Full Version: The Idiot's Guide To The Matrix Thread
Hindsight is 20/20 I guess. But, this thread has re-awakened my interest in Decker characters--if you could pick your programs over again, what would you change?
Knowing that it's Matrix overwatch and that I'd have to do a great many Slave tests, I'd definitely upgrade that Spoof program to 6. That'd be the primary thing, I think. One other alteration I might make is to have at least one of my Attack programs be targetting, to make combat quicker and/or more deadly to my opponent.
| QUOTE ("Kurukami") |
Targetting option: It only lowers the TN to strike an opposing icon; it doesn't lower the power. It does up the design size and actual size, but spirits know it can be worth it. |
Bearing in mind that this may have been changed in the newest iteration of the Matrix rules ... in VR2, it says that the "effective rating" of the utility is raised by two if you add Targeting; I take this to mean that as a starting character, a 6-something attack with Targeting counts as a rating 8 utility, and therefore my GM would veto it -- thus, the strongest util with targeting I could get at chargen would be a 4D... or 5D if I added the limit:IC feature...
I /really/ need to get the new Matrix book and see if this still applies. Time to hit Ebay or bookstores.
| QUOTE (gknoy) | ||
Bearing in mind that this may have been changed in the newest iteration of the Matrix rules ... in VR2, it says that the "effective rating" of the utility is raised by two if you add Targeting; I take this to mean that as a starting character, a 6-something attack with Targeting counts as a rating 8 utility, and therefore my GM would veto it -- thus, the strongest util with targeting I could get at chargen would be a 4D... or 5D if I added the limit:IC feature... I /really/ need to get the new Matrix book and see if this still applies. Time to hit Ebay or bookstores. |
I believe that just means that it ups the size of the program for purposes of determining how many Mp it takes up. For example, an Attack-6M program has a multiplier of 3, so that means it normally takes up (6*6)*3 = 108 Mp, and costs 108*200 = 21,600
. An Attack-6M program with targetting is still a rating-6 program, and so still costs 200
per Mp, but its size is calculated as though it were a rating 8 program. Thus, it takes up (8*8 )*3 = 192 Mp, and costs 192 * 200 = 38,400 .
Kurukami - Your alternative solution is the one I would take when it comes to low-risk situations like external cameras. However it requires more tests which makes it a bigger risk overall. I'd be using Spoof on the cameras to make sure I have total control if something goes wrong...
Matrix Overwatch Walkthrough
Regarding the cameras, each "screen" on the "control panel" rotates through 4 different cameras and represents their feed. Spoofing that "screen" gives you effective control of the 4 cameras associated to it. In this case the external feeds you need are concentrated in 3 "screens" - one includes the 2 closest fence cams, the second controls one "landscaped bush" hidden cam on the route up from the fence, and the final one controls two mounted cams on the relevant wall and the camera on the delivery bay door.
On her first Spoof Cheng gets a single success, which means the Host chalks up yet another success for the Security Tally but she has control of the fence cameras.
Matrix Overwatch Walkthrough
Regarding the cameras, each "screen" on the "control panel" rotates through 4 different cameras and represents their feed. Spoofing that "screen" gives you effective control of the 4 cameras associated to it. In this case the external feeds you need are concentrated in 3 "screens" - one includes the 2 closest fence cams, the second controls one "landscaped bush" hidden cam on the route up from the fence, and the final one controls two mounted cams on the relevant wall and the camera on the delivery bay door.
On her first Spoof Cheng gets a single success, which means the Host chalks up yet another success for the Security Tally but she has control of the fence cameras.
Questions:
In both of these scenarios, the player has seen an IC before it attacked him. Is it possible for a player to attack an ice that is not active?
Are scramble ICs ever-present or do they only spring-up once you reach a particular security tally? If ever-present, could they be set to activate on a particular security tally?
If I attack a scramble IC program, does it destroy the data?
If no to the above, if I attack and kill a scramble IC program, is the data decrypted or do I just need to decrypt it without risk of the IC destroying the data?
If a scramble IC is put on a slave device (such as a maglock control system), what happens if I fail to decrypt?
In both of these scenarios, the player has seen an IC before it attacked him. Is it possible for a player to attack an ice that is not active?
Are scramble ICs ever-present or do they only spring-up once you reach a particular security tally? If ever-present, could they be set to activate on a particular security tally?
If I attack a scramble IC program, does it destroy the data?
If no to the above, if I attack and kill a scramble IC program, is the data decrypted or do I just need to decrypt it without risk of the IC destroying the data?
If a scramble IC is put on a slave device (such as a maglock control system), what happens if I fail to decrypt?
Let me take a stab at those answers.
I'm not quite sure what you mean by "attack an IC that is not active". If you mean can you attack IC that is reactive, like Tar Pit or Probe, then yes, you may attack it once you've detected it. If you mean IC that hasn't yet activated because the Security Tally hasn't reached a certain level yet, then no -- that particular IC has not yet been loaded into the system.
I'm fairly certain that scramble IC is always present. It's more of a barrier than something which directly interacts with a decker in-system -- it's there to slow hostile incursions and to protect valuable data.
(As an aside, I personally think that Decrypt should be more than just a quick "you succeed or you don't" thing. After all, you shouldn't be able to break every code in one action, and that's how it currently stands. You either break it immediately, or you don't. Were I to rewrite the decryption rules, I'd be tempted to make them more similar to the spirit-banishing rules -- you roll your Decrypt against the Scramble IC rating in a contested test, and for each net success you get it decreases the Scramble IC by 1. That way, high-level Scramble IC would take quite a while to get past, and DINAB/frame solutions might be more common.)
With regards to attacking the scramble IC, I'm not certain. Someone who has their SR3 book close to hand will have to answer that one.
As for the last question, you cannot control a slave device until you've decrypted it (as far as I am aware).
I'm not quite sure what you mean by "attack an IC that is not active". If you mean can you attack IC that is reactive, like Tar Pit or Probe, then yes, you may attack it once you've detected it. If you mean IC that hasn't yet activated because the Security Tally hasn't reached a certain level yet, then no -- that particular IC has not yet been loaded into the system.
I'm fairly certain that scramble IC is always present. It's more of a barrier than something which directly interacts with a decker in-system -- it's there to slow hostile incursions and to protect valuable data.
(As an aside, I personally think that Decrypt should be more than just a quick "you succeed or you don't" thing. After all, you shouldn't be able to break every code in one action, and that's how it currently stands. You either break it immediately, or you don't. Were I to rewrite the decryption rules, I'd be tempted to make them more similar to the spirit-banishing rules -- you roll your Decrypt against the Scramble IC rating in a contested test, and for each net success you get it decreases the Scramble IC by 1. That way, high-level Scramble IC would take quite a while to get past, and DINAB/frame solutions might be more common.)
With regards to attacking the scramble IC, I'm not certain. Someone who has their SR3 book close to hand will have to answer that one.
As for the last question, you cannot control a slave device until you've decrypted it (as far as I am aware).
you can attack it but from what i know you must kill it in one blow or it will go down and the its data with it...
hmm, me like about that take down scramble ice. it take it every test allso trigger a response from the host thereby skyrocketing your tally if you dont have the hottest detection rating you can have.
still i thinkl that the all or nothing way is a bit more "realistic" as if its key b that have been used key a and key c will not get you any closer ot the data exept tell you that those keys its not the ones that have been used...
hmm, me like about that take down scramble ice. it take it every test allso trigger a response from the host thereby skyrocketing your tally if you dont have the hottest detection rating you can have.
still i thinkl that the all or nothing way is a bit more "realistic" as if its key b that have been used key a and key c will not get you any closer ot the data exept tell you that those keys its not the ones that have been used...
Thanks. I have my book right here but I was more wanting to check that other people's oppinions agreed with mine.
My oppinions:
Scramble IC are usually always on, but could probably set to go on if a security tally gets too high. IE: The access system, preventing/slowing a decker who is trying to move past a bottleneck (but not otherwise obstructing the bottleneck).
From my reading of the SR3 rules you can just attack a scramble IC but you'll need to suppress it. It dosen't say if this will allow you access to the data though.
The last question: The problem is that if I fail to decrypt the data, the IC destroys it...
My oppinions:
Scramble IC are usually always on, but could probably set to go on if a security tally gets too high. IE: The access system, preventing/slowing a decker who is trying to move past a bottleneck (but not otherwise obstructing the bottleneck).
From my reading of the SR3 rules you can just attack a scramble IC but you'll need to suppress it. It dosen't say if this will allow you access to the data though.
The last question: The problem is that if I fail to decrypt the data, the IC destroys it...
well then down goes the slave system
ok the destry data shit i think is a bit on the extreme side. feel free to disregard it and say that you get a display of the system but everything is just a mess
attacking a scramble ice works just like any other matrix attack, the refrence to the need to supress must be read with the thought in mind that earlyer in the text it was stated that a decrypt didnt require a supress. its just the writer makeing sure...
ok the destry data shit i think is a bit on the extreme side. feel free to disregard it and say that you get a display of the system but everything is just a mess
attacking a scramble ice works just like any other matrix attack, the refrence to the need to supress must be read with the thought in mind that earlyer in the text it was stated that a decrypt didnt require a supress. its just the writer makeing sure...
| QUOTE (hobgoblin) |
| still i thinkl that the all or nothing way is a bit more "realistic" as if its key b that have been used key a and key c will not get you any closer ot the data exept tell you that those keys its not the ones that have been used... |
But that's kind of what I mean. By eliminating certain keys as incorrect to decrypt a particular encrypted message, you increase the likelihood that you will guess the proper key in the future. And some things should have absolutely glacial encryption algorithms -- stuff that could take you a hell of a long time to crack, unless (as in the movie Sneakers) you have some kind of codebreaker which manages to untangle the encryption quickly.
By determining that certain keys won't work, you do move incrementally closer to your goal. That could be represented by the contested test, where you manage to bring the TN to decrypt completely down from a TN 8 to a TN 5 by virtually "decreasing" the IC's rating. (Admittedly that's a big jump in decryption, though.)
ok, shot me. i seem to be doing this a lot today. looks like my mind is in hibernation...
| QUOTE (hobgoblin) |
| attacking a scramble ice works just like any other matrix attack, the refrence to the need to supress must be read with the thought in mind that earlyer in the text it was stated that a decrypt didnt require a supress. its just the writer makeing sure... |
Hmm? Where does it say that? (= decrypts don't require suppresses)
Cheng could feel the host trying to surge against her commands to the slave, and carefully manipulated the cameras on the exterior fence to loop their inputs and conceal the presence of the approaching runners.
Next on the list was the negation of the necessary segment of the perimeter fence. Throwing a quick glance at the video monitors to make certain no security guards were approaching the corridor she was going to open for her teammates, she drew out a trio of slender sticks -- one smoking with the scent of sandalwood, the other two covered in tiny characters and akin to slim wooden skewers that might be used for cooking small morsels of meat. Sketching a few runes in midair above the targetted slave-icon, she waits for the smoke to indicate the weaker spots in the programs and carefully begins to probe for control with the tips of the skewers.
First things first. Cheng maintains her control over the external cameras with a Free Action to continue the monitored Edit Slave operation.
Now, having successfully looped the exterior perimeter cameras, Cheng's next task is an Edit Slave on the (presumed) alarm circuit for the electrified perimeter fence. She wants to tell the main security system that there's no problems with it, and that everything is status quo, and maintain that message while the runners are coming through. Climbing the fence is not an option, particularly with monowire on the top, so most likely the team will cut through the links of the fence with wire clippers or the like. Hopefully, they'll have some method to quickly reattach the penetrated section, such that it will appear intact to the casual eye and won't trigger any alarms when Cheng releases the electricity.
Second on the agenda is cancelling the current flowing through that portion of the fence. No alarms going off has little overt benefit when there's a troll convulsing and lit up like a skylight off in the distance.
So, my second action after I maintain the initial two Edit Slaves with Free Actions will be a Control Slave operation. (I'm presuming here that I have sufficient time to wait and dump my entire Hacking Pool, if necessary, into these operations.)
The first roll (to disable the alarm circuit for the designated portion of the fence) has my seven Decking dice, plus four dice from my Hacking Pool. My Spoof utility is only rating 3, making my TN quite high. I roll: 14, 9, 5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 2, 2, 1. Two successes, I think.
(Small note: from the numbers I've rolled and the net successes I've gotten, I can deduce that the Slave rating is no greater than 12, and might be an 11. If I had a Spoof utility rated 6, I'd be getting a lot more successes on these attempts.)
The second roll (to seize control of the current flowing through the perimeter fence and deactive the segment the runners plan to enter through) will have the same -- seven Decking dice, plus four from my Hacking Pool. This is also a Slave operation, so my TN is similarly high. I roll: 10, 9, 9, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2. Most likely three successes.
The difficulty, of course, is that the host may continue to rack up successes against my (non-Sneaky) utility, since my DF is only 9. And the more it gets, the harder life gets for Cheng, and the less chance there is for her to successfully pull this op off without a hitch.
"My DF is only 9..." *rolls eyes at his own silliness*
Next on the list was the negation of the necessary segment of the perimeter fence. Throwing a quick glance at the video monitors to make certain no security guards were approaching the corridor she was going to open for her teammates, she drew out a trio of slender sticks -- one smoking with the scent of sandalwood, the other two covered in tiny characters and akin to slim wooden skewers that might be used for cooking small morsels of meat. Sketching a few runes in midair above the targetted slave-icon, she waits for the smoke to indicate the weaker spots in the programs and carefully begins to probe for control with the tips of the skewers.
First things first. Cheng maintains her control over the external cameras with a Free Action to continue the monitored Edit Slave operation.
Now, having successfully looped the exterior perimeter cameras, Cheng's next task is an Edit Slave on the (presumed) alarm circuit for the electrified perimeter fence. She wants to tell the main security system that there's no problems with it, and that everything is status quo, and maintain that message while the runners are coming through. Climbing the fence is not an option, particularly with monowire on the top, so most likely the team will cut through the links of the fence with wire clippers or the like. Hopefully, they'll have some method to quickly reattach the penetrated section, such that it will appear intact to the casual eye and won't trigger any alarms when Cheng releases the electricity.
Second on the agenda is cancelling the current flowing through that portion of the fence. No alarms going off has little overt benefit when there's a troll convulsing and lit up like a skylight off in the distance.
So, my second action after I maintain the initial two Edit Slaves with Free Actions will be a Control Slave operation. (I'm presuming here that I have sufficient time to wait and dump my entire Hacking Pool, if necessary, into these operations.)The first roll (to disable the alarm circuit for the designated portion of the fence) has my seven Decking dice, plus four dice from my Hacking Pool. My Spoof utility is only rating 3, making my TN quite high. I roll: 14, 9, 5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 2, 2, 1. Two successes, I think.
(Small note: from the numbers I've rolled and the net successes I've gotten, I can deduce that the Slave rating is no greater than 12, and might be an 11. If I had a Spoof utility rated 6, I'd be getting a lot more successes on these attempts.)
The second roll (to seize control of the current flowing through the perimeter fence and deactive the segment the runners plan to enter through) will have the same -- seven Decking dice, plus four from my Hacking Pool. This is also a Slave operation, so my TN is similarly high. I roll: 10, 9, 9, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2. Most likely three successes.
The difficulty, of course, is that the host may continue to rack up successes against my (non-Sneaky) utility, since my DF is only 9. And the more it gets, the harder life gets for Cheng, and the less chance there is for her to successfully pull this op off without a hitch.
"My DF is only 9..." *rolls eyes at his own silliness*
| QUOTE (Lilt) | ||
Hmm? Where does it say that? (= decrypts don't require suppresses) |
it does not require to be supressed but unless you want to see your tally skyrocket (like it does whenever you crash a program tru matrix combat) you want to supress it.
now if you use decrypt to remove it your not crashing but rahter supplying it with a valid key more or less so therefor you do no need to supress it if thats the way you remove it.
(in fact any program crash when they exit in the strictest sense. the only diffrence is what exit signal they send out, if any)...
| QUOTE ("Kurukami") |
| I believe that just means that it ups the size of the program for purposes of determining how many Mp it takes up. |
I like that interpretation . . . though, I suspect that the book is sufficiently vague to enable a GM to choose whichever reading they prefer. I think my GM would take the stricter reading (esp. since he has ruled that the "rating" limit for new characters applies to MPCP). *grins* More power to ya if you can get the higher ratings.
Oh yes, that's another thing; By my book the Renraku Kraftwerk-8 has availability 10. It seems to have exactly the same stats as Kurukami's Renraku Kraftwerk-1. What makes the difference between the Kraftwerk 8 and the Kraftwerk 1 to bring the availability down by 2?
| QUOTE (Lilt) |
| Oh yes, that's another thing; By my book the Renraku Kraftwerk-8 has availability 10. It seems to have exactly the same stats as Kurukami's Renraku Kraftwerk-1. What makes the difference between the Kraftwerk 8 and the Kraftwerk 1 to bring the availability down by 2? |
*blink* I'll have to go and double-check my SR3, but I could've sworn it indicated an availability of 8. Give me an hour or two; then I'll be off work and home where I can comment on this with my book in front of me.
I posted on this thread here here which might be of interest to those reading this thread as its related decker ideas. But it's too long to post here without breaking this thread up ridiculously, so I'm being polite and hoping this hyperlink works...
Most of the thread is irrelevant to the discussion at hand. Its about purchasing cash with karma. I've suggested some ways I think make it seem less cheesy (at least for deckers in this case) than just 'buying a lottery ticket', assuming you allow the option of selling karma or trading in cash in the first place!
Most of the thread is irrelevant to the discussion at hand. Its about purchasing cash with karma. I've suggested some ways I think make it seem less cheesy (at least for deckers in this case) than just 'buying a lottery ticket', assuming you allow the option of selling karma or trading in cash in the first place!
Synner....
Yoo-Hoo...
Yoo-Hoo...
Matrix Overwatch Walkthrough
Back in the YACP host...
Cheng waits a second and then plunges the skewers into the coding behind the virtual fence panel and shifts around the HoloLISP code rearranging it...
Cheng doesn't know it but she's facing a Slave subsystem rating of 11 and that her initial roll produced 2 successes. However the host makes the Opposed portion of the System Operation Test with its Security Value (10) and gets 1 success with a Target Number of 9 (Cheng's Detection Factor). That reduces Cheng to 1 net success which is still enough for her to gain control of the fence slaved to the security system. It also increases her Security Tally by 1 more point.
Now inside the coding she makes her second test to Edit the system to remove the current but make it appear as if it is still on. Cheng rolls 3 successes and gets lucky when the Host fails to roll even one.
Cheng breathes deeply - somewhere else - as the telltale on the panel flickers through the milisecond on/off positions as she tests her control. She now has the perimeter cameras looped and the fence under control. No guards are in the vicinity, the only roving patrol having just walked round the corner of the building should only be back in 12 minutes according to Mr J's dossier. The team is still a minute and a half out. Confident she prepares for her next move...
Back in the YACP host...
Cheng waits a second and then plunges the skewers into the coding behind the virtual fence panel and shifts around the HoloLISP code rearranging it...
Cheng doesn't know it but she's facing a Slave subsystem rating of 11 and that her initial roll produced 2 successes. However the host makes the Opposed portion of the System Operation Test with its Security Value (10) and gets 1 success with a Target Number of 9 (Cheng's Detection Factor). That reduces Cheng to 1 net success which is still enough for her to gain control of the fence slaved to the security system. It also increases her Security Tally by 1 more point.
Now inside the coding she makes her second test to Edit the system to remove the current but make it appear as if it is still on. Cheng rolls 3 successes and gets lucky when the Host fails to roll even one.
Cheng breathes deeply - somewhere else - as the telltale on the panel flickers through the milisecond on/off positions as she tests her control. She now has the perimeter cameras looped and the fence under control. No guards are in the vicinity, the only roving patrol having just walked round the corner of the building should only be back in 12 minutes according to Mr J's dossier. The team is still a minute and a half out. Confident she prepares for her next move...
After a enjoyable Thanksgiving break, I resume where we left off...
Ninety seconds left until the anticipated incursion. Plenty of time. Cheng quickly examines the current inputs from the pressure pads beneath the manicured lawn, trying to determine whether or not they are sensitive enough to register the impacts of the raindrops. If so, she'll need to take that into account to properly bollix the sensors. The mere thought of some alert guard examining the security readouts and discovering the breakin from such clues ( "On the southwest perimeter, light pressure from rain, within tolerances. On the south perimeter, light pressure. On the southeast... it's not raining? What the...?" ) makes her frown.
As she maintains her code-hold on the perimeter cameras and the fence, she prepares her utilities for an attempt to convince the pressure sensors that all is as it should be.
Once again, the Spoof utility needs to be used. After maintaining my monitored operations with Free Actions, I will attempt another Edit Slave operation to convince the lawn pressure sensors that all is well. Seven Decking dice, plus four from my Hacking Pool, roll to produce: 8, 8, 5, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 2, 2, 1. Metagaming-wise, I know that the effort garnered me two successes, but the system still might be able to block my efforts.
If it does, I'll likely be in even deeper trouble than I was before... Cheng's Security Tally, I believe, is already at 15, and if she racks up any more it's very likely that the system will go to Passive Alert. That'll make any tests much more difficult, in addition to dropping more IC in my lap.
Over to you, Synner.
Ninety seconds left until the anticipated incursion. Plenty of time. Cheng quickly examines the current inputs from the pressure pads beneath the manicured lawn, trying to determine whether or not they are sensitive enough to register the impacts of the raindrops. If so, she'll need to take that into account to properly bollix the sensors. The mere thought of some alert guard examining the security readouts and discovering the breakin from such clues ( "On the southwest perimeter, light pressure from rain, within tolerances. On the south perimeter, light pressure. On the southeast... it's not raining? What the...?" ) makes her frown.
As she maintains her code-hold on the perimeter cameras and the fence, she prepares her utilities for an attempt to convince the pressure sensors that all is as it should be.
Once again, the Spoof utility needs to be used. After maintaining my monitored operations with Free Actions, I will attempt another Edit Slave operation to convince the lawn pressure sensors that all is well. Seven Decking dice, plus four from my Hacking Pool, roll to produce: 8, 8, 5, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 2, 2, 1. Metagaming-wise, I know that the effort garnered me two successes, but the system still might be able to block my efforts.
If it does, I'll likely be in even deeper trouble than I was before... Cheng's Security Tally, I believe, is already at 15, and if she racks up any more it's very likely that the system will go to Passive Alert. That'll make any tests much more difficult, in addition to dropping more IC in my lap.
Over to you, Synner.
Matrix Overwatch Walkthrough
Cheng stabs her Spoof-sticks into the virtual control panel for the sensor pads, letting the intrusive software twist and edit the code to register only varying tolerances between the appropriate weights, reminding herself to revise if the rain lightens up too much.
The host rolls its Security Value for the Opposed portion of the System Test and gets no successes (rolling 3 eights against Cheng's DF of 9!). Cheng succeeds with two net successes and without raising her Security Tally further.
External security disabled Cheng's ready for the next phase... Sparks (the teams' tech expert) will have to handle the sidedoor's maglocks since they're apparently not linked through the host.
Cheng stabs her Spoof-sticks into the virtual control panel for the sensor pads, letting the intrusive software twist and edit the code to register only varying tolerances between the appropriate weights, reminding herself to revise if the rain lightens up too much.
The host rolls its Security Value for the Opposed portion of the System Test and gets no successes (rolling 3 eights against Cheng's DF of 9!). Cheng succeeds with two net successes and without raising her Security Tally further.
External security disabled Cheng's ready for the next phase... Sparks (the teams' tech expert) will have to handle the sidedoor's maglocks since they're apparently not linked through the host.
Now that the pressure sensors have been handled, the cameras concealed in the topiary and by the maglocked entrance are next on the agenda. After quickly doublechecking the cycling of the "no worries" code she's placed on the external cameras, fence, and lawn sensors, Cheng begins the delicate process of spoofing the second and third line of perimeter surveillance.
So, here we go with another round of the Edit Slave operations. As in previous rounds, first I use Free Actions to maintain my existing control over slave devices, and then I try to tinker with the newer targets. First on the list is the cameras concealed in the lawn shrubs.
As before, I'll use my seven Decking dice with four dice from the Hacking Pool, and wait to recover my full Pool before moving on to the next target. I roll: 9, 5, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 1, 1, 1. Spirits, what an unimpressive result. I'm very likely going to need to reroll that one, and so I will await Synner's host response.
Your move, Synner.
So, here we go with another round of the Edit Slave operations. As in previous rounds, first I use Free Actions to maintain my existing control over slave devices, and then I try to tinker with the newer targets. First on the list is the cameras concealed in the lawn shrubs.
As before, I'll use my seven Decking dice with four dice from the Hacking Pool, and wait to recover my full Pool before moving on to the next target. I roll: 9, 5, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 1, 1, 1. Spirits, what an unimpressive result. I'm very likely going to need to reroll that one, and so I will await Synner's host response.
Your move, Synner.
Matrix Overwatch Walkthrough
I think you should have to reroll it too except...
The host rolls the Security Value (10) against Cheng's DF (9) and gets no successes (two 8's though).... this means she gets one success on the Edit Slave System Operation and the Spoof does it's job on the second set of cameras.
With a nanosec tweak of the relay coding Cheng loops the videofeeds from the camera hidden in the lawn shrubbery and pulls her Spoof-sticks out of the panel. Two down, one more to go...
Somewhere else the commlink crackles into life as Roller's drones move into position and establish a secure radio link between the ground team and the dish relay hidden on the safehouse's antenna-graveyard roof, "Hook to Jolly Roger, direct commlink activated, encryption on. Approaching target on sidestreet, 200 meters out, Tinkerbell deployed for astral recon. On site in one minute Jolly Roger, hope you've done your magic."
I think you should have to reroll it too except...
The host rolls the Security Value (10) against Cheng's DF (9) and gets no successes (two 8's though).... this means she gets one success on the Edit Slave System Operation and the Spoof does it's job on the second set of cameras.
With a nanosec tweak of the relay coding Cheng loops the videofeeds from the camera hidden in the lawn shrubbery and pulls her Spoof-sticks out of the panel. Two down, one more to go...
Somewhere else the commlink crackles into life as Roller's drones move into position and establish a secure radio link between the ground team and the dish relay hidden on the safehouse's antenna-graveyard roof, "Hook to Jolly Roger, direct commlink activated, encryption on. Approaching target on sidestreet, 200 meters out, Tinkerbell deployed for astral recon. On site in one minute Jolly Roger, hope you've done your magic."
(First thought upon seeing the names "Roller" and "Tinkerbell" -- "Uh huh. Cyclops. Storm. So what do they call you? 'Wheels'?" )
"Jolly Roger copies, Hook. Magic is up and running. First and second lines of cameras negated, the outer wall is down in the designated area, and the pressure pads under the lawn have been countered. Working on the last group of cameras near the target building's entrance now." With a mental command, she sent the voicecomm off in a burst transmission to Hook's commset.
Cheng spent a moment to doublecheck the slave-code she generated, keeping the loops on the surveillance equipment running, before turning to the final bank of camera monitor icons. So far, the system has been surprisingly acquiescent to her less-than-SOTA utility. Other deckers might egotistically think they had conquered the system with their 'leet mad skillz, but fortunately Cheng didn't suffer beneath that particular taint of testosterone poisoning. The success she'd encountered made her somewhat suspicious, particularly given the ferocity of the host's earlier defenses -- but time was short, and risking another Analyze Security at this point in time seemed likely to draw more attention down on her head.
She tried to ignore the prickling sensation of enemies nearby, and concetrated on the delicate manipulation of the last group of cameras.
Last bank of cameras, and then Cheng is on to keeping an eye on the human factor. She prepares for (hopefully the last) Edit Slave operation to loop the inputs on the cameras. As before, I'll roll her seven Decking dice and four dice from the Hacking Pool.
The result: 15, 11, 10, 10, 5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 2, 2. Somewhere in the vicinity of four successes -- if the host can counter that, well, I'll be fragged anyways...
Cheng breathed a sigh of relief as the probes delicately tweaked the external building sensors into the illusory belief that all was well. The pulses of data flowed smoothly under her manipulations, displaying little sign of an alert or host-generated code-counter. She slowly withdrew the probes from the icon, began to relax...
... and then garish orange lights flickered to life around the security room, throwing everything into even more disturbing and menacing shadows. In the virtual distance, a klaxon began to sound. Oh, frag. Frag, frag, frag... 愿一千个行星的月亮被阻塞我的驴子!
She whipped her head around, trying to figure out where she'd slipped up. Over to one side, a pair of figures phased in through the host's walls, moving towards her in a mutually supporting attack pattern, and she quickly reinitialized her Attack utility. She fired off a quick burst-transmission warning to her other teammates as the opposing icons closed in, warning them that things were getting complicated on her side...
Continued below, Synner...
)"Jolly Roger copies, Hook. Magic is up and running. First and second lines of cameras negated, the outer wall is down in the designated area, and the pressure pads under the lawn have been countered. Working on the last group of cameras near the target building's entrance now." With a mental command, she sent the voicecomm off in a burst transmission to Hook's commset.
Cheng spent a moment to doublecheck the slave-code she generated, keeping the loops on the surveillance equipment running, before turning to the final bank of camera monitor icons. So far, the system has been surprisingly acquiescent to her less-than-SOTA utility. Other deckers might egotistically think they had conquered the system with their 'leet mad skillz, but fortunately Cheng didn't suffer beneath that particular taint of testosterone poisoning. The success she'd encountered made her somewhat suspicious, particularly given the ferocity of the host's earlier defenses -- but time was short, and risking another Analyze Security at this point in time seemed likely to draw more attention down on her head.
She tried to ignore the prickling sensation of enemies nearby, and concetrated on the delicate manipulation of the last group of cameras.
Last bank of cameras, and then Cheng is on to keeping an eye on the human factor. She prepares for (hopefully the last) Edit Slave operation to loop the inputs on the cameras. As before, I'll roll her seven Decking dice and four dice from the Hacking Pool.
The result: 15, 11, 10, 10, 5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 2, 2. Somewhere in the vicinity of four successes -- if the host can counter that, well, I'll be fragged anyways...
Cheng breathed a sigh of relief as the probes delicately tweaked the external building sensors into the illusory belief that all was well. The pulses of data flowed smoothly under her manipulations, displaying little sign of an alert or host-generated code-counter. She slowly withdrew the probes from the icon, began to relax...
... and then garish orange lights flickered to life around the security room, throwing everything into even more disturbing and menacing shadows. In the virtual distance, a klaxon began to sound. Oh, frag. Frag, frag, frag... 愿一千个行星的月亮被阻塞我的驴子!
She whipped her head around, trying to figure out where she'd slipped up. Over to one side, a pair of figures phased in through the host's walls, moving towards her in a mutually supporting attack pattern, and she quickly reinitialized her Attack utility. She fired off a quick burst-transmission warning to her other teammates as the opposing icons closed in, warning them that things were getting complicated on her side...
Continued below, Synner...
Thank God for this thread!
I have a game coming up in 2 days, with one of my players wanting to play a decker (...I guess the team was f...ed one time too many by an incompetent one.) Now I was poring (sp?) over SR3 and Matrix trying to understand, that is, until I began to read this thread...whew!
I have a game coming up in 2 days, with one of my players wanting to play a decker (...I guess the team was f...ed one time too many by an incompetent one.) Now I was poring (sp?) over SR3 and Matrix trying to understand, that is, until I began to read this thread...whew!
| QUOTE (zephir) |
| Thank God for this thread! |
You pretty much sum up my thoughts, too. =) I wonder if the IC-run threads go into this much detail - if so, I'd love to read other people's runs, esp. dealing with decking and rigging ... (oh boy, there's another can of worms ...).
Synner, Kurukami, I really /really/ appreciate the effort you put in on this to (a) have really savvy descriptions of what you're doing from a rules perspective (for example, the way Kurukami lists his rolls and estimates successes, as well as telling us what he's doing strategically -- thereby showing us not only how to run mechanically, but how to think about it, and how to do it WELL), and (b) the especially helpful descriptions of the Matrix Experience ™ -- really helps get the feel that we're there, and helps us imagine what's going on. I love it. Now I just need to get Matrix ...
The irony is, I would /love/ to play a decker -- the concept is very dear to my heart, since I'm a programmer... unfortunately, I haven't been able to figure out how to play them in a manner that won't suck. I'm curious in how other people balance skills/equipment/stats to be able to not be a total combat liability (since I can't really imagine staying completely out of combat, due to how games seem to go ...
).
You're quite welcome. I, myself, was somewhat confused by the Matrix rules as well until a short while before I started contributing to this thread. I'd played a decker/rigger in a game previously, and though I'd done decently and enjoyed it I was still a bit shaky on some of the rules. The concrete challenge presented here allowed me to firm up my grasp of the rules a lot.
The rules are definitely such that, until you've actually played with them a bit, they can be a bit intimidating. Once you've got the elements down and you've practiced with them, though, they're overall pretty straightforward. Overall, I've had a lot of fun with this thread.
As for balancing "combat usefulness"... well, my character in this thread, Cheng, was a decker/rigger. She could hack into hosts, but she also commanded a small team of well-armed drones. In a pinch, she knows how to handle a pistol, and she knows a bit about aikido, which actually turned out to be quite useful in one melee. Mostly, she tries to play it smart -- in one corridor combat, she quickly ducked back behind a corner and fired shots at various targets while the sammies in the party were standing in the opening loosing bursts or trying to close to melee distance.
She had her weaknesses, of course... girl couldn't be stealthy to save her life.
Other archetypes I've seen used include:
* the covert ops/electronics specialist decker, the person who sneaks in, hotwires maglocks and jacks into the corp system from within all their nasty defenses
* the samurai decker, who has a computer of 6 but otherwise has lots of high combat skills (hard to buy both lots of cyber and a solid deck, tho')
* the face decker/information specialist, with a high Charisma and mad social skills. Remember, Etiquette lets you do searches for data via the Matrix as well as serving you in tracking down someone in the Sprawl that can fill your needs.
Decker's one of the archetypes that can usually be combined pretty easily with another. The primary need is Computer: 6 -- beyond that, most things are negotiable. But if at all possible, get a solid deck... the 'tech your using is the great equalizer.
The rules are definitely such that, until you've actually played with them a bit, they can be a bit intimidating. Once you've got the elements down and you've practiced with them, though, they're overall pretty straightforward. Overall, I've had a lot of fun with this thread.
As for balancing "combat usefulness"... well, my character in this thread, Cheng, was a decker/rigger. She could hack into hosts, but she also commanded a small team of well-armed drones. In a pinch, she knows how to handle a pistol, and she knows a bit about aikido, which actually turned out to be quite useful in one melee. Mostly, she tries to play it smart -- in one corridor combat, she quickly ducked back behind a corner and fired shots at various targets while the sammies in the party were standing in the opening loosing bursts or trying to close to melee distance.
She had her weaknesses, of course... girl couldn't be stealthy to save her life.
Other archetypes I've seen used include:
* the covert ops/electronics specialist decker, the person who sneaks in, hotwires maglocks and jacks into the corp system from within all their nasty defenses
* the samurai decker, who has a computer of 6 but otherwise has lots of high combat skills (hard to buy both lots of cyber and a solid deck, tho')
* the face decker/information specialist, with a high Charisma and mad social skills. Remember, Etiquette lets you do searches for data via the Matrix as well as serving you in tracking down someone in the Sprawl that can fill your needs.
Decker's one of the archetypes that can usually be combined pretty easily with another. The primary need is Computer: 6 -- beyond that, most things are negotiable. But if at all possible, get a solid deck... the 'tech your using is the great equalizer.
Thanks for the praise. Satcong and Kurukami have been incredibly helpful. When I set out I hoped to achieve two main goals with this thread:
a) help newbies to overcome their initial "shock and awe" response to the new ruleset by dismystifying its complexity.
b) show people that the Matrix is both simple and interesting by focusing not just on the rolls/Tests but the whole decking experience.
Your posts make it look like we're on the right track to accomplish both.
Note - Unlike the previous sample run I am reserving specific information on the actual rolls, IC, Security Tally and surprises I have in store for this run from the thread on purpose. This allows us to show how a normal GM would regulate the information the decker actually has to work with as well as making Kurukami's strategic thinking all the more important and closer to what players will actually be experiencing in their games.
When we are finished I will go back and edit in all the relevant rolls as well as a register of the Security Tally and the other secret rolls I have made. I will also add a full description of the Chokepoint host and YCAP host in the current run to the Hosts'R'Us.
Finally if all goes according to plan I am thinking of editing these sample runs into an article or series of article(s) to submit to TSS.
a) help newbies to overcome their initial "shock and awe" response to the new ruleset by dismystifying its complexity.
b) show people that the Matrix is both simple and interesting by focusing not just on the rolls/Tests but the whole decking experience.
Your posts make it look like we're on the right track to accomplish both.
Note - Unlike the previous sample run I am reserving specific information on the actual rolls, IC, Security Tally and surprises I have in store for this run from the thread on purpose. This allows us to show how a normal GM would regulate the information the decker actually has to work with as well as making Kurukami's strategic thinking all the more important and closer to what players will actually be experiencing in their games.
When we are finished I will go back and edit in all the relevant rolls as well as a register of the Security Tally and the other secret rolls I have made. I will also add a full description of the Chokepoint host and YCAP host in the current run to the Hosts'R'Us.
Finally if all goes according to plan I am thinking of editing these sample runs into an article or series of article(s) to submit to TSS.
Matrix Overwatch Walkthrough
Back to the run...
Cheng digs into the last set of cameras, tweaking the lines of data into new configurations inside the virtual console with her Spoof-sticks. Rearranging the HoloLISP lines seems like child's play this time round.
The host rolls to Opposed part of the System Test. Rolling its Security Value's 10 dice the host gets 2 successes which reduces Cheng's net successes to 2. This is more than enough to complete the Edit Slave operation (SR3 page 216). However... it also raises her Security Tally by 2 steps which spells trouble.
Garish orange lights turn on around the security room, throwing everything into even more disturbing and menacing shadows. Nice bit of trigger iconography there--- is all Cheng has time to think before two Icons phase through a wall and into view. Frag!
The biggest is a cyber onidaemon decked out in ornate hightech samurai armor and a laser katana glowing brightly in one clawed hand while the second looks looks like a chrome hunting hawk with red-laser dots for eyes.
Kurukami you're going to have to go back and edit the last bit of the previous post... and yes, its a fair assumption that the host has gone into Passive Alert (the effects of which are detailed in SR3 page 211 - ie. all subsystem ratings get a 2 point boost).
Back to the run...
Cheng digs into the last set of cameras, tweaking the lines of data into new configurations inside the virtual console with her Spoof-sticks. Rearranging the HoloLISP lines seems like child's play this time round.
The host rolls to Opposed part of the System Test. Rolling its Security Value's 10 dice the host gets 2 successes which reduces Cheng's net successes to 2. This is more than enough to complete the Edit Slave operation (SR3 page 216). However... it also raises her Security Tally by 2 steps which spells trouble.
Garish orange lights turn on around the security room, throwing everything into even more disturbing and menacing shadows. Nice bit of trigger iconography there--- is all Cheng has time to think before two Icons phase through a wall and into view. Frag!
The biggest is a cyber onidaemon decked out in ornate hightech samurai armor and a laser katana glowing brightly in one clawed hand while the second looks looks like a chrome hunting hawk with red-laser dots for eyes.
Kurukami you're going to have to go back and edit the last bit of the previous post... and yes, its a fair assumption that the host has gone into Passive Alert (the effects of which are detailed in SR3 page 211 - ie. all subsystem ratings get a 2 point boost).
The post above has been updated, Synner.
As the host's security icons close in, Cheng lets the acceleration code of her deck shift her consciousness into high gear and prepares for combat.
For Initiative, I roll 6, 4, 3, 2. Added to my Matrix Reaction, that'll give me a score of 29. Things are about to get interesting...
As the host's security icons close in, Cheng lets the acceleration code of her deck shift her consciousness into high gear and prepares for combat.
For Initiative, I roll 6, 4, 3, 2. Added to my Matrix Reaction, that'll give me a score of 29. Things are about to get interesting...
This is more exciting (and nerve-wracking) to watch than a train full of elite ninjas barrelling on a collision course with another train chock-full of rabid cyber death-monkeys. I'm not sure I even want to imagine the stress that Kurukami's dealin' with right now, hehe ... the "Oh frag, frag, frag frag frag" was possibly the catchphrase of this session for me.
Heh. As an aside -- I threw in the Chinese characters straight from Babelfish's English-Chinese translator. The original phrase, in English, was "may the moons of a thousand planets be jammed up my ass". (Thanks be to Joss Whedon's Firefly for the inspiration on that one.)
And just out of curiosity, I snagged the kanji and threw them back into Babelfish for Chinese-English translation. The result? "Is willing 1,000 planets the moon to block I the donkey."
I find myself obliquely reminded of those old "operator" games that I played in the days of my youth.
And just out of curiosity, I snagged the kanji and threw them back into Babelfish for Chinese-English translation. The result? "Is willing 1,000 planets the moon to block I the donkey."
I find myself obliquely reminded of those old "operator" games that I played in the days of my youth.
So here we go...
Unbenownst to Cheng, she is facing a cluster of Party IC. In SR3 Party IC has changed a little from it's previous incarnation in that it is now an IC Programming Option (Party Cluster, Matrix page 86). What it means in effect is that several separate IC coordinate their attacks (though suffering a +1 modifier for volume over finesse) but are also harder to hit because they are coordinated (+1 per piece of IC in a Party Cluster which remains even if one IC is crashed). The limitation is that their total Ratings are capped at Security Value x2 (in this case 20).
The newly-arrived IC roll their initiative (SR3 page 223: Orange = 3D6 + IC Rating) the Yamatetsu Oni-Do Blaster_8.0 rolls 23 and the M-Raptor v7 rolls 21.
The Oni-Do moves his laser katana into a defensive posture and the chromed hawk rises closer to the virtual ceiling of the security room, metallic talons extending menacingly.
Unbenownst to Cheng, she is facing a cluster of Party IC. In SR3 Party IC has changed a little from it's previous incarnation in that it is now an IC Programming Option (Party Cluster, Matrix page 86). What it means in effect is that several separate IC coordinate their attacks (though suffering a +1 modifier for volume over finesse) but are also harder to hit because they are coordinated (+1 per piece of IC in a Party Cluster which remains even if one IC is crashed). The limitation is that their total Ratings are capped at Security Value x2 (in this case 20).
The newly-arrived IC roll their initiative (SR3 page 223: Orange = 3D6 + IC Rating) the Yamatetsu Oni-Do Blaster_8.0 rolls 23 and the M-Raptor v7 rolls 21.
The Oni-Do moves his laser katana into a defensive posture and the chromed hawk rises closer to the virtual ceiling of the security room, metallic talons extending menacingly.
What I wouldn't give for that wheel-lock Attack utility right now, Cheng grumbled to herself, thinking of the scrambled, useless pulses of code now taking up space on her storage chips. Juggling the code-strings to keep the monitored operations running as she prepared for battle was distracting, but it would be far easier to keep them running than try to restart them with a passive alert in the host. With sword in one hand and incense-stick in the other, she briefly sketched an identification query and flung it towards the falcon-icon. The oni, from what her sensors had been able to determine as it phased in, was almost certainly Blaster... but the falcon could be virtually anything, from more Tar IC to Erosion to Scout or anything in between.
First, of course, Cheng wants to keep those monitored operations running to keep things in the clear for the approaching team, so she does so.
Now, as for the combat... with a Free Action, she'll attempt an Analyze Icon operation on the falcon-IC. With the system on passive alert, that could be tough, but the TN is lowered by both her Analyze utility (6) and her Sensors rating (5) -- dropping the overall TN by 11. Additionally, it's a Control test, so she gets an extra die to roll for the test. Given that there're two pieces of IC about to jump her, she'll need all the Hacking Pool she can get.
So. I get to roll eight dice (Decking specialization plus bonus from being a Cracker), and the result is: 11, 5, 5, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Given what I've deduced before (about the Control rating on this host being either 14 or 15), that could be anywhere from one to four successes. ( I'm desperately hoping for four. )
And what I do next depends greatly on what precisely that falcon-IC is.
You're up, Synner.
First, of course, Cheng wants to keep those monitored operations running to keep things in the clear for the approaching team, so she does so.
Now, as for the combat... with a Free Action, she'll attempt an Analyze Icon operation on the falcon-IC. With the system on passive alert, that could be tough, but the TN is lowered by both her Analyze utility (6) and her Sensors rating (5) -- dropping the overall TN by 11. Additionally, it's a Control test, so she gets an extra die to roll for the test. Given that there're two pieces of IC about to jump her, she'll need all the Hacking Pool she can get.
So. I get to roll eight dice (Decking specialization plus bonus from being a Cracker), and the result is: 11, 5, 5, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Given what I've deduced before (about the Control rating on this host being either 14 or 15), that could be anywhere from one to four successes. ( I'm desperately hoping for four.
)And what I do next depends greatly on what precisely that falcon-IC is.
You're up, Synner.
Here we go...
Time seems to slow for an impossibly long extended second, as the Analyze smoke wraps around the falcon and then coils into the pictogram for a Y-Line M-Raptor v7 Trace IC... Cheng is almost about to change focus back to her adversaries when the smoke coils again and adds Trap Killer 5 pictograms before dissipating its component pixels in the garish orange lighting of the Passive Alert.
The host rolled it's Security Value (10) and got no successes against Cheng's DF, leaving the decker with four net successes on its Analyze Icon test. This number is more than enough to give just about any information available about the Icon including the fact that the Trace IC is actually trapped with Killer.
On a side note, Party IC is not at all uncommon when the Security Tally hits the teens in an Orange Host, so beware. Cybercombat can be particularly lethal as we have shown. Also note that a Tar IC (programmed against Offensive Utilities) in a Party Cluster is a nasty security tactic that can really spoil a decker's day.
Time seems to slow for an impossibly long extended second, as the Analyze smoke wraps around the falcon and then coils into the pictogram for a Y-Line M-Raptor v7 Trace IC... Cheng is almost about to change focus back to her adversaries when the smoke coils again and adds Trap Killer 5 pictograms before dissipating its component pixels in the garish orange lighting of the Passive Alert.
The host rolled it's Security Value (10) and got no successes against Cheng's DF, leaving the decker with four net successes on its Analyze Icon test. This number is more than enough to give just about any information available about the Icon including the fact that the Trace IC is actually trapped with Killer.
On a side note, Party IC is not at all uncommon when the Security Tally hits the teens in an Orange Host, so beware. Cybercombat can be particularly lethal as we have shown. Also note that a Tar IC (programmed against Offensive Utilities) in a Party Cluster is a nasty security tactic that can really spoil a decker's day.
Heh. Aheh. Aheh. *looks nervous* Well, now I'm damned glad I decided to ID that IC ahead of time... that'll be a nasty one to defeat.
On the other hand, I did successfully run two Redirect Datatrail operations waaaaaay back on page 6, which will raise the TN for the Trace IC to hit me, and therefore start the trace, by 2. Additionally, I've got my Camo-4 utility up and running, which will increase the time it needs to trace me even if it succeeds in going against my Evasion rating (which I seem to recall is how the Trace IC works, given that I don't have my SR3 book with me).
I'll post more later, once I have the opportunity to look up exactly what trap IC, and specifically Killer IC, does.
On the other hand, I did successfully run two Redirect Datatrail operations waaaaaay back on page 6, which will raise the TN for the Trace IC to hit me, and therefore start the trace, by 2. Additionally, I've got my Camo-4 utility up and running, which will increase the time it needs to trace me even if it succeeds in going against my Evasion rating (which I seem to recall is how the Trace IC works, given that I don't have my SR3 book with me).
I'll post more later, once I have the opportunity to look up exactly what trap IC, and specifically Killer IC, does.
The hawk's laser red eyes lock on to Cheng's icon across the room, its wings beating hard in a virtual breeze. Talons like razors gleam in silent menace catching the light from the Oni-Do IC's neon-laser katana. The Oni-Do grits its protruding fangs and slits its glowing red eyes, the IC-core code running possible responses to Cheng's next moves.
More of a fluff question, but would a cyberdeck/terminal be able to recognize the common programming languages of our time, such as C, Basic, etc., without needing to download additional info?
Hard to say, really. It might be able to program in them, given that it is a computing platform, but my suspicion is that it would need the proper compilers and development environments to work properly. And, of course, you need to have the compiled object code for the program to work.
Out of curiosity, why do you ask?
Out of curiosity, why do you ask?
Oh, just because I finished my final for my first semester of C++ programming...
The myriad of canon Matrix languages kinda scares me, but in truth, it is probably the same amount of programming languages we have today...
The myriad of canon Matrix languages kinda scares me, but in truth, it is probably the same amount of programming languages we have today...
The number of programming languages listed in published Shadowrun products is far, far fewer than the number and variations of languages that are used today.
| QUOTE (Adam @ Dec 19 2003, 06:41 PM) |
| The number of programming languages listed in published Shadowrun products is far, far fewer than the number and variations of languages that are used today. |
Ain't that the truth. For SR (at least from Matrix):
* HoloLISP, InterMod, MatComDev, MCT Iconix 7, Metacomm, Novatech VRDrive 3, Oblong, Renraku Teng.
Stuff (modern day computer languages) that I know about 'cuz I used to work as a programmer:
* C, C++, Cobol, Basic, Java, Javascript, HTML, XML/XSL, CSS/DHTML, Flash ActionScript, assembly language (of many flavors), Unix shell programming, ASP, SQL and PL/SQL...
... and that's just with my two-years-out-of-date knowledge. There's undoubtedly dozens more, filling various niches and needs in the high-tech world.
And then there's all the things that have niche markets, like Oberon (think object oriented Pascal ), Matlab, INTERCAL, BF ...
Basically, for any major language, there are often several smaller, more specialized "research" languages (*ahem*Oberon - my old compilers prof would KILL me for saying that, but I still prefer Java) that are based on and derived from it.
Not to start a code war (hehe), but I'll admit that I like the way they mention HoloLisp as a common Matrix development language - Lisp has a long and prestigious history for hackers, hehe, and was initially developed as an AI research language; not only that, it's really good for fast development (well, if you're a good Lisp programmer), and allows you to build some really powerful stuff much more easily than Java, C++, or even Perl (*Gasp*, Blasphemy!). Let me add the caveat that I am no longer a good Lisp coder in any sense of the word. But I wish I were...
), Matlab, INTERCAL, BF ... Basically, for any major language, there are often several smaller, more specialized "research" languages (*ahem*Oberon - my old compilers prof would KILL me for saying that, but I still prefer Java
) that are based on and derived from it.Not to start a code war (hehe), but I'll admit that I like the way they mention HoloLisp as a common Matrix development language - Lisp has a long and prestigious history for hackers, hehe, and was initially developed as an AI research language; not only that, it's really good for fast development (well, if you're a good Lisp programmer), and allows you to build some really powerful stuff much more easily than Java, C++, or even Perl (*Gasp*, Blasphemy!
). Let me add the caveat that I am no longer a good Lisp coder in any sense of the word. But I wish I were...
Anyways, to drift back towards the main topic of the thread...
The Blaster IC is the immediate problem, Cheng decides, as it can directly damage her... if she can eliminate it, that may well make it easier to evade the Trace before it can get a lock on her datatrail. Unfortunately, the cloud of code-addresses thrown out by the partied IC is giving the runesword Attack utility's targetting protocols fits of contradictory logic, promising to make otherwise easy strikes vastly more difficult.
On the positive side, her reaction time as boosted by the hardware in her deck was somewhat better than that of the host's IC, and she would able to attempt to get in the first blow and try for a quick fade. In a fraction of a second, she went from motionless guard position to a sprinting lunge towards the oni-IC, hoping to draw a slashing blow through its torso and disable the opposing code before either of her foes could react.
The primary attraction of party IC, for the defending host, is that it gets to toss out a cloud of individual IC-guardians that work together all at once. With that rapidly shifting group of targets, a decker attempting to attack one has a much more difficult time -- increasing her TN to hit the opposition by the number of IC elements in the part. Thus, where Cheng's TN to hit a legitimate icon in this host was normally 5, while going against this party IC cluster her TN will be 2 more -- 7.
Effectively, that means she's got to hit a 6 due to the vagaries of the game mechanics, but regardless moving the TN from 5 to 6 will most likely halve her successes.
Utilizing her Attack-6S program, Cheng springs forward and tries to attack the Blaster-IC. She wants to try to take it out as quickly as possible, but must as always balance the need to hide her presence here with the need to eliminate opponents. Thus, she'll add only three dice from her Hacking pool to the utility's six attack dice, keeping one available to stop the tally-jump which might result from its death and another for general-purpose use. I roll the 9 dice, and get: 14, 10, 10, 8, 5, 5, 4, 4, 1. Four successes, which stage the damage up into the deadly range -- but as the Blaster is rating 8, it'll roll 8 dice against my Attack rating of 6 to attempt to reduce the damage.
If I'm lucky, it'll take at least a Serious wound, which might increase my chances to survive and stall for time. What I wouldn't give for a Slow utility right about now...
As she streaks past the oni-icon with her passing strike, her free hand flicks a Cloaking smoke-capsule at the virtual ground and tries to blend her digital-signature into the background dataflow. With any luck at all, the chaff thrown up by her attack will allow her to evade the immediate attentions of the IC, and try to poise herself for a sneak attack from a better position.
Since an attack is a Simple action, Cheng's second Simple action (regardless of whether or not the attack succeeds) is to attempt to Evade Detection. As with any combat maneuver, this matches her Evasion rating (6) against the host's Security rating (10), as modified by the rating of Cheng's Cloak utility. Thus, I'll roll six dice against a TN of 5 to attempt to temporarily escape the notice of whatever IC might remain after Cheng's lunging strike, and the host will roll ten dice against a TN of 6. At the moment, I really don't want to expend another Hacking Pool die, as I may need it later on this round, so I'll just let the baseline six dice roll in my attempt. I roll, and get: 5, 5, 5, 4, 3, 1. Three successes, which might just allow me to evade my opponents for a brief moment and allow me to set up for a more effective attack in the near future.
Your move, Synner...
The Blaster IC is the immediate problem, Cheng decides, as it can directly damage her... if she can eliminate it, that may well make it easier to evade the Trace before it can get a lock on her datatrail. Unfortunately, the cloud of code-addresses thrown out by the partied IC is giving the runesword Attack utility's targetting protocols fits of contradictory logic, promising to make otherwise easy strikes vastly more difficult.
On the positive side, her reaction time as boosted by the hardware in her deck was somewhat better than that of the host's IC, and she would able to attempt to get in the first blow and try for a quick fade. In a fraction of a second, she went from motionless guard position to a sprinting lunge towards the oni-IC, hoping to draw a slashing blow through its torso and disable the opposing code before either of her foes could react.
The primary attraction of party IC, for the defending host, is that it gets to toss out a cloud of individual IC-guardians that work together all at once. With that rapidly shifting group of targets, a decker attempting to attack one has a much more difficult time -- increasing her TN to hit the opposition by the number of IC elements in the part. Thus, where Cheng's TN to hit a legitimate icon in this host was normally 5, while going against this party IC cluster her TN will be 2 more -- 7.
Effectively, that means she's got to hit a 6 due to the vagaries of the game mechanics, but regardless moving the TN from 5 to 6 will most likely halve her successes.
Utilizing her Attack-6S program, Cheng springs forward and tries to attack the Blaster-IC. She wants to try to take it out as quickly as possible, but must as always balance the need to hide her presence here with the need to eliminate opponents. Thus, she'll add only three dice from her Hacking pool to the utility's six attack dice, keeping one available to stop the tally-jump which might result from its death and another for general-purpose use. I roll the 9 dice, and get: 14, 10, 10, 8, 5, 5, 4, 4, 1. Four successes, which stage the damage up into the deadly range -- but as the Blaster is rating 8, it'll roll 8 dice against my Attack rating of 6 to attempt to reduce the damage.
If I'm lucky, it'll take at least a Serious wound, which might increase my chances to survive and stall for time. What I wouldn't give for a Slow utility right about now...
As she streaks past the oni-icon with her passing strike, her free hand flicks a Cloaking smoke-capsule at the virtual ground and tries to blend her digital-signature into the background dataflow. With any luck at all, the chaff thrown up by her attack will allow her to evade the immediate attentions of the IC, and try to poise herself for a sneak attack from a better position.
Since an attack is a Simple action, Cheng's second Simple action (regardless of whether or not the attack succeeds) is to attempt to Evade Detection. As with any combat maneuver, this matches her Evasion rating (6) against the host's Security rating (10), as modified by the rating of Cheng's Cloak utility. Thus, I'll roll six dice against a TN of 5 to attempt to temporarily escape the notice of whatever IC might remain after Cheng's lunging strike, and the host will roll ten dice against a TN of 6. At the moment, I really don't want to expend another Hacking Pool die, as I may need it later on this round, so I'll just let the baseline six dice roll in my attempt. I roll, and get: 5, 5, 5, 4, 3, 1. Three successes, which might just allow me to evade my opponents for a brief moment and allow me to set up for a more effective attack in the near future.
Your move, Synner...
| QUOTE (Kurukami @ Dec 20 2003, 12:00 AM) |
| Stuff (modern day computer languages) that I know about 'cuz I used to work as a programmer: * C, C++, Cobol, Basic, Java, Javascript, HTML, XML/XSL, CSS/DHTML, Flash ActionScript, assembly language (of many flavors), Unix shell programming, ASP, SQL and PL/SQL... |
im guessing that the ones in SR are the ones used for makeing programs, IC and similar and therefor most likely compile based.
many of the ones you list above are script or interpetation based, most likely the future variants of them are what powers the metaphors of the matrix (that explains why a good decker can change a hosts looks with a program at runtime).
c/c++ (they are very close in fact), java and assembly are the only ones i know that are more or less compile based of the ones you list (cobol and basic may be or they may be interpet based depending).
html, xml/xsl, css/dhtml, flash, shell programing, asp, php and so on are interpetor based, as in there is a binary that read the text and determines what signals to send to the cpu and/or programs. while they use the same rules and so on from the other ones they are in a compleatly diffrent class when it comes to speed and feature/bug turnaround as you dont have to wait for the compiler to chew it up, just save and run.
as you see, while there are a ton of languages for frontend work, there are not so many for backend work, close to the hardware...
| QUOTE (hobgoblin) |
| im guessing that the [languages] in SR are the ones used for makeing programs, IC and similar and therefor most likely compile based. many of the ones you list above are script or interpetation based, most likely the future variants of them are what powers the metaphors of the matrix (that explains why a good decker can change a hosts looks with a program at runtime). |
Oddly enough, I have to disagree on one point. I believe that the IC would be primarily scripting-based. The code introspection and flexibility of interpreted languages (such as Scheme or LISP - the first AI language) versus the rigidity of compiled code makes me think that IC especially would be script constructs more than compiled blocks of code.
This is semi supported by my memory of Renny manipulating the subroutines of certain IC to just keep breathin'.
Now that I think more ... the IC might also be a compiled core set of code that simply interprets scripted stuff ... *shrugs* I dunno. But I think that interpreted languages will play a much larger role in IC and stuff than purely compiled stuff. Jsut my not so humble opinion.
I still see HoloLISP as a big (if perhaps inadvertant?) homage to early AI research.
you can manipulate a compiled program by editing the memory that they are stored in. but a script is a passive file read by a second program and changes to thescript will not have affect unless you restart the reading prosess. alltho maybe the same edit memoy trick can work here to if you find where in memory the interpeter is reading from.
then there is allso the question if SR computers are qantum based, if so im thinking that all bets are off
sure a script is nice for research when you dont have to worry about speed but when every nanosecond counts a compiled program will have the upper hand no matter what. just look at java, its a hybrid in that its compiled to a bytecode that needs to be interpeted for the os and cpu its running on at the moment. its speed while better over the years still are lower then native code like C...
then there is allso the black box mentality of corporations, they dont want you to know how the stuff they are selling you works. they are selling you a package, you just deploy it...
forget open source, forget open research communitys, this is corporate war. there is a reason why shadowrunning is a growth area...
allso, i think even hololisp is a compiled language, its just the name thats a trowback to older times. corporations and goverments do that all the time to give something a air of age, wisdom and stability...
then there is allso the question if SR computers are qantum based, if so im thinking that all bets are off
sure a script is nice for research when you dont have to worry about speed but when every nanosecond counts a compiled program will have the upper hand no matter what. just look at java, its a hybrid in that its compiled to a bytecode that needs to be interpeted for the os and cpu its running on at the moment. its speed while better over the years still are lower then native code like C...
then there is allso the black box mentality of corporations, they dont want you to know how the stuff they are selling you works. they are selling you a package, you just deploy it...
forget open source, forget open research communitys, this is corporate war. there is a reason why shadowrunning is a growth area...
allso, i think even hololisp is a compiled language, its just the name thats a trowback to older times. corporations and goverments do that all the time to give something a air of age, wisdom and stability...
Hey ppl,
Nice thread you have going here. Keep up the good work
While reading the thread there is one issue that i would like to comment on. It concerns the situation where the decker used Etiquette: Matrix to learn something from a situation or something (cant remeber now and i am too lazy to look back), you probably remeber it.
What about complementary skill rolls here? You can combine a relevant knowledge skill with the practical inforamtion you know about it. (Etiquette Matrix).
What do you guys think of that?
I wonder how the decker will do against this new IC, and if his friends will manage their run
Nice thread you have going here. Keep up the good work
While reading the thread there is one issue that i would like to comment on. It concerns the situation where the decker used Etiquette: Matrix to learn something from a situation or something (cant remeber now and i am too lazy to look back), you probably remeber it.
What about complementary skill rolls here? You can combine a relevant knowledge skill with the practical inforamtion you know about it. (Etiquette Matrix).
What do you guys think of that?
I wonder how the decker will do against this new IC, and if his friends will manage their run
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