SHADOWRUN MATRIX 2.0 HOST GENERATOR version 1.0: 10 December 1995 This program allows gamemasters to quickly generate random hosts for matrix runs under the revised decking rules found in the Virtual Realities 2.0 sourcebook for the Shadowrun RPG. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS To run the Matrix 2.0 Host Generator, you need a PC with Windows 3.1 or higher -- the program was written under Windows 95 -- and the file VBRUN300.DLL located somewhere where Windows can find it (in your \windows\system directory for instance). Everything should work fine on any PC that complies to these requirements. HOW TO USE IT It's easy enough: start up MS Windows, and then the program called Matrix Host Generator.EXE (Matrix~1.EXE under Windows/DOS versions other than Windows 95). On your screen will be a window with the following options: HOST NAME: here you can enter any name you like for the host you're about to design. A few words can activate hidden features like a scroller... SYSTEM RATINGS: in these two boxes you can indicate the host's Security Code and Intrusion Difficulty; pressing the Generate System Ratings button then rolls for the various system ratings as per the Random Host System-Rating Table on page 31 of Virtual Realities 2.0. Pressing the Random button does the same, but also selects a random host color and difficulty level. TRIGGER STEP SETTINGS: behind Number Of Steps you can enter the number of trigger steps you want the security sheaf to have. In the Passive Alert and Active Alert entries you can indicate the highest trigger step at which you want these allerts to occur. Pressing the Generate Trigger Steps button will roll for the security steps and the IC that is activated at each step, following the Random IC Allocation rules on pages 63-64 of Virtual Realities 2.0. The Random button generates a random number of trigger steps, and random Passive and Active alert levels, in addition to creating the actual steps. Note: if you have not yet generated system ratings, these are automatically created when you press either button in the Trigger Step Settings section. TRIGGER STEPS: all generated trigger steps appear here. If you don't like what comes up, you can edit the text simply by placing your mouse pointer in the text area and pressing the left button; a cursor will then appear in the text. PAYDATA: any Paydata Points that may be found on the system can be seen here. On start-up, the word "None" is here, meaning no paydata is present. Pressing the Generate... button brings up a different window, which is explained under PAYDATA WINDOW, below. BUTTONS: at the left-bottom of the window are two buttons: Generate All Ratings does all of the above by the press of one button, while Quit instantly closes down the Host Generator. Any data in it is LOST if you press the Quit button, so be careful. MENU BAR: the menu bar is at the top of the screen, and has three options: File, Ratings, and About. FILE: this menu has three options: Save Host Data, Print Host Data, an Exit. Save host data opens the SAVE HOST WINDOW, for which see below. Print Host Data brings up the PRINT HOST DATA WINDOW, also see below. Exit closes the program in the same way as pressing the Quit button (see above) does. RATINGS: the functions here duplicate the Generate All Ratings, Generate System Ratings, and Generate Triger Steps buttons, and the Generate button in the Paydata section. ABOUT: the only option here brings up a window with information about the Matrix 2.0 Host Generator. PAYDATA WINDOW: this is brought up by pressing the Generate... button in the Host Generator window, or by selecting Paydata... from the Ratings menu. Here you can either randomly roll to see if paydata can be found (as on pages 66 and 67 of Virtual Realities 2.0), or manually enter the number of points and/or data density. Pressing Roll generates random values, pressing OK returns you to the Host Generator using the values current values, while pressing Cancel returns you to the Host Generator without changing the old values. Also indicated in this window is the value of the paydata, in nuyen, and any defenses that might be present. This is entirely following the rules on page 67 of Virtual Realities 2.0. SAVE HOST DATA WINDOW: here you can select a file to save the host data into; this is done in the normal Windows style, so it needs little explanation here. One thing to keep in mind is that it WILL NOT ask you whether you want to overwrite existing files, so there is a danger that you destroy important files if you are not careful. Use this at your own risk. Host data is saved as a plain ASCII file, and if multiple sets of host data are saved in the same file, each is placed after the previous. PRINT HOST DATA WINDOW: not much explanation is needed here -- pressing the OK button prints out the current host data to your standard printer (make sure it's switched on), while pressing Cancel returns you to the Host Generator. WHAT IT DOESN'T DO The most important thing the Matrix 2.0 Host Generator is lacking is that it will not generate constructs or party IC. If any are rolled up for a trigger step, the text "Construct/Party" will be listed instead, with the color of the IC in question. Also, if you're still using the decking rules found in the original Virtual Realities sourcebook and the Shadowrun Second Edition rulebook, this program is of no use to you. It is not able to generate random matrix systems per the rules on pages 192 and 193 of the Shadowrun Second Edition rules. DESIGN HISTORY 071295 Got the idea for the designer and started programming 101295 Version 1.0 finished FEEDBACK Let me know what you think of it, what you'd like to see improved, altered, left out, added, and so on. Send email to gurth@xs4all.nl, and visit the Plastic Warriors homepage at http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/plastic.html. COPYRIGHT CRAP Shadowrun and Matrix are registered trademarks owned by FASA Corporation. Virtual Realities 2.0 is a trademark owned by FASA Corporation. Used without permission. The Matrix 2.0 Host Generator may be copied and distributed freely -- consider it freeware -- as long as neither the host generator file nor this text file are modified in any way, and both are distributed together. The Matrix 2.0 Host Generator is copyright 1995 by Gurth.