Am I missing something about the securetech armor? They're just better than their normal counterpart for a lower price.

Armor Jacket : 5/3, concealability 6, 900$
Secure Jacket : 5/3. concealability 9, 850$

Lined Coat : 4/2, Conc. 8, 700$
Secure Long coat, conc 10, 650$

They're ALL like this. It made no sense when it appeared in SSC and it's even more idiotic when they appear on top of each other in SR3.

Not that's it's hard to fix, ignore or live with. It just makes no sense! I hate it when things make no sense...

Ya know what? One of these day I'll design a run where the runners are hired by Ares to extract the geniuses working at the marketing department of whichever company produces these inferior product at a superior price and still manages to stay in business!

Next run will be Ares hiring the runners to extract the geniuses working at securetech in the production department who manage to produce these armor at such a low cost while increasing concealability by as much as 50%.

Ares will put these guys to work together and then they will conquer the world.

Heh heh. Yeah, there's not much that really justifies the way Securetech armor is priced. That's probably why they decided Securetech armor is too "ergonomically tailored" to be able to accept armor modifications (CC p 52) like the Chemical Seal or Fire Resistance. Take that, Securetech! (Yet FFBA can accept those mods... huh)

On a side note, Securetech armor tends to be marginally heavier. Not a big deal unless you're playing with encumberance rules and have low strength though.

From what I understand, the Securetech was originally intended to be an "Errata" to the armor clothing stats that were in the original Big Blue Book, but unfortunately, the intent wasn't well communicated or documented among the developers at FASA in the early first edition days, so both the core rulebook's "Generic" armor clothing, and the Street Samurai's Catalog Securetech ended up persisting throughout the editions, until the Cannon Companion authors decided to further distinguish the two.

Isn't Securetech armor suppose to enhance concealability of any holsters or items hidden underneath it to a large degree?
I think that's why it costs more, and can't take mods. It has some kind of anti scanner layer that takes up most of it's weave.

If not. Then I'm completely mistaken and this should be fixed up a bit give it some kind of perk for the higher cost.

SecureTech armor can be forced to make sense. The trick is this: You have to assume it is just a Brand Name.

I talk about this a bit here.

My personal opinion is that you should view it as a precursor to the armor outlined in CC. It's basically a brand name with strange traits all its own that don't really make much sense.

Or, it's cheaper because it cannot accept armor mods of any kind, like nonconductive or insulated. This makes it pretty damn unattractive in my games. Those are popular.

That is what I think it is. The higher concealability is offset by the fact that it can not be moded and this is also why it is cheaper.

Also, didn't the fluff text describe the securetech as being for law-enforcement types, that it was modeled after "respectable" clothing type stuff. I know the old SSC pictures showed cheezy, detective type styling

It said it came in a full range of designer styles and colors.

And don't we all just need designer body armor?

No, we don't. What we really need are armored bathing suits.

Beach runs are the worst.

Paradise Lost

Yeah, I can see a Troll in an armored bikini. Yuck.

Wouldn't it have to be armored? How else would it "hold up"

There goes my lunch. Cheers, chummer. LOL

I thought that was what things like second skin armor was for, so you could go to the beach and not look like you were crazy.

I'm sure if they have the technology to make cybernetic eyes it would be quite easy.

Um, I'm kind of talking about reality. You know, the one that matters.

Reality? What's that?

they're just cool-looking safety glasses, which do come in prescription. the BCG glasses issued by the military perform the same function.

Do you have any information on where I could get prescription lenses for these and what it might cost? All I know is that wraparound sunglasses and anything with curved lenses get rejected by most places, or at least the places I go to for lenses.

Generally you can't, unless you have a very specific (read: small) perscription. Even then it's usually not possible without ending up with really thick lenses towards the sides, and having your eyes pointed anywhere but straight forward would distort everything pretty badly.

hm. i didn't think about that. what i actually meant was, they're cool-looking safety glasses, and safety glasses come in prescription. i don't know if cool-looking safety glasses come in prescription or not.

actually, it shouldn't be all that hard. it'd be like those smooth transition bi/trifocals, basically. you wouldn't lack peripheral vision any moreso than you do with normal glasses, unless you're one of those godless freaks who can see sideways. and, well, even then, you still wouldn't lose more peripheral vision than you do with normal glasses.

i should market this idea. i'll be rich, and arethusa will have his goggles. everybody wins.

huzzah, i win! 2 karma.

or join the army, put in a 4187 to join the 82nd, and get in line for free laser eye surgery. that's right--in the army, they shoot you with laser beams for free.

Hm. I suppose that's possible, but would they look even remotely cool? They'd probably be hellishly expensive, too, and the lens would have to be tailor-made for the frame, instead of just being cut from a larger lens like they are now.

Basically they'd be hellishly expensive, far more than the ~$4-500 a decent pair of glasses costs nowadays. What would you be willing to pay for something like that?

What are you refering to?

SecureTech isn't cheaper when you factor in availability and street index. After factoring in street index the Secure Jacket is 100 Nuyen more than the the standard armored jacket.

SecureTech is better so it is more popular. As a result, the manufacturer can sell it at a lower price. However, it is more expensive and more difficult to find on the street because everyone wants it.

Secure clothing, on the other hand, even has a lower street index than armored clothing. I really don't get that.

maybe securetech's just uglier
I mean, Wal-Mart says they got 'designer styles' too. It doesn't mean anything.
Maybe it just comes in a couple of styles. What does 'wide range' mean?
If it doesn't come in 'grubby alley-runner' style you probably can't use it lots of times.