Integrating the matrix, How? Options

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Yeah, data searching without the skill is bringing you a lot of false positives and other glitches.
Kinda the same as in real life, don't you think?

Now, SoNA puts SINner population below poverty level at 26% (in 2061, though), and around 30% are SINless, which are not accounted for in the poverty level statistic at all. That puts us at around 56% of UCAS population not being able to procure AR capability, because it costs significantly more than what they can afford to spend on their basic necessities in a month - and that's one of the most developed countries in the world.

Yeah, but AR isn't for the dregs of society anyways... It is for the tax paying citizens. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
And it is really only 26%, The SINless don't count...

[Fatum]

It's a one-time purchase, of course. Most people couldn't buy a TV and Xbox every month… doesn't mean they don't have it, even 'poor'.

How often do you make purchases which cost you around twice your monthly income?
Besides, SR citizens have a bunch of better things to spend cash on - like, you know, guns or bodyarmor.

Yeah, but AR isn't for the dregs of society anyways... It is for the tax paying citizens. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
And it is really only 26%, The SINless don't count...

Oh, right, so when calculating "the majority", you don't count the low social circles? That's a very... capitalist approach.
26% below poverty level among the SINners. Also, 30% SINless - who are, most likely, below poverty, too. Around 56%, all in all.

[Hida Tsuzua]

Commlink: 100 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) min, 300 if you want it to be actually usable.
OS: 200 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) min.
AR gloves: 250 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) .
Glasses with Image Link: 50 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) min.
So, the absolute minimum for a commlink that's bringing you the joys of AR is 800 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) . Compare that to low-end lifestyle costs in Runner's Companion.

Now, SoNA puts SINner population below poverty level at 26% (in 2061, though), and around 30% are SINless, which are not accounted for in the poverty level statistic at all. That puts us at around 56% of UCAS population not being able to procure AR capability, because it costs significantly more than what they can afford to spend on their basic necessities in a month - and that's one of the most developed countries in the world.

Since they mention AR programs under the Squatter Entertainment Lifestyle Category, apparently squatters can and do use AR. You don't need AR gloves or glasses since commlinks come with a touch screen and holo projector. For AR, you likely have some sort of google goggleseque wave your commlink in front of the objects to see AR default program. That reduces the cost to 300Y. That's still not trivially cheap, but at least it's less than a month of living squatter. It's at least possible after a good month or two a squatter can afford a stolen commlink or something.

I'm not sure if you need a SIN to use a commlink or if you can just roll SINless or just have a string of numbers be your rating 0 Fake SIN. Some of the sample characters have commlinks no fake or real SIN. However I'll loathe to use the sample characters as an example of anything and any more information would be useful.

[James McMurray]

Oh, right, so when calculating "the majority", you don't count the low social circles? That's a very... capitalist approach.
26% below poverty level among the SINners. Also, 30% SINless - who are, most likely, below poverty, too. Around 56%, all in all.

It's SR. Were you expecting a hippy love fest? If you don't spend you don't count.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

It's SR. Were you expecting a hippy love fest? If you don't spend you don't count.

Ditto... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

[Yerameyahu]

Fatum, I thought I made that clear: once. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) And, as someone mentioned, you only need the one commlink (100¥), certainly not that whole list of crap. Does *anybody* use gloves? Trodes are hella cheap, as well.

[Dez384]

Gloves are nice for touchy characters.

[CanRay]

I prefer Hardliner or Stun Gloves. Keeps the fingerprints off things, and have combat uses.

[Fatum]

Since they mention AR programs under the Squatter Entertainment Lifestyle Category, apparently squatters can and do use AR. You don't need AR gloves or glasses since commlinks come with a touch screen and holo projector. For AR, you likely have some sort of google goggleseque wave your commlink in front of the objects to see AR default program. That reduces the cost to 300Y. That's still not trivially cheap, but at least it's less than a month of living squatter. It's at least possible after a good month or two a squatter can afford a stolen commlink or something.

Yeah, you're right, you don't actually need all those (it's just that Sabs mentioned it), although working with the device's screen covering but a small part of your field of vision instead of glasses with a full field of vision coverage may be crippling.

I'm not sure if you need a SIN to use a commlink or if you can just roll SINless or just have a string of numbers be your rating 0 Fake SIN. Some of the sample characters have commlinks no fake or real SIN. However I'll loathe to use the sample characters as an example of anything and any more information would be useful.

I don't believe you need a valid SIN to use Matrix (it's mesh and all, after all), or even to procure black MSP services.

It's SR. Were you expecting a hippy love fest? If you don't spend you don't count.

Actually, I was expecting cyberpunk. Not

1. AR is ubiquitous and omnipresent. Everyone has access to AR and can interact with it. In fact it's the primary interface the majority of the time.
2. Everyone can use AR to do Matrix tasks.

Fatum, I thought I made that clear: once. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) And, as someone mentioned, you only need the one commlink (100¥), certainly not that whole list of crap. Does *anybody* use gloves? Trodes are hella cheap, as well.

I never said anything about buying the same thing repeatedly. There's a bunch of relatively expensive things for a squatter to spend money on, as I said above, starting right with at least a light pistol, a license for it, and some armoured clothing for living in the Barrens. I imagine a commlink would be low on their priority list.
The 100¥ commlink is only showing you AROs in your immediate vicinity; and trodes are for simsense (and thus require a simsense module), not AR control.

[Vuron]

I assume that Renraku or NeoNet have subsidized purchase of commlinks just like modern cellphone companies do. 100 nuyen for commlink might be pricey but if it's factored into a 2 year contract for 10 nuyen a month of something like that it's much more reasonable.

Sinless of course don't have credit so would have to go with a cheap pre-paid commlink or a boosted knock off. A couple of -20% modifiers and that Metalink commlink becomes much cheaper and more affordable. Sure it's buggy and sometimes glitches out but if you a squatter you get what you can.

Just because a shadowrunner wouldn't be caught dead with the equivalent of a piece of junk trackphone burner doesn't mean that there isn't a booming market for them down in the gutters.

[Yerameyahu]

Trodes are AR. Simsense is AR.

[sabs]

And, Image Link Contacts, and Commlinks, I wasn't counting Squatters and SiNLess . It's not like they buy stuff at the stores downtown.

A Commlink and contact lenses are cheap for the average low and medium lifestyles. And they're necessary. You can't even pay your rent without one.

[Yerameyahu]

Exactly. It's like saying today, 'no, poor people wouldn't have cell phones'.

[DireRadiant]

Yeah, I'm not seeing this "majority" thing. A bare minimum commlink and image link is 125 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) If you're living on the streets and can't save up you could instead pay 75 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) for the one you bought "lightly used" off the back of Guido's Mobile Electronics Shop and Armory.

You have two things to consider to take the burden off of the poor masses, who while individually have little nuyen, but all together have a mass of nuyen. (And what corp doesn't want a mass of nuyen?)

1. Subsidized AR interface gear. 125 nuyen over a lifetime of revolving debt payments is worth giving away a commlink and image link.

2. Projected Holographic and trid projections on every street corner, store front and available surface is cheap for the corp to market things to bring in the SINless masses nuyen. Best of all, they can't turn it off.

There are all kinds of social effects and tropes to explore. A "green" community where there are no projectors, so if you turn your Matrix connection off, and are out of AR, it looks like you are in a wooded glade, but as soon as you add AR, then signs are revealed leading you to doors, windows, homes, vendors, and all sorts of assorted goodies. On the flip side, the "barrens" might be full of projected trid artifacts that conceal the squalid conditions in splendiforous glamour based on the upcoming summer blockbuster Die Hard 22:Malaysian Meltdown!

[Yerameyahu]

Good point: give away the commlinks so that you can target ads at them.

[Hida Tsuzua]

I never said anything about buying the same thing repeatedly. There's a bunch of relatively expensive things for a squatter to spend money on, as I said above, starting right with at least a light pistol, a license for it, and some armoured clothing for living in the Barrens. I imagine a commlink would be low on their priority list.

I'm not sure about that. The biggest thing a commlink would do is let you beg/panhandle. Otherwise, how does the odd wageslave give you a spare nuyen? Physical cash isn't used much anymore. I guess they could throw a certified credstick at you, but those are 25Y. I do think squatters plant a "Will Work for Food" or "Please give" ARO over their heads. Or just run their commlink in active mode when they try to wash your car. You could make the argument that wageslaves will never be close enough to the homeless for them to see such a sign much less give money, but that seems a tad much. If you can make 10Y a day doing this (the price of a low-end meal) that you couldn't have, you can pay back your commlink in about a month.

[Yerameyahu]

Dare I also ask why you need a license for your pistol if you don't even have a SIN or a commlink, either? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[sabs]

You can't get a license without a commlink, so.. what's the point.

[hermit]

Good point: give away the commlinks so that you can target ads at them.

When Horizon forces their employees todo good deeds, that's usually what they do. There's also the state/corp government giveaway VolksKOMM links from the Berlin book (which you do not have, of course).

[Stahlseele]

*pets his limited edition Berlin book*

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

You can't get a license without a commlink, so.. what's the point.

But why would a SINless, living in the barrens care about a license?

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

*pets his limited edition Berlin book*

If only it came in English... *sigh*

[sabs]

But why would a SINless, living in the barrens care about a license?

I'm not the one who said he'd buy a license for his gun (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Stahlseele]

If only it came in English... *sigh*

Learn to german *snickers* ^^

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Learn to german *snickers* ^^

Yeah, Well... The Only German I know could be written on a Single page of Paper. And I still would likely pronounce most of it incorrectly. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)