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