Advice for new players Options

[Kruger]

Even in 1e you could run an implanted smartlink off of normal eyes. And goggles could be fitted with all the normal low light, thermal, etc upgrades.

It didn't always make much sense, but then again, neither do contact lenses with modifications, haha. I mean, some kinds of technologies you can miniaturize. But wow, miniaturizing light amplification into a lens that is between 30 and 100 micrometers? Damn son. That's impressive, lol. And then the fact that the system allows more than one upgrade to a set of lenses? "I've got my contact lenses with a wireless image link to my smartgun too. Yeah, they kinda make my eyelids bulge and itch a bit, but hey, price of progress, ya know?"

[Yerameyahu]

I meant that you did need the *implanted* smartlink.

I agree that many items of gear in SR make no sense; shrug it off or houserule it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Kruger]

Yeah, safe to say, contact lenses would never be allowed in any game I ran. My brain hurts enough trying to imagine how clunky and unfashionable a set of multi-upgraded glasses would look. Understanding how these technologies work really just takes the fun out of games like this sometimes. Shadowrun needed to set an upgrade capacity to the different types of eyewear. And well, just not have ever tried to be creative and add contact lenses, heh.

[Stingray]

Buying the bike is always good,car for subtle tranportation.

[Mooncrow]

Yeah, safe to say, contact lenses would never be allowed in any game I ran. My brain hurts enough trying to imagine how clunky and unfashionable a set of multi-upgraded glasses would look. Understanding how these technologies work really just takes the fun out of games like this sometimes. Shadowrun needed to set an upgrade capacity to the different types of eyewear. And well, just not have ever tried to be creative and add contact lenses, heh.

I've always imagined the look as some of the crazy steampunk goggles you see around, giant telescoping lenses and the like^^

[Yerameyahu]

Contacts with image link/smartlink is fine; very cyberpunk. The problem is, as you mention, that 50x magnification, low-light, and thermo all take up the same space as that image link.

I say the goggles are just ski goggles. Blends right in with the weird fashion trends and re-trends. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Doc Chase]

Contacts with image link/smartlink is fine; very cyberpunk. The problem is, as you mention, that 50x magnification, low-light, and thermo all take up the same space as that image link.

I thought SR4A did add capacity to eyewear, contacts can have I think...Image link, which is free on everything and wireless and awesome (or something) and one other mod. So...Thermographic image-linked contacts!

[Yerameyahu]

That's his point: all visual mods are capacity 1 (whether they should be hugely bulky or not). Contacts can go up to 3, I think?, so that's 3 mods.

Again, I'm fine with the magical illogical supertech science. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Also, AFAIK you can simply trode sensor feeds into your head from a bunch of cameras anyway. The rules for 'natural vision' (including contacts) and sensor-feeds are a little wonky, but hey.

[Doc Chase]

That's his point: all visual mods are capacity 1 (whether they should be hugely bulky or not). Contacts can go up to 3, I think?, so that's 3 mods.

Again, I'm fine with the magical illogical supertech science. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I thought contact capacity was 1, not 3. I thought glasses were 3, goggles were 4, and contacts were 1.

(At least my SR4A book is out in the car instead of at home today!)

[Mooncrow]

I thought contact capacity was 1, not 3. I thought glasses were 3, goggles were 4, and contacts were 1.

(At least my SR4A book is out in the car instead of at home today!)

3, 4, and 6 respectively.

[Doc Chase]

Wha-really?

I now decree it to be 1,3,4. IT IS DONE DO NOT BE DISOBEDIENT(IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

I mean cripes, I know they're swimming in nanites, but to give them that many mods would require a truckload of Visine.

[Mooncrow]

Wha-really?

I now decree it to be 1,3,4. IT IS DONE DO NOT BE DISOBEDIENT(IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

^^ Yeah, I ruled it to 1, 3, and 6 - but rating 6 goggles are the Steampunk monstrosities I was talking about (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Kruger]

Contacts with image link/smartlink is fine; very cyberpunk.

It's the wireless transmitter part that is the thing that makes you go "Hmm?" Plus the apparent lack of a power source.

Goggles are a bit more believable. I mean, I'm willing to accept they've got 50 years or so to perfect this technology. And shit, suspension of disbelief is part of the fun sometimes. But suspension is one thing. Discarding belief is a bit more to ask.

I'd say realistic capacities for glasses would be 2-3, goggles would be 4-7 depending on size. But the key is to make things have different sizes. An image link, smartgun or flare comp might only be 1, but Low Light, Thermal, Ultrasound, etc, might be 2 each.

[Yerameyahu]

I'm sure they just steal power from the body or something. Maybe from the constant jerky eye movements. I dunno, it's nano. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) If you look too close, it all breaks down. Non-wireless contacts ruins the whole point, after all: AR.

[Kruger]

Well, I think my stance on everything AR and wireless is pretty well known, heh.

Besides, what I'm getting at is that the game should still require players to think, and prepare, and adapt. And not simply have enough money to buy the magical goggles that do everything.

[Yerameyahu]

They had to *think* of buying the supergoggles that negate all visibility penalties. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I know what you're saying, but it's 2070. The world *should* be AR-everything and wireless-everything. Everything I glance at should be auto-googled, with all relevant info prepared and displayed. Life should be like a video game, except easier. That way, there's more contrast against the SINless street scum. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I mean, it's that or remove smartlinks and everything; play in 2010—no, better make it 1990, because we already have iPhones.

[Kruger]

Aldous Huxley wrote an interesting novel about a society that had everything handed to it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Yerameyahu]

Yeah, everyone was happy. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) Anyway, it's cyberpunk. It's supposed to resemble aspects of dystopian literature.

[Mooncrow]

Aldous Huxley wrote an interesting novel about a society that had everything handed to it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

He wrote two, actually, it's an interesting comparison between them^^

[sabs]

Given that we have AR today.. with slightly special glasses, and smart phones are probably less than 3 years away from completely destroying the line between device and computer.

The idea of AR really shouldn't cause anyone pause. It adds an interesting flow to the world of the SiNers

[Yerameyahu]

Indeed, and if we have no problem with trodes (direct brain interface for the consumer), *nothing* should cause anyone pause.

[suoq]

Why I like cybereyes:

1) I like having a digital storage space where I can backup my software/pilots/agents/firewalls/ect/.
2) I like the absence of retinal data. Before I realized Missions didn't allow amnesia, I liked the thought that the last thing that happened before they wiped his mind was they wiped his eyes.
3) I like waking up at night and having my smartlink. I like having my smartlink in the shower. I'm paranoid that way.
4) I find it easier to believe my own cons with cybereyes than I do goggles.
5) I'd be better with contacts if I could simply believe in them more. I wonder how much looking someone in the eyes while they're wearing contacts gives away. What can you see?

[Stahlseele]

"Keep da pin an' throw da udda thing"
"If bullets go that way, follow them"
"Bullets have right of way, every time"

[Kruger]

One thing I always took into account about cybereyes, long before it became normal to write about this effect in the books, was how huge of a disconnect there would be between normal vision and watching everything through what are essentially cameras. That, and just the kind of enormous faith in the technology you have to have to let someone cut out your most important sensory organs. As "common" as cybereyes are in the game, I think that would actually be one of the modifications real people would think twice about. You might be able to do all the things you want with your cybereyes and always have them on hand, but, I mean, they are cutting out your eyes.

But that's obviously just from a roleplaying standpoint.


And the idea of AR gives me pause because I look at it beyond the "can we do this?" to the "should we do this? or would we do this?" What is possible is not always practical. Yeah, a lot of the aspects of wireless and AR are cool and make sense. Making it ubiquitous is a different story. Like I've said, making some devices wireless introduces a failure point where a wired system wouldn't have one, and adds no functionality. Hence, why would they be wireless? Plus the whole aspect of everyone needing an expensive piece of electronics just to function in society is rather silly. Does the year 2072 have no poor people? Last I checked, the background fluff was suggesting there's quite a lot of them.

[suoq]

I mean, they are cutting out your eyes.

As opposed to simply cutting your eyes with a laser.