How common is VR?, Do Jane and Joe average do it, or is it just for pros and specialists Options

[maeel]

Like the topic says, do normal people do a lot of VR or do they prefer AR, whats your take on this?

[CanRay]

AR is the pleasure of choice while going throughout the day. VR, which requires you to ragdoll, is more likely for the simchip you rented on your way home from the 8-8/6-day a week job to relax before going to bed. A good number of people prefer a six-pack and the 'trid, however, so that's still a popular option. Some jobs require going into VR, however. Spiders, Riggers (Construction and vehicular), maybe even the secretary pool to speed up typing if you don't let your mind wander too much. ("Oh drek, did I really send that to the Boss?").

For Shadowrunners, reality is more likely, with some AR overlays from sensors and the limited communications allowed through the CommLink (Contacts and current Shadowteam, mostly), with VR only in places they feel really, really safe in. 'Runners are more likely to watch the trid and have something that calms the nerves, as they can't be "On Edge" all the time. (Those with Move-By-Wire being the exception.). Riggers and Deckers/Hackers are the exception, of course.

SINless and drug addicts, well, depends on their drug of choice, but BTLs are the best way to escape their hellish life, so hot sim VR there.

[Glyph]

I think VR would be fairly common, with simsense and matrix games fitting into the niches that DVDs and video games fill today. AR, however, is omnipresent. People are simply used to walking around that way, using their commlinks constantly.

[3278]

+1 to everything CanRay said, basically. Only one thing to add:

'Runners are more likely to watch the trid and have something that calms the nerves, as they can't be "On Edge" all the time.

Criminals, particularly of the professional or semi-professional variety, have the strangest selection of hobbies that can be imagined. I'm talking slot cars, bonsai, animal breeding, knitting, carpentry, and that's in addition to things a little more explicable, like recreational vehicles and piles of electronics. And it's for exactly the reason you suggest: you have to have something that brings you down, something that grounds you, something a little boring.

[Yerameyahu]

I agree with Glyph. VR is cheap and easy, and people would use it whenever they have the time.

[CanRay]

Criminals, particularly of the professional or semi-professional variety, have the strangest selection of hobbies that can be imagined. I'm talking slot cars, bonsai, animal breeding, knitting, carpentry, and that's in addition to things a little more explicable, like recreational vehicles and piles of electronics. And it's for exactly the reason you suggest: you have to have something that brings you down, something that grounds you, something a little boring.

Yeah, but we were talking about AR and VR only, so I only added the 'Trid as that's AR-Alpha Model. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I had a house rule that each PC has to have a hobby skill from the "Free" skill points they get for knowledge, even if at 1 level. There was some argument against that until I asked, "And what do you do when you're not Shadowrunning?"

"These are free points, right?" "Yeah, just for being alive and doing stuff." "OK, I ain't angry at that.", and often they loved their hobby skills and it really fleshed out the characters nicely. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Saint Sithney]

VR lowers the vehicle test threshold by 1, meaning that people will totally drive in their sleep.
There's no every-day driving situation which would require skill or effort if you're doing it in VR.

[Paul]

As someone who works in a high stress field it's pretty funny to see what some people like to consider as their "down time" hobbies.

[Runeblood]

I had a house rule that each PC has to have a hobby skill from the "Free" skill points they get for knowledge, even if at 1 level. There was some argument against that until I asked, "And what do you do when you're not Shadowrunning?"

I had a character in one of my games (a technomancer) have Furniture Quality and was rally passionate about his collection. They broke into an Ares facility and really had to think about altering the run so that he could have the troll extract the Redwood and Oak business chair and desk with petrified wood inlay. He's screaming across the commlink to the troll
"Is it real redwood or that fake crap?"
"I...I dunno. Does it matter, It's a stupid chair."
"stupid chair? OF COURSE IT MATTERS! I....By god, you better hope it's the real deal or so help me..."

[CanRay]

As someone who works in a high stress field it's pretty funny to see what some people like to consider as their "down time" hobbies.

Such as? If they're not too humiliating?

I had a character in one of my games (a technomancer) have Furniture Quality and was rally passionate about his collection. They broke into an Ares facility and really had to think about altering the run so that he could have the troll extract the Redwood and Oak business chair and desk with petrified wood inlay. He's screaming across the commlink to the troll
"Is it real redwood or that fake crap?"
"I...I dunno. Does it matter, It's a stupid chair."
"stupid chair? OF COURSE IT MATTERS! I....By god, you better hope it's the real deal or so help me..."

I wish my players put that much effort...

[Seriously Mike]

Heh, this reminds me of my street racer/mechanic/car thief I played in Requiem and ported to SR4. Too bad I don't have any SR4 GM handy, because after sourcing an Auto Mechanic Facility kit I'd build a Murdervan that puts the one used by Zod & co. (you remember those guys, don't you? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) ) to shame.
As for VR, I believe that it's pretty popular, given that a lot of video games in the Shadowrun world are played in VR.

[3278]

Such as? If they're not too humiliating?

Things like this are disproportionately common, on both sides of the law. And things like this. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Paul]

Well some of my coworkers are pretty serious thrill seekers-guys I work with do some of the following:

• Motocross
• Combat shooting competition's
• Fighting-whether it's MMA, tough guy, boxing or wrestling
• We have a lot of people who run races-5k, 10k or more
• Mountain Climbing
• Cross country skiing
• One guy is a nationally ranked arm wrestling enthusiast. (Seriously he doesn't look like it.)
• Sex. No need to get into the details, but needless to say there's a variety of appetites.

The list goes on.

[CanRay]

Those don't sound so bad. From the way you were talking, I was expecting bear wrestling while covered in freshly caught salmon. Freshly caught with their TEETH!

[3278]

Well some of my coworkers are pretty serious thrill seekers-guys I work with do some of the following...

And then some of them raise cows.

[Paul]

Well the suicide rates, alcoholism rates, divorce rates, etc...are a little higher than any of us would like to discuss. But yeah there are a few that work on farms too. :0

[CanRay]

Well the suicide rates, alcoholism rates, divorce rates, etc...are a little higher than any of us would like to discuss. But yeah there are a few that work on farms too. :0

It's a hard life, I do understand that.

[ShadowWalker]

My Technomancer has Mesh Reality and a Sleep Regulator. So he lives in the Real World, AR and VR all at the same time 21/7/365. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

My Technomancer has Mesh Reality and a Sleep Regulator. So he lives in the Real World, AR and VR all at the same time 21/7/365. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Yeah, that is a neat trick. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[ShadowWalker]

Mesh Reality and Skinlink are two echos I think all Techomancers should have.

[Tias]

Agree with the opinion that it's fairly omnipresent. Take, for instance, porn. It's everywhere today - If you could have full simsense experience of whatever perversion you could imagine for the affordable price of a 'link and some trodes plus whatever plug-in gadget sex toys to facilitate the input, you probably would. Hell, I would.