 Commlinks, Communications, and other Questions |
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 May 16 2006, 10:59 PM
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#1
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Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 169 Joined: 13-December 05 From: Portland, OR Member No.: 8,070  |
I'm working with a new crop of players to put together a new SR4 game, and I have a few questions.
1. So you've purchased your commlink. I'm assuming that this pretty much replaces all personal computers. Your commlink can pretty much do anything, right? Mix music, edit video, play counterstrike, remote control your TV, collect and sort on-the-fly data transmissions between your paty, etc? 2. Again, you've just purchased your commlink, as has everyone else in your party. What accessories do you need to use them as communications devices? What do you need in order to walk into a store, pick up a stuffed tiger, and have your commlink instantly pay for it? What do you need in order to sit with your chums at the meeting and talk to each other without saying a word? 3. Now, you wanna go full VR. What accessories do you need in order to do this? 4. What is the function of the Datajack these days? 5. You decide to install your commlink in your head cybernetically. I'm assuming you'll need a datajack if you wish to manually install software upgrades. Is a display link necessary for viewing AR? Do you need a Sim Module to "jack in" to VR? What about using your fingers to interact with AR? If you've got it cybernetic, can you control it mentally without the need of using your fingers or a keyboard to manipulate AR? 6. Say you wanna play a character who is a rigger, working as the team's Getaway Driver. She has an awesome rigger-adapted sportscar, and likes to sit in it front and center. What would be the benefits of driving this vehicle while manually datajacked in? What about if instead controlling it with a wireless connection? Can you Fully VR-control a vehicle while manually datajacked in? Thanks in advance to any and all who can help out. |
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May 16 2006, 11:23 PM
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#2
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,754 Joined: 9-July 04 From: Modesto, CA Member No.: 6,465 |
Yes.
With an external (non-cyber) comlink you can talk or use a sub-vocal mic, with a trode-set you can "mentally" talk (plug trodes cable into comlink), datajack functions like a trode-set. This also applies to interacting with AROs and other AR objects or you can use AR gloves if you have no trode-set. With an internal (cyber) comlink you can mentally vocalize and interact with AR.
A sim module attached to your comlink. A "Hot-Sim Module" makes you a bad-ass.
Much as it was before except since most things are wireless, it's a nice, secure backup.
No datajack is needed, you can wireless broadcast into and out-of the comlink.
No. YOu could use goggles, contact lenses, sun glasses, etc equiped with an image link, it just costs extra.
Yes.
You have to use AR gloves for manual manipulation. Correct, you really don't have a "manual" interface if you're pure cybernetic, or even partially given things like trode nets, contact lenses and AR Gloves. Anyone can be a decker with zero cyberware.
From what I understand yes. |
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May 16 2006, 11:25 PM
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#3
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Beetle Eater Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,797 Joined: 3-June 02 From: Oblivion City Member No.: 2,826 |
Not using wireless while rigging prevents someone else from taking control of the vehicle via the wireless connection. |
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May 16 2006, 11:29 PM
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#4
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 152 Joined: 29-March 06 From: UCAS Member No.: 8,420 |
I wonder, what are the long term effects of having a wifi enabled device implanted in your brainbox?
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May 16 2006, 11:34 PM
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#5
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 565 Joined: 7-January 04 Member No.: 5,965 |
the datajack is currently a datajack, a chipjack, a knowsoft link, and a small amount of headware memory (enough for any 'reasonable' useage). all-in-one.
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May 16 2006, 11:44 PM
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#6
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 169 Joined: 13-December 05 From: Portland, OR Member No.: 8,070 |
The sub-vocal mic is acquired seperately, yes? And to use the datajack likewise, I'm assuming a Sim Module is necessary to convert the thoughts into understandable speech/text? Or is this just a bonus package function of trodes/datajack?
What are the numerical perks of the various forms of rigging the vehicle? Meaning, if you are at the steering wheel and jacked in directly, what do you get, as opposed to wirelessly driving it? |
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May 17 2006, 12:11 AM
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#7
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,754 Joined: 9-July 04 From: Modesto, CA Member No.: 6,465 |
Yes.
It sort of how impanted stuff works. If it's implanted then "you" can talk to it with via DNI (Direct Neural Interface) or plug into some other interface (wireless, datajack, etc.) and send your thoughts, speech, data, etc. there instead.
Someplace in the small rigging section there is a list of the benefits but I don't recall the bonuses off-hand. |
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May 17 2006, 12:43 AM
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#8
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Target Group: Members Posts: 31 Joined: 22-April 06 Member No.: 8,493 |
maybe you have BAD flashbacks of the outer limits shows all the time =P bustedkarma
:spin: :wobble: :rotate: :twirl: |
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May 17 2006, 06:25 AM
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#9
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 7,089 Joined: 4-October 05 Member No.: 7,813 |
don't think being jacked in helps rigging per se.
in order to get any bonus, you need to have a control rig. that being said, as a rather weird situation (which i recommend houseruling away personally) you can get that same +2 bonus with no cyberware by remote controlling your vehicle (program + skill instead of attribute + skill) in full VR (adds +2 to all matrix tests). of course, you could also rule that rigging a vehicle is a matrix action or whatever, so they could get +2 for being jacked in (hot sim only i think gets the bonus, not sure), and they could get an additional +2 for having a control rig. also, presumably if you are jacked in (depending on who you talk to, control rigs are either required or are better for it) you use your matrix initiative instead of your meat initiative. this would, for example, give 3 IPs if you were hotsim rigging it. |
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May 17 2006, 07:08 AM
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#10
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 341 Joined: 3-October 05 Member No.: 7,802 |
Could be wrong, but I think it said vehicle control rig was required to "jump into" vehicles and drones. Otherwise you'll just be giving it orders, and it uses its own autosofts to try and carry them out.
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May 17 2006, 08:48 AM
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#11
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,401 Joined: 23-February 04 From: Honolulu, HI Member No.: 6,099 |
In Sr3 with the rigger 3 stuff you used to get a bonus from jacking in, even without rigger gear, but that's mostly been absorbed by the AR bonus from SR4. Main benefit to datajacks I see is privacy. You can have a secure comm between yourself and another person by extending a datajack cable between your jack and theirs. Direct, unhackable. No subvocal needed.
Plus I'm the type that still likes to DJ connect my smartguns if I don't trust running a skinlink at the time. |
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May 17 2006, 11:27 AM
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#12
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,073 Joined: 23-August 04 Member No.: 6,587 |
For VR you need a simlink on your comlink and a trode net or data jack.
A data jack is wireless and you would practically never actually plug something into it. The purpose of a datajack s getting rid of the problems associated with triods falling off. Edward |
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May 17 2006, 03:53 PM
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#13
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
most likely only the comlink and a SIN. most likely a credit or debit account is connected to said SIN, and will be charged with the purcase automaticaly... |
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May 17 2006, 04:32 PM
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#14
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 7,089 Joined: 4-October 05 Member No.: 7,813 |
it says in one place you need it, in another place it just says it works better if you have it. like i said, depends who you ask what answer you get ;) |
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May 17 2006, 07:35 PM
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#15
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 371 Joined: 10-January 06 From: Regina Member No.: 8,145 |
According to the rules: controlling a vehilce via full-VR grants you a -1 Threshold to all driving tests. Whether the +2 dice from Hot-sim applies as well is up to the GM. A rigger-adapted vehicle being controlled by someone with a Vehicle Control Rig grants an additional +2 dice to vehicle test.
Now, to avoid confusion and make things more consistent I have house-ruled the following. Controlling a vehicle via full-VR grants +2 bonus to the driving test, stacking with the +2 bonus for Hot-Sim (this encourages players to always run Hot-Sim and thus be vulnerable to Black-IC). A Rigged vehicle being controlled via Full-VR with a Vehicle Control Rig gives a -1 Threshold. Basically I swapped the two bonuses around. I do this mainly because I want to make sure that Riggers are way better than anyone else controlling a vehicle with Full-VR, and IMO the -1 Threshold is better than +2 dice. Finally, in SR3 the VCR granted a -Rating modifier to vehicle tests and so the -1 Threshold in SR4 seems more "analogous" to me. I'm working on a Rigger 3 to SR4 conversion and all of this stuff is going to be in there. |
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