[kirk]

Probably. But they're not thinking about it and so they're treating it as going off with no mana effect.

This isn't for wilderness use. It's in a stable location. Background doesn't change randomly. If there's a changing background count it's either known (there's a graveyard in that corner of the property) or you have a problem.

You've got a patrolling spirit (or spiritS) who are supposed to report or run off unwelcome astral presences. If it goes off due to unnoticed astral visits you have a problem.

That leaves "wild spells". Now remember I'm using geiger counter not dosimeter model. So you've got a spell that's triggering on an employee (or a group of employees). If there isn't a path of alarms that has one of your mages connected to it (his alarm should be going off frequently, doncha know) then you have a problem.

If the problems happen a lot you bring in the tech, who has fairly high assensing, and she looks for astral signatures. 3 hits is all she needs to know the source, 5 to know what was done, and a repeated absence of success means someone's wiping the trail.

[Reaver]

Actually, depending on how you want to imply it, "false positive" could mean a lot of things. In this case I meant that the badges could be tripped when no actual theat was there. (yes, there HAD to be a change for the badge to register, but that cause was not a threat)

Also remember (if I read it right) that your "badge" is responding to mana in the trigger, thus a dual natured critter could set it off as well. And so could awakened plants and the like.

With that in mind, I think it would work great in low magic facilities where there is a low chance of running into paracritters, mages, or parafauna. But in a high magic area, or in a Corp with a high number of awakened employees, paracritters and magical plants, your chances of a "false positive" goes up.
I.E: Sam the Mage walks too close to Sally the receptionist at the water cooler with an active foci. Or Mary the flower lover sniffing the awakened roses. Or even Nugget the cerebus hound giving acidic kisses to Paul the gardener. All these things the badge could pick up (again if it came within 4 inches of the badge) and are all examples of a "false positive"

Also, it's only half the system. The other half is the protocol that comes in when an alarm is tripped. This could be anything from a phone call to that employee so he can answer a challenge, to full mobilization of a heavy security team.... And this is where companies can fall down.

If everytime an alert is sounded the building goes on lock down and a HTR team is mobilized... All for a "false positive" (fuckin Jack cuddling the hellhounds...AGAIN!!!) then things get expensive fast (mainly through lost productivity) not to mention stressed out employees.

However, if the protocol is a simple call to the commlink of the tripped employee with a challenge (today's passcode please Tim... And stop smelling the awakened tulips!) then it could be alright.

Again, it think it's a great idea for low magic corps/facilities.

[Sichr]

You are suddenly trying to switch this topic to low security when you started the thread talking about if the badge is triggered the room going on lockdown and generating response teams. I have never seen anything like that in a low security area. Remain consistent in your scenario if you want a fair critique.

You are right about layers of security for obvious and overt security zones, not so much for secret labs and hidden facilities. Again, I think you need to be more concise in what exactly you are talking about.

Of course, on one point you are right, I do think it is a bad idea. Both in terms of effectiveness, cost and implementation

I did mention the lockdown and response teams. I also mentioned the layers, and use with outside perimeter patrols, and all the rest. I'm not changing the scenario, I'm refusing to be locked to only one small part.

That said, I can indeed see it in the higher security areas. I can draw a full diagram if you want, but there's no need. You have fluctuating backgrounds and variable wards and multiple spirits randomly but densely patrolling and, well, things that when you add them up cost a heckuva lot more than giving everyone a globadge.

eh. I still can't see how 30,000¥  to purchase badges for 500 employees is "too expensive." Not given the costs that have to go into commlink security and physical security and, well, and other magic security.

You know...with every hall warded separately, and with watcher spirit in every hall, every of this 500 eployes triggers an alarm maybe 5 times just going to the toilet. 2 times a day average...thats 10 alarms a day just for pissing. 5000 alarms a day.

Well prepared run, when you are influencing specific personel to carry our specific task, means...Runners taken this into consideration, and provided target with false bage. Using spirits power to kill that GlowMoss is one time trigger. Advanced masking matemagic makes this obsolette, since mage is able to mas his spell and Glow Moss is incapable of noticing it.

[kirk]

But pressure pads and beam sensors in relatively high traffic areas aren't a problem? Oh, and light sensors aren't any good because they'll always be going off. GPS? Can't do that, every time a guard walks into a sensitive area those alarms will be going off as well.

Look. It's a sensor; a tool. Like all the other tools if you try to use it everywhere and all the time it's worthless. If you use it with a bit of planning and common sense it creates another layer of security for runners to engage. No more, no less.

[CanRay]

The weakest link in any security chain is the human on.  If an alarm keeps going off for no reason ("Motion Sensor Five is going off again."  "Damnit, why can't we just cut that tree down?  The branches keep setting it off when it's windy."  "It's on city property, we can't legally do it, the city does."  "Damnit.  And they'll get around to it..."  "When they got the budget."  "Oh, never.") the likelihood of it being investigated goes down.

Especially if it's cold and miserable out.  ...  Who has an Spirit or Spell handy to make things miserable outside?

Contacts, recon, and a bit of common sense are all essential.

[Mirikon]

Background count does not "just change". It has to be made to do so, whether by temporary action (such as cleansing) or as part of a longer and more drastic change. It does not happen in a vacuum and it doesn't just wander around.

Unless Astral Hazing is involved...

[JustADude]

Background count does not "just change". It has to be made to do so, whether by temporary action (such as cleansing) or as part of a longer and more drastic change. It does not happen in a vacuum and it doesn't just wander around.

Unless Astral Hazing is involved...

That's still being "made to do so".

[Zilfer]

Background count does not "just change". It has to be made to do so, whether by temporary action (such as cleansing) or as part of a longer and more drastic change. It does not happen in a vacuum and it doesn't just wander around.

Unless Astral Hazing is involved...

That's still being "made to do so".

A person with astral hazing doesn't necessarily "make it happen" it's kinda just a consequence of them going into that area....

[JustADude]

Background count does not "just change". It has to be made to do so, whether by temporary action (such as cleansing) or as part of a longer and more drastic change. It does not happen in a vacuum and it doesn't just wander around.

Unless Astral Hazing is involved...

That's still being "made to do so".

A person with astral hazing doesn't necessarily "make it happen" it's kinda just a consequence of them going into that area....

Right, but they're still an additional stimulus coming into the equation and altering the balance. The background is "made to" change, regardless if they actually intend to "make it" happen. Thus the phrasin.