Shadowrun

Shadowrun General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Octarine and Chrome on <02-07-11/1516:30>

Title: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Octarine and Chrome on <02-07-11/1516:30>
They have all become Hackers? Why? Deckers were a unique and cool part of Shadowrun. Now, they're gone?  :'(
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: FastJack on <02-07-11/1534:19>
Just renamed since (most) don't use decks anymore, as they've been replaced by Augmented Reality and Commlinks.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Fortinbras on <02-07-11/1626:43>
In our old 2e game, we had a series of rules. The first rule was that the decker always dies!
While it was something that was very unique to Shadowrun, it was often not only the most tedious part of the game in terms of play and mechanics, but the idea of a decker seems antiquated.
In other modern setting RPGs my players often search for blueprints and info on NPCs using their phones. To have characters in a future setting incapable of wireless hacking, much less wireless data searching, is a suspension of disbelief that gets harder and harder every day.

Now, there is nothing to say that in your game powerful commlinks can't be the size of a deck and that the nomenclature of the Sixth World kept the word decker.
Heck, feel free to whip out those old edition rules or change the setting to your liking.

Personally, everyone I've encountered, save the few grognard capture purists, prefers the new rules and finds them more fluid and more believable in a future setting.
For those chummers who still enjoy the old frag and drek of the deckers, keep at it, omae. Ain't no party like an old school party 'cause an old school party don't stop.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Octarine and Chrome on <02-07-11/1637:34>
Actually, I love the way the wireless hacking works. It does seem oddly antiquated for the matrix to be wired ( like how Enterprize looke more high tech than the original Star Trek even though it happens earlier in the timeline?  :-[ )
Even shows like NCIS seem wildly high tech when you consider where the tech of Shadowrun is during the 2050s (real world progress, eh?  :o )
                Thought: Abby as a Technomancer???  :o  :-[ ::) 8)  :D ;D

I just like the word decker .  8) I like the new Shadowrun, except fpr spme pf the magic stuff, but I'm puriest enough to let that go. ;)
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: FastJack on <02-07-11/1644:57>
Now, there is nothing to say that in your game powerful commlinks can't be the size of a deck and that the nomenclature of the Sixth World kept the word decker.
Heck, feel free to whip out those old edition rules or change the setting to your liking.
Or, if you're like some old-tyme Ork deckers* out there, you can build the deck around a modern commlink. ;)

*Hey, Bull. ;)
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Kot on <02-07-11/1700:41>
And some of them stuff their old decks with modern electronics, plus an ex-ex loaded SMG. :)
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: wraith on <02-08-11/0147:53>
I'm fairly sure that there are still some of the oldschool Deckers out there, laughing their asses off at how this new generation don't know jack nor frag about security.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Medicineman on <02-08-11/0217:25>
@Octarine & Chrome

why don't You play a Hacker with the Streetname Decker ?
that would be two Birds with one Stone

He who dances with a Stone in His hand
Medicineman
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: hobgoblin on <02-08-11/0337:54>
I'm fairly sure that there are still some of the oldschool Deckers out there, laughing their asses off at how this new generation don't know jack nor frag about security.
Fastjack is still around, and i think Slamm-o is heading into that territory ;)
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Kontact on <02-08-11/0542:12>
I've seen cyber-logician builds that are all about having a synth arm filled with 4 Clustered comlinks so that they have a Program limit high enough to run their own progs along with an Agent and a Worm, also stuffed with programs, all without taking too much of a hit to their Response.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: hobgoblin on <02-08-11/0552:41>
Yep, clustering makes for some really "nasty" builds.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Fortinbras on <02-08-11/1928:39>
I don't think nodes work like that. If they did everyone would have a 100 commlinks daisy chained and hacking/decking would be made impossible.

EDIT: For clarification, I'm not talking about clustering, but the old "You have to hack a hundred nodes before you can get to my commlink" argument, which, in retrospect, I don't think anyone was making. Sorry if there was any confusion.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Outrider45 on <02-08-11/2036:09>
I'm fairly sure that there are still some of the oldschool Deckers out there, laughing their asses off at how this new generation don't know jack nor frag about security.
Fastjack is still around, and i think Slamm-o is heading into that territory ;)

And there are none as old, nay....ancient...as Fastjack.  ;)
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: wraith on <02-09-11/1936:18>
I'm fairly sure that there are still some of the oldschool Deckers out there, laughing their asses off at how this new generation don't know jack nor frag about security.
Fastjack is still around, and i think Slamm-o is heading into that territory ;)

And there are none as old, nay....ancient...as Fastjack.  ;)

Keep telling yourself that.  I'm sure it makes his ego happy, but there are stranger things in the 'trix, omae...
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: tbrminsanity on <02-10-11/0855:45>
In our old 2e game, we had a series of rules. The first rule was that the decker always dies!
While it was something that was very unique to Shadowrun, it was often not only the most tedious part of the game in terms of play and mechanics, but the idea of a decker seems antiquated.
In other modern setting RPGs my players often search for blueprints and info on NPCs using their phones. To have characters in a future setting incapable of wireless hacking, much less wireless data searching, is a suspension of disbelief that gets harder and harder every day.

Now, there is nothing to say that in your game powerful commlinks can't be the size of a deck and that the nomenclature of the Sixth World kept the word decker.
Heck, feel free to whip out those old edition rules or change the setting to your liking.

Personally, everyone I've encountered, save the few grognard capture purists, prefers the new rules and finds them more fluid and more believable in a future setting.
For those chummers who still enjoy the old frag and drek of the deckers, keep at it, omae. Ain't no party like an old school party 'cause an old school party don't stop.

We weren't has harsh to our Decker but our GM did give the Decker a sheet of rolls he had to roll (and a specific order to roll them) and when he was done he handed the sheet over to the GM and the GM would tell us what happened.  In the mean time we played without the Decker.  The isolation caused our Decker to eventually become a Security Hacker so he could get in on the fun.  But that is more of a failing of the old Matrix rules.  I much prefer the new Hacker rules (they are closer to what the Security Hacker (aka Security Rigger) were like).  It makes them more a part of the team, while not losing their effectiveness. 

That being said I still have NPCs in my games that call old Hackers, Deckers.  "Hackers are those n00b kids that wouldn't know their butt from an UV site."  (Grizzled old security Decker)
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: The_Gun_Nut on <02-10-11/1005:10>
Deckers were incredibly problematic to run as PC's in previous editions.  I even tried it once and was disappointed in how the mechanics worked.

Ultimately, my group just went with the NPC decker, who got information based on his contact rating.  Much easier to deal with.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Neurosis on <02-10-11/1427:38>
What happened to Deckers?

It's simple: William Gibson hates Shadowrun. : )
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Fortinbras on <02-10-11/1740:28>
We weren't has harsh to our Decker but our GM did give the Decker a sheet of rolls he had to roll (and a specific order to roll them) and when he was done he handed the sheet over to the GM and the GM would tell us what happened.  In the mean time we played without the Decker.  The isolation caused our Decker to eventually become a Security Hacker so he could get in on the fun.  But that is more of a failing of the old Matrix rules.  I much prefer the new Hacker rules (they are closer to what the Security Hacker (aka Security Rigger) were like).  It makes them more a part of the team, while not losing their effectiveness. 

That being said I still have NPCs in my games that call old Hackers, Deckers.  "Hackers are those n00b kids that wouldn't know their butt from an UV site."  (Grizzled old security Decker)

In our game it got to the point that no one wanted to play a decker, but some runs necessitated it. We used an NPC or a one shot player( a frined in town for only a day) and that person always died. So much so that it became a hard and fast rule, right up there with "When you are up, and someone asks, you must get them a Coke" and "Don't mess with another man's automobile."
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Julius Q Enderby on <02-10-11/1816:29>
Not claiming any ancient kudos by any stretch but I loved playing a decker! My intro to SR 1st edition was as a decker and it sold me on the game rather than the other way around. The only time we stopped playing decker rules was when I got the VR supplements and my GMs weren't enthusiastically jumping to learn yet more rules. I resisted against the appeal of cranial cyber"decks" because I just like the image of the decker even if it made no sense to have a keyboard with... keys... when the connection was purely neural. I still visualize that the keys are being played anyway, at times feverishly! I would play a decker again!

But I readily acknowledge that SR does make for a number of exclusive environments that can all require patience: decking, astral projecting, rigged vehicle combat. The rules demand that you "split the party" on a regular basis if you are to explore the setting to its fullest. It is both what I most like and don't like about the setting.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Bull on <02-11-11/0105:42>
Or, if you're like some old-tyme Ork deckers* out there, you can build the deck around a modern commlink. ;)

*Hey, Bull. ;)
[/quote]

<grin>

Anyone who calls themselves a hacker is obviously a piker kid who don't know what they're doing. :)
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: FastJack on <02-11-11/0809:41>
Or, if you're like some old-tyme Ork deckers* out there, you can build the deck around a modern commlink. ;)

*Hey, Bull. ;)

<grin>

Anyone who calls themselves a hacker is obviously a piker kid who don't know what they're doing. :)
Or, they're so old they were hacking before it was called decking. ;)
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Outrider45 on <02-13-11/0239:24>
I'm fairly sure that there are still some of the oldschool Deckers out there, laughing their asses off at how this new generation don't know jack nor frag about security.
Fastjack is still around, and i think Slamm-o is heading into that territory ;)

And there are none as old, nay....ancient...as Fastjack.  ;)

Keep telling yourself that.  I'm sure it makes his ego happy, but there are stranger things in the 'trix, omae...

Actually I doubt that was an inflation to his ego Wraith. I know FastJack in real life (my best friend in fact) and I was just ripping on his actual age. Freaky old.  No big deal. I keep forgetting that people don't know I actually know him.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: FastJack on <02-13-11/1102:26>
I'm fairly sure that there are still some of the oldschool Deckers out there, laughing their asses off at how this new generation don't know jack nor frag about security.
Fastjack is still around, and i think Slamm-o is heading into that territory ;)

And there are none as old, nay....ancient...as Fastjack.  ;)

Keep telling yourself that.  I'm sure it makes his ego happy, but there are stranger things in the 'trix, omae...

Actually I doubt that was an inflation to his ego Wraith. I know FastJack in real life (my best friend in fact) and I was just ripping on his actual age. Freaky old.  No big deal. I keep forgetting that people don't know I actually know him.
Freaky old?!?  :P

Anyway, the real FastJack is also "freaky" old at this point. Born in 1999, he's around 73-74 in the current books.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Coldbringer on <02-15-11/2239:33>
They are serving long sentences in WYNACO federal  prison?  Or is that just my old decker?
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Loki on <02-15-11/2348:15>
I didn't deck till 3rd but I had no problem. I do like it a lot more now tho.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: hobgoblin on <02-17-11/1005:39>
Well SR3 incorporated the basics from the SR2 VR2.0 rules into the main book, so it was easier to play compared to SR2, and SR4 simplified even that.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: tbrminsanity on <02-18-11/0553:29>
The SR4 rules fall more along the lines of the Security Rigger rules from Corporate Downloads.  Maybe this is why when SR4 first came out it didn't have Riggers or Deckers.  I was a little miffed about that because I always loved the Rigger (since SR1).
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: hobgoblin on <02-19-11/0848:25>
Well there was some degree of merging already back in rigger2/3 where they had a emulator module that allowed deckers to connect to security rigger setups.

So from a rules standpoint it is understandable that one want to fold those into each other as there was more and more of a overlap of capability of not specific rules. Especially once the matrix became wireless as the norm rather then exception.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: wraith on <02-21-11/1557:57>
I'm fairly sure that there are still some of the oldschool Deckers out there, laughing their asses off at how this new generation don't know jack nor frag about security.
Fastjack is still around, and i think Slamm-o is heading into that territory ;)

And there are none as old, nay....ancient...as Fastjack.  ;)

Keep telling yourself that.  I'm sure it makes his ego happy, but there are stranger things in the 'trix, omae...

Actually I doubt that was an inflation to his ego Wraith. I know FastJack in real life (my best friend in fact) and I was just ripping on his actual age. Freaky old.  No big deal. I keep forgetting that people don't know I actually know him.

And this is why I hate having forum accounts named after canon NPCs.  I was referring to the existence of other deckers in-world older than the character, not the guy using the name here.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: FastJack on <02-21-11/1630:17>
I'm fairly sure that there are still some of the oldschool Deckers out there, laughing their asses off at how this new generation don't know jack nor frag about security.
Fastjack is still around, and i think Slamm-o is heading into that territory ;)

And there are none as old, nay....ancient...as Fastjack.  ;)

Keep telling yourself that.  I'm sure it makes his ego happy, but there are stranger things in the 'trix, omae...

Actually I doubt that was an inflation to his ego Wraith. I know FastJack in real life (my best friend in fact) and I was just ripping on his actual age. Freaky old.  No big deal. I keep forgetting that people don't know I actually know him.

And this is why I hate having forum accounts named after canon NPCs.  I was referring to the existence of other deckers in-world older than the character, not the guy using the name here.
Hmm.... Check out page 90 (http://www.mattdroz.com/Shadowland_Posters.pdf).

Just sayin'
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: wraith on <02-21-11/1715:04>
Why, yes. That sure does look like a selection of quote locations. Your point?
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Outrider45 on <02-21-11/2102:19>
Senor Jack,

Did you compile this yourself? If not its impressive seeing this.

If you *did* compile this on your own....we got to get you out more often. At the very least get you a "nice" orc lady of the evening or something.  ::)
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: CanRay on <02-21-11/2202:01>
I really, really, really, really, REALLY want to know when Captain Chaos comes out of his box, and how sane he is by now!

JackBNimble.exe:  Another reason to never deal with a Dragon, even when they're dead.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: FastJack on <02-21-11/2206:40>
Senor Jack,

Did you compile this yourself? If not its impressive seeing this.

If you *did* compile this on your own....we got to get you out more often. At the very least get you a "nice" orc lady of the evening or something.  ::)
Yes. Yes I did. ;)
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: CanRay on <02-21-11/2217:41>
Senor Jack,

Did you compile this yourself? If not its impressive seeing this.

If you *did* compile this on your own....we got to get you out more often. At the very least get you a "nice" orc lady of the evening or something.  ::)
Yes. Yes I did. ;)
That's it, Bisexual Elf Stripper Ninjas for Jack.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: aimlessfreak on <02-21-11/2220:06>
Senor Jack,

Did you compile this yourself? If not its impressive seeing this.

If you *did* compile this on your own....we got to get you out more often. At the very least get you a "nice" orc lady of the evening or something.  ::)
Yes. Yes I did. ;)
That's it, Bisexual Elf Stripper Ninjas for Jack.

Ah ha his secret fetish is in the open at last  :P
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: FastJack on <02-21-11/2344:12>
Senor Jack,

Did you compile this yourself? If not its impressive seeing this.

If you *did* compile this on your own....we got to get you out more often. At the very least get you a "nice" orc lady of the evening or something.  ::)
Yes. Yes I did. ;)
That's it, Bisexual Elf Stripper Ninjas for Jack.

Ah ha his secret fetish is in the open at last  :P
Secret? When the hell was that a secret? ;)
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: aimlessfreak on <02-21-11/2345:18>
Senor Jack,

Did you compile this yourself? If not its impressive seeing this.

If you *did* compile this on your own....we got to get you out more often. At the very least get you a "nice" orc lady of the evening or something.  ::)
Yes. Yes I did. ;)
That's it, Bisexual Elf Stripper Ninjas for Jack.

Ah ha his secret fetish is in the open at last  :P
Secret? When the hell was that a secret? ;)

Well you know I just kinda figured  ;D
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: CanRay on <02-22-11/0034:38>
Senor Jack,

Did you compile this yourself? If not its impressive seeing this.

If you *did* compile this on your own....we got to get you out more often. At the very least get you a "nice" orc lady of the evening or something.  ::)
Yes. Yes I did. ;)
That's it, Bisexual Elf Stripper Ninjas for Jack.

Ah ha his secret fetish is in the open at last  :P
Secret? When the hell was that a secret? ;)

Well you know I just kinda figured  ;D
No, his secret is about Bubba the Love Troll.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: aimlessfreak on <02-22-11/0035:59>
Senor Jack,

Did you compile this yourself? If not its impressive seeing this.

If you *did* compile this on your own....we got to get you out more often. At the very least get you a "nice" orc lady of the evening or something.  ::)
Yes. Yes I did. ;)
That's it, Bisexual Elf Stripper Ninjas for Jack.

Ah ha his secret fetish is in the open at last  :P
Secret? When the hell was that a secret? ;)

Well you know I just kinda figured  ;D
No, his secret is about Bubba the Love Troll.

I always get those backwards
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Medicineman on <02-22-11/0232:07>
Senor Jack,

Did you compile this yourself? If not its impressive seeing this.

If you *did* compile this on your own....we got to get you out more often. At the very least get you a "nice" orc lady of the evening or something.  ::)
Yes. Yes I did. ;)
That's it, Bisexual Elf Stripper Ninjas for Jack.

Ah ha his secret fetish is in the open at last  :P
Secret? When the hell was that a secret? ;)

Well you know I just kinda figured  ;D
No, his secret is about Bubba the Love Troll.

I always get those backwards

....oO(this kinda  looks like a Pyramid )

with a Geometrical Dance
Medicineman
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: aimlessfreak on <02-22-11/0320:17>
NO pyramid = Azaltan which = bad lol
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: tbrminsanity on <02-22-11/0917:33>
Well there was some degree of merging already back in rigger2/3 where they had a emulator module that allowed deckers to connect to security rigger setups.

So from a rules standpoint it is understandable that one want to fold those into each other as there was more and more of a overlap of capability of not specific rules. Especially once the matrix became wireless as the norm rather then exception.

I think the merger was inevitable but I still don't like it.  The Rigger and Decker had two very distinct feeling about them (which is why you see a lot of RIgger Hackers now).  The Rigger was the master of the droid army, the Decker was the master of the matrix.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Fortinbras on <02-22-11/1234:35>
Why, yes. That sure does look like a selection of quote locations. Your point?
The point was that you said you hated it when people took their forum names from SR cannon, yet "Wraith" is a Shadowland poster in Shadowrun cannon from Dragons of the Sixth World and Target: UCAS. I'm sure it's more coincidental than ironic, but there it is.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Outrider45 on <02-22-11/2346:40>
Senor Jack,

Did you compile this yourself? If not its impressive seeing this.

If you *did* compile this on your own....we got to get you out more often. At the very least get you a "nice" orc lady of the evening or something.  ::)
Yes. Yes I did. ;)

I knew it. Time to make another pilgrimage up north to help you out. The sacrifices I make for my friends.... :D
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: Outrider45 on <02-22-11/2348:18>
Senor Jack,

Did you compile this yourself? If not its impressive seeing this.

If you *did* compile this on your own....we got to get you out more often. At the very least get you a "nice" orc lady of the evening or something.  ::)
Yes. Yes I did. ;)
That's it, Bisexual Elf Stripper Ninjas for Jack.

Ah ha his secret fetish is in the open at last  :P

You want secrets? Apply liberal amounts of alcohol to my better judgement and secrets will be revealed about Dirty FastJack, omae.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: FastJack on <02-23-11/0821:13>
Senor Jack,

Did you compile this yourself? If not its impressive seeing this.

If you *did* compile this on your own....we got to get you out more often. At the very least get you a "nice" orc lady of the evening or something.  ::)
Yes. Yes I did. ;)
That's it, Bisexual Elf Stripper Ninjas for Jack.

Ah ha his secret fetish is in the open at last  :P

You want secrets? Apply liberal amounts of alcohol to my better judgement and secrets will be revealed about Dirty FastJack, omae.
Don't listen to him. It's all lies.

<.<
>.>
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: hobgoblin on <02-23-11/1902:26>
Well there was some degree of merging already back in rigger2/3 where they had a emulator module that allowed deckers to connect to security rigger setups.

So from a rules standpoint it is understandable that one want to fold those into each other as there was more and more of a overlap of capability of not specific rules. Especially once the matrix became wireless as the norm rather then exception.

I think the merger was inevitable but I still don't like it.  The Rigger and Decker had two very distinct feeling about them (which is why you see a lot of RIgger Hackers now).  The Rigger was the master of the droid army, the Decker was the master of the matrix.
And to some degree that is still the case, as while there is a overlap in skills and programs there is still the cost issue (tho the hacker quickly runs out of goodies to spend nuyen on, unless he starts to dabble in micro-drones for those pesky ultra-secure hardlinks only setups).
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: wraith on <02-28-11/1616:50>
Why, yes. That sure does look like a selection of quote locations. Your point?
The point was that you said you hated it when people took their forum names from SR cannon, yet "Wraith" is a Shadowland poster in Shadowrun cannon from Dragons of the Sixth World and Target: UCAS. I'm sure it's more coincidental than ironic, but there it is.

Indeed, my quite generic forum name was apparently once used by a minor NPC commentator.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: CanRay on <02-28-11/1946:13>
Old Deckers never die...  JackBNimble just backs them up.
Title: Re: What happened to Deckers?
Post by: tbrminsanity on <03-01-11/0851:48>
We had a saying in my military days...

SigOps don't die.  They just go to hell and re-establish comms.