[Gorram_Platypus]

Hey all, I've been running a 5e game for a couple of months now. The combat and roleplay portions tend to move along at a decent rate, but whenever my decker gets to work things tend to slow down to a crawl. I was wondering if you had any tips on how to keep the game moving along during the matrix side of runs. If you have any general tips on pacing, then I'd be glad to hear them too.

[Reiper]

Matrix legwork or matrix while doing the mission?

[Namikaze]

If your decker is slowing things to a crawl during the legwork phase, consider having the decker do legwork while others are doing their legwork.  Doing all the legwork at once allows it to run similarly to combat.  The runner decide what they're going to do, perform the rolls, move to the next runner.

If the decker is slowing things down in combat, make sure you're using the rules correctly.  There's a lot of (in my opinion) subtle differences between older editions and 5th edition's rules that allow deckers to perform much faster in combat.  Using AR instead of VR allows the runner to stay actively engaged as the team moves, while still doing his/her job.  Use their Initiative Pass in the middle of the rest of combat, making sure to keep in mind that if the decker's in VR he/she might not be aware of what's going on in the meat world.

[Kincaid]

This takes a fair amount of pre-planning, but chart out the expected decision tree beforehand so you know exactly what to roll and when--in my experience, the biggest drag on time with Matrix stuff (and vehicle chase stuff) is people flipping through the book to find a rule they've never actually used before.  Ideally, your player will have the dice pools for his most common Matrix actions in an easy-to-reference format.  This is a pretty involved example (the file is data bombed and encrypted, but it's the door to a secret lab, so I figured I'd go all out.  That's how MCT rolls).

1. Grid Hop to MCT: Hacking + Logic [Sleaze] vs. 6
2. Get a mark on the host: Hacking + Logic [Sleaze] vs. 12
3. Enter the host.
4. Matrix Search to find the secret lab's security door file: Computer + Intuition [DP], Extended Test (6, 1 minute)
5. Matrix Perception to find Data Bomb: Computer + Intuition [DP] vs. 9
6. Disarm the Data Bomb: Software + Intuition [Firewall] vs. 6
7. Get a mark(s) on file: Hacking + Logic [Sleaze] vs. 12
8. Crack the File: Hacking + Logic [Attack] vs. 8
9. Spoof Command (Open Sesame): Hacking + Intuition [Sleaze] vs. 13

Just having the totals in front of you should speed things up and allow you to give some more descriptive/narrative flavor of the host.

[Superman]

with Matrix stuff (and vehicle chase stuff) is people flipping through the book to find a rule they've never actually used before.

This is exactly the problem. GM playtest and practice combat & magic to be fluid but they don't touch to the matrix and rigging. In my opinion this is a huge mistake because they are ignoring 50% of the game right here. GM should be prepared for this. For example, you prepare the strike team against the players but didn't think about :

1. How the strike team protect themselves from decker. Just saying they have everything offline is ignoring the entire matrix section and go against the 2074 mentality and doesn't make sens because they can't communicate and use tactic with each other.
2. What are the stats, deck and program of the defending decker. Finding this info at the last minute will waste a lot of time.
3. Same for rigger, drone, etc.
4. Have a protocol of what they will do. For example after first alert this will happen, then this and this. So as a GM you don't have to waste time trying to figure out what is the next step because it's written in front of you. Do something that make sens and follow it. One big mistake of new GM is to just throw everything at the same time without really thinking because it's only meat for bullet. For example, the knight errant arriving into the combat on round 5. WTF after 15 sec....they must be teleporting or the group is freaking blind.

To return to Matrix ...
The reality is that 80 % of the time it will be Matrix, communications, negotiation, espionage. Only 20% will be the actual combat. Why spending 80 % of your time on 20% of the run instead of the opposite ? 

At the end of the day, if you don't practice you won't make it and you will say F...it we don't use decker and rigger. FAIL ! Better play another game if it is your way of thinking.

BTW, asking question here is a perfect example of a good GM who want to make is game way better. Continue your good work and your homework, the players will love it !

[Michael Chandra]

Microtransceivers and hand gestures allow going dark. Having people use commlinks makes them not all depend on the deck. Vehicles don't necessarily need to be online either.

In fact I'm putting together a PR4 and PR5 SWAT team, and the PR4 team has multiple tactics for going dark, with hand gestures and microtransceivers as their two primary options.

And a GM should indeed write down default intel for a HTR team, with protocol. Added bonus: Players can roll knowledge skills to figure out the playbook.

With the Matrix this translates to having the thresholds and dicepools written down in advance, having a table of each action what is rolled against what, and default security protocols + IC order written down.