[skalchemist]

Pg 41

Command Drone (I)
A character may issue a command to a drone
they control. If multiple drones are controlled
through a rigger command console (RCC), the
same command can be issued to every drone. If
a different command is desired for each drone, it
requires multiple Minor Actions.

This is a minor action.

Pg 197

An RCC can have a
number of slaved drones equal to its Rating x 3. A
rigger can issue a single command to any number
of the drones slaved to the RCC as a Major Action.
The command issued will then be carried out by
the drones when their turn comes up in initiative.

emphasis mine.

These two sections seem to contradict each other.  I don't see a change in the errata.  I"m sure someone else has mentioned this but I can't find it with search.

Which is it?  Major or Minor?

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

Those are two different contexts.

1 minor action to order 1 drone. 

The RCC allows a 2nd option:

1 major action to send the same command to your entire swarm.

Nm I see what you're getting at. Interesting.

[PatrolDeer]

Hey,
The core rule book, page 201 Drone Rigging : "Most of the time, drone rigging is done by remote commands, which rely on the Pilot rating of the drone to carry out. Commanding a drone is a Major Action"
Also "Control Device" matrix action is Major action. I would assume that Command Drone is really a major action, because "jumping in" cold or hot sim gives you extra initiative dice, which can be swapped from Minor to Major.
Thus Rigger in hot sim could have enormous amount of "Command Drone" actions, which on one hand does make sense with high RCC ratings and Swarm Armies, on the other, thanks to RCC, you can issue the same command to all the drones. Such as "Attack the target".
Maybe, in order to issue multiple commands to different "fleet" of drones, you have to use minor action in conjunction of a major action, just like Multiple attacks.

[Hephaestus]

Maybe, in order to issue multiple commands to different "fleet" of drones, you have to use minor action in conjunction of a major action, just like Multiple attacks.

This may be the intended usage. The Command Drone major action lets you open the lines and issue a single command, then subsequent commands would be adding additional minor actions. Makes sense to me.

[Xenon]

Actually, a strict reading of RAW says that:


It is a minor action to send a single instruction to a single drone.
It is a minor action to send a single instruction to all drones slaved to your RCC
It is a major action to send a single instruction to any number of drones slaved to your RCC


RAI might or might not be that it should always just be a minor action to send the same instruction to any number of your slaved drones as long as you are using a RCC (further supported by the fact it this used to be a Simple Action back in SR5, but  in order to support that reading p. 197 would be in need of errata).

[markelphoenix]

Actually, a strict reading of RAW says that:


It is a minor action to send a single instruction to a single drone.
It is a minor action to send a single instruction to all drones slaved to your RCC
It is a major action to send a single instruction to any number of drones slaved to your RCC


RAI might or might not be that it should always just be a minor action to send the same instruction to any number of your slaved drones as long as you are using a RCC (further supported by the fact it this used to be a Simple Action back in SR5, but  in order to support that reading p. 197 would be in need of errata).

This screams a need for errata clarification

[PatrolDeer]

Actually, a strict reading of RAW says that:
It is a minor action to send a single instruction to a single drone.
It is a minor action to send a single instruction to all drones slaved to your RCC
It is a major action to send a single instruction to any number of drones slaved to your RCC

Could you please point me to the specific pages ?  From that notation, I am getting that issuing simple command like "observe my 6" to a hornet slaved to streetsams' commlink as he is approaching to meet-up in a dark alley, or rigger having two flying Blackhawks launch a crossfire at the same time are both minor actions.

But commanding one Blackhawk to trace a hacker, while second Blackhawk keeps firing at pursuers is a major action. It does make sense to me. Having to spilt your attention as a rigger and practically issue two (or more) commands in a fast sequence to different devices in my opinion justifies Major action as necessary. However I am sure that certain consequences arise.

[Xenon]

Could you please point me to the specific pages ? 

1. SR6 p. 41 Minor Actions - Command Drone (I)
A character may issue a command to a drone they control.

2. SR6 p. 41 Minor Actions - Command Drone (I)
If multiple drones are controlled through a rigger command console (RCC), the same command can be issued to every drone.

3. SR6 p. 197 Rigger Command Console
A rigger can issue a single command to any number of the drones slaved to the RCC as a Major Action.

"observe my 6" to a hornet slaved to streetsams' commlink as he is approaching to meet-up in a dark alley

Minor Action

rigger having two flying Blackhawks launch a crossfire at the same time are both minor actions.

2 separate Minor Actions. One for each Drone.
Or 1 Minor Action if you only have the two flying Blackhawks slaved to your RCC and no other drones.
Or 1 Major Action if you also have other drones slaved to your RCC.

(In SR5 this was a single Simple Action if both drones are slaved to your RCC and RAI might be that this is also just a Minor Action in SR6, but in that case we need errata to p. 197)

But commanding one Blackhawk to trace a hacker, while second Blackhawk keeps firing at pursuers

2 separate Minor Actions. One for each Drone.

[markelphoenix]

It seems like if you want to do Swarm Combat drones, you get a nice option in action economy. If you want to split instructions across multiple drones, gonna have to eat the Major Action.

[PatrolDeer]

1. SR6 p. 41 Minor Actions - Command Drone (I)
A character may issue a command to a drone they control.

2. SR6 p. 41 Minor Actions - Command Drone (I)
If multiple drones are controlled through a rigger command console (RCC), the same command can be issued to every drone.

3. SR6 p. 197 Rigger Command Console
A rigger can issue a single command to any number of the drones slaved to the RCC as a Major Action.

It seems that errata is in fact needed, because the page 201 directly contradicts point 1.

SR6 p.201 Drone Rigging
Commanding a drone is a Major Action.

Thanks for the responses Xenon, I appreciate it 

[Xenon]

I begin to think that it is maybe p. 41 that is in error and that commanding a single drone (or multiple drones when you are using a RCC and the drones are slaved to your RCC) should in fact always be a Major Action in this edition.

That p. 41 is basically just a copy-pasta error from SR5 where commanding drones used to be a Simple Action....

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

5e copypasta is absolutely a plausible hypothesis.

[skalchemist]

I begin to think that it is maybe p. 41 that is in error and that commanding a single drone (or multiple drones when you are using a RCC and the drones are slaved to your RCC) should in fact always be a Major Action in this edition.

That p. 41 is basically just a copy-pasta error from SR5 where commanding drones used to be a Simple Action....

I feel this is unlikely.  "Command Drones" is listed in the table of actions as a minor action, and the whole section is in the Minor actions list.  If anything, the bit on page 41 seems the bit that is well thought out. 

It seems more likely to me that the later sections that refer to commanding drones as major actions are the errors.  Particular page 201; that seems a much more likely location for an error because all it requires is just getting one word wrong, whereas page 41 requires multiple errors at once.

But who knows?  I sure don't, that's why I posted about it.  :-)   

[PatrolDeer]

It seems more likely to me that the later sections that refer to commanding drones as major actions are the errors.  Particular page 201; that seems a much more likely location for an error because all it requires is just getting one word wrong, whereas page 41 requires multiple errors at once.

I think you are right, I have given it a second thought and realised that if it would be major action, having an expensive control rig doesn't make sense, because you would not be able to employ more than a couple of drones at once effectively through action economy. Let's see what will happen. For now, I guess GM will be the final ruler at your table.
Good, that you were able to spot this!!