Well yeah, I think that is the big deal. I don't think anyone would get their panties in a twist over 2k, or 5k. However 0.2 essence is a little bit harder to come by.

Since it is relevant to the discussion, I figured I would add this recent little tidbit that appeared in another thread ...

Well I would say that settles the question then.

Meh, well that's nice of them to slip a happy little change in sans errata Oh well, I've started statting my hacker concepts using external commlinks for cost anyways. Keep a junker hidden away with copies of programs and OS and whatnot. If the fit hits the shan, can always ditch the commlink and rebuild later after walking out of things without scanners going off.

I say to hell with it. I mean, come on, we're paying 2000 plus the amount for the Commlink... I would think that the Sim module is included. That is how I will interpret the BBB.

Well you of course are well within rights to houserule however you want. Justifying it on cost is a bit silly since the sim module (cold) costs as much as putting the commlink in your head. Least you could do is increase the cost to 4,000 and leave the essence the same.

I do the following:

Buy Headware p. 331
- Commlink 2k + Commlink Cost and 0.2 essence

Buy Commlink p.319
- Meta Link 100 nuyen
-- Buy Accessory
-- Sim Module 100 Nuyen

OR

Buy Headware p.331
- Sim Module 2K and 0.2 Essence

Buy Commlink p.319
- Meta Link 100 nuyen


In general I start with buying the equipment out of the table listings first, and avoid using the fluff text to justify freebies and additions to the base gear.

In light of Frank's Momhammer, I'd go with the internal Sim Module + Reflex Trigger for Hot (rather than DNI). Safer that way, though a Simrig is a better value.

I never managed to read through that entire blackhammer your mother thread while I was lurking. How do you mean an internal sim and reflex trigger for hot? I didn't think there was anyway to run hot unless doing so purely DNI. In other words, running AR with reflex enhancers is always cold, even if getting supplemental sim module input (full spectrum senses) to work with instead of just image/sound/touch?

Well, the internal sim module is DNI, by virtue of being cyberware, and could therefore be the sole interface between your brain and ASIST feed (unless you put on a trode net, or have a datajack - though the latter could be routed through the sim, theoretically). A reflex trigger is a manual toggle switch, which requires you physically activate it with a reflex action, such as flexing a certain muscle a certain way (still a free action), thus the mode cannot be switched from hot to cold unless you choose to* (critical if you want to prevent "random" blackhammer or BTL attacks). AR can include hot feed, a good example of this is personafix beetles, but that doesn't necessarily confer any bonuses to hacking.

Am I making sense?

*I suppose, if you had skillwires, they could rewrite your skillsoft to force this muscle movement, but if they're rewriting people's skillsofts then blackhammering is just bragging.

That works as well as anything else.

Actually, manual riggers are the exception... a DNI trigger is just as safe.