Hacking Software

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MasterGwydion

Emperor Mongoose
As I understand it, from the CSC, all software in Imperial Space is basically proprietary. Correct? When I was young, and did things that may not be entirely legal, you could pirate software and then hack the software so that it thinks it is legally being used.

What is needed to do this in Traveller? What is the Electronics (computers) Difficulty? Is it one check, and extended check or what? My players have not asked for this information yet, but as one of them just wrote up a hacker after the last PC died, I figure that this question will come up eventually and I would rather be ready for it.
 
MasterGwydion said:
As I understand it, from the CSC, all software in Imperial Space is basically proprietary. Correct? When I was young, and did things that may not be entirely legal, you could pirate software and then hack the software so that it thinks it is legally being used.

What is needed to do this in Traveller? What is the Electronics (computers) Difficulty? Is it one check, and extended check or what? My players have not asked for this information yet, but as one of them just wrote up a hacker after the last PC died, I figure that this question will come up eventually and I would rather be ready for it.
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I’d say the difficulty is variable based on the software. A low end game won’t have the same level of security as jump software. Or security software for that matter.

Since the software likely won’t be able to dial home, I’d figure once it is done, it is done.
 
Terry Mixon said:
I’d say the difficulty is variable based on the software. A low end game won’t have the same level of security as jump software. Or security software for that matter.

Since the software likely won’t be able to dial home, I’d figure once it is done, it is done.
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Seems to be Diff 8 to Hack a computer with Security/0. Is that correct? If so, that allows you hack the computer, but how do I deal with the individual programs on the computer, such as Jump-1 or Digital Friend or an Expert Program?
 
Hijacking My own thread for a minute. I was looking through the CRB as a starting point to figuring out hacking in Traveller and I came across something that I had not seen before in regards to Spec Trading. It is not in the Trade Section of the book. It is on page 63 under Task Chains.

"TASK CHAINS Often, Travellers will find themselves performing a series of interlinked tasks or working as a group. Finding a buyer for a cargo of illegal goods, for example, calls for a Streetwise check to find a fence, then a Broker check to negotiate a price. The result of the Streetwise check could conceivably influence the quality and competence of the fence, which will affect the Broker check."

I did not know that Spec Trading functioned as a Task Chain. Add the Effect of the Streetwise Check to the Broker Check? With no bonuses on a roll of 12, that gives you a +5 to the Broker Check to determine price. That is about a 25% difference in price than if it were not a task chain. For buying and selling. So, roughly 75% purchase price and 125% selling price before you ever roll the Broker Check? Am I reading that right?
 
It seems that how long it takes to hack something depends on the Difficulty. Makes sense. I found this in the Traveller Companion under reprogramming transponders.

Formidable 14+ 2D3 days
Very Difficult 12+ D3 days

So, maybe I can continue this progression for the base time required to perform a hack.

Impossible 16+ D3 weeks

Difficult 10+ D3x10 hours
Average 8+ D3x4 hours
Routine 6+ D3 hours
Easy 4+ D3x10 minutes
Simple 2+ D3 minutes
 
Sigtrygg said:
What happened to CT writing your own software?
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Not sure that is a thing anymore. When CT was written everyone could be coding in their garages and be on the cutting edge of the field. That is no longer true. I used to make computers games in My cousin's basement. Now look how long it takes to put a game out and how many people are involved. That is just games. One guy writing a Self-Aware AI program by himself? I just don't see it.
 
MasterGwydion said:
Hijacking My own thread for a minute. I was looking through the CRB as a starting point to figuring out hacking in Traveller and I came across something that I had not seen before in regards to Spec Trading. It is not in the Trade Section of the book. It is on page 63 under Task Chains.

"TASK CHAINS Often, Travellers will find themselves performing a series of interlinked tasks or working as a group. Finding a buyer for a cargo of illegal goods, for example, calls for a Streetwise check to find a fence, then a Broker check to negotiate a price. The result of the Streetwise check could conceivably influence the quality and competence of the fence, which will affect the Broker check."

I did not know that Spec Trading functioned as a Task Chain. Add the Effect of the Streetwise Check to the Broker Check? With no bonuses on a roll of 12, that gives you a +5 to the Broker Check to determine price. That is about a 25% difference in price than if it were not a task chain. For buying and selling. So, roughly 75% purchase price and 125% selling price before you ever roll the Broker Check? Am I reading that right?
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It sounds like you’re right. Regular trade uses broker for finding the local broker. And then broker again for price. Or admin for online work on TL8+.

Can two rolls of the same skill do that? I would think so. Interesting.

1749566898140.png
 
My take is that the skill chain example could be dealing with a plot related cargo rather than trade as such. That is, the Referee has laid down the skill chain as appropriate to the specific circumstances. The example even frames it as "could conceivably influence", rather than "will influence".

The task chain example refers to a Broker skill roll that is not actually made, but you could interpret the price roll as being one, I guess.

However... the actual Broker skill of the fence or broker is set by the Referee. It's ASSUMED to be 2... but I could see a Referee using the Streetwise roll to affect what skill level they find. The better they make the roll the lower the opposing Broker skill. Adapting the Task Chain table, making the roll puts you up against Broker 3, succeeding by 1-5 gives the usual Broker 2, but an effect of 6+ locates a Broker 1 you can get a better deal from.
 
rinku said:
My take is that the skill chain example could be dealing with a plot related cargo rather than trade as such. That is, the Referee has laid down the skill chain as appropriate to the specific circumstances. The example even frames it as "could conceivably influence", rather than "will influence".
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Yeah, If I roll an Effect 0 it doesn't influence the outcome. If I roll anything other than an Effect 0, it will influence the outcome.
 
I was just thinking more about this. Technically, your Skill Rank is a modifier on every Skill Check. Sometimes with Ability Modifiers added on as well. Then you have all of the other modifers that can be added to skill checks such as Expert Software, Going Slower or Faster, etc.

My point is this. Your Skill Rank is only ever used as a modifier to rolls.
hopsnbaer said:
Yeah, except the price is not a Broker check. The Broker skill helps determines the DM for the price rolled on the modified price chart.
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This is what the Skill Rank does on every roll. It is always a DM. Shoot someone? 2D6 + Skill Rank + Ability? + other DMs?, etc. Roll for Spec Trading? 3D6 + Skill Rank + Ability? + other DMs.
 
MasterGwydion said:
I was just thinking more about this. Technically, your Skill Rank is a modifier on every Skill Check. Sometimes with Ability Modifiers added on as well. Then you have all of the other modifers that can be added to skill checks such as Expert Software, Going Slower or Faster, etc.

My point is this. Your Skill Rank is only ever used as a modifier to rolls.

This is what the Skill Rank does on every roll. It is always a DM. Shoot someone? 2D6 + Skill Rank + Ability? + other DMs?, etc. Roll for Spec Trading? 3D6 + Skill Rank + Ability? + other DMs.
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You’re not wrong. Even JoaT is really just a modifier that cancels all or part of the -3 unskilled modifier.
 
MasterGwydion said:
I was just thinking more about this. Technically, your Skill Rank is a modifier on every Skill Check. Sometimes with Ability Modifiers added on as well. Then you have all of the other modifers that can be added to skill checks such as Expert Software, Going Slower or Faster, etc.

My point is this. Your Skill Rank is only ever used as a modifier to rolls.

This is what the Skill Rank does on every roll. It is always a DM. Shoot someone? 2D6 + Skill Rank + Ability? + other DMs?, etc. Roll for Spec Trading? 3D6 + Skill Rank + Ability? + other DMs.
Click to expand...
You don't put your ability into the Spec Modified Price table. Skill Level +Dm from Purchase column -DM from Sale DM Column -DM Supplier's Broker Skill (assumed 2)
 
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