| From: | shadowrn@*********.com (Robert Fanning) |
|---|---|
| Subject: | ShadowRN digest, Vol 1 #1492 - 26 msgs |
| Date: | Wed Jul 18 10:10:02 2001 |
> From: Steve Mancini <mancini@******.com>
> Subject: Encrypted Messages
> To: shadowrn@*********.com
> Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 18:02:00 -0700 (PDT)
> Reply-To: shadowrn@*********.com
>
> Okay - I survived a weekend in Vegas with the hacking community elite.
> *snicker*
>
> But it brought to mind an idea I have..
>
> Imagine a Fixer who owns a small time radio station. He broadcasts
> a completely legal program.
>
> But he uses steganography in the broadcasts to send messages to
> specific runners - so that you hear Milli Vanilli.. and I hear
> a pre-recorded message that there is a job on the table and
> if I want to accept it to be the 10th caller at 1-800.... :)
>
> Likewise, a runner team might also be able to do the same thing.
> Use stego in their radio transmissions
>
> Think I am drilling into specifics about crypto the way military
> people dwell on combat rules? Am I looking too deeply into something
> just called Crypt 9 ? :)
>
> Da Minotaur
It is quite common for people to pay cash to publish innocuous sounding code
messages, with the internet (I mean matrix) chat rooms, that should not be a
problem. Ringing up to request certain songs (and certain songs being
played) at specific times can be a code.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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> Message: 9
> Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 06:55:10 +0100 (BST)
> From: Rand Ratinac <docwagon101@*****.com>
> Subject: Re: 10 Rigger 3 gripes.
> To: shadowrn@*********.com
> Reply-To: shadowrn@*********.com
>
> <snipt!(TM)>
> > > 5) Engines - I wished to swap the EC engine in the
> glider they have, so that it could run on solar cells
> and charge the battery - you can get them for drone
> mini-blimps, which is ok I guess. Could I rig an AC
> rectifier to give the EC engine power from the solar
> cells and just let it drift along, or to suppliment
> the power requirements? Surely a normal battery
> powered engine is enough for an ultralight glider?
The problem is that you need to be able to store up the power in batteries
too, once the hydrogen is burnt and evolved as steam, it is gone.
> > >
> > > <Snip>
> >
> > Whooah! You might want to write up a complete set of
> rules for this and submit them. You sound like you
> know what you're talking about. If nothing else, I'd
> like to see your version of these things, as I do have
> to say that I _seriously_ wonder if R3 was ever proof
> read for game mechanics, let alone actually
> playtested!
> <snipt!(TM)>
> > Damion Milliken
It is not my job as a player to point out problems in the rules, that is
what I pay the play testers and designers for when I buy the books. If they
had done their jobs and did some basic research, I wouldn't have these
problems. As it is, I have been pretty specific in my suggestions so far.
>
> Okay, could someone help me here, please? I may be
> blind, but I recently got my hands (temporarily) on a
> copy of Rigger 3 and I couldn't find anything that
> said that electric cell engines couldn't work with the
> solar cells option - and I DID look, because I've been
> busily designing a van that runs off an EC engine
> (lovely thing - faster than a gasoline-powered van and
> with a signature of 5! :) ).
>
The blurb states that EC engines are AC, although I am sure that could be
overlooked by a GM (if the GM doesn't catch the "error", I wouldn't bring it
up). Solar Cells and Batteries are DC.
[Something I forgot to mention - AC engines don't have as much torque or
power as DC, in total opposition to the rules - it is the battery capacity
that limits electric vehicles. As they don't need gearboxes, many can
develop speeds and acceleration far in excess of internal combustion, for as
long as the batteries hold charge, plus they can shove back braking power
into the batteries, which you can't do with EC engines].
> Or maybe I totally misunderstood what Robert was
> talking about.
>
Nope, but then again, I have done 2nd year Electrical Engineering, too.
> ====> Doc'
> (aka Mr. Freaky Big, Super-Dynamic Troll of Tomorrow, aka Doc'booner, aka
Doc' Vader)
>
> .sig Sauer
>
> If you SMELL what THE DOC' is COOKIN'!!!
>
Hmm, I made up a Lupin, Ragabash, Bone Chewer for Werewolf the Apocalypse
the other day - One of his abilities is "cooking", which can turn pretty
much anything organic (like trash) into edible (but tasteless) food. His
ideas of what constitutes "food" is going to cause considerable differences
of opinions with the other players. HeHeHe.
____________________________________________________________
>
> Message: 14
> Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 08:58:44 +0100 (BST)
> From: Rand Ratinac <docwagon101@*****.com>
> Subject: Re: 10 Rigger 3 gripes & More rigger 3 nitpicking
> To: shadowrn@*********.com
> Reply-To: shadowrn@*********.com
>
> > > > 1) Number of rounds in weapon mounts.....
> Couldn't they just have a limit of 0.2 CF, 0.1 CF or
> even 0.02 CF capacity in mounts?
> > >
> > > <Snip 9 yards>
> > >
> > > IMO it's best to leave the ammo bin capacity
> open-ended and let the GM set the upper limits.
> >
> > Jon, I think he meant the "free" ammo amount, ie:
Yes!
> >
> > "Ammunition Bins (p 135 R3)
> > Fixed mounts and turrets are assumed to hold an
> ammunition load equal to twice the mounted weapon's
> Ammo rating"
>
> Which is never enough anyway. :)
Drones can rarely carry 0.2 CF of ammo for SMG or Rifle Weapons (200kg or
more), heavy weapons and grenades rarely is a problem (20kg or so) as they
can only carry 1/10th that number. Also, many High Velocity (HV) machine
guns are said to fire a 6 round burst of "light pistol ammunition" - are
they heavy weapons or not?
>
> I thought Robert was talking about the fact that you
> buy ammo bins in 0.2 CF increments, but it then
> suggests 2 CF as the minimum bin size. I'm probably
> wrong, but still...anyway, I'd think that, especially
> with the smaller drones, where you don't have a lot of
> CF to play with, most GMs would ignore that
> suggestion.
Very true about very little CF to play with.
>
> > > > <Snip magazine selector>
> > >
> > > You would need a separate ammo bin for each type
> of ammo.
Works for me, but as I mentioned early, 1 CF of 5 different ammo types is
10,000 rounds of ammo, which is going to weight 500kg or more.
> >
> > So one of the things firearm conversion does that
> _isn't_ stated in the rules is allow for multiple ammo
> feeds?
Not customization, only weapon design only.
>
> > > However, if you are Sunday-driving on the highway,
> you would not need to make Handling Tests. Handling
> Tests only apply when you are performing non-standard
> vehicle operations -- hairpin turns, emergency
> braking, vehicle combat, and so on. And in these
> cases, off-road handling CAN adversely affect
> performance.
> >
> > This might sound like a whinge, but then why are
> there "Non-Stressful Situation", "Stressful
> Situation", and "Action Performed During Combat"
> modifiers on the Driving Test Modifiers Table on p 134
> SR3? If the only time one ever needs to make a driving
> test is in a non-standard situation, then having a
> modifier for making one in a "Non-Stressful Situation"
> is rather redundant. Additionally, having a modifier
> for "Stressful Situation" is also rather pointless, as
> it will _always_ be applied, and the Handling of every
> vehicle should just be increased by 1!
> > Damion Milliken
Non-Stressful Situation: Grinning while mowing down a bunch of Assault Rifle
wielding Sec Guards, whose base power of their weapon is less than your
vehicle armour Rating, thus denying them the damage level and staging
increase for burst fire, reducing the damage to 0.
Stressful Situation: When they eject your clips and load AV ammo mixed with
incendary rounds and make called shots at your increased capacity fuel
tanks.
Non-Stressful Situation: Piloting your drones via remote several kilometres
away.
Stessful Situation: You run into the gang who load zapper rockets/missiles,
to shoot drones and get you with biofeedback.
Non-Stressful Situation: Hiding underwater with submarine conversion from
that GM Beachcraft Patroller with a Rotary Autocannon, who cannot see you,
let alone aim the weapon in the turret down directly at you.
Stressful Situation: Having to surface to act as the other characters get
away, when they hide like sissies in the demountable laboratory buildings
(which are being systematically blown to pieces) and scream like babies for
you to rescue them.
Then, getting an S wound on the vehicle and having the water pour in - then
offer no help or money at the end of the adventure to fix up your vehicle,
in addition to getting an expesnive Wandjiva Sorcerer drone blown up as it
launches before it gets to fire (plus 3 very intelligent missiles at @ 10000
each and a 75000¥ rotary autocannon of your own). Another Million Yen
character they sacked for parts, after my EX street Sam got salvaged for the
ripper docs (all that lovely rating 3 wired reflexes and generic bioware).
Non-Stressful Situation: Taking your super charged Bell Red Ranger in LAV
mode and roaring along at above the speed of sound (we worked it out),
blasting over Traffic Cops while giving them the finger, who are armed with
Shotguns, Tasers and Spike Strips (that you fly over).
Stressful Situation: When they break out the AV One-shot Missile Launchers
from the trunk and call in the Panzers from the National Guard.
Non-Stressful Situation: Lining up at a ganger's trashed up car, parked in
the street, with your assault cannon because they are a disgrace to your
favourite brand name car.
Stressful Situation: Not paying attention and reading comics while playing,
missing the fact the players are trying to SNEAK into the facility, who then
come out pissed at you, blast your tires with fletchett ammo (and you forget
they were run flat), then open up on your with their own non-rigged car with
10 unguided rockets and you take 40 D damage - you actually roll 1 success
to needed survive, but need 2 and have no karma pool to burn (new
character).
Non-Stressful Situation: Quietly watching a professional plant demolishion
charges with nobody the wiser, the security systems overridden.
Stressful Situation: Watching the troll mage, in the middle of a combat,
who took 1 essence worth of cyberware - and having 0.1 essence left, so he
took a skillwire 1 to get the free chipjack, loading Demolitions 1 and
hoping he doesn't roll a single 1 and balls it up. In addition, the same
troll mage earlier in the game had accidentally slotted a psycho killer BTL
chip (thinking it was a datachip), who only survived by having a high
willpower, forcing us to go hand to hand to subdue him (versus a STR of 10!
and +1 reach) and remove the chip.
