[Duderlybob]

Ok, so me and a friend of mine are debating the exacts of how powerful a drone can be while running autonomously, my opinion is pretty dang powerful if you stack bonus' like a crazy person, my friend argues that many of these bonus' cannot be applied to a drone, so I figured I get some opinions from here to hopefully add some clarity.

The main points we disagree on right now is whether or not:

A drone can use a Smart Link.
A drone can use a TacNet.
A drone can be "Optimized" like a commlink per Unwired.
A drone has 3 IP.

Any insight into these would be awesome (page #s for referencing would also be great if you feel like it).

[raggedhalo]

I believe a Pilot gets 3IP.
Drone can use Smartlink IF its camera is equipped with Image Link and Smartlink, and the gun is equipped with a Smartlink
Drone can use TacNet IF it's contributing enough Sensor channels
Drone's onboard commlink can be optimised, because it's a commlink.

Of course, autonomous drones are still reliant on the "agent script" you provide.

[Michael Chandra]

Keep in mind that a drone has 6 sensors. They need the vehicle modification Improved Sensor Array in order to use a TacNet 4, and you have to pay for the extra sensors.

[raggedhalo]

Not quite - by the book, drones contribute a number of sensor channels equal to their Sensor Rating rather than the number of sensors mounted on them.  That means that a TacNet 3 is the best a drone can use as there's no way under the rules to boost your Sensor Rating past 6.

Personally, I houserule it so that a drone contributes twice its Sensor Rating to the TacNet, but that's just me.

[Michael Chandra]

Ah, completely misremembered that part. My bad. Still, sounds a bit weird.