[Insaniac99]

Looking at the simple rules of Noise a lot of areas that people are going to be in an area with noise rating 3 or higher, simply being at a major event or a commercial area of the city generates enough noise that your smartlink doesn't work anymore.

If you are a Rigger, you have a boat load of ways to handle noise, If you are a decker, you have a few, Technomancers fewer still but they are available to you.   But if you aren't one of those three, if you are Joe Normal, you are left with the option of getting multiple Datajacks just for the noise reduction (and you can argue if it would work since it is a wireless bonus itself.  if you have any magic and don't want 'ware degrading your essence, how do you handle the crummy noise rating fragging up your gear?

I feel like there must be something I'm missing but from what I see in the RAW if you don't want ware you can't deal with noise and might as well go old school because you aren't likely to be able to use your fancy gadgets.

[Michael Chandra]

Given how Noise 3+ is rare for a Run and you're not taking Matrix Actions to begin with, why would you want to deal with it?

[Insaniac99]

Well, noise 3 seems kinda of common, according to page 231,

Code: [Select]

SPAM ZONE                                                  STATIC ZONE                                      NOISE RATING
City downtown                                          Abandoned building                                          1
Sprawl downtown                                        Abandoned neighborhood, barrens                             2
Major event or advertising blitz                           Rural area,
                                                    abandoned underground area,                                    3
                                                        heavy rain or snow
Commercial area in a city                            Wilderness, severe storm                                      4
Commercial area in a sprawl                      Remote place with satellite access only                           5
Massive gathering or during
widespread emergency                             Remote, enclosed place (cave, desert ruin)                        6
Just going to the outskirts of the barrens, being in a heavy rain, or encountering some sort of major even downtown, or going to a commercial area seems like they would come up pretty commonly; we're talking a bout rain In fraggin Seattle, Slot it all! You can write off most of a season where your smartlink bonus isn't working.

And that's the issue, the smartlink or chameleon suit or, well almost anyone of the wireless bonuses, most of those simple items are at a rating 2.  Without SOME way to handle noise you are boned.  Does slaving your devices to your commlink work?  If you get the Fairflight Caliban do you never have to worry about noise?

[Michael Chandra]

No, slaving won't work. And keep in mind Noise is a GM tool, THEY decide when what Noise counts and should use it sparingly in runs. Even the Ork Underground has nearly no Noise. Not to mention that if you are going after a well-equipped building, you can munch off their wifi. So honestly, it's a GM's choice and in a run it will rarely ever matter. Also, even if you consider the bonuses a big deal to lose, keep in mind that when you don't get the bonuses, neither do your enemies.

[Xenon]

Most features of your smartgun still work (you can still shoot with it, you can still have access to the on-board camera which let you fire around corners without exposing yourself, you get +2 accuracy, negate 1 level of wind, get both accuracy and dice pool modifier for each simple action you aim, and you can still mentally switch between gun modes, eject a clip, and fire the gun without pulling the trigger).

You also get +1 noise reduction if you use a data jack (which let you keep wireless functionality even in noise 3 situations).

[Insaniac99]

Okay, that makes sense.   When I GM I don't use noise much at all, but I was letting another guy take the reigns for a bit and we had multiple time with high noise that the loss of the limit bonus to my monowhip was kind of painful because of a dodgy guy who didn't have to worry about limits.

[ProfessorCirno]

Honestly the tables do tend to be a bit too "ALWAYS NOISE, ALWAYS" given the huge variety of places it pushes you to inflict it.

[Elektrycerze3]

Hoi!

Given how Noise 3+ is rare for a Run and you're not taking Matrix Actions to begin with, why would you want to deal with it?

Well, actually it differs from table to table, so the question is quite viable. I use Noise a lot. But the real problem is not the background Noise: jammers generate Noise, so it's easy to cut off your wireless bonuses.

Yes, one can shoot the guy, carrying a jammer. But that might take too much time - time spent without wireless bonuses.

The best way (the only way for a non-hacher and non-rigger) to counter Noise is to use a Datajack. As Xenon pointed out, it provides 1 point of Noise reduction.

I asked Aaron if this Noise reduction stacks and he answered yes. That's not official, but that's something. So getting a couple of alpha jacks at chargen might save you from ever worrying about Noise.

If you don't use background Noise often at your table, get 4 of them (R6 jammer - 4 Noise reduction = 2 Noise. That's not enough to cut off your normal gear and ware. Get 1 more jack if you have lots of used ware).

If you use background Noise often, I recommend getting 7 of them, just to be on the safe side (R6 jammer + background Noise of 3 - 7 Noise reduction = 2 Noise).

Bear in mind, that a GM might rule, that Noise shuts your jack's Noise reduction (wireless bonus) before the bonus kicks in. For example, you have 50 standart jacks and you enter Noise 3 - all you jacks loose Noise reduction. That is one possible ruling. I don't like that ruling, but that's possible.

Hope that helps =)

[Michael Chandra]

To look at intent, I cannot remember Noise being a factor in Dragon's Song, nor is it in Sprawl Wilds, aside from a single case. In Chicago's CZ, it usually is at 2 and rarely at 3.

Aaron's answer is actually nearly-fully official nowadays, by his own post about the base of his clarifications, and it basically kills Noise as weapon. On the other hand, if a GM insists on constantly throwing Noise at you, he deserves it if the players start an arms race and constantly use Jammers themselves as well.

And actually no, they cannot rule that. You have the Noise Reduction, so you don't get shut down, period. They have no right to make up such a bollocks explanation.

[Elektrycerze3]

And actually no, they cannot rule that. You have the Noise Reduction, so you don't get shut down, period. They have no right to make up such a bollocks explanation.

I totally agree with you. But not all people are reasonable. It's better to be prepared to face such people. Asking in advance might help =)

To look at intent, I cannot remember Noise being a factor in Dragon's Song, nor is it in Sprawl Wilds, aside from a single case. In Chicago's CZ, it usually is at 2 and rarely at 3.

Aaron's answer is actually nearly-fully official nowadays, by his own post about the base of his clarifications, and it basically kills Noise as weapon. On the other hand, if a GM insists on constantly throwing Noise at you, he deserves it if the players start an arms race and constantly use Jammers themselves as well.

Well, I wouldn't use them as benchmark just yet. Coyotes fragged my mind with rules inconsistencies so much (these were about IC, not Noise, but still) I thinks it's better to wait for a splatbook explaining Noise better.

My table has a lot of fun with Noise. Used sparingly it provides an interesting challenge.

By the way, do you use a houserule that Noise shuts down all wireless functionality?

[Michael Chandra]

I'm still GMing 4th until there's enough material out to convert, so not as of now. The only 5th GMing I'm doing is as Missions GM, which means I have to follow Aaron's ruling until the FAQ he's writing is publicized.

[Elektrycerze3]

I'm still GMing 4th until there's enough material out to convert, so not as of now. The only 5th GMing I'm doing is as Missions GM, which means I have to follow Aaron's ruling until the FAQ he's writing is publicized.

Hope your Missions players don't bring lots of head-jammers with them)))

Do you think his answer will be fixed and/or expanded in the FAQ?

[Michael Chandra]

I'm estimating 94% odds on that his answer will be the FAQ answer. And a 100% chance I houserule it at my own game afterwards.

[Elektrycerze3]

I'm estimating 94% odds on that his answer will be the FAQ answer.

I still can't wrap my head around that... The implications are horrible. No more kidnappings in the civilised world with an implanted comm. Well, on second thought that actually sounds nice, but not from the gaming standpoint. They should at the very least make some exceptions or something.

And a 100% chance I houserule it at my own game afterwards.

101% to a precision of 1% here =)