[Hobbes]

Odd question for y'all.  How many sets of 'trodes could you wear, do they stack with DataJacks and do they come with a UDP?

The goal here is to have multiple pieces of gear "Plugged in" without having a row of Datajacks.

Theoretically everything comes with a UDP plug so 'Trodes could plug in at least one device.  I'm not sure why at least one set of 'trodes wouldn't work just fine with a Datajack(s). 

[Duellist_D]

Since i picture trodes as something akin to an EEG, that needs contact with the base of your skin, I'd say you can only wear one.

On the question of plugging stuff into a port:
I'd see no problem with plugging in multiple devices into a single port via Y cables.

[adzling]

Agree with Duellist, wearing multiple sets of trodes would not make any sense to me.
You only need one DNI interface.

Although personally I think the multiple datajacks concept makes zero sense as well.

[Rooks]

Wouldnt internal router work for this?

[Herr Brackhaus]

By RAW: not clearly defined one way or the other.

At my table I'd allow you to connect everything you own by wire to a single datajack if you wanted to. There's very little mechanical benefit to doing so anyway.

[Hobbes]

Wouldnt internal router work for this?

Yes, for a much higher Essence (and Nuyen) cost.  And the Internal Router actually does a bit more.

[Hobbes]

By RAW: not clearly defined one way or the other.

At my table I'd allow you to connect everything you own by wire to a single datajack if you wanted to. There's very little mechanical benefit to doing so anyway.

RAW not clear is the issue as its a Missions character   ;  ) 

The mechanical benefit is making it very difficult to spot or hack the icon as you can flick a device on, then off, during your turn.  At least with Perfect Time.  Very handy to have a couple pieces of gear with a Wireless bonus that are only Wireless during your action.

You could also theoretically have a bunch of grenades at the end of dongles that you can set to wireless detonation with a free action, and be immune to hacking.  Unless the hacker can get to the grenade while it's in flight...  Free action set grenade, simple action ready, simple action throw, Free action detonate. 

It's kind of a game balance concern as it makes combat hacking of several devices almost impossible.

And yes, multiple 'Trodes seems silly. 

[Herr Brackhaus]

Technically, by RAW the missions FAQ states that if a piece of equipment is Wired it is also not Wireless. I'm not sure about the legality of having wired devices also be wireless; check with your missions GM.

I don't personally see a problem with it, as not all characters will have Perfect Time which is necessary to really exploit this benefit. But then, I'm not a Missions GM, though I believe the ruling for Missions probably is a no given the wired-then-not-wireless interaction.

[ScytheKnight]

I think the multiple Datajack thing is a bit of a hold over from the old Wired Matrix... I can see then having multiple Datajacks to plug into more than one device at a time could possibly be useful?

[Marcus Gideon]

If you want to get technical about it... DNI of any kind, whether by Trodes against your skull, or Datajack wired into your grey matter... are responsible for both sending and receiving signals into your noodle so you can experience AR and VR.

If you overlapped 2x sets of Trodes, there's a good chance they would start reading each other instead / as well. Like holding two phones against each other, so the callers are talking to each other. One set of Trodes would try to send you Matrix imagery, and the other set of Trodes would pick that up thinking it was input from you. They'd realize they were both sending and receiving conflicting gibberish data, and probably just Blue Screen.

Same thing would most likely happen if you tried to get multiple Datajacks implanted. They'd both be sending and receiving to the exact same locations in your brain, and when you tried to think commands towards one of them, the other(s) would try and execute too.

I think the easiest solution for "I want to hardline all the things" is to just let your players purchase a USB UDC Hub where they can connect everything, with a single line running to their DNI. Basically an external router.

The difference between this and an Internal Router implant being that the Internal is pretty much just for implants. Letting your Wired Reflexes and your Reaction Enhancers play nice together, without risking either one to wireless hacking. This external UDC Hub would just let you hardline your toys and trinkets together. Neither one will fill in for Wireless Bonuses which require Matrix access though, such as the bonus dice from Smartguns and Medkits.

[ScytheKnight]

Honestly is there any use for the Internal Router outside of Wired Reflexes/Reaction Enhancer combo?

[Marcus Gideon]

Not really, once you look at where the other Wireless Bonuses come from.

The +2 Accuracy from a Smartgun requires direct communication between the Gun and your Eyeware. If you had an implanted Cyber-Smartgun and implanted Cybereyes, you could use the Router to network those together. But the attack dice is a Matrix connection (which you have to dig through fluff text to find the justification) and the Router wouldn't facilitate that.

But yeah, overall the only implants which rely on the service the Router performs, is the Reflexes.

[Hobbes]

Same thing would most likely happen if you tried to get multiple Datajacks implanted. They'd both be sending and receiving to the exact same locations in your brain, and when you tried to think commands towards one of them, the other(s) would try and execute too.

Multiple Data Jacks is explicitly supported already.

I think the easiest solution for "I want to hardline all the things" is to just let your players purchase a USB UDC Hub where they can connect everything, with a single line running to their DNI. Basically an external router.

That would be my house rule, and what I'd recommend.  This particular thought exercise is for a Missions character so RAW, RAW, RAW.  *shrug*  This was mostly a quick poll of the room.

[Hobbes]

Honestly is there any use for the Internal Router outside of Wired Reflexes/Reaction Enhancer combo?

Off the top of my head, the perception bonuses from the assorted gear and sensor augments, noise reduction from Data Jacks, Monowhip stuffs, free action to ready spurs or other Cyberweapons, funny tricks with implanted gear.

Although what the noise reduction from the data jacks is going to accomplish if you're otherwise wireless off, I'm not really sure. 

[Marcus Gideon]

Same thing would most likely happen if you tried to get multiple Datajacks implanted. They'd both be sending and receiving to the exact same locations in your brain, and when you tried to think commands towards one of them, the other(s) would try and execute too.

Multiple Data Jacks is explicitly supported already.

Well... kinda.

The freelancer who apparently wrote that section of the book, later came back and said that they intended for people to be able to stack multiple Datajacks. But we've got a few threads recently in which they have come back and said that freelancer intentions are little more than community arguments over RAW vs RAI. Their input after publication is not official errata.

Specifically regarding stacking Datajacks, what's to keep someone from buying 10x of them and never worrying about Noise again. For the price of any other implant, but money and Essence, you have made yourself completely immune to Noise.

It just doesn't fly in my book, nor with a lot of other GMs who have "house ruled" against allowing multiple Datajacks. There's no reason why you need multiple ports in your head, when the world has gone wireless. And there's no reason why you would funnel wireless traffic through several consecutive Datajacks. That's like using a keyboard, plugged into a keyboard... to type on your PC.