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Esoomian
High Admiral
Joined: 29 Oct 2003
Posts: 6207
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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 Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 1:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Ankhanu wrote: | | Jedi Skyler wrote: | | You also have to keep in mind that in the SW universe, there are so many more items that have SOME form of computerization in them. Blasters, for example, have computer circuitry to help regulate the power of the blast, since firing a blaster bolt is much more complicated (and potentially hazardous) than a traditional firearm. A slicer could augment this circuitry. |
I don't really like that idea at all. Slicers have a lot of roads open to them already without giving them the ability to take over niches covered by other skills and players. |
Yeah I'm with Ank, Space Coyote and Gry here. A slicer can do a lot with their skills but slicing shouldn't be an uber skill which can take the place of other skills. If you want to increase the power of a blaster that's a jury rig roll.
In my mind the slicing specialisation should be all about evading computer security and stealing data from secure locations. It shouldn't even let you do any computer programming.
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DarthMortis
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 23 Sep 2008
Posts: 124
Location: Moorhead
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| Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Esoomian wrote: | | Ankhanu wrote: | | Jedi Skyler wrote: | | You also have to keep in mind that in the SW universe, there are so many more items that have SOME form of computerization in them. Blasters, for example, have computer circuitry to help regulate the power of the blast, since firing a blaster bolt is much more complicated (and potentially hazardous) than a traditional firearm. A slicer could augment this circuitry. |
I don't really like that idea at all. Slicers have a lot of roads open to them already without giving them the ability to take over niches covered by other skills and players. |
Yeah I'm with Ank, Space Coyote and Gry here. A slicer can do a lot with their skills but slicing shouldn't be an uber skill which can take the place of other skills. If you want to increase the power of a blaster that's a jury rig roll.
In my mind the slicing specialisation should be all about evading computer security and stealing data from secure locations. It shouldn't even let you do any computer programming. |
Just to throw in something from real life here. If you know how to crack security systems, you're more than likely going to be able to program/repair computers. Since to get the information that you need, it's going to be helpful to understand where to look for it, and possible things the person/company may do to it. Viruses, etc.
Speaking of which, that could be a deterrent to making Slicing a skill that can go into a bunch of other things.
Slicer:"Hey, I can fix up that blaster a little bit."
Bounty Hunter: "Yeah right, I heard that if you mess with the circuit board of a blaster it can malfunction and backfire" or throw in the name of a random computer virus that is going around and the bounty hunter would rather not have a virus in his gun (sounds weird, huh?)
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"I believe the Jedi are weak so they give up their emotions. I believe the Sith are weak so they give up to their emotions. I lay somewhere in the middle, not afraid to keep my emotions, but afraid to lose myself in them." - Daroth Mortanis |
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masque
Captain
Joined: 16 Mar 2006
Posts: 626
Location: Houston, TX
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| Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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It's two different skill sets. Someone can learn security without programming, and programming without security. It happens that many people learn BOTH, but one doesn't necessarily help the other.
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Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid. |
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jmanski
Arbiter-General (Moderator)
Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 2065
Location: Kansas
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| Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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Programming and security are really unrelated. While there is some computer skill in fixing a starship, for example, it does not mean a slicer will be able to fix a starship.
Take a real-world example. Fixing a car takes some computer skill, but mechanics do not automatically become hackers, and hackers are not skilled mechanics.
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Esoomian
High Admiral
Joined: 29 Oct 2003
Posts: 6207
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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| DarthMortis wrote: | | Just to throw in something from real life here. If you know how to crack security systems, you're more than likely going to be able to program/repair computers. Since to get the information that you need, it's going to be helpful to understand where to look for it, and possible things the person/company may do to it. Viruses, etc. |
In my mind slicing is a speciality of computer program/repair so it's quite possible to have high slicing and nothing in computer program/repair. What i was trying to say was that sort of character should be great at stealing data but that's about it.
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Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view. |
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garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 14168
Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 10:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Space Coyote wrote: |
Don't forget that if the slicer wants to plant false information in a computer system, it's not a Programming roll, it's Forgery.
And while a successful Programming roll can get you access to the data, there's usually a LOT of data or the system is completely unfamiliar. Maybe the slicer needs to make a Bureaucracy, Business, or Law Enforcement skill check to find what he's after, or at least to find it within a reasonable time. The success of this "interpreting" roll could modify the time it takes find the right data.
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Or my fave. Just cause you have the info, does not mean you understand it... Roll that investigations or scholar to make sense of it.
On a side note, i once had a gm who had it where Cp/R was just for basic programming. making computer viruses to hack stuff was an Advanced skill of CP/R...
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There's also the chance the slicer can access and copy the data, but can't decrypt it, prompting the search for an underworld contact or illegal software, or even breaking into that Imperial comm center to use the new supercomputer they just installed. Assuming, of course, he's not digitized by experimental technology and forced to play life or death video games!  |
Agreed. Decoding things is more of a communications side of house.. But i usually tie it under investigations when reading stuff sifted from a computer.
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DarthMortis
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 23 Sep 2008
Posts: 124
Location: Moorhead
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| Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 12:45 am Post subject: |
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| masque wrote: | | It's two different skill sets. Someone can learn security without programming, and programming without security. It happens that many people learn BOTH, but one doesn't necessarily help the other. |
I believe my exact words (copy and pasted) were : you're more than likely going to be able to program/repair computers.
_________________
"I believe the Jedi are weak so they give up their emotions. I believe the Sith are weak so they give up to their emotions. I lay somewhere in the middle, not afraid to keep my emotions, but afraid to lose myself in them." - Daroth Mortanis |
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masque
Captain
Joined: 16 Mar 2006
Posts: 626
Location: Houston, TX
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| Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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| DarthMortis wrote: |
I believe my exact words (copy and pasted) were : you're more than likely going to be able to program/repair computers. |
I get that, but my point was that they are two separately learned skills. Expertise in one doesn't confer ability in the other. To put the real life people that can do both into D6 terms, they've invested character points into both skills separately.
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Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid. |
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Lostboy
Commander
Joined: 22 Aug 2008
Posts: 384
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| Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 8:07 pm Post subject: |
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| I GM'd for a group of ship jackers who had a slicer and didn't understand that starships cannot be taken over by hacking, because they are not networked or completely automated. |
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DarthMortis
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 23 Sep 2008
Posts: 124
Location: Moorhead
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 4:55 pm Post subject: |
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| masque wrote: | | DarthMortis wrote: |
I believe my exact words (copy and pasted) were : you're more than likely going to be able to program/repair computers. |
I get that, but my point was that they are two separately learned skills. Expertise in one doesn't confer ability in the other. To put the real life people that can do both into D6 terms, they've invested character points into both skills separately. |
Yeah, I understand that. I'm just saying to make a realistic (within Star Wars terms) you SHOULD put character points into both skills.
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"I believe the Jedi are weak so they give up their emotions. I believe the Sith are weak so they give up to their emotions. I lay somewhere in the middle, not afraid to keep my emotions, but afraid to lose myself in them." - Daroth Mortanis |
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enderandrew
Sub-Lieutenant
Joined: 15 Feb 2009
Posts: 68
Location: Omaha, NE
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| Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 3:50 pm Post subject: |
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What I really like about D6 is how fast and loose the rules are. However, if you want some really in depth rules on hacking, or some ideas for them, look at Shadowrun and how they handle Deckers (ie, Slicers).
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Lostboy
Commander
Joined: 22 Aug 2008
Posts: 384
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| Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Cyberpunk is also good, see netrunners. |
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Trusty
Commander
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 273
Location: North Little Rock, AR
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| Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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Difficulty modifiers are helpful, but specializations, and the ancillary skills all things that need tending. Gry is right, once a person is in a system, do they know what to do from there. Specializations is important even within one skill, and not just tending the main skills in each category related. Tinkering with one device in some systems may not be the same tech in other systems and things like that. The problem with the "one skill fits all" is that general knowledge of some starfighters isn't the same as having knowledge of some tech over others. It isn't always the blue wire, if you know what I mean.
I make my characters regret their character choices sometimes by actually making them learn things they didn't think they'd have to learn. Its not all shooting blasters, flying starships, and swinging lightsabers.
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garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 14168
Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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Agreed. I have one module where having running, survival, stamina and willpower are of the upmost essential need.. and rarely have i seen people learn let alone bump those skills up.
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Jedi AlanRocks
Ensign
Joined: 12 Jul 2009
Posts: 46
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| Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 3:02 am Post subject: |
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I run it like this, the security skill allows you to break into things, like vaults, computers, picking locks and detecting lethal security countermeasures. In my verse you don't wanna miss the security roll and set off the alarm.
You want info from the computer you just broke into, or you want the door to open? That's computer programming. First you have to get in, then you have to make the computer do what you want it to do.
I mean if I wanted to break into the NASA mainframe I would first need to get into the system, which can be a real pain in the neck. Once inside the mainframe I would have to find my way around inside it to get the information I was looking for. Lets say I wanted to bring down a satelite. That would be a computer programming skill roll, right? Keep in mind, though, that computers have fail safe devices and people watching gauges so you can't go too insane with the things you can do on a computer. Certainly I would have to roll at least once against the proper authority you wants his satelite to remain in orbit. I think it would be impossible to program a ship's reactor to overload without anyone noticing. That would be a lot of rolling, for sure.
DISCLAIMER: For all the FBI agents reading this post, no I don't want to bring down satelites, that was just an example, I swear.
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For many years West End Games ruled justly until the evil Empire defeated them. The Empire now rules with an iron fist and the d20. There are some who resist and continue to live by the old ways and d6. |
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