I don't like the fact that they added beta and deltaware bioware. Cultivated bioware was supposed to mean it was cloned from your own cells, and thus was an exact match to your physiology. I don't buy their explanation of better protein-matching, etc.

On a related note, compare deltaware wired reflexes 3 and cultivated (which it is by default) synaptic booster 3. They do the *exact* same thing. Synaptic booster 3 costs 1.50 Essence and 240,000 . Deltaware Wired Reflexes 3 costs 2.5 Essence and ONE MILLION , more than four times as much and for 5/3 the Essence.

On a related note, this would make Type O System a worthwhile quality as it would be the only way to get Deltaware bioware (because your system accepts it more easily), and it would make it MUCH easier for Infected with the Regeneration power, since the deltaware-only rule for their implants would be amended for bioware and they could get implants cheaper and at character creation. Surgery shouldn't be too difficult with the ones which have Allergies; just expose them to the allergen while you have them cut open, then remove it so they can heal. Presto, instant recovery

Here's the thing: The thought that cloning makes perfect replicas is actually a myth. It doesn't. Often, there's tiny discrepencies that crop up, in part due to the difference in how the cells grow. Better protein matching and all of that merely means they've advanced their understanding of it, allowing them to better control the cloned part and get it to where it meshes with the body even better.

So I can't give my starting nosferatu implants without Type O. Nuts
Just another reason to amend costs for certain key Adept powers.

Or not!

Wired reflexes is old crap, way behind SOTA. It's like whining about how sucky your single shot 1889 trapdoor springfield is compared to a 1913 lewis machine gun. Yes, it does suck. Life is hard. Don't choose things just because your dad said they were great back in his day.

I've got a question for everyone: Back in Cybertechnology, Hatchetman was complaining about Wired Reflexes always being on causing a whole multitude of problems (least of which was the "blowing your friends away because they surprised you" deal), has that be translated on over to SR4?

If so then Synaptic Booster 3 might mean that you're ALWAYS in that hyper-sensitive, hyper-reactive state all the time and the guy with the Wired can turn those wires off

It's likely to make you incredibly arrogant towards the "Slow", when you find yourself moving at what to you is a normal pace while everyone else seems to drag through water as they move. If your reaction and agility were high, it'd be even worse. Considering how easy it is to get 12 reaction and 14 agility with bioware and genetech alone..

Actually I have wondered about that. Wired you can turn off, but the bioware makes you permanently in Juicer mode. I've always liked Rift's way of describing the Juicer/multiple IP experience. Kinda wierds me out a little thinking of having a character permanently like that.

(Of course Move-by-Wire is way worse. I'm sure you can't turn it off. Think about turning your seizures on and off.)

Man, walking behind slow people already drives me nuts

My favorite for slow people are walking stairblocks. Basically, two people who walk, side by side, down the stairs while chatting with each other. Slowly. I've been known to plow straight through the center of them when in a hurry.

Imagine how much worse it would be with wired reflexes.

OOO... O-o *eye twitch* I hate the slow side by side walkers. Stairs, sidewalks, oooo. (Grrr)

A Rating 1 Synaptic Booster wouldn't be bad... Rating 3 would almost be maddening? MBW 2 or higher and I can see your character getting some serious counseling... regularly!

I personally prefer MBW. Skillwires + Wired Reflexes for the same Essence cost.... whats not to love??

- J.

Don't forget the tasty, tasty Dodge bonus

It'll give you a stroke, brain cancer and destroy your muscles?

By the time it would have those effects, anyone in a line of work which requires them is likely dead anyway, or so rich they can afford to get them removed AND get gene therapy to reverse the damage they've done

6.45 essence is a totally reasonable cost, too.

Cost for what?

for the fastest way into zombie-town.
probably the MBW3 or 4 on normal grade

to my knowledge MBW only goes up to 3, and costs 5 Essence on normal grade *confused*

He's talking about the SR3 version, which was very powerful, but also had a super-high Essense cost and extreme drawbacks.

The SR4 version is very different, and the negative effects are less severe.

IIRC, MBW 4 in SRW was 7 essence to get installed. Pretty much, instant cyber zombie. You could get it down to somewhat close to comparitively reasonable by going deltaware with it.

It's actually one of the ones from SR3 where deltaware was the best option.

Reduced essence cost, throw in skillwires, loose all the drawbacks. Honestly, whats not to love? The old SR3 version pretty much required you either get deltaware or go cyberzombie if you really wanted it. But even then it was dicey.

MBW is insane now. The only reason not to take MBW over Wired Reflexes or Synaptic Accelerator is if you already have Skillwires, don't have the cash or want to save the essence for other implants.

- J.

Or if your gm decides that "constant state of seizure" has adverse health effects.

I mean, really. Some people.

Does the "+N to Dodge" bonus from MBW count as base (which the wording seems to support, in which case it would increase the number of ranks of Improved Ability you could take, which I'm pretty sure they did NOT intend) or dicepool bonus?

Would you prevent someone from stacking it with Improved Ability and a reflex recorder for a total of +7 if you counted it as a dicepool bonus? Remember that you can do the same thing with a synaptic accelerator, a synthacardium, a reflex recorder and Improved Ability (which is half as expensive for Gymnastics), though your melee defense will suffer a bit (or a lot if you don't have a melee skill).

It's a skill improvement, it's the same kind of bonus as Improved Ability, which means that they both count towards the Skill*1.5 cap on augmented skills.

Heath is correct. The text states that it adds to the skill rating itself. It is one of the few things that actually do add directly to the skill, as opposed to being considered a dice pool modifier. Others include Improved Ability and the Reflex Recorder.

This has been very well covered in previous books how/why and the limitations as such.

It is clear that by 2070, any issues around MBW are more to do with the perception (of people with the implant) than anything functional....

- J.

You didn't specifically say you'd be using it with synaptic accelerator, but Type O doesn't work with cultured bioware, which includes all neuro bioware. And it's worthless for gene mods (if I remember sorrectly), no reductions on gene mods to raise the INT and REA caps.

Move-by-wire users frequently suffer from small muscle tremors when they are at rest, and are more prone to temporal lobe epilepsy (which is debilitating, but treatable). This is still far better than the original drawbacks, but I imagine they have had a number of years to refine this new technology to make it less stressful on the users.

Sure, why not? You're already beating the piss out of your magic rating by taking Move-By-Wire anyway, and frankly, it's dicepool bonuses, not skill rating enhancements that get out of hand quickly, since skill augmentations are subject to caps.

Incorrect. Detailed in Augmentation (don't have a page ref at the moment); Cultured Bioware is tailored to the recipients nervous system or neural structure. It is all still made from Type-O cells.

Higher grade bioware is made by using the recipients cells for growth, instead of the standard Type-O, & thus is available as normal for both Basic & Cultured 'ware.

I meant beyond those - let's face it, no matter how you treat it putting your body in constant state of seizure is going to give you problems. Ours just had his lifestyle costs increased for all the hopskial stays, but it could be worse.

One thing I think everyone mentioning the SR3 MBW system is forgetting is that it was actually more powerful then the SR4 in terms of giving you additional actions. The SR3 MBW4 would give you +6IP! Not only that, but you could take two actions during the first pass and two during the 2nd or 3rd (can't remember exactly which).

I will agree that WR are seriously over-priced (in Essence) but you have to remember that by the SR4 timeline, we're talking about a tech that is over 20 years old. But hey, their hanging in there better then the old style decks.

It's neither; it's a Skill Augmentation. Thus, you can only get the full benefit of MBW 3 if your Dodge is already at 6, and you can't stack it with Improved Ability at all.

That makes sense; I just wish they'd made it clearer in the book.