[aaronburrsir]

So, RAW, on page 187 reads

"When it is activated, make a Matrix Perception
roll for the Patrol IC; that serves as hits on Matrix
Perception actions it takes every in-game minute it is
active. That means one of the Patrol IC’s Minor Actions
is always given over to Matrix Perception. Reroll
the Matrix Perception test once per minute."

I tried to ask for clarification on this in a facebook group and I'm seeing an interpretation of it that seems wrong to me?

From reading that paragraph, I take it to mean that if a user has admin access via backdoor entry and probe, then its not unusual for patrol IC to scan them once per minute. But when I asked for clarification on this, someone said that as a GM I'm allowed to just decide how often Patrol IC scans using that roll that I made, saying that I'm allowed to force the player to roll against Patrol IC every combat round using the same hits I made on the first roll, or every time the user makes a major action, which I think is kind of ridiculous and overpowered.

In 5E they apparently literally laid this out and said that Patrol IC shouldn't be used every combat turn, but I don't see anything specifically stated in the 6E raw book.

[Michael Chandra]

You're leaving out the part where I said that scanning every turn only can happen if you're running silent in an otherwise-empty Host, with nobody else for the Patrol IC to scan.

My interpretation is that the roll serves for its hits on its Matrix Perception actions, which you reroll once a minute, so you're not rerolling every time it scans something. It also explicitly notes the Patrol IC is using 1 Action on Matrix Perception at any given time. Scanning a specific icon in detail is a single opposed Matrix Perception Test, looking for hidden icons is a big opposed test. That interpretation makes the language make sense. If it was supposed to be 'Patrol IC scans once per minute', I think it would have said so. Instead, it notes a single roll applies to all actions taken during a minute, and that it's constantly doing said action.

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

Consider the "once per minute" rate to be a very loose guideline for simplicity's sake. The rule isn't saying Patrol IC has a special version of Matrix Perception that takes 1 minute to execute but simultaneously hits every icon inside the host.

Patrol IC execute an inspection/Matrix Perception every round... a round is 3 seconds long, 20 rounds per minute, 60x20 matrix perceptions per hour, etc etc. 

However their job means they have to inspect ALL the icons in a host.  Even though Patrol IC scans once every 3 seconds or so, it doesn't mean it scans YOU every 3 seconds or so.  There's lots of other icons getting scanned, too. 

If the host is more or less busy, you might get scanned more or less often. 

EDIT:  The author of the matrix rules chimed in on that facebook thread, and I stand partially corrected.  It's only a MINOR action for IC to execute a Matrix Perception, and therefore they're cranking lots of them out every 3 seconds...

[aaronburrsir]

in case someone ever comes across this question again:

"Ok ... need to chime in here I guess.
True legal access doesn't exist for a hacker. If you hack your way then you are vulnerable to being detected as not belonging there... period.
Patrol IC by default only scans once a minute ... BUT I purposefully leave it up to the GM to change that if they want a more secure (paranoid) Host. And yes its a minor action for it to perform a matrix perception check just like it is for someone with a cyberjack or resonance score."

@Michael Chandra - looks like you were mostly right that it's up to the individual host owner, but at the same time, I'm glad I was able to get some "official" confirmation from Robert.

[Xenon]

A hacker that have not yet alerted the host (by entering via a backdoor) will typically have to oppose a matrix perception check every 1 minute or so that the hacker spend inside the host.

(if running silent - a hacker that is not running silent will automatically be spotted, in this edition it seem as if hackers are assumed to always run silent while hacking a host).


If GM have reasons then Patrol IC might scan more often (or less often) than that.

In the previous edition it was suggested that patrol IC would check more often in a low rated host (that typically have less traffic / less icons to be scanned) and less often in a high rated host (that typically have more traffic / more icons to be scanned). This might very well be intended in this edition as well.


If the hacker perform an attack action (brute force, data spike, tar pit) then I would say Patrol IC will probably perform a matrix perception check against the specific hacker at least once every combat turn.


slipped by aaronburrsir

[Hobbes]

Hackers don't always need to Run Silent.  Most Hosts should have many Persona Icons in them at all times.  It's how the Sixth World wage slaves work.  You're just another Icon going about it's Icon business. 

Some hosts (Black Site type things) would be sparsely populated so you'd want to Run Silent.  But often just hiding in plain site looking like any one of the dozens/hundreds of other Wage Slave Icons just doing your thing is the easy way to do it.

Depends on the Host of course. 

[Xenon]

In SR5 a hacker appeared to be a legit user in the host. While the act of placing a mark on the Host was illegal, having a mark on the Host was not. In that edition they even hinted that you could look more suspicious if you ran silent inside a Host with no other silent running icons, than if you didn't. And on a failed sleaze action you would automatically be spotted no matter if you run silent or not. Game mechanic wise you would probably only run silent just before performing an immediately obvious attack action.

In SR6 a hacker will never appear to be a legit user in the host. The intent seem to be that if spotted in this edition then Patrol IC will automatically know you don't belong. If you run silent then you get to oppose the test. If you don't run silent then you will automatically be spotted. In this edition there is also no negative dice pool modifier for running silent. In this edition it seem as if hackers are supposed to run silent when hacking a host.

[Michael Chandra]

The fun part is that this means that you often want to break into a Host while it's busy. On the other hand, when it's quiet, likely the Spider's merely on standby and enjoying some trid shows, so the Host likely is undefended. During the workday, you should target lunchtime and shift changes.