[Kinginyellow]

For 6e, I am having a problem understanding how sensor and sensor arrays work especially with a vehicle/drone is concerned.

So, I am a new gm over new players. My player wants a manual motorcycle with ultrasound sensor. The motorcycle has a sensor attribute of 1. Does this just mean that it also have a sensor array of rating of 1? And so if the player buys a bigger sensor array the sensor attribute also increases (for purposes of shooting and other drone related tasks).

That also leads to how high of a rating of a sensor array can a motorcycle have? The 6 that is listed under motorcycle as a max or is the max 8 on the sensor array size, but single sensor rating max is 6?

How do you buy a sensor for the sensor array? It states that sensor functions are sold separately, is that what a single sensor is for? And the rating of the single sensor is how good the ultrasound (as example) is? And what is the max of this single sensor can be? 8? Or 6 as the max of a motorcycle?

And last question, is all vehicle and drones is assumed to have cameras and microphones for sight and sound or is that required sensors functions you need to buy?

[Michael Chandra]

The exact answer of how Sensor Arrays work depends on whether you're talking SR5 or SR6. But the max rating depends on the vehicle, so that would be six.

Vehicles come with default sensors. In SR5, I'd argue each vehicle and drone comes with 2 cameras and 1 omni-directional microphone. In SR6 rules are different.

[Kinginyellow]

Apologies, didnt realize this forum was same as 5e and 6e. Will edit my question as it is about 6e.

[Michael Chandra]

In SR6 Sensor packages have been made rather expensive (in SR5, you always got 8 sensors in them as part of the cost). Now they appear to not include the sensors but basically be the slots you can put your sensors into.

So if I read RAW correctly, it appears we've had a significant switch from SR5.

So. How I am reading this.

A Sensor takes 1 Capacity. That can be an individual sensor in for example a cyberlimb, or it can use up 1 Capacity of a Sensor Array.

Each container is limited in what rating its individual sensors can have. A Motorcycle is limited to Rating 6 Sensors. So you cannot have a Rating 7 Sensor in a Motorcycle Sensor Array.

However, Sensor Arrays their ratings are not connected to their Sensor rating anymore. So the way SR6 reads, yes, a motorcycle can have a Sensor array from Rating 1~8, and that rating solely is how many simultaneous Sensors you can fit into your motorcycle. Each individual sensor you buy separately then can have an individual Sensor rating, which in the case of a motorcycle is in the range 1~6.

Note that that gives us a massive headache when it comes to 'then what is the Sensor rating of a vehicle, if initially it's basically the default array and default sensor-rating? If I have a Camera at rating 6, a Microphone at rating 3, and a MAD-scanner at rating 1, what is the Sensor rating I use in my rolls? Do the ratings of the individual sensors even matter for the + Sensor, or do I always use the Sensor array rating?' and quite frankly I got no fragging clue. o_O

I suggest you rule that a Sensor Array must be filled with equal-rating Sensors, and the lowest individual Sensor rating is what applies to the Sensor test, period, while you don't look at the Array rating (that solely determines its capacity). So if I want my motorcycle to have Sensor 6, I should buy a random-rating Array and only put in Rating 6 Sensors and all is fine.

[Typhus]

House Rule Suggestion: Treat the vehicle Sensor rating as bonus dice when the vehicle needs to interpret what its detecting.  Like a Perception skill.

So, roll Pilot + Sensor Rating as the vehicle's base chance to interpret what it's detecting, spot things, etc.  If the sensor itself also has a rating, add these bonus dice into the pool.  If you are rigging/controlling the device, just use your normal Perception + Intuition and add the bonus dice from the specific sensors themselves if/when they are in use.