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Dumpshock Forums _ Shadowrun _ Mobile Matrix Jackpoints?

Posted by: Nightshade- May 17 2006, 05:40 PM

Is there such a thing as a mobile Matrix jackpoint? In my group they want to know if the Rigger can put a Matrix Jackpoint in his vehicle for the Decker.

Now, in the book it says you have to connect to a fiber optic cable and the point where you jack in is where you appear on the LTG\RTG or PLTG. Putting a mobile jackpoint in a vehicle kind of scratches that idea, right?

So, is the Matrix run with a satellite system or is it totally land based? And if it is totally land based if you want to get to an RTG that is say 3 RTG's away do you have to access each of those RTG's to get to the next one and the next one until you reach your point?

Please do me a favor and list what book, 3rd Edition preferably, and what page you are getting the information from to answer this question (I have a Rules Lawyer in the group.).

Posted by: Lindt May 17 2006, 05:59 PM

Matrix, though I dont know what page. Its got bits for Sat uplink, laser, radar and a few others.

Posted by: Ancient History May 17 2006, 06:43 PM

I think you're looking for a basic data tap and a really long cable.

Posted by: John Campbell May 17 2006, 06:44 PM

There are a number of wireless connectivity options available in Matrix, covered in the section starting on p.30. Satellite, cellular, and radio are probably the most viable for a vehicular connection.

Posted by: Telion May 17 2006, 10:37 PM

If a rigger network can support simsense information, then I see no reason a matrix feed couldn't be run over it. though I believe matrix runs at 1 round = 3 ns vs the 3 second for the typical combat round. Don't know if that would impose any problems, but I typically ignore the 3ns rule in favor of keeping everything running at the same time.

Posted by: Kagetenshi May 17 2006, 10:43 PM

You can tack a satellite on a vehicle pretty easily.

~J

Posted by: mfb May 17 2006, 10:46 PM

my favorite is to get a cheap flying drone, tape a satellite dish on it, then use cellular or laser to link to it.

Posted by: Kanada Ten May 17 2006, 11:01 PM

QUOTE

Now, in the book it says you have to connect to a fiber optic cable and the point where you jack in is where you appear on the LTG\RTG or PLTG. Putting a mobile jackpoint in a vehicle kind of scratches that idea, right?

Not really: your access point on a cellular network would shift as you entered a new cell, and the exact location could be (but isn't) triangulated by the LTG to display a real time representation on the grid. A satellite connection shows up as an I/O Port inside the satellite node - meaning you have to fight the satellite Access to Log On rather than the easy sleazy LTG (however, tracking to a physical location from the satellite is difficult, +8TN IIRC).

QUOTE

And if it is totally land based if you want to get to an RTG that is say 3 RTG's away do you have to access each of those RTG's to get to the next one and the next one until you reach your point?

I thought even SR3 said you could go to any other RTG from an RTG - that's why they list which LTGs fall under which RTGs but not which RTGs interconnect, because they all do. That has nothing to do with whether the RTGs use satellites or not.

QUOTE

my favorite is to get a cheap flying drone, tape a satellite dish on it, then use cellular or laser to link to it.

I was thinking about the optical drones from SR4 combined with the optical scanning datajacks of SR3 for something similar. Eyeball networking.

Posted by: Kagetenshi May 17 2006, 11:02 PM

QUOTE (Kanada Ten)

(however, tracking to a physical location from the satellite is difficult, +8TN IIRC).

Actually, it's flat-out impossible—all you get is that the other end of the link is somewhere in the satellite's footprint.

~J

Posted by: Kanada Ten May 17 2006, 11:04 PM

Interesting (is it daisy chain that's +8?). I think it should be technically possible, but you'd need a few satellite receivers within the decker's "spaceprint".

Posted by: Laser May 19 2006, 05:48 AM

QUOTE (Telion)

The protocols are completely different. You can get protocol emulation modules for deckers, but all that lets them do is interpret signals from a rigged network. You might be able to hack something up with those at both ends, but I'd impose a bandwidth limit as a penalty for doing something completely bass-ackwards.

On the other hand, it's easy to mount a satellite dish in a vehicle, and with the right protocols (they aren't even particularly expensive) the decker can use that.

Posted by: mfb May 19 2006, 05:55 AM

for those of you using SR3 who are interested in closer rigger-decker compatibility, http://www.shadowland.org/Shadowland/21/objects/page2127.html.

Posted by: Kanada Ten May 19 2006, 06:13 AM

I like the SR4 method, since really simsense is simsense. With only a datajack and sim module, one can receive "rigger" simsense, but can only "reply" using DNI (mental commands) without a control rig. The control rig - which is just a specialized simrig - reads the "innate" response to the simsense feed, bringing one from feeling the machine to being the machine.

Posted by: mfb May 19 2006, 06:19 AM

me too. but, well...

besides, i worked too hard on this stuff for it to just sit unused.