors, the cameras, the elevators, the virus data, the cure data,the door slave, ect. And a full description on what tests is to be made each time and why.

"Hey Topper28,....go read the rules man!!!!"

I tried, I don´t understand them,...sorry!!

But I am so fascinated by the Matrix system, and I really want to make it have a major impact on our games.

So I´ll start with the basics as written before. How to enter a low security company system and perform the before mentioned tasks.

And don´t be fooled by the fact that I seem to know my way around the english language. Alot of the technical terms you guys use, are way too hard for me to understand. missing the meaning of two words in a sentence is often enough to miss the whole point.

(I am actually sitting here with a english/danish dictionary)

I know I whine alot, for that I am sorry. It´s just freakin´ frustrating. I have been reading 3-4 hours a day to be ready for saturday, and Matrix is the only system I simply just doesn´t understand the basics in yet.

Anyways,..thanx for all the help. Really appreciate it. It´s not your foult I am a slow learner.

Thanx again

Tinkergnome you rock dude!!!

That actually made some sense to me. Saved the text, and will use that as reference on saturday. Except the system won´t be that hard to get into.

Indeed, Tinker's got a great example there. I do see a couple of problems though. First off, security tallies are carried over. If you generate a tally on the Seatle RTG, the tally carries over to, say the Tacoma LTG, and from there to whatever host you Logon to. It's a parent to child thing. Tallies carry over from parent to child. So RTGs carry to LTGs, and LTGs carry to hosts, but you reset your tally whenever you Logon from one LTG to another, or from one RTG to another. This is why it's sometimes good for a decker to "jack in" inside the building. That way you can Logon to Host and skip all the LTGs and RTGs.

Second, deckers definately do get a chance to "see" triggered reactive IC: they get a Sensor test, as noted on p. 209. The difference between proactive IC and reactive IC is that you automatically know that proactive IC is triggered when it attacks you.

Side note: you saw how quickly Probe IC can jack up your security tally. This is why you usually want to kill probe IC as quick as you can, especially if you're going to be on for a long time. One rule you should use, to make decking less evil on your deckers, is to let them give up a hacking pool die to surpress IC rather than a point of Detection Factor. This is much easier on your deckers, because lowering DF is almost always worse than just letting the IC kill you.

from what i recall hosts dont copy tallys from LTGs and LTGs under the same umbrella RTG share tally(along with the parent RTG). i dont even think diffrent RTGs share tallys. the only time you can go from public grid (LTG, RTG) and still haveing the same tally is when you go to a PLTG (its basicly a corps own private phone and data network) and then you may end up haveing the same tally when you enter a host as the host is more tied into the PLTG system...

LTG = local telecom grid (basicly a city or area of a citys area code on the good old phone system)

RTG = regional telecom grid (state or contry sized phone network. rarely does a host tie right into the RTG. note that satelites have theyre own RTGs. RTGs exist to rent out links to LTGs that again sell services like cable, phone and net access to private customers and corps alltho corps most of the time run it all via the host(s) so that it acts like a inhouse switchboard)...

so if you where to call someone in tokyo from seattle it would go like this:

phone-seattle LTG-UCAS RTG-japan RTG-tokyo LTG-phone

or if a decker where to deck a host in tokyo:

decker-seattle LTG-UCAS RTG-japan RTG-tokyo LTG-host

all RTGs are interconnected.

P(for private)LTGs are just like normal LTGs only that they are dedicated LTGs owned by one corp and the only people useing it are corp personel and hosts. so if you can get your as into novatech PLTG you can get access to any novatech host connected to it even if the host is in tokyo and you are in seattle. most of the time this is done for security reasons, like say the military running its own PLTG that only connect to public nets at designated sites (mostly behind goverment red-10+ hosts).

so if medlab and the decker both are within seattle then the decker only have to do:

deck-seattle LTG-host

and any legwork he have done (physical or online) should have gained him the hosts access address. maybe its even supplyed by the johnson.

Hmm, maybe I'm reading that part wrong then. This stuff confuses me too.

You're right about the sensor test, though. You should be able to spot IC hanging around, it's just not easy to do depending on your deck ratings. Above post edited to include a (failed) sensor test.

LTG and RTG understanding are a beast. its like trying to understand how the phonesystem of today work (LTG = local area central, RTG = higher up in the chain) with the diff that you can actualy query your local central to find publicly listed (and if your a decker unlisted) phone numbers and host addresses. in fact its simpler to envision how the matrix works by comparing to the phone system then to how the internet works as the phone network have clearly defined borders and areas. in fact by looking at it that way the host becomes a inhouse switchboard...

as for spoting IC, you will spot any icon that wants to show themselfs or similar. the sensor chip is there to filter all the traffic so that you only see stuff that are important (higher rating sensor is better at filtering and ignores some of the flags sent over by other icons) so that you dont get sensory overload by all the background traffic the deck have to maintain. by sending the right flags you can hide yourself to a public terminal but a decker can have the deck ignore these flags by activly looking (doing a sensor test) for icons. its kinda like setting a folder to hidden and then asking for a directory listing that allso shows hidden files and folders...