What's a datajack for these days?, replaced by trodes? Options

[JonathanC]

I was in a game store last weekend, talking about starting up an SR4 game. One guy pointed out that datajacks are, for the most part, no longer necessary for hacking at all. He claimed (and I could not find anything to contradict him) that you can hot-sim using trodes, so basically there is nothing stopping a mage from being the best hacker on earth, I guess.

But rather than start up another "mages have it too easy" thing, I'm more interested in what this means for hackers. Granted, a datajack isn't much essence to give up, but trodes are cheaper too. And even if you wanted to transfer data to an internal commlink, couldn't you do it wirelessly anyway? So really...what are datajacks used for post 2070?

[FrankTrollman]

A Trode net is a disposable and vulnerable item. If you are running around sweating in a sewer, your trode net comes off. So if you do all of your hacking from an office in the comfy chair - wearing a set of trodes every time you run the matrix is a possible answer. If you want to hack on the fly in Shadowrun situations, then you probably want the jack.

For that matter, if you want to take advantage of data input/output while running around on Shadowruns, the datajack is for you. While you could wear a trode net in order to send wireless signals to your friends of stuff you thought of - that's unreliable.

Essentially it's the age old question of why people put vision mag in their eyes when they could carry perfectly good optical telescopes instead. The telescopes work just as well, they are justone more thing to carry and fragile enough to be unreliable once put through a combat situation.

-Frank

[Demerzel]

I'm a little less than impressed with the datajack now. From what I can tell the only benefit is that the Datajack contains memory. And since SR4 says any device has basically enough memory for anything you need for it, then it is essentially infinite storage.

I recall recently reading the description of the linguasoft and thinking that there was something there for datajacks, but I can't be certain without my book.

[JonathanC]

I've never thought of trode nets as being that unreliable. The paint-on ones, sure. They seem like they'd come off easy, but even then...they're described as being used by club-goers, who would be sweating all over the place. Presumably they aren't water-soluble. And if the paint-on ones can survive sweating, the more expensive permanent ones ought to as well.

Now yes, they can be taken away when you're captured, but that's not much different from the head jammer that a 'jack-wearing hacker would be fitted with if they were captured. I guess it kind of makes sense...old-school runners would stand by their datajacks, and the young'uns would be wearing their trode nets in multi-colored wigs/hats, or painting them on, looking like a bunch of club kids. :)

[Demerzel]

[deek]

DJ's also have ports for a couple knowsofts, IIRC.

But yes, in the wireless world, a DJ is not really a necessity. I would point out, that in the SR timeline, that just 5 or so years ago, DJs were necessary, so most characters at chargen should probably have one for no other reason then the times would have called for it a short time ago...

Now, 20-30 years into the future, I would think most runners wouldn't have one at all, unless you are a dedicated hacker and really need to be able to direct connect to a node...technology usually takes a few years to catch up, so without a DJ, you may run into nodes with no wireless access, so its safer to cover your bases.

[Rotbart van Dain...]

You know, you just could carry a port repeater with wifi/skinlink - for your internal comlink.

[Shrike30]

I prefer them because it means I've got the ability to make a hard-wired connection without having to wear my helmet, paste on my head, or a webbing of plastic and wires. The telescope comparison that got made earlier is quite valid.

Basically, there's some of us who would rather have something implanted than have to carry it around all the time. Anything that reduces the number and bulk of items you're carrying around is usually a good thing. I can certainly think of things I'd rather use a pocket for than carrying around a jar of nanotrode paste.

[Ravor]

I don't know, personally I view Datajacks as still being as common as earings are today, in part because its culturally expected for people to get one at their X Birthday, and also because it's a fairly secure and convient hub for any future DNI implants a person might get.

Besides, even if it isn't RAW, in my games if a runner falls off of a building or is otherwise jarred and bumped then a Trode connection just isn't going to cut it whether its built into an armored helmet or not. (Yeah, I also ignore the bit about your shirt being able to carry around the entire Libary of Congress as well.) :cyber:

[hobgoblin]

heh, one problem with the "library of congress" thing is that the library of congress keep on growing :P

[JonathanC]

[Demerzel]

[JonathanC]

Yeah. I know I said I was going to avoid arguing about this, but really...it kinda feels like the magic-related character options are inherently superior to cyberware users. I realize that in the "world" of SR, people don't have a choice in the matter, but players do, and I've noticed a general lack of interest from players in making non-magical characters because of this. And those who do have to deal with being noticeably inferior to their mage/adept friends.

[Demerzel]

There's something to be said for playing a character with an enhanced ruleset. If you play with SM rules and compare it to a character who is tied to the core only, then you'll see that the magical characters have more options, and can probably be made more powerful.

Consider the existance of Intuition based magical traditions, they didn't exist in the core rules, but now I can have an adept who's drain stat is directly tied to initiative. Just one of many examples.

When Augmentation and Aresenal are out I don't think you'll find that to be true anylonger.

[JonathanC]

[Ravor]

[Rotbart van Dain...]

It's always fun to illustrate the downsides of having a direct plug to your brain, too. ;)

[Ravor]

Sure, as in not being able to manually turn it off if your DNI control has been subverted, but since I want to encourage the direct plugs over trodes, in my games the trode nets have more downsides that an average Runner is likely to encounter then a properly set up and defended datajack.

*Edit*

And in my opinion its logical to do so given that the precident given to us by previous Editions have always stresed that a Datajack was the way to go, and even in Fourth the Datajack is the more expensive of the two options...

*Edit 2.0*

Oh and JonathanC I disagree that you necessary need a mage to counter another mage, even the most jacked up Mage out there will die if you pump enough bullets into him, and there is enough manatech floating around to at least warn the mundanes to Astral Intruders. (Not that Astral Recon is really the be-all/end-all given the problems that Astral Mages have when dealing with non-living mundane things.) Yeah, you do have a point in that Magic does tend to be the 'big-guns' in Shadowrun, but at least in my opinion the best route is a blending of both tech and magic and that in the end, I still believe that the two are roughly balanced provided that the DM enforces the downsides that Mages have to live with...

[Demerzel]

[kigmatzomat]

The difference between trode net and data jack is the same as between contact lenses and cybereyes. Anyone can use trode nets (good) but they can be taken away from you (bad) and are useless without a comm (bad). Data jacks are always there (good) and give you access to various Softs directly (good) but they take essence (bad).

Value depends on the character's perceived need and risk.

[JonathanC]

[Demerzel]

[bibliophile20]

Everyone keeps on forgetting that there's at least one campaign setting that renders magic effectively useless: Space.

One of my contingency plans if the magical PCs get too powerful is to have Mr. Johnson give them a space mission--or, better yet, if they've honked off Ares, the magic PCs are taken up the gravity well for some experiments (and if Ares can capture insect shamans, they can capture any metahuman magic user) and the other runners have the option of trying to break their buddy out or not--but it would still give them the chance for a fairly magic free campaign arc.

Additionally, there are other ways to discourage uppity magicians--one day they all wake up in a ditch somewhere, having been dosed with laes, and the mage is sporting a new cyberlimb or two (or three. Or four...).

[Jaid]

[Big D]

... Here we go again. I guess it's been too long since the last mage/sam fight.