Okay, here goes.

Attitude introduced the wearable drone class, a drone that augments the wearer's strength and otherwise seems to work like a normal drone for modding.

Now, if it was armoured up, to work like powered armour, and rigged jumped in, by someone with a maxed out commlink, would that power arour allow them to run about with 5 IP?

Nope, its unpowered and cant move on its own the suit itself actually reduces your agility when wearing it

In 4th edition does jumping in basically shut down your motor functions like it did in previous editions (as well as decking?)

Be hard to walk around when you are a limp bag of meat and bones. Or a -8 dice modifier or whatever the equivelent to a +8 TN happens to be.

I guess it's like having a stirrup interface and jumping inside your body so that you're directly controlling your own body with your brain as if it was your own body... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohplease.gif)

So it's both underpowered and gives you it's own strength in stead of your own (implying it can move on it's own, otherwise it'd be useless)? That's what's confusing me with this thing.

It is powered Suit that uses Human motive force, but it augments that force a bit. For all intents and purposes, It is a Vehicle powered by the Human body. Think the Loaders from the Movie "Aliens"...

The loader from Aleins is coordinated by the controller'S body'y movements but oterwise uses it's own propulsion. I'm quite confused as to what happens if you jump into this drone (or augment it with armour and more strength, like with drone limbs, and then jump into it).

Don't have my book handy, unfortunately, but I would say that the Drone would need a Rigger Module, and then you treat it as a normal Drone. Though its stats would likely be something to be desired, since the body now no longer is controlling the movements. At least, without my book, that is what I would say. Will have to look at it again when I get home...

I tend to think about it as an exoskeleton, though. So, Who knows... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I guess it's similar to today's SARCOS suit (and seeing how the latest books tend to just inject 2011 into 2070 with a little magic sprinkled on the top, it wouldn't be surprising): it helps the wearer in his movement but doesn't move by itself. So if you jump inside it, you won't be able to move it since it's not able to move on its own.

Shockingly, everything about this suit/vehicle (why would you jump in?)/drone (why would it need a Pilot?) is poorly-conceived, and doesn't fit any existing rules. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) As long as you don't go looking for abuse, it might possibly be usable in play.

Indeed... I see it as useful for Longshoremen and people who do a lot of heavy lifting. *Shrug* (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I'm lacking the book so please forgive me, but it looks as though were talking about an intuitive power armour.

The suit has all the functions of a drone but can interpret the users movements and commands as though it were a piloted vehicle. Examples include assisted running, grappling, etc. all functions originate from the user and translate through the drone armour. I'd opt for AR controls over VR as the risks of personal danger increase.

Targeting and weapons systems could either be automated for defense purposes (point-defense actions) or controlled by the user by either pulling triggers, voice commands, or as easy as looking at a target to designate it for engagement during combat where the drone would control its weapon systems and open fire.

Alternatively for a DNI interface think about the Beauty and the Beast Corps. from MGS. They were rag-doll for the majority of the time in their suits going insane with all the data-feeds and murder mayhem. That is some advanced tech even for Shadowrun, although you'd expect the corps to be working on it in some black lab.

Now you could just as easily shove a dummy in the suit and jump-in like any drone and then hey you're piloting you're entourage as you breeze through the park.

for peoples reference


Iron Will: iron Will is an exoskeleton used to augment
the user’s strength for laborious tasks. it is 2.5 meters tall
and weighs 200 kg. it has no autonomy, nor was it built
for any remote piloting. When worn, treat the wearer’s
strength as 8, but reduce their agility by 1. iron Will can be
treated as a vehicle for upgrades.

IRON WILL
Handl Accel Speed Pilot Body Arm Sens Avail Cost
+0 —/— 0 0 6 4 1 14 3,500¥

Men—
and some women—then throw on overalls or a jumpsuit, with
small gears instead of buttons, some of which are augmented with
a hydraulic exoskeleton like the Iron Will. Manhattan’s unionized
dockworkers used the Iron Will hydraulic exoskeleton when they
were loading and unloading cargo in the early ‘30s and ‘40s. It’s
kind of like a manservant drone, but you wear it. As the prices
of augmentations and drones dropped, things like the Iron Will
became less popular, and now there’s maybe two hundred still
in use. Street artist Christopher Guidry, or “Gee Man,” has been
remodeling them into a more intimidating, metahuman-shaped
skeletal structure, complete with skullcap and welded ribcage. In
some versions, chemical reaction-created steam is used to operate
the actuators, mainly for the cool e ect of having steam wa ing
around you.

It cant move on its own, cant be rigged and doesnt improve anything about you apart from strength which appears to primarily be lifting strength as its effectively based off a wearable forklift.

A better question regarding it. While wearing it, do you get it's armor?

Ok, mistook it ... but given that example, something like this should be feasible:



Right?

Isn't MilSpec Armor with the strength upgrade already power armor? I think armor and vehicles should remain separate.

Don't forget that being a vehicle it makes the driver absolutely immune to damage as long as the vehicle is targeted (with the exception of FA bursts). Most likely the driver cannot be targeted without taking the target hidden modifier in the case of vehicle type Power Armor. This bonus should not be integrated into armor.

Yes, Armor and Vehicles should be kept miles apart...

Never forget that a Vehicle protects the "Driver" from Direct Combat Spells. They cannot typically be seen (Unless, of course, they are on a Motorcycle, and obviously visible). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Yes. See Military Armor with Mobility Upgrade, Hydraulic Legs and a sensor suite.

The point is, can I treat this as a drone and jump in, using my matrix initiative; and do passenger rules apply for damage. Seems like not.

I would have guessed it was the ultimate in wheelchair replacement. If there's less than 200 of these things then what are they using for wheelchairs in shadowrun?

Wheelchairs... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Because Attitude is full of shit that wasn't thought through at all?

Well, in all fairness, the Iron Will is a piece of technology that is phasing out because it is obsolescent. It was a piece of fluff, and nothing more. It should be treated that way... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

It should be treated according to the existing rules, keep armour and drone separate, and be described clearly. It does neither. And it was not a piece of fluff. It has stats. That's rules. Of course, that's why you keep rules and stats separate.

Too bad we don't have a 4th Ed "Rigger's Black Book" to show us the way...