Awakening Apocalypse - Shadowrun 5E setup discussion (Recruiting)

[GlassEye]

I don't really know what would be best, that's my problem. My assumption was that HB would need to get close to the security computers to attempt his thing with the drones. I don't know what skills Saint has but if we come up against a door physically locked can he open it? Without bashing it down or blowing it up? If Skinny and Casper are the infiltration experts then we'll need them (which is why I suggested we combine groups). However, if we can find a room close enough and safe enough for HB to work then I'm okay with that.

 

[Rubberneck]

Yah and I guess my problem is my inexperience with VR and the matrix or whatever it's all new to me so I have no idea how close you need to be or if it even matters. you're in the system now wouldn't you be able to get to the drones as well?

 

[Shayuri]

If you're in the network, you can control anything hooked up to it if you make the rolls.

You don't have to be particularly close...though the integrity of the carrier signal can become an issue if you're TOO far away. For example, there's not much reason for a hacker to actually be in the building, and therefore at great risk if he's discovered. You can always switch from VR to AR, but then your Matrix abilities are hampered.

It also means if the hack goes bad, you may be in a position where escape is difficult.

I sort of figured you guys would wait in the car outside.

But! We can work with this. We'll make it work.

 

[TillForPie]

If Skinny and Casper are the infiltration experts then we'll need them (which is why I suggested we combine groups).

Considering HB can hack his way through doors and cameras there's really nothing he needs Skinny or Casper for - he's practically an infiltration expert himself. I can't speak for Casper but Skinny is a combat specialist who happens to be stealthy - but again a group is only as stealthy as its least sneaky member so combining groups does nothing for us there.

 

[Mosier]

As you become more familiar with hacking, you'll start to be able to feel out situations like this. The choice for what to do next is more a matter of style than efficiency. Hacking in shadowrun is an art!

You mentioned that Heartbreak wants to address the "everything is awesome" backup plan video. You can do that by finding and editing the video file in question. Once you find the file, you could attempt to just delete it. With a couple of marks on different devices and files you could even force the video to cut to a feed of whatever you wanted, like your little sister's birthday party, or an actual live feed of the event for example.

Heartbreak also has some options regarding the drones. You mentioned possibly reprogramming their targetting software to cause havoc in the demonstration. To do this would take a lot of time and effort, but it can be done wirelessly. Another option is to find one, shut it down (much easier to do than to rewrite the software) and then connect a direct link from your deck to the drone (with an actual data cable). This would let you work without being on the CTI host, still constantly accumulating Overwatch points.

Also, the containers in which Pow! is being stored are bound to have at least some kind of electronic vulnerability. It would probably be worth it to swing by the prep area to see how they'll work.

All in all, you seem to be taking to hacking pretty easily, from your IC posts. The drek hasn't started to fly yet, though!

 

[Rubberneck]

Yah Saint is quick, agile, and tough, but his idea of stealth is screwing on a silencer and finding a dark corner to pile the dead bodies.

Hitting the security room might buy us time and would render cameras useless but we'd still have to deal with roaming guards and if a guard goes to check in at the office it's GG.

Hacking the backup video to some sort of propaganda nonsense with a live feed of the demo would be super.

Tampering with the product I think is a must at this point. Or we could go deep and erase all of their data, completely destroy the instructions on how to make the drink. While simultaneously spiking the test drink with laxatives or something to make everyone sick.

Just a few of my ideas.

 

[Mosier]

If you're in the network, you can control anything hooked up to it if you make the rolls.

You don't have to be particularly close...though the integrity of the carrier signal can become an issue if you're TOO far away. For example, there's not much reason for a hacker to actually be in the building, and therefore at great risk if he's discovered. You can always switch from VR to AR, but then your Matrix abilities are hampered.

It also means if the hack goes bad, you may be in a position where escape is difficult.

I sort of figured you guys would wait in the car outside.

But! We can work with this. We'll make it work.

That approach is a double edged sword, though. A hacker who gets spotted and marked enough has his physical location revealed. If he's alone somewhere, he could be more vulnerable (but not necessarily so) than if he were with his squad mates. Also, once a hacker is dumped out of a host, he won't be able to help with the run anymore at all unless he's physically present. Finally, there are some things that aren't connected to the host that you may want to hack, like a random passerby's commlink, or a machine that requires a direct wired link to access. This is stuff you would need to be on site for.

Whether to be physically present or not while hacking is just another example of how different hackers have their own unique style. A bolder, more audacious hacker might be inclined to physically go to the scene of the crime. A stealthier, more shy or timid hacker may decide the risks outweigh the benefit of being physically present. Most hackers would probably find a middle ground, and adjust their approach based on unique circumstances of the run.

 

[Shayuri]

Yep, nothing's free of risk. In the past when I've played hackers, I liked to be in a moving vehicle, so if I got traced I could jack out and they'd follow the trace to where the car was at that moment...nowhere near where it was by then.

But then again, a lot of shadowrun deckers want to be in the thick of things. I think some runs it works on, others it may not, depending on what non-hacking skills the decker has.

In this case, I feel like at the very least Casper and Skinny need to go alone to gather intel. Because the moment a stealth check fails, this op changes in tone rather dramatically.

The drone hack needn't be anything as involved as reprogramming it though. It has a Targeting autosoft, I'm sure. Just hack that and change its target recognition protocols. Boom, instant distraction and PR nightmare.

 

[Mosier]

Yep, nothing's free of risk. In the past when I've played hackers, I liked to be in a moving vehicle, so if I got traced I could jack out and they'd follow the trace to where the car was at that moment...nowhere near where it was by then.

But then again, a lot of shadowrun deckers want to be in the thick of things. I think some runs it works on, others it may not, depending on what non-hacking skills the decker has.

In this case, I feel like at the very least Casper and Skinny need to go alone to gather intel. Because the moment a stealth check fails, this op changes in tone rather dramatically.

The drone hack needn't be anything as involved as reprogramming it though. It has a Targeting autosoft, I'm sure. Just hack that and change its target recognition protocols. Boom, instant distraction and PR nightmare.

The point I was making is that it isn't a "flip a switch" kind of hack to reprogram an autosoft. Sure, it can absolutely be done in the time frame you guys have left here, but part of what will determine how long the hack takes is exactly how cleverly simple the change is. You CAN flip a switch to turn target discretion off, for example. Just telling the drone to shoot anything that moves is simple enough. But, telling it to automatically shoot only the RIGHT people at only the exact right time is something that takes a bit more finesse and effort.

 

[Shayuri]

As long as we're not on the scene, I think the right person is pretty much anyone, isn't it?