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From:	Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject:	Headware memory (was Re: Dumb ways to munch?)
Date:	Fri, 11 Sep 1998 10:38:10 +0200

Message no. 1 According to M. Sean Martinez, at 15:47 on 10 Sep 98, the word on the street was...

> Considering that Headware memory still costs the same essence as it did in
> SR2, I doubt we will see a revision. (One could hope)

Not quite, they changed the cost (Essence and nuyen) to that of FIFF
memory from Shadowtech. I guess normal headware memory isn't available any
longer in 2060.

> Besides, does anyone know exatctly what the size of a MP is?

Don't start! :)

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
It may look to the untrained eye I'm sitting on my arse all day.
-> NERPS Project Leader * ShadowRN GridSec * Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/plastic.html <-
-> The New Character Mortuary: http://www.electricferret.com/mortuary/ <-

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Incubated into the First Church of the Sqooshy Ball, 21-05-1998

From:	David Foster <fixer@*******.TLH.FL.US>
Subject:	Headware Memory (was Re: Dumb ways to munch?)
Date:	Fri, 11 Sep 1998 08:50:32 -0400

Message no. 2 On Thu, 10 Sep 1998, Steve Collins wrote:

->> BTW, WHY does more HwM take more essence? A bigger drive doesn't take
->>more space in my computer...
->> The only answer I can see is that each an every pulse is linked to the
->>mind / brain in an intimate manner. In that case, a natural way to
->>"build" some cyber is just to design a (more or less expensive)
program,
->>and decide how much memory it takes. The IPS clearsight / sharpshooter
->>programs for drones would be nice...
->
->I agree, another question, why is anything but the connection's for
->Cranial Cyber actually located in the head. Wouldn't it be better to
->replace one of the Shoulder Blades and have all the actual components
->located inside it then run Fibre Optic lines up to the connection points
->in the head. It seems this would be better than trying to cram more stuff
->into an already pretty packed part of the body (where you don't have
->anything useless to remove either) as well as providing more protection
->for the ware as there isn't much padding/armor in the head.

I was convinced it would take more Essence (follow the thread for
more) and as to why it wouldn't be located (as your example) in the
shoulder or anywhere else: time. It would take time and additional
energy to push the pulses through the line to the brain and back. Kind of
like an unneccessary SLD (for those with Shadowtech). Essence costs
wouldn't be reduced, and might even increase, because of the extra
invasiveness of the cyber and cord(s).

Fixer --------------} The easy I do before breakfast,
the difficult I do all day long,
the impossible only during the week,
and miracles performed on an as-needed basis....

Now tell me, what was your problem?

From:	David Foster <fixer@*******.TLH.FL.US>
Subject:	Headware Memory (was Re: Dumb ways to munch?)
Date:	Fri, 11 Sep 1998 10:44:03 -0400

Message no. 3 On Fri, 11 Sep 1998, Steve Eley wrote:

->Spike wrote:
->>
->> The size of the chip for 1 Mp and 2000Mp might be identical, (including the
->> onboard login), but the connection to the human brain will probably be a lot
->> more invasive and complex.
->>
->> That's my view on why more headware memory = more essense cost.
->
->Except that headware memory *doesn't* connect directly to the human
->brain.. You need a datalink, or an enecephalon, or one of several other
->pieces of headware to actually access that memory. In each case it's a
->memory/computer connection, not a memory/brain connection. The head is
->just a sensible place to put the memory used by other headware.

Off thread but on-topic: Would a decker with headware memory and
an encephalon be able to create programs in his memory (for downloading
later) while, for instance, walking down the street?
Back on thread: I believe the primary reason (IRL) the headware
memory takes increasing essence is due to game balance, not to any
realistic (even fantasy realism) explanation. Perhaps if we (the 406
people on this mailing list) were to figure out a better way of doing
headware memory while still maintaining game balance it would be a more
productive use of all of our time. Otherwise, this debate will not end
and will eventually be killed by GridSec as taking up a helluvalotta
bandwidth.

Fixer --------------} The easy I do before breakfast,
the difficult I do all day long,
the impossible only during the week,
and miracles performed on an as-needed basis....

Now tell me, what was your problem?

From:	Tarek Okail <Tarek_Okail@**********.COM>
Subject:	Headware Memory (was Re: Dumb ways to munch?)
Date:	Sat, 12 Sep 1998 03:44:48 -0400

Message no. 4 Fixer--

>Back on thread: I believe the primary reason (IRL) the headware
>memory takes increasing essence is due to game balance, not to
>any realistic (even fantasy realism) explanation.

The standard optical memory chip is 2 cm x 3 cm x 1 cm.
This chip has a base minimum size of 5 mp, and it goes up from
there. Presumably, there's a maximum density that it can be made
in before you *need* a second chip. FASA doesn't give that limit,
though.
Now, look at that size. That's big. Too big to fit safely
into the skull. Headware memory is much smaller, so it hits an
optical density barrier a lot faster, meaning that you need more
chips in order to get more memory. More chips means more space in
the skull, and more of a neural impact. Not directly, mind, but
more in terms of cerebral fluid pressure and neurons that die
because the memory chips are pressing against them.
The brain is the single most essence sensitive organ in
the body.

Shadowmage

From:	Mongoose <evamarie@**********.NET>
Subject:	Re: Headware Memory (was Re: Dumb ways to munch?)
Date:	Sat, 12 Sep 1998 19:10:42 -0700

Message no. 5 > The brain is the single most essence sensitive organ in
>the body.

Which is why, according to SR3, headware all goes into specially built
"bone grafts" that replace portions of the skull. Some items might
thicken your skull, but only the microthreaded wires go into the brainpan.

Mongoose

From:	Michael Coleman <mscoleman@********.NET>
Subject:	Re: Headware Memory (was Re: Dumb ways to munch?)
Date:	Sun, 13 Sep 1998 03:00:42 -0500

Message no. 6 > > The brain is the single most essence sensitive organ in
> >the body.
>
> Which is why, according to SR3, headware all goes into specially built
> "bone grafts" that replace portions of the skull. Some items might
> thicken your skull, but only the microthreaded wires go into the brainpan.
>
> Mongoose
>
I have never understood the need to put headware in the head. The head is
not all that roomy. I see the need to wire the brain but some of the
hardware can be stored in other places. Like what someone mentioned a while
back, why not replace the shoulder blade the memory, or communication gear,
or what ever. There can be that much lost of speed over 6 or 7 inch.

Mike

From:	Chrome Tiger <chrome@********.ORG>
Subject:	Re: Headware Memory (was Re: Dumb ways to munch?)
Date:	Sun, 13 Sep 1998 12:16:41 -0400

Message no. 7 >I have never understood the need to put headware in the head. The head is
>not all that roomy. I see the need to wire the brain but some of the
>hardware can be stored in other places. Like what someone mentioned a
while
>back, why not replace the shoulder blade the memory, or communication gear,
>or what ever. There can be that much lost of speed over 6 or 7 inch.

Well, considering that you have to go into the brain to wire everything
anyway, why not stick it into the same entry site instead of creating one to
wire the brain and cut all the way down into the shoulder blade for more?
The more cutting you have to do, the more of a chance you have of losing
more essence than is required by the cyberware.

CT

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