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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Gweedo The Killer Pimp <yawas@****.COM>
Subject: Cyborg
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 23:28:54 EDT
I have an idea for a run in which the security of the building being run
against uses humanoid drones. It's a live fire testing to see how well
the drones (which are controlled by riggers) will do in combat. Any
objections?


----------
The useless fact of the day is:
Can mammals see color? No, most are colorblind.
Message no. 2
From: "Mark L. Neidengard" <mneideng@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Cyborg
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997 10:35:26 -0700
According to Gweedo The Killer Pimp:
>I have an idea for a run in which the security of the building being run
>against uses humanoid drones. It's a live fire testing to see how well
>the drones (which are controlled by riggers) will do in combat. Any
>objections?

Go for it; given the way lots of the cyberware has shaped up, such security
systems should definitely be a reality (though perhaps not a _widely_ deployed
one).
--
/!\/!ark /!\!eidengard, CS Major, VLSI. http://www.cacr.caltech.edu/~mneideng
"Fairy of sleep, controller of illusions" Operator/Jack-of-all-Trades, CACR
"Control the person for my own purpose." "Don't mess with the Dark
Elves!"
-Pirotess, _Record_of_Lodoss_War_ Shadowrunner and Anime Addict
Message no. 3
From: "The Illustrious Mr. Frypp" <JAMES-CUENO@*********.EDU>
Subject: Re: Cyborg
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997 13:04:41 CST
> I have an idea for a run in which the security of the building being run
> against uses humanoid drones. It's a live fire testing to see how well
> the drones (which are controlled by riggers) will do in combat. Any
> objections?

Yes. Can you justify the cost? For the investment in cyber
(skillwires and simsense just to name the two biggest parts) why not
put regular metalled line monsters in the hallways?




jim cueno
Message no. 4
From: Jeffrey Mach <mach@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Cyborg
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997 12:26:08 -0700
On Sun, 27 Apr 1997, The Illustrious Mr. Frypp wrote:

> > I have an idea for a run in which the security of the building being run
> > against uses humanoid drones. It's a live fire testing to see how well
> > the drones (which are controlled by riggers) will do in combat. Any
> > objections?
>
> Yes. Can you justify the cost? For the investment in cyber
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> (skillwires and simsense just to name the two biggest parts) why not
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> put regular metalled line monsters in the hallways?

Not exactly sure what you are refering to here. I've been going over the
idea with Gweedo over private e-mail. Most of the larger corporate
installations in Shadowrun are reputed to have rigged security systems. In
other words, in some well secured rooms on site (and possibly even off
site for smaller installations) there are some riggers patched into the
various security systems (cameras, sensors, gun implacements, security
drones, etc.) acting as overwatch and support for the sec. guards who
normally roam the halls and such. The concept is, for "high threat"
situations, to provide a human-looking drone run by one of the security
riggers to take the place of a flesh-and-blood security guard. This way
you maintain the "human face" on the security and the versatility of a
humanoid body which is natural to control for the rigger, but you don't
expose people to the risk.

This isn't as altruistic of the corp as it sounds. When and if it does
get shot up, you send it to a mechanic, not a hospital (decent savings in
the long run) and it can't really die. If a security guard gets himself
shot up, they have to put him in the hospital for days if not weeks, which
costs money, or for (usually even more) money, they could have a corp mage
heal the poor boy up. Worse, if he gets himself killed, they have to pay
death benefits, they have to hire another security guard, and all that
money they invested in him in cyber is severely degraded in value. The
rigger controlled body parts would probably cost less than if one was to
actually graft the cyber onto a human (no hospital costs, no counceling,
etc.), the only real additional cost would be including a basic enough
autopilot that would allow it to stand, and/or walk on its own if the
rigger had to divert his attention elsewhere, and the rigger gear
interface to the motor control and sensors of the body. The only real
cyber in the mix would be the vehicle control rig installed in the
security rigger. While a bit expensive, they are quite common. Another
non-negligible benefit is to insulate the security guard from any
mana-based spells that a mage might cast. While on the other hand, they
can't receive the benefit of any mana based spell's either.

What exactly did you mean by "regular metalled line monsters" anyway?

--My two yen

Jeff

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about Cyborg, you may also be interested in:

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Thwap!