Autonomous drone response?, Corebook only question Options

[shon]

<noob warning>
According to page 247 (and 245 too I think...) autonomous drone initiative is pilot+response. I think by autonomous they mean the drone acts on its own, without rigger control (fulfilling the last command probably). So if there's no rigger controlling it, where do I get 'response' from? There's no 'response' listed in drone parameters in chapter 'street gear'. The only response I found is in the riggers commlink, but if the drone acts independently then it should not need the commlink, right?

If my suspicion is correct an autonomous drone should just use the 'response' of the last commlink it connected to. Can anybody confirm this? Or maybe there's something in the add-on book about matrix and drones, but I don't have it, I'm basing strictly on the core rulebook for SR4A.

Many thanks!

[Thanee]

Drones have their own Response rating.

The standard Response is 3 for typical drones. Security level drones (IIRC, those that come with weapon mounts in the standard config are classed as that) have a 4, and military drones (I don't think there are any in the SR4 rulebook, though) have a 5 out of the box.

Vehicles also work like that (standard are Rating 3, security are Rating 4, military are Rating 5).

I cannot give you a page number right now. I will look it up later, if noone else can point you to the right section before that. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Bye
Thanee

[Magus]

Device Rating = Respose Firewall System and Signal. AFB at the moment, but the table of Device Rating states that non sec/mil drones have a DR of 3. So the default Response for most drones = 3. You can improve their System, Response and Firewall as you would with a comlink or by installing response chips.

[Karoline]

Thanee's got it on the money. Note also that you can improve a drone's commlink just like any other commlink.

And yes, Autonomous mode is basically defined as operating without a direct controller.

[Neraph]

The listing is not in the Core book IIRC, but is mentioned in the Errata or FAQ. SR4A, if you have it, has the listing included however.

[Yerameyahu]

And, honestly, why wouldn't you have it? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Thanee]

So, since I promised to give you some page numbers...

SR4A p. 222 has the Device Rating table (which lists Drones under Rating 3).
It also says there, that Device Rating is a catch-all for all the Matrix Attributes (which includes Response).

The part about security drones is in the FAQ (Rigging section).

Do all drones come equipped with an average Device rating of 3 (as per the Sample Devices table on p. 222, SR4A) or does the Steel Lynx (for example) classify as a "security vehicle" and have a Device rating of 4?

Any drone that comes equipped with weapon mounts should be considered a security device, and given a Device rating of 4. These built-in Device ratings are meant to serve as a guideline, however, so the gamemaster should feel free to modify them as appropriate. Likewise, a drone's Firewall, Response, Signal, and System ratings may be individually be modified, improved (or reduced) at the discretion of the gamemaster or the character that owns the device. Drones begin with the Pilot rating listed in their entry, no matter their device rating.

Bye
Thanee

[Method]

The listing is not in the Core book IIRC, but is mentioned in the Errata or FAQ. SR4A, if you have it, has the listing included however.

The device rating table is on page 214 of the good ol' SR4 BBB.