| From: | Wafflemiesters <evamarie@**********.NET> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Deltaware Rangers (Hi ho, Chromey, and away!) |
| Date: | Wed, 25 Mar 1998 16:10:50 -0600 |
> >firearms skill would get the smart gun link if they're willing to part with
Essence.
>
> There's not enough combat mages to make it worth while. These two items are most
popular with the general mage population at large not simply the combat mage population.
>
Maybe so, but the popularity with NON-mages would make it worth
developing. It is a .05 E saving (hey, it can matter!) over a
beta-smartlink, not to much more cash, and more durable and hard to
detect.
> b) Why would an individual want to pay so much for "Essence-friendly"
cyber? After they decide that they can bundle the smartgun link, datajack, and cybereyes
for <=1 Essence (should be able to do this with Beta, IIRC), then why would they pay
for Delta?
>
I used to say the same thing about betaware, until my samurai character
went in for "upgrades". He has (normal) wired 3 and Skillwires +3,
neither of which I wanted to mess with (or waste cash for) upgrading.
It made sense to get some of the "cheap" new small cyber bits in beta
grade versions (like a smartlink II), and others (like electronic
vis-mag) in alpha. The same aplies if you already have alpha wired 3,
and want to cram in a bunch more crap, which is what I'd see the govt.
doing for dpecial opps., as opposed to giving someone a "full beta/
delta suitte". After all, he might not like his new wires as much as
the old!
I'd expect the corps to be smart enough to figure out which popular
items cost the least yen per essence they take, and improve those first-
topping this list are data jacks, smartlinks, 'jacks in general, dermal
armor and bone lacing, eyes, and the rather un-popular muscle
replacement and replacement cyberlimb.
By the way, the "20 million dollar/yen ranger" may risk biosystem
overstress every time he uses his reaction atributte. IE, he might take
moderate stun damage and cut reaction to 1/2 NATURAL value
temporarilly. Shadowtech p.7 gives the full scoop, but basically,
taking any attribute over 2 times its natural value with bioware (and I
assume his enhanced art and muscle aug and suprathyriod does so, unless
its higher than normal troll racial max) is a BAD idea.
