OK lets set up a scenario. Runners are getting ready to infiltrate a small outpost. The hacker has everyone networked and put into the AR all the standard stuff; cameras, guards that he knows about and some other security measures. Then the mage goes in and does an astral pass through. He spots a few watchers, a warded area, 3 gaurds on a patrol path (on of witch is a PhysAd) that the hacker didn't see and a doorway guarded by a fire elemental.

Here are the questions:

1) Lets say the mage has a comlink, but nothing else. What would he need to add what he saw to the AR overlay?

2)Lets say the mage has a comlink and some cyber with a DNI. Does that make it faster/easier to add things.

3) Can a mage who is either astrally projecting update an AR if they have a DNI interface? His mind is still in his body and a rigger jumped into a drone can do it.

3) Can a mage who is astrally perciving update an AR if they have a DNI interface?


EDIT: We can assume he has some sort of image link. Cybereyes or glasses will work fine for him to see the AR. I should have specified.

1) Edit software. Note that to see his own AR overlay, he needs something with an Image Link however - Cybereyes, glasses, whatever.

2) Same as above. I am less clear on how DNI and VR work, however.

3) No, his mind is not in his body; it is in it's astral form. It's a different plane of reality. The rigger's mind is on the same "plane" (matrix) as the items he is attempting to effect.

4) Yes. He takes a -2 penalty for physical actions, but I don't think most GMs would call for a test in such a simple situation.

EDIT: for clarity.

You could paint things onto the AR overlay, especially if you have AR gloves, you could relay the information and have a comp savvy user add them. I do not beleive you can interface with your magic to have them tracked.
Unless the mage was in VR, he is technically not faster, however a DNI simplifies the interface so you could use your thoughts to update the information rather than your hands. It is worth noting that a trode can fulfill this rather than cyber.
An astrally projecting mage is cut off from his body and existing on a different plane entirely. It requires a test to notice if someone is even doing something to you body. Given this, also know that you cannot use mundane tools in the astral plane to any effect.
The short answer is no. Your spirit and mind are actually not in your body anymore when projecting.
Yes. If you took the time, you could also periodically update the status of perceived objects giving your team a kind of "Astral Radar" and a DNI would not be necessary. You cannot however dump information from the astral perception directly into the feed as magic and technology are not very compatible in this regard.

Hope this helps.

I edited my original post to add in the image link. I assumed that as the team was using AR he would have some sort of link.

3) I'm not sure of this as his AWARENESS is in another plane of existence, his meat body is still firing neurons. (I think). Maybe an attention co-processor is needed?

4) Not sure how complex an Edit action is in AR.

Edit is technically a complex action (SR4A, p.230), but continually editing something only requires a simple action each initiative phase for the duration. The difference between DNI and no DNI is input. DNI makes this a hands-free operation. No DNI means you need to use AR gloves or manual entry to achieve the same effect. Actively perceiving is only a free action, so you still have a simple action remaining.
This could get in the way of spellcasting, but would probably not require a test unless you are computer inept or your GM wants to hound you.

No Dice. Even with an attention co-processor, your body and mind are on separate planes of existence and do not interact.

I think a Simrig is the appropriate tool if you want to automatically feed everything you experience to the AR overlay - that and some subscription slots. But that would leave your hands free.

If you want to do this while astrally projecting, you could take some sort of Mindlink spell and transmit your observations to a party member with a Simrig.

Note however that trodes work just as well as a datajack for this purpose. Which always makes me wonder why there still are AR gloves and related equipment at all.

My thought is that all that is required is an Update ARO free action. The mage must have image link or some other way of viewing the AROs. DNI makes no difference, and he cannot be astral. Perception is a simple action, update ARO as a free action, he can spend a second simple action in the pass.

Because not everyone wants DNI.

I feel the rules should have covered this more clearly, but consider the following situation: your simsense gets hacked, they activate your RAS override so you can't shut it off, and then proceed to play with your mind, while you can't jack out.

Admittedly, trodes are safer - you can pull them off. But it makes sense that any DNI would leave you open to at least one shot of Blackout.

Hmm, makes me wonder how RAS override is handled in external VR gear? Patches on skin above neural pathways to "lock" them? That would also make an effective type of prisoner restraint...

A simrig is what you would use to automatically record sensory data, but

Hmm, good point. Horror stories about what might happen if your simsense gets hacked or malfunctions will certainly scare enough people.



I guess it just somehow blocks/overrides the "signal" in the motor cortex

Ah, my bad. Still, feeding that information to a network is still possible at a slower pace by an "interpreter" who receives the data via mindlink, and then converts it to something the computers can handle.

Not easy or fast, but doable. And occasionally worth it, I think; especially when mapping a place you can only scout astrally.

EDIT: I now realise that edietic memory is even more valuable to wizards.

Because a 'trode net is going to really mess your haircut !

But they reduce the risk of broken nails

If you have ever been disturbed by a person talking loudly to themselves until you saw the wireless earpiece and realized that maybe they weren't mentally disturbed, then the value of AR gloves will become apparent.