The current smartlink units, according to the description, are glorified laser sights with little extras like clip ejection and such. However, the smartlink processor is a clever little bit of hardware that unfortunatly does not use a guncam to it's fullest potential. You see, the smartlink adds an aiming dot in your field of vision. However, aim the gun behind you and you get nothing, since your eyes aren't looking somewhere the smartlink can put the aiming dot.

Enter the Smartlink III. This unit add an overlaping holographic projection of the guncam's view directly into your eye, a controllable feature (turn on/off, reduce size, etc), while implementing the smartlink's ballistic processor functions. Furthermore, the secondary field of vision implements strategic highlighting of important objects. A person would be highlighted red, and covering objects between you and him clearly shown, while background objects, anything that has no incidence on your shooting of the guy, would be faded.

In essence, you can walk around blind folded and still be able to shoot accuratly. You can pop your gun over a sandbag wall and shoot just as good (well, recoil would still suck). You can aim sideways with no problem. Kinda like having 2 monitors plugged to a video card. Your view simply keeps going as you move the gun, all with a neat customizable interface.

Anyway, this is basically taking the datajacked guncam/Image link a step further.

Whadaya think?

The highlighting, etc. would take a lot of work; hell, it takes a Safe Target System to create a very crude IFF for ground combat, and even that's not very clean in implementation. I'd say that's right out unless we're talking bleeding-edge milspec equipment.

~J

Its an idea I've always like, but I think it should be limited somehow.

Perhaps if you are shooting at someone not in your direct line of sight, the smartlink gives only half the bonus?

As far as essence costs and whatnot, I'm not sure. You likely don't need anything besides the upgraded smartlink processor, because the guncam is external, not a peice of cyber.

Smartlink III .5essence 45,000nuyen

Bonuses as Smatlink II, but with new features as follows:
When using a Smartlink III system (with an equally equiped firearm) to fire at a target you cannot see, you may take a complex action to apply the Smartlink's -2TN bonus to that shot. Vision modifiers apply to the guncam's view, not the users. You can only apply half the recoil modifiers (round up) of any firearm used in this manner, as alignment with the shooter is one of the keys to proper recoil compensation

Don't forget, I don't believe the smartlink you install on your gun actually has a camera installed. So you would need to install a camera (probably covered by the increase in price) and, optionally, a scope, low light or IR equipment etc. Plus you would need either a set of goggles (smart goggles may or may not work) or the lil eyeball screen. I agree that you should get a serious penalty for using the camera instead of holding the gun normally, since it'll be very discombobulating and you will have difficulty remembering where the gun is in relation to you etc. So the TN goes UP by 2, not down (which is still pretty good, considering your opponents TN goes up by 8 or more for not having a target : P ). In addition, this SL WOULD stack with scopes, if the scope is built onto the gun cam. I don't like Fogg's 'if you concentrate you get the normal bonus' rule, but I do like his recoil rule.

All said and done, I think this is one of those inventions that would have been made well before things like wired reflexes, it's good someone is actually putting it in : )

You can do that with a any smartlink. Simply dni adept the guncam (you will need to install a guncam onto your gun obviously), router the smartlink with the guncam so the guncam can feed information to the smartlink system. You will also need to router the guncam to your cybereyes for the alternate guncam vision.

There. No special smartlink processors needed. Although as a GM, fighting with guncam vision mode would definitely penalize the -2 smartlink bonus to only a -1 bonus, since you are going away from the traditional setup. And possibly an additional vision modifier since you are limited to the cam's thin peripheral or fish-eye view.

Oh yeah, you would also need the guncam to have low light or thermo if you want those vision mode bonuses.

Bleeding edge?

The US Army has this type of sighting system today, available right now. It feeds into a pair of goggles and not cybereyes and isn't always accurate (the system looses calibration) but I don't see any reason why this couldn't exist in shadowrun. Though I can see a number of reasons why it shouldn't.

It was just a quick thought, plenty of work would be needed... I like Buzzed's idea better though...

Using cybereyes, you get -2 with a smartgun because you are digitally painting the target indirectly, and have partial smartlink reflex control. Whan you replace that vision with a guncam view, your sight is always fixed to the gun's aim, so you would lose the -1 bonus for painting a target indirectly. You would only be left with a -1 bonus for the smartlink reflex control.

So here is my newest draft of guncam combat modifiers.

I would rule aiming with the guncam, without being routed to a smartlink would give a modifier of +1. (+1 penalty for using guncam vision.)

With a smartlink routed guncam, I would rule a modifier of 0. (-1 bonus for smartlink, +1 penalty for guncam vision.)

All guncam smartlink bonuses are lost if used with smartgoggles.

No laser sight bonuses when using guncam vision mode. (Guncam already has crosshairs.)

I allow a guncam (a special guncam though, not just any old minicam) to be linked to a Smartlink without any additional datajacking or DNIing. If a char has an Image Link (not the one that comes with Smartlink cyberware, but the Cybereye mod), he/she can fire at anything the guncam sees (like around corners). Smartlink bonuses apply as normal, but there's also a +2 TN for firing in such a way. I've been toying with the idea of double recoil or something, but so far +2 TN has been enough to discourage overuse of this tactic.

It could be done with just a datajacked guncam and the Image Link, or even with just guncam and goggles, but then you obviously wouldn't get the smartlink bonus, only the +2 TN.

This is basically how the OICW + goggles would work.

How bout +4 TN for blind fire instead of +8, BUT you can spend actions Aiming.
You get +4 because of the distraction of double field of visions and improper gun holding, but since you can actually see what you are shooting at, you can spend some time reajusting yourself (aiming) in order to get the shot. It's pretty unlikely that you can just swing your gun behind you and *poof* you're aiming right where you want to, which is was shooting in SR without spending any aiming actions is. You raise your gun and fire instantly.

But since you have that second field of vision, you are able to aim. And this aiming is better than just McGuyvering a guncam-smartlink, because the Smartlink III would be a more unified algorith package, ready to read that guncam feed more effectively.

I used one as a PC with the existing rules. Wired up a DNI equipped cuncam routed through the Smartlink II interface to display into the character's field of vision using a Display Link. Of course you can then wire/connect the datafeed to internal memory sources to record the images. Good for those cops who like to prove they shot the target in self defence, or those mercs who like a replay to go over in training exercises, or those media types who like the ratings it brings to Prime Time in the Barrens!

All in all my GM allowed me to use the cam to see around corners without exposing my meat to retaliatory fire. With the screen engageed it could get confusing to use alongside normal vision perameters (heck, you've got the little box in your field of vision whizzing around and showing you all kinds of stuff as your arms are flailing as your legs try and get you away form the hot lead brigade. Useful for the behind eye trick though - just wire in a reverse mounted camera to your shades and plug into your jack. Really it was more of a roleplaying thing than a rule decision gadget. However, if you want to use rules then...

Apply a negative modifier for Perception Tests due to distraction when it is engaged unless the character is concentrating on the guncam feed exclusively. Allow for detection of blindside attacks depending on the way it's pointing.

The Smartlink simware processors will compensate for balance and unusual firing positions and basically cancel out the -2 TN bonus. Keep in mind that certain weapons should be held in a certain way to apply their reciol compensaton bonuses. (IE: rifles need a good snug shoulder for a proper shot. Especially if equipped with shock pads.) Pistols and hand-on-hand feed SMGs (Ingram Smartgun, Uzi III) should be able to fire at odd wrist angles without reducing their effectiveness too greatly. The same with weapons fitted with a forward grip. I'd apply the double recoil penalty to any weapon you think will kick more if not braced correctly though. (IE Assault rifles stcuk up over your head whilst laying on your back behind sandbags/park benches/low roof edges).

I agree, you'd need DNI to change the vision mode of a guncam with a thought. This has just never come up in my games, since no one has a guncam that has any additional vision modes, and if they did, they'd probably just switch them manually.

Confused me there for a while with the "DNI adept" bit, at first I thought you were talking about some weird gunslinging cyberadepts...

Would a smartlink be capable of feeding additional guncam vision information along with it's current information transfer load to your cybereyes? If so, I think that the image link would not be needed since the smartlink is basically a dedicated image link anyway.

Maybe this can be applied to the target modifier discussion:

Pg. 16-17, M&M (under Independent Cybereyes)
"Apply a +4 target number modifier when making ranged attacks using only an independent cybereye (doing so forces the brain to process information in an unfamiliar way)."

Good point. I had a nagging feeling there was something like that in M&M, and that was it. So now I'm forced to either drop that modifier to +2 or cranking the guncam modifier up to +4 too. This will take pondering...

What I'm saying is that we know the technology already exists for the highlighting, and target designation in shadowrun. We know that a prototype of the guncam exists in the real world. I think it's pretty simple that we can assume that this kind of device not only exists but would be just a little less available than a standard smartlink II.

The technology could exist, Fanpro probably wont create a system for it. A bunch of us already have. I think that the data processing, the image link, the guncam and the targeting system could all exist in a very easy to use package. How would this be different (system wise) then getting a 3 cyber eye installed in my hand (MM has the info on this) and then holding the hand out above the gun and using the smartlink in that way. The smartlink is still using the same technology it would for my regular eyes.

I don't have access to the rules but how does indirect fire work in shadowrun?

Battle Tac can handle target designation and can be linked to smartlink. It just takes a thought to "mark" a target and then you can trace that target through battletac until it moves out of the range of the system, meaning the range of anyone also hooked up to your battletac. Everyone on the battletac system is automatically highlighted in another color to prevent friendly fire.

Now if I'm wrong, I am wrong. I'll be the first one to admit it, this is only the way that I have interpreted the systems from the Battletac published in Fields of Fire until MM (which I am still reading). I know it says in MM that the battletac and smartlink systems are compatable.

And have you ever bothered to look at the staggering costs or MilSpec aspects of the BattleTac system?

That's entirely possible, now that I think of it. On the other hand, keep in mind what Tactical Computers are and how much they cost. I'd say that counts as maybe not bleeding-edge, but pretty advanced milspec.
So yes, with a Tactical Computer or a BattleTac connection to someone with one, I'd allow it.

~J

edit: too slow. Welcome back to your previous moniker, Doc.

The battle tac system is man portable and costs less than a cyberdeck or most vehicles. Considering that everyone on a team can use the same battletac, that isn't that bad. You have your decker (or rigger) operate the battletac, whoever dosn't have their hands full at the moment and you are set to go so long as everyone stays in the comm range.

Once again this is based off of my interpretation of the battletac being an advanced CCC system, similar to the ones used by the JSTAR today. You have one system, gathering information about the battle from the field sources and then relaying it back to those sources. Everyone sees what everyone else sees. Which means, if any of the information sources can "see" a target, you can fire on the target as if you had line of sight. The battlefield really becomes three-dimensional and high threat at this point, and it means that more so than ever communications jamming is important. This to me comes back to one of the major concepts of shadowrun, information warfare. So in my little world it all fits.

Tactical Computer w/ BattleTac component (no non-cyber version available, interestingly enough): ¥410,000 and 1.5 Essence at Basic grade.

~J

I would need to find a page ref. but I know there is a non-cyber version available. The original system was non-cyber, only recently (MM) did they make a cyber version.

NSRCG gives a page referance of Cannon Comp, page 55. I don't have my books with me now, can someone check that out?

Cannon campanion has a battletac master component for 30,000 and a receiver component for 10,000 both as non-cyber.

How well does the non-cyber and cyber version compair to eachother?

Weird... searched for that for days once and never found it.
I'd still say you need a tactical computer unless you want to label everyone manually.

~J

Its in Canon Companion pgs. 53-54. The big difference as I read it is that the information can be accessed or added automatically if you have the cyberware version, while doing that through the non-cyber version requires a simple action. It still can be used to help aid small unit tactics, allow indirect fire, and share intel.

Unfortunately, the cyber one takes up a huge chunk of essence. Maybe the simple action is worth not having to pay out 1.5 ess?

The problem is trying to figure out how the computer system would be able to ID hostile targets.

Now, you might be able to get your buddies to wear transponders that label them as "friendly" and anything else as "expendable". (basically Friend-or-Foe system, maybe linked to a GPS and/or orientation system)

On one of our crew, we tried to alter the guy's transponder to respond as "less friendly" or "pretty expendable" but our GM wasn't amused.

-Siege

I was amused.

The original SL system can't identify friendly and unfriendly targets, I don't see why this one should be able to. The only way I could figure out to let it do that without dealing with transponders is through pattern recognition. Lets assume that you 'train' the camera to recognize the faces and bodies of your team mates. Then, anyone else who's taking on an aggressive stance or who has a weapon in his hand would be outlined in red (and it really is easy to outline things, it does have a range finder so it can outline everything not background and let you pick the target). Things it recognizes as friendlies it outlines in green, other 'non-aggressives' it outlines in yellow and background/terrain/trees etc. it outlines in grey or something.

The disadvantages would be that it might highlight your buddies if they're horribly mangled, and it probably wouldn't recognize unusual things like giant green blobbies or insect spirits.

Which isn't that big of a deal since target recognition isn't the main feature of the proposed SL3. It's more like a "nice to have" than a requirement. And my original idea about highlighting was indeed based on pattern recognition... to quote myself : "That means shape/movement/body heat recognition could be coded in and allow highlighting.".

Now, if you want to have different colour for friendlies and hostiles, that's a step up that would require integration of those tracker bracelets thingies. But if you're gonna do that, you might as well have the smartlink block shooting at friendlies and make the point rather moot. Of course I also agree that highlighting might get a bit unreliable with exotic flora like bug spirits and whatnot. Maybe then you could get patches specifically made for said flora, so before going to chicago, you have your decker go into the SL manufacturer's host and download the required patches.

But all in all, the highlighting is merely a proposed system made to simplify the main feature of the SL which is out-of-sight shooting.