QUOTE (Neraph @ May 2 2012, 03:18 PM)

1) Yes and no. There are three ways drones can shoot at things: like normal; and then aided by sensors, which is further divided into active and passive sensor targeting (SR4A page 171, Drones and Gunnery, Sensor Targeting, Passive Targeting, Active Targeting). When targeting with active or passive sensors, you do suffer the signature table modifiers - however, while simply targeting as stated in Drones and Gunnery, you do not.
2) Yes, no. They can still default on "perception": a Clearsight + Sensor Test with no Clearsight autosoft would be a Sensor -1 Test.
3) "You 'jump into' a drone via full VR. This requires a subscription to the drone, vehicle, or device and takes a Simple Action." (SR4A, page 245, Jumping In, emphasis mine). Again, there are three different ways of firing weapons with drones, so it depends on if the rigger is simply shooting or using passive/active targeting to help. Yes, drones can use smartlinks; however, the weapon must have a smartgun system and the sensors of the drone must have a smartlink on them.
4) I'd say the worse legality of all items involved. A GM-Nissan Rotor-drone with a White Knight would be a forbidden drone. Not sure where I picked it up, but when I create gear I use the highest availability and the highest restriction rating of the new item. Yes, a rigger could simply get a fake license for a gun-drone, but as soon as you use it in any not-legal manner, the law no longer cares about your license. It's the same as having a Concealed Carry license and then robbing someone - your license won't protect you against the Armed Robbery charge, nor will it drop the Armed Robbery to simply a Robbery charge. Also, see the third paragraph of Legality, page 313, SR4A.
EDIT: Accidentally posted half-complete. Finishing up now.
I reread that part again just now. There is nothing about "normal" vs aided by sensors in the Drones and Gunnery section. All it says is this:
Drones and Gunnery
Drones attack using their Pilot + Targeting autosoft rating (see p. 246).
Drones must have an autosoft appropriate to the weapon they are
wielding in order to attack.
Then it goes into detail about using sensors. I can't find any rule saying they can detect and shoot people normally. You can "lock on target, which may give you a dicepool bonus, but generally not enough to compensate for the penalty. In other words, there would be very little reason to use these sensors if there was any choise in the matter. And what else but sensors can a drone use to detect anything?
About the "incompetence" I merely meant that they might need to make a test for obvious persons. From the text:
To detect a person, critter, or vehicle with sensors, the character/
vehicle must make a successful Sensor + Perception Test (Sensor
+ Clearsight autosoft in the case of drones).
Now it seems to me that it says you must do the test just to detect anyone, it then tells that IF someone tries to hide this is opposed by their stealth skill etc. An ordinary drone without Clearsight must be blind, as it has 0 dice to detect metahumans or other drones. A Doberman with ClearSight 3 has 3 dice... not exactly a sure shot.
Availability: I just noticed that weapon mounts has availability F. This should make them all illegal, except the Doberman that comes with it already and still is legal (sigh). Wouldn't that mean it's not allowed for private persons to own a Nissan rotor drone with mounted SMG? Since the weapon mount itself is illegal.
Falconer, you say the Signature modifiers does not apply when using pilot+gunnery. Sounds nice for Riggers, but where does it say that? If you're not using your own eyes it seems to me you use the sensors.