I'm a tad confused on how the whole Persona thing works in AR. The book says:



Now, I know this might seem like a stupid question, but I asking it because I'd prefer I looked dumb for a few posts than remain confused on the topic, so here goes: I'm assuming that when you persona is used for flavoring, like showing it as an icon in your field of vision when someone it talking to you via com, or when a text message is sent. But does this persona appear all the time if you'd like it to? Say like if your persona was looking a man on fire that AR would superimpose your persona over where you stood and make you look like a man on fire.

Personally I've said 'no', something like that is for when you are fully within the matrix and people are seeing your matrix persona, not just your day to day icon.

What's the word?

As far as I've understood, the Persona is visible (or at least accessable) through the AR allowed information (along with SIN, P2P network info, and any other relevant public info). It doesn't have to superimpose, but some AR Users might prefer to see the Personas people are runnin, rather then the meat bodies, in which case I would allow it, but not as the default.

Yes. You can give out whatever AR elements you'd like, but it's up to the viewers to accept them (in whole or in part).

There is a story in Spells & Chrome that deals with an AR themed bar where some folks have an AR icon superimposed over their meat bodies while others have it augmenting their clothes, so there are some people who do that, though it is by no means mandatory. You can essentially sculpt your icon when you customize it.

Keep in mind that an AR image will almost never be mistaken for a real image unless it is being run on a UV node.

Or you have certain negative qualities. Well a certain negative quality.

I'm sure many hallucinorgens will do it too, if only because you can't tell what's real, fake, AR, or astral (in some cases)

Basically, this.

Minding that a holoprojector requires a Perception(3) test to spot the image it's showing is not real, and AR can be rendered just as realistic, I'd say a Perception test is in order (if the onlooker has AR enabled and accepts AROs from you anyway), maybe with a lower threshold...

IIRC, the book actually says 'almost never be mistaken for a real image', though. I'll look it up.

Your icon is your avatar. In AR it works like it does today - e.g. appearing by your dumpshock posts and on someone's phone when you're calling. It isn't superimposed over anything in meat space. In VR you jump into your avatar and become it.

Superimposing images over meat space objects/people is achieved by AROs (augmented reality objects) and ARE (augmented reality environment) software, which cost extra and sometimes have subscription fees.

A simple ARO may not need special software backing it, as they are a bit like 3D web sites.

Yeah, I assume it's a stock feature to overlay people with their public avatar (for example). AR works both ways: people/locations can offer it (Facebook photos), or you can build it for yourself (IM client that pulls local buddy icons from your address book).

ARE Software, page 108, Unwired.