Technomancer questions (SR4A) Options

[crizh]

I go with 2 because that is what the Aspected Domain Quality gives.

But that is pure speculation on my part. It's up to the GM.

[Jaid]

I just finished my first game and the Gm is allowing us to tweak our characters a little bit... I am thinking about dropping etiquette (corporate), decompiling (found out I still Fade from it) so I can raise by one point and specialize in Compiling and Registering...

I know you can specialize in a certain sprite... What Sprites is the most optimal to specialize for Compiling? Registering?

Again the Gm only has the 4e book he does not have Arsenal, Unwired, Runner's Companion... Just the Core 4e book...

well, what kind of sprite do you want to have around most? just decide what kind of sprite you think you're going to need to have more than one available, that's the sprite you pick for registering. for compiling, well, same basic logic; figure out what kind of sprite you're going to want to be able to compile on the fly with more services (or just at high ratings/more reliably, whichever), and choose that one. i can't really answer the question for you, because i can see definite advantages to having a broad selection of sprites in general.

that said, i have to ask... you have decompiling at rating 1 or something? and likewise with etiquette? i'm trying to figure out how dropping those skills only lets you raise your other skills by 1. as far as BP/karma efficiency goes, specialising is not your best choice (although it can certainly help in other ways, it just isn't as efficient, which is not necessarily a horrible thing). i personally would be more tempted to just boost the whole skills, if possible, and maybe some CFs if possible and if your GM will allow it.

[Tiger Eyes]

Different sprites have different uses. For example, if you don't want to bother with a Data Search skill (or Browse CF), Courier/Sleuth sprites are pretty handy. If you're going to be going into lots of combat, Machine sprites are nice (diagnostics on both guns and medkits makes a TM every Street Sam's best friend). If you're doing lots of matrix combat, a Paladin sprite will make your life easier (and last longer).

[Default]

Just for some clarification:

Can Tutor Sprite assist (+ skill rating/2) to a person who already have the skill?

I know they can instruct a person who doesn't have the skill as if they did have the skill at (skill rating / 2)

[Golgoth]

Threadmancy! I know, I know, but instead of creating a new thread, I needed a question answered...


How is Castling (and Hardening for that matter) a sustainable power? I'm currently catching flak for trying to get my sprite to do as such.

[BetaFlame]

Since this is up, I might as well ask this;

Using a Satlink reduces your IPs (going off memory here) because of the lag back to your commlink.

Does a Technomancer get to ignore this since he doesn't have a commlink, and effectively takes his entire "system" with him?

[Sengir]

A TM effectively does have a commlink, his own body.

[Golgoth]

A TM effectively does have a commlink, his own body.

I feel that this is indeed a correct assumption. The TM would still be limited in init passes, just as if he/she were a hacker.

[Golgoth]

A TM effectively does have a commlink, his own body.

I feel that this is indeed a correct assumption. The TM would still be limited in init passes, just as if he/she were a hacker.

[Jaid]

in point of fact, all it does is reduce your effective response rating.

[Tsuul]

Using a Satlink reduces your IPs (going off memory here) because of the lag back to your commlink.

If you use the Sat Link to connect to geostationary satellites then the Response of the hacker is halved (min 1), but it has the advantage of becoming untraceable (or more precisely traceable only to within a range of a few hundred of kilometers). Low-Earth Orbit satellites can track you as normal but don't lower your Response (No data lag).
--Unwired 50-51

[Golgoth]

Gah, I KN-EW I had read that somewhere concerning Low-Earth Orbit satellites. That's what I get for not cracking open the books and re-researching about using Sat Links. Thanks for the info, Tsuul.

[SleepIncarnate]

A couple of comments:

1. If you have access to Unwired take a look at the echoes in there. With the expenditure of somewhere near 30 karma you can have the equivalent of skillwires and 1 extra meat world Initiative Pass. Up that by about 15 more and you can have 2 extra real world IP. I believe that this is what Tiger Eyes is saying when he says to use AR. Technomancers are definitely characters you make for their long term potential as opposed to their ability to start out as a straight bad-ass.

I disagree with this. I had a group here fall apart and I think part of it had to do with just how overpowering my Technomancer was, even starting out. Granted, these weren't the most dedicated of players (2 or 3 in the group just used the basic templates in the core book), and we were just running the On The Run book, and aside from the initial combat in the stuffer shack, I ended up dominating a lot of aspects of the run. As both an elf and a TM, I had high charisma so I ended up being our face (even with only 1 point in Negotiation), I could just compile Data Sprites to do all the investigation for me, I had a Machine Sprite in a Doberman Drone (equiped with a White Knight LMG) so he dominated combat while I still stayed in meatspace with my 1 IP and a shotgun, or summoned Fault sprites to mess with the cyberware of the enemies. The only areas I lacked in were magic, really. And this was a started TM. Threading and Sprites make up a lot of the power of a TM.

[SleepIncarnate]

Actually, You should probably read Page 233 of the SR4 BBB (not sure the page in SR4A), Titled Technomancer Skills... They are most definitely NOT the same skills, and they cannot use their technomancer skills to code normal software, or operate normal (read Technological) applications of Hardware, Electronic Warefare, Cyber Combat, Data Search, Computer OR Hacking...

It is spelled out in detail... If technomancers want to be able to mimic the Old-Fashioned (to them anyway) methods of the classic Hacker, then they MUST TAKE THESE SKILLS AGAIN FOR MUNDANE USE (or use Activesofts)...

Also... I would definitely allow a Threading Specialization...

My Two Cents

Allow me to quote this section you're describing.

"Aside from the Resonance skills that technomancers use to handle sprites (see p. 119), technomancers use the same skills common to hackers - Computer, Cybercombat, Data Search, Electronic Warfare, Hacking, Hardware, and Software. The way technomancers use these skills, however, is vastly different from the way non-technomancers use them. Technomancers, after all, exercise these skills through mental gymnastics and an intuitive feel for the functioning of the machine world - they don't learn to use electronics so much as they learn to make devices do what they want.
This means that the technomancer versions of these skills are fundamentally different from the standard versions. In game terms, technomancers may never teach these skills to non-technomancers, nor are any technomancer versions available as skillsofts. Technomancers may learn the normal versions of these skills separately (or use normal skillsofts), but they inevitably find the normal way of doing things to be hopelessly clumsy and backward."

What does this mean? It means they do things differently, it doesn't mean they can't program with their understanding of how things work. It just means that non-technomancers might have a hard time using those programs, or not understand the fundamental code beneath the program. Heck, one of the Paragons has the disadvantage that even TM's have a hard time understanding the stuff you tweak if they don't also follow that Paragon.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Allow me to quote this section you're describing.

"Aside from the Resonance skills that technomancers use to handle sprites (see p. 119), technomancers use the same skills common to hackers - Computer, Cybercombat, Data Search, Electronic Warfare, Hacking, Hardware, and Software. The way technomancers use these skills, however, is vastly different from the way non-technomancers use them. Technomancers, after all, exercise these skills through mental gymnastics and an intuitive feel for the functioning of the machine world - they don't learn to use electronics so much as they learn to make devices do what they want.
This means that the technomancer versions of these skills are fundamentally different from the standard versions. In game terms, technomancers may never teach these skills to non-technomancers, nor are any technomancer versions available as skillsofts. Technomancers may learn the normal versions of these skills separately (or use normal skillsofts), but they inevitably find the normal way of doing things to be hopelessly clumsy and backward."

What does this mean? It means they do things differently, it doesn't mean they can't program with their understanding of how things work. It just means that non-technomancers might have a hard time using those programs, or not understand the fundamental code beneath the program. Heck, one of the Paragons has the disadvantage that even TM's have a hard time understanding the stuff you tweak if they don't also follow that Paragon.

Yeah, that post was from almost a year ago and I thought that I had amended my stance since then... sorry for making you have to correct me... AGAIN... but no worries... its all good...

Keep the Faith