Help - Search - Members - Calendar
Full Version: Decking
Dumpshock Forums > Discussion > Community Projects
Pages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Kagetenshi
Navigation:

SR3R Master Thread

Jon’s Glorious Karma Character Generation System (S3CKS)

Ranged Combat

Astral Space, Essence, and the Awakened

New Gear

Cyberware

Time, Pool, and the Flow of Combat

_________________________________________________
Decided:
(All of these are subject to reopening for discussion should there be any strong argument for a different path)
1) Too many operations. What can we combine?

System Operations Quick Reference
Operational Utilities Quick Reference
(Both pretty rough, apologies.)

[ Spoiler ]


2) Validate makes the world obsolete.

Validate and Invalidate Account can only be performed on the main user database, which may be protected or on another host altogether and must be found first. Other functions of Validate may be used anywhere.

3) Program sizes: needed detail and balance, or needlessly complex? Moreover, do we need active memory? Does it need to be adjusted?

Program sizes are maintained, as is active memory.

Possible issue: this may make it too easy to program necessary tools. This will be looked at again when programming is considered.

4) Link Utilities: do we need them?

No. Link utilities are now gone. The appropriate hardware is all that is required to use a wireless link.

5) Null Operations: what the hell do we do with this?

Nothing. Rules stay as is.

6) Sleaze+masking: keep or toss?

Sleaze has been dropped. Masking alone now determines Detection Factor. Modes are dropped until they can be examined in detail.

7) Combat Utilities: how are they going to work?

Attack utilities use decker's skill, with program rating determining attack Power. Killjoy and Black Hammer determine their damage level based on the host they're on; the explanation for this is that the utilities involve using the host's processing power against the opposing decker. The Power remains the rating of the utility.

8) Guardian: do we need it? Should it be software?

Guardian is now gone, and will be replaced by appropriate security hardware.

_________________________________________________
In progress:

9) Maneuvers

Beneficial? Overly complicated? Rarely useful? What needs to be changed about these?

10) Multiple Deckers

What the Sam Hill do we do with these? Possible solutions:

1: every user has their own security tally, which follows them as in canon SR3. The highest of all the tallies on a host is the one that determines IC, and only one copy of IC shows up.

Issues: too easy to mob and overpower IC with a decker pack.

2: tally is held by the host and follows deckers amongst security-linked systems, but not elsewhere. Tally is equal to the tally generated by all deckers on the host.

Issues: makes tally generated on a RTG not worth bothering about.

3: Both the user and the host have tally counts. Every point of tally gained on a system adds one to the tally of the user who triggered it and to the tally of the host itself. Anytime a decker joins a host that has less tally than he or she does, the host's tally rises to equal that of the decker.

Issues: involves the most bookkeeping.

_________________________________________________

Let's limit our scope. For right now, we're just going to be talking about the old-fashioned kind of deckers (we're not addressing Otaku yet), and addressing only basic system tests. No cybercombat, no writing programs, no types of connections, just straight-up skill and program and operation, plus the host. In fact, let's not even take deck attributes into account yet except for Storage Memory, Active Memory, and MPCP.

The way I plan to do this is to take the current system, pare it down as much as possible without losing anything important, and then see if it's playable alongside meat action by someone who is experienced but not a master of the relevant rules. If not, we start looking at more drastic action.

The most obvious possible issues

1) Too many Operations. What can we combine?

Currently, Logon to Host, Logon to LTG, and Logon to RTG are all Complex actions that use Deception to go against Access. The only possible reason I can think of for this is to balance the Codeslinger edge (and the Codeblock flaw); the clear answer is to eliminate that edge/flaw pairing and combine them into a single Logon operation.

Other combinations are more tricky. Edit Slave and Monitor Slave are both monitored operations that use Spoof against Slave, but they do different things and take different actions (Edit is Complex, Monitor is Simple). Do we combine them? If so, do we make them both Simple? Both Complex? Leave a note that one use is Simple and the other Complex? If so, why?

2) Validate makes the world obsolete.

Pretty much what it says. My idea is to either get rid of Validate entirely and introduce a suggested mechanic (probably just a glorified example) for including a user database in a host that players can edit over the course of a number of operations including Search, Read/Write, and possibly Decrypt. Alternately, Validate could continue to exist (allowing editing of user databases more easily), but it would still take at least a Search to find it. User databases could be kept on different hosts entirely, making it a valid decision whether or not to try for a fake account as opposed to a no-brainer on anything but the most jacked-Control hosts.

3) Program sizes: needed detail and balance, or needlessly complex? Moreover, do we need Active Memory?

I personally think that the current method is nicely balancing. However, I'm not sure it's balancing enough to be worth the extra work. Discuss.



Feel free to suggest other issues, but please keep all discussion on these three topics until I introduce additional topics for consideration. Ideally we'll have at least one, possibly two or all three with at least a preliminary solution before we move on to the next set of issues.

~J
Fortune
Are we assuming that the Matrix stay as it is already depicted in Shadowrun, and pretty much ignoring the advent of the WMI?
Kagetenshi
Yes. We can add on rules for the WMI as needed later; at the moment, I am assuming that the Matrix works like it does in SR3, and that if the WMI exists it's just another method of accessing it. I don't know about you, but I think this whole project is ambitious enough without creating an entirely new paradigm for the Matrix from scratch if we can help it smile.gif

~J
Fortune
I just figured it was something that should be clarified right from the start.
Kagetenshi
Good catch, thanks.

~J
Elfie
I'll take a stab at the questions you listed. Of course this is just all running from opinion.

1) All the logon's are there for a reason, but there never was a rule saying a GM had to use them all. If I'm sitting at a wireless point in a city, lets say, and I want to hack in to the government's matrix, first I'd have to get access to the matrix in general, then get access to the government's matrix. Yes it's an extra action, but the TN's can be drastically different (getting into FreeSat versus getting into Aztechnology for example). And all those attempts to get in racks up your security tally.

Monitor slave does just that, it lets you see through the slave's eyes, so to speak. You don't exert any control over it, making an easier task than trying to take total control of the slave. The simple versus complex actions are geared more towards what the decker can do while in combat. If the decker is under attack by the IC, while he's controlling the security turrets so they don't shoot up the team, he faces a dilemna. Fight off the IC and lose control of the turrets, or keep control of the turrets and try to avoid the IC using his other lesser actions. Now if the decker was just keeping an eye on the security cameras, that action is easier to do while in in combat than actually manipulating them.

2) I agree that Validate is too powerful a tool. Granted the TN's are high to achieve super-user access, but once you have that, it takes all the fun out of being a decker. The only real way to counter that is for the GM to have more live security deckers in the grid, since the IC will ignore the PC decker. This could make life a lot harder on the PC and could drag out Matrix combat, but that's GM discrection I guess. If you were to allow Validate to exist for the purpose of editing databases, that would take the fun out of Read/Write operations.

Validate is a toss-up. Either make the TN so high that any decker will ring up a sizeable security tally trying to make himself a password (keep in mind that there's a time limit on how long he stays valid depending on number of successes) or toss it completely and make deckers work for their pay. After using Validate in my past games, I'm actually leaning towards tossing the utility altogether.

3) Program sizes are needed. They're not that complex, its just simple math with multipliers. While they might not exactly work from a real-life standpoint, it's more of a game balancing issue. The PC decker could have more than twice as many rating 3 programs running in Active Memory as he could have rating 6 programs. I think that's more game balance than anything else.

Active and passive memory should be kept around, also. Again, it's more for worrying about what to do while in combat. If you have all stealth programs running in active memory and get jumped by an IC, you can't just turn around and blast it with your Attack utility. You'd have to spend an action (or a partial action depending on the size of the utility and your I/O speed) getting your Attack, Armor, etc. Utilities on-line to defend yourself. If you never see combat, then the point of switching programs into Active memory is just about moot. Also, given enough money and time, a decker can buy/program every utility at rating 10, but how could he possibly run all the programs at once?
Eyeless Blond
One thing I'd like to do is trim the fat when it comes to programs, particularly operational utilities. You could easily get away with exactly five, corresponding to ACIFS, rather like the Otaku's Channels. The cost multipliers would be boosted to compensate: say Access would have a modifier of 4, Index 3, File and Slave maybe 5, and Control 7 to compensate cost- and size-wise. This would vastly simplify decking from the end-user side, as you would only have to worry about naming the subsystem involved in any particular test.

Also, get rid of Sleaze and have the whole DF thing based on Masking. The only reason that Sleaze exists is to screw over a player with Tar IC, which is really cheap IMO.

In the same vein, get rid of Link utilities for wireless (and Maser) access devices. If you plug it into an FUP, it should damn well be Universal. Raise prices on the device itself to compensate.

Note that most of the above doesn't significantly change balance issues so much as lessen the glut of bookkeepping that make deckers a pain in the ass to play, and prevent them from spending much time designing frames and agents which are by far more interesting programs than operational utilities, and should occupy a correspondingly more significant fraction of the utility list. Even if that happens by compressing the operational utility side of the list. smile.gif


Now for the more controversial stuff. Get rid of Response Increase. You heard me. Instead, increases to mental initiative are handled with cyberware, the same way increases to rigger initiative and physical (sammie) initiative are. In fact, they already have a perfectly good piece of 'ware whose flavor text fits perfectly with the idea of increasing mental initiative: the Encephalon. Get rid of the damn Task Pool and virtual Int increase for the Encephalon, and instead have each level add +2+d6 to mental (ASIST-based) Initiative. You'll need a third level that costs 2.25 Essence and 200,000Y, but that's okay as well.

While we're on the subject, the rigger's VCR should be reduced in Essence cost and remove the boost to mental initiative; again that will come from the Encephalon--but that's more for the Rigger thread.
Hitomi
QUOTE (Elfie @ Apr 14 2005, 09:03 AM)
1) All the logon's are there for a reason, but there never was a rule saying a GM had to use them all.  If I'm sitting at a wireless point in a city, lets say, and I want to hack in to the government's matrix, first I'd have to get access to the matrix in general, then get access to the government's matrix.  Yes it's an extra action, but the TN's can be drastically different (getting into FreeSat versus getting into Aztechnology for example).  And all those attempts to get in racks up your security tally. 



Yes but they all dont need to b e called different logons, they can all just be wrapped up into an action called "Logon" So you would Logon to the city grid, then adempt to Logon to a goverment's grid.
Moon-Hawk
In response to Eyeless Blond:
First off, let me say that I really like the direction this is going. Also, I include the caveat that I really don't think the Matrix rules are all that bad. But I do agree they need improvement.
Operational Utilities: I agree that they need to be trimmed, but going down to 5 may be too far. (edit: I like condensing Logon, for example)
Sleaze: That's not the ONLY reason. It's so that there are hardware and software components to DF. You may be right about this, but I'm not 100% convinced. I like the hardware/software aspects of DF, but you may be right in that it's just not worth the bookkeeping.
Link Utilities: They're total crap. I totally agree.
Initiative based on modified encephalon: Sounds nifty. I like it. However maybe there should still be some kind of limit based on the deck. A rating 3 encephalon is only worth so much if you're trying to deck through a TI-85. Keep the DNI bonuses & such, but maybe say that you can't get more than +2+1d6 per 2 points of MPCP or something like that.
Eyeless Blond
QUOTE (Moon-Hawk)
Operational Utilities:  I agree that they need to be trimmed, but going down to 5 may be too far.  (edit: I like condensing Logon, for example)
I never said that there should only be five system operations, only that to simplify the bookkeepping there need be only five operational utilities. Alternatively, you could get rid of operational utilities entirely and use something like the SK'a Utility Pool (p. 148 Matrix) and have a decker generate all his operational utilities on-the-fly using a single Master Utility Generation program or something... hey that would be *fun*. smile.gif

QUOTE
Initiative based on modified encephalon:  Sounds nifty.  I like it.  However maybe there should still be some kind of limit based on the deck.  A rating 3 encephalon is only worth so much if you're trying to deck through a TI-85.  Keep the DNI bonuses & such, but maybe say that you can't get more than +2+1d6 per 2 points of MPCP or something like that.
Why? Does the quality of the RCD impact the bonus of Rigging through it? MPCP already limits the Rating of utilities; that's a good enough limiter right there. If you really want to limit speed, then limit it based on the I/O speed of the deck or something. I can see the reasoning behind it, but I don't think it's necessary; there are already enough things that the MPCP depends on; you don't need to limit Matrix Init on it as well.
Elfie
Now I get to put back the part I edited out of my first response:

Yes, there are a ton of utilities, but that's no different than looking at the amount of spells mages get. Mages get a ton of spells but only end up actually learning a handful, and some spells rarely if ever get used at all. Does that mean we need to trim down all the mage spells as well? Also, there are a ton of different utilities because not every decker is the same. If we cut utilities down to only a handful, then everyone will be playing a cookie-cutter hacker and what's the fun of that? A combat decker might not worry about programs like sleaze, camo, etc, but would load up on attack, armor, and medic utilities. A stealthy decker wouldn't worry about a lot of combat utilities and get more operational utilities.

Again, sure there's a ton of utilities, but there are also a ton of magic spells, and that's both for the same reason. People are individuals. If we cut them down to a handful of utilities, we might as well introduce a DnD class-based character generation system because all deckers will then be roughly the same in the matrix.

I agree with Link utilities being somewhat useless, but that depends on the style of game you play. If you're characters are paranoid because your GM takes every kind of tracking into consideration, then maybe land-line jackpoints are a very bad idea. So if a decker wants to laser, maser, or sat-deck, he needs some extra equipment and utilities. The majority of players can just ignore them, but they shouldn't be just deleted altogether.
Kagetenshi
Ok, I'm going to expand the scope of Issue 1 to apply to Operational Utilities as well. Let's take a look at what we have for operations and utilities; we'll start with:

Access

Decrypt Access
Encrypt Access
Freeze Vanishing SAN
Graceful Logoff
Logon to Host
Logon to LTG
Logon to RTG

Out of these, the Logon operations will be combined. That leaves us with five operations, which are governed by four utilities: Decrypt, Encrypt, Doorstop, and Deception. The question is, do any of these make sense to get rid of? The only one that I think could make sense would be Doorstop, but what would we replace it with? Deception again? It's already a powerful utility, but could reducing the utility count make it worth it?

The big problem with powering up Deception is that it's the siné qua non of Decking. I'd be against increasing the multiplier, personally. The question is, is adding freezing vanishing SANs to its list of powers unbalancing without kicking cost? I think not, but I'd like to get other opinions.

~J
Eyeless Blond
The thing about operational utilities is that they're not optional like magic spells. If you don't have, say, Levitate then you'll have to find another way to get over that wall. Maybe you'll climb, maybe you'll borrow a helicopter, maybe you'll have your troll friend throw you over. smile.gif The point is you have options other than using the Levitate spell to do a specific task. A decker without Deception simply cannot log onto any meaningful host. It's a barrier to entry rather than an option.

It's like if a sam had to pay cash for the ability to be able to open doors, or the mage for the ability to ever have LOS with anything.
Kagetenshi
Deception is a barrier to entry, sure, but if you can't Edit Slave to mess up the security cameras you could Intercept Data or locate and alter the destination or even crash the host.

Actually, that's an idea. I'm not going to get into it extensively until some of the current issues have been addressed, but how would you feel about all objects (datastores, SPUs, SANs, Slave nodes) being attackable in cybercombat? I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not, but it gives yet another way to do things.

~J
SirBedevere
As per your original post:

1) Both actions control the slave node; one is putting data in, one pulling data out. For ease of use I would combine them with a single Complex action 'Control Slave Node' or some such name. I think the action should be complex just for simplicity.

2) Validate - chuck it!

3) Programme sizes: My wife likes to play deckers but doesn't like the maths involved. I think it could be simplified to say: rating squared times N, but as the player involved usually does the calculations out of game time, I wouldn't complain if variable programme sizes were kept. I'm just trying to get out of doing the maths for her biggrin.gif

I was going to say that by the 2060+'s (can you say that?) memory would be memory and we don't need active and storage memory. Then I read Elfie's excellent point about choices in combat. Keep the different memory types.

Link utilities - IMO chuck them. I agree about raising the device prices to compensate.
Kagetenshi
4) Link Utilities

In my opinion, we can drop these. The question is, what happens to the links? Do they become automatic? What replaces the link utility for the connection roll?

~J
Eldritch
I duuno, I know we're trying to simplify things But I think I'd keep the edit/moniter as complex/simple. A decker in combat may still be able to moniter a node by giving up an action to check on his team. Or not in combat could moniter and still perform another action.


And I'd keep response increase. That represents an investment in hardware that improves the perfromance of the machine. A decker with all the headware in the world running a Radio Shack deck is still limited by the speed of the deck. Just look at some of the machies years ago. A user could type and get ahead of the machine. Now adays you can't even get close. (Unless some other process is bogging you down)

Links - let's not eliminate them, but possibley just make one.

Or get rid of them completely - assume the software comes with the hardware (Makes more sense I guess that way - Drivers included!)

Kagetenshi
That is one possibility: ratings on the physical hardware. Problem is, then you've got the issue of needing ratings on both sides…

~J
Eldritch
I'll sit down and really go through my matrix book - But I don't think (off the top of my pointy little head) that anything needs to be done with the Hardware rules. I know a lot of peeps complain about the decker rules, but I don't think it's the deck building/mods/programming that a lot of people have a problem with - it's implementation of the rules in a game session. That's what really needs to be 'streamlined'

Kagetenshi
I was referring to the hardware for wireless links. The physical deck hardware is a long way away from being addressed.

~J
Eldritch
biggrin.gif Sorry - that's what I get for trying to post in this discussion and work at the same time.


Err..


Yeah, rating link Hardware works. And makes more sense with the rest of the comm gear all having ratings.
mfb
the easiest way to counter Validate is to introduce rules for tracking decker trails after the decker has logged off. if you're using a valid account, you're no longer covering your tracks. therefore, while Validate makes it relatively easy to pwn a system, it also makes it relatively likely that LS is going to kick down your door and shoot you in the face. er, i mean, arrest you.

more directly pertinent to shadowrunning, being able to track what a decker did allows a host admin to lessen the damage a decker may have done. for instance, all paydata on a host on which a decker used a valid account should be less valuable, by at least half. the admins can check the logs, see what was copied, and then make that data less valuable (reallocate resources that were mentioned, pull out covert operatives that were named, move sensitive data referenced by the paydata, etcetera). this could easily apply to regular runs, as well--"steal data X" runs would be the most obvious example. even overwatch jobs could run up against problems with Validate. if trouble starts, all an admin has to do is check the activities of active users to find the runners that the decker is providing overwatch for, and then use Block Operation operations to kill the decker's overwatch capabilities while the guards mop up the helpless runners.
Kagetenshi
Though that certainly makes things better, a root account still ought to be able to wipe the logs, so it doesn't entirely solve the problem (just pushes it to lower-rating hosts or higher-Utility Deckers).

~J
hahnsoo
QUOTE (Eyeless Blond)
One thing I'd like to do is trim the fat when it comes to programs, particularly operational utilities. You could easily get away with exactly five, corresponding to ACIFS, rather like the Otaku's Channels. The cost multipliers would be boosted to compensate: say Access would have a modifier of 4, Index 3, File and Slave maybe 5, and Control 7 to compensate cost- and size-wise. This would vastly simplify decking from the end-user side, as you would only have to worry about naming the subsystem involved in any particular test.

I agree with this wholeheartedly, and individual utilities can be programmed as "specializations" of the ACIFS, with lower multipliers. You get to "keep" the complexity of the SR3 programs while at the same time simplifying decking overall by making a big fat "swiss army knife" program available.

QUOTE
Also, get rid of Sleaze and have the whole DF thing based on Masking. The only reason that Sleaze exists is to screw over a player with Tar IC, which is really cheap IMO.
Most of the operations that I used to associate with Sleaze are handled in SR3 by the Deception program. It seems a bit redundant with Masking, adding some unneeded complexity. HOWEVER, there is a difference between totally rewriting the rules and revising the rules. I'm not sure how you could keep Sleaze and revise the rules at the same time, but I'd like to see this happen somehow.

QUOTE
In the same vein, get rid of Link utilities for wireless (and Maser) access devices. If you plug it into an FUP, it should damn well be Universal. Raise prices on the device itself to compensate.
Right. You shouldn't need a program to use a link, and at the same time, the protocols for using the link should be built into the device already.

QUOTE
Now for the more controversial stuff. Get rid of Response Increase. You heard me. Instead, increases to mental initiative are handled with cyberware, the same way increases to rigger initiative and physical (sammie) initiative are.
I disagree, but only because Response Increase is linked to MPCP. I think that there should be automatic Response Increases with a higher rating MPCP at the same ratings already available (i.e. every 4 points gives you 1 additional level). The speed of a deck should be equal to the overall brute processing power of the deck. "Remove" response increase by making it automatic when you have a faster deck.

QUOTE
In fact, they already have a perfectly good piece of 'ware whose flavor text fits perfectly with the idea of increasing mental initiative: the Encephalon. Get rid of the damn Task Pool and virtual Int increase for the Encephalon, and instead have each level add +2+d6 to mental (ASIST-based) Initiative. You'll need a third level that costs 2.25 Essence and 200,000Y, but that's okay as well.
Honestly, I don't find this to be true, as I think the initiative should be based on the hardware rather than the cyberware (and it also futzes with otaku rules, another can of worms entirely). The increase to the hacking pool sounds good enough to me. I would rather, instead, see that the Hacking Pool no longer is dependent on MPCP, and instead calculated off of attributes with standard increases from the Math SPU and Encephalon. Again, this is a much more moderate solution.

QUOTE
While we're on the subject, the rigger's VCR should be reduced in Essence cost and remove the boost to mental initiative; again that will come from the Encephalon--but that's more for the Rigger thread.
I don't follow this at all, but that's for another thread.
blakkie
QUOTE (Kagetenshi)
Yes. We can add on rules for the WMI as needed later; at the moment, I am assuming that the Matrix works like it does in SR3, and that if the WMI exists it's just another method of accessing it. I don't know about you, but I think this whole project is ambitious enough without creating an entirely new paradigm for the Matrix from scratch if we can help it smile.gif

~J

That is a big assumption, that SR4 Wi-Fi is a tack-on. Remember that the Maxtrix is dead, long live the Matrix. So the basic configuration of the Matrix and the hosts within it could have changed. From a metagaming perspective crashing the Matrix could suggest they intend to restructure so severely that a cataclysm is required to try explain the change.

So even the basics of how you enter a host could have changed drastically, modeling closer to how in SR3 you can attack a drone network via Electronic Warfare. Or that you might be able to walk up near a peripheral node of a host in a building an infiltrate the host via that.

Also not that decking might not require you to go totally limp anymore. There might be a HUD type mode as an option

Not much you can do without seeing where they are headed, but just something to keep in mind.
Kagetenshi
It's no assumption whatsoever. We can add on rules for the WMI easily, but not necessarily for Matrix 2.0; we have the guidelines for the WMI (SoE), but not Matrix 2.0.

Needless to say, SR3R will not have Matrix 2.0 until SR4 is released, and it may never have it; I have no immediate plans to include it.

~J
Eldritch
I like the concept of the Wirless matrix as well. But I agree. Don't worry about it now.

Heh, It could be a SR4 to SR3 Conversion Netbook for the SR3R Netbook....

And Are you calling it SR3R? Or SR3.5?
Kagetenshi
SR3R, or Shadowrun 3rd Revised. Deliberately staying away from SR3.5, though it's still a reference to a WotC product (though, to be fair, SR3 was not 3rd Unlimited).

~J
Kagetenshi
For right now I'm going to assume that Freeze Vanishing SAN will be rolled into Deception.

Control

Abort Host Shutdown
Alter Icon
Analyze Host
Analyze IC
Analyze Icon
Analyze Operation
Analyze Security
Block System Operation
Crash Host
Decoy
Dump Log
Invalidate Account
Null Operation
Redirect Datatrail
Relocate Trace
Restrict Icon
Validate Account

Now, Null Ops is its own entirely separate can of worms, so we'll leave that for an entirely different examination.

Out of these, the utilities used are († indicates that a utility is used for only one operation):

Analyze
Swerve†
Redecorate†
Snooper†
Crash
Mirrors†
Validate
Deception (only for the Operation We Aren't Talking About Yet™)
Camo†
Relocate†

I suggest we roll Analyze IC and Analyze Icon into a single operation (Analyze Icon), get rid of Snooper and merge Analyze Security and Analyze Operation into the same operation (Analyze Process) both using Analyze, combine Swerve and Crash, combine at least two of the following: Mirrors, Camo, and Relocate, and find something to roll Redecorate into. Thoughts?

For reference, that would leave us with something like:

Analyze
Analyze Host
Analyze Icon
Analyze Process
Inject
Abort Host Shutdown
Block System Operation
Crash Host
Something preexisting to absorb Redecorate
Alter Icon
Cloak (yes, I know the name's already used, if someone has a better one please contribute)
Decoy
Redirect Datatrail
Relocate Trace
Validate
Dump Log
Invalidate Account
Restrict Icon
Validate Account

Thoughts?

~J
Eyeless Blond
QUOTE (Kagetenshi)
The question is, what happens to the links? Do they become automatic? What replaces the link utility for the connection roll?
Um, the only wireless hardware that actually has a connection test is the satelite uplink, and that's a hardware test and has nothing to do with the satelite link utility. The utility actually does nothing other than limit the quality of the hardware you can link to the deck, or sometimes the connection speed through the deck, neither of which make any real sense anyway.

QUOTE (hahnsoo)
QUOTE
Now for the more controversial stuff. Get rid of Response Increase. You heard me. Instead, increases to mental initiative are handled with cyberware, the same way increases to rigger initiative and physical (sammie) initiative are.
I disagree, but only because Response Increase is linked to MPCP. I think that there should be automatic Response Increases with a higher rating MPCP at the same ratings already available (i.e. every 4 points gives you 1 additional level). The speed of a deck should be equal to the overall brute processing power of the deck. "Remove" response increase by making it automatic when you have a faster deck.
Ah, I see the problem. You are assuming that RI has to be linked to MPCP, because you assume that the hardware is naturally slower than the wetware connecting to it. The problem is this isn't true today, and hasn't been true for over a decade; even today computers can accept input and distribute output faster than the human brain can comprehend. The main reason you have ever been able to "type faster than the computer can handle" was because the connection speed on the input hardware (keyboard) was never a priority, and is pathetically slow compared to, say, a 10/100Mb/s network connection. This is because it never needed to be faster; the human body can only type at up to 200 words per minute, and that's considered insanely fast for typing. That, however, is about 20 bytes/second for the computer, which for the computer is insanely slow. By 2060 I'd say the gap between what the computer can process and what the brain can spit out will have grown, not shrunk.

In conclusion: I believe that by 2060 the bottleneck in terms of human response speed should be because the human can't think fast enough to compensate for the machine, not the other way around as seems to be indicated by the current Response Increase model. smile.gif

QUOTE
QUOTE
In fact, they already have a perfectly good piece of 'ware whose flavor text fits perfectly with the idea of increasing mental initiative: the Encephalon. Get rid of the damn Task Pool and virtual Int increase for the Encephalon, and instead have each level add +2+d6 to mental (ASIST-based) Initiative. You'll need a third level that costs 2.25 Essence and 200,000Y, but that's okay as well.
Honestly, I don't find this to be true, as I think the initiative should be based on the hardware rather than the cyberware (and it also futzes with otaku rules, another can of worms entirely). The increase to the hacking pool sounds good enough to me. I would rather, instead, see that the Hacking Pool no longer is dependent on MPCP, and instead calculated off of attributes with standard increases from the Math SPU and Encephalon. Again, this is a much more moderate solution.

I agree that initiative should be based on hardware; I just think that hardware that makes the brain go faster should actually be linked to the brain somehow. smile.gif Also I don't see how this affects the Otaku rules at all; we already know that otaku are different, and that their minds work differently. IMO this actually makes it easier to understand. In the current rules it doesn't matter how fast you can think; your brain's speed is limited by external hardware, and otaku are just complete exceptions.

(Edit): Divorcing hacking pool from MPCP is also a good idea. Maybe calculate it just like Combat Pool, or when you're using DNI Astral Combat Pool. It would definately simplify Pool calculations and make them all more conceptually transparent to have them al based on taking three attributes added together and divided by 2.

The stuff about splitting the rigger's VCR into two parts will wait until the rigger thread.
Eyeless Blond
QUOTE (Kagetenshi)
Thoughts?

Rolling very similar system tests together is good, and a step in the right direction, but I still think that there need be only five basic Operational Utilities, possibly with specializations like hahnsoo mentioned (great idea, btw!). One thing this lets you do is get very free-form with decker rules, rather like meatspace rules are now.

Here's how I envision it: the decker under the SR3R system just describes what he's doing, rathe than exactly how he's doing it. In response the GM decides what subsystem that action falls under and calls for an appropriate System test, TN equal to that subsystem rating minus the appropriate generalized Utility rating (or the specialized one if it applies), opposed by the Security Rating. Basically the same as it is now, only with less memorization of what system tests are possible and more freeform "You want to control the cameras? That sounds like a Slave subsystem test to me. You analyzed the Slave subsystem and found it's a 9; you have a Slave utility of 4; TN is 5. How much hacking pool you want to use?" Basically it works a lot more like skills do in meatspace, but with a subtle difference (one main skill, but different utilities reducing the TN) that still makes decking unique.
Kagetenshi
QUOTE (Eyeless Blond @ Apr 14 2005, 08:14 PM)
QUOTE (Kagetenshi)
The question is, what happens to the links? Do they become automatic? What replaces the link utility for the connection roll?
Um, the only wireless hardware that actually has a connection test is the satelite uplink, and that's a hardware test and has nothing to do with the satelite link utility. The utility actually does nothing other than limit the quality of the hardware you can link to the deck, or sometimes the connection speed through the deck, neither of which make any real sense anyway.

You're right, I was misreading the rules for the Laser Link. Link utilities are officially g0nz0r3d.
QUOTE (Eyeless Blond)
I still think that there need be only five basic Operational Utilities, possibly with specializations like hahnsoo mentioned (great idea, btw!).

I don't agree, but if I pare down everything I can and the system's still too heavy that'll be what I'll turn to next.

~J
Eyeless Blond
QUOTE (Kagetenshi)
QUOTE (Eyeless Blond)
I still think that there need be only five basic Operational Utilities, possibly with specializations like hahnsoo mentioned (great idea, btw!).

I don't agree, but if I pare down everything I can and the system's still too heavy that'll be what I'll turn to next.

The main reason I like reducing operational utilities down so much is that, like the skill system, it allows for much more inclusive, rather than exclusive, definitions for things. In the end you have, besides the obvious advantages of streamlining:

-a far more robust system. Say you started without advanced rules like vanishing SANs, and you want to include them later. Under the existing system, you basically just say to your players, "Oops, that node vanished on you. You don't have the utility you never knew you would need, so you're screwed. Sucks to be you, eh?" Under my proposed change, you'd have something more like, "'You attempt to log into the SAN, but the node starts to disappear on you.' 'What the...? Can I try to stop it?' 'Sure, roll COmputers, using your Control utility... looks like you succeeded, but you're not sure how long the SAN will stay. Better hurry up.' 'Huh, I'd better work on my Control utility next chance I get.' Basically you end up with fewer "Oops you're dead" moments, which is all to the good.
-a system whose complexity is in layers, rather than all at once. Under the proposed system, you have a "top layer" for operational utilities which only has five entries, corresponding to ACIFS. Once you understand that, you have more specific utilities which get into specific tests, or categories of test, that a decker can specialize in. This is something you see with skills currently, and it makes it much more accessible to new players because you don't have to learn everything at once.

Those are just the two secondary advantages that come immediately to mind.
Dissonance
I do like the idea of simply having five (or a few more than five) programs available to deckers. I'm also a big fan of also having the potential for installing these programs as cyberware. I get the impression that this WAS possible at one point, in the form of, like, program carriers.

I'd also like a utility for worms, because all the infection utilities are teh wins.
Kagetenshi
Eyeless: I like your thinking, but I still don't like the condensation of operational utilities to quite that extreme a degree—I feel that that should be the domain of the Otaku, as it is now. Nonetheless, I'll try to implement something like your suggestion with more, and if I can't do it or it gets too heavy, boom and in go the five utilities.

~J
Kagetenshi
Index

Browse
Locate Access Node
Locate File
Locate Slave
Trace MXP Address
Scanner
Locate Decker
Locate Frame
Locate Tortoise User
Analyze
Locate IC
Evaluate
Locate Paydata

So: combine Locate Access Node, Locate File, and Locate Slave into Locate System Resource, take Locate IC out of Analyze's purview and make Locate IC, Locate Decker, Locate Frame, and Locate Tortoise User all Locate Icon with the special case that tortoises only take a Simple Action to locate.

Evaluate: I have no idea what to do with this. There's no way it's balanced for the paydata-finding program to do anything but find paydata; my personal inclination is to just scrap it entirely.

Also, extensibility guideline: if it's finding something that's a basic part of the system or can be considered a file, folder, subsystem, whatever rather than an active user (keeping in mind that processes can be users too), it goes under Locate System Resource. If it's finding something that has an icon, it goes under Locate Icon.

I'll do extensibility guidelines for Access and Files later.

Thoughts?

~J
Kagetenshi
Files

Read/Write
Download Data
Edit File
Send Data
Upload Data
Decrypt
Decrypt File
Encrypt
Encrypt File
Commlink
Make Comcall

This really isn't too bad, IMO. Combine everything under Read/Write into a Manipulate Data operation, as it all takes Simple Actions.

Extensibility Guidelines: this one's really pretty basic. If it has to do with reading data from or writing data to something that isn't a slave or protected by special permissions (logs, user databases), it goes under Read/Write.

~J
Fortune
QUOTE (Dissonance)
I get the impression that this WAS possible at one point, in the form of, like, program carriers.

IIRC, Program Carriers would carry three of your persona chips ... Masking, Sensors, and Evasion. You used your own Body as Bod. When you jacked in, you used your (at the time massive SR1) Hacking Pool to create any other programs on the fly.
Kagetenshi
Slave

Spoof
Control Slave
Edit Slave
Monitor Slave
Decrypt
Decrypt Slave
Encrypt
Encrypt Slave
Triangulation
Triangulate

This one also seems more or less as simple as we can get it. Does anyone have a suggestion for a utility to replace Triangulation? That's the only thing I could really see shaving off here.

Extensibility guideline: if it's a slave node, it falls under Spoof. This one's really easy as long as you don't try to make Slave do something that Slave shouldn't do.

The exception is for cases like Triangulate. Is there another case someone can point out where additional information might be gleaned from a Slave that would need a program to calculate?

~J
Kagetenshi
The Big Picture

Access
Deception
Logon
Freeze Vanishing SAN
Graceful Logoff

Encrypt/decrypt

Extensibility: quite simple, really. If it's an Access operation that doesn't involve encrypting or decrypting, it uses Deception.

Commentary: You'll still be using Access as the TN to do things like crash the Access subsystem, but I don't consider that an Access operation per se (you aren't Accessing anything).

Control
Analyze
Analyze Host
Analyze Icon
Analyze Process
Inject
Abort Host Shutdown
Block System Operation
Crash Host
Alter Icon*
Redirect
Decoy
Redirect Datatrail
Relocate Trace
Validate
Dump Log
Invalidate Account
Restrict Icon
Validate Account

Extensibility guidelines: if it involves analysis, stick it under Analyze. If it involves interfering with a running process, use Inject. If it involves falsifying data or otherwise confusing system monitors, Decoy. If it involves logs, user accounts, or using the system's own security systems to allow you to do something or disallow someone else from doing something, it's a Validate issue.

Commentary: Altering an icon at will seems similar enough to the idea of injecting arbitrary code that I stuck it in there with it. Opinion?

Index
Browse
Locate System Resource
Trace MXP Address
Scanner
Locate Icon

Extensibility guidelines: If it's finding something that's a basic part of the system or can be considered a file, folder, subsystem, whatever rather than an active user (keeping in mind that processes can be users too), it goes under Browse. If it's finding something that has an icon, it goes under Scanner.

Or, to simplify it further: if it moves, it's Scanner. If it doesn't, it's Browse.

Commentary: Self-explanatory, I think. We'll need to define what a system resource is or come up with a better term, though.

Files
Read/Write
Manipulate Data

Encrypt/Decrypt

Extensibility guideline: this one's really pretty basic. If it has to do with reading data from or writing data to something that isn't a slave or protected by special permissions (logs, user databases), it goes under Read/Write.

Commentary: something about Make Comcall being here doesn't sit right with me. Any thoughts for a better place to put it? Possibly combine Commlink and Triangulate and put them both under Slave? Update: Done.

Slave
Spoof
Control Slave
Edit Slave
Monitor Slave
Commlink
Make Comcall
Triangulate

Encrypt/Decrypt

Extensibility Guideline: if it's a slave node, it falls under Spoof. This one's really easy as long as you don't try to make Slave do something that Slave shouldn't do.

Commentary: The exception is for cases like Triangulate. Is there another case someone can point out where additional information might be gleaned from a Slave that would need a program to calculate? Also, see Files commentary. Update: Triangulate no longer uses a separate utility.

Other
Analyze
Analyze Subsystem
Inject
Crash Application
Purge
Disarm Data Bomb
Disinfect
Relevant worm
Infect
Sniffer
Intercept Data
Commlink
Tap Comcall
None
Swap Memory

Encrypt and Decrypt
Separate utilities, but it makes little sense to discuss them separately.

Discuss.

~J
hahnsoo
QUOTE (Eyeless Blond)
QUOTE (hahnsoo)
QUOTE
Now for the more controversial stuff. Get rid of Response Increase. You heard me. Instead, increases to mental initiative are handled with cyberware, the same way increases to rigger initiative and physical (sammie) initiative are.
I disagree, but only because Response Increase is linked to MPCP. I think that there should be automatic Response Increases with a higher rating MPCP at the same ratings already available (i.e. every 4 points gives you 1 additional level). The speed of a deck should be equal to the overall brute processing power of the deck. "Remove" response increase by making it automatic when you have a faster deck.
Ah, I see the problem. You are assuming that RI has to be linked to MPCP, because you assume that the hardware is naturally slower than the wetware connecting to it. The problem is this isn't true today, and hasn't been true for over a decade; even today computers can accept input and distribute output faster than the human brain can comprehend. The main reason you have ever been able to "type faster than the computer can handle" was because the connection speed on the input hardware (keyboard) was never a priority, and is pathetically slow compared to, say, a 10/100Mb/s network connection. This is because it never needed to be faster; the human body can only type at up to 200 words per minute, and that's considered insanely fast for typing. That, however, is about 20 bytes/second for the computer, which for the computer is insanely slow. By 2060 I'd say the gap between what the computer can process and what the brain can spit out will have grown, not shrunk.

Actually, I'm coming from the assumption that drastic rewrites of how current cyber/bioware works is a bad thing, and that this project is a streamlining and simplification of existing rules. Removing Response Increase by making it a function of MPCP removes a needless redundancy (since if you get a higher rated deck, by the standard decks and by the majority of deck construction, you are going to max out your Response Increase anyway), much like the programs "needed" for the communications equipment. Changing the way Encephalon works is a rewriting of existing rules, which means you're going to have to retcon at least one standing assumption of SR3. Again, this is a more moderate solution, but it doesn't fundamentally change anything about existing cyberdecks/cyberware.
hahnsoo
Ditch the Triangulate Utility. Any cellphone tower SHOULD have the built-in ability to triangulate any user within its radius (otherwise, how can it do the GPS-like things that SR purports it to do?). In other words, the software should be built into the Cellphone towers already, especially if we are under the assumption that Big (Corporate) Brother is watching you.

I still think the ACIFS "5 programs to rule them all" is a good thing. The reason people play Otaku (despite the very obvious and real disadvantages of playing one) is because they drastically simplify the way to use the Matrix, both in terms of character creation and mechanics. It would be useful to reduce the number of utilities that correspond to various operations (In my mind, it goes Deception/Analyze/Browse/ReadWrite/Spoof, but I'm a veteran at playing deckers), but actually renaming the uber-program to correspond to the ACIFS will go a long way to explaining things for both novice GM and player.
Kagetenshi
If we merge Triangulate with Commlink, that gives us thirteen major utilities, with one minor one. Thirteen Dwarves and a Burglar are still too many, you think?

~J
hahnsoo
QUOTE (Kagetenshi)
If we merge Triangulate with Commlink, that gives us thirteen major utilities, with one minor one. Thirteen Dwarves and a Burglar are still too many, you think?

~J

Yup. People are STILL going to complain that it's too complex (or more precisely, "More complex than otaku").
Kagetenshi
I'm afraid you're going to have to come up with something more convincing than "Otaku get it, why can't we?" I happen to like Otaku being at least vaguely differentiated in the way they work, which this has almost gotten rid of already.

Still, it's definitely a possibility. I'll edit the post to indicate the latest round of merges and categorizations.

~J
hahnsoo
QUOTE (Kagetenshi @ Apr 15 2005, 02:24 AM)
I'm afraid you're going to have to come up with something more convincing than "Otaku get it, why can't we?" I happen to like Otaku being at least vaguely differentiated in the way they work, which this has almost gotten rid of already.

Still, it's definitely a possibility. I'll edit the post to indicate the latest round of merges and categorizations.

~J

*nods* A lot of people happen to like that. But it's not because Otaku are "better" or "more unique", it's because it takes significantly less mental wrangling to play. The argument is "Why should a I play a decker, when an otaku can do the same thing without all that complex crap?" or "Why should I GM for a decker, when GMing for an Otaku is much easier?". I'd like to see that it's feasible for: 1) A new decker/GM to do a simple decking run. 2) Speed up decking so that decking doesn't take up a lot of game time. 3) A way to better integrate decking with your typical Shadowrun (i.e. Astral Overwatch is fairly simple, decking overwatch is not).

How about this? An introduction of a brand new program, called a "Program Suite". It simply combines all of the most commonly used programs for any given ACIFS into one big uber program. You just clump the multipliers together, with possibly reducing the multiplier a bit due to removal of redundant parts. It comes out to about a multiplier of 10 for all but Control (which comes out to about a whopping 25, but mostly due to redundant meaningless programs like Redecorate and Swerve... I personally would still make it "just" a multiplier of 10, as 70% of Control is the Deception program, the rest is Validate, Camo, and Crash). The disadvantage is the sheer size, because it gives you more than what you need and there are several cross-ACIFS operations that can be served by a single program (Decrypt, for example), not to mention how long it takes to program. The advantage is always having a "tool" ready, and simplification of the decking mechanic.

Note that deckers can DO this already, if they simply clump the existing programs into a lump of code and add up the multipliers, for the purposes of programming and purchasing. A smarter decker would do it piecemeal, but the decker who wants it all simply has to buy/create it all, advancing the ratings simultaneously.

The fact that Otaku can use Karma to make their Matrix interactions better (through increases in skills and attributes), the sheer superiority of sprites and daemons over frames, and the ability to "initiate" (through submersion) should be reward enough to play one.
Kagetenshi
I'm not looking for a reward, I'm looking for differentiation. Same reason I don't like it when Adept powers duplicate preexisting cyberware.

I'm still not buying that Otaku are that much simpler, at least on the basis of operational utilities vs. Channels. It'll be things like deck upgrades and Active Memory that would be the tipping point, since we're talking a difference of less than a factor of three as opposed to a factor of I can't count that high at this time of the morning.

I don't know. Unless there are any other concerns I think I'm going to declare this our current build and then revisit the topic when we've hammered out enough of the rest of the rules to make a valid complexity comparison between Otaku and Deckers.

~J
hahnsoo
QUOTE (Kagetenshi @ Apr 15 2005, 02:52 AM)
I don't know. Unless there are any other concerns I think I'm going to declare this our current build and then revisit the topic when we've hammered out enough of the rest of the rules to make a valid complexity comparison between Otaku and Deckers.

~J

Again, Deckers can ALREADY clump programs together into ACIFS-like channels anyway (simply clump the multipliers together, and advance the ratings simultaneously). Just provide them with that option... it will make both potential deckers and GMs breathe with a sigh of relief.

Edit: I'm not proposing the ACIFS uber-programs should be the DEFAULT way of doing things. It should be an optional rule, for GMs and players who want to simplify how decking works. The original programs should still exist for their respective operations, and should still be the "standard" way of doing things. All that needs to be done is saying "As an optional rule, you can buy/program a full suite of programs for any given ACIFS, with a cost multiplier of 10".
mfb
what--dude, are you serious? even in your rules, deckers who don't have enough cash to upgrade their memory will have to swap utilities for lack of space. that, right there, makes deckers more complex than otaku. otaku have five operational utilities which never require swapping, cost the same to raise as a skill (no squaring!), and are named after the TNs they modifiy. you seriously can't get any more simple than that.
Kagetenshi
Argh. I'm pretty sure you misunderstood what I meant there, but at this point I'm not even sure what I mean, so I'm going to sleep and pick this back up in the mor… er, later today.

~J
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.
Dumpshock Forums © 2001-2012