Category: The Sprawl: Discussion

Some more of those diagrams for computer systems

I’ve had a couple of attempts at making plans of how an arcology and a factory might look from a Hacker viewpoint.

I’m finding this game has the easiest setup for a GM/MC. It’s just a case of picking a mission, adding a few names and letting the players do the heavy lifting. Just about every MC move is just reacting to the players ideas and throwing the odd wrench into their plans. 

The toughest part of building the setting is asking the players what sort of style they are looking for and picking up on the names of Corporations that they throw up. Making sure you get their Directives noted so that you can use those to work the game into various twists is only slightly harder. The game nearly runs itself with the MC mostly responding to the players and upping the stakes by moving clocks. 

It probably wouldn’t suit a GM that isn’t very comfortable with generating things on the fly though. Anyone not comfortable without a full and detailed scenario listing covering every possibility might have issues.

I’d like to get one of Clive Sinclair’s Black Watches to do the countdown clock thing as The Sprawl clocks remind me of Sir Clive’s failed experiment

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Watch_%28wristwatch%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Watch_%28wristwatch%29

I’m posting this here rather than directly to Hamish as I thought it deserves some extra discussion.

When adding Control Systems as a piece of cyberware (either using Chromed or for an Expert Splicer or Pusher) the text says (p104 p99 p85) you can take Second Skin as an advance. Second skin options (p58) seem to apply only to a vehicle whereas Control System (p104) mentions weapon, recording device, or hacked electronic system. Those devices need something to replace a vehicles Power, Looks or Weakness or SS needs a rewrite.

So a rewrite or some alternative for using SS with things other than a vehicle. What would your suggestions be?

Having a good look through the rules concerning Hacking and ICE before I decide how to proceed once I get enough Exp for an advance and to help my Hacker buddy with game information..

Both Red and Black ICE have an option to cause Harm 2 by damaging a ‘decks Processor and Black ICE has a tag of AP against an outcome marked as physical response. 

Presuming that a jacked in intruder is wearing armour I could follow how Harm 1 +AP might be helpful in incapacitating them so that’s straightforward enough but the other instances of Harm 2 occurring in damaging the Processor seems to be at odds with the outcomes listed under Harm in the Moves section. It occurs to me that the +AP tag might relate to the Hardened Rating of a Cyberdeck allowing the MC to blow through Hardened decks without allowing the use of a Harden point spend.

Now Jack Out states that you use it when you or your equipment is about to be damaged, so I guess when an ICE outcome of Harm 2 by damaging the Processor occurs the cyber jockey can use Jack Out to avoid that Harm. Does the Harm occur to the cyber jockey or the Processor. The Processor has no Harm clock so if that takes damage presumably the Processor Rating is reduced by the Harm amount.

The +encrypted tag on an S&I D implant forces the MC to subvert the encryption before hacking the device so I guess the MC needs to use Compromise Security before using the ICE move Corrupt Program to ‘break’ the interface.

Put together a quick character sheet for our game that is starting tonight as I couldn’t find one on-line.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mxTnVq1SYotrqL4ipZIGHExf17KlE-ygcW4Aw_ycBUc/edit?usp=sharing

It’s got space for just about everything. I wrote my background and Directives in the Look section but I might have toalter that as he Directives can change over time. Might put them where I have the Experience and Cred data. I might also need more space for Moves and Gear but we’ll see once the game starts.

OK I’m about to start playing in a game run by one of the KS backers and have some questions.

Gas grenades – Hand area in Tech Playbook, Near area in Gear. Which is  it? I guess Near but…

Does the +2 to Processor from Efficiency Routines do anything other than allow two extra programs to be run. Does the value of Efficiency Routines allow you to switch points into other Ratings i.e. can you make Processor rating 1 and use Tech: Expert Breadboarder to get two programs and run one as Efficiency Routines to get another two programs running (total 3) on effectively a Rating 1 processor.

Can cyberdecks have a value of 0 for some ratings i.e. can Hardening or Firewall be zero and points allocated to other ratings not to exceed the max (2 normally)

Does the ‘You may take the Hacker move Jack in as an advance’ in Tech Playbook p99 override the list in Advancing p137 where other Playbook is advance option 4 and 5 i.e does Jack In only get picked after three previous advances for a Tech?