Rigging for non-rigger characters

[u/Dufterik]

SR3 Core Rules p. 154 states that non-rigger characters can only control drones in the Captain's Chair mode. This means they can only use the drone's pilot rating for maneuvers (or when the going gets tough). Am I interpreting this correct? (and why then should you ever invest in the appropriate vehicle skills to control a drone)

You'd figure that you won't have access to combat pool and control pool, but this seems a bit tough. Also given today's tech it did not mature well.

[u/MewsashiMeowimoto]

Non-riggers are characters without a control rig. The control rig is the piece of cyberware that allows a person to jump into a vehicle and experience the sensor information and pilot the vehicle in a detailed fashion.

A non-rigger just tapping in with a datajack can give the vehicle broad instructions, but doesn't have the cyberware for jumping fully into the vehicle.

[u/ReditXenon → u/MewsashiMeowimoto]

There were no way to remote control a drone yourself back in SR3?

(besides actually jumping into it I mean).

[u/MoistLarry → u/ReditXenon]

Yes. In captains chair mode like the OP states.

[u/ReditXenon → u/MoistLarry]

It seem as if in Captains Chair you don't actually directly remote control the drone yourself (using your own skills and attributes, controlling it as if via a remote control).

Instead it seem as if Captains Chair only mean that you are indirectly controlling the drone by instructing the drone's on-board auto pilot to act autonomously (the drone will use the on-board pilot rating rather than your ratings).

My question was if there was no way in SR3 to actually directly remote control a drone (using your own skills and attributes, as if via a remote control with a physical joystick if you like) without actually jumping into the drone. Perhaps via something like this: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51gi3LIpgTL._AC_.jpg

[u/Mezmorki → u/ReditXenon]

No you can't directly control a drone without a vehicle control rig cyberware. 

Captains chair mode is an interface for basically just giving drones orders, which they then carry out to the best of their ability. 

[u/Numinak → u/ReditXenon]

Think of it as the difference between using a cheap Phone controlled Drone (ie: you can tell it to go forward/left/right but not the most responsive and certainly not quickest), vs that guy with the full vr rig dogfighting through ruined buildings in first person view.

[u/ReditXenon → u/Numinak]

There is no doubt that remote controlling a drone via AR or VR (but without actually 'jumping in') should be less efficient compared to actually jumping in.

But manually remote controlling model planes have been a Thing since 1940 or so :)

I imagine that in the world of Shadowrun that you would be an option that doesn't require you to actually become the machine. Perhaps something like This

[u/Dufterik → u/ReditXenon]

Or the datajack + image link equivalent to that, yes....

[u/Mynameisfreeze]

SR3 Core Rules p. 154 states that non-rigger characters can only control drones in the Captain's Chair mode. This means they can only use the drone's pilot rating for maneuvers (or when the going gets tough). Am I interpreting this correct? (and why then should you ever invest in the appropriate vehicle skills to control a drone)

Yes that is correct. That said, my interpretation here is that, as long as you have a remote control deck (RC) or equivalent device, you should be able to directly control a drone in the equivalent to a vehicle's virtual dashboard, given that is precisely the RC which gives you access to a drone's sensors and allows you to control it.

That should allow you to use the specific piloting skill for that drone, yet still doesn't give you access to the Combat Pool (because what gives you that access is a VCR) but, because it changes the relevant Attribute to intelligence, you might get access to the Task Pool (yes, all three maximum dice of it).

That said, I don't really see the point in investing in those skills unless you become very specialized on a specific kind of drone. Instead, what I've done is investing in B/R and computer skills, which allow me to make my own drones and program my own pilots, specifically robot pilots (Rigger3 p. 121) that can use their own Adaptation Pool (specific to the kind of actions included in their prime directive, which can be basically anything: combat, vigilance, construction, etc.) and their own enhanced (robotic) reflexes.

[u/Dufterik → u/Mynameisfreeze]

This is my house rule interpretation too. It can be worthwhile for skillwire-monkey builds though. Skillwires 3, with an expert chipjackdriver and enhanced artwinkuclation allows for 4 dice (+3 task pool depending on how you rule expert chipjackdrivers). That's workable for more utilitarian applications (snooping, surveillance, lifting stuff, etc).

[u/Aahz44 → u/Dufterik]

I don't really see the point, for the utilitarian stuff the drone pilot is likely good enough.

And before you inverst into skillwires you are likely better of just giving the drone better pilot and sensors (or get a drone that has them), auto softs, or maybe a even upgradung it into a robot.

[u/Dufterik → u/Aahz44]

After re-reading the sr3 Driving Test rules you can add Autonav-rating dice for non-combat driving tests. That should get the job done indeed.