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Technomancers....what do you think?

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Hobbes

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« Reply #45 on: <04-24-16/0813:35> »
I don't think people play Technomancers for the mechanical difference.  Its a character thing.  But yes, Technomancers are essentially Deckers at the end of the day.  Much like Physical Adepts are essentially Samurais or Faces.  Same skills, different flavor. 

The mechanical implementation of Technomancers was poor, IMO.  Mainly because it doesn't match the established fluff as well as the other Archetypes.  If the fluff for Technomancers was spending most of their time in a locked room compiling and registering over and over and over.  Then spring into action with a horde of sparkly matrix bits doing the heavy lifting.  Bang, nailed it.  But that isn't the case.   

Mirikon

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« Reply #46 on: <04-25-16/0127:06> »
Sterling, that's part of the problem. Back in 4E, they were functionally different from Hackers/Riggers. It was a Tactical vs Strategic thing. They were the swiss army knives of the matrix, able to adapt to things on the fly, though they were definitely glass cannons, which made other types more reliable at the end of the day. It is the same as the basic argument between Wizards and Sorcerers in D&D. Both are primary arcane casters, and definitely fit the same role, but they do it in different ways.

Fast forward to 5E, and in addition to effectively bringing back class structures that cannot be deviated from (gone are the days of a hacker rigging a drone or two to help with the defense, or a rigger actually being able to protect his own fragging drones in cybercombat), they've absolutely gutted what made the Technomancer unique, and then implemented what was left with all the care and attention to detail of a charging rhinoceros in a field of cow pies. In other words, what you're feeling about TMs is a direct result of how they got absolutely and completely bent over in the prison shower by Bubba the Love Troll. And yes, I don't care if that triggers people. How they abused TMs this edition is a crying shame.
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FST_Gemstar

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« Reply #47 on: <04-27-16/2233:50> »
Not to troll...

But something I still want to get clarification on that I still think is up in the air (3 years into 5th): Does Diagnostics work on Defense tests if working on Reaction Enhancers?

Attribute Only teamwork tests are a thing with bonus dice up to the highest attribute in the test.

This would make technomancer pseudo-adepts a thing (with an effect similar lots investment in Combat Sense). I vote for it (per what I read RAW), but I can see that using it on your team can feel very overpowered.

(I still wish that you can only use Diagnostics on your own gear/ware).

firebug

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« Reply #48 on: <04-27-16/2324:52> »
Not to troll...

But something I still want to get clarification on that I still think is up in the air (3 years into 5th): Does Diagnostics work on Defense tests if working on Reaction Enhancers?

Attribute Only teamwork tests are a thing with bonus dice up to the highest attribute in the test.

This would make technomancer pseudo-adepts a thing (with an effect similar lots investment in Combat Sense). I vote for it (per what I read RAW), but I can see that using it on your team can feel very overpowered.

(I still wish that you can only use Diagnostics on your own gear/ware).

As written, it'd be able to be explained as logical, since you're "using" the reaction enhancers.  I did a similar thing by using Diagnostics on Skillwires (until they got a stealth-nerf in Chrome Flesh for some reason, requiring twice as much Essence).  The end result was that I could actually have an 11 dice pool with something I have no actual rating in...

Really though, it's all cheese that probably shouldn't be doable.  Especially to attribute-boosting things.  If it were any other archetype, it'd be obviously overpowered, but since a TM is such shit, they can have such a broken ability as Diagnostics more or less become their one "saving grace" and still be underpowered.  I hate it.  Diagnostics shouldn't be so broken, and TMs shouldn't need it just to function in the first place.
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FST_Gemstar

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« Reply #49 on: <04-27-16/2359:56> »
It's a clunky mechanic, but I think it is designed to be the process in which technomancers keep up with everyone else. Especially that registering is free, to me, means that sprites are intended to get lots of use for more typical actions (unlike bound spirits that are more powerful but are intended to be used more sparingly).

For me, the reaction enhancer/sprite combo is a way to keep up with magical/cybered characters (combat sense, reaction enhancers/wired reflexes. improved reflexes, etc.). Adepts and highly 'wared characters can get defense pools so high (especially adepts - sheesh, standard combat mage build - Soft-capped Reaction/Intuition, Maxed Agility with Muscle Toners, Agile Defender, and Magic 5 for Improved Reflexes 2 and Combat Sense 5, they can rain bullets and avoid all but direct magic and AOE attacks).  I'm not asking for physical initiative boosts, just a way to leverage wireless matrix information to not get shot as easily.

I would be ok with ambient Noise penalties affecting these bonuses too, and think it would make technomancers more dynamic, recognize their powers are more contextual, and be  conscientious of the wireless signals around them. ("Hey guys, don't expect me to Neo it when we are on that submarine".)

dragrubis

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« Reply #50 on: <04-28-16/0644:55> »
I would be ok with ambient Noise penalties affecting these bonuses too, and think it would make technomancers more dynamic, recognize their powers are more contextual, and be  conscientious of the wireless signals around them. ("Hey guys, don't expect me to Neo it when we are on that submarine".)

Except diagnostic is resonance tool: not affected by Noise...

FST_Gemstar

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« Reply #51 on: <04-28-16/1110:45> »
I would be ok with ambient Noise penalties affecting these bonuses too, and think it would make technomancers more dynamic, recognize their powers are more contextual, and be  conscientious of the wireless signals around them. ("Hey guys, don't expect me to Neo it when we are on that submarine".)

Except diagnostic is resonance tool: not affected by Noise...

I know. I am just saying I rather reinterpret that it is affected by Noise if it allows for broader applications of Diagnostics and removing the stigma of its OPness.