Rigger 101, Essential Drone/Equipment load out? Options

[sabs]

Used Vehicle is still basically "between 20% to 50% off up to the GM, oh and the vehicle has weird flaws and damage up to the GM"

You can also buy vehicles that don't work at all, if you're willing to put the post-creation work into it.

It could be worth it to buy a broken Helicopter that your player is doing runs to 'refurbish'

[Neurosis]

I tried to buy a broken tank in Africa. It was still too expensive.

[TommyTwoToes]

I tried to buy a broken tank in Africa. It was still too expensive.

You should try to buy a working one in Russia, I hear that Larry Bond and Tom Clancey bought Migs for cheap over there.

Hell T-55's got to be cheap.

[Neurosis]

I was referring to my PC (sorry if I am missing a joke). IRL, I have never attempted to purchase a tank in any nation. I do not ever foresee it being within my price range.

Anyway, I think in SR and IRL everything is cheaper in Africa. Isn't an AK-47 like cheaper than a sandwich in Africa right now?

[Yerameyahu]

Depends on the sandwich.

[Fix-it]

and the AK.

[lowendz113]

The biggest thing with a Rigger is making sure your fancy expensive drones don't get jacked. That means making sure they are slaved to your comm, and then making sure you can defend your comm. Basically what I end up doing is making a Hacker that uses a bunch of drones. It works out pretty well as long as you build your drones properly.

And just for the record, I personally feel the meat world Rigger is a better way to go. You can also do fun things with the Daihatsu-Caterpillar Horseman (PMV).

As far as repairing/building drones, for the most part you only really need armorer, Automotive Mechanic, and Industrial Mechanic. If your flying drones are getting damaged you are doing something wrong.

[DireRadiant]

(a) can drive
(b) can repair
© can rig/control/command

and what drones to use for different situations.

How would you spend your starting 250,000 nuyen?

Thanks in advance.

Pick your primary control mode and make sure you have what you need for that. Anything left over put into your secondary control mode.

You can buy and upgrade drones with your starting money, or buy skills that allow you to steal and takeover any device, up to your style.

Look at the pools for Meat, remote control, and Jumped In, and Autonomous, and work out what gears helps with each one. There are a lot of choices, and will not be able to do them all.

Skills work for all control modes, except for autonomous drones, which need autosofts and pilots.

[sabs]

Look at my post, specifically the agent setup on it.

You're talking agents with 15 dice going against your stealth rating, every IP.
After they find you, you're in cybercombat with 2 agents with something like 15 attack dice each.

It's not uncrackable of course. But it's a good start and should buy you enough time to get the hacker on the team to help clear out your commlink.

[suoq]

The biggest thing with a Rigger is making sure your fancy expensive drones don't get jacked. That means making sure they are slaved to your comm, and then making sure you can defend your comm.

AFAIK, Slaving does nothing about Jamming or Spoofing. Once that drone is disconnected from your commlink, AFAIK, it's an open target. (As usual, I may have missed a rule.)

[Ascalaphus]

I don't think a drone stops being slaved just because it's being jammed. But spoofing is a real danger, that's why you use encrypted connections (R6). That at least delays the sudden yet inevitable betrayal.

Hmm. What about a build focused on stealing the enemy's drones? Or at least until the GM wisens up, but by then you have a stable..

Important: make sure you understand what kind of Software Degradation/Copy Protection rules your GM uses. If you can crack the Copy Protection without getting hassled about Degradation, you might want to get good software to install on lots of cheap drones. If copy protection is a real problem, then having a few high-quality drones is more interesting.

[suoq]

Look at my post, specifically the agent setup on it.

Is your commlink running 2 agents, analyze (ergonomic?), and 4 autosofts? I take it you're running a rating 6 system 6 commlink with every common use and hacking program you have having the ergonomic option. I don't think that's a reasonable place for a starting character to begin at.

[Yerameyahu]

If you can crack the Copy Protection without getting hassled about Degradation,

then your GM is an idiot. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[sabs]

Is your commlink running 2 agents, analyze (ergonomic?), and 4 autosofts? I take it you're running a rating 6 system 6 commlink with every common use and hacking program you have having the ergonomic option. I don't think that's a reasonable place for a starting character to begin at.

Not all of them have to be ergonomic

2 agents, analyse, 4 autosofts, 2 attack, 2 armor, 1 command

that's 12 softs.

If you start with a Response 5/System 5 Commlink
Firstly, you don't give homeground to your Brute Agent, and yoi don't give expert offense to your Sleuth Agent.
So now you're running 10 softs.
You get analyze and command ergonomic
It's only an extra 1 avail and 500 nuyen because they're both general programs.
It costs you 1000 each to have analyze and command ergonomic at the start of the game.

Now you've only got 8 programs against your system.
That means that your response is now down to a 4. You're mostly doing command rigging, not a huge deal, and you only lost 1 die if you HotVR in. Not really a giant loss. Eventually as you get money, you'll ergonomic your attack and armor programs. Remember they can be registered because you'll never do anything illegal with them. They're both there as defense for your home node.

When you upgrade your home system to response 6, system 6 it becomes much easier.

[Yerameyahu]

It certainly is a massive investment of computing resources, though. That's not a criticism.

[sabs]

It certainly is a massive investment of computing resources, though. That's not a criticism.

Your a rigger (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) either you invest in computing resources, or in computing skills.

Honestly I consider that to be the standard commlink setup most experienced shadowrunners should be running.

[Saint Sithney]

Just wanted to point out that the LEBD has been changed by the weapon mount errata and no longer has a gun, only shock cuffs.

Also, Data Bombs. If you think hackers are going to be a problem, mine your nodes. Try things like "writing to the access log" and then keep your agent analyzing that log. If it notices a strange action, it goes on alert and you can decide what to do from there.

[Karoline]

Wow, that really sucks. I suppose it was perhaps a bit too awesome with the weapon mount, but still... The police drone doesn't exactly inspire the same level of deterrence without a weapon.

[KarmaInferno]

Just wanted to point out that the LEBD has been changed by the weapon mount errata and no longer has a gun, only shock cuffs.

Er, looking at the Arsenal 1.3.2 errata now.

The only real change is fluff text from the second paragraph. The first paragraph is where the weapon mount is mentioned, and I cannot believe the "similar models" and "standard upgrades" section were supposed to be affected.

I'm pretty sure the only effect that was intended was fluff text being altered:

Original text:

"Equipped with two handcuffs, it can also serve to escort prisoners, capable of conduct a stunning electrical discharge through the cuffs if the prisoner decides to be a problem. It also helps the LEOs fill out the routine paperwork so that they can spend more time on the streets being a presence to deter crime and respond to calls. When the assistance of a crime scene specialist is required, he can jump into the drone to gives an on the spot appraisal of the situation, along with evidence recovery."

Errata:

p. 120 Ford LEBD-1 (second paragraph)
Starting with the third sentence replace the text with the following:

“Equipped with two handcuffs, it can also serve to escort prisoners, and is capable of sending a stunning electrical discharge through the cuffs if the prisoner decides to be a problem. It also helps the LEOs file routine reports by providing trideo footage and sound recordings, so that they can spend more time on the streets being a presence to deter crime and respond to calls. When the assistance of a crime scene specialist is required, he can jump into the drone to provide remote appraisal of the situation and on-the-spot evidence recovery.”

Changed portions of the text emphasized.

I see nothing about the weapon mount being removed. Is there some other "weapon mount errata" out there?



-karma

[Karoline]

Whew, was afraid I'd have to find a new favorite combat drone.

[Ascalaphus]

then your GM is an idiot. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

It's not like Software Degradation is a piece of game design to be proud about..

[Yerameyahu]

Sure, but allowing free copying without restriction? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Karoline]

Sure, but allowing free copying without restriction? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

The cracking test to break the copy protection?

And of course there is the fact that it is entirely possible to break copy protection on 99% of programs and still receive full upgrades for them without issue.

[Yerameyahu]

I don't understand. Are you saying the cracking test represents some kind of restriction or sacrifice? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

I assume your second comment is about realism, but I'm just talking about balance. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Ascalaphus]

Sure, there needs to be some sort of balance to the system. But the way it's done in Unwired is very ugly, and I woudn be surprised if a lot of GMs houserule it differently. That's why I advised to check with the GM what kind of rules he uses before you start selecting drone styles.