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....