 Skill wires and chipjacks, chip loading time |
  |
 Mar 1 2005, 08:28 PM
Post
#1
|
|
|
Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 571 Joined: 9-January 05 From: In the 9th circle of hell Member No.: 6,950  |
Quick question folks. I'm stuck here away from my books, and I need to know about how long it takes to load skillsofts. Active and non. I think I remember it having to do with size of file and few other things, but not the specifics. Anyone know?
|
 |
 
|
|
Mar 1 2005, 08:25 PM
Post
#2
|
|||
|
Mr. Johnson Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,587 Joined: 25-January 05 From: Berkeley, CA Member No.: 7,014 |
I think the Universal Megapulse Bandwidth is 1000 Mp/combat turn for cyber devices (Man and Machine). However, the rules for Skillsofts state that it only takes a Free Action to activate/deactivate any particular skillsoft, and that the only "load time" you have to worry about is loading a Skillsoft into headware memory (Simple Action, uses the above bandwidth). (Cannon Companion) EDIT: I do remember the "loading time" rules from another sourcebook, but that was in SR2. Was it Cybertechnology, or Shadowtech, or something else... |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Mar 1 2005, 08:34 PM
Post
#3
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 571 Joined: 9-January 05 From: In the 9th circle of hell Member No.: 6,950 |
K, thanks. :-)
Got a player that made a PC with few real skills and chips the rest. Yes, I am aware of the downsides. I'm also aware of the skillwire limits (has skillwire plus 6). It hasn't been a problem yet, I just needed to know if it was going to be one. Oh, yeah. we are doing 2nd, and it was in shadowtech. |
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2005, 03:11 AM
Post
#4
|
|
|
Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,073 Joined: 23-August 04 Member No.: 6,587 |
How did he make that economical. My assessment showed you needed over 20 skills on chip before the wires were worth the expense (as apposed to just going to an expensive trainer to describe your cash for karma).
Edward |
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2005, 03:34 AM
Post
#5
|
|
|
Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,144 Joined: 22-September 04 Member No.: 6,690 |
I think I'm playing things the right way, but I've got one character with skill wires at four, plus an Expert Driver 3. When he slots a rating four combat skill, that lets him roll seven dice to attack, and still have his full combat pool for defense (he's an infiltration/impersonation specialist, and uses chips to round out fill out the active and knowledge skills he needs).
Remember that if he's got a multi slot chipjack, he needs an expert driver for each slot if he want to get the bonus to more than one chip at a time. So if the PC has rating six skillwires, an expert driver, and cash to burn for chips of that high a rating, expect to see him rolling a lot of dice for a lot of various tasks. It can be overpowering, and the problems I've enountered have been largely related to roleplaying. You can't always go walking around with a chipjack jukebox plugged into your datajack, he really needs a different chip slotted in that expert driver slot, he doesn't have access to his case of chips right then... |
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2005, 03:33 AM
Post
#6
|
|
|
Running, running, running Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,220 Joined: 18-October 04 From: North Carolina Member No.: 6,769 |
you dont gain access to pools using chip jacked skills, this came up when i was considering making a chipjack rigger and DSF informed me of such. I can double check my book though and get the page if you want me too Sandoval
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2005, 03:44 AM
Post
#7
|
|
|
Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
With A Chipjack Expert Driver, you do get access to a special Task Pool of up to Rating 3. That leaves your Combat Pool available for use in defence. You would not get access to the Control Pool when using chipped Vehicle Skills.
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2005, 03:38 AM
Post
#8
|
|
|
Running, running, running Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,220 Joined: 18-October 04 From: North Carolina Member No.: 6,769 |
but then, even if he's got a pistols 6, with the expert driver he can only throw 3 dice for shooting, corect? not 6 for the skill, plus 3, plus combat pool, correct?
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2005, 03:38 AM
Post
#9
|
|
|
Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,664 Joined: 21-September 04 From: Arvada, CO Member No.: 6,686 |
Body compartment, jukebox inside it, install chipjack inside it as well, now he can go walking around everywhere with his chips plugged in. Tada!
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2005, 03:39 AM
Post
#10
|
|||
|
Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,664 Joined: 21-September 04 From: Arvada, CO Member No.: 6,686 |
Uhh, pistol 6 skill? Any relevant skill he has doesn't matter with the chipped skill. If you meant a chipped 6 pistols, he could throw 9 dice for a test, 6 from the chip + 3 driver. And keep all his combat pool for dodging. |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Mar 2 2005, 03:41 AM
Post
#11
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 139 Joined: 6-February 05 Member No.: 7,059 |
Oh man, the old SR2 Skillwires rocked, especially the Plus version. In 3rd Ed it costs way too damn much to make Skillwires worthwhile if you want a decent rating, unless you go like previously mentioned with the Expert Driver, but still, just a base Rating 5 system costs you over half a mil, and you can't even get base Rating 6 even with Priority A Cash.
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2005, 03:41 AM
Post
#12
|
|||
|
Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
If he has Pistols 6 on chip, plus the Expert Driver 3, he could roll 9 dice to shoot, and have his entire Combat Pool for defence. The Chipjack Expert Driver only adds its Task Pool to chipped skills (up to the rating the rating of the driver). |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Mar 2 2005, 03:52 AM
Post
#13
|
|||
|
Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
I find that the best way to go about it is to get Skillwires at rating 3 and the Expert Driver, and always have the equivalent of a 6 in any skill. The only time you suffer is if you want to use Combat Pool to attack instead of defend, and that is a rare thing for my characters anyway. |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Mar 2 2005, 03:48 AM
Post
#14
|
|||||
|
Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,144 Joined: 22-September 04 Member No.: 6,690 |
Right, that's what I said (or meant to anyway). I consider skillwires four, plus a Expert Driver 3 a pretty good investment. For my infiltration character, that lets him roll 7 dice for firing off pistols, SMGs, or anything else he has a rating 4 chip for, and still have all 7 of his combat pool dice for defense.
Well shucks, I should've thought of that before. Too bad Jack isn't in a position to get one installed any more. |
||||
|
|
|
||||
|
Mar 2 2005, 03:59 AM
Post
#15
|
|
|
Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,073 Joined: 23-August 04 Member No.: 6,587 |
But with skill wires costing MP*rating*500
And MP being rating * rating * 3 The base implant for rating 4 skill wires becomes 96000. This will allow you to have one skill at a time and no options can be used. If you want to be able to run 2 skills at the same time each at rating 4 you need rating 8 skill wires and the package will cost you 384,000 nuyen. and having 2 skills active t the same time is often necessary. I just see it as being far too expensive to be worth the effort. Edward |
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2005, 04:20 AM
Post
#16
|
|
|
Traumatizing players since 1992 Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,282 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Las Vegas, NV Member No.: 220 |
Remember that the task pool is a pool like any other, it refreshes at the beginning of the combat turn. If a character never gets a second action then it doesnt matter, but if he's fast enough to get 2 actions he has to divide those dice among them, making this very unattractive as a substitute for a real skill level.
If he goes more than once in a turn someone with skillwires 3 and a CED of 3 can roll 6 dice for the first time he shoots, then only three for each subsequent shot. Those dice are gone. Same goes for melee. If attacked he could toll 6 dice the first time to defend then he only gets 3 for all the remaining attacks and defenses. EDIT: for noncombat skills though, it kicks ass. |
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2005, 04:21 AM
Post
#17
|
|
|
Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,664 Joined: 21-September 04 From: Arvada, CO Member No.: 6,686 |
Typically, I just give the character with the chips a 6 in their combat skill of choice, this lets them consistantly throw 6 dice for that weapon (pick something broad like pistol or smg), as well as have chipped skills for anything else.
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2005, 04:38 AM
Post
#18
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 942 Joined: 13-May 04 Member No.: 6,323 |
I made a character with Rating 6 wires and CED 3... his combat skills were real, and his other skills were chipped. Throwing 9 dice into ettiquette rocks.
JaronK |
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2005, 06:02 AM
Post
#19
|
|||
|
Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,144 Joined: 22-September 04 Member No.: 6,690 |
Wait, what? That doesn't make any sense at all. Just get a multi slot chipjack, and not multiple skillwires. Or a jukebox. So then when you need a different chipped skill, it just takes a free action to switch. |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Mar 2 2005, 09:30 AM
Post
#20
|
|||
|
Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
I'd almost never use chipped Combat skills (with maybe the exception of Gunnery). |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Mar 2 2005, 03:37 PM
Post
#21
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 993 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 313 |
Just wait until you get ahold of chips with the DIMAP option. Pistols skillsoft: 6, Chipjack Expert Driver: 3, DIMAP: 6 = 15 dice.
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2005, 03:39 PM
Post
#22
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 192 Joined: 19-July 04 From: N 42° 43.799'. W 84° 27.901' Member No.: 6,496 |
I don't have the book on hand, but is DIMAP compatible with the expert driver?
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2005, 03:46 PM
Post
#23
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 993 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 313 |
*looks over the description in Cannon Companion and Errata* Says nothing about not working with CED.
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2005, 04:05 PM
Post
#24
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 519 Joined: 27-August 02 From: Queensland Member No.: 3,180 |
@Mortax
If you still need the numbers - Skillwire/SSLD = MpL/100 while headware memory SLD = MpL/250. Good to see some 2nd ed. players - very retro. I'd probably make the skillsoft jukebox about MpL/50. I use the Shadowtech rules to slow skillwires (although now they've limited the CED to 3) and so players will get I/O ports and all those cool old bits of headware. |
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2005, 04:24 PM
Post
#25
|
|||
|
Mr. Johnson Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,587 Joined: 25-January 05 From: Berkeley, CA Member No.: 7,014 |
You can only toss in as much pool as the base skill, regardless of the source. So you would have a DIMAP 3 and 12 dice. |
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 15th June 2026 - 01:19 PM |
Topps, Inc has sole ownership of the names, logo, artwork, marks, photographs, sounds, audio, video and/or any proprietary material used in connection with the game Shadowrun. Topps, Inc has granted permission to the Dumpshock Forums to use such names, logos, artwork, marks and/or any proprietary materials for promotional and informational purposes on its website but does not endorse, and is not affiliated with the Dumpshock Forums in any official capacity whatsoever.