[Hobbes]

1.  I think many of the Arch-typical Street Samurais have a chosen weapon, the one thing they have in common is expertise in that weapon.  I don't think any one specific weapon is the answer. 

2.  Any race, but the picture of the Orc Street Samurai from ye olde Street Samurai Guide really nails it.  It's between that picture and Molly. 

3.  Initiative mods and Smartlink.  Go fast, shoot straight. 

4.  Mercenary Code.  Reason one, source material.  Molly certainly had a code, but it wasn't Bushido.  Reason two, a Street Samurai is more than just some cyber thug, but they're much more likely to live to fight another day than die for a hopeless cause just because some corporate Johnson is throwing a few nuyen down. 

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

Yeah, but a street samurai will usually go to the wall over a major offense to their honor - making something bad look like it was their fault, a Johnson deliberately screwing them over, that sort of thing.

[Hobbes]

I don't think Vengeance is a Bushido specific thing. 

[Sipowitz]

This is how I  feel.
Personally I still am 1e-2e

How I saw it played in 1e-2e
Question 1
e) Smartsmg (Ingram and friends)
Question 2
B) Elf
C) Human
Question 3
E) INITIATIVE enhancement (Wired reflexes, synaptic accelerator, etc)
I) Smartgun Link
G) Cyberweapons (Spurs, Cybergun, etc)
Question 4
6) The Hooder's Code. Rob from teh Corps, give to the SINless. Never let a fellow Hood be arrested. Nobody's ever too poor to not share.


How I saw it played in 4e-5e
Question 1
d) Smartpistol (Ares Predator and friends), e) Smartsmg (Ingram and friends), f) Assault Rifles, g) Big Guns  equal importance
Question 2
Ork
Question 3
E) INITIATIVE enhancement (Wired reflexes, synaptic accelerator, etc)
A) BOD enhancement (Dermal plating, Skeleton upgrade, etc)
B) AGI enhancement (Muscle replacement, Muscle toner, etc)
Question 4
7) Codes are for suckers. Do what it takes to win 'cause the streets will chew you out otherwise. No such thing as an unfair advantage, and the whole point of getting somebody down is to hit them when they're vulnerable! SCrew you, I got mine.

[Squirrel]

1:
Some kind of blade. Usually Katana or combat knives if concealment is of concern.
And in addition (a sam HAS to have both) something automatic firing. Usually pimped AR or automatic pistols again for concealment.
2:
Not Troll. Is expected to be dangerous and too obvious.
Not Dwarf. Just too slow and does not deliver the idea of an agile fighter
Elf>Ork>Human>weird things
3:
Initiative, then some initiative and to round things up some nice and peachy initiative enhancements. Oh and smartlink, so at least something is thinking...
4:
"Code? Deckster is always mumbling about codes while doing his elektronic gismo stuff. You mean that? I don't know anything about code. "

[Sendaz]

I don't think Vengeance is a Bushido specific thing.

But when we think of Sammies and Vengeance, we often think of a certain 47 former samurai who many take to represent that point.

Though to be fair, they should have gone after their target right away rather than the long convoluted plan they went with as their code would have called for immediate action with courage and determination.

For even if they failed, which is most likely as their enemy was prepared for just that action, it would not have mattered as victory or defeat itself in immaterial to bushido.
Rather it is to act decisively in accordance with their code that reflects Bushido best.

Imagine if their enemy had died from disease or falling off his horse before they could enact their revenge, they would never have had the chance to enact their plan and their world would have just considered them the 47 Losers.

It is these difficulties of balancing one's own code against accomplishing what must be done that provides some of the best tales.

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

Though to be fair, they should have gone after their target right away rather than the long convoluted plan they went with as their code would have called for immediate action with courage and determination.

For even if they failed, which is most likely as their enemy was prepared for just that action, it would not have mattered as victory or defeat itself in immaterial to bushido.
Rather it is to act decisively in accordance with their code that reflects Bushido best.

Interesting couple of tidbits: first, changing sides and betrayal was practically the national sport of the samurai, hence their martial emphasis on situational awareness.  Second, the majority of what forms the later 'Code of Bushido' - the Hagakure - was essentially a series of complaints about 'how the samurai are fallen', given by a romanticist who never once drew his weapon in combat and was a glorified clerk.

So sure, he criticized the 47 Samurai for their long-term planning; his fantasy was for a samurai basically to to live as though he were already dead, and then to actually die in battle and that success or failure was immaterial.  This, of course, is both crap fantasist philosophy and fanatically inhumane; its essence violates at least three of the seven samurai virtues, while paying fanatical service to one or two of them, and is utterly unworkable in reality; you need people to be people who want to succeed, to live, and to do the right thing, not suicidal machines.

Unfortunately, a majority of the 'code books' all glorify the same thing, and if you look at the societal changes happening, it's obvious as to why they were written that way: the Tokugawa Shogunate, desiring absolute control, would promote absolute allegience unto fanatical devotion to one's higher-ups and an utter willingness to die at any moment for any reason if those higher-ups require it.  Echoes of this remain in Japanese society even today.

[UnLimiTeD]

1) Some sort of blade kind of defines the classical image, even though most people just use the word "Sam" interchangeably with "cybered fighter".
A close second would be Implant weapons, for reasons below.

2) Elf, Human, Ork in no particular order. Everyone can, but I don't really imagine a dwarf when I think about street sams.

3) A)Initiative. Wired reflexes are iconic equipment, though the modern sam can of course use more modern equivalents.
For B), I'm going with Implant guns, because whatever he set's his mind to, the Adept will be better, but hidden weapons costing essence is something that the Samurai can afford.
Smartlink doesn't need to be implanted anymore nowadays.

4) Tough question. I think what defines the Sam more than anything else is that he has a code, as others have iterated. I'd rule out Assassins and Mercenaries, and most folks in the shadows aren't big on loyalty if it means their death.
But a code is what makes the sam, otherwise it doesn't deserve the name.

[Whiskeyjack]

1. I have to say the katana or the AR. The former is emblematic of the notion of "samurai" and the latter is the most-lethal, most-legal military-grade weapon. Though this is just my association, and I don't think it's universal. This is probably the question with the most customizable answer.

2. I usually think of elf or ork. I adore that ork picture and think I might use it as character art for my next sam!

3. E, I, B. Street sams go fast, they use the tech to destroy their prey from range, and they almost always hit what they set their fell gaze upon.

4. I don't see a sam as needing a particular hard code to live by. It's more a level of skill. A sam can be a gang bruiser who made it big and jumped up to the next size fishbowl, or a corpsec kid who flew too high and got burned, needing to live by his wiles and gun arm. If anything I see the Ronin Code as most likely. Sell to the highest bidder, don't screw the guy giving you a paycheck unless he screws you first. I also like the Assassin's Code, but mainly because, as a professional, I tend to think it's best not to kill unless you get paid to literally do so (in which case - put the target down with utmost precision and overwhelming force). So, a blend of those. There's a bit of the overall larger game in the Assassin's Code, knowing that corpsec won't go as hard after you after the run if you don't kill the people in the way of your actual goal.

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

Hmmm.  Strangely, I feel guided by Michael Stackpole's character 'Tycho Caine' in the three novels he wrote for Dark Conspiracy.  Spoiler alert, but hey - fun fun.  Anyhow, when he gets back his memory, one of the things he remembers is regret during an assassination - regret that he'd clearly wasted three grains of powder in the bullet's charge when he was hand-loading them.  'Overwhelming force' is, to me, the act of an unprofessional; the professional uses precisely as much force as is necessary to accomplish his goals.  Overwhelming force is a waste of resources, effort, and a violation of ... style, I suppose. 

[Rift_0f_Bladz]

Hmm, good served.
1) Doesn't matter but should be good/great with one weapon/group and functional with another. Be it blades and automatics or pistols and long arms. But the Sam must be combat focused all the time.

2) Personally see sams of all races, but human being most common fallowed closely by orc and trolls.

3) Personally I use street sams to include combat adepts as well. But the the increases need to make the character faster (initiative), tougher(body or armor), and physically maxed or superior for their metatype (especially agility and strength).

4) Must have a code, even if only they know what it is. Doesn't need to be one listed, hell it could be some odd personal code, like only work on weeknights, don't frag cats not matter what, and always come to terms over burgers. But with that code come respect even if they are pink Mohawk uncouth jackass.

[Wakshaani]

An interesting thing is the ongoing blend of Samurai, Mercenary, and Soldier. The three archetypes have sort of conglomerated.

Hmm...

[Finn]

That may be the way the three have been blended since 1st and 2nd came out. I still like to make the distinction between the three in my games. I'm not sure if it's me or what, but it feels like there hasn't been a good fictionalization or representation of an original flavor Street Samurai in quite a while in the recent game books or fiction.

The Original was a mixture as well.

[Whiskeyjack]

regret that he'd clearly wasted three grains of powder in the bullet's charge when he was hand-loading them.

You may think that's cool or stylish, I just think it's silly and comes across as needlessly anal retentive. *shrug*

'Overwhelming force' is, to me, the act of an unprofessional; the professional uses precisely as much force as is necessary to accomplish his goals.  Overwhelming force is a waste of resources, effort, and a violation of ... style, I suppose. 

I didn't necessarily mean like using an HMG to kill a soft target. I mean directed force, where there is virtually no chance of the target escaping and an equally small chance of pointless collateral damage. I consider precision the hallmark of the professional.

[Wakshaani]

That may be the way the three have been blended since 1st and 2nd came out. I still like to make the distinction between the three in my games. I'm not sure if it's me or what, but it feels like there hasn't been a good fictionalization or representation of an original flavor Street Samurai in quite a while in the recent game books or fiction.

The Original was a mixture as well.

And in fine, Shadowrun tradition, his Essence cost is wrong. D'oh!