| From: | Marc A Renouf <jormung@*****.UMICH.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Matrix Overwatch |
| Date: | Thu, 27 Jul 1995 14:04:25 -0400 |
> >Michael
> >What is entailed in a Matrix Cover mission? What do deckers do?
> >I've read several books (VR, and a few of the Novels), but just
> >don't seem to grasp what it is (in game terms) they should be doing.
> >
> >My question is this. Could someone please describe a Matrix Cover
> >run from the point of view of the decker. In parenthesis put the
> >skills that were used (you don't need to mention what rolls they
> >got or anything. I just want to get some ideas and see how others
> >handle this part.
Okay...here goes. First, an overview. Matrix Overwatch (or
matrix cover) is the presence of a decker in a site's network concurrent
to a physical attack/insertion/robbery/whatever. It is both tremendously
useful and potentially dangerous. So consider the following as an example.
The party is hired to conduct an extraction of a low-level
corporate exec who happens to know some crucial bit of intel that
interests another corporate competitor. The target lives in a
residential highrise in a well-to-do neighborhood.
The decker hits the system shortly before the rest of the party
gets on site. While there, he hits the security nodes, looking
especially for the cameras that look out over the building's loading
dock. Once he finds this particular I/O port, he can alter what the
guard in the booth sees on his monitor. He can fool the guard by looping
a video track of nothing out of the ordinary happening in the loading
dock. Care must be taken to not loop a section where the same thing will
happen over and over (the guard would get suspicious if the same car drove
by every twelve seconds). Once in the vicinity of the security nodes,
the decker could also try to find the I/O port that controlsexternal
security calls or alarms to the police, though these things are often not
matrix accessible.
From there, the decker bounces over to the slave nodes
controlling the timed maglocks on the loading dock's doors. He unlocks
said door. Suspending the deck's ASIST input momentarily, he radios the
"all clear" signal to the rest of the party, who rush to the loading dock
secure in the fact that the door is open and they will not be seen by the
police. The team is now inside the building with no one the wiser. From
here they move to the freight elevator, surprising and narcojecting the
single guard on patrol in the vicinity. The party was hoping not to have
to do this as the guard will be missed soon. Oh well.
The decker races to the service portion of the system and enters
the slave node controlling the freight elevator. If he was smart, the
decker could move the elevator without it telling security that it had
moved. If not, he could change to elevator icon on the guard's security
panel (I/O port) to "at rest" and make it stay that way. So now the team
takes a pleasant ride up to the twenty fourth floor. A party member
picks the the door lock and the sams and mage burst into the exec's room,
narcojecting both him and his nubile plaything in bed.
Meanwhile, the decker, secure in the knowledge that the party is
in, goes back to the security nodes, chacking to make sure the downed
guard has not been missed. Just as the decker settles in to watch, a
call comes in reporting a downed guard near the freight elevator. A call
immediately goes out to the buildings security provider and the police,
but that port has been previously flubbed by the decker, so the security
pukes can't get through. If they have a security decker on site, he'll
jack in to go and try to clear the I/O port. If not, oh well.
Back at the ranch, the party has subdued and trussed their
quarry, but the decker has tipped them off that security is on alert.
Rather than trying to fight their way past the goons downstairs, they opt
for "Plan B". At this point, some enterprising guard calls 911 from the
payphone in the lobby (unbeknownst to both the party and the decker), so
thing may get hairy soon. The decker, blissfully unaware of the fact
that the cops are en route, jumps around to random system, causing as much
chaos as possible in as little time. Fire alarms, smoke alarms, burglar
alarms, sprinklers, door locks,etc. go crazy as the decker frags with
every slave node he can get into. Finally he takes the freight elevator
(sans party) back down to the lobby and makes sure security knows about
it. Security thinks, "They're makin' a break for it in the freight
elevator. Get 'em!" Many goons are amassed at the loading dock level,
waiting to ambush the party as they come out of said elevator.
But lo, the party has employed a glass cutter, and is currently
rappelling down the side of the building with their unconscious quarry
strapped onto the sam like luggage. By the time the freight elevator
doors open and the guards discover that the elevator is empty, the party
is already beating feet across the street, heading for the safety of
their ultra-rigged van. Once the party is safely away, the decker hops
back into the security I/O and prints "seeeya, chumps!" on the screen,
(much to the chagrin of the fuming security chief) and jacks out.
Mission accomplished.
Debriefing:
As far as what skills are necessary for such a run, it's just
basic decking. The difference between the standard "matrix run" and
matrix overwatch is that the former is concerned primarily with the
acquisition of data. Matrix overwatch, on the other hand, is concerned
primarily with executing node functions to help the party. Chief among
these are controlling I/O and slave nodes to give the party as much time
and cover as possible. To execute a node function, all it takes is a
Computer skill test at the node's security rating. Keep in mind that the
security threshold must still be exceeded. It's a hell of a lot harder
to control an orange slave node than a blue one.
Some other things bear thinking about as well. For instance, how
does the decker know where everything is? The best way to do this is to
execute a "view system map" function in the CPU to see where all the
relevant nodes are. This is often dangerous, however. Otherwise, the
decker can either a) bumble around the building's net figuring out where
stuff is, or b) purchase a black market system map from some enterprising
decker who *has* been in the system's CPU and downloaded a map.
Also, many of the most critical nodes will have security, usually
in the form of Access IC to keep the decker out. In many cases,
especially where the decker has to move back and forth frequently, he or
she may want to attack and suppress that IC. Keep in mind that it's only
a matter of time before suppressed IC is discovered by the CPU, though.
Also, If one has access to the CPU, "teleportation" is a great node
function to use if you need to get somewhere in a hurry. The problem is
that you can't get back to the CPU the same way. Teleportation is also a
way to avoid a node's security. Since you are coming directly into the
node via the CPU, you don't need to pass through the IC. This may be
just a house rule, but the decker has basically turned himself into a
priority signal direct from the CPU and not subject to IC intervention.
The big thing to consider in Matrix Overwatch runs is *timing*.
There will be certai time constraints put on the party by the decker and
vice versa. If the decker can't get into a crucial node quickly enough,
he may force the party to wait while he dorks around. That waiting may
take place in a fire fight, where nobody likes to just hang around
waiting for the decker.
Also, matrix overwatch is dangerous because carelessness or bad
luck on the part of the decker can send up active alerts before the party
ever gets on site. If the decker goes in too far in advance of the
party, the chances of his changes being detected increase drastically.
If the decker doesn't go in far enough in advance, he or she won't be
able to get to the critical nodes in time. It's a balance thing. Also
keep in mind that the decker can be traced, giving his location away and
forcing him to jack out and get away before the cops show up. Any number
of circumstances can occur (cybercombat, tracing, tar babies) which will
make a decker's position untenable, and force him or her to jack out,
thus depriving the party of an edge that they may have planned on.
It's like anything else. A million things can go wrong, but if it
works, it's absolutely stylin'
I hope this example helped. If you want further clarification on
anything, contact me via private e-mail and I'll be happy to oblige.
Marc
