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GMing the Matrix

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Jonny Reload:
Mooncrow: A few ways, remind your Hacker player to not be a douche bag and LEAVE A COMLINK LINE OPEN TO THE GROUP!!!  >:( (I've had to beat this into my Hackers but eventually they discovered keeping the RP going even via Comlinks is a good thing rather then forcing every one to just sit there and watch without any sort of interaction at all.)

Also, make sure your Hacker player has a plan BEFORE he logs on. I've had sessions where a Hacker is logging on to hack in and look for paydata for his Johnson... Not knowing what he's looking for or where in the Node to get it. Beat it into your players if need be, RESEARCH BEFORE RAMPAGING THE MATRIX!  >:(

But unfortunately, there's a type of Hacker that will ALWAYS cause the game to slow down, and that's the Combat Hacker. Plowing through IC and Firewalls is a sure fire way that players are gonna be sitting on there asses waiting for a combat they can't even participate in. Try to emphasize that Stealth not only is a much better option, but gives you a lot less resistance when getting into a Node and tampering with it. Stealth 12 Programs and a Comlink with Stealth Optimization are the best ways to go for making it easy on the GM and not wasting the other players time.

Max Anderson:
Well for my part, I tend not to describe something as mundane as hacking Johnny Average's commlink. But when the hacker tries to do something cool (like hacking a secured node in order to give one of his teammates to escape), I try to make him feel rewarded for it by describing what the node actually looks like, and what his actions do.

It takes preparation, for I have to imagine what is the metaphor, and its basic "physics rules". For example, in a sea-based metaphor, obviously all the icons are "swimming", data bombs will look like WWII underwater mines, IC will be sharks or maybe submarines, files may appear as fish or corral, etc.

Now, for the rules, you need to master the basics : what do the skills and program do, how to hack on the fly or by probing, and what a security system looks like. Unwired has a few examples of sample nodes that can help you understand how matrix security is designed.

As for any other character type, I tend to insist that they MUST know the rules they must use often (for example, the rigger must know the vehicle rules, the mage the magic rules, etc.). This way, I don't have to repeat every time how much dice they have and what does X do...

FastJack:
Ah, but SR4, the team can run into IC at the same time the sec team hits. Then everything happens at once, just that the Hacker & IC are fighting off to side.

Much like a Mage on Astral.

But yes, the best way to handle the Matrix (and the Astral, and everything else) is to drill into the players that this is NOT D&D where their job is to wander around and look for trouble. Shadowrun is about planning what needs to be done and how to avoid trouble.

I like to give my players some movie-watching to understand this (and please don't consider this a recreation of the massive list of SR movies that's over on Dumpshock). I basically sit them down and tell them to watch Sneakers, Ocean's Eleven, Serenity and/or Mission: Impossible. Each of those movies shows a team that doesn't go in blind to situations (unless they're ambushed).

Doc Chaos:
Thats what I like about Shadowrun. There is a way to play ANYTHING:

Stealth: Shadowrunners.
Just walz in and shoot everything that moves: Gangers.
Above with more tactics involved: Military.

So great :)

Prime Mover:
Not sure if this is what your looking for but this is cut and pasted from a post Tiger Eyes made on dumpshock showing the mechanics behind Game,Set and Match the chapter opener in SR4A.  A nice way to put the fluff with the crunch.

GAME, SET, AND MATCH

(Note that Aaron and I wrote the Game, Set, Match story together, and we actually did roll each test; the story was originally designed to be a demonstration of a hacker, a technomancer, and a rigger in a competition. However, the original story was 500 words, the final version ended up being 3000. So, some extra stuff was thrown in to make the story read better, and didn't reflect all the original actions... *sigh* that's what happens when you take creative license.  But, for what it's worth, here's the (revised) mechanics behind the story.)

Hacking a Drone Example

BEHIND THE SCENES
Netcat: Initiative 9, 1 Initiative Pass, Resonance 7, Cracking Skill Group 4, Software (Threading) 5 (+2), Willpower 5, Command 2, Exploit 6, Scan 4, Stealth 6, one registered Rating 6 tank sprite with 5 tasks.
Slamm-0!: Initiative 11, 2 Initiative Passes, Computer 5, Electronic Warfare 5, Hacking (Exploit) 6 (+2), Sniffer 5, Spoof 5, Track 5.
Rigger: As Drone Rigger, p. 101, SR4A, add Cracking Group 3 and Analyze 5 & Nuke 3, in cold-sim VR, and already subscribed to the drone.
Security Drone: As MCT Fly-Spy, p. 350, SR4A. With Firewall 4 and running Analyze 3. The drone is operating in Hidden mode and has orders to patrol a specified route and report specific suspicious activity.

Combat Turn #1
Slamm-0! flashes the sun off his reflective shades towards the drone, trying to get it to report back to the rigger so he can begin a Trace User Test to track the connection.
Netcat uses a simple action to call her registered sprite. She uses another simple action to use her E-Sensing echo rolling Resonance + Perception getting 4 hits. This allows her to locate the drone’s node, and tells her that it has a System Rating 3 (E-Sensing Table, p. 146, Unwired).
The drone has seen something it doesn’t recognize. It makes a "common sense" test (p. 245, SR4A), Pilot + Response, getting no hits. It contacts the Rigger (a free action) for further instructions.
Slamm-0! attempts to intercept the communication between the drone and rigger in order to begin tracking the Rigger. He performs a Capture Wireless Signal Test (Electronic Warfare + Sniffer (3) Test) (p. 229, SR4A), getting 7 hits and succeeding. This gives him a way to track the rigger's node, so he can get his access ID. Yes, this would be unnecessary in modern TCP/IP, but the Matrix ain't yer daddy's communications protocol.

Combat Turn #2
Slamm-0! begins the extended Trace User (10, 1 IP) Test (p. 232, SR4A); he rolls Computer + Track Test and gets 4 hits.
Netcat threads her Exploit complex form (no action required), getting 6 hits on her Software + Resonance Test and choosing to use only 4. She resists the fading of 4P (Physical Damage because the new complex form rating is greater than her Resonance) with her Resonance + Willpower, getting 4 hits and resisting it completely. She then orders her Sprite to Assist Operation for her Stealth complex form, a simple action. Her Exploit Complex form is now 6 + 4, or 10, and her Stealth complex form will be 6 + Sprite Rating (6), or 12, starting in Combat Turn 3 and lasting 6 combat turns.
Slamm-0! continues the Trace User Test, getting 3 hits for a total of 7.

Combat Turn #3:
Slamm-0! continues the Trace User Test with 3 more hits, reaching the threshold of 10. He has successfully tracked the rigger’s connection—the rigger is in the campus security headquarters—and gotten the rigger’s access ID. Slamm-0! can now spoof orders to the drone.
Netcat starts hacking-on-the-fly for an Admin account: an Extended Hacking + Exploit (drone's Firewall + 6, Complex Action) Test. Netcat rolls Hacking + Exploit and gets 7 hits. The drone gets to make a test to detect the intrusion, an Extended Firewall + Analyze (Netcat's Stealth) Test. The drone gets 2 hits.
Slamm-0! uses the rigger’s access ID to spoof an order for the drone to change course. He makes an Opposed Hacking + Spoof Test against the drone’s Pilot + Firewall. He gets 5 hits; the drone gets 3 hits.

Combat Turn #4:
Slamm-0! waits to observe if the drone accepts the spoofed order. He also uses a free action to confirm his dinner reservations (what a romantic!).
Netcat continues her hacking-on-the-fly. She rolls 8 hits, which added to her original 7 hits achieves the threshold of 9. Netcat now has an Admin account on the drone. The drone rolls Firewall + Analyze, getting 4 hits, for a total of 6; it does not detect Netcat.
The drone begins to fly towards the Chemistry building.
Slamm-0! gloats.

Combat Turn #5:
Slamm-0! continues to gloat.
Netcat controls the drone directly, steering it toward her window (Complex Action). If she needs to make any Vehicle Tests, she will use Pilot Aircraft + Command (a dice pool of 1, since she doesn't actually have the skill).
The Rigger calls up a status report (a free action) and then decides to Jump Into the drone (a simple action). Because the rigger has jumped into the drone, there is no more outside access to control the drone; it is overridden by the jumped in rigger.
Slamm-0! orders the drone to resume flying towards his window. Nothing happens.
The Rigger analyzes the drone's node, making an Opposed Matrix Perception Test against Netcat's Hacking + Stealth. He gets 2 hits. Netcat gets 5 hits.

Combat Turn #6:
The Rigger starts moving the drone toward the security building (costing no action when jumped into a drone). He again attempts to locate Netcat. He gets 3 hits; Netcat gets 5.
Slamm-0! unloads his Sniffer program (Simple Action).
Netcat attempts to eliminate the Rigger’s Access ID from the drone’s accounts list. Unfortunately, the clever Rigger has programmed the drone not to accept Admin account deletions. Netcat and the Rigger are at a stalemate.
The Rigger accesses the Access Logs, attempting to figure out what’s going on.
Slamm-0! loads his Exploit program (Complex Action).

Combat Turn #7:
The Rigger scratches his virtual head and performs yet another Opposed Matrix Perception Test against Netcat's Hacking + Stealth. He gets 4 hits. Netcat gets 6 hits. (Makes you feel sorry for the guy, doesn’t it?)
Slamm-0! performs a Hacking + Exploit (drone’s Firewall, Complex Action) Extended Test. He gets 4 hits on his first roll, entering the drone with a normal user passcode. The drone rolls Firewall + Analyze, getting a lucky 6 hits; it detects Slamm-0! and an alert is triggered. This immediately has two effects: it creates a Restricted Alert (p. 238, SR4A) against Slamm-0! (it raises the drone’s Firewall rating against Slamm-0! by 4) and it immediately loads an MCT Bloodhound (p. 71, Unwired), rating 3, configured to look like a pack of husky puppies. The IC starts a Trace User (10, Complex Action) Extended Test.
Netcat deactivates the IC, using a Simple Action (since she has an Admin account, this is an allowed action; otherwise, she’d have to roll a Matrix Attack against it).
The Rigger sees Slamm-0!’s icon and attacks with a Nuke program (p. 111, Unwired). He rolls Cybercombat + Nuke, getting 2 hits. Slamm-0! defends with his Response + Firewall, gets 4 hits, and dodges the attack.
Slamm-0! performs a Redirect Trace action, making an Opposed Hacking + Spoof against the IC’s Computer + Track. He gets 3 Net hits, which would be added to the IC’s threshold for tracing him (if it weren’t for NetCat’s interference).

Combat Turn #8:
The IC goes pop.
The Rigger attacks again. He rolls Cybercombat + Nuke, getting 4 hits. Slamm-0! goes on Full Defense, and so resists with his System + Armor + Hacking, and gets 7 hits, dodging again.
Slamm-0! chose to use full defense this turn, so he can only trade witty banter with Netcat.
Netcat compiles a rating 6 Paladin Sprite. She rolls her Compiling + Resonance, and gets 4 hits. The Sprite rolls its Rating, and gets 3 hits. Netcat needs to resist Fading damage of 6S. She rolls her Resonance + Willpower, gets 4 hits, and takes 2S. She uses a free action to order the sprite to protect Slamm-0!
The Rigger attacks Slamm-0! again. This time, he scores one net hit. The base damage of the Nuke 3 is 3, plus 1 from the Net hit, so Slamm-0! resists the damage rolling his System + Armor. He gets 2 hits, and takes 1 damage. This reduces his Response by 1 point!

Combat Turn #9:
The Sprite uses its Castling Power to protect Slamm-0!.
The Rigger attacks again. The attack is redirected from Slamm-0! to the sprite, which rolls its Response + Firewall (total 16), and easily shrugs off the attack.
Slamm-0! loads up his own Nuke program (not wanting to hurt a campus security goon).
Netcat delays her action.
The Rigger attacks again. The attack is redirected from Slamm-0! to the sprite, which rolls its Response + Firewall, and easily shrugs off the attack.
Slamm-0! attacks the Rigger, with his own Nuke program. He scores 3 net hits, which added to his Rating 6 Nuke, make for 9 damage. The Rigger only resists 3 points of damage. His Response is reduced to 0, which reduces his System to 0, and he immediately loses all subscriptions, dumping him from the drone and causing 5S in dumpshock for him to resist with his Willpower + Biofeedback Filter.

Combat Turn #10:
Netcat alters the Rigger’s account to not allow movement commands. She then gloats (a Free Action).
Slamm-0! spoofs the drone using Netcat’s access ID—something he already knows. Using her access ID, he orders the drone to fly into his window. He gets 4 hits against the drone's 2 hits.
The drone flies into the window, ending the contest, and finally getting Slamm-0! a date with Netcat (more on that in future books).

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