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From:	Paul Gettle RunnerPaul@*****.com
Subject:	The Forgoten Synthlink [was: Disguise?]
Date:	Mon, 22 Mar 1999 10:25:55 -0500

Message no. 1 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

At 02:02 AM 3/22/99 -0500, Starrngr@***.com wrote:
>And most music is more a function of rote memorization and
regurtiation, over
>physical dexterity. Do not forget the creation of Synthlinks which
allow the
>person to perform without any manual dexterity at all.

That's one piece of cyberware that has been seriously underexploited,
the Synthlink. From its descriptions
in early core rulebooks and in Shadowbeat, it is similar to the Direct
Neural Interface, but it can also be set up to be triggered by
specific body motions. Plus, as I understand it, it seems programmable
with some sort of macro language, allowing simple commands from the
user to result in a rich and complex series of control sequences sent
to the controlled synthesizers.

It seems to me that a character with a good set of programming skills
(possibly specializing in cross-platform integration and protocol
translations) could set up a Synthlink to be able to control items
other than synthesizers. One idea that springs to mind is to use it to
issue complex commands drones by programming the synthlink to be able
to issue complex commands to a RC Deck that's in Captains' Chair mode.

Anyone else got some ideas on this?

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--
-- Paul Gettle, #970 of 1000 (RunnerPaul@*****.com)
PGP Fingerprint, Key ID:0x48F3AACD (RSA 1024, created 98/06/26)
C260 94B3 6722 6A25 63F8 0690 9EA2 3344

From:	Scott Peterson lrdmtlyn@**********.com
Subject:	The Forgoten Synthlink [was: Disguise?]
Date:	Mon, 22 Mar 1999 08:55:14 -0700

Message no. 2 > It seems to me that a character with a good set of programming skills
> (possibly specializing in cross-platform integration and protocol
> translations) could set up a Synthlink to be able to control items
> other than synthesizers. One idea that springs to mind is to use it to
> issue complex commands drones by programming the synthlink to be able
> to issue complex commands to a RC Deck that's in Captains' Chair mode.
>
>
Wouldn't this be a cheaper or even a stop gap measure for a running team
who doesn't have a rigger to be able to rig drones and such?

Also doesn't this just duplicate a VCR?

Would have to look up the prices and such but might be a cheaper way to
rig....but depending on the intepretation I would think that if the
runners used this as a means to rig there would have to be some serious
lag in the commands and such and you would not be able to get the full
value of the drones sensors and the like.

This would apply to decking also I think. I always figured it was like a
WIN Amp and whets the name of that computer synthesizer (?) all in your
brain at once. Anyway its basic a way to handle instruments and
such.....

Hang on let me pull out the books...

Ok I noticed the synth link didn't even make it into the 3rd ed
book....In Shadowbeat from what I read(two small paragraphs in the
equipment section and several in the main rule book) it appears to be
just a way to rig a auto synth to facilitate wannabes trying to be
musicians or to add to some of the better performers shows.

Don't think it would work like you and I thought:)

Scott

From:	Paul Gettle RunnerPaul@*****.com
Subject:	The Forgoten Synthlink [was: Disguise?]
Date:	Mon, 22 Mar 1999 21:29:33 -0500

Message no. 3 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

At 08:55 AM 3/22/99 -0700, Scott Peterson wrote:
<<Snip: My stuff about using a synthlink to issue commands to devices
other than music synthesizers, possibly Drone RC decks.>>
>Wouldn't this be a cheaper or even a stop gap measure for a running
team
>who doesn't have a rigger to be able to rig drones and such?

Sort of. Actually, anyone, rigger or not, can operate a RC deck in
what's called "Captains' Chair" mode. For the purely cybernetically
controlled RC decks that became prevalent after 2058, you do need a
datajack to operate them, but that's about it.

Looking at the Drone rules, there doesn't seem to be much
differentiation in how a rigger operates a RC deck and how a
non-rigger would, except that a rigger can "jump into" a single drone
and operate it as if he were directly rigged into it, something not
available to a non-rigger. I suppose that a non-rigger should also be
limited to their base initiative when operating a RC deck (If it's a
manually operated RC deck, with joystick and keyboard, even the highly
wired will need to take time to enter commands, and if it's a datajack
controlled RC deck, wired 'flexes don't make your datajack faster).

>Also doesn't this just duplicate a VCR?

The short answer to this is: absolutely not.

The VCR is a much more complex piece of equipment than a synthlink. It
actually usurps the processing power of the user's hindbrain to fine
tune and regulate the various mechanical systems in a vehicle or
drone. This is why riggers can get such astonishing levels of
performance from their machines.

You were closer with the first statement, that using a synthlink this
way would be a stop-gap measure.

>Would have to look up the prices and such but might be a cheaper way
to
>rig....but depending on the intepretation I would think that if the
>runners used this as a means to rig there would have to be some
serious
>lag in the commands and such and you would not be able to get the
full
>value of the drones sensors and the like.

Actually, since synthlinks are used for live, real-time performance of
complex musical pieces, I don't think that there would be a command
lag, even with having to run the commands through a translation
program so that it's something that the RC deck and drones would
understand.

However, the part about not getting the full value of drone sensors is
basically correct. When someone, rigger or not is operating drones in
"captains' chair" mode, then they may observe (p.105, BBB3) through
any drones controlled by the RC deck, but they may not observe in
detail (p.106, BBB3) like a rigger can when operating a drone in
primary "jumped in" mode. In other words, they can only see what's
immediately obvious, but miss anything that requires a perception test
to see.

<<Snip>>
>Hang on let me pull out the books...
>
>Ok I noticed the synth link didn't even make it into the 3rd ed
>book....

Hence the title of this thread. :)

>In Shadowbeat from what I read(two small paragraphs in the
>equipment section and several in the main rule book) it appears to be
>just a way to rig a auto synth to facilitate wannabes trying to be
>musicians or to add to some of the better performers shows.

Not quite. The autosynth is not required to use a synthlink. It is
just an alternate form of synthesizer master controller, one that can
substitute for a live musician. Synthesizers in SR can take input from
one of three places: a synth-controller that is basically an input
device modeled in the form of an instrument, a synthlink, or if you
don't have a musician, or your synth player calls in sick, then you
can use an autosynth.

Going back to the books, there is a piece of cyberware that already
does most of what I'd suggested using the synthlink for: the Cranial
Remote Control Deck (.3 essence), which I assume is like the other RC
decks in that both riggers and non-riggers can use it. It is set up to
take simple commands via direct neural interface, and output complex
control sequences to a network of drones via a relatively low power
radio signal.

In fact the only thing that the synthlink does that the Cranial RC
Deck doesn't do is to allow body motions to trigger command sequences.
This could very well be why the synthlink costs .2 more essence than
the Cranial RC.

The question becomes then, how do we model this added trick in game
terms, while making sure that one of these synthlinked pseudo-riggers
is still less powerful than a real rigger. Perhaps letting the
pseudo-rigger define about a dozen or so pre-defined commands that
they can trigger during the course of normal combat by spending a
complex action. If the synthlinked pseudo-rigger wanted to issue
commands that weren't on the pre-defined list, I'd make them use the
regular rules for non-riggers using Remote Control.

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--
-- Paul Gettle, #970 of 1000 (RunnerPaul@*****.com)
PGP Fingerprint, Key ID:0x48F3AACD (RSA 1024, created 98/06/26)
C260 94B3 6722 6A25 63F8 0690 9EA2 3344

From:	Scott Peterson lrdmtlyn@**********.com
Subject:	The Forgoten Synthlink [was: Disguise?]
Date:	Mon, 22 Mar 1999 19:56:39 -0700

Message no. 4 > >Also doesn't this just duplicate a VCR?
>
> The short answer to this is: absolutely not.
>
> The VCR is a much more complex piece of equipment than a synthlink. It
> actually usurps the processing power of the user's hindbrain to fine
> tune and regulate the various mechanical systems in a vehicle or
> drone. This is why riggers can get such astonishing levels of
> performance from their machines.

There are the makers and the tweakers...were tweaking now:)

So you would agree that anyone using a synthlink to rig would have
degraded performance?

>but depending on the intepretation I would think that if the
> >runners used this as a means to rig there would have to be some
> serious
>lag in the commands and such and you would not be able to get the
> full
> >value of the drones sensors and the like.
>
> Actually, since synthlinks are used for live, real-time performance of
> complex musical pieces, I don't think that there would be a command
> lag, even with having to run the commands through a translation
> program so that it's something that the RC deck and drones would
> understand.

Yes but drone are far from keyboards and the like:)

> Going back to the books, there is a piece of cyberware that already
> does most of what I'd suggested using the synthlink for: the Cranial
> Remote Control Deck (.3 essence), which I assume is like the other RC
> decks in that both riggers and non-riggers can use it. It is set up to
> take simple commands via direct neural interface, and output complex
> control sequences to a network of drones via a relatively low power
> radio signal.

Never did like the flux ratting on it but then that's why they added the
cyber arm enhancement...forget the name of it:)

> In fact the only thing that the synthlink does that the Cranial RC
> Deck doesn't do is to allow body motions to trigger command sequences.
> This could very well be why the synthlink costs .2 more essence than
> the Cranial RC.

This could be nasty to someone who had both a VCR and and Synthlink:)
But then again to be able to link data to moves and to be able to
distinguish between individual muscle twitches and or the fact that the
singer had damn well better have his moves down to a fine tune or his
performance will suck:) makes for a new dimension in interpretation.

> The question becomes then, how do we model this added trick in game
> terms, while making sure that one of these synthlinked pseudo-riggers
> is still less powerful than a real rigger. Perhaps letting the
> pseudo-rigger define about a dozen or so pre-defined commands that
> they can trigger during the course of normal combat by spending a
> complex action. If the synthlinked pseudo-rigger wanted to issue
> commands that weren't on the pre-defined list, I'd make them use the
> regular rules for non-riggers using Remote Control.

I still don't see how the pseudo-rigger could get away with it...fact is
with a sythlink he has not the fine tune capabilities of a VCR and thus
the drones or whatever might be severely handicapped in preformance...a
thought I had was that they might be able to act as riggers yet suffer
an additional across to board negative modifier as to the level of the
synth and so on.

Scott

From:	Paul Gettle RunnerPaul@*****.com
Subject:	The Forgoten Synthlink [was: Disguise?]
Date:	Mon, 22 Mar 1999 22:38:07 -0500

Message no. 5 --=====================_8895335==_.ALT
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

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At 07:56 PM 3/22/99 -0700, Scott Peterson wrote:
>So you would agree that anyone using a synthlink to rig would have
>degraded performance?

Real riggers running drones on remote have full access to a control
pool and combat pool, get bonuses to their reaction and initiative,
get special bonuses on nearly every vehicle action test, and may make
perception tests through the drones sensors (all the above is at least
when they're "jumped into" their primary drone).

All that non-riggers can do, no matter what piece of hardware they use
as their input device, is issue generalized, one sentence commands to
a drone; it's up to the drone's autopilot to do the actual flying,
shooting, or whatever. No special bonuses what so ever. Sure sounds
like degraded performance to me.

>> Actually, since synthlinks are used for live, real-time performance
of
>> complex musical pieces, I don't think that there would be a command
>> lag, even with having to run the commands through a translation
>> program so that it's something that the RC deck and drones would
>> understand.
>
>Yes but drone are far from keyboards and the like:)

You seem to be under the impression that I'm proposing that the
non-rigger actually control the drone directly by using the synthlink.
That's not the case. I'm suggesting using a modified synthlink to
issue commands to a drone's autopilot (this is the same limit that's
put on non-riggers who use remote control decks, and I'm not
suggesting that be changed). Since the commands that can be issued to
a drone's autopilot are usually one sentence in length, I figured that
the same synthlink that can drive a 32 voice synthesizer to play music
would be able to be modified to issue autopilot commands of that "one
sentence" level of complexity.

>I still don't see how the pseudo-rigger could get away with it...fact
is
>with a sythlink he has not the fine tune capabilities of a VCR and
thus
>the drones or whatever might be severely handicapped in
preformance...a
>thought I had was that they might be able to act as riggers yet
suffer
>an additional across to board negative modifier as to the level of
the
>synth and so on.

I'm not saying that the synthlink could substitute for a vehicle
control rig. It couldn't. It wouldn't be possible to operate a drone
in primary mode through a synthlink. However drones have autopilots,
and are capable of operating on their own, following commands given to
them over remote. Normally, non-riggers can issue these one sentence
commands using a remote control deck, either a manual one or a
cyberneticly controlled one. I'm just looking for an alternate method
(i.e. the synthlink interprets snapping of ones fingers into the
command "Open fire on pre-designated target").

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--
-- Paul Gettle, #970 of 1000 (RunnerPaul@*****.com)
PGP Fingerprint, Key ID:0x48F3AACD (RSA 1024, created 98/06/26)
C260 94B3 6722 6A25 63F8 0690 9EA2 3344

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<html>
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At 07:56 PM 3/22/99 -0700, Scott Peterson wrote: 
>So you would agree that anyone using a synthlink to rig would
have 
>degraded performance? 
 
Real riggers running drones on remote have full access to a control 
pool and combat pool, get bonuses to their reaction and initiative, 
get special bonuses on nearly every vehicle action test, and may
make 
perception tests through the drones sensors (all the above is at
least 
when they're "jumped into" their primary drone). 
 
All that non-riggers can do, no matter what piece of hardware they
use 
as their input device, is issue generalized, one sentence commands
to 
a drone; it's up to the drone's autopilot to do the actual flying, 
shooting, or whatever. No special bonuses what so ever. Sure sounds 
like degraded performance to me. 
 
 
>> Actually, since synthlinks are used for live, real-time
performance 
of 
>> complex musical pieces, I don't think that there would be a
command 
>> lag, even with having to run the commands through a
translation 
>> program so that it's something that the RC deck and drones
would 
>> understand. 
> 
>Yes but drone are far from keyboards and the like:) 
 
You seem to be under the impression that I'm proposing that the 
non-rigger actually control the drone directly by using the
synthlink. 
That's not the case. I'm suggesting using a modified synthlink to 
issue commands to a drone's autopilot (this is the same limit
that's 
put on non-riggers who use remote control decks, and I'm not 
suggesting that be changed). Since the commands that can be issued
to 
a drone's autopilot are usually one sentence in length, I figured
that 
the same synthlink that can drive a 32 voice synthesizer to play
music 
would be able to be modified to issue autopilot commands of that
"one 
sentence" level of complexity. 
 
 
>I still don't see how the pseudo-rigger could get away with
it...fact 
is 
>with a sythlink he has not the fine tune capabilities of a VCR
and 
thus 
>the drones or whatever might be severely handicapped in 
preformance...a 
>thought I had was that they might be able to act as riggers yet 
suffer 
>an additional across to board negative modifier as to the level
of 
the 
>synth and so on. 
 
I'm not saying that the synthlink could substitute for a vehicle 
control rig. It couldn't. It wouldn't be possible to operate a
drone 
in primary mode through a synthlink. However drones have
autopilots, 
and are capable of operating on their own, following commands given
to 
them over remote. Normally, non-riggers can issue these one
sentence 
commands using a remote control deck, either a manual one or a 
cyberneticly controlled one. I'm just looking for an alternate
method 
(i.e. the synthlink interprets snapping of ones fingers into the 
command "Open fire on pre-designated target"). 
 
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<div>-- </div>
<div>     -- Paul Gettle, #970 of 1000
(RunnerPaul@*****.com)</div>
<div>PGP Fingerprint, Key ID:0x48F3AACD (RSA 1024, created
98/06/26)</div>
<div>C260 94B3 6722 6A25  63F8 0690 9EA2 3344</div>
</html>

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From:	Mongoose m0ng005e@*********.com
Subject:	The Forgoten Synthlink [was: Disguise?]
Date:	Mon, 22 Mar 1999 16:13:51 -0600

Message no. 6 :It seems to me that a character with a good set of programming skills
:(possibly specializing in cross-platform integration and protocol
:translations) could set up a Synthlink to be able to control items
:other than synthesizers.

:Anyone else got some ideas on this?

Why not get just a normal datajack, and a datajack adapted
synthesizer? I don't think there is any need for the synthlink (which is
described as a specialized datajack), and what you are suggesting can be
done with a datajack.

Mongoose

From:	Paul Gettle RunnerPaul@*****.com
Subject:	The Forgoten Synthlink [was: Disguise?]
Date:	Tue, 23 Mar 1999 00:07:02 -0500

Message no. 7 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

At 04:13 PM 3/22/99 -0600, Mongoose wrote:
> Why not get just a normal datajack, and a datajack adapted
>synthesizer? I don't think there is any need for the synthlink
(which is
>described as a specialized datajack), and what you are suggesting can
be
>done with a datajack.

It's described as a little bit more than a specialized datajack in
Shadowbeat, and while the BBB2 postdates Shadowbeat's publication, the
Sourcebook Updates appendix specifically says that SRII did not
invalidate any of the information in Shadowbeat, plus, it seems quite
apparent that the description of the Synthlink in the BBB2 was just
cut&pasted from the BBB1, without any consideration to the expanded
and different definition in Shadowbeat.

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--
-- Paul Gettle, #970 of 1000 (RunnerPaul@*****.com)
PGP Fingerprint, Key ID:0x48F3AACD (RSA 1024, created 98/06/26)
C260 94B3 6722 6A25 63F8 0690 9EA2 3344

From:	Scott Peterson lrdmtlyn@**********.com
Subject:	The Forgoten Synthlink [was: Disguise?]
Date:	Tue, 23 Mar 1999 16:07:13 -0700

Message no. 8 > You seem to be under the impression that I'm proposing that the
> non-rigger actually control the drone directly by using the synthlink.
> That's not the case. I'm suggesting using a modified synthlink to
> issue commands to a drone's autopilot (this is the same limit that's
> put on non-riggers who use remote control decks, and I'm not
> suggesting that be changed). Since the commands that can be issued to
> a drone's autopilot are usually one sentence in length, I figured that
> the same synthlink that can drive a 32 voice synthesizer to play music
> would be able to be modified to issue autopilot commands of that "one
> sentence" level of complexity.

So if we presume that they can issue the commands (1 liners) then that
could tweak the synthlink into a little more prominance...like a
dogbrained drone or system.

However drones have autopilots,
> and are capable of operating on their own, following commands given to
> them over remote. Normally, non-riggers can issue these one sentence
> commands using a remote control deck, either a manual one or a
> cyberneticly controlled one. I'm just looking for an alternate method
> (i.e. the synthlink interprets snapping of ones fingers into the
> command "Open fire on pre-designated target").

So it is a cheaper stop gap measure....I think all it would take is come
costly parts and lost of build repair time to set it up but man the
commands would have to be pretty dam precise to trigger weapon system
with out an accidental discharge. And then there's a matter of
targeting, how would the dogbrained drone know what to target?

Scott

From:	Paul Gettle RunnerPaul@*****.com
Subject:	The Forgoten Synthlink [was: Disguise?]
Date:	Tue, 23 Mar 1999 22:08:10 -0500

Message no. 9 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

At 04:07 PM 3/23/99 -0700, Scott Peterson wrote:
>So it is a cheaper stop gap measure....I think all it would take is
>come
>costly parts and lost of build repair time to set it up but man the
>commands would have to be pretty dam precise to trigger weapon system
>with out an accidental discharge.

That's one reason that I wanted to limit the number of commands that a
synthlinked pseudo rigger could issue via gestures. Even though a
synthlink can interpret a wide range of body motions into output, for
the interests of safety and to keep from triggering the wrong signal
by accident, I figure the trigger movements would have to be distinct
and unmistakable, and not something likely to be done by accident
(Stuff like pinching one's earlobe between one's fingers and tugging
sharply three times in a row).

I figure this would limit the list of predefined commands that can be
issued this way to maybe a dozen at the most. For any commands that
aren't on the predefined list, they would have to be issued by more
conventional means (as per the R2/SR3 drone remote control rules).

>And then there's a matter of
>targeting, how would the dogbrained drone know what to target?

As for targeting, drones under the R2/SR3 drone rules are pretty
smart, the controller just issues a command to the drone telling it
what to target. :) The drone then uses its Pilot rating as dice for
the gunnery test. Plus, since drones with a Sensor rating of 1 come
with signature/pattern recognition software, it should be fairly easy
to show the drone what the runners on the team look like, and then
tell it to consider any other warm body to be a potential target.

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--
-- Paul Gettle, #970 of 1000 (RunnerPaul@*****.com)
PGP Fingerprint, Key ID:0x48F3AACD (RSA 1024, created 98/06/26)
C260 94B3 6722 6A25 63F8 0690 9EA2 3344

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