[Xenon]

Yes - It is clear that if you have full cover you have to use blind fire or fire with an imaging device and opponents get -6 to hit you etc.


However, just standing behind cover does not give you a bonus
(and you are not harder to hit since in SR5 size of the target area doesn't matter unless it is 100 covered - in which case you get -6 because you have to blind fire).


but consider this: standing behind cover and then use the Take Cover action give you a defensive bonus.
The Take Cover action might very well mean that you "hunker down" behind the cover.
- that to get the positive dice pool bonus you have to do everything you can to cover your most vital areas (like your head and torso)

....while some other parts of your body (like your legs and shoulders) might still stick out depending on the size of whatever you are taking cover behind; giving you full, good or only partial cover bonus.



and if you wish to fire out of the cover while still remaining in cover you use an imaging device or possible even blind fire
...the alternative could be to stick your head out from cover (but that could also mean you are no longer hunkering down behind the cover)

you can also just spend a simple action to take a shot and then the second simple action to duck down behind cover again...

taking cover might also mean that you just kneel behind cover and still have your upper torso and head fully visible (but if that would be the case then you would automatically get that bonus if you passively happen to walk behind a cover that would protect all but your upper torso and head -- but you don't).





Consider this scenario: You are standing behind something that cover your upper torso, head, arms and weapon.
Opponents does not get any negative dice pool modifier
You don't get any positive defense dice pool modifier.
You don't get any negative attack dice pool modifier.

Then you Take Cover. What does that mean...
I think it mean you kneel behind cover and either A) lift your arm and your weapon above the edge so you can still fire back.
Opponents does not get any negative dice pool modifier (because they see your hand and weapon)
You get a positive dice pool modifier of 4 dice because you have good cover and can see your opponent through the live camera feed of your weapon.
You get negative dice pool modifier of 3 dice because you fire with an imaging device.

or B) stay fully hidden
Opponents get a negative dice pool modifier of 6 dice because of blind fire
You don't see your opponent so now you only roll 4 dice as a pool of its own
(can't roll reaction + intuition since if you can't see your attacker you are unaware of the attack)
The only way you can fire back without exposing yourself and giving up your location behind the cover is by shooting through the cover with a -6 dice blind fire modifier.



food for though.

[Dracain]

taking cover might also mean that you just kneel behind cover and still have your upper torso and head fully visible (but if that would be the case then you would automatically get that bonus if you passively happen to walk behind a cover that would protect all but your upper torso and head -- but you don't).

I figured it worked kinda like this, with taking cover getting in a position that obscures/protects most of your body, while still being able to take shots at the enemy. 

[Kincaid]

However, just standing behind cover does not give you a bonus
(and you are not harder to hit since in SR5 size of the target area doesn't matter unless it is 100 covered - in which case you get -6 because you have to blind fire).


but consider this: standing behind cover and then use the Take Cover action give you a defensive bonus.

I share some of your frustrations regarding the vagaries of the system, but I should point out that this isn't accurate.  Inanimate and stationary objects with cover gain the same bonus (p. 188)--no movement is required.  If people start shooting at you when you're already standing behind a short wall, you don't need to take any further action to get the benefits of Partial Cover.  Dropping to one knee and peering over the wall would be a Simple Action that grants Good Cover.

[Xenon]

p.188 say;
Note that even stationary or inanimate targets may have a defense dice pool if they have Partial or Good cover.
A defense dice pool, yes.
A defense dice pool bonus, no.

What the above means is that when you are surprised (caught off guard and don't get to take a defense test), unaware of the attack (because you for example don't see the attacker), behind full (100%) cover (because you can't see the attacker) or if the target is a stationary -or even inanimate object that normally never get a defense test;
- you still roll 2 dice for partial cover or 4 dice for good cover as as dice pool of it's own.

You don't get a positive dice pool modifier of 2 dice for partial cover or 4 dice for good cover unless you also spend action time to Take Cover (which might or might not mean that you hunker down behind cover).


SR5 p.190 Defender/Target has [Partial / Good] Cover
If the Defender uses a Take Cover action to get behind something where more than [twenty-five and up to fifty / fifty] percent of the defender’s body is obscured by intervening
terrain or other forms of cover ...


============================

Note that a target behind cover (even partial cover) will get barrier protection on a tie.

p190 Cover
If you attack someone in cover and you tie in the Opposed Test, you hit your target through the cover she’s using. If you penetrate the barrier (see Barriers, p. 197), you can still do damage to your opponent.


============================


There are 3 options here:
All of them might be correct

1) You always get 2 dice for partial and 4 dice for good if you have enough cover for your body, even if you don't take action.
2) When you take cover you are (or remain) in partial or good cover but can still return fire without losing the cover and without using blind fire or fire from imaging device.
3) When you take cover you "hunker down" behind cover and if you want to remain in cover and still fire you take blind fire or fire from imaging device.

(but p.190 suggest that 1 is false).



Maybe both 2 and 3 can be correct...?
Maybe it work like this: If there is enough intervening terrain or cover to give you 25-50% cover you can use Take Cover action to get +2 dice and still attack from there or hunker down your head and most of your torso behind cover to get +4 dice but -3 dice because you now fire with an imaging device?

[Dracain]

Maybe both 2 and 3 can be correct...?
Maybe it work like this: If there is enough intervening terrain or cover to give you 25-50% cover you can use Take Cover action to get +2 dice and still attack from there or hunker down your head and most of your torso behind cover to get +4 dice but -3 dice because you now fire with an imaging device?

That is an intriguing idea, and while I doubt that is what they meant, it still is quite clever. 

[Kincaid]

p.188 say;
Note that even stationary or inanimate targets may have a defense dice pool if they have Partial or Good cover.
A defense dice pool, yes.
A defense dice pool bonus, no.

What the above means is that when you are surprised (caught off guard and don't get to take a defense test), unaware of the attack (because you for example don't see the attacker), behind full (100%) cover (because you can't see the attacker) or if the target is a stationary -or even inanimate object that normally never get a defense test;
- you still roll 2 dice for partial cover or 4 dice for good cover as as dice pool of it's own.

You don't get a positive dice pool modifier of 2 dice for partial cover or 4 dice for good cover unless you also spend action time to Take Cover (which might or might not mean that you hunker down behind cover).

An inanimate object is incapable of moving, which means it cannot take a Simple Action to Take Cover.  Nevertheless, if it is partially obscured by something, it is considered to have cover (be it Partial or Good).  What happens after that may differ from what happens to a PC with cover, but the important part of the rule is that movement is not required to have cover.  If a PC is standing out in the open, then he obviously needs to spend a Simple Action to gain cover.  It's a simple logic tree.

1. Did the inanimate object move [y/n]-- It's inanimate, so obviously no.
2. Does the inanimate object have cover [y/n]-- Quite possibly, given the rules on page 188.

Now step 3 may or may not be different for a PC vs. an inanimate object in terms of whether or not it's a bonus to defense pool or simply a pool of 2-4 dice, but that's separate from the issue of whether or not you need to move to benefit from cover, since that's established in steps 1-2.

There are 3 options here:
All of them might be correct

1) You always get 2 dice for partial and 4 dice for good if you have enough cover for your body, even if you don't take action.
2) When you take cover you are (or remain) in partial or good cover but can still return fire without losing the cover and without using blind fire or fire from imaging device.
3) When you take cover you "hunker down" behind cover and if you want to remain in cover and still fire you take blind fire or fire from imaging device.

(but p.190 suggest that 1 is false).

I think this is largely going to come down to the GM's call.  I'm loathe to bog down combat more by trying to figure out each character's dominant hand and if they're able to full use the doorframe for cover while firing out of it, so I'll probably just default to firing from Partial Cover is not a problem and firing from Good Cover would be handles on a case-by-case basis.  Firing from an arrow slot or over the back of a pickup won't impair your shot and cover more than 50% of your body, but if you've squeezed yourself into a corner to take cover, then you'll probably have to pop out, fire, and "reset" cover.

[Xenon]

If it would be enough to just move behind cover without spending an action and still get a positive dice pool modifier might or might not be true (but p.190 does seem to phrase it like the modifier [only] applies when you spend a simple action to take cover).

We know you get a positive dice pool modifier of 2 or 4 dice if you spend a simple action to take cover (p. 190). We also know that in situations where you normally don't get to take a defensive test you still get a dice pool of 2 or 4 dice on it's own if you stand behind cover [even if you don't take an action to also take cover] (p.188). We also know that on a tie on the opposed test the attack will hit cover (which it might or might not pierce) before the target (p.190).

Now,  it make sense that the a shot should be harder to pull off of the target is behind cover so you only see part of him or even very little of him. Either as a negative dice pool modifier for the shooter (make most sense) or as a positive dice pool modifier for the defender (easier to not forget or whatever the reason might be).