When I hear the term "state of the art," I think of equipment. Gear. Stuff you plug into the wall, or plug into your head, or both. Guns, gadgets, and getaway gear. Of course, there's state-of-the-art magic, and I don't mind seeing info on prisons and sports (I suppose), but shouldn't there be a chapter dedicated to new tech?

After all, new tech is what SOTA is all about.

Let me also say that I do enjoy the book, and my favourite part is that involving the adept powers, but if I had make a suggestion for SOTA 2065, it would be the inclusion of a lot more cars, guns, and goodies.

Cheers to all,

UJ

eh, that's not really the point of the SOTA books. they're for new stuff all around, not just toys. SOTA:65 will probably have lots of equipment and cyber stuff, though.

Sonic rifles, exploding cigarettes, and magic charms aren't enough? I think the quality of the new gear balances the quantity nicely.

We need more guns? Really?

Guns, lots of guns.

We do need more guns. Where's our 39-round-magazine assault rifle with integral laser sight but unable to accept a sound suppressor? Or our 9M Heavy Pistol with 14 or 16 rounds? These are clear and present holes that need filling!

~J

I personally don't think we need more guns, but some more ammo types wouldn't go amiss - or perhaps rules to combine up types.

But what I think would be good would be some new cyber-toys. And Drones, yeah, good old fashioned combat droned with Armour 12 and twin LMG's.... okay perhaps not quite like that but a drone which is more of an all rounder would be nice - the ones in SOTA are cool but very specialised.

Unless you're dead certain they can do their task without additional orders ever, they're still going to be remote-controlled and vulnerable.

~J

Ah, well, mayhaps public opinion differs from my (usually contradictory) private opinion. I for one love Man and Machine and would enjoy seeing another text dedicated to new cyberware, personal electronics, Matrix programs, and yes (perish the thought) more guns.

I would also vote more toys and more cyber. I'm especially looking for more non-combat cyber. That's one thing I love about CP2020 that I feel SR really doesn't excel at; we have military cyber, but not so much 'legal for anyone' generic cyber. Also, more weapons for mundies to fight mages with could help. I think whosit in the 2064 thread made a good point about that.

I would love to see more atypical drones/robots (think Renraku Arcology: Shutdown). More nanoware. More wireless tech. Combining all of the above and bioware/genetics for crazy combinations (like what Deus' Leeches do for construction and security).

Definately need more non-combat cyber. Cyberpunk had things like lighters and other such coolness which was, frankly, cool.

However, combat cyber is also a good thing. You can't go wrong with a nice little dart launcher thing in your arm. SOTA cyber would really rock!

Guns, well, guns are cool. But let's not go overboard on them.... perhaps something in the 'special weapon' section, or perhaps something along the lines of a proper carbine.

Armour and coms and matrix stuff is also nice.....

In truth, just toys would rock! :o)

Well, perhaps I'm not alone, after all . . .

I just thought of something, why not move to the desert and use gecko tape to attach the peel n stick armor plating...

The problem with the no remote access is when things go wrong and the you start getting false-positives in the sensor array and the armored and armed to the teeth killa-drone starts whacking your friends and not your enemies

A rewrite of the cyberlimb rules would be a good idea as well. Currently replacement limbs cost way too much and have such crappy rules governing them to be either as common or useful as they should be in SR. You'd think by now that they'd manage to make limbs useful as actual limbs; right now they're only marginally useful because you can have other stuff installed inside of them.

First off the price: replacement limbs cost so much now that I'm pretty sure you can pay to have your own arm cloned and stay in the ICU the whole time it's being grown and still save money compared to a cyberarm. This is no good at all; why would anyone bother taking the Essence loss to have a chrome arm when it's so expensive and useless? By 2065 cyberlimbs should be, if not cheaper than cloning, at least cheaper than cloning plus a six-month hospital stay.

Secondly the rules for limbs are just bad. Forcing all cyberlimbs to have a default Str and Qui, not being able to adapt to the user without even more money, ECU and Essence spent on upgrades, seems very wrong to me. Again, by 2065 I'd be very surprised if this weren't much reduced, enough to make a cyberlimb or two even a good investment, rather than just a pain in the ass.

Word to that. Cyber limbs pretty much bite it as written.

Now that I think about it, SOTA 2964 is somewhat lacking in really cool stuff. A few exceptions aside, there's not a great deal of equipment that I would consider amazing, or even SOTA.

The adept powers are certainly very new and interesting, but much of the fluff, and the cops section in particular, didn't seem particularly cutting edge. Oh well. That wee drone that rolls around on the floor was innovative I guess.

I would definately like to see more cyberware, and nanoware, and bioware, and yes guns too! More fancy equipment would be a plus as well.

Cyberlimbs are most definately due a revamp, I'm sure someone will get round to it in a future book, or else definately/hopefully by SOTA 2065. Someone who writes for these books that is, as opposed to abotu 90% of GMs who have already done so!

I most heartily agree on the cyberlimbs. They're so expensive and inflexible they aren't worth taking. I mean, body increases are cool, but it's FAR easier and cheaper to do the same AND get the added strength and quickness other ways. The only reason I might take a cyberlimb was because a character concept DEMANDS one of three abilities - cyber holster, cyberarm gyromount or cyber gun things. Else, it's more effective to do it other ways.

Something else I think could do with an update is Muscle Replacement and perhaps Reaction Enhancers. Both are fine when you don't have bioware, but bioware pisses all over them, especially from the PoV of an awakened character. I mean, is +2 initiative achieved cybernetically really only worth 140 thousand?? Cos you can do bioware for 200k and not be harmed anywhere near as much. Wired Reflexes such, mainly cos they include Reaction Enhancers - least that's my interpretation of them :o)

SOTA should advance tech and not just come up with new stuff. Upgraded versions of stuff which is more cost effective (nuyen and essence/bio) is certainly something which most people would include in a folio on SOTA.

Just my two pence on the subject :o)

Though personally I think SR could use none combat cyber for flavor and maybe some more equipment, I wouldnt bash SOTA64 for lacking it. My interpretation of the concept of the book is to introduce new rules under all aspects into the game and not just hand out more hardward.

Fluff is GOOD imho ...!

I would like some more everyday items though ... none-combat cyberware for flavor ... and last but not least a MP5K please. Other than that I am satisfied at what the SOTA books give us.

Rocket launcher cigarettes, actually. Not too harsh on the smoker himself, but the second-hand is a bitch.

As far as non-combat cyber goes, I usually just make stuff up. I've had NPCs have lighters, a cigar cutter, and a pen integrated into cyberhands (for design reasons, I just treated it as a fingertip compartment). Seeing as none of this stuff offers any real combat benefit, I would think most GMs wouldn't have a problem with it.