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Message no. 1
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Scott W)
Subject: So you want to be a Decker.
Date: Thu Mar 15 19:25:01 2001
Help! I'd like to create a decker character and want to stay far
away from stock decks, but up until now I've successfully avoided
deckers like a bad case of shingles (my hands too remain as yet
unsullied by the greasy wheels of riggers).

So what do I do? To tell the truth, once you get past the
Attributes and Skills (which I'm pretty sure I can handle) and hit
the deck and the programs, I'm lost. I'm suspicious that a beginning
character may have to use the Custom Cyberdeck rules instead of
building their own, as build times are pretty redundant in character
creation. Am I right? Aren't I paying more for the deck that way?

Also, having never played a decker before, I've no clue as to what
utilities are important and what can be marked down as 'optional.'
I've got some ideas from reading The Matrix, but I thought I'd get
the list's opinion on which ones are really 'must-haves.' Go ahead
and tell me the obvious ones, I'm remarkably obtuse sometimes when it
comes to seeing what's blatant to others and I may have missed
something(s).

I'll jump the gun and say thanks ahead of time for any help that's
forthcoming.

-Boondocker

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Message no. 2
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Sven De Herdt)
Subject: So you want to be a Decker.
Date: Fri Mar 16 08:25:01 2001
Scott W wrote:
>
> So what do I do? To tell the truth, once you get past the
> Attributes and Skills (which I'm pretty sure I can handle) and hit
> the deck and the programs, I'm lost. I'm suspicious that a beginning
> character may have to use the Custom Cyberdeck rules instead of
> building their own, as build times are pretty redundant in character
> creation. Am I right? Aren't I paying more for the deck that way?

I have not yet used/read any of the new cyberdeck creation rules in Matrix,
but following is what I used to do:

What I usually do (when handing out decks to my PCs or when creating some
for NPCs) is start from an existing "off-the-shell" deck (usually those out
of VR2) and customize from there on.

If you actually construct a deck from scratch and build it all up, I think
costs would be a bit more expensive than those mentioned in SR3. Although
I'm not sure if all personna programs are included in those pricings.

Very often (mostely for NPCs) I use the Cyberdeck Cost Program of Gurth
(don't recall the URL at this moment), it often provides a nice starting
point if you really want a fully customized cyberdeck.

> Also, having never played a decker before, I've no clue as to what
> utilities are important and what can be marked down as 'optional.'

Essential are programs like: sleaze (used a mask your presence), deception
(used for several purposes, but mainly to gain access to a host and
information), browse (used to launch a search), analyze (if you want to know
more about your surroundings), Read/Write (to access information).

Other matter as well and there are still some vital ones like programs to
command slaves (interfaces of all kinds), combat programs (if you want some
offensive tools in the matrix), cloak (if you want to evade combat),...
Most of them also depend on which track you want to use: offensive,
defensive, stealth,...

A good reference are both archetypes mentioned in VR2.0.

Just my thoughts,

-sven ;)
--
Message no. 3
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Bai Shen)
Subject: So you want to be a Decker.
Date: Fri Mar 16 09:25:01 2001
> I have not yet used/read any of the new cyberdeck creation rules in Matrix,
> but following is what I used to do:

I've read 'em, but not used 'em yet. :)

> If you actually construct a deck from scratch and build it all up, I think
> costs would be a bit more expensive than those mentioned in SR3. Although
> I'm not sure if all personna programs are included in those pricings.

Actually, the deck is way cheaper if you build it from scratch. I had a
decker who built a deck better than the Fuchi-8(I think that was it) an'
it only cost a little over 100k.

Bai Shen
Message no. 4
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Sven De Herdt)
Subject: So you want to be a Decker.
Date: Fri Mar 16 10:00:01 2001
Bai Shen wrote:

> Actually, the deck is way cheaper if you build it from
> scratch. I had a
> decker who built a deck better than the Fuchi-8(I think that
> was it) an' it only cost a little over 100k.

Yikes! Is this just for the hardware or does this include the software for
the MPCP and all Personna programs? What about hardening and that kind a
stuff, (IIRC) that costs quite a bit?

Just my thoughts,

-sven ;)
--
Message no. 5
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Michael Yacht)
Subject: So you want to be a Decker.
Date: Fri Mar 16 10:10:01 2001
Build a deck from scratch. It is a pain, but by doing so you will
familiarize yourself with how things work and what is/isn't important. The
matrix rules are very different from anything else out there, so it is
critical that you fully understand how things work.

Some important considerations.

1) Your MPCP is the most important thing on your deck. It is the ceiling
limit for everything. Get as high as you can afford.
2) Masking rating is what separates a legal deck from an illegal deck. You
want this high as well. It is what stops you from being caught. Evasion
should most likely be pretty high too.
3) There are 6 programs that you should buy at max rating (max rating =MPCP rating):
Sleaze, Deception, Analyze, Browse, Validate (VR2 and Matrix,
not in the main rules, see Passcoding), and AttackD

Sleaze + Masking / 2 == Detection Factor == The difficulty for a system to
find you and raise your security tally
Deception == Ability to sneak in and out of hosts, very key.
Analyze == Pretty much what it sounds like, the ability to know what is
going on.
Browse == Find that key data you're looking for.
Validate == The ability to passcode a system is enormous, you become a
legitimate user in its eyes .. IE: you won't raise the security tally.
AttackD == For nuking pesky IC

Lastly, consider getting a decent Decrypt, Read/Write and Armor program.
Max em if you can, but they're not as important as the rest.


Some other considerations:

Making your own hardware (IE, improving your own MPCP) is almost never worth
it. IT takes a HUGE amount of time.
Making your own programs is often VERY worthwhile. Make sure you get a
desktop computer with around 800mp of memory in it.
Get a programming shop if you can, if not a programming kit.

Cyberware:
Make sure you get as good a math SPU as you can afford in your head, each
rating increases your hacking pool by 1 as well as decreases programming
time.
If you can afford an encephalon, get it. Works much like the math SPU
Get some headware mem, good place to store an emergency backup of a program.
Get a good improved datajack.
Get a data compressor, good for squeezing more info into that headware mem.

Skills:
Make sure you take computer and computer B/R as high as possible. Take some
Knowledge skills like 'Computer Theory', they will let you make
complimentary rolls for programming tasks.


-Meatnog
Message no. 6
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Bai Shen)
Subject: So you want to be a Decker.
Date: Fri Mar 16 10:10:06 2001
> > Actually, the deck is way cheaper if you build it from
> > scratch. I had a
> > decker who built a deck better than the Fuchi-8(I think that
> > was it) an' it only cost a little over 100k.
> Yikes! Is this just for the hardware or does this include the software for
> the MPCP and all Personna programs? What about hardening and that kind a
> stuff, (IIRC) that costs quite a bit?

That was everything except for the utilities. :) Oh, an' it didn't
include the tools to make the deck, jus' the parts. And as for the
programs, my char wrote all of those himself.

Bai Shen
Message no. 7
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Wordman)
Subject: So you want to be a Decker.
Date: Fri Mar 16 11:10:01 2001
> I'm suspicious that a beginning
> character may have to use the Custom Cyberdeck rules instead of
> building their own, as build times are pretty redundant in character
> creation. Am I right? Aren't I paying more for the deck that way?

This is one of the many things that irritated me about the Matrix rules.
They give rules for absolutely everything except character creation. What to
do if you character wants to start the game with a home built deck?

What we usually do is use a rule from the ShadowFAQ
(http://shadowfaq.dumpshock.com/Shad2FAQ.html#D1): new characters spend tech
money on the parts for the custom deck _and_ also use tech money to "buy"
the time invested in the design and construction. To avoid a bunch of skill
rolls, always just use the base time. We didn't play with deckers that often
but a rate of 100Y for each day seemed about right. You're mileage may vary.
There are a lot of ways to customize such a system. (For example, maybe you
say the cost for a day is, say, 130 - (10 * skill) or something like that.)
If you come up with some decent numbers, post them here.

Keep in mind that, after paying this costs for time, the decker not only has
the deck, but the plans and source code as well.
Message no. 8
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Elindor Quinn)
Subject: So you want to be a Decker.
Date: Fri Mar 16 18:00:06 2001
On Fri, 16 Mar 2001, Michael Yacht wrote:

> Build a deck from scratch. It is a pain, but by doing so you will
> familiarize yourself with how things work and what is/isn't important. The
> matrix rules are very different from anything else out there, so it is
> critical that you fully understand how things work.

It should be noted that this appears to be from a VR2.0 POV. I'll annotate
for Matrix rules where they differ.

> Some important considerations.
>
> 1) Your MPCP is the most important thing on your deck. It is the ceiling
> limit for everything. Get as high as you can afford.
> 2) Masking rating is what separates a legal deck from an illegal deck. You
> want this high as well. It is what stops you from being caught. Evasion
> should most likely be pretty high too.
> 3) There are 6 programs that you should buy at max rating (max rating => MPCP
rating): Sleaze, Deception, Analyze, Browse, Validate (VR2 and Matrix,
> not in the main rules, see Passcoding), and AttackD
>
> Sleaze + Masking / 2 == Detection Factor == The difficulty for a system to
> find you and raise your security tally
> Deception == Ability to sneak in and out of hosts, very key.
> Analyze == Pretty much what it sounds like, the ability to know what is
> going on.
> Browse == Find that key data you're looking for.
> Validate == The ability to passcode a system is enormous, you become a
> legitimate user in its eyes .. IE: you won't raise the security tally.

Validate is even more vital now, with the Automatic Success rules. It's
been modified (Validate passcode is now Validate Account, which makes more
sense), and a successful Validate Account operation gives you around
twenty operations with which you will not need a test. Last week, a friend
of mine (who plays a decker) went on a matrix run to retrieve some
paydata. Two minutes real time later, he had dowloaded the file and logged
off. Go in, Validate Account, Download File (Auto), Graceful Logoff
(Auto).

If you validate a higher account type (Security/Superuser), you get more
automatic actions, including Crash Host and Abort Host Shutdown.

> AttackD == For nuking pesky IC
>
> Lastly, consider getting a decent Decrypt, Read/Write and Armor program.
> Max em if you can, but they're not as important as the rest.
>
>
> Some other considerations:
>
> Making your own hardware (IE, improving your own MPCP) is almost never worth
> it. IT takes a HUGE amount of time.
> Making your own programs is often VERY worthwhile. Make sure you get a
> desktop computer with around 800mp of memory in it.
> Get a programming shop if you can, if not a programming kit.

No programming shop/kit anymore. However, they have put in a programming
suite. It's a programme (15*rating^2) which doesn't take up space for
programming purposes. It can also have a self-coder option, which gives it
a computer (programming) skill.

> Cyberware:
> Make sure you get as good a math SPU as you can afford in your head, each
> rating increases your hacking pool by 1 as well as decreases programming
> time.
> If you can afford an encephalon, get it. Works much like the math SPU
> Get some headware mem, good place to store an emergency backup of a program.
> Get a good improved datajack.
> Get a data compressor, good for squeezing more info into that headware mem.

Improved Datajacks no longer exist under SR rules. The Math SPU is not
quite so mighty now, especially since it was changed to providing twice
it's level as complementary Mathematics skill dice. It still adds it's
rating to hacking pool, however.

> Skills:
> Make sure you take computer and computer B/R as high as possible. Take some
> Knowledge skills like 'Computer Theory', they will let you make
> complimentary rolls for programming tasks.

This has changed somewhat. Computer Theory doesn't really act as a
complimentary skill for programming. However, under matrix rules, when
coding you should do a program plan first, using knowledge skills
(Operational utility design, frame design, special utility
design...). Each success on the program plan reduces the target number for
the programming test by 1. This is especially important, since they cut
out the task bonus.

Two rules - ALWAYS prepare a program plan, and ONLY use successes to
reduce the base time of the plan once your programming target number is
down to 2.

Data Searches have been simplified a lot. Rather than playing them out, a
general data search (looking for available information) is now handled by
a computer test. For this, you will want a 6+ browse utility, 5+ Etiquette
(Matrix), and an agent loaded with said 6+ browse utility. The decker in
my game coded up such a combination, and data searches took next to no
time.

>
> -Meatnog
>
>
>

--
Elindor Quinn <elindor@**********.net>

If it heals good, say it.
Message no. 9
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Gurth)
Subject: So you want to be a Decker.
Date: Sat Mar 17 06:30:01 2001
According to Sven De Herdt, on Fri, 16 Mar 2001 the word on the street
was...

> Very often (mostely for NPCs) I use the Cyberdeck Cost Program of Gurth
> (don't recall the URL at this moment), it often provides a nice starting
> point if you really want a fully customized cyberdeck.

<plug>The Cyberdeck Cost Calculator, available from
http://plastic.dumpshock.com/shadowrun/software.html </plug> It should
be noted that the program only does VR 2.0 calculations; I've been working
on a version for the new rules, but it's not finished yet.

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
If there are vegetarian hamburgers, why isn't there beef lettuce?
-> NAGEE Editor * ShadowRN GridSec * Triangle Virtuoso <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://plastic.dumpshock.com <-

GC3.12: GAT/! d-(dpu) s:- !a>? C+@ UL P L++ E W-(++) N o? K w+(--) O V?
PS+ PE(-)(+) Y PGP- t@ 5++ X(+) R+++(-)>$ tv+ b++@ DI- D+ G+ e h! !r y?
Incubated into the First Church of the Sqooshy Ball, 21-05-1998
Message no. 10
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Gurth)
Subject: So you want to be a Decker.
Date: Sat Mar 17 06:30:16 2001
According to Elindor Quinn, on Fri, 16 Mar 2001 the word on the street
was...

> Validate is even more vital now, with the Automatic Success rules. It's
> been modified (Validate passcode is now Validate Account, which makes more
> sense), and a successful Validate Account operation gives you around
> twenty operations with which you will not need a test. Last week, a friend
> of mine (who plays a decker) went on a matrix run to retrieve some
> paydata. Two minutes real time later, he had dowloaded the file and logged
> off. Go in, Validate Account, Download File (Auto), Graceful Logoff
> (Auto).

Which, it should be noted, are intended to be only possible if you set
yourself up as someone who is allowed to access the file. You can't just
pop in, do a Validate Account operation to set yourself up as a legitimate
user, and download everything you want from the system... (Windows users
might need to spend a little time on a Unix machine to get their heads
around this concept, though :)

> If you validate a higher account type (Security/Superuser), you get more
> automatic actions, including Crash Host and Abort Host Shutdown.

For Crash Host, all you really need is to take the Crash utility at the
highest rating you can and with all the options that will reduce its size.
This way it'll take up very little memory (9 Mp for rating 6, I think I got
it down to) and if you need to do a Crash Host operation more than once on a
run, you're obviously doing something wrong anyway :)

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
If there are vegetarian hamburgers, why isn't there beef lettuce?
-> NAGEE Editor * ShadowRN GridSec * Triangle Virtuoso <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://plastic.dumpshock.com <-

GC3.12: GAT/! d-(dpu) s:- !a>? C+@ UL P L++ E W-(++) N o? K w+(--) O V?
PS+ PE(-)(+) Y PGP- t@ 5++ X(+) R+++(-)>$ tv+ b++@ DI- D+ G+ e h! !r y?
Incubated into the First Church of the Sqooshy Ball, 21-05-1998
Message no. 11
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Sebastian Wiers)
Subject: So you want to be a Decker.
Date: Sat Mar 17 17:15:01 2001
>>>For Crash Host, all you really need is to take the Crash utility at the
highest rating you can and with all the options that will reduce its size.
This way it'll take up very little memory (9 Mp for rating 6, I think I got
it down to) and if you need to do a Crash Host operation more than once on a
run, you're obviously doing something wrong anyway :)

That seems a little extreme. As long as the program is small enough that it
uploads in the minimum possible time, why bother making it any smaller? The
money you spend on various size reducing options often exceeds the cost of
simply increasing your decks memory by the samn amount.

-Mongoose

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