 more than one data jack?, any real in game use for a decker? |
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 Mar 17 2004, 03:25 PM
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#1
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Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 189 Joined: 17-December 03 From: Louisville, KY Member No.: 5,912  |
A player in my group is trying on his decker hat for the first time, and he raised an interesting point/question: in the novels, plenty of people have more than one data jack, but in game there doesn't seem to be any real use for this.
so what do you guys think? is it worth it to put another hole in your head? |
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Mar 17 2004, 03:33 PM
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#2
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,616 Joined: 15-March 04 Member No.: 6,158 |
Datajacks are more useful than routers for starters. You get several free router ports and a useful implant aside, unlike routers, and they're roughly equivalent in costs (datajack is 0.2 essence and 1,000 nuyen, whereas a router with three ports costs 0.13 essence and 1,600 to 2,500 nuyen).
That's the main use for my characters. Beyond that, you can be driving a vehicle with one jack while doing some research or social engineering on your cellphone or pocket secretary with another. Security riggers can link to a CCSS while still communicating with the team on a radio. If you have a knowsoft link installed in one, you can be using a skillsoft while performing some other action with your other port(s). If one of your more visible ports gets gummed up with a jackstopper, you still have one of your more carefully hidden ports to use. etc. |
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Mar 17 2004, 03:52 PM
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#3
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,006 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
I find plenty of uses for multiple datajacks, even for nondeckers. One for a pocket computer full of maps, one for a radio, or one for a VCR and one for a deck, or two for different remote decks...
~J |
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Mar 17 2004, 04:27 PM
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#4
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Target Group: Members Posts: 42 Joined: 9-November 03 Member No.: 5,806 |
yeah.. the maps thing thats what head wear memory and display link is for.... or a HUD with some decent MP. ;)
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Mar 17 2004, 04:34 PM
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#5
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,632 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Portland Oregon, USA Member No.: 1,304 |
So in a case like Jane in the Box, are we saying that she's actually only jacked into one deck and the other jacks are being used for comm links and stuff?
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Mar 17 2004, 04:45 PM
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#6
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,006 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
Headware memory is in no way, shape, or form worth it for any but the most highly specialized datacarriers. Most people will get far better results from an extra datajack and a pocket computer (and an image link).
~J |
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Mar 17 2004, 05:18 PM
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#7
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 101 Joined: 12-September 03 Member No.: 5,613 |
Maybe all those multiple jacks are like RCA cables. and you can pull out the yellow cable and change the deckers matrix feed from stereo to mono.
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Mar 17 2004, 08:14 PM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 236 Joined: 14-March 04 From: Cal Poly: SLO Member No.: 6,155 |
Another use for more than one datajack is smartlink systems. Not every person goes for the induction pads in the palm for their smartlinks, and as many of the pictures show in the books, this means a cable running from the gun to your datajack. If you're using more than one gun at a time, or want to have another gun already plugged in and ready, you're going to need more than one datajack port.
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Mar 17 2004, 08:27 PM
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#9
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,665 Joined: 26-April 03 From: Sweden Member No.: 4,516 |
Skillsofts, Datasofts, computer storage, blank omc's for copying data onto, external transducer, any and all DNI-control modified devices... Multitasking! :elims:
More iffy: One connecting to a cyberdeck, one to an RC deck, one to the vehicle you are currently operating and one to an online portable computer with full radio capabilities - the rest to various skillsofts and datasofts, as well as a gun or two. |
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Mar 17 2004, 08:42 PM
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#10
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 189 Joined: 17-December 03 From: Louisville, KY Member No.: 5,912 |
rock and roll guys, thanks for the input.
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Mar 17 2004, 10:33 PM
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#11
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 400 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 825 |
Or a shitload of DNI'ed memory in a cyberlimb. :) |
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Mar 17 2004, 10:34 PM
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#12
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,616 Joined: 15-March 04 Member No.: 6,158 |
That's a cheaper option, too, considering the ridiculous costs of computers in Shadowrun. :D
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Mar 17 2004, 10:36 PM
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#13
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 749 Joined: 22-June 02 From: Parts Without Member No.: 2,897 |
Purely for RP reasons, two datajacks may be useful for the rigger/decker combos. It has been pointed out that forebrain datajacks are prefered by deckers becasue they more easily interface with higher order thought centers in the brain. Conversely, behind-the-ear/lower brain datajacks are prefered by riggers because they more speedily access balance/motion control centers. That, and a lower datajack is less wonky when you have a helmet on.
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Mar 17 2004, 10:42 PM
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#14
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 189 Joined: 17-December 03 From: Louisville, KY Member No.: 5,912 |
yeah, i was pretty sure about that. i meant mainly for deckers only.
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Mar 17 2004, 10:47 PM
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#15
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King of the Hobos Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,117 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 127 |
Can be very useful for Otaku if you want to use external rather headware memory to store your paydata.
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Mar 17 2004, 10:55 PM
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#16
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,066 Joined: 5-February 03 Member No.: 4,017 |
Bah, the only good datajacks are induction (finger mounted) and eye.
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 Mar 17 2004, 11:03 PM
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#17
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,028 Joined: 9-November 02 From: The Republic of Vermont Member No.: 3,581 |
Eye datajacks have always been in my "WTF use would anyone have for that?" category. What advantages do they have that make it worth losing use of the eye whenever you need to jack into something?
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Mar 17 2004, 11:16 PM
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#18
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 255 Joined: 10-May 03 From: CB/Omaha Sprawl Member No.: 4,568 |
Another thing to consider isn't there a bandwidth cap on datajacks? I thought I saw that there was somewhere, so linking datajacks may increase overall bandwidth and that translates into speed. dunno if that still holds true, as that may have been a 2nd edition ruling, I'll have to pour over Matrix source.
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Mar 17 2004, 11:37 PM
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#19
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
there was a bandwidth cap introduced in Shadowtech, along with 4 levels of datajack that offered increasingly higher transfer rates. as of SR3, though, there's no limit.
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Mar 17 2004, 11:58 PM
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#20
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 482 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Austin, TX Member No.: 90 |
IIRC the current I/O speed of a standard datajack listed in SR3 is nearly two times faster than the fastest jack listed in Shadowtech, faster jacks shouldn't really be an issue unless the GM wants to make it one.
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Mar 18 2004, 12:03 AM
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#21
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Beetle Eater Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,797 Joined: 3-June 02 From: Oblivion City Member No.: 2,826 |
The optical scanning eye datajack is perfect for silent communication. You just look at each other and pass data, with no real way for enemies to intercept it. Passing encryption codes, or during radio back outs, ect. Works better than hand gestures and requires no other skills (though a transducer or display is required). But the pure datajack plug in the eye is dumb, IMO. |
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Mar 18 2004, 12:09 AM
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#22
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King of the Hobos Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,117 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 127 |
It's more for the sneaky-sneaky type characters. I can't remember if it's canon or not, but I'd give it a higher TN to be caught with a cyberware scanner. All that metal in a cybereye would make it a lot harder to pick up.
I could be wrong, but I think he meant the version where you stick the actual jack plug into the cybereye to jack in. Hence the loosing vision. |
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Mar 19 2004, 01:00 AM
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#23
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 413 Joined: 20-November 03 Member No.: 5,835 |
I dunno ... image link + headware memory could be really useful when on a run, and you need to reference information. Though, this might be better accomplished with a knowsoft . . . how's it any different? I figuredthat you could jsut copy the knowsoft to headware memory (or part of it - like the map of Seattle, or the floor plans of a building). External storage gets in the way and attracts attention at inopportune moments. =) |
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Mar 19 2004, 03:18 AM
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#24
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Decker on the Threshold Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,922 Joined: 14-March 04 Member No.: 6,156 |
Well, if you're insane enough to play a decker/mage they're great for the Essence cost reduction. Eyes only cost .2 and they give you .5 E to play with, so you can get your micro vision while you're digging around in there too. It's not like you're going to miss your eyes in the Matrix anyway. The Essence-saving bit alone is actually a good reason for all deckers to consider an eyejack. Saves you room for those big-ol' encephalons and Math SPUs to bring up your Hacking Pool. Third, you might see pretty-boys wanting to keep their head from sprouting too many open-metal sores from their frontal lobes going for the more normal-looking eyewear adjustments.
Well, sort of. Datasofts can go directly from headware through the datajack into your brain, as datajacks can grok pure data, but knowsofts require an interpreter (usually in a chipjack or similar); the datajack can't do the interpretation job by itself (SR3 p. 295). Activesofts of course require a chipjack for interpretation and skillwires so you can actually *do* the task it's telling you to. (Ugh, skillwires, now that's something I'd never get used to, same with Move by Wire. Just gives me the shivers.) |
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