Hello,

My players keep bugging me about questions that i do not find a reference for in the books. Hence i usually ask at #shadowrun and then if i do not get a answer post the question here. This community is great so i hope that you can help me with this issue as well.

This days question:
A multiuser combat simsense simulator with a realistic physical model and a intelligent AI.

Also:
Does this tech have the ability to customize the solders fighting to represent the actualy physical soldiers using the sim? Can you use magic in them (i doubt it.. but they).

I dunno if there are any references to this in cannon, if there is i would like to know. On #shadowrun i got a hint that they might do some of it in the Fort, and i think i have heard something about DocWagon using some sort of simsense combat sims.

And finally:
What do you people think would be the availability and cost of owning/using such a service?

regards
Bjarte

hm. probably possible. it'd be expensive, because you'd have to tailor each avatar to match the individual player's physique--a full rundown on how each player uses his or her real body, so that the avatar will 'feel' right when the player controls it.

other than that, it'd just be a video game.

You may want to reference Target: Matrix.

There are some games that can work out the kinks in teamwork and tactics... Like Paranormal Crisis p79 Target Matrix

Given the existence of Simsense, games like Quake or Doom would be absolutely mind-blowing.

And, subsequently, serve as combat trainers if a full-immersion system with the RealPhysics upgrade...

"Feel a real rifle's recoil! Hear the boom and feel the heat of an explosion as it shreds your buddy, turning him into the largest briquette you've seen."

Not unlike arguments (conspiracy theories) regarding the combat training aspects of modern video games today.

-Siege

Just so I get some big Black IC to sic on those people who are ruining the game for everyone, I'll be happy.

But I assume that America's Army: 2060, or whatever, will probably do a pretty good job.

You think that's bad, wait until a deranged decker creates a virus to infect these online games to condition reflex responses for certain triggers.

-Siege

To attempt to answer your question-- what you're describing is nothing more than a Virtual Tutor program, with a few fancy special effects. While multiuser VT programs aren't described, I can't imagine why they wouldn't exist; although for game balance I'd suggest that it costs full price for each person the program can address simultaneously. You wouldn't be able to use magic, unfortunately-- no VT can teach magic skills.

Basically, from a rules perspective, what you're looking at is a sophisticated cluster of VT programs, designed to teach several skills at once-- weapons training, small unit tactics, target designation, and so on. The special effect is of an immersive simsense environment against an advanced tactical program.

Though there may be balance issuses with that, since such a system may be available for free as 'UCAS Army: 2060' or for 50 at your local EB as 'Duke Nukem Forever'.

You can check out Tacops 4 for a pretty neat armor battle sim.

It being used in a network environment to train armor commanders already.