The Ends v4.01

[Lokathor]

One rigger per drone kinda shits on the point of riggers (one person, lots of guns). In corporate terms, riggers are skilled labor and earn a lot more than security guards, so you've either got a bunch of mook riggers with shitty skills or you've got a really expensive security force and need to justify it.

Well the easiest justification is that an off the shelf Doberman is 3k, comes with 6 Armor (vehicle armor! gets the hardening rules!), and you throw a rigger with basic training in there and they'll shoot an LMG with 3 IP, and the user doesn't even die if the drone gets shot up. Compared to Wired Reflexes 2 costing the corp 32k, and the guard dies at the end a lot of the time, you're getting a good savings already.

Attackers thus have to ask if they just crash one drone (which is easier and prevents it from firing on your mates but severs the connection) or use it as a relay point while still allowing it to shoot you.

Everything I understand about how EotM works leads me to believe that once a standard Network is Crashed it's still Connected to everything it was before, still full of files to steal, just totally unable to resist anything. Only Sprites go *poof* into nothingness. So if you Connect to D, which is connected to R, and then crash out D, you can still Close Range become connected to R once that's done.

I wanted to object to Lokathor about adding a Pilot rating, by using this segment ... But I realized that "new drone" could be read as "the device that will soon be a drone" instead of "The new version of that drone"

Yeah you stick Pilot 1 onto a Commlink for 1k each.

Would allowing Drones and Vehicles with a starting Pilot (i.e. those that started with one and not those that later acquired one) to have their own CM break the game?

First you put Pilot rating into your Commlink, and then you put a dozen of them in your backpack and hack through them. If having a Pilot stat on a device gives it a unique Icon Track separate from the Network it's subsumed within, suddenly you do that and they have to kill you twelve times to get you to go away. But as soon as one of them goes out you reboot it, and while they're crashing the next one the first one is rebooting, and you keep them on rotation and now you're unhackable. Worse, you're unhackable because of your bank account having a fat stack of cash in it (which was a thing EotM explicitly wanted to avoid).

So you need to stick to 1 Network = 1 Icon Track, and all subsumed devices within just not being anything. They can maybe take actions (like IC taking an action, and a Drone getting its 2IP when it's autonomous), but making them each their own track is probably a bad plan, because it gets out hand fast, since a commlink is so small and all that.

[Trill]

Well the easiest justification is that an off the shelf Doberman is 3k, comes with 6 Armor (vehicle armor! gets the hardening rules!), and you throw a rigger with basic training in there and they'll shoot an LMG with 3 IP, and the user doesn't even die if the drone gets shot up. Compared to Wired Reflexes 2 costing the corp 32k, and the guard dies at the end a lot of the time, you're getting a good savings already.

1) this only really applies to one drone, since only the one that's jumped in gets the skills of the rigger. All others get autosofts, and for them it doesn't matter if the rigger has Gunnery 7 or Gunnery 0.
2) the bigger problem seems to be the price. either of Ware or of Drones, and drones were more costly once so if you should change one of them it should be the drones. if the Doberman cost 30k it would be far closer to the Ware.

Everything I understand about how EotM works leads me to believe that once a standard Network is Crashed it's still Connected to everything it was before, still full of files to steal, just totally unable to resist anything. Only Sprites go *poof* into nothingness. So if you Connect to D, which is connected to R, and then crash out D, you can still Close Range become connected to R once that's done.

That's certainly true for Servers (because they don't need any processing power). If you crash a server the wired connections are still there, but the central computer that allows/prevents access is down.
But with drones all the Connections have to be sent wirelessly. And if the drone is crashed then that should also not be there.
But even without that, there's the problem of what Crashed means.

When a network's condition monitor is
filled, the network and all of the devices on it are incapable of taking Matrix actions and their
System and Firewall ratings are considered zero.

Toggle VR/AR
Establish/Terminate Connection
Send Information
Close Range

The entire Network of the Rigger is crashed. Establishing a Connection through the Drones is Close Range (a matrix action, so not available). You can't take data since that would fall under Send Information (a matrix action). Even if the Drones had any interesting info you couldn't even interact with them since that would fall under Establish/Terminate Connection. And if you wanted to get information by reading it out of their hard drive you could just use Reveal Contents and get it that way without needing to crash the drones.

First you put Pilot rating into your Commlink, and then you put a dozen of them in your backpack and hack through them. If having a Pilot stat on a device gives it a unique Icon Track separate from the Network it's subsumed within, suddenly you do that and they have to kill you twelve times to get you to go away. But as soon as one of them goes out you reboot it, and while they're crashing the next one the first one is rebooting, and you keep them on rotation and now you're unhackable. Worse, you're unhackable because of your bank account having a fat stack of cash in it (which was a thing EotM explicitly wanted to avoid).

So you need to stick to 1 Network = 1 Icon Track, and all subsumed devices within just not being anything. They can maybe take actions (like IC taking an action, and a Drone getting its 2IP when it's autonomous), but making them each their own track is probably a bad plan, because it gets out hand fast, since a commlink is so small and all that.

Which is exactly why I said that only devices that started with a Pilot Rating (i.e. Drones and Vehicles but not Commlinks) would get a separate CM. If you are in your car and have it in your network and someone crashes your commlink it means that your car continues driving without you being able to go into VR with it. Sure if you were driving being Jumped In and your commlink crashed it might take a IP to give control to the Pilot again. But after that it would drive on its own

[Kaelik]

The basic question I'd have to ask is thus: Would allowing Drones and Vehicles with a starting Pilot (i.e. those that started with one and not those that later acquired one) to have their own CM break the game?

What do you mean by "CM"

I think it's fine to be ABLE to have each drone be it's own device on it's own network. I just don't think it's good to allow Each of the to resist hacking better than any other undefended network.

If a swarm of drones attacks you, there are two options that make sense:

1) The hacker takes out one a round.
2) The hacker spends several rounds taking out the opposing Rigger and takes them all out.

The version where drones that are their own separate network resist with Pilot + Firewall to everything that empty networks with ICs get only Firewall is a bad system, because then the swarm of drones comes, and the hackers action is to spend several IP taking out one single drone in the swarm.

But even without that, there's the problem of what Crashed means.

When a network's condition monitor is
filled, the network and all of the devices on it are incapable of taking Matrix actions and their
System and Firewall ratings are considered zero.

Toggle VR/AR
Establish/Terminate Connection
Send Information
Close Range

The entire Network of the Rigger is crashed. Establishing a Connection through the Drones is Close Range (a matrix action, so not available). You can't take data since that would fall under Send Information (a matrix action). Even if the Drones had any interesting info you couldn't even interact with them since that would fall under Establish/Terminate Connection. And if you wanted to get information by reading it out of their hard drive you could just use Reveal Contents and get it that way without needing to crash the drones.

The crashed network can't take Matrix Actions, but non crashed networks can take whatever actions they want on the crashed network.

So you can still establish or terminate your connection to the crashed network, you can still close range with a crashed network. Also, you can get information from it, because "send information" isn't a matrix action description of "data moving from one location to another" it's a matrix action where you designate information to be sent as a free action. The crashed network can't designate information that way, but other people can still use their actions on their non crashed networks to obtain information from the server.

"Send Information
Systems send information back and forth continuously in massive amounts. To tag specific information as worthy of being sent, one merely selects it for that purpose as a Free Action."

It is explicitly saying that sending information back and forth continuously in massive amounts is NOT the matrix action "Send Information."

[Trill]

The basic question I'd have to ask is thus: Would allowing Drones and Vehicles with a starting Pilot (i.e. those that started with one and not those that later acquired one) to have their own CM break the game?

What do you mean by "CM"

I think it's fine to be ABLE to have each drone be it's own device on it's own network. I just don't think it's good to allow Each of the to resist hacking better than any other undefended network.

If a swarm of drones attacks you, there are two options that make sense:

1) The hacker takes out one a round.
2) The hacker spends several rounds taking out the opposing Rigger and takes them all out.

Matrix CM.
But yeah, those are the ones you'd think there should be. But by the current rules the first doesn't actually exist. Because if you take a drone out you take ALL drones out.

The version where drones that are their own separate network resist with Pilot + Firewall to everything that empty networks with ICs get only Firewall is a bad system, because then the swarm of drones comes, and the hackers action is to spend several IP taking out one single drone in the swarm.

sure, drones not in a network should have less protection than the ones that are in one.

The crashed network can't take Matrix Actions, but non crashed networks can take whatever actions they want on the crashed network.

So you can still establish or terminate your connection to the crashed network, you can still close range with a crashed network. Also, you can get information from it, because "send information" isn't a matrix action description of "data moving from one location to another" it's a matrix action where you designate information to be sent as a free action. The crashed network can't designate information that way, but other people can still use their actions on their non crashed networks to obtain information from the server.

"Send Information
Systems send information back and forth continuously in massive amounts. To tag specific information as worthy of being sent, one merely selects it for that purpose as a Free Action."

It is explicitly saying that sending information back and forth continuously in massive amounts is NOT the matrix action "Send Information."

Sure, but even then: I'm not sure if the Connections between them even exist since the target network is crashed.
Basically: AFAIU crashed devices are crashed in the sense that they are down, like shutting them down. And I'm not sure if a shut down device should be able to respond to a Connection request

[Kaelik]

Matrix CM.

HEY DUMBASS! THIS DOESN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION IN ANY WAY! WHAT IS A CM? WHAT DOES CM STAND FOR WHEN YOU SAY IT? WRITE OUT THE WORDS.

But yeah, those are the ones you'd think there should be. But by the current rules the first doesn't actually exist. Because if you take a drone out you take ALL drones out.

No, you can absolutely run your drones as not part of your network as really stupid bots that have to take a round to dither acquiring targets, and then start shooting. And they can just be their own network with their own firewall stat.

If you do that, a hacker can take out one a round pretty easily though.

Sure, but even then: I'm not sure if the Connections between them even exist since the target network is crashed.
Basically: AFAIU crashed devices are crashed in the sense that they are down, like shutting them down. And I'm not sure if a shut down device should be able to respond to a Connection request

No, that's not part of the rules. When a network is crashed, none of the devices are shut down. If you crash a network, the network can't take matrix actions, that is all. For Drones, that means they can't shoot you, because shooting you with a drone, whether VR, AR, or drone acting on it's own, is a Matrix action (probably) but having a connection made to you is not a matrix action, receiving a command is not a matrix action, and continuing to be powered is not a matrix action. If you crash the network of your toaster, it still makes toast. If you crash the network of a drone, your connection stays open to it, and you can now freely use master control to take full control and then give it new commands which it will implement once it has been rebooted. You could crash a network and then taxman it 500 times to get any information you want.

[Trill]

HEY DUMBASS! THIS DOESN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION IN ANY WAY! WHAT IS A CM? WHAT DOES CM STAND FOR WHEN YOU SAY IT? WRITE OUT THE WORDS.

Condition Monitor. What else would it stand for? Cute Male? Connection Minimizer? Caecum Moderator? Complete Monopoly? Caelik Maddener?

No, you can absolutely run your drones as not part of your network as really stupid bots that have to take a round to dither acquiring targets, and then start shooting. And they can just be their own network with their own firewall stat.

If you do that, a hacker can take out one a round pretty easily though.

That's a different situation though. The rigger is going to put the drones on his network, because without it it's hilariously easy to take em out. And it means that you can't actually trace the rigger through his drones.
I want players that oppose Riggers to say "Hmm, how do I deal with this? I could take one of his drones out and momentarily stop him from using that one, I can pull it out of the Rigger network to take over, or I could connect to it, through that to the rigger and disable him."

No, that's not part of the rules. When a network is crashed, none of the devices are shut down. If you crash a network, the network can't take matrix actions, that is all. For Drones, that means they can't shoot you, because shooting you with a drone, whether VR, AR, or drone acting on it's own, is a Matrix action (probably) but having a connection made to you is not a matrix action, receiving a command is not a matrix action, and continuing to be powered is not a matrix action. If you crash the network of your toaster, it still makes toast. If you crash the network of a drone, your connection stays open to it, and you can now freely use master control to take full control and then give it new commands which it will implement once it has been rebooted. You could crash a network and then taxman it 500 times to get any information you want.

Which seems pretty stupid. If I, who has potentially wired access to the device can't make it process a command, why should anyone else?
Crashed as "It only takes commands from anyone but you" is stupid. It should be "It takes no commands from anyone."

[Kaelik]

That's a different situation though. The rigger is going to put the drones on his network, because without it it's hilariously easy to take em out. And it means that you can't actually trace the rigger through his drones.
I want players that oppose Riggers to say "Hmm, how do I deal with this? I could take one of his drones out and momentarily stop him from using that one, I can pull it out of the Rigger network to take over, or I could connect to it, through that to the rigger and disable him."

You can do literally all of those things. You can attack the rigger's network or the rigger directly with crash or Blackhammer, you can take over the drone with Impersonate or you can take out the drone with Ostraka. You could also Crash the drone's Pilot Program.

These are all things you can already do.

Which seems pretty stupid. If I, who has potentially wired access to the device can't make it process a command, why should anyone else?
Crashed as "It only takes commands from anyone but you" is stupid. It should be "It takes no commands from anyone."

You can't send commands because your network crashed. If your network didn't crash, you could send commands. This isn't hard. If you keep a drone off of your network, and then someone crashes it, both you can he can send commands. If you keep a drone on your network, and they crash your network instead of the Drone's Pilot program, then they didn't crash the drone at all, they crashed YOUR NETWORK so the drone that wasn't crashed can take commands from them, and your OS is down so you can't send commands.

[Trill]

You can do literally all of those things. You can attack the rigger's network or the rigger directly with crash or Blackhammer

Only if you connect to a drone that is also connected to the rigger, if it is in his network or if you have Handshake range to the rigger body.

, you can take over the drone with Impersonate or you can take out the drone with Ostraka.

Sure

You could also Crash the drone's Pilot Program.

Which, if it is in the rigger's network, means crashing the rigger's network.

You can't send commands because your network crashed. If your network didn't crash, you could send commands. This isn't hard.

Gee smartass, I know that already. I'm saying that's stupid. What differs between me sending commands and them sending commands?

If you keep a drone on your network, and they crash your network instead of the Drone's Pilot program, then they didn't crash the drone at all, they crashed YOUR NETWORK so the drone that wasn't crashed can take commands from them

Wrong. If it is on your network it shares your Icon Track (here, I write it so you can understand what I say), which means that if you crash, it crashes as well

[Kaelik]

Only if you connect to a drone that is also connected to the rigger, if it is in his network or if you have Handshake range to the rigger body.

If the drone is connected to his network, then connecting to the drone IS connecting to his network. Because you can only connect to networks. If you are in handshake range of his Drone, you are in handshake range of his network.

You could also Crash the drone's Pilot Program.

Which, if it is in the rigger's network, means crashing the rigger's network.

No, You are targetting crash on "an Icon" Programs are their own separate icons from the Network they run on:

Program Icons
An armor program might appear as literal armor or as a horde of weasels which devour incoming attacks, but there is always a tangible representative of any program's activities in the Matrix. Sustained programming does not have condition tracks, but instead merely has the number of hits made when putting them up in the first place. Should that total be zero (or reduced to zero), the program fades away and the icon is destroyed.

This is right above the part about network Icons, which are a different thing. You target the Program [Pilot X] with crash, and if you crash it, then the drone can't Pilot because the Pilot program turns off.

Program Icons have their hits reduced by the net hits of the crash attack.

Gee smartass, I know that already. I'm saying that's stupid. What differs between me sending commands and them sending commands?

Their OS is working. Yours isn't.

If you keep a drone on your network, and they crash your network instead of the Drone's Pilot program, then they didn't crash the drone at all, they crashed YOUR NETWORK so the drone that wasn't crashed can take commands from them

Wrong. If it is on your network it shares your Icon Track (here, I write it so you can understand what I say), which means that if you crash, it crashes as well

That it "shares your icon track" doesn't matter. Because when an icon track is depleted, the devices don't suddenly all lose power and have their circuit boards fried. The OS is offline and has to be rebooted. While the OS is offline, all the distributed devices are still on and still receiving signals, it's just that the OS isn't sending them.

[Lokathor]

This is why I avoid the term that a Device is "connected to" a Network.

It would be better if Connection was reserved only for the special high-capacity link that can form between two Networks, and then a device being in a Network or not was some other term.

The gun is joined with your network
The gun is subsumed into your network
The gun is part of your network.

Whatever term, the bikeshed can go on a long time with that I bet.

[erik]

HEY DUMBASS! THIS DOESN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION IN ANY WAY! WHAT IS A CM?

Condition Monitor. What else would it stand for? Cute Male? Connection Minimizer? Caecum Moderator? Complete Monopoly? Caelik Maddener?

My best guess was Counter Measure. Control Module was runner up.

[Lokathor]

In fairness, the phrase "condition monitor" is an official term that's supported by the text.

Icons do not keep track of physical and stun damage separately. Instead there is just a single condition monitor which represents the health of the entire network.

EDIT:

A frekkin glossary (marked as "made up by me, don't blame Frank") has been added.

https://thegamingden.github.io/the-ends-of-the-matrix/crunch/dicepools_and_glossary.html#glossary

Maybe we can clear some stuff up eventually if we work on this and other parts.

[Trill]

Icon: An Icon, in AR or VR, is the sensory representation of something happening within the Matrix. Even if you see an Icon, understanding precisely what the Icon actually represents usually requires a Matrix Perception check.

Wait a second. Doesn't that mean we have the same problem as in 4e and 5e, that every icon has to be checked individually to see what it actually is?

[Lokathor]

No because that's just a glossary, and the full rules are still that a single check lets you get info or not on every single Icon in sight at once of course.

[Mord]

This is why I avoid the term that a Device is "connected to" a Network.

It would be better if Connection was reserved only for the special high-capacity link that can form between two Networks, and then a device being in a Network or not was some other term.

The gun is joined with your network
The gun is subsumed into your network
The gun is part of your network.

Whatever term, the bikeshed can go on a long time with that I bet.

Anyone coming at this from an IRL perspective rather than from deep within the asshole of Shadowrun is going to think of "connection" as the basic verb that describes the establishing of communication between a device and a network.

If there's some fancy high-powered thing that two networks who love each other very much can do, that should be the action/property that has to find a new name. "Bridging" comes to mind.

[Trill]

Anyway, for a different topic:
How do public swimming pools work with EotM?
Because the human brain only has a Signal of 0 and thus a reach of 3m.

Does everyone carry their commlink with them? I'm not sure if all of them are waterproof, and if not then you'd have to carry them around in a watertight container.
Are they connected to a Receiver module that allows them to communicate with their owner?
Or do people in them just not use them (in which case there should be something else to protect them from attacks and spam)?

[erik]

Indoor pools could be in faraday cages. Or have serious jamming. Maybe most people don’t use public pools anymore.

Comms should be waterproof tho they may clash with your swimsuit.

[Kaelik]

I mean.... there are internal commlinks in the brain, but like..... There is literally no reason not to presume that commlinks aren't waterproof to a depth of 12 meters or whatever when we can already ALMOST do that with phones, and commlinks don't need a microphone, picture display, camera, or speaker.

[Lokathor]

Alright, did a bunch of changes and thought that it'd be hard to track what was different, and then Git helpfully showed me the whole diff.

---

[*] Active Mode: Some Networks want you to really see them even if you're not paying attention. A Network can go into Active Mode which makes them seen even with 0 hits on Matrix Perception, as long as the viewer doesn't Critically Glitch. This is the equivalent of a carnival barker shouting "step right up folks!" over and over, and it's mostly used for devices that somehow want your business (like pay terminals) or warning and hazard signs (like "wet floor" signs).

[*] Hidden Mode: If you don't want to be noticed you can do data "stuff" to make yourself non-obvious. Placing yourself into Hidden Mode isn't actually illegal in most places, but it's considered a suspicious thing to do in public. The threshold to spot a Hidden Network is equal to whatever it got for Matrix Stealth. Using any Attack program boots you out of Hidden Mode and prevents you from entering it again for a number of turns equal to the Program's Rating (as every Network in range immediately messages every other Network in range "that one has a gun!" over and over). When that happens, your Hidden Mode Matrix Stealth value can automatically be converted into a Matrix Disguise of equivalent veracity, if you want. Either way they totally see you.

[*] Icon: An Icon, in AR or VR, is the sensory representation of something happening within the Matrix. Note that even if you do see an Icon its presentation might be a lie. Separating truth from fiction depends on your Matrix Perception.

[*] Matrix Disguise: Even if a Network is aware of your presence you can still give off a false persona. This works exactly like Matrix Stealth vs Matrix Perception, and anything that can give you Matrix Stealth can give you Matrix Disguise instead. If their Matrix Perception doesn't meet your Matrix Disguise then they see whatever false image you've set up. This is similar to the Flexible Signature Metamagic. Note that having a disguise is entirely distinct from having your Network in Active, Passive, or Hidden mode. After all, most of the best cons are done by people who want your attention. You can pair this up with a Forge Credentials roll to give your disguise some legitimacy, but sometimes you just wanna put on a rubber Nixon mask and knock over a Stuffer Shack or something.

[*] Matrix Perception: Intuition + Data Search. A successful Matrix Perception check lets you spot hidden Networks and uncover spoofs and lies they try and tell you. This works basically like Perception and Assensing. In some situations you get an automatic roll to notice details as things unfold around you (such as noticing that the cameras around the facility are going out one by one). You can also take the Observe In Detail action just like with Perception. Whenever you roll a Matrix Perception check you get all relevant info on every single Network and Program in range, it's not one check per thing you want to scan (that's crazy). Net hits on a Matrix Perception test can give you extra info about a Network's internals (like how Assensing works). Matrix Perception allows you to "see" data disturbances within your Network's Signal range, and allow you to "hear" data disturbances of anything your Network is within Listening range of.

[*] Naked Brain: A naked brain is any brain that's not part of any Network. This usually means Metahuman brains, but technically dogs and stuff can also be naked brains. If a character has any cyberware that will naturally be wired into their brain, and thus they will never be a naked brain. A Naked Brain is so extremely obvious compared to normal data traffic that it always counts as being in Active Mode (No hits required on Matrix Perception to notice, as long as you don't Critically Glitch).

[*] Passive Mode: This is the default mode for all devices and Networks. The Network doesn't particularly announce itself but it also doesn't do anything to stay out of sight. Matrix Stealth of 1.

[Trill]

[*] Hidden Mode: If you don't want to be noticed you can do data "stuff" to make yourself non-obvious. Placing yourself into Hidden Mode isn't actually illegal in most places, but it's considered a suspicious thing to do in public. The threshold to spot a Hidden Network is equal to whatever it got for Matrix Stealth. Using any Attack program boots you out of Hidden Mode and prevents you from entering it again for a number of turns equal to the Program's Rating (as every Network in range immediately messages every other Network in range "that one has a gun!" over and over). When that happens, your Hidden Mode Matrix Stealth value can automatically be converted into a Matrix Disguise of equivalent veracity, if you want. Either way they totally see you.

(Emphasis mine)
How does this interact with the "You have to show a SIN at all times" rule?

[*]Matrix Disguise: Even if a Network is aware of your presence you can still give off a false persona. This works exactly like Matrix Stealth vs Matrix Perception, and anything that can give you Matrix Stealth can give you Matrix Disguise instead. If their Matrix Perception doesn't meet your Matrix Disguise then they see whatever false image you've set up. This is similar to the Flexible Signature Metamagic. Note that having a disguise is entirely distinct from having your Network in Active, Passive, or Hidden mode. After all, most of the best cons are done by people who want your attention. You can pair this up with a Forge Credentials roll to give your disguise some legitimacy, but sometimes you just wanna put on a rubber Nixon mask and knock over a Stuffer Shack or something.

How does this interact with Matrix Stealth? If I wanted to fake my signature and also stay hidden, would I roll once for both? Would I roll both separately? Would I only roll Stealth when I cloak myself and Disguise once I decloak?

[*] Matrix Perception: Intuition + Data Search. A successful Matrix Perception check lets you spot hidden Networks and uncover spoofs and lies they try and tell you. This works basically like Perception and Assensing. In some situations you get an automatic roll to notice details as things unfold around you (such as noticing that the cameras around the facility are going out one by one). You can also take the Observe In Detail action just like with Perception. Whenever you roll a Matrix Perception check you get all relevant info on every single Network and Program in range, it's not one check per thing you want to scan (that's crazy). Net hits on a Matrix Perception test can give you extra info about a Network's internals (like how Assensing works). Matrix Perception allows you to "see" data disturbances within your Network's Signal range, and allow you to "hear" data disturbances of anything your Network is within Listening range of.

What do you mean by "see" and "hear"?

[Lokathor]

How does this interact with the "You have to show a SIN at all times" rule?

Well it's the same as sneaking around in the shadows. In some places that's socially acceptable, but in many places that's not considered a valid lifestyle. In a sleazy back alley bar they don't expect a SIN, but in a fancy steakhouse they expect you to be passive or active the same way that they expect you to wear nice clothes instead of a hobo jacket.

How does this interact with Matrix Stealth? If I wanted to fake my signature and also stay hidden, would I roll once for both? Would I roll both separately? Would I only roll Stealth when I cloak myself and Disguise once I decloak?

You roll one deal. If you do something that gives you away, you can stay disguised at that same rating, they just also see you now.

What do you mean by "see" and "hear"?

A little intentionally vague I guess. You can get info on what's a valid Listening range target if you can hear them, and what's a valid Signal range target with what you can see, and then if you can see them and hear them then you're in Handshake range. It's more a hint to how the GM can try to describe things.

[Foxwarrior]

Matrix Natives have seemingly incomprehensible goals, and when they achieve them, their code strengthens. In game terms this just means that they adventure and get Build Points and Karma as normal.

So... what's the BP cost for playing a free sprite? Did Frank intend for them to use the same rules as Free Spirits from Runner's Companion?

Or is this just a line indicating that Free Spirits level up from going on adventures the same way that other NPCs do.

[Grek]

You should not use the free spirit rules from Runner's Companion because the free spirit rules from Runner's Companion are fucking batshit.

[Trill]

So... what's the BP cost for playing a free sprite? Did Frank intend for them to use the same rules as Free Spirits from Runner's Companion?

Or is this just a line indicating that Free Spirits level up from going on adventures the same way that other NPCs do.

A few pages earlier I asked about playing AI and got the answer from Frank that they are intended as NPC only.
So the second one.

[Foxwarrior]

Frank hasn't said anything at all since your post on page 24. But anyways, I took a shot at it: http://tgdmb.com/viewtopic.php?p=515443