[X] My Assistant

[sabs]

if the rig, and the booster effected all rolls while rigged in, instead of just driving tests, they might be more 'must have coolness'
Another thing that bothers me is that, RIggers need every single skill in the game. WHen jumped in, if you're in a fly drone, trying to sneak by someone, you use the same skill as the infiltration expert.

[suoq]

And yet, you ARE Buying Implants from the Street Dealer, Just like Equipment. What else do you call going to the Mall for a Datajack and a pair of Eyes?

I don't know what you do, but when Stuffer Shack has a sale on surgery, I assume the price of Soylent Green is going to have a temporary drop soon.

[Udoshi]

Gyromount is nice if you absolutely need that RC, but in general having a full body agility of 9(or 10 for elfs) is just better then having one arm with agility 9 and can be gotten with use of resricted gear instead of the arm.

The nice thing about Gyromounts is that they negate Movement modifiers to shooting too.
If you negate your bursting RC and your -2 for Running, then its basically a free +2 to your ranged defense rolls.

THATS the hidden benefit of gyromounts.

[Epicedion]

I'm not really sure what your definition of Shadowrun is then..

I think SR has changed a lot, because technology has developed in ways they didn't anticipate. Instead of huge mainframes and wired networks with hidden access points in the Barrens, we have ubiquitous smartphones for everyone. Cybernetic implants have been put on a slow burner somewhere while genetech has become really hot.

My point is, I don't really believe that handling cyberware in an "orthodox" manner is more authentic or better. It's just staying confined in the expectations of the '80s of where tech might go.

I get the feeling cyberware has stagnated in SR, while bioware, geneware, nanoware, magic and gear have all been going forwards. If you want cyberware to look exciting, it should be pushing the envelope, not simmering on a back burner. Cyberware was developed before bioware and all that, because it was somehow easier. So now cyberware should again be the first way all manner of new augmentations enter society, only to be emulated by bioware later on.

I feel like the transition from enhancing the body to being able to connect a brain to an entire artificial body, to uploading the brain to a computer entirely, should be making progress. I think transhumanism does belong in SR; it's one of Evo's big working areas for example.

Shadowrun once had ubiquitous smartphones, too.

However they took a turn straight into GitS-land, copying that form of AR and wireless brain-hacking, instead of pacing themselves and introducing smartphones as matrix tools with slightly better access to a more traditional VR matrix backbone, rather than a badly designed conglomerate of All The Computers Ever.

They leaped ahead from our world rather than their world, and it shows. With that leap, they changed the general theme from desperate stagnation and decay to one of frantic change and constant upgrade. Shadowrunners talking about full body replacement? What the hell happened?

[UmaroVI]

UmaroVI,

1) I don't think that cyberears are bad at all. Even rating 1 is good because you get audiolink, audio recording, and 4 capacity... and so far the only audio dampeners that I have seen are either cyber or the adept power. I have NOT seen a dampener listed as a gear item

2) Sleep regulator is not addictive, so is much better than Long Haul

3) Cyberskull... yeah I agree with you on this one. The capacity of the cyberskull should be made higher

Actually, for some reason I thought cyberears couldn't have enhancements higher than their rating; I was mistaken. They do in fact suck, but for different reasons. A better example would be implanted grapple gun. Now, sure, there might be the occasional time where having a built in grapple gun is useful. But .5 essence for a "once in a blue moon" trick is ridiculous; just carry a grapple gun!

For 2: needing to stay up for obscenely long periods of time (remember, you don't even have to make any rolls or take any penalties until you hit 30 full hours without sleep) is rare. Long Haul is certainly not as good as Sleep Regulator - but is it really worth .15 essence for a somewhat better version of something that's only rarely useful?

[KCKitsune]

Actually, for some reason I thought cyberears couldn't have enhancements higher than their rating; I was mistaken. They do in fact suck, but for different reasons. A better example would be implanted grapple gun. Now, sure, there might be the occasional time where having a built in grapple gun is useful. But .5 essence for a "once in a blue moon" trick is ridiculous; just carry a grapple gun!

For 2: needing to stay up for obscenely long periods of time (remember, you don't even have to make any rolls or take any penalties until you hit 30 full hours without sleep) is rare. Long Haul is certainly not as good as Sleep Regulator - but is it really worth .15 essence for a somewhat better version of something that's only rarely useful?

I don't know, but I think that it's useful. I mean if you're going to have Long Haul in the game, then why not have Sleep Regulator.

[Ghost_in_the_Sys...]

Personally a large percentage of my characters have sleep regulator for flavor reasons as well as their occasional usefulness.

[KCKitsune]

Personally a large percentage of my characters have sleep regulator for flavor reasons as well as their occasional usefulness.

I put a sleep regulator on my Combat medic mage for exactly those reasons.

[UmaroVI]

^^^^^^
Yes, I'm sure some people would take cyberware that gave you +1 to Con rolls against domestic cats in June for 2 essence if it fit their character; that doesn't make it not overpriced.

I don't know, but I think that it's useful. I mean if you're going to have Long Haul in the game, then why not have Sleep Regulator.

In the game? Sure, just price it appropriately.

[Ghost_in_the_Sys...]

.15 is a fairly insignificant amount of essence, and I think you'll find there are a large number of people who get sleep regulator fairly often. Long haul has serious down sides and isn't something that can really be a regular part of what the character does.

And it seem fairly... trollish to compare .15 essence and a fairly useful ability to 2 essence and an obviously useless ability.

[UmaroVI]

My point is that people would take it, then post smugly about their moral superiority, not that Sleep Regulator is actually that bad.

.15 essence is a lot for an extremely niche ability. You could be getting something, like, say, +1 to one of your most often used skills all the time for 2/3 that.

How often have all those Sleep Regulators actually come up, in game, in an "I would be taking Sleep Deprivation penalties RIGHT NOW if I didn't have sleep regulator" way, Ghost (playing by the actual sleep deprivation rules in Shadowrun, in which you are fine and dandy for 29 hours and 59 minutes then start taking effects)?

[Ghost_in_the_Sys...]

*shrug* It's never come up directly as sleep deprivation, but definitely comes up very often as having extra time to prepare for runs and makes extended tests faster, or allows for extended tests to be taken on days in which I'd otherwise have been too busy thanks to the extra hours of saved sleep.

Admittedly all those could have likely been done by being a rules lawyer about the sleep rules, but I'd rather not pull that kind of crap.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

I don't know what you do, but when Stuffer Shack has a sale on surgery, I assume the price of Soylent Green is going to have a temporary drop soon.

Well, you can get in and out surgery at the Mall... THE MALL... Don't know about you, but I have yet to see a Mall that is sterile and antiseptic. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Ghost_in_the_Sys...]

Maybe not the mall as a whole, but I've certainly seen individual shops in some malls that could likely meet near hospital standards.

[Faraday]

How often have all those Sleep Regulators actually come up, in game, in an "I would be taking Sleep Deprivation penalties RIGHT NOW if I didn't have sleep regulator" way, Ghost (playing by the actual sleep deprivation rules in Shadowrun, in which you are fine and dandy for 29 hours and 59 minutes then start taking effects)?

I find sleep regulators VERY useful for anyone who needs to make lots of extended tests. Basically, this means anyone regularly using technical skills. Negotiating the black market and doing stake-outs also involved extended periods of wakefullness.

[CanRay]

I find sleep regulators VERY useful for anyone who needs to make lots of extended tests. Basically, this means anyone regularly using technical skills. Negotiating the black market and doing stake-outs also involved extended periods of wakefullness.

Stake-Outs are a major reason to have them. Also, they allow you to control your sleep patterns COMPLETELY! As any soldier will tell you, the ability to pass out and wake up instantly is a really handy skill to have.

I also use them in my stories quite often for some characters who are exceptionally well read despite their relatively "stupid" manner of speaking. Lots of time to read with full mental energy is handy for a lot of things.

However, if you lack them and need to do long-term work short-term, there's always Long Haul. My Magicians carry a few doses with them just in case. It was also a major plot point in one of my stories.

[PoliteMan]

My point is that people would take it, then post smugly about their moral superiority, not that Sleep Regulator is actually that bad.

.15 essence is a lot for an extremely niche ability. You could be getting something, like, say, +1 to one of your most often used skills all the time for 2/3 that.

How often have all those Sleep Regulators actually come up, in game, in an "I would be taking Sleep Deprivation penalties RIGHT NOW if I didn't have sleep regulator" way, Ghost (playing by the actual sleep deprivation rules in Shadowrun, in which you are fine and dandy for 29 hours and 59 minutes then start taking effects)?

Sleep Regulator used to be crucial back in SR3 for anyone who used build/repair/coding in their down time. It's still very useful for the same reason but the current rules don't support it very well.

[Irion]

You get yourself a 48 hours day. Thats extreamly usefull.
Of course if you just drive to A and shoot things up next run it does not help.

[HunterHerne]

Sleep regulator was a bad choice for comparison. The fact is, many character types can gain benefits from not having to sleep as often, and the threat of addiction makes the anti-sleep drugs kind of leery, rules-wise.

Pink-mohawk style games are less likely to benefit from sleep regulator, sure, but they can still be useful.

[redwulf25]

This tends to be my feeling. They are some things that steel should just do better then flesh even vat grown flesh. One of the other changes I was looking at making was making cyberlimbs better out of the box, up to and including starting one stat at racial max. Otherwise I just don't see a lot of folks taking cyberlimbs.

I've always started them at the characters natural attribute score instead of 3's across the board.

[Faraday]

I've always started them at the characters natural attribute score instead of 3's across the board.

This. However, I add a percentile cost difference based on metatype. Humans and elves pay the normal going rate. Dwarves and orks pay 25% more, while trolls pay a 50% premium. This is only the case for standard cyberware, though. Alpha/beta/deltaware is always customized to an extent, so the racial cost modifier is already covered.

[Wakshaani]

Alright, to cull the drift a bit, let's try this.

Go through the basic SR4 book and flag the cyberware that you think needs to be worked on.

Then post the list here, and why you think item X needs to be improved. It can be as simple as 'Goggles do it for 10% of the Nuyen and no essence', but, there should be a reason for everything you flag.

That'll help us figure out what the 'bad' ware is and, from there, solutions can be crafted.

(I have a mental list, but I'm curious what other people will trot out.)

[redwulf25]

Robocop is a solo character.
Terminator is also a solo character.

Solo characters tend to break the molds, because you can be arbitrarily more powerful, because who cares if you're balanced with the other pcs.

Look at Robocop, and tell me who the other 3 people in his gaming group are playing.

Can't say for Robocop, but if I'm remembering T2 right there were 3 PC's. The Terminator, John Connor, and Sarah Connor.

[CanRay]

Goggles can be taken away, easily. If they're taking away your eyes, then you're in bigger trouble than you probably should be in.

Then again, you might be a really bad agent for the CIA in Mexico Aztlan. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Ghost_in_the_Sys...]

Hmm, lets see...
Datajack - Trodes are cheaper and no essence
Sim Module - non-implanted sim module does the same thing more cheaply and for no essence cost
Cybereyes - Goggles do the same for a fraction of the cost and no essence
Cyberears - With one or two excpetions earbuds replace for no essence and minimal cost
Muscle Replacement - way too high essence cost and not nearly enough nuyen saving compared to muscle toner/enhancement.
Sim Rig -
Grapple Gun -

I think those are the main ones. Didn't include implanted commlink because the basic reason to get it is to prevent it being lost/stolen/taken, which it does do quite well.