[Adder]

1. Is there an additional advantage to directly connecting to a device besides the lack of noise/grid modifiers?

Once you're directly connected to a device that is slaved to a host, you have full access to the host.  Therefore, it makes sense to have only the devices that can be secured against physical intrusion slaved to the host.  The rest would just be on the grid, and report to the host (without actually being slaved).  Being unslaved to the host means the devices are more susceptible to wireless hacking, because they will likely have smaller defensive dice pools, but it's a small price to pay for host integrity.

I actually (finally) found the ruling I was looking for: " If a slaved device is under attack via a direct connection (as through a universal data connector), however, it cannot use its master’s ratings to defend itself."

That's what I actually meant, but you might not have realized that from the vague way I worded my question.

Specifically, if you succeed on Attack action or fail on a Sleaze action, you immediately notify the owner of the thing you were trying to hack that someone's trying to hack him.

Thank you, that's what I was looking for.

[Adder]

Can you use the public grid with a commlink that has no SIN set?

[8-bit]

It starts the timer and increments your score. It does not alert the demiGOD that an illegal attempt has happened.

I think that's the part that I'm a bit confused about. Does this mean that whenever someone fails an illegal action in a host the demiGOD is "alerted"? Does that have any rules impact or is that just up to the GM to implement the followup? And grid hopping would not trigger whatever that action normally would be.

Okay. There are two types of Illegal Actions, at least as defined by the Matrix. Attack and Sleaze Actions. Whenever someone succeeds at an Attack action, the device's firewall notifies it's owner and any nearby authorities (the Host, the local demiGOD, or even GOD itself if that is what's appropriate) that an attack has happened. This doesn't mean you are instantly spotted, just that they know they are under attack. The effort in attacking the device also creates ripples, which the demiGOD is looking for (it's always looking for it, they are trying to constantly monitor and boot out hackers). Whenever someone fails a Sleaze action, the device they failed to hack gets a Mark on them, and the owner is instantly aware that they were being attacked. The effort in trying to subtly hack the device also creates ripples, which the demiGOD is looking for.

The specific part about not notifying anyone comes from the following descriptions.

Brute Force
(Complex Action)
Marks Required: none
Test: Cybercombat + Logic [Attack] v. Willpower + Firewall
You can use this action to mark a target without obtaining the normal permissions you need. This is the action for hackers emphasizing their Attack over their Sleaze, making it related to Hack on the Fly.

If you succeed in this action, you place one mark on it. You can have up to a maximum of three marks per icon. If you wish, you may also inflict 1 DV of Matrix damage to the target for every two full net hits, if the target can take Matrix damage, which is resisted with the target’s Device Rating + Firewall.

Before rolling, you can declare that you are trying to place more than one mark. If you try for two marks in one shot, you take a –4 dice pool penalty on the attempt. If you try for three marks in a single swipe, you take a –10 dice pool penalty.

You can also use this action to hop to a grid for which you don’t have legitimate access. The defense dice pool in this case is 4 dice for a local grid or 6 dice for a global grid. If you succeed, instead of putting a mark on the grid, you hop to that grid immediately. Using Brute Force to hop grids successfully doesn’t alert the grid or its demiGOD the way most successful Attack actions do.

That last paragraph means that if you succeed when using Brute Force on a grid only, you won't alert the grid owners or the grid's demiGOD.

HACK ON THE FLY
(Complex Action)
Marks Required: none
Test: Hacking + Logic [Sleaze] v. Intuition + Firewall
You can use this action to mark a target without getting the normal permissions. This is the action for hackers emphasizing their Sleaze over their Attack, making it an analog to Brute Force.

When targeting an icon, you put one mark on it, up to a maximum of three marks per icon. Additionally, every two full net hits counts as one hit on a Matrix Perception Test, so you can get some info along with your mark.

Before rolling, you can declare that you are trying for more than one mark. If you try for two marks in one shot, you take a –4 dice pool penalty on the attempt. If you try for three marks in one go, you take a –10 dice pool penalty.

You can also use this action to hop to a grid for which you don’t have legitimate access. The defense dice pool in this case is 4 dice for a local grid or 6 dice for a global grid. If you succeed, instead of putting a mark on the grid, you hop to that grid immediately. Using Hack on the Fly to hop grids unsuccessfully doesn’t alert the grid or its demiGOD the way most unsuccessful Sleaze actions do.

If you fail a Hack on the Fly against a grid only, then you won't get a Mark on your device, alert the grid owners, or the grid's demiGOD.

Can you use the public grid with a commlink that has no SIN set?

Yes.

[Adder]

Thank you for the thorough response (with citations!) 8-bit!

[bogert]

Could you give an example of "hacking a grid"?  Grid Hop requires zero marks, so there's no risk of failing a Hack on the Fly roll prior to rolling Grid Hop.

8-bit covered this pretty well, but if you use Brute Force or Hack On The Fly on a grid to gain access illicitly, those are Attack and Sleaze actions respectively.

You can't use Grid Hop to jump to a grid you don't have permission to be on.

[Kincaid]

Could you give an example of "hacking a grid"?  Grid Hop requires zero marks, so there's no risk of failing a Hack on the Fly roll prior to rolling Grid Hop.

8-bit covered this pretty well, but if you use Brute Force or Hack On The Fly on a grid to gain access illicitly, those are Attack and Sleaze actions respectively.

You can't use Grid Hop to jump to a grid you don't have permission to be on.

I should have been clearer: I was talking about using Hack on the Fly to hop grids, not the Grid Hop action.  At my table we just say I'm hopping a grid and then roll Hack on the Fly--I don't think anyone has ever legally performed a Grid Hop action.

[Adder]

Is it possible to turn wireless completely off on a non-throwback device (e.g. a gun)?

[8-bit]

Is it possible to turn wireless completely off on a non-throwback device (e.g. a gun)?

Yes, it is.

Turning It Off
Toggling an individual device’s wireless functionality off is a Free Action, as is toggling all of your wireless devices to “wireless off.” You lose wireless bonuses, but the items can no longer be wirelessly hacked. Otherwise, you can rely on your team’s hacker to provide wireless defense to your personal area network and get the best of both worlds, keeping your wireless bonuses on while maintaining a defense from the digital world.

[Adder]

Regarding the universal data connector port that virtually all devices have, the rulebook states that it needs to be "easily accessible". Does that mean insecure?

For example, let's take a cop car. Would the UDC port be someplace like under the dashboard where you would need to unlock the door to get to it? Or would it be someplace on the exterior (under the car, the trunk, under the hood)?

How about a door? The book has an example of a decker going up to a door on the exterior of a building and directly connecting to it. This seems odd. Why wouldn't the UDC at least face inward?

[Jack_Spade]

Probably because one of the contractors was crap at his job. It happens 

[Namikaze]

3. The rules state that you add to the overwatch score every 15 minutes.

Is it intentionally supposed to be exactly 15 minutes, or is that just a guideline? For example, if a player starts a stopwatch before they begin their first illegal action and expect to finish their work before 15 minutes are up, can they rely on that? I was wondering whether a house rule of 5 + 3d6 (that will average 15.5 minutes) makes sense or whether the game designers intentionally wanted it to be exactly 15 minutes.

It's every 15 minutes on the dot, plus every time the person makes an illegal action on a grid.  House rules are always good though, and I think your house rule is reasonable.  It certainly keeps the decker on their toes.

4. Should it generally be assumed that most people's weapons are matrix-enabled? Or running "loud"?

This depends on your table.  At my table, unless my players explicitly tell me their items are silently running, I assume they're "loud."  Before we do anything with a run, I always ask my players to tell me what gear they have, where they have it, whether or not it's wireless, whether or not it's hidden, and what their PAN configuration(s) look like.  That usually pretty well clears up any issues with gear before we have them.  None of this "Oh yeah, I brought that grenade that normally stays at home!" stuff.

[Darzil]

Regarding the universal data connector port that virtually all devices have, the rulebook states that it needs to be "easily accessible". Does that mean insecure

In a word, yes.

I don't know the Shadowrun history of it, but it's the logical extension of the current security services wanting backdoors in all computer and telephony equipment and networks. In the sixth world, as in ours, that is also opening backdoors for any other hackers. It is a dystopian world view, after all.

The charitable way of looking at it is that perfect security is rarely a good plan in most circumstances. If you cannot get in from outside, and something happens to those inside, you actually want to be able to get in to help them!

[8-bit]

The charitable way of looking at it is that perfect security is rarely a good plan in most circumstances. If you cannot get in from outside, and something happens to those inside, you actually want to be able to get in to help them!

That's probably even more reinforced after the whole Renraku Arcology incident.

[Adder]

10. You normally get a -2 penalty for trying to target something on another grid.

If you're trying to brute force or hack on the fly to grid hop, does that -2 penalty still apply? Since your target IS another grid?

11. If you're inside a building that 'is" a host, but you're just a random guest walking through, is your commlink distinguishable from the host? i.e. Can you be targeted separately?

12. What counts as an "Attack" or "Sleaze" matrix action? Any action that has either one as a limit?

13. Convergence reboots your persona. Technomancers cannot be rebooted except by themselves. Does this means convergence dumps them into AR mode but doesn't reboot them (i.e. they retain GOD score and marks)?

[Adder]

14. Let's say I want to hack into someone's commlink and find and copy a file onto my deck. What actions do I need to do?

Start with Hack on the Fly to mark the commlink. Now I want to find the file (one of the many on his device). What action is that? Then after I find the file, I need to... put a mark on the file and use Edit File to "copy" it?

15. Technomancer question. If you have threaded a sustained complex form (e.g. diffusion of an attribute) and want to do it again, do you have to rethread?

16. If you are sustaining a Diffusion of Firewall on a target for -1, then do the Diffusion again for -2, do they override each other? Or stack? Do you have to maintain focus (-2 per sustained form) for both?

17. For noise penalties that are situational (spam and static zones), does this apply to you, the target, or both being that zone? For example, if I was in a neutral zone (no special modifiers) but my target was 99m away in the city downtown (-1 noise), do I suffer a -1 penalty when interacting with them? How about vice versa?

18. Since the primary use of "level" in Complex Forms affects the limit and the fade damage, can you conceivably "bypass" this by threading a form at Level 1 and using Edge to "Push the Limit" and remove the limit? This would lead to a full power form with no limit and only one potential damage. Of course this is limited by your Edge, but I wanted to confirm this is not exploitative or an undesired combo by the designers.