Updating my twitter account mostly.

Even people who aren't hacking-inclined can do things during combat with online actions. Controlling holographic projectors, for example, to distract and confuse the enemy, or looking up just what brand of robot they're fighting and if it has any weaknesses. It can also be used dramatically for combat bonuses, like broadcasting combat plans to your tactical network, or to speed up something else, such as devising a counter-agent to the neurotoxin you've been breathing since you entered the room. You can also use it to direct the AIs of the bots you have with you (they're cheap, so why wouldn't you keep a few?) to give you better tactical information or to direct where they're shooting or when. Alternatively, just use it for Rule of Cool and have your character put on some awesomely appropriate background music.

On Eclipse Phase, page 190, it says While engaged in a Task Action, you may not also undertake a Complex Action, though in some cases you may take a break from the task and return to it later. Rewriting the rules completely to make your own Home Brew is a time honored tradition, but I am never surprised when such major rule alterations cause such huge game imbalances.

Complementary skills and programming. Engineering and fixer nanites can be used in interesting ways like welding doors shut, disassembling locks. More offensively they can isolating a floor tile and then hook it up to a live power feed. To do that effectively you combine repair and engineering skills with programming. Same thing goes for targeted demolitions. in microgravity, suitable shaped charges can turn large objects into aimed projectiles. Including some enemies. It helps to know where they are going and where not to stand. Nanites can be used to turn your common blob of c4 to a custom shape charge. One time I blew out a section of hull panel behind an XT and immediately blew the wall panel facing the hole as a patch. Air pressure held it mostly in place while the nanites did the weld. Mix of engineering, repair, smidge of pilot for ballistics, demolitions and programming.

Nobody gave the most important clarification: Implants granting extra Speed (Neurachem, Reflex Boosters, MRDR glands), allowing you to act in additional Action Phases (up to 4). Multitasking, multiple personalities and Mental Speed grant you additional Mental Action PER Action Phase (up to 2). So having Speed of 4 and Multitasking implant you can use 12 actions per Action TURN(4 physical, 8 mental). Now on Task Actions: You can perform Task actions with additional mental actions, but there are limitations. Multiple personalities and multitasking allow you to perform mental Task Actions without hindrance. Second personality or multitasking fork perform them. Mental Speed allow you mental actions but it effectively speeds up your processing. So if you want to perform Task actions it is basically like texting while driving, but the universe is really slow. Mental Speed allows you to spot and track bullets with perception action. So if you want to be a Neo or Flash take Mental Speed, if you want to be a combat hacker use Multitasking. As a sidenote: I can not recommend this blog enough: http://www.seedwareblog.com/2015/07/196-multitasking.html EDIT: I wrote the comment, before noticing how ******* necro this thread is.