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Message no. 1
From: "A.R.Gay" <cs6004@****.WLV.AC.UK>
Subject: Riggers and Drones.
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 1994 13:46:32 +0000
My group has been having a large discussion on riggers, and
their use of drones. We use drones quite extensivly for
searching, recon and general legwork, because it can be quicker
and has less risks.

Now however I have been asked to let people build their own
drones. The problem is there is no _standard_ for drones, as
there is for cars, planes and the other vehicles listed in RBB.
Has anyone got any suggestions?

In SR2 under drones, it says that drones do not come fitted with
rigger or remote control gear. But drones such as the Snooper
and the dalmation do not have the internal room to put this
equipment, infact in the case of the snooper, the remote gear
(CF2) is larger than the storage needed to pack the drone(CF1).
Does the rule that remoter and rigger gear is not standard still
apply for drones puchased from RBB, or have they decided to do
away with this?

While I am on the subject, does anyone out there have a
remote/drone design system?

All replies and suggestions are greatfully recieved.

ARG
Message no. 2
From: Court Schuett <schuett@*****.IVCC.EDU>
Subject: Riggers and Drones
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 13:53:27 -0600
After playing an adventur last night, I am here to ask a few questions.

1) What exactly can a rigger see through his drone? Can he identify
people as being friendly, not friendly. I know this depends on sensor
levels, but can you give some examples or different sensor levels, and
what they could see?

2) How does a rigger fight with his drone. Example. His Steel Lynx was=

100m from a Yellowjacket hovering above. His Lynx carried a missile
launcher (is this possible? What weapons can be mounted on a drone or
vehicle?). What target number was he shooting at, and how many dice was
he using?

3) See above, what weapons can be mounted?

4) Using the optional rule in the SR Companion of no availability over
6, doesn't this make riggers pretty much suck? I mean, no vehicle over
60,000¥? (Isn't that how it works...cost/10,000 = availalability?) Th=
at
seems a little harsh for riggers and deckers. Should exceptions be made,=

or make them start out a lot lower? A street sam can get wires 2, but a
rigger can't get a decent vehicle, and a decker can't get a decent deck. =

On this same note, what kind of availabilty should things like Steel
Lynxes have? More than 1.5 I think, but according to standard rules,
that's all they'd have. You see I have this problem. I have a character=

in the group who is a decent role-player, but he wants to make a
character that escaped from Tir Na nOg. According to his background, he
was working for harbour patrol but decided to defect. He stole the boat
and ran. I would think this boat (I don't have the sourcebook so all
this is speculation) is pretty heavily armed and equipped. I'm sure it
would have a MMG or two, and I'm pretty sure that a MMG's avail. is
greater than 6. So how should I do this? I like his character, but I
don't like it that he has stuff over avail. of 6, because then everyone
else will be wanting it too. Especially a pretty munchkin player. Any
advice?

Thanks :)
-Court


/* Court Schuett

schuett@*****.ivcc.edu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
~~~~~
I met her at the movies, she was there on her own
A bargain matinee
Theater deserted, she sat right next to me
Can't remember what played that day
She leans, real near
She whispers in my ear
I blink, she grins
I choke on my M&M's
-Too Much Joy
***************************************************************************=
****/
Message no. 3
From: GRANITE <granite@**.NET>
Subject: Re: Riggers and Drones
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 1996 22:34:07 -0700
> From: Court Schuett <schuett@*****.IVCC.EDU>
> 1) What exactly can a rigger see through his drone?

As you already realise..the higher the sensor value the greater the
detail that can be discerned..Whenever I set up a drone there are
-always- opticals incorporated into the sensor array..and the greater
the value the greater the resolution...as well as the other types of
sensors \..Thermal and such which can be visualised by refering to
the "Predator" movies..[While I conceed things wouldn't work the same
it works for an example]..

> 2) How does a rigger fight with his drone.

The Rigger give either gives the drone or drones a command "Attack designa=
ted
target." or controls the drone directly and orchestrates -all- of it's
moves...And while doing so is vulnerable to feedback..
In the first instance the drone will rely on its AP dog brain to
follow its orders..Which the GM can misinterpret due to absence or
reasoning ability..And the drone can loose the target..

> Example. His Steel Lynx was
> 100m from a Yellowjacket hovering above. His Lynx carried a missile
> launcher (is this possible?

I would say yes a missle rack can be mounted on the SL..

> What weapons can be mounted on a drone or
> vehicle?).

Anything that will fit in a turret..See the Rigger Black Book for
greater details...And of course all new rules are coming out within
the next 6 months or so...

> What target number was he shooting at, and how many dice was
> he using?

Not enough data here to tell..

> 3) See above, what weapons can be mounted?

ANything that will fit in the sized turret being used..

> 4) Using the optional rule in the SR Companion of no availability over
> 6, doesn't this make riggers pretty much suck?

That is why it is called and -optional- rule..If it makes them
suck..Don't use the rule..

I mean, no vehicle over
> 60,000¥? (Isn't that how it works...cost/10,000 = availalability?)

As for how that works I am not certain...But you are right That would
really suck...

That
> seems a little harsh for riggers and deckers.

Yes it does especially if they put an A priority into resources..all
that cash and nowhere to spend it..

> Should exceptions be made,

Exceptions should always be made..Nothing is absolute..

> or make them start out a lot lower? A street sam can get wires 2, but a=

> rigger can't get a decent vehicle, and a decker can't get a decent deck.=

> On this same note, what kind of availabilty should things like Steel
> Lynxes have? More than 1.5 I think, but according to standard rules,
> that's all they'd have. You see I have this problem. I have a characte=
r
> in the group who is a decent role-player, but he wants to make a
> character that escaped from Tir Na nOg. According to his background, he=

> was working for harbour patrol but decided to defect. He stole the boat=

> and ran. I would think this boat (I don't have the sourcebook so all
> this is speculation) is pretty heavily armed and equipped. I'm sure it
> would have a MMG or two, and I'm pretty sure that a MMG's avail. is
> greater than 6. So how should I do this? I like his character, but I
> don't like it that he has stuff over avail. of 6, because then everyone
> else will be wanting it too. Especially a pretty munchkin player. Any
> advice?
>
> Thanks :)
> -Court
>
>
> /* Court Schuett
>
> schuett@*****.ivcc.edu
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
~~~~~~~~
> I met her at the movies, she was there on her own
> A bargain matinee
> Theater deserted, she sat right next to me
> Can't remember what played that day
> She leans, real near
> She whispers in my ear
> I blink, she grins
> I choke on my M&M's
> -Too Much Joy
> ************************************************************************=
*******/
>
-------------------------------GRANITE
==========================
==========================
===============
Lord, Grant Me The Serenity To Accept The Things I Cannot Change,
The Courage To Change The Things I Can,
And The Wisdom To Hide The Bodies Of Those People I Had To Kill
Because They Pissed Me Off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ShadowRunner's Serenity Prayer
==========================
==========================
===============
Message no. 4
From: GRANITE <granite@**.NET>
Subject: Re: Riggers and Drones
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 1996 22:58:54 -0700
> From: Court Schuett <schuett@*****.IVCC.EDU>
> 1) What exactly can a rigger see through his drone?

As you already realize..the higher the censor value the greater the
detail that can be discerned..Whenever I set up a drone there are
-always- opticals incorporated into the sensor array..and the greater
the value the greater the resolution...as well as the other types of
sensors \..Thermal and such which can be visualized by referring to
the "Predator" movies..[While I concede things wouldn't work the same
it works for an example]..

> 2) How does a rigger fight with his drone.

The Rigger give either gives the drone or drones a command "Attack designa=
ted
target." or controls the drone directly and orchestrates -all- of it's
moves...And while doing so is vulnerable to feedback..
In the first instance the drone will rely on its AP dog brain to
follow its orders..Which the GM can misinterpret due to absence or
reasoning ability..And the drone can loose the target..

> Example. His Steel Lynx was
> 100m from a Yellowjacket hovering above. His Lynx carried a missile
> launcher (is this possible?

I would say yes a missile rack can be mounted on the SL..

> What weapons can be mounted on a drone or
> vehicle?).

Anything that will fit in a turret..See the Rigger Black Book for
greater details...And of course all new rules are coming out within
the next 6 months or so...

> What target number was he shooting at, and how many dice was
> he using?

Not enough data here to tell..

> 3) See above, what weapons can be mounted?

ANything that will fit in the sized turret being used..

> 4) Using the optional rule in the SR Companion of no availability over
> 6, doesn't this make riggers pretty much suck?

That is why it is called and -optional- rule..If it makes them
suck..Don't use the rule..

I mean, no vehicle over
> 60,000¥? (Isn't that how it works...cost/10,000 = availalability?)

As for how that works I am not certain...But you are right That would
really suck...

That
> seems a little harsh for riggers and deckers.

Yes it does especially if they put an A priority into resources..all
that cash and nowhere to spend it..

> Should exceptions be made,

Exceptions should always be made..Nothing is absolute..

> what kind of availability should things like Steel
> Lynxes have?

Extremely difficult ones..Even for the correct sort of character...

> ......You see I have this problem. I have a character
> in the group who is a decent role-player, but he wants to make a
> character that escaped from Tir Na nOg.

Good that means he got out without much of anything...And anything
-not- brought out should stay strictly by the rule of 6 Ava...

>...... He stole the boat
> and ran. I would think this boat (I don't have the sourcebook so all
> this is speculation) is pretty heavily armed and equipped.

Not needfully..Make it an Otter..And give it say 2 Armour..Not too
shabby for a boat..and it shouldn't slow it down too very much..

> I'm sure it
> would have a MMG or two,

Again it doesn't have to...Make them 2 LMGs one forward and the other
aft..Both adapted for fire on pintol mounts...That should outfit a
patrol boat just fine...

>. So how should I do this? I like his character, but I
> don't like it that he has stuff over avail. of 6, because then everyone
> else will be wanting it too.

One of the first things I would do in your place is start -requiring-
-all- wish lists be approved..especially those of starting
characters..And set down some ground rules sort of like:

Avail 6 = pretty much anything
Avail 7-9 =you may ask for 3 items
Avail 10-above = you may ask for 1 item
No guarantees on any equipment at all!!!
All equipment is requested and some will most likely be turned down.

And stick by your guns! make their equipment into their
treasure..Don't be afraid to tell your players -no- ... Preserve the
balance and be fair..

> Especially a pretty munchkin player. Any
> advice? ^^^

HHmmmm..THis sounds like a whole different problem...
-------------------------------GRANITE
==========================
==========================
===============
Lord, Grant Me The Serenity To Accept The Things I Cannot Change,
The Courage To Change The Things I Can,
And The Wisdom To Hide The Bodies Of Those People I Had To Kill
Because They Pissed Me Off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ShadowRunner's Serenity Prayer
==========================
==========================
===============

Further Reading

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