Hacking
From Shadowrun: Awakened
Hacking is the use of computer skill to gain entry to a system without permission from its owners. It is good for bypassing security and faining information.
Game Rules Description
Hacking uses the Matrix rules starting on page 205 of SR4.
Hacking can be done from Augmented Reality or Virtual Reality. It can be done quickly with brute force or it can be done slowly by finding an exploit in the system. Fast hacks have a habit of alerting the system to the coercion, slow hacks are much more stealthy. Since slow hacking from AR takes days in game time, it will not be possible in SRA.
Technical Implementation
Fast hacking generally happens against a single node on a network. The hacker forces that node to do something and it obeys. In game, this can be expressed as activating a hacking skill on an node, in AR or VR, and selecting the type of action to force it to perform.
Slow hacking, done only from VR, acts more like alternative levels for the hacker character to play through:
- Hacker logs onto matrix (this takes seconds)
- Hacker searches for matrix node with intended host (this takes seconds). This could just be a menu (especially for 1.0), future version could have a public area of full VR Matrix.
- Hacker logs onto host and attempt to slow hack it for an exploit. This is represented by loading a separate level for the hacker's character where they perform tasks within the host's metaphor. For 1.0, we may come up with some generic framework and style for these, in the future I would hope to have the time for a lot of custom metaphors such as feudal Japan Renraku servers, or space landscape Horizon servers, or anything we think up later. The hacker performs task in there, anything from a large logic puzzle to platforming to combat to maze solving. If they defeat the challenge they gain access, otherwise they are booted (or worse). (this takes hours in game time, this may be a bit more amorphous in the final game, instead of 15 minutes real-time it probably will be 5-20 minutes real time. This time will be adjust based on empirical study during beta testing, but it should match with how long it takes a physical team to sneak inside).
- The hacker gains access rights and can manipulate the system. They are still in VR, but they do not necessarily need to be subject to the matrix metaphor anymore. For 1.0, if they broke into a host managing the building itself (as opposed to just data storage) this can be some diagram of the building with cameras, doors, lights, attached machinery, defense turrets, and other matrix nodes linked to the host. The interface can offer means for "jumping in" to the turrets or drones and managing each node. The user can jump through security cameras to watch the team, use cameras carried by the team, and other means to perceive from inside the system.
