Hopefully this thread won't be discarded. I'd hate to have a book made up of 7 chapters of CFD fluff with no rules.
Do everything that a decker can do - and then do things that the decker cannot.
Don't forget that Deckers still do something that Technos can't: Cyber. Just like how Street Sams can use cyber with impunity while adepts can't.
I'm not a huge mechanics expert, so I could easily be wrong with what I say so take it with a grain of salt.
But technos are basically forced to be super specialized, but even then they don't seem to do as well as a more generalist combat-decker. They are forced into smaller scope without as much of a return.
Between adepts and street sams, Adepts are also specialized but they have a lot of options too. They can get powers that emulate some of the more exotic bits of metal, and skill boosts that let them go beyond what most cybered samurais get. So while they are more specialized and have to commit to what they specialize in, they (in my experience, remember I am not a optimization genius) seem to be able to do better in specializing that a sam.
I'd like to see that same dichotomy with Technomancers and other matrix users (hackers/riggers/dronomancers), in that they are better at specializing and using risk reward (aka fading for powerful effects that mundanes can never use), but not as good at having a wide scope (combining two archtypes and doing both fairly well). I mean, if a Technomancer can't reconfigure, then she should at least be able to do much better in her locked-in specialty.Skinlink should be a core ability (i'd also add in that they also have the innate equivalent of the Wrapper power to change icons outside the basic matrix parameters..I think it makes fun roleplay)
That could still have some neat upgrades. Maybe an Echo that lets a person have a 20 meter direct connection radius if they succeed some rolls or something, literally reaching out via the wireless mojo magic to form 'direct connections'.
In the current Cannon, Techno's are seen as huge boogie men, but compared to your average wizard Techno's have way less ability to harm folks. Which leads to a strange but very direct disconnect between the story and the system reality.
I'm pretty sure that's because they are 'new' and thus scary. I would like to see the panic subside though, since in game terms it makes being a technomancer complete ass. Imagine going on a run and people being pissed when you CANT hack the interwebs and just take over the corporate facility with a flick of your wrist, just because they have completely unrealistic expectations.
Also in terms of fluff, I'd love to see a chapter on Horizon and how they've been trying to deal with the backlash from that whole Vegas thing.
I really think techno's and wireless bonuses are two great tastes that can taste great together.
That's... a really cool idea. It'd be neat if you could figure out how to implement it.
I still have issue with TM's being able to be addicted to hot sim. They can't EVER experience cold sim, so it just seems odd to me that they can become addicted to something they've ALWAYS experienced that way.
Technomancers hate no-coverage zones. Being addicted would just make it worse.
Also, don't use faux french in your fluff posts. The Danielle De La Mar stuff in Data Trails had my french buddy on the floor laughing at how ridiculous it was.
Also on the topic of Data Trails. Please have a usable index with meaningful chapter names and a working index, so I can actually find things.[/spoiler]
