[X] My Assistant

[fistandantilus4....]

So in your opinion, what is the most useful/versatile/bad-a/importnat/whatever peice of cyber? What is the one that you would not be without (assuming your runner has cyber)?

Personally, I'd go with either the commlink, because it gives you silent communication , or the eye camera. But that's just because I've played in a lot of campaigns where gathering evidence is important.

[Glyph]

I would go with cybereyes, almost by default. Smartlinks can come in many equally effective non-cybered forms now, and the ubituous datajack is not as central to SR4's wireless world. A cyber commlink is nice, but like the smartlink, it comes in an equally effective non-cybered version. The other 'ware is useful, but only to a full-bore sammie or hacker... not every character.

Cybereyes are the best because things like goggles are still clumsier and susceptible to being hacked, and cybereyes have a multitude of useful features that you can get with them. They are even better in SR4, because a camera and image link are part of the basic cybereye, before you even start adding in other stuff.

[Grinder]

I'm having the same opinion about the commlink. It's just so difficult to get a feeling for AR in the game.

[Butterblume]

In SR3 it was the smartgun, in SR4 i'd say wired reflexes (or the luxus variant aka synaptic boosters, of course ;)). Force multiplier in combat, AR hacking and even driving :D.
Commlink second, even my mage has one implanted.

[LaughingTiger]

I voted other:

The one you always think you'll never need and don't buy.

[fistandantilus4....]

Cyber-magnetic hand system? Or did you not have a particular one in mind, just a general statement?

[LaughingTiger]

just a general statement. It's going to be different for everyone. We've all that moment when we realized we were in a situation that was just so perfectly made for that one piece we looked at...

Then we buy it, that situation never pops up again. But paranoia makes you keep it.

[Ophis]

Eyes, win for me, the video camera function is so damn useful.
Sure Wireds are good but the camera thing has so many damn uses, it rewards clever thinking.

[emo samurai]

But... the sheer amount of power you get from wired reflexes!

[September]

Sleep Regulator. Five extra hours a day for the price of a good commlink. Sounds like a good deal.

[Jaid]

skillwires.

you can't get much more multi-purpose than that. and it's pretty dang cheap too, for what it does.

[Zolhex]

I went with wired but that was cause of no cyber-eye option.

I have to agree with others that say the whole cyber-eye. Heck you can get allot of the cool toys in the eyes then add in allot of the cool toys in the ears and spend less than an essance which means it works for any character.

Yes even magic types that get cyber would be better off going all out on eyes and ears in my opinion you can if I remember even stick in a cybered commlink and still be just under an essance or right at it. (at alpha level I do belive)

[Jaid]

most (if not all) of the functions of cybereyes and ears can be gained without cyber. i don't see the big deal. even the recording part shouldn't cost much of anything, just record onto your commlink's (effectively infinite) storage space and you've got the same effect. it's not all that much for a camera you know.

[Zolhex]

true Jaid but you can't put all the options into sunglasses that you can into cybereyes without haveing several sets of glasses capacity won't allow as much stuff as full cybereyes will.

[Kerberos]

[FrankTrollman]

...but for starting characters you can't get much into a set of contacts because of acailability. And after chargen you're pretty much at the mercy of fate as to what spy equipment you can come up with.

And lest we forget, a set of cybereyes isn't unusual or threatening - lots of people use them as a form of vision correction. So while you can certainly carry a camera in your hand, or even have one built into your tie, the fact of the matter is that doing that sort of thing can make you suspicious. Having cybereyes gives you all that functionality without forcing you to do or have anything unusual. You can use all that fancy and useful optical equipment while still blending into the background hum of humanity to all but the most invasive surgical procedures.

That's priceless.

-Frank

[Jaid]

well, i suppose if people see your camera that might be a problem. considering an RFID sensor costs 100 to get with a camera, i would have to question that you can't put a camera into a pair of glasses. there may not be explicit rules written out for it, but it's a bit silly to just say it's impossible just because there are no explicit rules that allow it.

[MrMiracle]

Commlink. Since nearly every item in the game has some form of wireless connectivity, theres no legit reason not to have one. Music player, camcorder/camera, mic, and gps. Plus, you can communicate with every device you own. Leave your smartlinked weapon somewhere where you can use it as a makeshift spycam. Load up a mapsoft and never get lost again. SR players being the people that they are will likely come up with a million uses that the writers and playtesters never thought of.

[Angelstandings]

I said commlink, and I wish I could change my answer because you don't need to have it implanted... So, it has to be Wired because you can't get a Wired Reflexes Zebra Jumpsuit Rating 2. :(

[mintcar]

Datajack. The only piece of cyber everyone should propably get (combined with image link). It´s the most basic you can get.

[Angelstandings]

[Squinky]

Wired reflexes+Reaction enhancers==the shit.

[hobgoblin]

[September]

Datajack still has several things a commlink can't do. Try slotting a linguasoft in your commlink. Not gonna work. Same with skillsofts.
Datajacks also have memory now. Useful for secure storage when everything else is wireless. For just a little extra money you get a data lock, even more secure.
Finally, you can now string your datajack's cable to someone else's for a conversation that's pretty much untappable. I'm sure you can think of some uses for that.

[Rotbart van Dain...]