Smartlink III, Guncam fun Options

[Kagetenshi]

That's entirely possible, now that I think of it. On the other hand, keep in mind what Tactical Computers are and how much they cost. I'd say that counts as maybe not bleeding-edge, but pretty advanced milspec.
So yes, with a Tactical Computer or a BattleTac connection to someone with one, I'd allow it.

~J

edit: too slow. Welcome back to your previous moniker, Doc.

[easytohate]

The battle tac system is man portable and costs less than a cyberdeck or most vehicles. Considering that everyone on a team can use the same battletac, that isn't that bad. You have your decker (or rigger) operate the battletac, whoever dosn't have their hands full at the moment and you are set to go so long as everyone stays in the comm range.

Once again this is based off of my interpretation of the battletac being an advanced CCC system, similar to the ones used by the JSTAR today. You have one system, gathering information about the battle from the field sources and then relaying it back to those sources. Everyone sees what everyone else sees. Which means, if any of the information sources can "see" a target, you can fire on the target as if you had line of sight. The battlefield really becomes three-dimensional and high threat at this point, and it means that more so than ever communications jamming is important. This to me comes back to one of the major concepts of shadowrun, information warfare. So in my little world it all fits.

[Kagetenshi]

Tactical Computer w/ BattleTac component (no non-cyber version available, interestingly enough): ¥410,000 and 1.5 Essence at Basic grade.

~J

[easytohate]

I would need to find a page ref. but I know there is a non-cyber version available. The original system was non-cyber, only recently (MM) did they make a cyber version.

[Grey]

NSRCG gives a page referance of Cannon Comp, page 55. I don't have my books with me now, can someone check that out?

[Namer18]

Cannon campanion has a battletac master component for 30,000 and a receiver component for 10,000 both as non-cyber.

[Grey]

How well does the non-cyber and cyber version compair to eachother?

[Kagetenshi]

Weird... searched for that for days once and never found it.
I'd still say you need a tactical computer unless you want to label everyone manually.

~J

[Namer18]

Its in Canon Companion pgs. 53-54. The big difference as I read it is that the information can be accessed or added automatically if you have the cyberware version, while doing that through the non-cyber version requires a simple action. It still can be used to help aid small unit tactics, allow indirect fire, and share intel.

[Grey]

Unfortunately, the cyber one takes up a huge chunk of essence. Maybe the simple action is worth not having to pay out 1.5 ess?

[Siege]

The problem is trying to figure out how the computer system would be able to ID hostile targets.

Now, you might be able to get your buddies to wear transponders that label them as "friendly" and anything else as "expendable". (basically Friend-or-Foe system, maybe linked to a GPS and/or orientation system)

On one of our crew, we tried to alter the guy's transponder to respond as "less friendly" or "pretty expendable" but our GM wasn't amused.

-Siege

[Namer18]

I was amused.

[nezumi]

The original SL system can't identify friendly and unfriendly targets, I don't see why this one should be able to. The only way I could figure out to let it do that without dealing with transponders is through pattern recognition. Lets assume that you 'train' the camera to recognize the faces and bodies of your team mates. Then, anyone else who's taking on an aggressive stance or who has a weapon in his hand would be outlined in red (and it really is easy to outline things, it does have a range finder so it can outline everything not background and let you pick the target). Things it recognizes as friendlies it outlines in green, other 'non-aggressives' it outlines in yellow and background/terrain/trees etc. it outlines in grey or something.

The disadvantages would be that it might highlight your buddies if they're horribly mangled, and it probably wouldn't recognize unusual things like giant green blobbies or insect spirits.

[Backgammon]

Which isn't that big of a deal since target recognition isn't the main feature of the proposed SL3. It's more like a "nice to have" than a requirement. And my original idea about highlighting was indeed based on pattern recognition... to quote myself : "That means shape/movement/body heat recognition could be coded in and allow highlighting.".

Now, if you want to have different colour for friendlies and hostiles, that's a step up that would require integration of those tracker bracelets thingies. But if you're gonna do that, you might as well have the smartlink block shooting at friendlies and make the point rather moot. Of course I also agree that highlighting might get a bit unreliable with exotic flora like bug spirits and whatnot. Maybe then you could get patches specifically made for said flora, so before going to chicago, you have your decker go into the SL manufacturer's host and download the required patches.

But all in all, the highlighting is merely a proposed system made to simplify the main feature of the SL which is out-of-sight shooting.