Yes, there's something that acts like a transducer (can't recall whether it's the commlink, the simmodule or the datajack) but there definitely is a transducer somewhere, so you can have mental conversation (and more).

As for projecting your persona to Japan, you can do it in AR. That's a reason why you can't consider AR/VR as Astral Perception/Astral Projection like it seems some people do.

Judging by the description of the datajack, I would say yes, DNI allows you to communicate words with thought.

nah, you would still need to implant a datajack i think. but with that combo you could pick up any comlink and use simsense, no need to make sure it has a sim module of its own.

and if its a implanted trode your after, thats called a datajack

So, commlink, datajack, simrig and simsense module all implanted is overkill?

depends, but more often then not, yes.

Yes, as simrig can function as both a sim module and recorder (though not as a control rig). A cyber commlink + datajack is not necessarily overkill, because datajacks allow for secure communication with a device.

Thanks (adjusted a character as a result). The SimRig has to be Hot Sim modified too, I assume (or the price tag would not make sense)

Looks that way in RAW, but +3000 for hot modification seems insane (I guess they're saying it had to be post-op or something). The good news is you're a walking BTL copying machine.

Hey, I missed that - I thought it was 5000 on top of the base cost. 2000 more nuyen to spend I guess .

Make sure you didn't add the essence costs, as well...

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one that has questions, though I think for the most part I've got it figured out.

One thing however...is it simply game balance that prevents Commlinks from being customizable? I mean..you would think pretty much all the sensorware/whatever that you can get via cyberware could just as easily be installed in your commlink..want the radar from Augmentation? shove it into your commlink and transmit the data to yourself. Want the orientation system? Same thing.

edit
Heck, even shove the smartlink into your commlink
/edit

I've been thinking along similar lines, though more that many - if not most - people would have "pocket drones" with their commlink installed inside that, along with Radar, Ultrasound and the rest of the sensor package or goodies they want. You could wear them around the neck or head, have them crawling over your body or just clinging to you however you like. Motionless drones, even. The basic microdrones are really cheap...

The only drawback I can think of is that the commlink's processing power is about the only limit it has...it has unlimited bandwidth, unlimited storage ability (or can find it), yet its still limited by the number of things it can be subscribed to, as well as the numbers of programs that can be run.

However, if they can shove an entire radar set into my head, I don't really see any reason something similar can't be added to the commlink without that much of a worry, my guess is in the end its simply game balance, and to provide a reason for the alot of the "helpful" cyberware.

My really big question is why a smartlink program isn't available for commlinks... In SR3 there was the justification of requiring cyber for the full bonus, but under SR4 there is no difference mechanically between the eyeware system and the goggles - you don't need full cyber to get the extra bonus over a laser sight. Once you gave everyone an image link in their cybereyes for free, why bother requiring an additional .1 essence or 3 (!) capacity, other than for game balance. Especially since it much more expensive than the contacts route, for the minor benefit of not being removable; not worth ¥500 / 3 capacity premium, IMHO. The retinal mod is BARELY worth it if you don't have to have an image link on top of it. This may be the SR3 grognard in me, remembering when a cybernetic smartlink system was a datajack, a display link, and a kinesthetic processor (whatever Man & Machine called it when you broke the unit into components). The kinesthetic processor is gone (otherwise smartgoggles would be a smaller bonus than cybernetic smartlink), the datajack is no longer required (PAN) - so why do you need an ADDITIONAL .1 essence / 3 capacity if you have a display link?

Smartlinks are one of the first instances of AR in Shadowrun - so why this disconnect?

I'll throw this question out to the floor - given the choice between making the .1 E / 3 Cap unit the bit of cyberware that allows you to get +2 bonus to your dice pool (people without that only get +1) [i]or[i] just making it a ¥500 add-on to a commlink/cybereyes without the additional essence/capacity hit, which would you go for?

Unless someone wants to make the case that a smartlink system that can't be taken away is worth .1 E / 3 Cap & ¥500... Which I can't, given that the gun can either still be taken away or you're paying a premium for a cybergun

I agree. The trickier part of the smartgun thing is really the hardware that goes into the gun, and that's covered by a modification/acessory in the gear section. Now that nearly everything has a AR component, a specialized piece of hardware is not needed. Fortunately, the only rule modification needed is to make available a "smartlink" program at a price appropriate to your campaign .

I suppose the specialized cyberware/vision mod would help if you had no commlink at all, but I would consider it redundant if you had the commlink and program.

Skinlinks also confuse me a bit. I get the use of them...don't want your data traveling through the air, you simply stick your skinlinked hand on the item and you're fine. This would probably be good for vehicles when you don't want to worry about suddenly driving through a jamming field while you're driving via wireless.

But...why isn't all cyberware skinlinked? It seems kinda dumb to have your cybereyes broadcasting when it could all be done safely via skinlink...you would just need all the data to go someplace, so it would most likely require a skinlinked commlink instead of just carrying it around in your pocket, but it seems much better than broadcasting your wired reflexes' status 2 meters away.

All implanted cyberware comes with DNI built in which is used to control it. Implanted cyberware comes with both DNI and wireless. A skinlink only allows you to skip the wireless part, but it's pointless since you already have DNI.

When I made my "Combat Mage", I went with the implanted commlink because it can't be dropped, shot, or forgotten.




I think that you can turn off the wireless access to your cyber if you want to. The reason for the wireless is so that when you go to your street doc, he can run diagnostics without having to open you up... at least that's my take on it.

Well, for the legal user, wireless ware doesn't present a large security risk, since the average hacker will be targeting the commlink anyway. So for them, it's just convenient. For runners, well, I don't know. Only implanted sim modules and/or commlinks have a real need for wireless connectivity - though there might be a security issue, where if you walk into a restaurant which detects your wired reflexes but cannot directly communicate with them to insure they are disengaged for the duration of your dinner.

I love skinlink though: two people walking down the street holding hands, having a silent-private bought of cybersex conversation.

Also, on the sensor issue, there are sensor packages in SR4, a few of which can be added to devices (drones are given as an example, from my reading), and then Arsenal expands on what can be put into those various packages and how they work. So it seems you could put them all on your commlink - though I'm sticking with people wearing them like jewelry. That bear shaman's necklace of shark teeth? Each a sensor: radar, ultrasound, toxin, ambient pressure...

and most stuff have a signal rating 0, so unless your walking close to a wifi hotspot (no directional antennas, please) your comlink will be the gateway anyways...

Okay, slight bump of my own topic, but I was looking over gear for a character today when I came to a stunning realization.

If we assume that the easiest way to do AR is Commlink+sim module+trode, which gives you limited simsense that creates the AR in your mind without any need of image links, etc, and allows you to control it via mental thought.

The "Tortoise" way is AR gloves, glasses and what not.

But...the sim module+trode version is 150 total.

The AR gloves alone for the second version are 250..then you have the image link glasses, the earbuds, etc. Why the heck does anyone use anything other than a trode rig? I know the sim module/trode rig is the most common way of getting the AR fix, but normally people would use a worse version if it was cheaper..but in this case, the trode rig is cheaper AND more effective. Can there really be a market for AR gloves, or is it limited to a very very very small percentage of the population that fears simsense, and has listened to one too many "Investigative Reports" on the dangers of simsense/BTL, and thus don't want to deal with simsense in any form?

Flavor.

The same reason people use a katana despite it being far more expensive and less effective than other melee weapons.

Yes. There is no reason at all to prefer AR gloves, except if one fears simsense (Simsense Vertigo).

cuz if your rolling with a sim mod a hacker can slam you with black programs?

They sort of mention this under "feedback clothing" but don't forget that AR gloves provide data on things you pick-up or touch and have a device rating of 3, in addition to allowing one to interact with AROs without the dangers of DNI. However, I really don't understand to pricing of SR4 gear.

I can't find anything to indicate that trodes allow DNI, which means you could be using AR gloves to interact with AR and control your commlink unless you had a datajack or such... Am I missing it?

I dont really get what your asking Kanada but....

To avoid having to worry about black ic programs you have to roll with:
Commlink + AR Gloves + Sound/Sight/Taste/Touch links for the things you want to experience, thus bypassing your brain. (touch/taste would be bad).

pg318 Sim Module: sim modules must be accessed with trodes or DNI(datajack, implanted commlink, etc)
pg318 Trodes: trodes are used WITH sim modules.

Any of that help ?

Actually, Blackhammer and Blackout never affect AR users, BTL enabled or not. Sr page 226, last line under Blackhammer: "It has no effect on programs, agents, IC or spirtes, nor will it affect AR users."

However, to control a commlink via DNI, you must have a DNI communication device, and trodes do not function as a DNI device, rather they only transmit data to the brain, they don't read it. Which means you have to control your commlink manually unless you have a datajack, implanted commlink, a simrig, or similar.

[edit] Page 229 muddles the issue, but it never states that using trodes is a pure DNI experience.

Well, this definitely encourages the use of trodes and what not.



See, thats what I've always wondered about, and part of the problem (actually, part of a major problem with SR4 where they just don't explain enough sometimes).

Do trode rigs allow 2 way communication? Obviously they can transmit data to the brain, but what reason is there to assume that they can't read it?

the ting about that trode is that it allows for full VR. and when using VR, you cant use manual controls (or at least not with ease. one can always kill that pesky RAS override).

and to me at least its enough of a indication that trodes must allow for DNI.

See, I've always argued that trodes can read brainwaves, but check out the description of them in the Matrix section's glossary (er, don't have my book right now, but when I was reading it last night it sounded very one directional).


And then you really have to wonder how an external simrig works with trodes, as well...

Well, I guess we could look at it this way.

Trodes are 50 nuyen
External Simrigs are 1000 nuyen (and incorporate a sim module, so figure 900 for the simrig alone).

So an 850 nuyen difference between the two. Its possible that that difference is what lets the external simrig read and record the data, while the trodes at 50 are just "Senders." The fact that the Trodes are small enough to wear under a headband/whatever could also be what limits them to just being senders, but the simrig makes no mention of how big it is, so that isn't definitive.

If trodes can only send, then AR gloves might make sense. AR gloves+trode net would allow you have all your senses utilized by AR, and allow you to respond to cues with the gloves, and for only 300. A datajack, which since its specifically DNI, would allow you to recieve simsense, and respond to AR cues (such as click here to order) mentally (I think anyway) at 500 nuyen, so the 200 savings would then make AR gloves+trodes a legitimate purchase.