 (SR3) Size of a cyberdeck, Challenge for those who know too much |
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 Apr 20 2007, 08:51 AM
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#1
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Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 124 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 1,812  |
Can anyone point me to the SR3 reference, if there is one, as to the size or weight or concealability of a standard portable cyberdeck?
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Apr 20 2007, 11:26 AM
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#2
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Incertum est quo loco te mors expectet; Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 6,546 Joined: 24-October 03 From: DeeCee, U.S. Member No.: 5,760 |
From what I understand reading the fiction, a cyberdeck is about the size of a textbook or small laptop. Maybe about 10" across, 5 lbs.
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Apr 20 2007, 12:14 PM
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#3
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,006 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
Rigger 3, page 146. A cyberdeck requires .15 CF, or .01875 cubic meters.
(You weren't looking for a sane answer, were you?) ~J |
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Apr 20 2007, 01:01 PM
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#4
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,066 Joined: 5-February 03 Member No.: 4,017 |
That is sane, it's just not intuitive.
.01875 m^3 = 18750 cm^3 a cube roughly 26.5 cm on a side, or 10.4 inches on a side. Reshape as desired, maintaining volume. |
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Apr 20 2007, 01:40 PM
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#5
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,095 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Ontari-airee-o Member No.: 1,115 |
I have always played a cyber deck as being the size of a thick keyboard. Basically a keyboard with an extra 1/2 inch under for components.
I will also have more compact versions, (sometimes small enough to be compressed into a wristwatch/bracelet, but they are always less powerful versions. They at least give you a bit of protection instead of decking naked.) |
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Apr 20 2007, 02:01 PM
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#6
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,006 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
Maybe I miscalculated. A few years back, admittedly at 2:00 in the morning, I determined a remote-control deck to be about the size of an iPod Shuffle (old generation, not the current ones that are even smaller). I'll have to redo the math once I get out of class. ~J |
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Apr 20 2007, 02:06 PM
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#7
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,066 Joined: 5-February 03 Member No.: 4,017 |
I could've as well, but I didn't do the cube root by hand and I think there's 1,000,000 cubic centimeters in a cubic meter. Now, that doesn't mean all that space is inherently deck, some of it could be docking or or some other irritating overhead. Or just a container space large enough to hold any standard deck, not custom fit for a specific one. |
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Apr 20 2007, 03:18 PM
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#8
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
This is how they are first described, back in the SR1 rulebook. Sorry, no page ref, no books on hand ATM. I just finished rereading it though. |
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Apr 20 2007, 05:28 PM
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#9
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,579 Joined: 30-May 06 From: SoCal Member No.: 8,626 |
Judging by the artwork and the fact that it is 80's inspired, I always imagined them to be the size of a synthesizer keyboard.
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Apr 20 2007, 05:56 PM
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#10
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,006 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
Ok. One CF is a cube .5m to a side, or 50cm to a side. That means we're going to have 50*50*50 cm^3, or 125,000 cm^3. We want 3/20ths of this, so we have 18,750cm^3. So far it matches what you said. That's going to be… yeah, your math is correct. I'm not sure where I went wrong.
Ok, so apparently a typical cyberdeck is about three-quarters of an inch thicker than an IBM Model M if we give it the same length and width. That's reasonable, maybe a little smaller than the pictures (but the Model M was pretty wide). ~J |
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Apr 20 2007, 11:48 PM
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#11
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,640 Joined: 6-June 04 Member No.: 6,383 |
Cyberdecks are the size of those massively heavy 1980s era laptops and twice the weight. Furthermore, any screens or monitors attached to them will, for some reason, only display green text.
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Apr 21 2007, 04:32 PM
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#12
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 355 Joined: 24-August 02 From: Magna, Ute Nation Member No.: 3,166 |
I have "new" decks come out in my game every so often that are smaller than the "old" decks. If you use SOTA rules, shrink them whenever there's a boost.
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Apr 21 2007, 06:29 PM
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#13
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,556 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Seattle Member No.: 98 |
I always imagined the old Commodore 64 (big fat keyboard, included RAM, processor, etc) as the model for the cyberdeck.
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Apr 21 2007, 07:47 PM
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#14
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Creating a god with his own hands Group: Members Posts: 1,405 Joined: 30-September 02 From: 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:1 Member No.: 3,364 |
Now here's the real kicker:
How do you fit all that into someone's skull? |
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Apr 21 2007, 07:59 PM
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#15
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,006 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
You push really hard.
~J |
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Apr 22 2007, 09:06 PM
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#16
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,640 Joined: 6-June 04 Member No.: 6,383 |
If Total Recall was any indication you just gotta jam it up the nose.
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Apr 23 2007, 05:25 PM
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#17
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 246 Joined: 26-January 06 Member No.: 8,198 |
Here's another tricky question me and my friends came up with:
Whats the size of all the decks components? Each BSEM attr is a opti chip which are penny sized if I remember correctly. Storage memory is noted to fit in at least a small HUD (SR3 book) so about the size of a jumpdrive. Cant forget the datajack port or the Matrix Interface. Need something the size of a USB hub for all those FUP ports. This MAYBE equates to a tea cup saucer size. Can anyone else think of things? |
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Apr 23 2007, 07:16 PM
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#18
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Genuine Artificial Intelligence Group: Members Posts: 4,019 Joined: 12-June 03 Member No.: 4,715 |
Plus about 0.14 CF worth of AWESOME. :-)
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Apr 23 2007, 08:34 PM
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#19
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Ain Soph Aur Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,477 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Montreal, Canada Member No.: 600 |
Well, a deck can be bigger than its minimal size. A cranial deck is going to be the minimal size. But an external deck can be any size you want it to be. Could be bigger, for ergonomic or style reasons.
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Apr 23 2007, 09:26 PM
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#20
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Bushido Cowgirl Group: Members Posts: 5,782 Joined: 8-July 05 From: On the Double K Ranch a half day's ride out of Phlogiston Flats Member No.: 7,490 |
[edit]
...the SR3 version of my then Decker Violet basically built a deck comarable to a souped up Renraku Kraftwerk in the case of a 2050's version of the Leapfrog™ notebook comp. |
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Apr 24 2007, 12:52 PM
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#21
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 124 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 1,812 |
Well, the reason I'm asking is for a spook face type character, who has a cyberdeck of very low rating (MPCP 3 or so) with minimal components and programming, with peripheral components like an RF scanner etc attached to it. The idea being the sort of low-level hacking a thief does (for example, remote access of household components like the video pickup on a trid/telecom). Because the character concept doesn't really fit lugging around a keyboard-sized monstrosity I'm planning on sticking the components inside a Pocket Secretary casing for ease of concealment, thus the question.
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Apr 24 2007, 06:42 PM
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#22
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Grand Master of Run-Fu Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 6,840 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Tir Tairngire Member No.: 178 |
You can always pay to have the concealability of an item improved. It's on page 291, BBB. IIRC, the coneal of a standard deck is 3, so you can probably get it down to something reasonable with a reasonable price increase.
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Apr 24 2007, 07:49 PM
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#23
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Creating a god with his own hands Group: Members Posts: 1,405 Joined: 30-September 02 From: 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:1 Member No.: 3,364 |
as an engineer, i'd allow the compact form factor, but stick you on power. no using it for hours at a time. you'd have to plug in.
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Apr 24 2007, 09:25 PM
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#24
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Bushido Cowgirl Group: Members Posts: 5,782 Joined: 8-July 05 From: On the Double K Ranch a half day's ride out of Phlogiston Flats Member No.: 7,490 |
...there are also additional rules for downsizing and disguising equipment in SOTA 2064. For playing a spook character that would fit right in. |
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Apr 25 2007, 03:30 AM
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#25
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,640 Joined: 6-June 04 Member No.: 6,383 |
Aha, but the problem with that is since decking theoretically only takes microseconds that wouldn't actually constitute a drawback. The user could just keep the cyberdeck turned off until its needed. |
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