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Message no. 1
From: J D Falk <jdfalk@****.COM>
Subject: Cyberdeck Utilities
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 1994 02:31:46 -40962758
>>>>>[ Hey, chums, I just got this Fuchi-4 deck, and I need to get
some utilities. What d'you think I should look for? ]<<<<<
-Zigman <10:54:38/09-24-54>

The character I'm currently playing just got hold of a Fuchi-4
without any utility programs. Since my last decker only went on one run
before the game had to be ended (half the players left for various
reasons), I'm not totally sure what programs would be best to get.
My main goal at present will be doing information searches of
different types...it'd be nice to send out a frame of some type, if
possible, but I'm really not sure how that works.
Any thoughts? BTW, I'm not worrying about cost right now -- I
have at least a week, real time, to come up with a list of what I'd like.
Next game session, I'll see what I can get through the fixers I know.
(In game terms, this could be looked at as if my character had
asked a bunch of people on Shadowlands or some other BBS what they think.)

_____________________________________
| "Advice is what people ask for |
| when we already know the answer | J.D. Falk
| but wish we didn't." | jdfalk@****.com
| -Erica Jong |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Message no. 2
From: Egil Geir Brautaset <egilbra@***.UNIT.NO>
Subject: Re: Cyberdeck Utilities
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 1994 13:39:43 +0100
On Sat, 12 Feb 1994, J D Falk wrote:

> >>>>>[ Hey, chums, I just got this Fuchi-4 deck, and I need to
get
> some utilities. What d'you think I should look for? ]<<<<<
> -Zigman <10:54:38/09-24-54>
>
> The character I'm currently playing just got hold of a Fuchi-4
> without any utility programs. Since my last decker only went on one run
> before the game had to be ended (half the players left for various
> reasons), I'm not totally sure what programs would be best to get.
> My main goal at present will be doing information searches of
> different types...it'd be nice to send out a frame of some type, if
> possible, but I'm really not sure how that works.
> Any thoughts? BTW, I'm not worrying about cost right now -- I
> have at least a week, real time, to come up with a list of what I'd like.
> Next game session, I'll see what I can get through the fixers I know.
> (In game terms, this could be looked at as if my character had
> asked a bunch of people on Shadowlands or some other BBS what they think.)
>

IMHO the most useful and most used utility in the SRII
decking system is the DECEPTION UTILITY. Get a Deception at
rating 9+ as soon as possible.

Egil
Message no. 3
From: Eric Christopher Trager <etrager@***.GWU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Cyberdeck Utilities
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 1994 14:26:13 -0500
On Sat, 12 Feb 1994, J D Falk wrote:

> >>>>>[ Hey, chums, I just got this Fuchi-4 deck, and I need to
get
> some utilities. What d'you think I should look for? ]<<<<<
> -Zigman <10:54:38/09-24-54>
[deleted]
> My main goal at present will be doing information searches of
> different types...it'd be nice to send out a frame of some type, if
> possible, but I'm really not sure how that works.

Well, searches can be improvised. More detailed searches through specific
datastores can be carried out w/ a BROWSE program, which hunts down the
key word, name, etc. you're looking for.

What you'll probably want are ANALYZE, BROWSE, EVALUATE, ATTACK, and
SLEAZE.

> Any thoughts? BTW, I'm not worrying about cost right now -- I

You should be, unless your granddaddy happens to be named H.Ross...

Someone suggested getting a Deception program of 9 or more. Using the
rules presented in the Holy Black Book, that program alone costs 81000
nuyen, and if you factor in street index, make it 162000 (how much does
your fixer love you?).

Get all the programs I noted above at ratings of 9 each, and factoring
street index, your total comes to 891000 =Y=.

Cash or charge?

______
/ ___/
/ __/ _
/_____/ /_/
Message no. 4
From: Lars M Ericson <lericson@***.EDU>
Subject: Re: Cyberdeck Utilities
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 1994 14:41:09 LCL
>
> On Sat, 12 Feb 1994, J D Falk wrote:
>
> > >>>>>[ Hey, chums, I just got this Fuchi-4 deck, and I
need to get
> > some utilities. What d'you think I should look for? ]<<<<<
> > -Zigman <10:54:38/09-24-54>
> [deleted]
> > My main goal at present will be doing information searches of
> > different types...it'd be nice to send out a frame of some type, if
> > possible, but I'm really not sure how that works.
>

Eric ChristopherT then replied:
[stuff deleted]
> Someone suggested getting a Deception program of 9 or more. Using the
> rules presented in the Holy Black Book, that program alone costs 81000
> nuyen, and if you factor in street index, make it 162000 (how much does
> your fixer love you?).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the maximum program rating that can be
run on a deck restricted by the MPCP rating. I'm almost certain that's the
case. If that is the case, I think a Fuchi-4 has a MPCP rating of 6.

I agree with the programs that Eric Christopher recommended. A nice
relocate program might also be helpful as would decrypt (I'm not sure if
that was mentioned previously). Anyway here's my $.02

-- Lars Ericson
Message no. 5
From: Egil Geir Brautaset <egilbra@***.UNIT.NO>
Subject: Re: Cyberdeck Utilities
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 1994 14:57:56 +0100
On Sat, 12 Feb 1994, Lars M Ericson wrote:

> >
> > On Sat, 12 Feb 1994, J D Falk wrote:
> >
> > > >>>>>[ Hey, chums, I just got this Fuchi-4 deck, and
I need to get
> > > some utilities. What d'you think I should look for? ]<<<<<
> > > -Zigman <10:54:38/09-24-54>
> > [deleted]
> > > My main goal at present will be doing information searches of
> > > different types...it'd be nice to send out a frame of some type, if
> > > possible, but I'm really not sure how that works.
> >
>
> Eric ChristopherT then replied:
> [stuff deleted]
> > Someone suggested getting a Deception program of 9 or more. Using the
> > rules presented in the Holy Black Book, that program alone costs 81000
> > nuyen, and if you factor in street index, make it 162000 (how much does
> > your fixer love you?).
>
> Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the maximum program rating that can be
> run on a deck restricted by the MPCP rating. I'm almost certain that's the
> case. If that is the case, I think a Fuchi-4 has a MPCP rating of 6.

It was my suggestion that he get himself a DECEPTION rating 9, but
I did not check any restrictions on the use of programs with
that kind of rating. My recommendation were based on what I see as
the relative usefulness of programs only.

> I agree with the programs that Eric Christopher recommended. A nice
> relocate program might also be helpful as would decrypt (I'm not sure if
> that was mentioned previously). Anyway here's my $.02
>
> -- Lars Ericson

Now, I too agree with the programs Eric mentioned in his post,
which I seem to remember were: ANALYZE, BROWSE, EVALUATE, ATTACK, and
SLEAZE. But I would also recommend a SLOW program, for (correct me
if I am wrong) an ATTACK program has no effect on ACCESS IC's ability
to trigger PASSIVE or ACTIVE alerts, while a SLOW program can
be used to stop it from doing so.

Egil
Message no. 6
From: David Mitchell <farsight@*****.WIN.NET>
Subject: Re: Cyberdeck Utilities
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 1994 07:44:38 LCL
>[ Hey, chums, I just got this Fuchi-4 deck, and I need to get
>some utilities. What d'you think I should look for? ]<<<<<
> -Zigman <10:54:38/09-24-54>
>
> My main goal at present will be doing information searches of
>different types...it'd be nice to send out a frame of some type, if
>possible, but I'm really not sure how that works.

I don't know about anyone else, but certainly would want to have
Evaluate and Sift when doing information searches. Personally I
would want to have Sleaze as well.

--Farsight--


David Mitchell | A pessimist is a person who looks
farsight@*****.win.net | at the world through morose-colored
compuserve 72740,2115 | glasses.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Message no. 7
From: Michael Garoni <Michael_Garoni@****.INTERSOLV.COM>
Subject: Re[2]: Cyberdeck Utilities
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 1994 11:04:00 LCL
Now, I too agree with the programs Eric mentioned in his post,
which I seem to remember were: ANALYZE, BROWSE, EVALUATE, ATTACK, and
SLEAZE. But I would also recommend a SLOW program, for (correct me
if I am wrong) an ATTACK program has no effect on ACCESS IC's ability
to trigger PASSIVE or ACTIVE alerts, while a SLOW program can
be used to stop it from doing so.

Egil

Doesn't hitting the ACCESS IC stop it from triggering an alert ? I haven't
looked at the decking rules for a while, but that was my impression.

-Obi Wan

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