[X] My Assistant

[Marwynn]

Interfaces are so intuitive in the present that many learn to get what they need from their iphone without ever getting any special skills that would translate from one device to another.

A computer skill of 1 means you have that skill with EVERY device. This means you have had experience with a plethora of devices, and have a basic understanding. I suspect many people dont have a computer skill of one. Just go read a list of the top ten stupid questions that Technical Support people get... people are clueless!

After working as tech support for a year, I can attest to this. Some people I've spoken with had all of these gadgets: iPad, iTouch, iPhone, and several Blackberries all trying to get email. In each and every case they were doing it wrong in a most basic sense.

A Computer Skill of 1? Or Data Search 1? I don't buy it. At best, they are at Rating 0. Untrained but not wholly incompetent.

I bet a lot of modern software (of the Sixth World) has a lot to do with interpreting just what the hell the user wanted to do in the first place. Computer literacy may be higher overall, but I don't think computer knowledge would be significantly higher than today. I mean, why think so hard about it? Just buy an Agent to do these things for you!

[Ascalaphus]

I was 23 before I started taking driving lessons.. in the Netherlands it's perfectly reasonable to never learn how to drive a car. Bicycles and public transit get you everywhere, and given the relatively short distances (Dutch cities are quite dense) and intense traffic, a bike is often faster than a car.

[SpellBinder]

...

I bet a lot of modern software (of the Sixth World) has a lot to do with interpreting just what the hell the user wanted to do in the first place. Computer literacy may be higher overall, but I don't think computer knowledge would be significantly higher than today. I mean, why think so hard about it? Just buy an Agent to do these things for you!

Bing! It's not just a search engine, it's a "decision" engine.

Now it'd be hilarious to come up to a restaurant in a China Town with its name in neon Cantonese, and the ARO that pops up to translate it says "404 Error File Not Found".

[CanRay]

In third edition, we had an Elf Assassin who relied totally upon the public transit system. Nothing funnier than the Elf taking the Bus to and from the hit. Of course, who would ever think to check the Bus for an Assassin? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

One of the characters I write about hates public transit, and commented about it quite extensively for an entire chapter.

[Makki]

In third edition, we had an Elf Assassin who relied totally upon the public transit system. Nothing funnier than the Elf taking the Bus to and from the hit. Of course, who would ever think to check the Bus for an Assassin? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

The first month I was living the US, the police stopped my bus and checked me out whether I fit a knifer's description.

[HunterHerne]

The first month I was living the US, the police stopped my bus and checked me out whether I fit a knifer's description.

Well, hopefully you weren`t carrying a knife on you. That could have been embarrassing.

[Yerameyahu]

Re: Data Search/Computer 1, the computers are so user-friendly that there are people in 2070 who can't even *read*. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[CanRay]

Yeah, that's called "The Majority" and "The Voting Pool", and is outright proof of how dystopian the world has gotten.

Shadowrunners have a higher rate of literacy than Corporate Wageslaves!

[Yerameyahu]

Well, they do fine. Icons and everything, nothing *wrong* with that per se. It's just indicative of how user-friendly the things are. And the fact that simsense is in many ways better than written language.

[CanRay]

Also, voice recognition prevents the need for typing (Even if you lack a datajack or 'Trodes). One of my characters (A rather large ork) uses it because his fingers are too thick for a Commlink's keyboard, and he refuses to get a Troll-Sized one. And you can have written work read to you as well. A lot of posts are probably a combination of file formats with the original spoken work by the author included as well, which might explain the file sizes in the older editions (Which was written in the days when HDD Space was limited and expensive.).

[TeknoDragon]

... and this is why I put together a rigger for the next game I'm in. IIRC, it was the Troll ex-soldier who went to a target in a cab.

The average person can succeed on an unskilled drive to somewhere; the radio on the morning or evening commute gives a good run-down of where someone missed the roll. I figure it is reasonable to expect a character to be able to drive point A to point B without any training, but anything more 'exciting' than clear, dry pavement should require them to either explicitly state care being taken or they're in for a world of hurt.

[Snow_Fox]

It's an interesting idea. A lot of people think they can drive having never got behind the wheel. About 2 weeks ago in Philly a 14 year old took his mom's car for a joy ride. At 2 am he blew past staties on the highway, driving erratically and having no lights on. I'm sure he thought he was hot stuff The family of the innocent by stanbder he killed won't agree.

I enjoy driving and think I'm good. By comparrison my husband says he doesn't like driving and only does it to get from A to B.

[CanRay]

I've never had a license beyond a Learners Permit, and scare the hell out of people when I mention that "I've kept my hand in while playing GTA." 'Course, I don't get many opportunities to drive (I use it as my photo ID, not wanting to carry around my Passport.).

One Redneck buddy of mine back home, however, is a damn fine hand behind the wheel, and somedays I figure I might get him one of those "Advanced Driving Techniques" classes for a birthday gift or some-such.

My Father was also an exceptional driver (He used to drive truck), and could thread the eye of a needle in the worst weather while bobtailing (Empty box trailer, which is easily blown around in winds.). Put him in something as small and easy as a car, and he was amazing. Our big ol' boat of a Mercury Grand Marquis LS could blow almost anything on the street away despite being a full-sized sedan (The big block V-8 was never to be denied!).

...

Actually, that might be part of why I have issues driving today, that's what I learned on, and it was near impossible to keep her under the speed limit in the city. Everything else I've driven since feels gutless and that I have to slam the peddle down just to get it to move. 'Course, it's been years since I've gotten behind the wheel of anything... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

[Marwynn]

My driving instructor put it quite nicely after my first in-car lesson: "There's 'driving' and there's 'making the car go'. I just taught you how to make it go, now I'll to teach you to drive." She was awesome.

I enjoy driving, I hate other drivers. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Also, with the benefits of Grid Guide, a pilot program, and AR overlays anything not involving a police chase should be an auto-pass. Unless it's critical to the story.

Hey wait... AR... spam... you don't suppose drivers get flooded with AR spam do you? The firewalls aren't that good.

[CanRay]

I've always had them overwhelmed. Of course, I usually go with the idea they're working with the Car's system with their own CommLink, and thus it's the CommLink's Firewall that matters. (That said, my characters usually up the Firewall to max on their vehicles. Not that I've ever played any of my characters. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif) ).

Also, I've had the idea that there's various levels of GridGuide you can order the service of, with the higher-end services giving you priority lane-change options and such. Emergency Services (Police, Ambulance, Fire Trucks, not in that order), of course, have ultimate high-end priority. Military vehicles are exempt from GridGuide under certain circumstances (National/Metroplex Guard falls under this as well.). Another reason to get that GridGuide Override is that you get the highest-end civilian service from the system, and you car doesn't pull itself over when the cop behind you double-clicks your license plate ARO.

My group actually took this little tidbit that I told them about it and used it to an advantage in one run, by re-routing Emergency Service priority to Commercial Accounts for Postal and Delivery Services. Cops were being cut off as their squad cars pulled over to let the "Emergency" Federal-United Postal (FedUP) truck go by.

[nezumi]

I really like that idea. Consider it yoinked (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[SpellBinder]

As far as AR spam while driving, you could also rule that there are laws stating spam cannot be sent to a vehicle not driving on auto pilot. Would then let all those wageslaves letting their cars do the driving get their McHugh's or Stuffer Shack special combo meal deals as they ride on their way to work for the man.

[Snow_Fox]

I've never had a license beyond a Learners Permit, and scare the hell out of people when I mention that "I've kept my hand in while playing GTA." 'Course, I don't get many opportunities to drive (I use it as my photo ID, not wanting to carry around my Passport.).

peddle down just to get it to move. 'Course, it's been years since I've gotten behind the wheel of anything... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

I think that was DLN's main point. you might be good at other stuff on a run but if you're behind the wheel someone's introuble.

As for those driving games, I played road rash with friends once. I was the only one with a bike licence and when there was a wipe out they lauhged saying I went green.

[CanRay]

Flipside is that I'm probably better off than most Urban people when it comes to driving. Having been at least a passenger on a few wild rides I know what you can and can't do in a vehicle (Some of the rides I've been on have literally been, "Shift more to the right before we crash."). There's a big difference between games and feeling.

You also have to know your vehicle, and the way it's specced out as well. A few pounds here and there do, indeed, make a lot of difference. (Even if you're not driving insanely. A pound here or there in optional equipment on a transport truck can be an extra box or two in the trailer. Long term, that adds up to quite a bit!). I saw my buddy and father nod in acknowledgement to The Transporter when he was talking about how carefully the protagonist had equipped his car for the situation, and just how much an extra body could screw that up (Then shake their heads for the rest of the movie.). Even the type of load can change things quite dramatically. Another example is "Black Dog" where the customs officials knew something was up with the load due to it being exactly the maximum load when they were hauling light cargo.

Also, you never want to try a high-speed chase through twisty streets with a liquid load. The sloshing motion in the tank will shift the trailer around quite dramatically. Hope it's a strong trailer when you smack it up against things.

And I'm going way too deep into things. I'll leave that for when I'm writing Nas.

[Hound]

Everyone knows how to look for things: And some people really suck at it. That's why they default at -1.

just thought I'd throw this in: I am living proof of this statement. I have been known to miss large objects until I hit my foot on them, fairly frequently.

[Glyph]

All that a street samurai with a Reaction of 9 needs is pilot ground vehicle: 1 with a specialization in wheeled, and he's rolling 12 dice to drive the getaway car (13 if he's using AR). Makes for a pretty decent backup driver when the rigger's busy doing half a dozen other things.

The average wageslave, by contrast, has a skill of 0 - which the book describes as a basic operator's license. A skill of 1 is a weekend off-roader or a seasoned driver who has an insurance premium discount. Again, going by the book. It makes sense - most people are fine driving to work, maybe even in inclement weather or heavy traffic, but they never need to make a bootlegger turn or (successfully) outrun the cops.

[HunterHerne]

All that a street samurai with a Reaction of 9 needs is pilot ground vehicle: 1 with a specialization in wheeled, and he's rolling 12 dice to drive the getaway car (13 if he's using AR). Makes for a pretty decent backup driver when the rigger's busy doing half a dozen other things.

Which is why PC's (and many re-usable NPC's) shouldn't be hyperfocused. It's good to have some back-up when the trouble comes.

The average wageslave, by contrast, has a skill of 0 - which the book describes as a basic operator's license. A skill of 1 is a weekend off-roader or a seasoned driver who has an insurance premium discount. Again, going by the book. It makes sense - most people are fine driving to work, maybe even in inclement weather or heavy traffic, but they never need to make a bootlegger turn or (successfully) outrun the cops.

No one should ever try to outrun anyone. It just gets you noticed.

[SpellBinder]

No one should ever try to outrun anyone. It just gets you noticed.

When you're at the point of having to outrun the cops, you've already been noticed. Then it's best to hit the spoof chip on random shuffle/repeat, blank out your morphine license plate, and pray your chameleon coating still works if you manage to duck into a good hiding spot.

[HunterHerne]

When you're at the point of having to outrun the cops, you've already been noticed. Then it's best to hit the spoof chip on random shuffle/repeat, blank out your morphine license plate, and pray your chameleon coating still works if you manage to duck into a good hiding spot.

Still better then trying to win a road race with the cops.

[CanRay]

This pic is surprisingly appropriate to the topic.