[Weldûn]

Okay, I don't know about you but I've read through the matrix rules a couple times, once I realized that everyone used a cyberde...err, commlink now. Still, is it fair to demand that every player know how the matrix rule work? I don't personally think so, as I have otherwise excellent players who can only afford to devote a small amount of time in their lives to gaming. So, I've been messing around with a basic setup, something that any non-hacker/rigger can take, that the hacker won't cringe about you taking on a run withing 100 meters of him, practically screaming your location to all and sundry. With the release of War, that got a lot easier. Here's what I came up with.

Custom Commlink w/ Custom OS (Response 5, Signal 5, Firewall 5, System 5)
- Biometric Lock, AR Gloves, Subvocal Microphone, Skinlink.
Cost: ¥10,500. (If your GM is being resctrictive on Custom equipment and you don't have an appropriate contact, pay another 5,000 and just go with a Battle Buddy Basic from War. Yes, your OS is still custom, but that's standard for MIlitary Commlinks.

Software
Suite: Pro User (Analyze 4, Browse 4, Command 2, Edit 4)
ECCM 5 (Ergonomic)
Stealth 5 (Ergonomic)
Tacsoft 2
Tactical Satellite Mapping Software 4 (Ergonomic)
Telematics Infrastructure 5
Cost: ¥25,500
Total Cost: ¥36,000

For those who've never seen the Pro User Software Suite, it's from the Aniversary Edition of the main rules, and must be purchased at the same time as the OS. Now some of you might be looking at the last three programs and wondering why I consider these basics. Well, the truth is that I don't, but they're good buys for the player who hasn't paid attention to the matrix rules.

• The tacsoft isn't just there for the dice bonuses, in fact, it's useful even without it. Why? Because of what it has to do in order to function. Think of the data that is automatically being shared across the TacNet, in real time. Even if nobody is getting the full use of it, that's useful on it's own. And given that none of these programs have the copy protection option, you can give all your team a copy of the program to establish the network, or at least the hacker who can then slave all your links for a centralized TacNet.
• The Telematics Infrastructure software is like having a slow agent with the Scan program running. It makes you the hacker's best friend as you're keeping him appraised with regular updates of the location of any nodes in your area (you do have your TacNet set up, right?), and it also makes regular checks for any of those nasty RFID tags that you may have picked up. It scans for nodes every minute, so it's bound to find them fairly easily, and it does it automatically.
• The Tactical Satellite Mapping Software is probably my biggest stretch, and you could probably drop it and save yourself ¥4,300, but I wanted to give the runner the option of throwing a Dragonfly minidrone into the air to get a real-time map of their area. Or they can rely on the feed from the rigger's high-altitude blimp. You can get the feed via the TacNet or you can have multiple persona's subscribing the same drone, and this link's setup means that the rigger won't feel compromised by letting you do so. Combined with the Telematics, it quickly becomes like a lot of first person shooters and it provides a sensor channel to the TacNet. Read that carefully, not one sensor channel for you, but to the entire network. Your friends will love you. And again, the player can do it without thinking

Okay, it's a little complicated but it's hard to keep things simple while maintaining functionality. Still, other than explaining how useful skinlink is, and how sensor channels work, you could copy and paste the above and that's all they'd really need to know about the matrix rules. Meanwhile it also serves as a good basis for people who want to do more with their 'links, and they don't make the hacker nervous about network integrity and they won't mutter about "weak links". Well if they do, they won't be talking about this.

[rasmusnicolaj]

Don't you want a pilot to handle all that software?

Rasmus

[UmaroVI]

If you check my signature, a few of the characters (such as the Spook) have a simple "plug and play" commlink setup that has an agent to run the basics for them. It's cheaper, better for someone without computer skills, less good for someone with computer skills.

By the way, you can't just by Firewall and System. You have to buy an OS, then upgrade the matrix stats by a maximum of 2 by purchasing the "new" Firewall and System.

Commlinks (16840):
   MetaLink with Vector Xim (300)
      Runs in Public Mode broadcasting fake SIN, not used for shadowrunning
Sony Emperor (700) with Novatech Navi (1500)
   Upgrade Response to 4 (2000)
System 4, Response 4, Firewall 3, Signal 3
Optimization: Browse (500)
Powersuite (Analyze 3, Browse 4, Command 2, Edit 4, Purge 4, Scan 2) (1240)
Encrypt 1 (100)
Agent, Pilot Rating 4 (10500)
      Runs in Hidden Mode, used for shadowrunning persona and running gear. The agent normally runs Analyze
to watch for any intrusion and will sound an alert if it finds anyone.

[Weldûn]

<snip>By the way, you can't just by Firewall and System. You have to buy an OS, then upgrade the matrix stats by a maximum of 2 by purchasing the "new" Firewall and System.</snip>

Actually...

Military commlinks do not come with stock operating systems. Instead, the Firewall and System firmware is purchased separately. Each military-grade commlink has a biometric lock, as well as hardening and armor with a base rating of 5 (see Commlink Modifications, p. 196, Unwired).

Generally you are limited by the base+2, but this is a custom OS. And like I said in the original post, if your GM is being strict about it you can just pay another ¥5,000 and buy a Battle Buddy Basic (Response 5, Signal 5) Military commlink from War.

[UmaroVI]

Oh, huh, I never noticed there was an exception for milspec commlinks. That's handy to know.

[Weldûn]

Still, you are correct in that a GM might not let you get away with it if you go with my original version. Still, here's an alternate that I worked up that probably works better for my premise. I blame myself, every time I look at the tech in Shadowrun, I go all kid-in-a-candy-shop. 

Hermes Ikon w/Novatech Navi OS  (Response 4, System 4, Firewall 3, Signal 3)
   +Armor Case Rating 6
   +AR Gloves
   +Biometric Lock
   +Subvocal Microphone
   +Skinlink
   +Suite: Basic User [Analyze 2, Browse 2, Command 1, Edit 2]
   +Stealth Rating 4 [Ergonomic 3]


Total Cost: ¥10,000. For another ¥5,000, you could add a rating 1 Agent to run everything for you and ECCM 4 to prevent signal loss, but ¥10,000 covers the basics without making you a liability to the rest of your team.

Don't you want a pilot to handle all that software?

Rasmus

Sorry, I really should have addressed this earlier. To make the most of your software, sure, but the Software Suite is just to allow you to use the 'link for all the things that you need it for. You are specifically prohibited from preforming any matrix action that you do not possess the correct program for, unless you have the Intuitive Hacking Positive Quality from Unwired, and even then you need to have selected that specific action when you purchased the Quality. Now you don't need any skill to use the programs, but in that case you would be rolling the program rating on it's own, or probably at a -1 penalty (read the defaulting rules carefully to see how a rules lawyer could argue otherwise).

In the original post, however, the Telematics, SatMap and TacSoft require no interraction from the user at all and your 'link rolls firewall+stealth in the opposed Matrix Perception test. It only requires a skill when you're traversing the matrix stealthily in a node that you have no right to be in, and the player in question isn't going to be doing that. ECCM again requires no action from the user, simply adding it's rating to the 'link's signal rating when resisting jamming attempts.

I hope that that clears things up for you.