[FST_Gemstar]

Can reaction enhancers and boosted reflexes work together for initiative (incompatible with other initiative enhancing ware)? My thought is if you wanted both, you could use the boosted reflexes for initiative, but then your reaction enhances wouldn't add to your initiative, but you could still use your reaction enhancers for reaction linked skill test and dodge pools.

[I_AM_ZHOUL!!!]

Can reaction enhancers and boosted reflexes work together for initiative (incompatible with other initiative enhancing ware)? My thought is if you wanted both, you could use the boosted reflexes for initiative, but then your reaction enhances wouldn't add to your initiative, but you could still use your reaction enhancers for reaction linked skill test and dodge pools.

Reaction Enhancers are a Reaction Enhancement not an Initiative Enhancement.  Initiative is a derived attribute from Reaction & Intuition.  So your Reaction Enhancers count for you Reaction, Boosted Reflexes count for Initiative. They will both work... though why you want Boosted Reflexes is another story. It's terrabad!!!! Synaptic Acceleration give the +1 Initiative & +1 Defense Test & +1d6 Initiative, so it's essentially giving you all the benefits of another point of Reaction except for Pilot tests.

[Wakshaani]

Price is a big one. Boosted Reflexes can be grabbed with Resources D, after all. Mmm, Razorbois...

[McGuffin]

Synaptic Acceleration give the +1 Initiative & +1 Defense Test & +1d6 Initiative, so it's essentially giving you all the benefits of another point of Reaction except for Pilot tests.

.... and except for surprise rolls.

[I_AM_ZHOUL!!!]

Synaptic Acceleration give the +1 Initiative & +1 Defense Test & +1d6 Initiative, so it's essentially giving you all the benefits of another point of Reaction except for Pilot tests.

.... and except for surprise rolls.

True... but considering that it's 1.6 points of Essence cheaper than Wired Reflexes 1, not that bad of a trade off.

[McGuffin]

I agree. I like it a lot. Good for NPCs and special runners who don't need to or can't go heavy on the reflexes.

[I_AM_ZHOUL!!!]

I agree. I like it a lot. Good for NPCs and special runners who don't need to or can't go heavy on the reflexes.

I'm just happy that since it stacks with Reaction Enhancers & Kamikaze... so they are way better than Synaptic Booster!

[Bulshock]

If you're looking at it that way, then Lightning Reflexes is the same as Synaptic Acceleration, though it  is a 20 Karma Quality.  And it does pretty much identical things.  Unless you have a pressing need for other qualities (I can usually find something with how many books have come out, but still could see taking it) it will work rather well for what you're talking about.  Yes, you could take Prototype Transhuman and buy Boosted, but that loses the +1 initiative and +1 defense (which it states is all Defense tests, not just melee and ranged) while still getting the 10 points of Negative Qualities as offset cost.  For what you're paying... I would put the Boosted as ~ even with Lightning Reflexes (cost being the big equalizer for them at CC) with Synaptic Acceleration being slightly lower.

[I_AM_ZHOUL!!!]

If you're looking at it that way, then Lightning Reflexes is the same as Synaptic Acceleration, though it  is a 20 Karma Quality.  And it does pretty much identical things.  Unless you have a pressing need for other qualities (I can usually find something with how many books have come out, but still could see taking it) it will work rather well for what you're talking about.  Yes, you could take Prototype Transhuman and buy Boosted, but that loses the +1 initiative and +1 defense (which it states is all Defense tests, not just melee and ranged) while still getting the 10 points of Negative Qualities as offset cost.  For what you're paying... I would put the Boosted as ~ even with Lightning Reflexes (cost being the big equalizer for them at CC) with Synaptic Acceleration being slightly lower.

Boosted Reflexes & Lightning Reflexes are both really Not Good. Synaptic Acceleration is better than Synaptic Booster 1, there are plenty of ways to fit SA in since it synergizes so well it Reaction Enhancers.

[Bulshock]

Lightning Reflexes is pretty much identical to Synaptic Acceleration I thought?  In what way is it different?

[Rooks]

someone really should do a spreadsheet what stacks with what

[Xenon]

someone really should do a spreadsheet what stacks with what

I would, if we only could come to some sort of consensus if
1) augmentation only applies to cyberware and bioware of if it also include spells, drugs, adept powers etc.
and if
2) increases to initiative actually mean anything that increases [physical] initiative (the sum of many parts) or if it only mean direct increases to physical initiative attribute or physical initiative dice.

[Bulshock]

I tend to go with the most restrictive reading of things until it's noted otherwise, unless it's something that doesn't make sense with that.  I can argue for less restrictive as House Rules, but I tend to go with the most restrictive for anything else.  Until I read Lightning Reflexes I never thought someone might think an Initiative Booster (that notes it doesn't stack with initiative boosts) would stack with any initiative boosts (tech, magic, drugs).  And by initiative boost I mean anything that directly (not indirectly by raising Reaction and Intuition) raises Initiative weather dice or flat bonus.

[I_AM_ZHOUL!!!]

Lightning Reflexes is pretty much identical to Synaptic Acceleration I thought?  In what way is it different?

Lightning Reflexes stacks with Nothing! SA stacks with Reaction Enhancers, Drugs, & Increase Reflexes spell... so better in every way than Lightning Reflexes & Synaptic Booster 1. You can take a single level of it then supplement more Initiative Dice with Drugs or Spells.

someone really should do a spreadsheet what stacks with what

I would, if we only could come to some sort of consensus if
1) augmentation only applies to cyberware and bioware of if it also include spells, drugs, adept powers etc.
and if
2) increases to initiative actually mean anything that increases [physical] initiative (the sum of many parts) or if it only mean direct increases to physical initiative attribute or physical initiative dice.

.

1. Augmentation only applies to Augmentations, as Lightning Reflexes shows the clear distinctionbetween Augmentation, Magical, & Chemical in its wording.

2. Initiative only applies to Initiative, not the nebulous 3 different attributes you keep trying to fit it into. Reaction is Reaction, Intuition is Intuition, & Initiative is Initiative. The Move by Wire System shows that Initiative isn't even bound by the +4 Augmented Bonus Maximum like a regular attribute is.

We had a good compatability chart going on a thread a while back that included everything up to Lockdown. It's fallen back but that would make a good Sticky to keep right at the top for easy reference.

[The Masked Ferret]

Lightning Reflexes is pretty much identical to Synaptic Acceleration I thought?  In what way is it different?

Lightning Reflexes stacks with Nothing! SA stacks with Reaction Enhancers, Drugs, & Increase Reflexes spell... so better in every way than Lightning Reflexes & Synaptic Booster 1. You can take a single level of it then supplement more Initiative Dice with Drugs or Spells.

someone really should do a spreadsheet what stacks with what

I would, if we only could come to some sort of consensus if
1) augmentation only applies to cyberware and bioware of if it also include spells, drugs, adept powers etc.
and if
2) increases to initiative actually mean anything that increases [physical] initiative (the sum of many parts) or if it only mean direct increases to physical initiative attribute or physical initiative dice.

.

1. Augmentation only applies to Augmentations, as Lightning Reflexes shows the clear distinctionbetween Augmentation, Magical, & Chemical in its wording.

2. Initiative only applies to Initiative, not the nebulous 3 different attributes you keep trying to fit it into. Reaction is Reaction, Intuition is Intuition, & Initiative is Initiative. The Move by Wire System shows that Initiative isn't even bound by the +4 Augmented Bonus Maximum like a regular attribute is.

We had a good compatability chart going on a thread a while back that included everything up to Lockdown. It's fallen back but that would make a good Sticky to keep right at the top for easy reference.

Unless you are talking about Missions games, where it has been specifically clarified that cyber, bio, magic, drugs, and anything else that increase something 'augments' it.