[rednblack]

OOC: I'm more interested in Odysseus Max since Ryo is developing a lot of information on Niles (not that I know that IC), but I don't know if my searching turned up anything. With that said, I think most of my searches have been on the Grid, so I think that I'm a little advanced in the timeline at the moment.

I would probably do a search for posts by anyone with the user name of Niles Gray of Big Daddy to find out interests/hobbies, posting habits, preferred locales, etc. Bookworm is big on synthesizing open source information to try to develop information.

Sorry, I never addressed OM.  Nothing to speak of on the trix about him.  Pretty obviously a code name.

From the previous roll on NIles Gray or Big Daddy: There's a registered user Big_Daddy who posts on Dron3Lif3.net.  He's currently under a ban for violating their ToS, specifically for posting content of a racist and sexist nature.  In some of the flame wars he's taken part in, he's not-so-subtly threatened other users by saying that he "knows a guy" and that he saves his best drones for work that "can't see the sun."  You can't for sure say this is Niles Gray, as his avatar is a lolicon character, and his profile lists "location: in your mom," as his place of residence.  If this guy is a runner, he's in way beyond his depth.

The search on Niles Gray formulates a pretty clear picture.  He's got a handful of social media accounts, which seem updated with some regularity.  It seems he lives for the A&M Drone Club.  A check of their rosters show that he rarely misses official events, and he's placed in the top 3 for rigging competitions twice a year for the last 2 years.  He doesn't post much as far as bars/clubs go, either because he is at least that security conscious, or he may not go out much.  On his school social media profile, he's posted a few memes to Dr. James Billings, PhD's profile.

what else can I tell you?

@Poindexter, some of Hopeless' expertise is indeed lost with the new developments.  On the other hand, this setup could actually be easier for the team, depending on how things shake out.  You can rest assured that going up against Texas Rangers in a firefight is a really bad idea, and a lot more lethal than if schoolsec was going to draw down on you, but the airport is a small one, and not really built with security in mind.  Not only that, but you've got the magical support in your pocket.  There are probably a lot of different ways you guys could go about this successfully. 

[JackVII]

Wow, I totally forgot about one of my three contacts. :facepalm:

I'll post an IC sending a message to Billings. Just need to figure out how to go about it... Bookworm is pretty direct, but not dumb.

[Ryo]

@Ryo, I need Edit File actions for any of the files you'd like to copy.

Their names:
<<Gray, Niles/Complete_Profile/Index/Security Threats on Campus.dox>>
<<Staff Meeting:Restricted/MS/20-4-2075/full-text-audio.sync>>
<<Easterwood.Airport.Blueprints.flx

Well first I'll do Matrix Perception checks to make sure they're not Protected or have Data-Bombs.

File 1: Matrix Perception (Computer 6 + Intuition 4 + Hot-Sim 2): 12d6t5 8 Good lord, I hit my Data limit on 12 dice.

No data bomb, protected file, rating 5.  <<Administrator MARK required>>  Nice roll.  Last update to file was 20-4-2075.  What else can I tell you?

File 2: Matrix Perception (Computer 6 + Intuition 4 + Hot-Sim 2): 12d6t5 4

File created 20-4-2075 at 10:30.  File edited 20-4-2075 at 11:15.  No data bomb, protected file, rating 4

File 3: Matrix Perception (Computer 6 + Intuition 4 + Hot-Sim 2): 12d6t5 8 haha, again. Geez, wish I was saving these rolls for something more important.

No data bomb, file created 3-3-2070.  No file protection.

Archive will copy the blueprints first, since its an unprotected file, then go back for the Niles Gray info.

Edit File is a Data Processing action, so luckily I don't earn OS or trigger any alerts on a failed roll. Even so, this is gonna be a pain in the ass, since I don't have dice advantage with Edit File.

Edit File (Computer 6 + Logic 8 + Hot-Sim 2): 16d6t5 5

Well that was depressingly average. Hope the host gets a below average roll in response.

But in case it doesn't... Edit File (Computer 6 + Logic 8 + Hot-Sim 2 -2 for Trying Again): 14d6t5 7

That's more like it. Nearly hit my Data limit.

EDIT:

Probably lose 2 dice for Trying Again, but the last two dice weren't hits anyway.

EDIT EDIT:

Oh damn it, I have to mark it first, don't I? Can I keep these rolls for after I do that.


EDIT EDIT EDIT:

Free Action: Reconfigure - Data for Sleaze; overclock Sleaze
Free Action: Reconfigure - Toolbox for Exploit

Attack 3
Sleaze 6(7)
Data Processing 4
Firewall 5(6)

Programs: Encryption, Exploit, Virtual Machine [Browse, Baby Monitor]
Overclocking: Sleaze
Hot-Sim: Yes
Running Silent: No

Complex Action: Hack on the Fly Hack on the Fly (Hacking 6 + Logic 8 + Codeslinger 2 + Hot-Sim 2): 18d6t5 6

That's exactly average and the Host could easily beat it on a good roll. Edging that.

Edge Re-roll: Edge Re-roll: 12d6t5 5

11 hits again, capped at 9. After getting the mark he'd spend two Free Actions to reconfigure back to Data Processing 8 for the Edit File tests, then move on to Niles Gray.

[rednblack]

The tourmaline is a struggle to free from the rock face.  It's almost as though Red-eye isn't supposed to be there, but once it comes free, he has no trouble fashioning it to his clipboard.

<<Baby Monitor:14

@Jack, the typos and overall tone seem a little off for dr. B. A Perception or Memory Test might give Bookworm a leg up.

[JackVII]

Memory Test: WIL (6) + LOG (6) + Mnemonic Enhancer (1) + Photographic Memory (2): 15d6t5 4

[rednblack]

Delilah's photographic memory reminds her that some of the diction is familiar, so she's pretty sure it's not somebody else with the commlink.  He might be drunk.  If so, his inhibitions could be down, and it might be worth a shot to try again for some actionable intel.

[Poindexter]

I spose Ian could hit up his talismonger, try to spend some of this advance on a buncha reagents, summon and bind up a couple spirits in preparation for the run. He's also still got a line on a trusted street doc in town if Book needs healing.

[rednblack]

I spose Ian could hit up his talismonger, try to spend some of this advance on a buncha reagents, summon and bind up a couple spirits in preparation for the run. He's also still got a line on a trusted street doc in town if Book needs healing.

You could certainly order some reagents.  They'll need to be shipped from the DFW.  Prices will vary depending on how many reagents and the nature of the shipping, standard, overnight, same-day delivery, etc.  If Hopeless is buying a fairly large amount Standard shipping will be free.

[rednblack]

IC updated with response from Renegade.

@Poindexter, not sure what your plan with Mason Tremens was -- the contact you purchased from Tammy -- but I wanted to remind you about him, since it's been awhile in the real world.

[Poindexter]

No plan. Just figured, "If I'm the face for this run, I'm gonna need to expand my contact base a little bit." Maybe after I whip up some spirits, I call him up and schmooze a bit, see what kinda shit this guy is into. Who knows? Maybe something, maybe nothing. Ian hates schmoozing, but if that's what needs to get done... kinda grasping at straws I feel like though.

[rednblack]

Alright, I need to figure out some rules stuff for Hosts.  So, Patrol IC should be rolling around, doing Matrix Perception tests, and making sure that everything is on the up and up.  I get that Patrol IC should be looking at individual users to make sure they're not hotshot deckers like Red-eye.  So, if Red-eye was running silent, and they got a look at him, then they'd probably go ahead and all in something bigger.  Similarly, if they happened to be using Matrix Perception on Red-eye right after he used Hack on the Fly and checked for last matrix action, that would alert them as well.  On the flipside, if they did same thing, but after Red-eye used Edit File, then nothing would turn up amiss because that's not an illegal action.  Am I right so far?

So, I guess my main question is one of application.  We're dealing with a rating 7 host, meaning it can have 7 IC icons running at any given time.  Say they've got 4 Patrol IC running 24/7, and there's currently 87 users on the A&M grid.  Say they average 3 passes per CT, that means each user would be subject to Matrix Perception every 7 turns or so, unless something fishy piqued their interest.  Now, I guess I could roll 1d7 and have that number be the turn in which Red-eye was the subject of Matrix Perception, and then roll 1d3 to see on which pass of that turn Red-eye was MPed, but how do you guys do it?  I gotta say the temptation to either hand-wave or be punitive is pretty high, and probably what I would end up doing in an around-the-table sort of game. 

ETA: In my above example, IC wouldn't be checking for any silently running icons, so if 1 Patrol IC was spending 1 pass each CT just doing that, that would be checking each user every 8 CTs.

[JackVII]

Just a note, only one type of IC can be running at any given time. So even a Rating 15 Host can only run one Patrol IC at a time.

It's a tough call on how to abstract it. I think if I had to pick a method, I might consider rolling a 2d20 and if the roll was less than the OS of the icon, then the IC would check the persona icon or search for hidden icons, as appropriate. It gives a reason to run silently. The rules just don't work very well right now. As it currently stands, any Admin would be an idiot not to have the Patrol IC check for hidden icons every CT.

I dunno. It isn't perfect, but it's otherwise kind of arbitrary.

[rednblack]

Just a note, only one type of IC can be running at any given time. So even a Rating 15 Host can only run one Patrol IC at a time.

Wow, I completely missed that.  To clarify, you mean only one Patrol IC at a given time, right, not that all IC must be Patrol IC?  So, for our rating 7 Host, they'd have 1 Patrol IC, 1 Tar Baby, 1 Acid, 1 Binder, etc. until we get to 7?

It's a tough call on how to abstract it. I think if I had to pick a method, I might consider rolling a 2d20 and if the roll was less than the OS of the icon, then the IC would check the persona icon or search for hidden icons, as appropriate. It gives a reason to run silently. The rules just don't work very well right now. As it currently stands, any Admin would be an idiot not to have the Patrol IC check for hidden icons every CT.

I dunno. It isn't perfect, but it's otherwise kind of arbitrary.

That makes sense.  I hadn't thought of using Overwatch as a component. 

[Ryo]

Running Silent on a host would actually make it worse, part of the reason why Archive currently ISN'T running silent. There are 87 users on the host, and the Patrol IC has to check each one each pass to see if anyone is up to anything. It's easy to just get lost in the noise of legitimate users, which is the best defense a hacker can have.

But then the Patrol IC checks for Silent Running users, something that requires 1 hit to get a full list, and oh hey, there's only one silent running icon in the host. I wonder if that guy is up to no good? The Patrol IC then devotes all its attention to beating the decker's Logic + Sleaze in order to actually spot him, which isn't hard to do when you're rolling 14+ dice as a rating 7 host.

I really don't like the way Running Silent works by the standard rules. It's only worth doing if you're more than 100 meters away from somebody, or they have no chance of beating your Logic + Sleaze.

But yes, as it stands, the only way they could spot Archive is if they happened to check him the pass after he hacked the file, which would be amazingly bad luck on his part. However you want to handle determining how often he gets checked is up to you.

In the stage prior to the decker doing anything suspicious that would uniquely draw attention, I usually get a digital roller that lets you define any number for the die size, set the die size to the number of users that would be in the host, then assign the decker a number and roll it every pass. If the decker's number comes up, he got checked that pass.

So in this case, say there's 87 users on the host, and Archive is user number 29. Roll a 1d87, and if the result is 29, Archive gets checked.

Using Overwatch as part of it is clever, though.

[rednblack]

But yes, as it stands, the only way they could spot Archive is if they happened to check him the pass after he hacked the file, which would be amazingly bad luck on his part. However you want to handle determining how often he gets checked is up to you.

I rolled some dicey dice.  Archive will not be tapped on his visual shoulder this go-around. 

In the stage prior to the decker doing anything suspicious that would uniquely draw attention, I usually get a digital roller that lets you define any number for the die size, set the die size to the number of users that would be in the host, then assign the decker a number and roll it every pass. If the decker's number comes up, he got checked that pass.

So in this case, say there's 87 users on the host, and Archive is user number 29. Roll a 1d87, and if the result is 29, Archive gets checked.

Using Overwatch as part of it is clever, though.

Yeah, I actually really like the OS component. 

I also like assigning the decker a number, though I think a Patrol IC would also be pretty systematic in that they'd have a list of users and run through the users, maybe giving special priority to icons who have been in the host for an extended period of time, OS score, etc. 

I'm just going to try to keep it pretty random, and we'll see how it shakes out.