[Unahim]

Throughout the Matrix chapter, marks are referred to as sort of setting your access level. At 1 mark you're a registered user, at 3 that's potentially up to Administrator level. One would assume that people operating computer systems inside a facility would have 3 marks for this purpose, generally making them able to operate the system like it was designed without too much hassle. Common uses for this that I can see is the activation of cameras, alarms, opening doors, etc...

So why do I, when I have 3 marks on such a system, need to take Sleaze actions to do such simple things? The system should recognize me as an authorized user and simply comply, should it not? When I order a device to do something it was designed to do, having the correct user privileges, what kind of illegal activity ripples is GOD picking up on? As far as the system knows, all I'm doing is kosher. It can't possibly be letting its actual legitimate users jump through the hoop of rolling Sleaze actions against its Firewall, so why me?

Even more hilarious is the fact that if that system is linked up to a gun turret, I can use the turret to shoot everyone nearby remotely with it being a Data Processing action, because there's a dicepool for it. But don't you dare open a door or eject a clip from a gun! Logic!

[SoulGambit]

To make Matrix combat not boring. Also, the administrator can notice an unauthorized admin account and try to lock it out.

[sylanna]

I don't know if i remember this correctly, but didn't the admin have 4 marks (ownership) on his stuff?

[Unahim]

No, it says the Owner of a device is quite often not the person using it, and only 1 person can own it. Usually the owner is the Corporation that issued their people the gear, not the guy using the gun. Not to mention the fact that people working in shifts pretty much denies the option of them being the "4 mark" owners, since you can only have 1 and logically speaking multiple people will do the same job at different times of the day/week.

And SoulGambit, we're not really talking about Matrix combat at all right here. If I got 3 marks, all the tests and stuff already happened. And as I said, I -can- start using all their remote turrets to shoot stuff up, but I can't open a simple door without hacking. It makes no sense.

Also, you can notice marks on a device, but not whom they belong to. Any device that's used by a great many people (and a security door probably qualifies) would likely have dozens of marks. They'd have to get quite lucky to just happen to first make a Matrix Perception check near the marks, and then notice my marks amidst all the ones there, and then realise they haven't seen those before to boot.

Suppose I get some inside source to use Invite Mark on me three times. Then I -still- have to hack to use the privileges granted to me. It's inane.

[Ryo]

Yeah, this bothered me about marks too. The way the matrix actions work suggest they are an illegal thing hackers do, but the fluff suggests that's how all identification works. So how do legitimate users accomplish anything with all these resistance tests all the time?

The other thing I don't get is that there is no bonus for having more marks than you need. Shouldn't it be easier to do something that needs 1 mark if you have 3?

[Unahim]

Yeah, kinda like how you get higher DV on certain matrix attacks per Mark. It's odd how you get more benefit from them when outright trying to destroy the system than when you're trying to use it.

[shinryu]

so, two things:

you can always use the control device action with your data processing limit instead of sleaze to force a device that you have marks on to do things without invoking sleaze. i'm pretty sure this is how one would accomplish simple tasks that you are authorized to do. for example, invoking simple action (send message) on a host to make them send you a file you can later try to crack seems legit to me.

as far as doing more damage in matrix combat, that also makes sense. it's a lot easier to install malicious code that does real damage to the system with superuser access than it is as a guest user. think of it as being able to rewrite /src instead of only getting to rewrite /users/n00b/src.

[Unahim]

so, two things:

you can always use the control device action with your data processing limit instead of sleaze to force a device that you have marks on to do things without invoking sleaze. i'm pretty sure this is how one would accomplish simple tasks that you are authorized to do. for example, invoking simple action (send message) on a host to make them send you a file you can later try to crack seems legit to me.

as far as doing more damage in matrix combat, that also makes sense. it's a lot easier to install malicious code that does real damage to the system with superuser access than it is as a guest user. think of it as being able to rewrite /src instead of only getting to rewrite /users/n00b/src.

It says you use Sleaze when doing actions that do not have dicepools normally associated with it.

[shinryu]

send message is annotated as a "data processing" action though, so i think that's somewhat ambiguous. but it's pretty stupid if it's intended for you to have to sleaze a send message action when you have marks, agreed, not least because you could never send a message from a device you had marks on without a cyberdeck.

[Unahim]

Maybe Send Message would work, I don't really know. It's used to command Drones to do stuff at least, but this sentence in Command Device:

If there is no test associated with the action you want the device to perform (such as unlocking a maglock or ejecting a clip from a pistol), you must succeed in an Electronic Warfare + Intuition [Sleaze] v. Intuition + Firewall test to perform the action.

Has me in serious doubt, as that'd fall under opening doors and stuff, potentially.

[Cpeerson2000]

hmm maybe the reason you have to hack with 3 marks is because your covering your tracks? For instance your hacking a server with only 4 other 3 mark presences, you get yours to 3. You still have to hack through simple actions so the network/spider doesn't notice the fact that there are 5 three mark presences and flags it? But thats just my take on it.

[Chrona]

hmm maybe the reason you have to hack with 3 marks is because your covering your tracks? For instance your hacking a server with only 4 other 3 mark presences, you get yours to 3. You still have to hack through simple actions so the network/spider doesn't notice the fact that there are 5 three mark presences and flags it? But thats just my take on it.

That would tie in to failing the sleaze alerting them.

[Kincaid]

Without the access codes, marks aren't going to help you Crack File (or other Attack action).  The host assumes that someone with 3 marks also knows the password specific to the file.  Even with 3 marks, when you start brute forcing a file (or a door, or whatever), the host knows you're doing something that you shouldn't be doing.

[Unahim]

So they're having everyone remember and input codes for every single thing, up to and including turning the lights in a room on and off? That seems like an enormous amount of hoop to jump through for Corporation who are stated as "having confidence in their Wireless matrix security."

[Kincaid]

So they're having everyone remember and input codes for every single thing, up to and including turning the lights in a room on and off? That seems like an enormous amount of hoop to jump through for Corporation who are stated as "having confidence in their Wireless matrix security."

I would be surprised if lights in a specific room were encrypted--I don't think many corps would spend their money that way.  The text from Spoof Command makes it clear that having a mark doesn't actually make you an authorized user, it just makes it possible to trick the device/host into thinking you're an authorized user.  Without legitimate passcodes, you're faking it no matter how many marks you generate.  If marks were actually truly authenticating, every decker run would be "Hack on the Fly while outside the host x3, done."