It says on page 245 of SR4A:
QUOTE
Like any program, the drone’s Pilot acts at digital speeds. Drone
Initiative equals Pilot rating + Response, and they receive two extra
Initiative Passes (three total). When a rigger has jumped into the
drone, it acts on the rigger’s Initiative instead.
Initiative equals Pilot rating + Response, and they receive two extra
Initiative Passes (three total). When a rigger has jumped into the
drone, it acts on the rigger’s Initiative instead.
It also says on page 226:
QUOTE
When operating in full VR using cold sim, you use your Matrix
Initiative rather than your physical Initiative. Matrix Initiative equals
your Response + Intuition, and you receive an extra Initiative Pass (for
a total of two).
and
Hot sim Matrix Initiative
equals your Response + Intuition + 1, and you receive two extra
Initiative Passes (for a total of three).
Initiative rather than your physical Initiative. Matrix Initiative equals
your Response + Intuition, and you receive an extra Initiative Pass (for
a total of two).
and
Hot sim Matrix Initiative
equals your Response + Intuition + 1, and you receive two extra
Initiative Passes (for a total of three).
Finally, it says on page 245:
QUOTE
A drone controlled in this manner acts on the rigger’s Initiative—
the rigger and the drone are treated as a single unit. Any tests are
made using the rigger’s skills and the drone’s attributes (substituting
Response for Agility and Reaction and Sensor for Intuition).
Hot sim benefits the rigger as much as the hacker. All actions by
a rigger who has jumped into a drone (or other device) are considered
Matrix actions, and receive the benefit of the +2 bonus due to hot sim
VR use.
the rigger and the drone are treated as a single unit. Any tests are
made using the rigger’s skills and the drone’s attributes (substituting
Response for Agility and Reaction and Sensor for Intuition).
Hot sim benefits the rigger as much as the hacker. All actions by
a rigger who has jumped into a drone (or other device) are considered
Matrix actions, and receive the benefit of the +2 bonus due to hot sim
VR use.
So, while it is not explicitly stated as being so, the inference from these sets of rules is that the rigger gets extra initiative passes when jumping into a drone because it has to be done in full VR, either cold sim or hot sim. Am I reading this correctly?
Also, if the rigger has initiative enhancement on his own (say wired reflexes or synaptic booster), do the extra passes added by VR accumulate with this initiative enhancement, up to the maximum of four passes per combat turn?
