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Message no. 1
From: "Jason Carter, Nightstalker" <CARTER@***.EDU>
Subject: Enhanced Articulation and Active Skills
Date: Tue, 8 Dec 92 00:58:35 CET
Stainless Steel Rat says:

>>"Active Skills" means Combat Skills, Physical Skills, and Vehicle
>>Skills (not rigged!); ie, skills that involve some form of active,
>>physical activity. Enhanced Articulation does absolutely nothing for
>>Technical, Magical, Social, B/R, or Knowledge skills. Etiquette is a
>>Social Skill, therefore Enhanced Articulation does not apply.

My question: Is that a revision I didn't notice in the rule book or is
that merely and opinion. I ask this not to dispute his stand on Enhanced
Articulation but because if that is the official ruling it means you don't
need Skill Wires to use Social skillsofts. That leaves me with the funny
feeling that some people in my group will be looking for Etiquette 8
skillsofts. That is a pretty scary prospect.

As for Enhanced Articulation I see it this way. This little option allows for
smoother movement of the joints and therefore body overall. That makes the
person seem more skilled because his body responds to the brains commands better
then before. This is great for Combat, Physical, and (non-rigged) Vehicle
skills, but I really don't think it matters much how much smoother your
movements are when your trying to convice somebody your really cool (i.e. Street
Etiquette roll). Note that is argument is moot if Social skills are not active.

See Ya in Shadows,
Jason J Carter
The Nightstalker
Message no. 2
From: "Jason Carter, Nightstalker" <CARTER@***.EDU>
Subject: Enhanced Articulation and Active Skills
Date: Tue, 8 Dec 92 01:15:26 CET
Stainless Steel Rat says:

>>"Active Skills" means Combat Skills, Physical Skills, and Vehicle
>>Skills (not rigged!); ie, skills that involve some form of active,
>>physical activity. Enhanced Articulation does absolutely nothing for
>>Technical, Magical, Social, B/R, or Knowledge skills. Etiquette is a
>>Social Skill, therefore Enhanced Articulation does not apply.

My question: Is that a revision I didn't notice in the rule book or is
that merely and opinion. I ask this not to dispute his stand on Enhanced
Articulation but because if that is the official ruling it means you don't
need Skill Wires to use Social skillsofts. That leaves me with the funny
feeling that some people in my group will be looking for Etiquette 8
skillsofts. That is a pretty scary prospect.

As for Enhanced Articulation I see it this way. This little option allows for
smoother movement of the joints and therefore body overall. That makes the
person seem more skilled because his body responds to the brains commands better
then before. This is great for Combat, Physical, and (non-rigged) Vehicle
skills, but I really don't think it matters much how much smoother your
movements are when your trying to convice somebody your really cool (i.e. Street
Etiquette roll). Note that is argument is moot if Social skills are not active.

See Ya in Shadows,
Jason J Carter
The Nightstalker
Message no. 3
From: Richard Pieri <ratinox@******.COE.NORTHEASTERN.EDU>
Subject: Re: Enhanced Articulation and Active Skills
Date: Mon, 7 Dec 92 20:17:14 EST
>>>>> On Tue, 8 Dec 92 00:58:35 CET, "Jason Carter, Nightstalker"
>>>>> <CARTER@***.EDU> said:

JCN> Stainless Steel Rat says:

>>"Active Skills" means Combat Skills, Physical Skills, and Vehicle
>>Skills (not rigged!); ie, skills that involve some form of active,
>>physical activity. Enhanced Articulation does absolutely nothing for
>>Technical, Magical, Social, B/R, or Knowledge skills. Etiquette is a
>>Social Skill, therefore Enhanced Articulation does not apply.

JCN> My question: Is that a revision I didn't notice in the rule book
JCN> or is that merely and opinion. I ask this not to dispute his
JCN> stand on Enhanced Articulation but because if that is the
JCN> official ruling it means you don't need Skill Wires to use Social
JCN> skillsofts. That leaves me with the funny feeling that some
JCN> people in my group will be looking for Etiquette 8 skillsofts.
JCN> That is a pretty scary prospect.

This is common sense. Whenever an ambiguity arises, common sense
reigns. I do not, in all honesty, see how Social skills such as
Etiquette can be considered "active" skills. While some certain amount
of activity may be required (such as properly using this particular
fork or how low to bow when greeting a superior), I do not place this
in the same category of Athletics, Stealth, or combat. You do not need
skilwires to use a language skillsoft, I see no reason why you'd need
them for Etiquette; conversely, if you don't have the wires, your
accent will sound funny comming from unpracticed vocal cords and your
bows will appear a bit stilted. Enhanced Articulation won't help in
either case, however, other than making your bows that much more
fluid, but no more "correct". This can, of course, be remedied by
"making the skillsoft part of yourself" through practice with it.

JCN> As for Enhanced Articulation I see it this way. This little
JCN> option allows for smoother movement of the joints and therefore
JCN> body overall. That makes the person seem more skilled because
JCN> his body responds to the brains commands better then before.
JCN> This is great for Combat, Physical, and (non-rigged) Vehicle
JCN> skills, but I really don't think it matters much how much
JCN> smoother your movements are when your trying to convice somebody
JCN> your really cool (i.e. Street Etiquette roll). Note that is
JCN> argument is moot if Social skills are not active.

Suprise! we agree. :-)

--Rat
||||| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |||||
Northeastern's Stainless Steel Rat ratinox@******.coe.northeastern.edu
Shape shift/Nose to the wind/Shape shift/Feeling I've been
Move swift/All senses clean/Earth's gift/Back to the meaning of wolf and man
--Metallica, Of Wolf and Man
Message no. 4
From: Jason Ustica <usticaj@****.COM>
Subject: Enhanced Articulation and active skills
Date: Sun, 6 Aug 1995 14:41:52 -0700
On Sun, 6 Aug 1995, Stephanos Piperoglou wrote:

> On Sun, 6 Aug 1995, Gurth wrote:
>
> > No vehicle skills and no magic skills receive the +1 die from enhanced
> > articulation AFAIK. It's the things like combat skills, Athletics, and
> > Stealth that do get it, though.
>
> Vehicle skills, I'd rule yes. Magical skills, no way. NO WAY. This isn't
> AD&D (c) (tm) (r). No "somatic component" (c) (tm) (r) (whatever).

Why vehicle skills?
Driver (to passenger): "Look, I can sit backwards, bend my arm through my
legs, over my head, and still touch the steering wheel!"
Passenger (looking confused): "What are you doing?!?! Just drive!"

And I don't think riggers would benefit from articulation, they just sit
there and control the vehicle with their mind. As far as I can tell,
vehicles in 2050 don't require all that much physical manipulation from a
driver, so why would the driver benefit from enhanced articulation?

----------------------------------------------------------
Jason Ustica | usticaj@****.com | Lancaster, CA
----------------------------------------------------------
*Sorry, no geek code, no stupid quotes, no lame web sites*
Message no. 5
From: Stainless Steel Rat <ratinox@***.NEU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Enhanced Articulation and active skills
Date: Sun, 6 Aug 1995 21:21:56 -0400
According to the former DLOH, these are the skills that Enhanced
Articulation affects:

Armed Combat, Unarmed Combat, Firearms, Gunnery, Projectile
Weapons, Throwing Weapons, Athletics, Stealth."

Of special note: Vehicle and B/R skills are not aided by
enhanced articulation. Enhanced Articulation is found on page 34
of Shadowtech.

--
Rat <ratinox@***.neu.edu> \ Do not use Happy Fun Ball on concrete.
PGP Public Key: Ask for one today! \
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/ratinox/ \
Message no. 6
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: Enhanced Articulation and active skills
Date: Mon, 7 Aug 1995 11:46:42 +0200
>Why vehicle skills?

OK, now it's been enough :) Here's the full list of skills that receive +1
die from Enhanced Articulation:

Athletics
Stealth
Armed Combat
Unarmed Combat
Throwing
Projectile Weapons
Firearms
Gunnery

All this coming straight from what I've written in my copy of Shadowtech,
which in turn was copied straight from a message posted on this mailing list
about 1 1/2 years ago, that in turn quoted the (then-)DLoH.

>And I don't think riggers would benefit from articulation, they just sit
>there and control the vehicle with their mind. As far as I can tell,
>vehicles in 2050 don't require all that much physical manipulation from a
>driver, so why would the driver benefit from enhanced articulation?

I always think of riggers as still using the physical controls of the car,
except augmented by being "one" with the vehicle. Like, he still uses the
steering wheel to make a turn, but has much finer control over it.


Gurth@******.nl - Gurth@***.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Wicked mental dope
GC3.0: GAT/! dpu s:- !a>? C+(++) U P L E? W(++) N K- w+ O V? PS+ PE Y PGP-
t(+) 5 X R+++>$ tv+(++) b+@ DI? D+ G++ e h! !r(--) y? Unofficial Shadowrun
Guru :)
Message no. 7
From: Damion Milliken <adm82@***.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Enhanced Articulation and active skills
Date: Wed, 9 Aug 1995 00:07:01 +1000
Gurth writes:

> I always think of riggers as still using the physical controls of the car,
> except augmented by being "one" with the vehicle. Like, he still uses the
> steering wheel to make a turn, but has much finer control over it.

I'd've said the same, except that I don't think the rigger has _that_ much
actual physical involvement. And some have very little or even no physical
control (like the rigger in, um, the novel with "Church", who uses some
sorta sensory deprivation tank thingy when rigging the banshee). From the
descriptions and novels it seems like steering wheels are more or less
obsolete, as are old fashioned foot pedals. And with rigger control, hey, who
needs 'em?

Actually, that sensory deprivation tank thingy raises an interesting point.
If it is indeed, as I vaguely recollect, a sensroy deprivation tank, then
that would make rigging a true VR experience, which measn you could do it
with a datajack, 'cause you don't need all your other senses (the only
decent reason I can see for requiring rigger interfaces to add on senses
rather than replace them like decking does.) Anyone got that particular book
handy? (Mine's a tad over 500kms away at the moment, and I can't really
remember if it was a sensory deprivation tank or not.)

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong E-mail: adm82@***.edu.au

(GEEK CODE 2.1) GE -d+@ H s++:-- !g p0 !au a19 w+ v(?) C++ US++>+++ P+ L !3
E? N K- W M@ !V po@ Y+ t+ 5 !j R+(++) G(+)('''') !tv(--@)
b++ D B? e+$ u@ h* f+ !r n----(--)@ !y+
Message no. 8
From: "Patrick D. Little" <pdl@******.NET>
Subject: Re: Enhanced Articulation and active skills
Date: Tue, 8 Aug 1995 18:48:40 PDT
---------------Original Message---------------

Actually, that sensory deprivation tank thingy raises an interesting point.
If it is indeed, as I vaguely recollect, a sensroy deprivation tank, then
that would make rigging a true VR experience, which measn you could do it
with a datajack, 'cause you don't need all your other senses (the only
decent reason I can see for requiring rigger interfaces to add on senses
rather than replace them like decking does.) Anyone got that particular book
handy? (Mine's a tad over 500kms away at the moment, and I can't really
remember if it was a sensory deprivation tank or not.)

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong E-mail: adm82@***.edu.au



----------End of Original Message----------
I don't agree that rigging involves a VR experience at all. VR, in my opinion, involves
submerging yourself in another existence where the perception is paramount. Therefore I
believe your senses do not operate in VR just your perception does. Where rigging is a
melding of man and machine into one. Your senses do operate while rigging, and you do
receive input from sensors. Therefore, I see decking as a purely perception based
experience and rigging as an experience which involves sensation and perception. As for
using a sensory depervation tank, the purpose I see in this is the lessen the fatigue on
long trips by allowing the rigger to concentrate on the input provided by the electronic
sensors.

I guess what I'm trying to say is a data jack does not VR make. Unless I have a different
understanding of what VR is, which is entirely possible. I would like some feedback on
this, please.

-------------------------------------
Name: patrick
E-mail: pdl@******.net
Date: 08/08/95
Time: 19:19:20

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