[Joush]

Can an implanted comlink be equipped with a sim module or do you need to get the implant version? Can an implanted comlink be equipped with a skinlink to interface with other skinlink equipment?

Dose Direct Neural Interfacing control of a comlink allow you to silently make and receive calls? Can you see images and hear sounds without audio or visual devices if you have a DNI able to feed information directly into your brain ala simsense?

What exactly dose DNI do? The information on know-softs says that a sim module and a datajack are considered a DNI and the information on cybernetics says that implants are controlled that way.

[The Doomed One]

Can an implanted comlink be equipped with a sim module or do you need to get the implant version? Can an implanted comlink be equipped with a skinlink to interface with other skinlink equipment?

Dose Direct Neural Interfacing control of a comlink allow you to silently make and receive calls? Can you see images and hear sounds without audio or visual devices if you have a DNI able to feed information directly into your brain ala simsense?

What exactly dose DNI do? The information on know-softs says that a sim module and a datajack are considered a DNI and the information on cybernetics says that implants are controlled that way.

In order:
Don't know.
Don't know.
Yes.
Yes.
It lets you control the device with your mind so as to not need another manual way to control it, or at least that is my understanding of it.
Hopefully that helps.

[rasmusnicolaj]

I think you need an implanted simrig besides the commlink. Otherwise it would have been mentioned in the rules (I know not a perfect argument but commlinks and simrigs are not exactly the same).
I think the implant part make it possible for the commlink to interact with skinlinked gear as the commlink effectively are part of your brain.

On the other accounts I agree with the Doomed One. I recall some fiction (maybe fanfiction from this forum) about a multitasking women that fence at the same time she talks on the phone.

Rasmus

[Valashar]

A simrig is not a comlink accessory. It is a separate device that does not need to be an implanted version if you have an implanted comlink. You don't even need a comlink at all to use a simrig.

Yes, if you equip an implanted comlink with a skinlink, then it can connect thusly with other skinlink modified gear you have.

Yes, if you have DNI then sound, images, etc. are sent directly to the sensory centers of your brain without passing through the various sense organs (eyes, ears, etc.).

DNI just means that a particular device is either directly wired into your central nervous system (most cyberware, implanted comlinks) or that you can control it via mental impulses via a device that can read your neural signals (trode net, sim module). It basically means faster control (some simple actions become free actions as shown in the main book) as well as completely silent and/or private control as there are no physical controls used.

[Sengir]

Can an implanted comlink be equipped with a sim module or do you need to get the implant version?

While not explicitly spelled out in RAW I'd say the latter, otherwise it gets too easy

 Can an implanted comlink be equipped with a skinlink to interface with other skinlink equipment?

Can't think of a reason why not

What exactly dose DNI do?

Generally, on any device with DNI you can perform the Change Linked Device Mode action as a Free Action, i.e. toggling the wifi on your cyberware on/off, or extending a spur.

A Sim Module requires DNI to transmit the simsense data into the brain, without an interface to the brain it obviously can't do much. If you have both a Sim Module and DNI, you can indeed get all the stuff from your commlink beamed directly into your brain, and your thoughts get translated into commands to the 'link.

[tzizimine]

Important note: a sim module module allows you to experience simsense, hot or cold as appropriate. A simrig allows you to record simsense for others to experience. As for implanting, I don't see a problem with using the sim module in the commlink, I do house rule that to get the benefit of AR, you do need something with image link to correctly overlay the info with what you are naturally seeing.

[Sengir]

As for implanting, I don't see a problem with using the sim module in the commlink

The implanted Sim Module would become completely superfluous if you could just get the plugin for nearly free.

I do house rule that to get the benefit of AR, you do need something with image link to correctly overlay the info with what you are naturally seeing.

House rules are every group's domain, but I fail to see the point. A Sim Module + DNI can beam images, sounds, and even emotions straight into the brain, why require an implanted display on top of that?

[tzizimine]

Concerning the DNI with Image Link, I always envisioned the Image Link needed for AR, as opposed to VR, to coordinate your vision, as the input method of DNI would be a full-brain override.

[Joush]

Other then the description for knowsofts and brief mentions in the description of sim modules, where are these covered in the books anyway?

You don't need an implant for an image-link, it's an option on glasses, goggles and contacts, but over all you can see where there are a lot of questions here that the books don't seem to clearly cover.

[tzizimine]

The hacker in the group I gm for has DNI to control is dummy commlinks has Image link via contact lens. Its no hard to pull off, so it's really not an issue. Although it does bring up the question, how many times have you seen/played a situation here someone's glasses or goggles with smartlink were pulled off as part of an enemy tactic?

[CanRay]

Makes the spell "Magic Fingers" a lot more useful.

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

Can an implanted comlink be equipped with a sim module or do you need to get the implant version? Can an implanted comlink be equipped with a skinlink to interface with other skinlink equipment?

Dose Direct Neural Interfacing control of a comlink allow you to silently make and receive calls? Can you see images and hear sounds without audio or visual devices if you have a DNI able to feed information directly into your brain ala simsense?

What exactly dose DNI do? The information on know-softs says that a sim module and a datajack are considered a DNI and the information on cybernetics says that implants are controlled that way.

I would actually not require either a) skinlink or b) direct neural interfacing for an implanted comlink.  Skinlink runs the signals through your bioelectric field, right?  If it's implanted and taking up essence, the commlink is already connected to your bioelectric field.  Skinlink, in short, is for those gizmos that you do not have implanted, but that you don't want make susceptible to hacking.

As for DNI -- if you have a datajack, well, there you are; if you have an implanted commlink, you probably have a datajack.  I would presume that the datajack was automatically connected to the implanted commlink.  If not, then what are you doing?

I would, however, require each 'link necessary for the person to perceive in that sense 'spectrum' while in AR.  They can, of course, drop immediately into VR if they have the sim module up and running, and get the feed that way -- but I wouldn't allow an AR feed to be dumped directly into the brain without serious penalties.  The various sense links are there so that the character's sensorium doesn't get overloaded.

[Sengir]

Concerning the DNI with Image Link, I always envisioned the Image Link needed for AR, as opposed to VR, to coordinate your vision, as the input method of DNI would be a full-brain override.

SR4A, page 219f:
The easiest way to get your AR fix is through simsense. You need a direct neural interface—either via installed implanted commlink, implanted sim module, a datajack, or a trode net—along with a sim module for your commlink to interpret the signals and feed you the data.

IF DNI always needed the full override, street sams had a serious problem...falling unconscious every time you extend your spurs somewhat lowers their intimidation value

[Joush]

DNI also allows you to speak lanauges you've never learned and use skills you don't possess, so it makes sense that it works without dropping you limp.

Still, DNI isn't simsense, and it never really covers the limitations to simsense.

We know you can't use simsense to replace an imagelink for the proposes of running a smartlink system because it's explicitly spelled out. We know that you can control implanted devices with DNI, but not if you can get information from implanted devices from DNI, though we know that DNI can let you use know and lingsofts.

[tzizimine]

Joush, thanks for pointing out why I  ruled that way. After thinking about it, I realized the problem with the full brain override, but couldn't remember why the hacker needed image link. It was for the smartlinked Ares Predator he uses.