Why does anyone go VR when they can interact with AR at the same Matrix initiative (or better) without risking dumpshock or getting their brain fried by Black IC?
Like many aspects of Shadowrun, when it comes to accessing the Matrix you have to weigh the advantages and disadvantages against your character’s options and abilities. If you pay enough for it, either in Essence and nuyen or power points and Magic, characters can get up to 4 Initiative Passes when using Augmented Reality (which uses a character’s meat body Initiative). With a Simsense Booster (p.39, Augmentation), characters gets 3 Matrix IPs in Cold Sim VR; with a Simsense Booster and a Simsense Accelerator (p.198, Unwired) a character in Hot Sim VR has 5 Matrix IPs. So with the right choice of equipment, characters hacking in VR are as fast or faster than any character, agent, or sprite in AR. The main reason to use AR is to avoid the damaging effects of Black IC and Dumpshock; the worst that can happen to a user in AR is their icon crashes or a hostile hacker/IC gains control of their commlink. AR users also cannot experience simsense and can be distracted by events on the physical
Related Questions
- Why does anyone go VR when they can interact with AR at the same Matrix initiative (or better) without risking dumpshock or getting their brain fried by Black IC?
- Is the Initiative test for the brain mines taken on unmodified Initiative or do we factor in modifiers like Furious Charge, Psykout Grenades etc?
- How do binaural beats interact with the brains physiology?
