[emsquared]

A character COULD keep their Wired Reflexes on at all times, but then they are walking around in constant bullet time,

Just because it has an on off switch doesn't mean it's effects are constantly activated. That's your opinion. That interpretation of the fluff experience doesn't make sense to me and here's why; we're not constantly using REA based movement. Do you tell your GM, "okay I activate my WR now."? No. You don't. Which means at the very least, mechanically it's always on, and therefore there's an argument for it always being on fluff wise too - otherwise a GM could say you have to state when you want to activate it. But what if I forget GM? Well then you forgot IC. And why couldn't you forget IC? Especially in surprise situations, your reflex is not going to be "WR activate!", it's going to be to react to whatever surprised you, unless Wired Reflexes itself is triggered by the reflex response/mechanism in the brain, in which case, it is always on - unless turned off for whatever reason - but that does not mean it is always activated and that doesn't mean you have to consciously activate it.

What good is having hyped up Reflexes if they're not ready when you need a reflex, i.e. instantly?

[Thrass]

Do you tell your GM, "okay I activate my WR now."?

I used to be in at least 3 groups where... Yes they did exactly that.

[emsquared]

I used to be in at least 3 groups where... Yes they did exactly that.

That's unfortunate and IMO wrong, and I think this can be argued by the fact that it is not your perception or ability to process information that is slowed/sped-up (otherwise you'd get a myriad of other bonuses - perception, aiming a gun, etc.) it is simply a facilitation of the exchange of muscle/nerve signals.

PS sorry, Thrass, but it did seem like you have your answer...

[Thrass]

Since my question is only about the Adept Power I'll still go with always on...

[emsquared]

Since my question is only about the Adept Power I'll still go with always on...

Yes, I just meant sorry for going off on the Wired Reflexes fluff tangent, but I figured since it seemed like you had your answer it wouldn't matter as much now.

[PeterSmith]

Do you tell your GM, "okay I activate my WR now."? No. You don't.

I do, actually, given the fluff and rule entries in the SR4A book (p. 145 - Switching Initiative, p. 219 - Example #2, p. 342 - Wired Reflexes).

[Glyph]

I used to be in at least 3 groups where... Yes they did exactly that.

That's unfortunate and IMO wrong, and I think this can be argued by the fact that it is not your perception or ability to process information that is slowed/sped-up (otherwise you'd get a myriad of other bonuses - perception, aiming a gun, etc.) it is simply a facilitation of the exchange of muscle/nerve signals.

PS sorry, Thrass, but it did seem like you have your answer...

By the fluff, someone with wired reflexes is in "a whole new world where everything around her seems to move in slow motion."  People with wired reflexes can do more in the same amount of time, even though they cannot do things like run faster, because they have this subjective time.  Bonuses for perception, aiming, and such all fall under the extra initiative passes, since things like aiming or observing in detail are essentially actions that you expend.

But also by the fluff, there is little reason not to keep your wired reflexes on all of the time.  In previous editions, there were rules for things such as twitchiness, but the fluff now makes it sound like someone with wired reflexes would be less likely to make those kind of mistakes.  The only thing keeping characters from using it all of the time would be OOC reasons (don't like having them on in crowds, don't want to stand out to people who know how to spot a wired person't movements, worried about long-term effects), not game mechanic ones.

[emsquared]

Bonuses for perception, aiming, and such all fall under the extra initiative passes, since things like aiming or observing in detail are essentially actions that you expend.

I guess... just surprising that in 4 or 5 campaigns with 3 or 4 different GMs, that this is the first I've seen anyone say that the effect is constant if the 'ware is on. Seems like it would be unpleasant having a day last essentially 2 to 3 times as long.

[RHat]

I used to be in at least 3 groups where... Yes they did exactly that.

That's unfortunate and IMO wrong, and I think this can be argued by the fact that it is not your perception or ability to process information that is slowed/sped-up (otherwise you'd get a myriad of other bonuses - perception, aiming a gun, etc.) it is simply a facilitation of the exchange of muscle/nerve signals.

PS sorry, Thrass, but it did seem like you have your answer...

If that's all it was, you wouldn't be able to process information quickly enough to have extra Initiative Passes.  When  Wired Reflexes is on, it is causing your body to produce adrenaline and increases information processing speed (hence the "neural boosters"), "catapulting the patient into a whole new world where everything around her seems to move in slow motion" (SR4A, 342, description of Wired Reflexes).  The physiological effect that causes Wired Reflexes to give you initiative passes is not contingent upon needing those passes - note that it doesn't, for example, say that it piggybacks upon the adrenal response to kick you into overdrive as needed.  The benefit to this is that you can turn them on at any time, even when your adrenal response wouldn't have kicked in; this allows you to use it to be able to have extra time to observe something, to aim, or similar things - it grants a bonus to perception, for example, in that you can use one of the extra passes to Observe in Detail.  Compare to Synaptic Boosters, which state that they achieve their effect by basically giving your spine more bandwidth.  However, as adrenaline naturally seems to slow everything down clearly the body doesn't normally run at max capacity in that sense, suggesting that they're piggybacking on the adrenal response.  Which means, if you're looking to use fluff to add a downside to Boosters to keep balance with Wired, that Synaptic Boosters have the benefit of being automatic and thus on in nearly all situations where you need them, while Wired Reflexes can be turned on in preparation or used in situations where that natural adrenal response wouldn't have kicked in and thus Boosters might not be on (but this is based on fluff, rather than rules).

[Mason]

In order for WR to kick on when you need them, you need another implant connecting the WR to your adrenal gland. If you are going to bother doing that, might as well take the bioware that improves that too. You still have to deactivate them afterward. Now, I wouldn't charge essence for a small hookup like that, just extra nuyen, but that's me.

My policy is to activate the ware when a shadowrun begins, and turn it off when we are in a safehouse or in the clear.

I also think that you should work out with the GM a list of things you're character ALWAYS does. See, our characters are trained professionals that put their lives at risk every day. Most players are not. A character in that situation will be hyped up, their adrenaline surging and their sense hyper-keen. They are, essentially, paying a lot of attention. They won't forget things as much as a player does. Their lives depend on it. So, certain behaviors they display pre-mission become almost a ritual, and so happen every time. The GM can have a short list of things that are ALWAYS done, and make note of that. It isn't even that much extra work for the GM. It takes a minute to read the cheat sheet.

[Mirikon]

Wired Reflexes can be turned off and on at will, but you actually have to issue the command. However, there is no real drawback to just leaving them on.

[valavaern]

Do you tell your GM, "okay I activate my WR now."? No. You don't.

In point of fact, characters in the fluff stories at chapter beginnings do explicitly switch their wired reflexes on on several occasions.

[Aryeonos]

Best Served Chilled, right? (Or a title to that effect.)

[Shaidar]

With Move-by-Wire being equated to being in a state of seizure when the system is "on/active", Wired Reflexes would be like having ADD/ADHD when the system is "on/active".

There is no way in reality that you will be able to conduct a sensitive negotiation/social conversation in such a state.

Transcript with WR/MbW:

Mr J:  I have..
You:  Job yes how much yen?

Mr J walks out the door, because you weren't calm enough to talk coherently with him.

[Aryeonos]

I think we need to make a 500 part webcomic about this now.

And here, to prove that living in ADHHHD/Bullet time negatively effects you, page 261 SR4A

Sensors are a form of passive security, waiting for a particular kind of
input before sending an alarm signal. As long as this input never arrives,
they remain silent.
Motion sensors pick up on movement. They transmit an ultrasonic
field, and react to changes in that field when anything enters
it. Intruders may detect the ultrasonic field by using an ultrasound
sensor set to passive mode within 5 meters. Defeating a motion sensor
requires that characters move very slowly through the field, one halfmeter
per Combat Turn, and succeeding in an Infiltration + Agility
(3) Test. Characters amped for speed may find it difficult to maneuver
in this way; apply a negative dice pool modifier equal to their extra
Initiative Passes.

Though even that's BS because even today you can't trick motion sensors, or dogs, or olfactory sensors, or spectralizers. But the point is, wired caffeine does in fact affect you in a negative way.
But more importantly still, that transcript Shaidar, horry shet, I lost it.