It's just...evil man. EVIL. It seems to be the samurai's answer to combat sense, and then some.

Edit: Woah! I can get vectored-thrust [/I]feet[I]? I'm not even a quarter of the way through the book yet and I'm starting to get a little apprehensive as to what else they've got stashed away.

So... think we can put to bed the fears of Manarun now? Augmentation should give street sams and enhancement freaks the loving they deserve - and I can virtually guarantee you'll even find yourself using the often-ignored genetech and nanoware now.

i just wonder when the bitching of unrealistic tech will start...

Move-By-Wire isn't "evil." It's just a notable upgrade from Wired Reflexes (same Essence cost, much more expensive, much higher Availability). The combat benefits are pretty minor for the cost difference, giving just +1 Reaction and +1 Dodge per level over Wired Reflexes. The cool thing is that it also doubles as a set of Skillwires and "officially" works with Reaction Enhancers as well.

It pales compared to the benefits it had in previous editions, but more than makes up for it with a total lack of any of the negatives either. It's finally just another piece of tech to get. A very, very hard to get and expensive piece of tech. Something for street samurai-types to aspire to, much like initiation for adepts.

Move-by-Wire really isn't all that expensive. And the added skillwires are very cool. I have to wonder though, at how often a sam could add reaction enhancers to his move-by-wire without running into augmented attribute caps.

Were the "Silk Glands" in previous editions of SR? Because I just had to start creating a character with two of those.


Shadowman, Shadowman, your friendly neighbourhood Shadowman...

Really, really nifty stuff. Was reading it to the wee hours of the morning. I am now definitely keeping my Mage's lower cyber arm. I can get Agility 7 on it and still have room for the Gyromount.

Looking at the genetech, it seems to me that it's awfully expensive in nuyen for some fairly thin bonuses.

The environment adaptations are neat, though.

I've just built a character with raptor legs and skates. He's hard to catch.

Going to move on to a character with an eyeband and radar sensor.

Have I mentioned the uses for radar and APDS shotgun slugs? Or radar... and the Panther Assault Cannon?

Just think, kids, of the implant/gear combos that Arsenal might make possible...

Wait, is Biocompatibility cumulative with the Standard Essence cost of the implant or is it 10% off an implant's current Essence cost depending on the grade.

For example, you have a Dwarf that's Biocompatible with Cyberware. He's thinking of buying a Control Rig with an essence cost of 0.50. The Alpha is at 0.40 (80% of the standard) and he decides that's better choice for the long-haul.

Since he's Biocompatible is it now 70% at 0.35 Essence, or is it 72% (10% of 80% is 8%) at 0.36?

I had glanced through it, focusing more on the Cyberware part, so I can't recall. (And I'm at work...)

Cool beans. So much to absorb and I'm still grappling with the basics!

Is it possible to get 'hot swappable' cyberlimbs?

What sort of stats can you get up to with a customised cyberlimb with enhancements?

With regards to the second, Augmented max. (assuming you are meaning with both, custom, and the normal stat increase things)

And if you are using the optional rule for redlining, you can temporarily double a stat.

Orthoskin now nearly is a must-have... and I can see even more people investing in Exotic Weapons (Whips) and Steel Cables than before Darker than Black.

Okay, do the symbionts seem...weird to anyone else? I mean Glow is awesome for the unawakened, but still, they can start eating you. Ick.

Can you soak 18S?

Any idea when I can pick this up in a store? I don't like buying PDFs, personally.

Oh, and BTW - what happened to the Tactical Computer? The Math SPU is still with us, too... a mathematical SPU in a world where the average shoe has enough processing power to search for primes...

...just looked over the preview PDF

Space exploration?

Cyberzombies are back (yay!)

Cool ware for my "decker" Violet

The only thing that is missing is Chemtech, unless that is going into the long awaited Arsenal instead.

...damn, sometimes not having a commlink...er plastic is a pain. Can you get the PDF at your FLGS? I really really want.

Of course, such assumption might have been fueled by the Math SPU.
It would, at least, need an additional sim module to feed subconcious information to the user.

Implant versions of external gear sound nice, though... external versions of the truely autonomous medkits like the Guardian Angel and subsequently, implant variants, perhaps?

I don't know if we are supposed to be able to print out Augmentation from the PDF before it comes out or not, but if it's not a no-no does anyone know how much Office Depot or Kinko's or some other place charges for it? I would imagine a fairly hefty price tag that will make me wait till the paper copy. Which by the way, do we have a definate date for now that the PDF has made it's way into our grubby little hands?

Chris

EDIT: Looks like I should read all the posts. In the printers, hopefully out around Gen Con. Got it.

Figure $0.07 per page for copies ($0.14 double sided so no advantague) 176 pages + Front & Back cover. That's on a basic black and white laser. If you want the covers done in color like $0.99.

I printed my own on my home color laser printer. I wish I had set it to greyscale I didn' think to and it used a surprising ammount of magenta for some reason...

I had it spiral bound and it ran $2.99 at OMax. Avoid the comb binding if you want to be able to open the book all the way and have it lay flat, or flip it all the way around.

At kinkos they gave me some trouble about printing the main book until they saw the "permission to photocopy" on the character sheet. So you may have some issue, or not, depending on who you deal with.

But it isn't actually illegal, I'm sure.

Gah, now the difficult question becomes, buy it now in PDF for 25$ and make my own spiral book for like 40$ or wait about 3 weeks and buy one for 35+tax.....


Chris

Being able to lay the book flat is a bonus to me...i'll be opting to buy the cheaper PDF and pay the printing costs...

BTW... Audio Enhancement (BBB p. 333, cyberware & p. 324, equipment) gives the user not only extra dice, but the ability to hear the higher and lower frequencies out of the normal hearing spectrum. Is the only raison d'être for Increased Sensitivity (Augmention p. 37, cyberware) that it's 500¥ cheaper than the first level of Audio Enhancement?

EDIT: Clarification

Note it has a very significant downside compared to cyber versions. It's not "adjustable", it cannot be turned on or off, dampened or heightened - it leaves you vulnerable (gamemaster's discretion as usual) to loud noises, subsonic noise, etc.

Errr, not the Bioware - the cyberware from main book that is based on the equipment.

My bad. Yes, Increased Sensitivity allows for part of the functionality of Audio Enhancement (it does not grant dice) for a lower cost.