New ShadowRunner help, Couple questions about the game. Options

[Volt875]

Hello all, I've only recently been introduced to the game of Shadowrun (by a web comic of all things) and now have the book. I have read through it a bit and there are just some things I can't figure out so if anyone can help it'd be much appreciated.

1:) Do you require a cybernetic implant to mentally interact with things in AR?

2:) (Kinda related to 1 but anyway) With smartgun systems do you have to have some sort of implant or direct connection to fire it remotely? I.E. if you just have smartlink glasses can you fire it remotely, eject clips and the like.

3:) Is it possible to hack a wirelessly done smartgun so as to control it or mess with the trajectory being displayed to the person so they miss.

4:) Can you hack cybernetic arm's and such. If so how is it done, what can you do once inside and what kind of defenses would an average arm have?

5:) As far as vehicles go is it possible to take control of the average joe's car via wireless hacking of the pilot system or does it have to be outfitted with a Rigger Adaptation box thing?

Also just any tips as far as running the world goes or just about Shadowrun in general would be nice.

Also like to note I'm using 4th edition rules currently

[McAllister]

Welcome, Volt!

1) Nope. The cybernetic implant is good way to do it, but a trode net and nanopaste trodes also work.

2) I believe issuing commands to a smartlinked gun requires DNI (Direct Neural Interface, I.E. datajack, implanted commlink, trode net or nanopaste trodes), but that's not RAW (Rules As Written). It's possible that just having a smartlink (which can be built into goggles/glasses etc.) is enough. But common sense says you need DNI.

3 and 4) The answer to 3 is "yes, but it might be easier to just tell it to eject the clip." Page 103 of Unwired has the whole story for question 4.

5) "Take control of" is ill-defined. You can A. use Spoof to issue specific orders or B. Hack yourself an admin account so you can used the Command program to control it, but you cannot "Jump In" to a car without a Rigger Adaptation.

Tips for running?

You're very fragile. Armour, Reaction, Initiative (both going first and having lots of IPs), cover and all other things which will keep you alive are essential. Stealth is incredibly useful, but eventually someone will see you, so it's good to Shoot First.

Also, it's nice to play an 8 foot tall troll-ghoul-changeling with the armour of a battle-tank and a bigger gun than God, but it's even better to be an average-looking human-sized figure wearing a mask whom even eyewitnesses couldn't pick out of a lineup. And try to keep your DNA to yourself.

Contacts aren't the most obvious place to put BPs, because their usefulness seems situational, but there's a reason Hung Out to Dry is a negative quality. You need people to buy goods from, to find out info from, to help you when you're running and a million other things. In that vein, treat people well; no good can come from antagonizing even the lowliest Yak goon, and the consequences of spraying "U SUK I ROOL" on the wall of every corp you run on will be bloody and avoidable.

Good luck!

[Muspellsheimr]

1:

Trodes: This net/headband of electrodes and ultrasound
emitters enables the wearer to experience simsense
and are used with a sim module. Trodes are often concealed
under headbands, hats, or wigs.

2: Wireless &/or See Above.
3-5: Anything can be hacked as long as it has electronics (yes, including your underwear & morning soykaf).

[kzt]

1: No. You don't even for VR anymore, trodes work fine for that too.
2: No, you did (more or less) in SR3 to do anything. You can use trodes and a skinlink in SR4.
3: Yes, if you are close enough to dumb people or good enough. But as clever people use skinlinks or old-style pads for smartlinks you have either hack through their comlink or be dealing with someone dumb.
4: Yes, for stupid people. I'm not sure what your supposed to be able to do to them. It's been discussed here in threads if you want to search for them.
5: It's contradictory in SR4, none of the devs will say what the heck they intended there. If it can drive itself via gridlink it would appear to me that you could hack it. Maybe SR4a clarifies?

[kzt]

For #1, read it again. He's asking about AR, not VR.

[toolbox]

For #1, read it again. He's asking about AR, not VR.

Who are you responding to?

More precisely, he's asking about mental control in AR. That would require some form of DNI, but as previously mentioned, you can get that through trodes and not require an implant.

[Blade]

Also just any tips as far as running the world goes

A lot of this is up to the GM (and players). It's a good idea to make sure that everyone in the group agrees on the world the game will be played with. For example, in some groups, subtle infiltration is the only way to survive while in other groups it's fine to go through the front door with guns and grenades.