Could somebody explain to me the benefits of a sr3 simrig? I mean, nice, now they can track my sensory and emotive input with the Full-X version, but are there any other benefits?

Sure... you can record yourself (all of it) while on a run and sell it as a super-awesome crime-action Simsense feed. Maybe even cut out some parts and edit a BTL out of it? Also it is harder to fake and edit that stuff... so it maybe good as evidence?

Or you could save it and relive your favourite moments in time *g*

Hard to fake, and since you're collecting all senses you won't miss anything you might if you focused on one sense like hearing or sight (interesting thought, a "smell identification" recognition system to identify compounds based on recorded sense data exist? Could be a neat futuristic CSI-style trick). I imagine LA runners actually do sell sims of their exploits; not like it automatically gives your name or your deepest thoughts, just your senses/emotions, and they have enough cameras on them already. I imagine a lot of more exibitionist people effectively "Twitter" in the 2070s by putting recordings of their daily lives up also.

Sounds like a Simrig in Shadowrun is like an "External Memory" in Ghost In The Shell.

I only know sr4, not sr3, so I may be wrong, but here's my understanding:

A simrig allows you to record your senses in the same way that a camera can record vision. I don't know if the SR3 version has its own external memory, but I would imagine that you could also put the info onto any sort of electronic device.

If you're wired up, you can even display everything coming from your senses back to your decker so that s/he can do overwatch.

In SR4, where everything is wireless, it can be useful in some ways like Tacnets and wireless transmission of information.

And for filming porn. That's what my last character used hers for.

I have to second this. In 4th, at least, simrigs are rather useful for recording data. They split it into channels, making it easy to filter into a tacnet(and gives you 3 channels for it, to boot). If you don't mind a -slight- essence hike, its a far superior way to get a VR unit than, well, a cyber-sim unit. The Simrig itself has its own device rating, as does the sim unit it incorporates(which is only 500 to slap in a hot-simming variation instead). Which makes a difference for clustering, and mods to put on it.

There's also a minor advantage to having Sensorsofts, possibly with an agent, constantly looking over recorded and accumulated data. In the 'hey, look, -this- person has the same gait analysis and rough builds as -these- three other poeple over the last day and a half. Likelyhood you're being tailed: 95%'

In SR4, simrigs are only slightly more expensive than sim modules - they are good for investigator, entertainer, and reporter types.

In SR3, though, they are so costly, in both Nuyen and Essence, that you would only want one for a character where a simrig is a major part of the character concept. Former sim star, shadowrunner who wants to become a sim star, someone out to expose the seamy underbelly of the shadowrunning community, etc. It is very much a niche item.

I have also argued that if you purchase a Cyberware suite with Move-by-Wire, a Simrig, a Cranial Commlink, and a Skillwire Expert System, you can be utilized as a biodrone.

You'd get a simrig for the same reasons you'd get cyber eyes/ears with recorders (neither are standard in SR3). Just be sure you have a way to transmit your collected data in real time (it costs some extra essence) and some backup memory (hardware or headware) for when transmitting isn't an option. Aside from media uses, there are plenty of advantages to having a recorded copy of everything that you've recently experienced. The possibilities really are endless. The following pretty much applies to any recording device - cyber is just more concealable.

1) Evidence - Mr Johnson just hired you to kill someone. He later renegs on payment. You have an unedited recording of the meet and the job.
2) Blackmail - Maybe you threaten Mr Johnson with said recording. If he doesn't pay up you send said recording to Lonestar.
3) Better than a Photographic Memory - Let's say you missed something the first time - if it was in your field of vision/hearing you can bring up the recording and look at it frame by frame. Oh, and so can you friends.
4) Real Time Monitoring - Your buddies can see/hear what you see/hear during your solo infiltration. Or even just when you're off on your own.

Exactly, because at 2 essence and either 300 or 500k that eats into your budget/priorities so to speak.

The books state they indeed do so, and the social networks are a major corp market.


Uh, three? Why not five - we have five senses, each is a sensor channel by RAW, I believe.

I actually designed a Black Market Simsense Designer (I think I called the archetype an Underground FX Artist) character once for SR3 and I really loved how he turned out. The entire principle behind him was that he'd record his runs and then use his workshop at home to edit out anything incriminating before selling it on the black market. The rest of his build was a total thrill-seeking gunslinger type, and the character got his start as a Hollywood stuntman before he got wrapped up in some crazy drek and had to go into hiding. It added a lot of flavor to an otherwise pedestrian character type for me. It was well worth the ridiculous investment.

He'd be even easier to create in SR4 with the Negator Environmental AR software to edit out things in real time. I might have to try to build him again just for fun. Could probably even make him an adept since a simrig can be a commlink accessory now.