Coldstone wrote:1) Frank has said that B based programs should still work on them, but it was stated elsewhere that RAS override had no effect. Is that true, or a case of conflicting statements left in?
Conflicting Statements. I'd say that since their RAS should still be there, they should still be susceptible to it.
3) This was sort of asked before, but it never got a clear answer as far as I can tell: If a Technomancer (let's assume they have an average of 3 in all attributes) links a device with a higher firewall or system rating (or one of both), does their bio-commlink take priority because it's a technomancer network, or would they actually be boosted by the higher generic ratings and benefit from it?
their ratings are Generic
4) Technomancers can turn down their signal, but can they actually turn off the bio-commlink? I presume no, but just checking. Main reason I ask because in SR4, technically a sleeping technomancer stays 'online' but they can set themselves into a receiver only mode to be more discreet. Since their bio-commlink is tied into stun damage, does the commlink portion stay 'online' if they're physical track is filled (by black hammer, for example), or will it go off in all cases of being unconscious?
No, they can't turn it off willingly, but they can lower the signal. While it turning off when they go unconscious would probably be easy to justify, I don't think it's good from a fluff or crunch perspective. Fluff wise it would mean that a sleeping TM gets bombarded by spam, which should wake him up again. Crunch wise it means that filling up the stun track means no more matrix armor.
4.1) Whether on purpose or when they 'wake back up' can Technomancers reboot?
Why should they?
5) Can ECCM, whether it's complex form or otherwise, help reduce the resonance drain to technomancers? Does it otherwise stack or interact with some of the other ways of working against background count?
What does ECCM have to do with Resonance Drain (or in actual terms
Fading)?
6) Technomancers (and sprites) appear to always be considered connected to devices within range, but how literal is that connection? The section explains how IC interacts with it, but they don't really explain other hackers: If their icon isn't visible on the device, does that mean a hacker won't have a chance to be aware at all unless they're out in some low-count area where noticing a hidden icon is more likely (imagine trying to spot a technomancer in the middle of downtown casually)?
Sorry, complicated question: If the Technomancer is connected but does nothing, how would a hacker 'see' them to be aware they're technically connected? If the technomancer does perform an action (and thus gets attention), is that link valid that the opposing hacker can also do connection-based combat back, or do they have to force a connection onto the technomancer to do their own?
You don't have to be connected to someone to see their icons. As long as they are (connected to the matrix/reaching you with their signals) and (not hiding/hiding poorly) you can see them.
And amounts of surrounding icons don't affect matrix perception (unless they are spam, in which case you might lose your connection to the matrix).
Also: TMs are not connected to everything, but they may affect things
as if they were connected to them.
EXAMPLE:
Tommy TM (
Signal 3) and Harry Hacker (
Signal 2) face off against each other.
Tommy and Harry are 200m away from each other, so Harry is in Signal Range of Tommy, but Tommy not in Signal Range of Harry.
Tommy now can affect Harry with All Programs, since he has effectively Connection range, which may supplant all other ranges.
Tommy uses Crash (Range C) on Harry, doing Icon Damage. Since Harry can see Tommy, he tries to reduce his Signal to 0. But since it isn't an actual connection, Tommy doesn't give a wet fart about Harry's Signal Rating.
6.1) Can a technomancer deliberately sever a connection made by their nature from a device to protect themselves from connection-based combat? does the connection stick around even if the Technomancer moves if they would otherwise still 'maintain handshake distance' to the matrix, or does it fade away if the Technomancer never makes use of it in the first place?
Since there is no actual connection, they can't attack him anyway. And the only thing that matters is whether the TM's signal can reach the others.
7) How does the 'Reset' complex form affect Technomancers, if at all? it basically erases things that happened and modifies icon damage. Icon damage I can see not reversing per se, but a Technomancer wouldn't suddenly forget stuff that had just happened, right?
I'd rule it that they don't forget stuff, but lose damage and stored data. Like you wouldn't forget what's written in a letter, but may lose it.
8) Did we ever confirm that sprites auto-connect to things like technomancers, or had to resort to backdoor/assistance from a technomancer/hacker? If it's the first one, does that basically mean teh sprites that do have backdoor can use that feature to hack holes into things and tell you how to get in later (for non-hackers, anyways)? I'm trying to figure out what uses backdoor would be to a sprite that auto-connects.
Conflicting information. I'd say remove Backdoor from the sprites that have it. Alternatively let them create Actual Connections with it, which people can use to connect to things. The sprite connects to the mainframe, you connect to the sprite, you close the distance.
8.1) Damn I'm asking too many questions now. @_@ Can you actually force a technomancer off something with terminate connection, or does it lock them right back on afterwards?
If they use their weirdness to modify things? no, since they aren't connected to you.
Matrix related
1) If you jump into an anthroform drone, with actual 'hand' hands' that could pick up a weapon and otherwise use it like a metahuman does, would that still involve gunnery, or be more a case of implementing other skills?
If it's actual hands I'd say use the weapon skill.
2) Under normal circumstances, when two networks/devices are joined, if they both have IC, the greater of the two takes priority but what if they were connected without their consent? Suppose someone connected two networks you were being 'chased through' but the IC of one network doesn't actually want the other network attached (marked as an intruder) do the two IC's then fight for control, or does the 'greater of the two' take priority and consume the other while the connection is there? If the IC chasing the other person is the one consumed, would the second IC care about the instructions the other was following?
Or does that fall into the 'Just don't do it' clause about the headaches this can induce? I can see it going that way, but likewise, a hacker with an IC lackey might Connect himself into a network he's infiltrating, and he certainly wouldn't want his IC to get overridden by the IC on the server if it's meant to be helping him, so it seems like there should be some answer for this.
Well, I'd first ask how you connected the two networks, and why? If the two IC present don't cooperate they fight. So if you ran from Server A with IC1 to Server B with IC2 they would fight and you would be free to do what you want. If you brought your own IC it would fight against the server IC. But honestly, why would you even connect the servers if not to make the IC fight?
3) If you do 'crash' a commlink, all you have to do is use the reboot action to make it start up a new one, yes? or do you have to do the 'repair' thingy that resets the icon damage before you can reboot it? I presume that action is meant to be a non-program-based way of repairing a device if you don't have or don't want to buy the medic or restore program? (It occurs to me that if the device is already fragged, you theoretically can't do the repair thingy, unless that's interpreted as turning it back on and going through restore options).
Conflicting information. I'd say you can boot it back up (which means each round your FIRE and SYS get up by 1) or restore it to a previous state (which is a RESP+SYS(10, 1CT) test). Depending on your stats, either might be better. So with a RESP 6, FIRE 5, SYS 6 commlink you would be better off restoring it, while a RESP 2, FIRE 5, SYS 4 commlink is quicker to just reboot. It also depends on whether you want at least some defense (reboot) or if you want all at once, but be vulnerable in the mean time (restore)
That reminds me of the grenade fro Metal Gear Solid.
That's the inspiration.
It might be better to give them a flat rating and make them similar to the EMP though.
Well, each grenade has a static rating, you are allowed to choose the strength you need. They are basically there to prevent any usage of programs. SWAT teams breaches the door of a hacker compound, throws a Chaff Grenade, won't be attacked by programs and ensures that no data escapes the room.
does this block your own signal, or does it have a settable frequency you can put into your filters so you can still use yours while hindering the enemy?
It blocks all signals, including your own. The tradeoff between them and Jammers is basically
Jammer:Weak, but can distinguish between Friendly communication and enemy communication.
Chaff: Strong, but indiscriminate.