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Dumpshock Forums _ Shadowrun _ Speaking of Computers in Cyberlimbs...

Posted by: Cray74 Oct 14 2003, 02:18 PM

If I recall correctly from Man & Machine, computers fall under the "big object" category to plant in cyberlimbs (or -skulls or -torsos) and thus are 5 ECU. Or 4. Big anyway.

And each ECU is, IIRC, about 50 cubic centimeters. So the entry for computer in the ECU table of M&M is 200-250cc, like a 5x5x8cm or 5x5x10cm brick, a 2060s desktop stuffed into the cyberlimb. Okay. (Well, it probably isn't a solid "brick," but it's 200-250cm of computer "stuff" wrapped around and through other limb components.)

So, my question: can you put a "wrist" computer into a cyberlimb? And if so, would it be .5 or 1 ECU?

Posted by: Sphynx Oct 14 2003, 02:42 PM

First off, Cyberdecks are 4 or 5. Computers are 3 ECU. So, 150cc using your algorithym.

As for Wrist Computer, if you wanted a Computer to take up fewer ECUs than 3, rather than buy a Wrist Computer and stuff it into a cyberlimb, I'd use the Improved Concealability rules on page 291 and increase the cost by 50% per -1ECU. So, if you wanted a Computer to drop from 3 ECU to 1 ECU, it would have a price markup of 200% or MemoryCost * 3.

FYI though, we House Rule that limb computers are 'pocket sized' to begin with, so for our game it would be MemoryCost * 15 for an ECU of 1 or MemoryCost * 17.5 for an ECU of 0.5 (making it cheaper than a wrist computer, FYI). This House Rule makes it a bit more sensable since the smallest Limb Computer would be just a wee bit larger than the Wrist Computer if you take cost into consideration. (Of course, once you DNI it, the Wrist Computer is alot cheaper. )

Sphynx

Sphynx

Posted by: Cray74 Oct 14 2003, 03:02 PM

QUOTE

As for Wrist Computer, if you wanted a Computer to take up fewer ECUs than 3, rather than buy a Wrist Computer and stuff it into a cyberlimb, I'd use the Improved Concealability rules on page 291 and increase the cost by 50% per -1ECU. So, if you wanted a Computer to drop from 3 ECU to 1 ECU, it would have a price markup of 200% or MemoryCost * 3.

Ooo...that's p291 of Man & Machine? That's a rule I've overlooked, and something I'm going to have to look up on my lunchbreak.

Posted by: Sphynx Oct 14 2003, 03:04 PM

No, that's the SR3/BBB book, page 291.

Sphynx

Posted by: Cray74 Oct 14 2003, 04:15 PM

QUOTE (Sphynx)

No, that's the SR3/BBB book, page 291.

Sphynx

How does improved concealability of surveillance devices affect ECU?

Posted by: Kagetenshi Oct 14 2003, 04:20 PM

It doesn't. He's extrapolating.

~J

Posted by: Sphynx Oct 14 2003, 04:45 PM

Exactly. It's a nice system to port-over to reducing ECU for certain items (such as computers) and makes alot more sense than to cheese a wrist-computer into a limb. As I said, it's what I'd use, not a Canon Source. If you want to stick to Canon, then wrist/pocket/desktop/etc all take 3 ECU.

Sphynx

Posted by: Cray74 Oct 14 2003, 04:53 PM

QUOTE (Sphynx)

If you want to stick to Canon, then wrist/pocket/desktop/etc all take 3 ECU.

No, I'm not sure canon says that. Canon (pg35-37 M&M) provides a table of different item sizes and their ECU requirements, and says to use that table as guidelines for determining the ECU of equipment.

"For equipment not listed on the table [on pg36], the gamemaster can establish an equipment capacity unit cost based on the gear's approximate size, using the Equipment Capacity Units Tables [pg37]."

You might argue the listed "computer" covers "wrist computers," but I'd go by commonsense and size of comparable items, which is the 1 ECU group (Knife, holdout pistol, cellphone, GPS, lockpick gun).

Posted by: Sphynx Oct 14 2003, 05:21 PM

Just as argueable is 3 ECU to cover the I/O ports you'll need. After all, a puter is useless without the ability to connect things to it unless you're using it as a Math SPU only. And a CyberHolster takes 4 ECU.

Seriously though, I think taking it down to 0.5 even is a plausable idea and my suggestion was to support it, not to suggest it wasn't possible or probable. But by Canon, computers take 3.0 and as far as you or I know, they meant a wrist-size one, if for no reason other than the need to access it through ports.

Sphynx