EXAMPLE:
MadMonkey the rigger has three MCT-Nissan Roto-Drones (p.466), called Alfa, Bravo, and Charlie. He starts combat already jumped into Alfa. Bravo and Charlie already have standing instructions to follow him and shoot at whatever target he shoots at.
MadMonkey’s Matrix Initiative is 11 (Data Processing 6 + Intuition 5). He rolls 4D6 initiative dice (hot simsense) and gets 14, so his Initiative Score this turn is 25. His drones substitute their Pilot rating for both Data Processing and Intuition, so their Matrix Initiative is 6 (Pilot 3 + Pilot 3). They each roll 4D6 initiative dice (see “Drone Initiative,” p.270) and all get the same result, 16 (amazing coincidence!), so their Initiative Score is 22. (Alfa rolls initiative same as the others, but takes no actions while MadMonkey is jumped in. When Monkey jumps to another drone, Alfa’s pilot program resumes control on its next action.)
Drivers must spend at least one Complex Action every Combat Turn driving their vehicle or it becomes uncontrolled (see “Actions,” p.202). It doesn’t have to be on the first initiative pass, but MadMonkey decides to get it out of the way. He rolls Pilot Aircraft 4 + Reaction 4 + Control Rig 2 = 10 dice, and gets 3 hits (well within the drone’s Handling of 4 + Control Rig 2 = limit 6). Bravo and Charlie roll their Maneuvering Autosoft 3 + Pilot Rating 3 = 6 dice, and get 4 hits and 1 hit. The GM looks at the Vehicle Test Threshold Table (p.199) and Terrain Modifiers Table (p.201), and decides that 1 hit is enough for now.
On the second initiative pass, MadMonkey has his target in view (an armored troll security guard) and opens fire with the FN-HAR assault rifle mounted on his rotodrone. He chooses a Long Burst, firing 6 rounds, giving the troll –5 to its defense test (see “Firing Mode Table,” p.180); Recoil Compensation from the FN-HAR (p.428) and the drone’s Body rating (see “Vehicle and Drone Mounted Weapons,” p.176) cancels out the recoil from the Long Burst. He rolls Gunnery 6 + Logic 4 + Control Rig 2 = 12 dice and gets 4 hits (less that the weapon’s accuracy). The troll’s defense test is Reaction 3 + Intuition 3 – Long Burst 5 = 1 die, no hits. The troll has to resist 10P + 4 net hits = 14P damage (–2 AP). The troll’s damage resistance test is Body 7 + Full Body Armor w/ Helmet 18 + Armor Penetration (–2) + troll natural armor 1 = 24 dice, for 9 hits. He takes 5 boxes of damage.
Alfa takes no action while MadMonkey is jumped in, but Bravo and Charlie follow his lead, firing long bursts, rolling their Targeting Autosoft 3 + Pilot Rating 3 [Accuracy 5] vs. the troll’s defense pool of zero (after factoring the penalty for “Defender Has Defended Against Previous Attacks,” p.189). Bravo gets 2 hits; Charlie gets 3 hits. Troll now has an additional 12P and 13P damage (–2 AP) to reduce. He gets 10 and 8 hits, taking 2 and 5 more boxes (12 boxes total), and he tumbles bleeding to the deck with a full physical damage track.
On the third and final initiative pass, MadMonkey jumps out of Alfa into VR with his first Simple Action (see “Taking the Jump,” p.266). With his second Simple Action, he orders Alfa, Bravo, and Charlie to continue attacking, firing Semi-Auto (because of cumulative recoil) at targets with the same armor pattern as the troll (see “Group Command and Jumping Around, p.267). The GM decides to roll Pilot Rating x2 = 6 dice for each drone to make sure they understand the complicated instruction, getting 3, 2, and zero hits (see “Pilot Programs,” p.269). Alfa and Bravo understand, but Charlie is confused, so it hovers and does nothing. Alfa gets to act this pass because MadMonkey has already jumped out by the time its turn comes up in the initiative order. Alpha and Bravo choose random targets among the armored security forces and fire single shots, rolling Targeting Autosoft 3 + Pilot Rating 3 + recoil (–1) vs. Reaction 3 + Intuition 3, getting zero and 2 net hits. One security guard has to soak 12P/–2 damage.