[Brehus]

I've done some searching here and not found anything like this.

I'm trying to make a simple sensor package that I can hand off to the rest of my team so that they can join my tacnet (rating 3). I'm playing the hacker and am oddly the only person with sensor implants.

What I have so far is this.

---
Glasses; Rating 4 100 Aval - (Sunglasses?)
Flare comp; 50 Aval +2
Image link; 25 Aval -

Camara; Rating 3 300 Aval -
Thermographic; 100 Aval +6
Low Light; 400 Aval +4

Earbuds; Rating 3 30 Aval Aval -
Microphone; Rating 3 150 Aval -
Select Sound; Rating 3 600 Aval +8
Audio Enhancment; Rating 3 300 Aval +2
---

The tacsoft is hacked and would be run on the team member's commlink.

I'm also somewhat curious as to how drones and tacnets work, but that's a whole other post, or 50... I've been searching that all day and have found some contradicting info.

[Charasanya]

So far, thats only 5 senses of the 9 you need, if I calculated correctly:

- vision
- thermographic vision
- low light vision
- sound
- spatial recognition

what you could add:
- radar or ultrasound
- laser range finder
- motion detector
- radio signal scanner

[Mirikon]

It is rating x2 senses/sensors needed for the tacnet. I'd go with vision, thermographic, low-light, hearing, spatial recognition, and ultrasound.

[RHat]

I would strongly reccomend having certain roles get certain sensors.  For example, in visibility impaired circumstances, giving melee characters radial sensors like radar could be extremely useful - partially just for the "hey, this one's me" value.  The exact benefits of a tacnet are up to the GM, and the GM very much should take what sort of sensors you have into account.

[Xzylvador]

Is there anything preventing a character from having a handheld sensor with ultrasound (or some other sensor) and just putting it in their pocket, hanging it on their belt or gecko-taping it to their clothes while the device is active?

[Brehus]

I could part the sensors out like that, but I really want to concentrate it all into one piece of equipment that I can just hand out.

The thought is to pass off a pair of sunglasses with all the sensors and such built in.

The glasses have flare compensation and Image link for 2 capacity,
The camera is another 1 capacity. the camera also has a built in microphone, which can be upgraded (maybe?)
this leaves one capacity of the glasses for the earbuds.

I know goggles have more capacity, but they don't look as cool.

Also, I may be reading the rules completely wrong here.

[Mithlas]

Image link doesn't take up capacity. I think the explanation is that it's so common that everything has the hardware in order to be compatible, while others like low-light vision and ultrasound might need additional components.

Either way, glasses (maximum rating 4) with image link would still have a full 4 capacity. Flare compensation is 1, a trideo camera is another 1. That means you can slap on Ultrasound (2 capacity), or Thermographic, Vision Magnification, or Vision Enhancement which take 1 capacity. Or if you feel like it you can build in a different sort of sensor if you really feel like it, but most people use Sensor RFID chips for Motion Detectors or Radio Sensors or such. Radar sensors combined with an orientation system or chip of some sort (GM discretion) mapsoft can help your team navigate even if you're in poorly-charted areas because the orientation system description mentions map-editing software.

If you're running a tacnet, there are additional uses out-of-combat that you can make use of if you've got a skilled Face - a camera with Thermographic and sensor software Lie Detection gets a bonus for detecting falsehoods.

[Brehus]

I've been having problems finding the section of the rules that talk about how much capacity upgrades take up. Finding this section will really help when I build out my tacnet drones.

With that in mind, based off of input so far;

---
Glasses rating 4:
Modules;
Image link,
Flare compensation,
Camera rating 4,
Ultrasound.

The camera has a built in microphone, and the following enhancements.
Low light
Thermal
Vision enhancement Rating 3
Vision magnification.

Earbuds tacked on with bondo if need be.
This gives 6 sensor channels, and the ability for team members to whisper to each other over distances. (option to add a sub-vocal mic?)
---

If i can also mod the camera microphone I'd add;
Audio enhancement rating 3
Select sound (likely doesn't count as a sensor channel)
Spacial Recognizer.

This would give 8 sensor channels for the glasses easily supporting a level 4 tacnet. (Provided I have drones out)

[Mantis]

You could add a simrig to their commlinks to include any natural senses (vision, natural low-light, natural thermo, hearing, etc) they may have, lowering the number of things they need to carry.

[Brehus]

The point of this is to have an all in one sensor package in the form of a pair of sunglasses. it also works for when team members switch out (character death). just pass the new guy a data chip with the hacked tacsoft and a pair of sunglasses. No need for anyone to modify their own gear.

Also a pair of these glasses would still be really cheap to make.

2235 nuyen for the 6 channel version.

add another 1000 nuyen for the 8 channel version with rating 3 select sound.

A point here is that I'm equipping my team so that I can have the tacnet bonus. This is marginally cheaper than a drone fleet.

[nmap]

You could add a simrig to their commlinks to include any natural senses (vision, natural low-light, natural thermo, hearing, etc) they may have, lowering the number of things they need to carry.

Don't you need datajack or trodes for simrig to function? That might not work for some characters. And it's dangerous for others, having your commlink (that can be hacked) directly connected to your brain is a bad idea unless you're a hacker yourself, becuase you might get all your sense overidden. It's better to have anything outward facing in glasses so you can remove them in case of rogue hacker.

It depends on how the GM interprets the setting, of course.

Also, I kind of expected pretty much every digital glasses to include recording function, because they already have to have camera to give you AR, low-light or thermo, and all else it needs are controls and storage, and everyhing in shadowrun has unlimited storage, right? Is recording really separate function you have to pay for?

[Brehus]

My thoughts on AR glasses normally coming with a camera and a mic is that they're crap for combat use. Thus I'd swap them out for upgraded components.

Also the glasses wouldn't block vision, they'd just have the extra info projected onto the lens. this will keep the mage happy with the whole natural line of sight.

[RHat]

I'd use goggles for capacity, probably (and they can be made to look damn cool - see steampunk) - and skinlink everything.  But that's just preference.

You've got to remember, too, that the character needs to have a commlink capable of running the TacNet, and ideally some other software to deal with encryption and ECCM.

nmap:  Nowhere is it said that a DNI lets you hack someone's senses.  Nowhere.  That's not about interpretation, that would be houserules.  Brainhacking just isn't in the rules as they stand.

[Brehus]

Goggles are good and all but I'm also the face, and goggles would clash with my business suit.

I guess goggles would look ok on the mage... and who cares about what the troll wears...

I suppose I could retool my wardrobe to be more steampunk. A gentleman in a Victorian coat with a top-hat would be memorable and I do wish to be remembered, at least by the right people.

[nmap]

My thoughts on AR glasses normally coming with a camera and a mic is that they're crap for combat use. Thus I'd swap them out for upgraded components.

Also the glasses wouldn't block vision, they'd just have the extra info projected onto the lens. this will keep the mage happy with the whole natural line of sight.

That makes sense.

nmap:  Nowhere is it said that a DNI lets you hack someone's senses.  Nowhere.  That's not about interpretation, that would be houserules.  Brainhacking just isn't in the rules as they stand.

DNI from cyberarm probably not, but if datajack is enough to do BTLs (which I'm not sure whether you need simrig for), it should suffice for that. And datajack and cybereyes or cyberears definitely should.