Rigger equivalent of Otaku?, some kind of psionics? Options

[Nyxll]

I was just thinking of some methods to try to solve the problem of Renraku Shutdown. After a series of unrelated tangeants, I got to questioning, are there any rigger equivalents of Otaku? People that can seemlessly integrate with electronics, (mainly cars, etc,) through a psychic channel or other magic method.

Tangeant number 2 are there psionics or would those be some sort of mental adept?

I seem to have more questions than answers.

[Herald of Verjig...]

Improved ability: cars
Attunement: my car
There, just 3.5 pp and one initiation.

[Eyeless Blond]

Except a guy with a VCR 1 will mop the floor with him, and any other rigger won't even consider him worth the time.

[Nyxll]

[Edward]

The rigger will win because he gets more actions (the only initiative boost that ever applies while driving is a VCR)

The next important point is the rigger has a control pool that alowes him to dodge, the adept doesn’t, although IA cars (and may IA gunnery) would counter other aspects of this pool.

Also the rigger has the ability to command vehicle weapons without using a separate interface and the rigger has the ability to control drones to back himself up.

Lastly if there are passengers in each vehicle no character may act before the driver of the car they are in, as the rigger has far higher initiative than the adept driver passengers in his car will get to go first.

If it is a street race or vehicle combat with nothing other than unarmed cars the only advantages the rigger will have are dodge and initiative, the adept has more base dice, as the adept only gets one action around (try getting more without initiative enhancements) eh will only be able to apply his IA dice once, the rigger has at least as many dice in control pool and more flexibility about how to use them.

Rigger win in any otherwise matched vehicle combat (they can be defeated buy a superior vehicle with an inferior driver or sheer numbers).

Edward

[hermit]

Don't forget the -(VCR rating*2) TN modifier.

[Nyxll]

So with all this taken into account, how long do you think it will be till there is a rigger equiv? I would place a restriction that you have to be touching whatever you are in control of (so no control over remote drones), but if Otaku are set to rule the matrix, how long till something similar rules anything with an engine?

My knowledge of Otaku is limited. I am trying to read all that I can to catch up, but from all the fiction they appear to own everything virtual. There is 8 years of material I am trying to catch up on.

I would postulate that if such an archtype were to spring fourth, that the rule stating drivers go first would be deprecated in favour of something new.

[hermit]

Actually, if "Technomancers" are gonna beat Riggers at controlling machines too, we can just ditch the whole hacker idea and go all TechnoMage: The Running. :S

[Edward]

I would have said they are not needed but under SR4 with the merging of deckers and riggers (there will still be some differences in skills required but I understand that anybody that can hack a data site only needs a couple of skills to control a vehicle) the technomancers will likely have full access to a riggers concept. It remains to be seen wether the implementation will make technomancers unduly powerful in any environment. With the get the Decker out of the basement goal they wont be able to afford otaku physical attribute penalties

Edward

[DrJest]

[blakkie]

[Nyxll]