[Gareth]

1/ So, just to be clear,

Laser sights are the only mod already incorporated into weapon stat lines unless I'm much mistaken?

So, if I fit a smartgun link to my Browning Ultra Power its AR changes from 10/9/6/-/- to 11/10/7/-/- instead of 12/11/7/-/-?

This seems designed to add confusion!

2/ Built-in mods occupy slots and, if I'm reading the rules correctly, the only benefit of an integral smartgun link now is that it doesn't occupy a mod slot?

Can built-in mods be removed to free up space on a weapon?

3/ Readying weapons,

Most weapons use the "Ready Weapon" major action [p.43]

A small weapon (pistol, knife, etc) can use the "Quickdraw" minor action if they also have a piece of gear that enables this action? [p.42] The italicised text seems like an error if I'm not mistaken, especially in light of the next bit (and the fact that there seems to be no such items?).

The quickdraw holster doesn't explicitly state that it enables the quickdraw action, but this can be implied? It also grants a bonus minor action when you do so - essentially making quickdraw free?

The hidden arm slide also doesn't enable the quickdraw action, but has its own quickdraw game effect that also grants bonus edge and a bonus minor action on any turn you use the slide if wireless is enabled?

This seems like a confusing mess.

Either the holster and arm slide need to enable the minor action, dropping most other benefits (maybe keeping the bonus edge and wireless benefit on the arm slide) or perhaps quickdraw should be enabled on most small weapons by default (I like the idea that pistols are quick to draw - free with the holster, it makes packing a small backup weapon more useful)?

4/ Reloading - speedloaders, clips and smartgun links

So - mostly a major action to reload,

Minor action for a speedloader or smartgun link?

Major action for clip fed weapons, with a bonus minor action if wireless is on?

For the most part revolvers just became quicker to reload than handguns with clips (I guess you'll want to stow the empty clip, but with caseless rounds and speedloaders revolvers are faster)?

5/ Change fire modes?
Not explicitly addressed, but it seems like this is a major action, minor if you have a smartgun?

(Aargh - why are the combat actions in the game concepts chapter instead of the combat chapter!)

[Michael Chandra]

Laser sights are, as explicitly stated, already included. This makes sense because with these, you don't need additional gear to be able to get the bonus: You automatically get it as long as the lasersight is on.

Detailed mod rules will be in a future supplement. Right now the answer is no.

Quick-draw holster doesn't mention it allows for the action yes, quite frankly it should. And yes, it makes it free, but only if you have a Minor Action left. You can't go 'I move, take cover, then quick-draw' if you only have 2 Minors.

Firing mode:

Change Device Mode (A)
A character may use a Minor Action to activate,
deactivate, or switch the mode on any device that
they are linked to by a direct neural interface, be
it a wired or wireless link. This includes activating
or deactivating cyberware, changing a smartgun’s
firing settings, switching a commlink to hidden
mode, turning a device’s wireless functionality off,
and so on.

[Gareth]

Quick-draw holster doesn't mention it allows for the action yes, quite frankly it should. And yes, it makes it free, but only if you have a Minor Action left. You can't go 'I move, take cover, then quick-draw' if you only have 2 Minors.

Sure, but my point was that this means that drawing a weapon goes from a major action (a big deal) to no action (providing you have that spare minor action on standby),

That seems weird as stepping down to a minor action is already a pretty big bonus - but as written there are no weapons that don't also get a minor action back after doing so?

Additionally, as written things like knives can never be quickdrawn?

[penllawen]

Laser sights are the only mod already incorporated into weapon stat lines unless I'm much mistaken?
...
This seems designed to add confusion!

This confused the Hell out of me, too. I wouldn't mind so much if the "BTW some of these guns have laser sights baked into their stats" mentioned in the preface to the gun gear section, but instead it's only mentioned in the laser sight section of the gun mods section.

5/ Change fire modes?
Not explicitly addressed, but it seems like this is a major action, minor if you have a smartgun?

It's not immediately obvious, but it's a minor action if you have a smartgun without wirelesss and a "free" action if you have a smartgun with a wireless link.

pg 41: "Change Device Mode (A). A character may use a Minor Action to activate, deactivate, or switch the mode on any device that they are linked to by a direct neural interface, be it a wired or wireless link. This includes activating or deactivating cyberware, changing a smartgun’s firing settings, switching a commlink to hidden mode, turning a device’s wireless functionality off, and so on."

pg 261 under Smartgun: "Wireless bonus: You gain a +1 dice pool bonus. Gain a bonus Minor Action on a turn when you use the Reload Smartgun or Change Device Mode actions to eject a clip or change fire mode."

As for non-smartguns... huh. I can't find any rule at all. I guess it falls under "Use Simple Device" on pg 44?

(Aargh - why are the combat actions in the game concepts chapter instead of the combat chapter!)

Yeah, lotta paging back and forth

[Gareth]

Laser sights are, as explicitly stated, already included.

Am I right in thinking that this is not the case with the Ares Light fire 75 (which has a laser sight and a smartgun link)?

[Michael Chandra]

I would assume that in the case of the F75, the same rule applies and thus an active Smartgun+Smartlink will not add another +2 but only a +1.