Updating Headware, Can't wait for Augmentation Options

[Eyeless Blond]

Here's a couple ideas for bits of headware I'd like to see in Augmentation:

[FrankTrollman]

First off: Math SPUs and Encephalons should not have a capacity at all. If they did, that would imply that you could get the same bonus with an external device, at which point the question becomes "why wouldn't these come standard on Commlinks?" No, the only way MathSPUs make any sense is if they are a nerve staple that makes you partially autistic-like in your ability to interface your thoughts and computer-math.

Secondly, I see no reason whatsoever for it to come in multiple levels. It should just be a reflex recorder in cyberware that comes for Computer, Hacking, Datasearch, and any Academic Knowledge skills that you can convince the GM it applies to. The integrated cronometer should come standard and gratis.

Price: 5,000 :nuyen: / .3 Essence

The Encephalon should just be a cybernetic cerebral booster, with ratings still available from 1-3.

Price: 2,000 :nuyen: / .4 Essence per rating.

-Frank

[blakkie]

Boo to more simple stat raising 'ware. Ya to more interesting 'ware.

That said i think 1/2ing the interval might be a bit much, also it brings up the issue of how long a halved a Combat Turn is. Maybe it could drop the Threshhold of Extended Tests by 20%. Rounded up, so a Threshhold of 6 becomes 5, and a Threshhold of 9, or 10, becomes 8.

Maybe you have to Take Aim to reduce the cover by 1/2, maybe getting the +1 die for Taking Aim as well? That's still pretty good.

I'm also not so sure about running programs separately outside the commlink, would have to think about that a bit more. Though there is an obvious reason why commlinks don't have them.....they do. ;)

[Rotbart van Dain...]

To be honest, given the processing power of a Commlink, I see neither benefit nor necessity from/for a SPU.

[NightmareX]

[blakkie]

[blakkie]

[Bandwidthoracle]

[Eyeless Blond]

Good point on the Capacity; consider it gone. For some reason I was thinking that headware could only be installed on meatbraind or cyberskulls; guess I thought wrong. And blakkie's suggestions look good to me.

Any other suggestions for SPU addons?

And I agree: boo to boring 'ware. :)

[FrankTrollman]

As for getting rid of "boring" ware, I both agree and disagree. There should be cyberware equivalents for most bioware and vice versa. So for example: if a generic bonus is currently available only as bioware, there should probably be a cheaper, less essence friendly version available as cyberware.

Furthermore, if something does something which is inherently the same as just giving you more dice (such as reducing thresholds or intervals), it should probably just give you extra dice. For consistency, if nothing else. Remember, one of the big selling points of SR4 is unified mechanics. Don't come up with five new mechanics for "you get done with the task in less time" when the game already has one that is standard.

Now, if you want some weird things for Encephalons and SPUs to do, there are plenty that don't just make things more complicated for no reason. For example:

A device could allow you to better interperate incoming data from AR that gives you an extra die or two whenever AR is giving you extra dice. So when a tactical computer is handing you bonuses, you get bigger ones.

A device could maintain a separate subscriber list, allowing you to keep tabs on more drones/agents.

A device could act as a circuit breaker in your PAN, essentially allowing you to maintain separate PANs that would have to be hacked separately. I would call this device a "meat locker", based on the flavor text that it works by having the different PANs communicate only through living neural tissue.

A device could move the awareness of AR data to your memory from your vision, allowing you to ignore distractions and visibility impairments from spammers and RFIDs while still allowing yourself to gain that information.

There are lots of things that devices can do. But non-die related success assurances are a step in the wrong direction.

-Frank

[Fortune]

I have to say that I agree with Frank on this. Any mechanics should fit seemlessly into already established canon methods.

That being said, I do like quite a few of the ideas here. :)

[Gothic Rose]

Agreed, on both counts. I like some of the things, but mechanics should be more generic. It's just how SR4 is.

[Eyeless Blond]

Point taken. How about the current revision?

[Chandon]

Frank: The book does use threshold reduction. For example, the photographic memory edge reduces thresholds for memory tests. It's true that most modifiers are dice pool modifiers, but there's a large advantage to threshold modifiers: They aren't extra dice to roll.

[hahnsoo]

[Elve]

I think the biggest difference in threshold modifiers is, taht you can get a thrshold of 0 or an autosuccess without rolling dice...

So with a photographic memory you just remember simple stuff, and driving VR is an successfull taks in easy situations...

[Eyeless Blond]

That said, the variable Threshold reduction had to go, as it was complicated but didn't really add anything noteworthy. Interestingly having the SPU add dice to Extended Tests works out basically the same as a percentage Threshold reduction in that case, because those extra dice are rolled over and over again.

As for the rest, how's it look?

[NightmareX]

Like the changes :)

Perhaps you could adapt a version of this old toy for the Math SPU?

[Eyeless Blond]

You know, I thought about that. There's only one problem: there are no ranged combat penalties for a moving target! Or, at least, I couldn't find them; can anyone else?

[Nikoli]

And I wouldn't use an arbitrary halving, mainly because attacker in a moving vehicle is -3 dice. i would simply say it reduces the penalty to dice by 1 or you'll get folks trying to argue the half die aspect, as the developers seem to have been very confused on their own mechanics; at some points in the mechnics desriptions they round up when halving and round down for others, with no guidelines as to when each should happen. There should have been one method for all cases, either up for down, but never both without a guideline to go with when a GM is going form the top of their head for a ruling

[FrankTrollman]

[blakkie]

Just tossing a wacky idea at the wall here, Smartlink II Kinematics Accelerator option for the SPU gives a penalty to the target's Dodge? Running target or not, it tries to predict possible Dodge options the target has, in the process limiting the possible successful moves/twitches/dekes the target could make.

[NightmareX]

[Fortune]

Personally, I think this new Smartlink add-on is a big Yuck! The bonus for a Smartlink is already enough, without penalizing the defender even more on his (probably quite limited) Dodge.

NIMG.

[blakkie]

I'm not so sure about so strongly linking it into the SL myself.

However if it only gives a -1 die (what i'm thinking is best since short of Full Defense targets don't normally get that many base dice anyway), and is cyberware only that's roughly in the neighborhood of a decent trade-off.

EDIT: Also IMO not linking it to SL at all makes it easier to fiat that it can't be duplicated in [commlink] software outside of cyberware. Unless you make a cyberware version of SL a requirement? Like i said, just tossing ideas out here.

EDIT 2: And remember, this isn't something that the hidden sniper can use to even futher tweak out. If the target doesn't get the roll, the attacker doesn't get the benefit.