Sunny's Decking Guide

Sunny's Guide to Decking
--
FOREWORD:
Been fielding a lot of questions from all you aspiring netrunners, so here's me
thinking "I should put together a tutorial so help you!"

IF you find this helpful, do me a solid, get onto your pocket secretary or go
to the bank and WIRE Sunny some nuyen, baby! <3

PART 1 "Cyberdecks 101"               (What's in a Deck and why custom's best!)
PART 2 "Persona Chips, and YOU!"     (How to understand your icon's potential!)
PART 3 "Why do I fumble everything in the Matrix?"        (A treatise on buying
                                                                      programs)
PART 4 "The Gear Maketh the Decker"     (Minimum gear requirements to jack in!)
PART 5 "Paydata for fun and profit" (How to snag paydata and not be flatlined!)
Part 6 "Hell is Empty and the Devils are Here*"(fighting ICE and corpo spiders)
PART 7 "The Matrix Travel Guide*"       (A list of popular jackpoints and their
                                                     danger levels - reviewed!)
*These are a work in progress. Contribute to this project, today!

In addition, I am ALWAYs happy to be going on the matrix dates and sharing
what I know.  I am always updating this document, so please MAIL me if you
would like to contribute.

Also, feel free to call me on 72063215.

 <3 Your friend,

           SUNNY
--
PART 1: "Cyberdecks 101"              (What's in a Deck and why custom's best!)
--
MPCP: the OS of your deck. It stands for Master Persona Control Program.
The rating of this determines the rating of the big 'Attribute programs':
Bod, Evasion, Masking and Sensors.
You want a good MPCP because the total rating points you can distribute to your
Persona programs are the MPCP x 3.
Also your utilities have a max level of the MPCP, and each persona program can
only be as high as the MPCP. So a MPCP of 8 can have Bod/Evasion/Masking/Sensors
of 6/6/6/6, or 8/6/5/5 etc. It also affects your hacking  (as does your
Intelligence and certain 'ware boosts. Math SPU mmm... <3<3)

Hardening: Your 'Matrix Armor.'It increases your decks resistance to Black IC &
Gray IC(including Black Hammer and Killjoy programs).

Active Memory: this is your deck's RAM. You can only run utilities in MP equal
to or less than your deck's Active Memory. So if you're running your high level
Sleaze program(which you should!!!), that can cost a lot of AM. you want to try
to get this reasonable to be able to run a few utilities.

Storage Memory: Storage Space! Swapping a utility from Active to Storage doesn't
remove it from Storage-you still need the space for them.

I/O Speed: Transfer rate of MP per combat turn. The faster this is the faster
stuff gets transferred.

Response Increase: Matrix Reflexes, and real nice to have. Level of Response
Increase can only be the MPCP/3, round down, so a good MPCP is crucial.

Hot ASIST/cold ASIST: Store bought decks and ASIST headware only have cold
ASIST. When you run hot, you use your full decker potential... but you also
risk frying your brain.  Hot ASIST's very illegal, so you know that it must be
good.

 {{Sunny's Deckbuilding Price List:

      persona programs and other software sold separately
                             &
      Prebuilt/Preowned decks available at competitve prices

       Custom hot ASIST decks: 300,000 nuyen
  MPCP: 6*, Hardening: 4, Active: 1000, Storage: 3000, I/O: 240.
  INCLUDES hot ASIST.  YOU WON'T FIND THESE IN STORES!
(*At the time of writing can only do MPCP 6, but expect to be able to offer
                      higher ratings probably by the time you're reading this)}}

--
PART 2 "Persona Chips, and YOU!"     (How to understand your icon's potential!)
--
Your deck can handle MPCPx3 points of Persona Chips.
For example: 6 MPCP deck could have 6/6/6/0, or 4/4/4/6 etc.
You need to install persona chips onto your deck, but you do not have to set
them as default. These programs make up your icon and allow you to attempt
actions in the matrix. Think of them as your vital statistics in the matrix.

 BOD:     Protects your icon from damage. The higher, the more punishment
          your icon can take before getting dumped from the matrix.

 SENSORS: Want to find anything? The higher the number, the more you'll see.

 MASKING: Higher number, harder for the host and IC to notice you... also makes
          it easier to hide from also other deckers.

 EVASION: Talk shit get hit. Forget your Evasion persona program? Get hit.
          The average of your EVASION persona chip and any sleaze program you
          are running is what determines your detection factor.
          You WANT a high detection factor.
 Want to buy? SUNNY's price: 20,000 nuyen each, rating as per request

PART 3 "Why do I fumble everything in the Matrix?"        (A treatise on buying
                                                                      programs)

A common query I've heard is about why attempts to do anything in the matrix
might ust not succeed. Assuming you've got the right aptitudes and skills and
chrome and bioware, it could be because you don't have the right programs
installed and loaded on your deck. Check below!

 PROGRAM / MATRIX CHEAT SHEET
  {{SUNNY SELLS ALL PROGRAMS 20000 nuyen EACH}}
                N.B Some programs must be "run" (see comments)

MATRIX ACTIONS/desired result  Associated PROGRAM(S)  Comments
Abort Host Shutdown            Swerve                 Aborts Host Shutdown
Attack                         Attack, Lock-on        run program
Analyze <host/security>        Analyze
Analyze <IC/File/Subsystem>    Analyze
Armour                         Armour                 Reduces Power of IC's atk
Combat Maneuvers               Cloak, Lock-on, Attack (lock-on stops enemies from
                                                                avoiding you!    )
Crash                          Swerve                 Crash host. Makes IC weaker.
Decrypt paydata                Decrypt                Decrypt paydata
Disconnect                     N/A                    Dumps you from the matrix
                                                      OUCH.
Disarm paydata                 Defuse                 Defuses databomb
Evade                          Cloak                  Evades attacks
Download                       Read/Write             Download files, paydata
Locate <host/file>             Browse,
Locate <ic>                    Browse, Analyze
Locate <decker>                Browse, Scanner
Locate <paydata>               Evaluate
Logoff                         Deception              Return to meat space
                                  "                   without frying your brain
                                  "                   Can't use when fighting
                                  "                   Black IC.
Logon <host>                   Deception              Locate host name first
Logon LTG                         "
Logon RTG                         "
Make phonecalls in matrix      Comlink
Make it harder to be noticed/  Sleaze                 Detection Factor =
       Raise Detection Factor    "                    Avg.Sleaze+Masking
Redirect Datatrail             Camo
Repair your icon               Medic                   run program
Restrict icon                  Validate
Prevent Trace                  Camo
Parry                          Cloak                  Bolster matrix defenses
Position                       Cloak                  Improve chance to hit
Scan <decker>                  Scanner
Trace MXP                      Browse
Upload                         Read/Write             Upload files, duh
--
PART 4: "The Gear Maketh the Decker"
--
Hoi, Chummers!

So first thing's first, if you want to be the novahot matrix cowboy/girl, the
right gear is ESSENTIAL: ^Ra Decker without a Deck is hardly a decker at all!^n
But, aside from the obvious, chrome and bioware can be very important.
The rules for being in the matrix are different to in meatspace.
In meatspace, you have to rely on the strength of your body to do the heavy
lifting.  In the matrix your ^Wmind^n is your strength, and your willpower is
how much you can resist being knocked about.

Accordingly, I recommend the following CHROME:
What                 Comment
^RDatajack             ESSENTIAL^n: Neccessary to jack in
Math SPU             Improves your hacking abiliy by rating... also a clock!
Encephallon          Improves hacking ability by rating
Chipjack, Skillwires Don't know how to deck? Just buy some activesofts.

And I recommend the following BIOWARE:
What                 Comment
cerebral booster II  The first rating only makes you a little smarter.  The
                     second rating makes you even smarter and helps when you
                     are having to think.

I recommend AGAINST getting a vehicle control rig when just starting out
as the decker, as they are very distracting.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE CYBERDECK?! Please review previous parts, but to summarise:
WHAT:               COMMENT:
A cyberdeck         Get as high a MPCP rating as you can. Store bought deck =
                    OK, but if you want to maximise your success, you need to
                    quit worrying about frying your brain and get hot ASIST.
                    It's illegal, so you * know * that it must be good.
                    Seriously, without hot ASIST you can't even hack at your
                    best, your response increases.
                    Unless you love lag, go with a custom deck and hot ASIST.
                    Want a custom deck? See part 2.
Persona chips       At bare minimum you MUST have bod and sensors installed
                    on your deck to even start it up deck up. (The total
                    ratings of all four programs cannot exceed 3x MPCP rating
                    of your deck.) See part 2.
Programs            Programs / Utilities are how a decker stands a chance at
                    succeeding at things. Don't forget to install those,
                    and perhaps consider setting your most used programs to
                    default.
                    For a description of what each of the programs do, and a
                    price list if you are looking at acquiring some, please
                    see part 3.
--
PART 5 "Paydata for fun and profit" (How to snag paydata and not be flatlined!)
--
Follow these steps to be on your way to raking in the nuyen.

1. Read all previous parts of the guide, if you haven't.
2. CONNECT to a matrix jackpoint. For example, the Seattle Library (see part 7)
     NB. if at any point IC turns up and you do not feel confident,
     LOGOFF(pain free) or DISCONNECT(owie).
     Discretion is the better part of valor.
3. LOCATE paydata.
     If you fumble, keep trying.
     If you cannot find any paydata, continue to step 9
     If you locate paydata, continue to step 4.
4. ANALYZE paydata.
     This will tell you if the file itself is protected by hidden IC such as
     encyption IC or a databomb.
5. DISARM paydata.
     Remove databombs. Make sure this succeeds. If fail, try again.
6. DECRYPT paydata.
     Remove encryption. Make sure this succeeds. If fail, try again.
7. DOWNLOAD paydata.
     If your storage memory is full, LOGOFF. UNINSTALL PAYDATA from deck.
     CONNECT again. The paydata will still be there. DOWNLOAD paydata.
8. Repeat steps 3-7, moving onto step 9 once there is no more paydata to be
   found.
9. LOCATE host <keyword>
      Examine the matrix around you, and look for anything that stands out.
      For example, in the Seattle Library matrix hosts, you will notice that
      The *reading* room, the *forum* and the *library* all stand out.
      However, sometimes the clues to identify host names exist in meatspace.
      Look around, and if all else fails... ask on the radio, Chummer.
10. Logon host <keyword>, eg, logon host forum etc.
11. Repeat steps 3-7 until there is no more paydata to be found anywhere.

That's basically all there is to getting paydata. Selling paydata's another
story. There's a dwarf out in West Tacoma named Krakerjack that buys paydata.
He's on Crescent Street. The quicker you can get the data to him, the more
he'll pay. He pays more for orange, red and black host data. But you can still
make a tidy profit selling the easy stuff.
NB Please note that if you're flooding the market with milk-run easy data,
it does reduce the market value of ALL data for EVERYONE going to Krackerjack.
--
Part 6 "Hell is Empty and the Devils are Here" (fighting ICE and corpo spiders)
--

Well! I admit, I mostly think AVOIDING IC is the way to go.
But sometimes the drek hits the fan.
I'm still writing this guide, and will update it soon.

But the gist is... Make sure you have armour utility.
Make sure you have a matrix attack utility.
RUN ATTACK <ic> as soon as you can.
Don't forget to EVADE/PARRY/POSITION to maximise your combat chances.

And if it is looking bad? Get out of there, Omae.
LOGOFF if you can, but if you cannot...
DISCONNECT will dump you from the matrix, but a bit of dumpshock's better
than getting your icon and utilities shredded. Well. Sometimes.

--
PART 7 "The Matrix Travel Guide*"   (A list of popular jackpoints and their
--                                                danger levels - reviewed!)
Please see below for a work in progress list of the various hosts around
Seattle and surrounds.  All paydata price guides assumes a certain level of
mastery in databrokerage (OOC: Skill level 6)

Location          Host danger level               Comments/paydata value
Library           Nil. The milkiest of milk runs  Everyone knows this one.
SEATTLE                                           Data sells for 1000-2000 nuyen

Nybbles n Bytes   Low. There's an owl IC in the
TACOMA                 storage host.              Data sells for 1000-2000 nuyen

Tacoma Junkyard   Low. You can get IC if you
TACOMA                 aren't careful.            Data sells for 1000-2000 nuyen

Dantes'           ??? Iceman doesn't like it when
SEATTLE               I go looking for paydata :(


This is a work in progress. If you have locations and reviews to submit,
send Sunny a mail in your pocket secretary!