[X] My Assistant

[longbowrocks]

We tend to wing it quite a bit at our table, so I unthinkingly mentioned rigging through a single cyberware arm that technically isn't even a full fledged node.

[Draco18s]

We tend to wing it quite a bit at our table, so I unthinkingly mentioned rigging through a single cyberware arm that technically isn't even a full fledged node.

Yeah, no. That's not kosher.

[KarmaInferno]

Aside from control issues, you also have the problem at least in hot sim of basically taking double damage from attacks.

Once to the meat body, once from the feedback.



-k

[Yerameyahu]

Draco18s, if you can nitpick the difference between rigging the sam and controlling the sam, then you didn't need to ask about rigging his *own* body. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Draco18s]

Draco18s, if you can nitpick the difference between rigging the sam and controlling the sam, then you didn't need to ask about rigging his *own* body. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

At what point did I say that the two were different?

[Yerameyahu]

Jeez, forget it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) You first misunderstood the 'my body in combat' thing, and then you asked, "If he's not rigging his own meat in combat, what's the point of having the stirrup interface at all?" Clearly, you were confused about who was rigging what, when, and why. I'm glad it got straightened out.

[Draco18s]

Jeez, forget it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) You first misunderstood the 'my body in combat' thing, and then you asked, "If he's not rigging his own meat in combat, what's the point of having the stirrup interface at all?" Clearly, you were confused about who was rigging what, when, and why. I'm glad it got straightened out.

*Rereads*
Derp. I'll be up to normal cognitive legs. I mean levels. By Thursday or so. I didn't sleei[ much/well this last weekend (but had so much fun).

[WhiskeyJohnny]

So, if I were to get permission from my GM to have a stirrup system (an experimental model for metahumans) then what would be the optimal way to rig myself? Chrome? Technomancy? Path of the Adept? I may have a game soon, so it'd be cool to have a character ready, and this sounds like an interesting concept (at least to me). Also, what's the state of cloning tech in the sixth world? With sufficient nuyen would I be able to clone and equip several different iterations of 'me' in order to have different abilities/less risks for different runs?

[Draco18s]

Chrome. Any magic/not-magic-magic route you take will take a huge hit from the stirrup system (it's what, 2 essence?)

[Ascalaphus]

Chrome. Any magic/not-magic-magic route you take will take a huge hit from the stirrup system (it's what, 2 essence?)

2.5 / 3.5 / 5.5 for ratings 1 / 2 / 3.

To be fair, it includes MBW...

[Udoshi]

To be fair, you only need move by wire 1 to rig something and use your matrix passes.

MWB is just a nice side benefit of that.

[Draco18s]

2.5

Right. 2.5 essence. Good luck going the magic route when you're gimped by 3.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Right. 2.5 essence. Good luck going the magic route when you're gimped by 3.

Why? We have a very exceptional mage in our group that started out with a 3 point Essence Penalty (Wired 2 and Reaction Enhancers 2, and a few other minor things). 300 Karma later, he is one of the strongest casters in the group, with a Magic of 6 and 5 Initiate Grades. It can be done, just not by those who want to be the most powerful character ever at the start of the game. *shrug*

[Yerameyahu]

God, Tymeaus, *every* time. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Most people aren't interested in waiting for five bloody Initiations to finally be their character. With 3 whole Magic, what exactly could this primo rigger do?

[Ascalaphus]

With the time and karma spent on recovering Magic to the point of a starting level caster (for PC values of "starting" of course) you could have become something so much more powerful than a precious and unique snowflake...



Personally, I'd go for Chrome rigger. I like the idea of a guy tinkering with drones who occasionally gets to show off his latest mad machines. The kind of guy who likes machines more than living people.

Sure, Technomancers can be good riggers too, but I just don't like them because their loss of Resonance for making themselves more machine-like feels wrong to me.



As for power.. I think all three methods can be powerful enough to be playable, but in the case of magic-based riggers it feels very forced, like you're twisting the game system to do something it doesn't really want to do, wasn't really meant to do (but just happens to allow). And Analyze Device is just cheesy.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

God, Tymeaus, *every* time. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Most people aren't interested in waiting for five bloody Initiations to finally be their character. With 3 whole Magic, what exactly could this primo rigger do?

Not everyone has to be SuperWhammaDyne out of Chargen. Why do you have to wait for Five Bloody Initiations to be your character. Why can't you start out as your character (as he did) and then improve with time?

Hell, the Character I am playing now has a Casting Magic of 3. He is Way more fun to play than someone who has Magic 6. It is about the Role that you play, not the Dice that you Roll. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) After all, When you are the Best in the World out of Character Generation, there is no where for you to go, no hill for you to climb.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

With the time and karma spent on recovering Magic to the point of a starting level caster (for PC values of "starting" of course) you could have become something so much more powerful than a precious and unique snowflake...

That really is funny to me. You are assuming that the goal of the character is to be either very powerful, or a precious and unique snowflake. Why does everyone make that assumption?

Personally, I'd go for Chrome rigger. I like the idea of a guy tinkering with drones who occasionally gets to show off his latest mad machines. The kind of guy who likes machines more than living people.

Sure, Technomancers can be good riggers too, but I just don't like them because their loss of Resonance for making themselves more machine-like feels wrong to me.

As for power.. I think all three methods can be powerful enough to be playable, but in the case of magic-based riggers it feels very forced, like you're twisting the game system to do something it doesn't really want to do, wasn't really meant to do (but just happens to allow). And Analyze Device is just cheesy.

Yes, Analyze Device is Cheesy. Fortunately, it is easily controlled... I prefer either the Chrome Solution, or the Technomancer Solution. Both can be very solid builds.

[Draco18s]

Not everyone has to be SuperWhammaDyne out of Chargen. Why do you have to wait for Five Bloody Initiations to be your character. Why can't you start out as your character (as he did) and then improve with time?

I have yet to be in a game that lasts to 300 karma (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohplease.gif)

[Ascalaphus]

The best reason to want to be good (enough!) straight from CharGen: I want to be able to do fun stuff right away, instead of basically spending the first X sessions waiting for enough XP to make my character concept start paying off.

Don't mistake this for powergaming. I like to be powerful enough to have the feeling that I can make an impact, but I don't need to squeeze every drop for that.

The flip side of my emphasis on doing, now, is that I tend to buy lots of small powers during the game instead of saving up a long time for big abilities. I buy abilities related to what my character is working on right now. Call it immersion (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

The best reason to want to be good (enough!) straight from CharGen: I want to be able to do fun stuff right away, instead of basically spending the first X sessions waiting for enough XP to make my character concept start paying off.

Don't mistake this for powergaming. I like to be powerful enough to have the feeling that I can make an impact, but I don't need to squeeze every drop for that.

The flip side of my emphasis on doing, now, is that I tend to buy lots of small powers during the game instead of saving up a long time for big abilities. I buy abilities related to what my character is working on right now. Call it immersion (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

All viable options. I just do not see why having a Magic Rating of 3-4 is not Good (Enough). I have found that it is perfectly good. Is it as powerful as you can be? No, of course not. But it IS good enough. The character I play makes a huge impact on the game, just not in direct combat. For direct combat, I have options other than spells.

Looks like we mostly agree, though, so no worries. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Draco18s]

All viable options. I just do not see why having a Magic Rating of 3-4 is not Good (Enough).

Oh, sure, there are viable low-magic builds. Generally though they don't involve buying magic up to 6 and then dropping it back down to 3.
Oh, and low spellcasting magic isn't the same as low magic. The former involves the remainder having gone into adept powers, which are very much worth it. The latter means it went into cyberware, which was purchased with the extra expenditure of build points. 1 Essence is generally considered "ok," 2 is "workable, depending" and 3 is "too much."

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Oh, sure, there are viable low-magic builds. Generally though they don't involve buying magic up to 6 and then dropping it back down to 3.
Oh, and low spellcasting magic isn't the same as low magic. The former involves the remainder having gone into adept powers, which are very much worth it. The latter means it went into cyberware, which was purchased with the extra expenditure of build points. 1 Essence is generally considered "ok," 2 is "workable, depending" and 3 is "too much."

Depends upon your Concept I guess... Our Mage decided that sacrificing those 3 points of magic was okay for him. It worked out well.

[Draco18s]

Generally it depends. What'd he spend 3 Essence on?

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Generally it depends. What'd he spend 3 Essence on?

Wired 2, Reaction Enhancers 2, Alpha Grade.

[Draco18s]

Wired 2, Reaction Enhancers 2, Alpha Grade.

Ehh. As a mage I'd have done those via spells, but they're not bad as chrome.