Electronic Device, A bit of a trick question. Options

[d1ng0d0g]

What is an Electronic Device in SR ?

The reason I am calling this a trick question, is because I run part of an SR campaign and play a technomancer as well and well, there are machine sprites.

Part of me wants to horrible abuse them, and parts of me wants to kill the character the other half of me wants to play.

***

In short, I am looking for an official answer, whether the Machine Sprite will work on a gun.

As GM I personally would say no, but still an official answer would be nice.

[hobgoblin]

i would say anything that can be said to have their primary function controlled by a chip or other small computer.

in SR, that could cover just about anything having a battery or running of a wall socket. and yes, even some guns (electric trigger and so on).

[Tarantula]

I'd just off hand say anything that you could remotely control via the matrix. Cars, smartguns, drones, appliances, some clothing, light fixtures, cameras, doors, locks, etc.

[Matsci]

What is an Electronic Device in SR ?

The reason I am calling this a trick question, is because I run part of an SR campaign and play a technomancer as well and well, there are machine sprites.

Part of me wants to horrible abuse them, and parts of me wants to kill the character the other half of me wants to play.

***

In short, I am looking for an official answer, whether the Machine Sprite will work on a gun.

As GM I personally would say no, but still an official answer would be nice.

Does Gun have smartlink?
Yes-Then gun is a computer
No- Then Gun is not a computer.

[Sir_Psycho]

In the case of a gun, it's still your arm and eyes that do the shooting. A machine sprite can't change the trajectory of the bullet, or adjust the direction you point that gun.

I might allow it on a cyber-arm, maybe.

[Fortune]

Yep. In my opinion, the gun would work just fine, maybe even be mechanically better than ever. However, this would not affect the skill of the person using the gun.

[d1ng0d0g]

Actually I have been thinking about this one. It's even worse when you consider that this thing could also be uploaded into your cyber-arm, a bonus to every task you take with that arm.

[Matsci]

Found RAW!

Smart or Not?
A standard weapon is considered a “dumb� device with no
Device rating and no wireless connection, so it cannot interact
with the Matrix nor can it be manipulated through it. Th is is
the case for most melee and thrown weapons. Many 2070-era
fi rearms, however, are equipped with a smartgun system, either
off -the-rack, as an internal or external fi rearm accessory, or as
a weapon modifi cation. Th ese weapons are considered smart
weapons with a Device rating of 3 and a wireless connection,
as well as the basic equipment that comes with a smart system
(laser range fi nder, small camera, sensors to keep track of heat
buildup and ammunition, an automatic gun mode switch, and
clip ejection). Some of the weapon modifi cations listed below
require a weapon to be a smart weapon.

[Malachi]

Yes a Machine Sprite can inhabit a Smartgun. That's a neat way to negate any Critical Glitches that are rolled while using the weapon. I would still say that the Sprite provides no bonuses to the player while using the gun, however.

[kigmatzomat]

A machine sprite in a smartgun is pretty much like adding a TacSoft. It adds AI-type intelligence to the system. The smartgun system starts making predictions about the target's movements, actually adjusts the targeting sight to compensate for the shooter's tendency to jerk the trigger and pull the gun down and to the right, etc.

[Fortune]

As far as I am concerned, a Machine Sprite will not compensate for human error in that manner. It would prevent Glitches, but wouldn't make the metahuman shooter (or his Skill) any better.

[Cain]

Technically speaking, everything is a Device. Just about everything has a default Device Rating, and just about everything has unlimited memory. Yes, that means you can carry entire seasons of your favorite trid show on your underpants.

Yep. In my opinion, the gun would work just fine, maybe even be mechanically better than ever. However, this would not affect the skill of the person using the gun.

I would agree with this. Just because something has a Device Rating doesn't mean the spirit can do things with it.

[Tiger Eyes]

A machine sprite in a smartgun is pretty much like adding a TacSoft. It adds AI-type intelligence to the system. The smartgun system starts making predictions about the target's movements, actually adjusts the targeting sight to compensate for the shooter's tendency to jerk the trigger and pull the gun down and to the right, etc.

This is how we interpret it in our game.

[KCKitsune]

As far as I am concerned, a Machine Sprite will not compensate for human error in that manner. It would prevent Glitches, but wouldn't make the metahuman shooter (or his Skill) any better.

A standard off the shelf Smartlink give +2 dice to the shooter's dice pool. A Machine Sprite inhabiting the gun might turn that into a +3 or +4 dice to the pool.

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Off Topic question (but related to Smartguns): Can a regular hacker code a program to run the interface of his smartgun and therefore not need the smartlink gear in either his eyes or in a vision enhancer? I will assume the person using the program either has a simsense module, &/or a displaylink in his eyes.

[Fortune]

A Machine Sprite inhabiting the gun might turn that into a +3 or +4 dice to the pool.

Not in my games.

[Tarantula]

Not in my games.

Fine, but will you agree by RAW it works?

[Fortune]

Nope. I gave my opinion on the rules as written earlier.

[KCKitsune]

Not in my games.

OK Fortune... Why not? What is wrong with doing this?

[Fortune]

Isn't the 'cheese factor' enough of a reason?

[Malachi]

I agree with Fortune. There is nothing in the RAW to suggest that a Machine Sprite makes any device operate above its normal parameters. By negating Critical Glitches and decreasing Maintenance it does make the device operate much more smoothly than it normally would, but not better than it normally would. Doing so would set a dangerous precedent, IMO.

[Little Johnson]

umm just because its cheesy doesnt make it not RAW..IE emo toys seem as cheesy as it gets and they are RAW.

I R NOOB so i could be wrong.

[Tarantula]

Then when sorts of devices would you let it actually add a dice pool benefit too?

[Malachi]

Then when sorts of devices would you let it actually add a dice pool benefit too?

Never. A Machine Sprite has the ability to operate a device independently, not to provide a bonus to someone using the device. As previously stated, it negates Critical Glitches and reduces Maintenance on the device. This is enough of a benefit in addition to the ability to operate independently, as previously stated. I refuse to give TM's the equivalent of Item Attunement (Anything Electronic that happens to be around) via a Complex Action.

[Tarantula]

SR4, 237, "The Diagnostics power allows the sprite to evaluate the
inner workings of an electronic device. The sprite must be accessing
the device in question. The sprite can then convey this
information and assist someone using or repairing the device.
Make a sprite rating x 2 test; each hit adds 1 die to the character’s
test to use or repair the item."

It explicitly can provide a bonus to use of the device by a character. So, what devices would you allow this on?

[Little Johnson]

Seems like a smart linked gun falls into that catagory. I like the description above.