[Irian]

Sorry, I don't agree. Contacts are very important for every shadowrunner, imho, this is why I support the idea of free contacts at character creation. But for me a face (in shadowrun) is above all someone who works with his social skills, like a con man. This, of course, will probably lead to many contacts (more easily than other characters, anyway) but there's always the possibility that the character, for example, had to vanish from his former plex without leaving any traces.

And what you need depends strongly on who you are. For example, Michael Westen, from Burn Notice, imho qualifies as a face (and for some other jobs), but he doesn't have much contacts in the city to start with. Works perfectly fine. Thinking a face without contacts is worthless is like thinking a hacker without a dozens high-security nodes he has accounts on is worthless. A good face can MAKE those contacts, as much as a good hacker can crack those nodes to MAKE those accounts.

[tbrminsanity]

Then you just don't know how to use a face.
And a mage can be pretty usefull without spells or spirits - assensing, counterspelling, and so - like a mage can be pretty usefull with spirits but without spells, like a mage can be usefull with spells but without spirits, like a rigger can be usefull with drones but without vehicle, like another rigger can be usefull with vehicle, but without drones, and so, and so. All of these are just options, usefull options, yes, but not vital options.
Contacts are usefull to a face. As they are to any other type of character. But a face doesn't need contacts to be usefull to his team.
Or it's just a very badly handled face.

Now your just arguing for the sake of arguing, so I'm dropping this argument.  You can run your Face how you like (even though it is wrong IMHO).

[Critias]

It's pretty silly to argue a "right" or "wrong" way, or to "not know how," to run a Face.  Firstly because this isn't a class-based game, and second because how something -- especially something as wildly divergent as the importance of, and usage of, social skills! -- will work varies so tremendously from table to table.  There's no right or wrong way.  If it's working in a given game, it's working.  If you're having fun, you're doing it right.

[MJBurrage]

I agree with the general idea that characters should have more contacts than many players take.

I also agree with those in this thread that believe that free points based on Charisma makes it too good for spell casters.  And for that matter with the post that pointed out that many more skills than Etiquette could be applicable.

So rather than give free points we use a different cost formula:
• ( Connection × Loyalty ) karma or ( Connection × Loyalty ) / 2 BP

That makes low level contacts cheaper, and the highest end contacts more expensive — since one 6/6 is clearly better than six 1/1s, and IMHO, most contacts should be towards the lower end.

[FastJack]

I agree with the general idea that characters should have more contacts than many players take.

I also agree with those in this thread that believe that free points based on Charisma makes it too good for spell casters.  And for that matter with the post that pointed out that many more skills than Etiquette could be applicable.

So rather than give free points we use a different cost formula:
• ( Connection × Loyalty ) karma or ( Connection × Loyalty ) / 2 BP

That makes low level contacts cheaper, and the highest end contacts more expensive — since one 6/6 is clearly better than six 1/1s, and IMHO, most contacts should be towards the lower end.

I have to disagree that just because a caster has a high Charisma that's unfair they get more contacts.

Is it unfair that Hackers and Technomancers have more Knowledge skills because they usually have higher Intuition and Logic than other players? Or the casters that base their drain off Logic have more free Knowledge skills than those that base their casting off Charisma? I think it all works out in the end.

[MJBurrage]

No free knowledges under Karma gen.

Even under BP gen, giving spellcasters a lot of contacts by design does seem odder to me than any issues with the existing knowledge rules.

[tbrminsanity]

Man I need to know when to stay out.

It makes sense that the charismatic mage that mingles in the magical community would have more contacts in that community, while the pasty skin hacker that sits in his parent's basement and surfs the Matrix all day wouldn't. 

[FastJack]

No free knowledges under Karma gen.

Even under BP gen, giving spellcasters a lot of contacts by design does seem odder to me than any issues with the existing knowledge rules.

Well, it's a good thing that this is just a house rule...