I'm going to try out fourth edition, shortly. It's just myself and my wife playing, and I am going to play a technomancer (500BP starting).

I'm picking up a couple drones.. but it occurs to me that I won't have a Control Rig implant. I don't want the hit to my Resonance.

It is needed for rigging? I know it gives +2 dice, but I don't see anything saying that you absolutely need that item for "jumping into" a drone.

I may get one implanted later, when I have Submersed a time or two, but not right now.

Also.. any equipment tips? I picked up a Commlink and all the associated things to go with it, so I could pretend to be a normal hacker (and I am running under the assumption that a technomancer still needs an Image Link and Gloves to manipulate AR), I also picked up a pistol and some armor.. other than that, I am at a loss for what to buy.

I don't think you need a control rig, but I'll leave that for others to answer.

You don't need a control rig. I strongly suggest getting one because gunnery is a vehicle skill, but you don't need one. In fact, you can do a pretty good rigger without even having Command as a complex form. Just Register a bunch of machine sprites and slap them into drones.

-Frank

You need:

Fake IDs, safe houses, a spare one of everything to stash at your safe house.

And by the way, no, you don't need a control rig to rig drones - but it helps. However, it's debatable wether the bonus is worth the essence and nuyen.

Is there any point when the loss of Resonance would be worth taking a Control Rig?

Right now, I am just looking at using threaded Command, Machine Sprites (for autosofts), and the drone's normal ratings. I have two MCT Fly-Bots for spying, and a single Doberman with an Ingram White Knight for cover fire when the feces hits the spinning blade.

Technomancers don't seem like they would make very good Riggers, but since you can Compile a Sprite with ANY Autosoft you would ever need, I could be wrong.

well, eventually, you will get to a point where your resonance is so high that losing a little bit probably won't matter.

however, that being said, i wouldn't hold my breath for that time, personally.

What would a control rig help with? I haven't bought the book yet.

A control Rig adds +2 to all vehicle skills while operating with a VR DNI. There are only two Vehicle Skills that are going to matter while you are jumped into a drone: Your Pilot Skill, and your Gunnery Skill.

A control rig costs 10 grand and half a point of essence, and is thus cheap enough that you can fit cybereyes and a datajack and a Cerebral Booster level 2.

So net result: you pay about 50,000 and lose 1 die on all Resonance tests, in exchange for which you roll an extra 4 dice when shooting people while jacked in. Essentially you are trading some Matrix whup-ass for some real world whupass, and I think that's worth it in spades.

-Frank

Unless you REALLY want the Matrix whupass.

What Autosofts should I compile with my Machine Sprites then?

Most of the time, they are gonna be controlling my drones, since I have a craptacular Signal of 3 right now. Once I get my Signal up, I think I can manage better

I'm thinking Defense and the +Pilot one for manuvering are the most useful ones.

And how would my Complex Form ECCM work? Only when I am VR, or can I load it? Or do I need an Agent pre-loaded?

You should always skinlink or datajack a commlink or satlink. Always. Technomancers need repeaters to be truly effective outside of a full covert infiltration setting.

-Frank

buy a steel lynx and you get a free defense autosoft, btw. crack it, and share the fun

buy a smart firing platform and you get a free clearsight autosoft too

of course, they probably won't be as good as your sprite's autosoft, but it's a place to start IMO.

and of course, either one will net you a free weapon autosoft