Message no. 1

From:	shadowrn@*********.com (Stuart Biggs)
Subject:	Vision rule clarification, bruno style
Date:	Sun Mar 11 10:30:05 2001

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I have a problem with the vision rules, so I write this to clarify them

Thermographic vision is a two part system.

1: receptors that fluoresce/register an image using InfraRed wavelength light.

2: a colour coded intensity scale to detail heat sources.

yeah I hear you say, what does this mean? don't all the rules cover that?

NO. the rules mistakenly use ONLY the second part of the system. High levels of IR sources
(eg in a jungle) is equivalent to BRIGHT LIGHT! it is as if the plants are all lightbulbs.
couple this with flare compensation and vision in a jungle using Thermo is crystal clear.
The colour coded heat system is in relation to ambient temperature, so in said-same jungle
it would mean that you would be walking around in monochrome, which you had bloody well be
able to change the settings on. What this gives in effect, is a combination of the vision
in Robocop when he switches to thermo or a brainscan image showing activity levels, and
the infra red images that we have all seen on tv from either cop helicopters or missile
guidance systems in the gulf war. This means that a character with thermographic vision
can see perfectly well in the dark (appropriate vision modifiers) using their own body
heat as a lantern. If you couple Thermographic vision with Infra Red spectrum eyelights,
you can see perfectly well in nearly every condition. rain makes no difference. Thermal
smoke is about the only thing that will obscure vision.

Low light vision: this is accomplished in 1 of two ways, the first is to increase the
amount of light entering the eye, this is normally accomplished by using a lot of mirrors
and reflective material to increase the ambient light level.

the second is to use a compound more sensitive to light than the natural receptors. Today
that is accomplished by a fluorescent coating on a transparent layer between the eye and
the object being viewed.

The coating fluoresces when hit by low levels of light and the human eye can see the
fluorescent pattern on the Transparent layer and use that. This means it is an INDIRECT
viewing method, unless used as a cybereye and the receptors are sensitive to low levels of
light and transmit image impulses to the brain.

UltraSound vision:

this maps the topography of the veiwed area, the emittor is in one eye the reciever in the
other. People with High frequency hearing can hear the coded pulse.

This map is then overlaid onto the existing vision, giving things a visible 'texture' you
can tell the difference between a cotton jumper and a leather coat at a distance (even if
you couldn't normally).

Ultrasound vision is an INDIRECT viewing method, you are actually looking at a projected
map, not the object itself. It is like using a trideo camera and linking it via datajack
to an Image link. You are viewing piped data (in the case of ultrasound vision it is
through the processor that converts the coded pulse echoes to the topographical map that
is fed through optical receptors to generate the image) so you cannot use USV to target
objects with spells. However it does give you the general location of the object, and if
you can view the target 'area' through a direct means an elemental manipulation spell can
be used. for example,[i] Mage A casts Improved invisibility on himself. Mage B using USV
looks at him. The mage is invisible to normal sight/thermographic/lowlight, but the spell
description states only vision is affected. so mage A appears on the topographical map.
Mage B can't target Mage A with combat spells as this requires line of sight, however Mage
B casts Lightning bolt at a point just behind Mage A's topographical image. Mage A is in
between the target of the spell and the oncoming lightning bolt, so Mage A cops the full
force of Mr. High Voltage.

USV and illusion spells are a little confusing, until you read the spell descriptions.
Unless the spell actually creates something tangible for the US wave to bounce off or it
creates ultrasound interference, then it won't affect USV.

Spells that affect USV are: Chaos and chaotic world, physical mask, vehicle mask, silence,
stealth, Physical barrier, Thunderbolt(treat as flash if looking at target), Thunderclap
(treat as flash if looking at area of effect or within AOE), reinforce makes the surface
of the targeted object harder = cleaner/crisper image. the spell Wind and other
sources of high volume high flow air will act as mist/fog does to normal vision if the air
is flowing between viewer and target or towards the viewer. The speed at which the air is
moving must significant.(think of shouting into the wind).

Image magnification systems are _nearly_ cut and dried, but it doesn't give clear rules
for magnification power, or usefulness in visual perception tests. I use the rating of the
system as a TN modifier for perception tests, and use the sensor rules in the rigger books
to determine magnification power using the rating of the optical magnification as the
sensor rating. That is to say rating X 50 if actively viewing, and recorded images up to
rating X 20 if the image was recorded through the eyes (but not initially magnified unless
using optical magnification systems). This accounts for a couple of things, namely the
higher essence cost of optical enhancement and the improved picture quality associated
with same, and the limits of enhancing a digitally recorded picture twice with digital
equipment.

laser systems come in various frequencies, from infra red to ultraviolet, so Eye laser
systems would be available in the same ranges. UV lasers are Hi energy lasers, at every
power level. Tool lasers are probably UV lasers, to enhance their limited cutting ability.


Optiscan links are probably IR or redlight, because if they were bluelight or UV the
bandwidth would be large enough to deck/rig through them.

Laser designators are usually IR but could be redlight if you don't like the idea of an
invisible foe raining long range death upon you.

Laser mikes are probably UV or IR so that they are invisible. there will nearly always be
an echo if used against a windowpane due to both sides of the glass reflecting a little of
the light.

If the frequency ranges of the functions you wish to install are incompatible (IR and UV
for instance) then obviously you can't get the combination.

No part of this may be duplicated in any way without consent from the author. Violators
will be hunted down and exterminated like the vermin they are.

Stuart Biggs ©2001


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<P>I have a problem with the vision rules, so I write this to clarify them</P>
<P>Thermographic vision is a two part system.</P>
<P>1: receptors that fluoresce/register an image using InfraRed wavelength
light.</P>
<P>2: a colour coded intensity scale to detail heat sources.</P>
<P>yeah I hear you say, what does this mean? don't all the rules cover
that?</P>
<P>NO. the rules mistakenly use ONLY the second part of the system. High levels
of IR sources (eg in a jungle) is equivalent to BRIGHT LIGHT! it is as if the
plants are all lightbulbs. couple this with flare compensation and vision in a
jungle using Thermo is crystal clear. The colour coded heat system is in
relation to ambient temperature, so in said-same jungle it would mean that you
would be walking around in monochrome, which you had bloody well be able to
change the settings on. What this gives in effect, is a combination of the
vision in Robocop when he switches to thermo or a brainscan image showing
activity levels, and the infra red images that we have all seen on tv from
either cop helicopters or missile guidance systems in the gulf war. This means
that a character with thermographic vision can see perfectly well in the dark
(appropriate vision modifiers) using their own body heat as a lantern. If you
couple Thermographic vision with Infra Red spectrum eyelights, you can see
perfectly well in nearly every condition. rain makes no difference. Thermal
smoke is about the only thing that will obscure vision.</P>
<P>Low light vision: this is accomplished in 1 of two ways, the first is to
increase the amount of light entering the eye, this is normally accomplished by
using a lot of mirrors and reflective material to increase the ambient light
level.</P>
<P>the second is to use a compound more sensitive to light than the natural
receptors. Today that is accomplished by a fluorescent coating on a transparent
layer between the eye and the object being viewed.</P>
<P>The coating fluoresces when hit by low levels of light and the human eye can
see the fluorescent pattern on the Transparent layer and use that. This means it
is an INDIRECT viewing method, unless used as a cybereye and the receptors are
sensitive to low levels of light and transmit image impulses to the brain.</P>
<P>UltraSound vision:</P>
<P>this maps the topography of the veiwed area, the emittor is in one eye the
reciever in the other. People with High frequency hearing can hear the coded
pulse.</P>
<P>This map is then overlaid onto the existing vision, giving things a visible
'texture' you can tell the difference between a cotton jumper and a leather coat
at a distance (even if you couldn't normally).</P>
<P>Ultrasound vision is an INDIRECT viewing method, you are actually looking at
a projected map, not the object itself. It is like using a trideo camera and
linking it via datajack to an Image link. You are viewing piped data (in the
case of ultrasound vision it is through the processor that converts the coded
pulse echoes to the topographical map that is fed through optical receptors to
generate the image) so you cannot use USV to target objects with spells. However
it does give you the general location of the object, and if you can view the
target 'area' through a direct means an elemental manipulation spell can be
used. for example,[i] Mage A casts Improved invisibility on himself. Mage B
using USV looks at him. The mage is invisible to normal
sight/thermographic/lowlight, but the spell description states only vision is
affected. so mage A appears on the topographical map. Mage B can't target Mage A
with combat spells as this requires line of sight, however Mage B casts
Lightning bolt at a point just behind Mage A's topographical image. Mage A is in
between the target of the spell and the oncoming lightning bolt, so Mage A cops
the full force of Mr. High Voltage.</P>
<P>USV and illusion spells are a little confusing, until you read the spell
descriptions. Unless the spell actually creates something tangible for the US
wave to bounce off or it creates ultrasound interference, then it won't affect
USV.</P>
<P>Spells that affect USV are: Chaos and chaotic world, physical mask, vehicle
mask, silence, stealth, Physical barrier, Thunderbolt(treat as flash if looking
at target), Thunderclap (treat as flash if looking at area of effect or within
AOE), reinforce makes the surface of the targeted object harder =
cleaner/crisper image. the spell Wind and other sources of high volume high flow
air will act as mist/fog does to normal vision if the air is flowing between
viewer and target or towards the viewer. The speed at which the air is moving
must significant.(think of shouting into the wind).</P>
<P>Image magnification systems are _nearly_ cut and dried, but it doesn't give
clear rules for magnification power, or usefulness in visual perception tests. I
use the rating of the system as a TN modifier for perception tests, and use the
sensor rules in the rigger books to determine magnification power using the
rating of the optical magnification as the sensor rating. That is to say rating
X 50 if actively viewing, and recorded images up to rating X 20 if the image was
recorded through the eyes (but not initially magnified unless using optical
magnification systems). This accounts for a couple of things, namely the higher
essence cost of optical enhancement and the improved picture quality associated
with same, and the limits of enhancing a digitally recorded picture twice with
digital equipment.</P>
<P>laser systems come in various frequencies, from infra red to ultraviolet, so
Eye laser systems would be available in the same ranges. UV lasers are Hi energy
lasers, at every power level. Tool lasers are probably UV lasers, to enhance
their limited cutting ability. </P>
<P>Optiscan links are probably IR or redlight, because if they were bluelight or
UV the bandwidth would be large enough to deck/rig through them.</P>
<P>Laser designators are usually IR but could be redlight if you don't like the
idea of an invisible foe raining long range death upon you.</P>
<P>Laser mikes are probably UV or IR so that they are invisible. there will
nearly always be an echo if used against a windowpane due to both sides of the
glass reflecting a little of the light.</P>
<P>If the frequency ranges of the functions you wish to install are incompatible
(IR and UV for instance) then obviously you can't get the combination.</P>
<P>No part of this may be duplicated in any way without consent from the author.
Violators will be hunted down and exterminated like the vermin they are.</P>
<P>Stuart Biggs ©2001
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