[Quidam]

So i am playing Shadowrun 3 and had quite a few questions come up.

(If this is not where i am supposed to post this, could you please redirect me to the right place, thanks)

1) Skillsofts: can someone buy a huge OCC chip (say 700 Mp) and copy many skillsofts onto it, plug it into a chipjack/datajack, and choose to switch between any of the skillsofts on the huge chip (using a free action of course)
(would like either an official decicion, or a reasonable explanation why this would (or would not) work.)


2) In the Cannon Companion, in the skillsoft options, i was wondering about the Cluster option. Let us say you copy 10 skillsofts onto a chip in a Cluster. Which of the following ways does it work?
a)To use the chip, you HAVE to have ALL the skillsofts in a cluster at the same time, but can only use one at a time. (Cost 200 Mp).
b)You can choose to have a certain number of programs running at once (say 3) and can swap any one soft for any of the other 10 not currently being used (Cost 18 Mp).
c)Something else entirely. (Cost Mp)

The main problem arises with the word "Simultaneous," does it mean the possibility that CAN be used or what IS used at the same time.


More questions to come about the Skillwires

Thank you for your time.

[John Schmidt]

Not the official ruling but it is worth exactly what you are paying for it... 

1) Activesofts require a full skillwire system and can access activesofts from a chipjack, datajack or headware memory. What it sounds like you are trying to do is bypass the skillsoft jukebox. It does work...with a skillsoft jukebox...without I would say no.

2) The skillsofts are in the cluster chip and you can have more than one running from the chip at a time.

Your options would be skillsoft jukebox or cluster chip.

[WitFondle]

My knowledge of skillsofts, according to my memory, and double checked with the books in front of me is as follows:

You have to buy or create a Cluster Chip with enough memory to fit ALL of the Skillsofts that are going to be on it. You also have to ensure that there's enough memory for the Directory Program to be run simultaneously.

If you're using a Chipjack, you can buy and use an Expert Driver to receive a Task Pool usable for any skill in that jack (Skillsoft included).

If you're using a Datajack or Headware Memory and reading Knowsofts (or Linguasofts), you must have a Knowsoft Link.

If you are using Activesofts, you must have a full Skillwire system in you, but they can be read from a Chipjack, Datajack, or Headware Memory.

You can use one or all of the skills contained on the Cluster Chip at the exact same time, but each skill has to be activated (or deactivated) using a Free Action (though you can activate however many you want before a combat situation, which takes a negligible amount of time).

If you're using a Skillsoft Jukebox (usable in a Chipjack or Datajack only), you may have as many Skillsofts loaded as you have slots to fit them, but you can only have one activated at a time. Changing to another is a Free Action which involves a movement or verbal command if slotted into a Chipjack, or a Mental Command if in a Datajack.

Keep in mind that any skill read from a chip doesn't allow dice pools. No Combat Pool, Task Pool, Spell Pool, etc. The only exception is by using an Expert Driver.

I've never seen the abbreviation OCC, so I can't think off the top of my head what it stands for, sorry about that.

[John Schmidt]

OCC stands for Optical Code Chip (SR3 pg. 295)