My munchkin's brillaint new idea, A robotic avatar Options

[ShadowDragon8685]

Frankly, I think he's gotten too used to this idea from playing Star Wars, but... Here's his latest idea.


He's taken one of his flying drones (Not a rotordrone, I think it's a vector-thrust drone or else one of those "it just flies" drones), has removed the killbot functionality...

And pimped it. Holographic wings. Gold and electrum inlaying. Holographic emote ability... The works.

Basically, he wants to use this drone as an avatar. He has asked me how people will react, but I stalled him...

In a world of AROs and the Matrix and magic... Is it really that crazy a concept? Esoteric, perhaps eccentric...... But is it all that hard to imagine? How would people react? How would things like shops, clubs, and such, react? How would Mr. Johnson react? How would the Star react? (He assures me he has paid for the permits to make the drone seem legal).

[Jaid]

depends on the person. it would probably go over just fine with the matrix crowd.

other than that, probably worth some extra social penalties, maybe some weird looks. it certainly stands out more than normal, imo, which is not terribly desireable from a *shadow*running POV.

[kzt]

I have my doubts people would want a vector thrust drone flying around inside their store. It's not totally insane, but it's kind of odd.

The critical drawback is that without encryption anything he's seeing and saying is essentially being sent across the matrix in the clear. Would you email unencrypted plans to conduct criminal activity to a co-conspirator?

[sunnyside]

I don't think people would really freak. Even star if the thing isn't armed. It's more of the matter that RF paint is all over and cheap. Not just with corps, but clubs casinos and who knows what. There is also the problem of hacking. Even a 3 resonance technomancer can hack/spoof that thing.

It is sort of a cool idea, it just has limitations.

[Ravor]

Well I think I'd allow it, but bare in mind that he is flying around in a very shiny, rememable, expensive looking toy and he'll have small children leaving fingerprints all over the crome as well as alot of people looking to make a quick buck trying to jack it.

Although bare in mind, that legal or not, 'Da Man' might not like the idea of someone flying a Drone around in their airspace, so he'd better keep a (Rating 6 ) Mapsoft updated and running at all times to avoid crossing into Restricted Airspace and getting shot down.

Still, as far as things go as long as he's ok with the Social Modifiers then its actually a cool idea, although he'll be crying once the anti AI hysteria kicks into high gear ala Emergence.

[Dizzman]

This character just screams for a run into the Barrens where wireless just doesn't exist.

[ShadowDragon8685]

The character lives in the barrens, in a cold-war bunker he's converted into a gated community of 1. Complete with auto-turrets. He has a rating 5 or rating 6 transmitter that he uses to keep in touch with the rest of society.

[Dizzman]

Good luck. This character is a real piece of work. And i though i made cheesy characters. ;)

[kzt]

[kzt]

[ShadowDragon8685]

[hyzmarca]

So long as his money is a 262,144 q-bit quantum encryption key, a doubt any store would have a problem with it.

[Ravor]

And he'll end up crying because of it, a good Runner is a well-rounded Runner, one-trick-ponies end up real dead, real fast.

[Backgammon]

Well, keep in mind vector thrust is very noisy and generates a lot of hot air. I don't think you can bring them indoors into shops, clubs and the likes. Maybe a small drone, like the size of a football or something though.

[ShadowDragon8685]

The drone we're talking about is pretty much the size of a football, maybe a bit bigger.

I figure this one is "Vector-thrusted air" rather than "internal combustion". You know, two or three fairly large fans on the top suck in air, and the ductwork vectors it. :)

[Samantha]

I am the Technomancer of this group, and I'll be encrypting/databombing/protecting his system all around. So he's not completely stripped of it. Also he'll be putting his own agents in there as well, I think he said.

[yoippari]

Are you talking about the fly spy? I figure that was a rotor drone similar to a man hack in HL2. The only vector thrust drone in the SR4 book is the dalmatian, and it is a security drone probably closer to the size of my electric radiator heater. Something small might not be too obnoxious, but keep the rotors away from people.

If you are talking a rotodrone thats a whole other thing. Bigger and much more security like.

[ShadowDragon8685]

To be honest, if all he wants is something that can fly around and project holograms, I woulden't be too picky about giving him a non-rotor drone to do it. It's his :nuyen: , he can come up with all the creative ways to blow it on pointless shit he wants.

[Aaron]

[Samantha]

Or just a hand with a face painted on it.

[Demon_Bob]

[ShadowDragon8685]

Until he pisses off a megacorp in such a way that:

A) They're willing to spend 50,000 :nuyen: to have him eliminated by airstrike
B) They'd rather see him dead than grab him and make them work for him

I'll pass on the bunker busting. When A) and B) are met, his ass is getting blown sky-high.

[Ravor]

Something that I've been wondering about his safe haven bunker out in the Barrens is besides Auto Turrents and Sensors what exactly is he doing to ensure his security? The reason that I ask is that he needs power to run all his nifty toys as well as supplies not only for himself but also for his Drones? I mean what does he do when something breaks down or the local Gangs start hijacking his supply shipments?

[ShadowDragon8685]

You know, those are good questions. Given he's spending money equavilent to a High lifestyle, I won't hassle him about stuff breaking down or power generation. As for the local gangs...

His primary contact is the local street doc, for whom he provides VERY agressive security with his not-on-the-run drones. Since the Street Doc is such a valuable person in the community, I figure they accept the fact that he's protecting the guy who pulls bullets and blades out of them in lieu of protection money, and don't give him any hassle.


OTHER gangs, on the other hand, those not affiliated with his Street Doc, may certainly hijack his shipments, or try to give him grief (although since his bunker is inside his own gang's turf, I expect that they won't have the resources to fight through the local gang and then try to penetrate his fortress.).

[Wasabi]

If a megacorp gets really badly miffed at him they could just start killing teammates and friends. Sure, SOME might have great protection but all certainly won't. If they are invulnerale inside all the cops have to do is bring an overwealming force and camp his sorry self. Eventually he'll run out of killbots, food, and if they use chemical weapons... air.

The first thing the star would probably do is cut off his power to the bunker. The bunker can then use battery backups and gas generators until they run out and go black. Solar panels are vulnerable to air attack, even if its just a fiefighting plane dropping antiwireless paint on it.

Everything is lost to a government who is more determined than the runner and more well funded. Sure, he may have oodles more money than the gangers and such, but the Star is a megacorp and if they bring their full corporate brunt of their war machine down on him, he cannot survive. He is designed to survive TYPICAL Star things, not ever increasing escalation.

If it was me I'd look the player in the eye and warn him that the more he twinks the more his enemies will. An unreasonable character attracts unreasonable opponents.