[Thriceborn]

I am currently DMing a Shadowrun campaign for the first time. Dmed for years with DnD, Pathfinder, Feng Shui. I am using the 2050 setting as a base for story but with most of the guns, items, augmentations of 4th edition. This is because I have the books and I wanted the cool stuff inside of them, but I wanted to run the players through the setting they have seen in the modern games (plus I love cyberdecks).

However, I am having trouble concerning both Rigging and Drones in 2050 + wireless / wired
-   Wired / Wireless: in 2070, everything is done with wireless Matrix, so I have no issues there. But in 2050 setting (mid-decade), how are drones controlled? Via a form of radio transmissions as today’s drones? If so, how far could the signal go, and what might prevent it from working? Wouldn’t standard Corp defenses include scrambling whatever signal that could be to prevent non-corp drones?

-   Controlling drones in Full VR. If the drones is on autopilot it gets 3 initiative passes. When using the Remote Control action which is a complex action for the player, I am assuming the drone only gets that action and no bonus initiative passes either for the player or the drone? How about in VR cold Sim – Still one initiative pass? And finally in VR hot sim, does the Rigger get 3 initiative passes same as a Decker or a drone on autopilot?

[bdyer]

I can't answer the 1st one however #2:

The drone doesnt recieve any initative passes, however the rigger if full vr can issue a command on his initative pass every round for the drone to do something.  He can also do the same thing in ar but he would use his meat initative.

Vr hot sim yes the rigger gets a base 3 initative passes.  There is an augmentation in the main book to pull it to 4 passes and gear in unwired to pull it to 5.

[AwesomenessDog]

However, I am having trouble concerning both Rigging and Drones in 2050 + wireless / wired
-   Wired / Wireless: in 2070, everything is done with wireless Matrix, so I have no issues there. But in 2050 setting (mid-decade), how are drones controlled? Via a form of radio transmissions as today’s drones? If so, how far could the signal go, and what might prevent it from working? Wouldn’t standard Corp defenses include scrambling whatever signal that could be to prevent non-corp drones?

From a scientific standpoint, a radio scrambler probably wouldn't be used because if it was, there would only be frequencies specifically left open for internal use which would not be hard to pick out giving you significantly easier access to their drones, drone control, and any messages being sent over radio in the building (like security guards). That said, should a drone get spotted, emp grenades or pulse jammers are a thing to sever your drones connection; it is also possible that someone else might be on the same frequency and start accidentally piloting your drown with their own signals, that depends on the size of the corp though as far as the threshold of that edge test. For signal, as long as you can draw a path that doesn't require you to go through solid metal walls, your radio should reach; radio already spans across 100s of miles and should be able to go further with future tech. It may not be radio signals they use as well, but probably another light frequency otherwise response would be so low you could never get multiple passes while not in autopilot.