Unfortunatly, nobody can tell you what the Matrix is.

Bullshit.

It's a computer generated world in which you live. There, 9 words, done.

What nobody can do is explain or use the rules for the damn thing in Shadowrun. Seriously, pick up the books (any version) and read the rules. I challenge you to explain them in less than a page and then say the following words "They sound fun."

either (a) you will do it (poorly, and lying your ass off) or (b) you won't do it or (c) you won't be able to do it.

Either way, it leaves me with a bitch of a problem. I have two characters (not players mind you - who are prosocial and play well) who just screw the session by using the d6 computer skill I ripped from d20. It works, but I can see the rolling of the eyes from other players when they bust out their commlinks. I feel it too. It may be fun for them, but as long as they are hacking, everyone else can go get a soda or something. Just kills the flow of the game.

So I was hunting for something else. Something that did not train-wreck the whole session with computer dice-terbation. I found my old White Wolf Aberrant game and the Nova power "Cyberkinesis" which is so simple it fits on about a page and half and does pretty much exactly what deckers do in Shadowrun in a fast, simple, not-annoying way.

I will be stealing it and posting a few idea on how it will work here. I will call the posts "Matrix-fu".