>>I have some recollection of a CP 2020 character using a Kang Tao Type
>>97 - a polymer one-shot priced at a mere 35eurobucks.
>>
>>Since the weapon upgrades worked on a multiplier of base cost, I then
>>paid to upgrade the reliability from Unreliable to Very Reliable, and
>>add a recoil compensator for another shot per round.
>>
>>It was a very rules lawyerly way of getting a very decent 9mm sidearm
>>for significantly less than the cost the solidly middle of the range
>>guns like the Federated Arms X-9mm.
>
>I had a player do something like that. And then chucked a smartgun link
>on it.
>
>Using the alternate cybernetics effects rules I was testing at the time,
>this ended up causing a very hilarious effect that I will discuss
>somewhere else.

Welcome to Somewhere Else.

The rules in question I was testing were for a little more of a real-world kind of effect, as I work(d) like so many people around in tech, and my tech support background got me thinking. Basically, instead of "emotional coldness and then psychosis", there were also possible issues with technical issues due to mistakes, incompatibilities, things like that. You could get glitches, system failures, and, yes, cyberpsychosis - you could even install just a little chipjack and something about it on your nervous system could make you psychotic. It was a little clunky and needed refinement, but I figured, hey, might as well try something a little different.

So as noted by Drakensis and then by me, I had a player who got one of the cheapest guns in the game, had a gunsmith work on it to make it reliable, and then, being the team gunbunny, slapped a smartgun link on it. It was supposed to be the character's second-tier hold-out, when their main hold-out wasn't available for a reason - you know, the one that's in the ankle holster in the boot for when extra shit hits the fan.

I made the rolls. "Major Malfunction" came up. But it didn't happen until they used the item, so I tucked that away for later.

Well, it being Cyberpunk 2020 and me running a very 80s inspired game (they were going up against mostly-dead-and-upgraded soldiers being run on remote by an AI, and working for an old man who ran a foundation dedicated to restoring California, at least, to a place run not by corporations and their whims but by laws and goverment), extra shit did, in fact, hit the fan.

Dr. Snow ended up with their rifle AND their pistol unusable. They pulled the "oh shit" holdout. Engaged the cyberlink.

And then all they could see was this:

...Needless to say, the phrase in the title was said, and then everyone started laughing at the sheer, absolute, utter ridiculousness of it.

They managed to live! But it was really dicey, and Dr. Snow was kind of useless until the medtech got a chance to reboot their processor and install a new cyberlink driver for the gun link.

--
Jen Dantes - Darth Mephron
Haberdasher to Androids, Dark Lady of Sith Tech Support.
"This may not be a good idea, but it's the only one I have."