#1: Realistic Hacking

[RPGnet Columns]

http://www.rpg.net/columns//hack//hack1.phtml

Summary:

Tips for running computer system infiltration in your game.

Go to the column (http://www.rpg.net/columns//hack//hack1.phtml) for more information.

[Paul DuPont]

Great column! I had been thinking about creating a proper set of realistic computer skills and skill use parameters. I spend most of my time on the local programing side and found the network knowledge and column as a whole very useful.

Thanks!

To me it is a small but feasible chalenge to create both a realistic and dramatic play experience for computer use in general (prominently hacking but not retricted to it). It is nice to see others going the same direction.

I love your description of how you designed the email to prey upon people's curiosity and misdirecting them by satisfying it. This is not simply a computer skill check, this is a social manipulation skill check. Perhaps tactics or somesuch. For systems that support interacting skills this is a no brainer. For other systems, it may mean multiple skill rolls for each aspect of the 'attack'. (By the way, seems to me that it would serve the reader to have made this clearer, perhaps by giving examples for specific systems. Well written column though.)

What is next for your column?

[Jade Bells Ringing]

well, basically, my experience with Shadowrun and other games is that the more convoluted and time consuming the hacking becomes, the more everybody but the one hacker sits around with nothing to do. YMMV.

[Asklepios]

well, basically, my experience with Shadowrun and other games is that the more convoluted and time consuming the hacking becomes, the more everybody but the one hacker sits around with nothing to do. YMMV.

Yeah, but opening up hacking as the article suggests opens up possibilities: the social character can make the phone calls to try to get passwords etc, the techie can stick with the traditional role of the clever computer stuff, the intrusions specialist can break in and do some rewiring / direct theft of information and the bruiser can do some "leaning" to acquire hack-criticial information through intimidation and interrogation.

I think the problem arises when you have any one character fully dedicated to an time consuming task that is critical to the game. Better instead, to make a game session or three about hacking then have each character play a different role in tha specific goal-oriented story, and not have any one person who is just "the hacker".

Of course, this needs to be in the game from thr groundup. If half of your session time is spent on hacking, and hacking is a major part of the story, you need to make sure that every character splat has a role to play during that portion of setting time.

IMHO, anyway...

[ClayDowling]

What is next for your column?

Next up will be either network topography and compromises, or biometric scanners. I submitted the network topography column first, but it's really in the hands of the editors here at RPG.net. The beauty of the biometric scanners column is that Myth Busters just validated what I wrote on a recent episode.

As to the examples, I was thinking that it would be most beneficial if I were to post complete scenarios or scenario segments on my personal site (see link in my sig below). I'll post an update here as soon as the first one is available. This will also help me with my upcoming urban fantasy campaign for my local group, so it's win/win.

[Paul DuPont]

I certainly agree that getting every player involved is key to keeping up interest among the players, whether for combat, hacking, social situations, or anything else that comes up. That is the power of the multi-faceted approach to a problem is useful, it ends up involving everyone in the group.

That being said, if all you are doing is less than half a dozen die rolls, enough to add an element of building drama to the die rolls (as sugested for the purely technological approach), then it can't possibly take longer than a minute or two. I have heard about Shadowrun's hacking system but have only read some of the books. I guess I never bothered investigating it because the cyberspace premise does not peek my interest. Anyone have something to add about the Shadowrun system? Is it that time-consuming? Is it lots of fun for the hacker or simply tedious? Does it resemble their combat system but with different stats?

By the way, I am looking forward to seeing those examples on your website.