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[l33tpenguin]

I know, look at me asking all these questions.

So, you can put smart links, etc, into contacts, right? just how many mods can you put into a single pair of contacts? what are the disadvantages of contacts over cyber eyes? advantages? it seems that, for the cost, contacts are ridiculously better than any other type of sight enhancement out there

[Fortune]

Availability is the main limitation, as every mod adds to the base Availability of the contacts/glasses themselves.

[Ol' Scratch]

Currently, Availability is the only limiting factor. The more mods you put in, the higher the Availability goes... and at character creation, that's limited to Availability 12. That means you need at least two devices to get all the mods listed. Say, contact lenses and glasses.

Don't feel too bad if you've glossed over that limitation a few times. From what I've observed, quite a lot of people do it accidently, too. I've seen several starting characters with things like Rating 4 Fake SINs and Rating 4 Skillwires, too, both of which aren't available to starting characters under the standard system.

[l33tpenguin]

So, as long as I don't break 12, which isn't too difficult, I didn't plan on putting all the mods available in there anyway, then buy a half dozen pairs, I'm good to go, right?

Also, since contacts are always wireless, what are the chances of some hacker turning off my image link and me losing my smart link capability?

[Ol' Scratch]

Yes, you're good to go.

For 50Â¥ you can place a Skinlink in any electronic device you have. Then it's just a matter of shutting down all your wireless connectivity to help avoid that kind of situation. But due to the nature of the PAN, if you have even one device going wireless, your entire network is basically at risk if anything connected to it is talking to that wireless device.

[Fortune]

[Fortune]

Oh, and nothing says that you can't wear a pair of glasses over your contact lenses. ;)

[Ol' Scratch]

[Buster]

The main advantage of cybereyes over contacts is that a mage needs cybereyes for targeting enemies that can only be seen with the vision enhancements. Unless your GM says that contacts can provide optical thermo, lowlight, vision mag, etc.

[l33tpenguin]

I thought contacts could provide all these enhancements? Contacts are listed right in line with all the other platforms (glasses, goggles, etc) that provide visual enhancements, with nothing stating that they are restricted to what type of enhancements they can handle

[Ol' Scratch]

You're confusing two things, Penguin.

When targeting someone with spellcasting, you can pretty much only use natural or optical means for spotting your target. Most vision enhancements that you buy with Essence (such as Thermographic Vision) are treated as natural for you. If the vision enhancement is completely technological, like most enhancements for contacts, they're useless for spell targeting.

Note that Vision Magnification is available in an optical version for contacts and glasses and whatnot, allowing you to target spells with it. But the thermographic or low light options are not.

[l33tpenguin]

I so have no idea what you are saying. Its like I'm reading words, understanding them and they make no sense.

No worries, its not your fault, its 100% mine. I've avoided magic in SR like the plague.

Let me see if I got this.

If its a dark room and I want to shoot someone in the face with my Ares Predator IV I can use contacts with thermographic vision

If its a dark room and I want to shoot someone in the face with a lightning bolt I can't use contacts with thermographic vision, but CAN use cybereyes with thermographic vision?

(replace lightning bolt with whatever magic spell is applicable if lightning bolts are handled different or something)

[Ol' Scratch]

In a nutshell, yes, that's exactly it.

[toturi]

[Ravor]

Basically, the reason is that you need magical LOS to your target in order to cast a Direct Combat spell such as Manabolt, and electronic vision enhancements can not give you magical LOS, otherwise you would be able to use a trid to fry people from across the world.


However, anything paid for with Essence becomes part of your Pattern and as thus a natural part of you, which in the case of cybereyes (Including ones installed in the palm of your hand.) allows magical LOS.

By-the-way Lighting Bolt is an indirect combat spell, and they can affect things not in you LOS.

[PlatonicPimp]

That's the deal.

A mage has to have LOS to target something. That is, they have to see it. However, they have to see it with their own eyes. They can't use video cameras, electronic megnification, or anything else. Binoculars of the old school variety are OK, though, because they don't alter the image, merely redirecting the light to the eyes. Mirroros are good to go as well. If it's optical enhancement, it works for magic. If it's any other kind of enhancement, than it doesn't.

Cybereyes are the exception to that, because after you pay essence for them, they ARE the mages eyes.

So lets say you are a mage with thermo contacts. You can target anything you can see normally, you can see things thermographically, but you CANNOT target anything you see thermographically unless you see it normally as well.

[toturi]

[Ol' Scratch]

No sense confusing him. He's already stated that he's not very familiar with all the minor details of the magic system yet. :)

In the end, this is only a concern for magicians. If you're not playing a magician, contacts and glasses are pretty much just as good for you as a pair of cybereyes are. There's secondary concerns (such as having someone steal your glasses), but the meat and bones mechanics for using them are identical for non-magicians.

[Ravor]

No, I'm applying the same Magical Theory that allows Fireballs to fry people outside of LOS because they are indirect combat spells to Lightingbolt, Flamedart, and the rest, namely that you only need LOS to the point in space where you create the flame/electricy/whatever and send it flying along its merry little way.

[l33tpenguin]

Yeah... so.. this is why I prefer to shoot things. wow.

So, I have a question, that has probably already been answered.

If I'm a mage and I have cybereyes with the eye drone thing, where the cyber eye can be removed and controlled like a drone (I swear I read this, but if I'm making up stuff let me know) could I blast something in another room since I technically have LOS to it? If this is answered in the book, I apologize for asking. I'm on a 12 hour shift and don't have my books with me so have no way of checking for myself

[toturi]

The FAQ is your friend

[l33tpenguin]

[Ravor]

No you can't, you lose magical LOS the moment the drone leaves your eyesocket and starts transmitting over the wireless.

You could however implant a cybereye in your palm (Or the end of a tail.) and use it to peek around a corner.

[PlatonicPimp]

(only if the tail was under your concious control)

[Ravor]

Well yeah, I figured that went without saying.