[The_Gun_Nut]

It's mostly the FASA implosion that mucked all their lines up.

I really enjoyed their Renegade Legion set of games.  Fun and quick tactical far future combat games.  Haven't played the RPG based upon it, yet.  Wouldn't mind doing that.

[Casazil]

I guess the history behind Shadowrun was more confusing then I thought... 

Well IT IS Shadowrun 

[1]

Back on topic: Something to think about is that skillwires let you spend both karma AND nuyen on skills. Some people talk as if it moves all the skill building to nuyen when what it does is give you a choice.

[Casazil]

Yes it is a choice but my issue is the cost nuyen and essence I'd rather just pay karma.

[FastJack]

Even back in previous editions, I didn't use skillwires much for my characters. I always thought they'd want to have the actual skills and reserved the skillsofts for etiquette/first aid/knowledge skills.

[Muspellsheimr]

The reason for the cost increase to Activesofts in the Anniversary printing was because Skillwires where, put simply, stupidly overpowering, and many people - myself in particular, where very vocal about this on the Dumpshock forums.

The current issue is that the cost increase greatly restricts access to the Activesofts, but does not actually address the problem with Skillwires.



I would advise to anyone looking for a change to reduce the cost of Activesofts to Rating x 2,500 Nuyen, and change the functionality of Skillwires to a fixed dice pool (opposed to ranks in a skill, as it currently works) equal to 2 + the Rating of the Activesoft.

Further, Skillwires should be limited to skills linked to a Physical attribute, with another system used for skills linked to Mental attributes. Unfortunately, I have not yet developed rules for this divide yet.

[CyberT2000]

This idea is very interesting.

I'll discuss this with my players to create a houserule for our group (with maybe 3 + rating to simulate an average attribute).

[Da_Prince]

The reason for the cost increase to Activesofts in the Anniversary printing was because Skillwires where, put simply, stupidly overpowering, and many people - myself in particular, where very vocal about this on the Dumpshock forums.

The current issue is that the cost increase greatly restricts access to the Activesofts, but does not actually address the problem with Skillwires.

I would advise to anyone looking for a change to reduce the cost of Activesofts to Rating x 2,500 Nuyen, and change the functionality of Skillwires to a fixed dice pool (opposed to ranks in a skill, as it currently works) equal to 2 + the Rating of the Activesoft.

Further, Skillwires should be limited to skills linked to a Physical attribute, with another system used for skills linked to Mental attributes. Unfortunately, I have not yet developed rules for this divide yet.

Oh, I like that! Especially the idea that it's 3+ skill dice rolled. Skillwires became very popular in my group recently. I'm just waiting for that one elf with agility 7 plus muscle toner 3 and lots of rating 4 combat skills.     

Still, I also think 10K per rating is too expensive!

Da P.

[Medicineman]

Still, I also think 10K per rating is too expensive!

same here.
my 3rd SR4 Group I'm playing in has the same Problem .We have 2 (maybe 3) chars with either Move-By-Wire or Skillwires.
Our Solution:  by one Skillchip with a skill everybody uses (Infiltration f.E.)and copy it 3 times while sharing the cost for original and copies

with an original Dance
Medicineman

[LFG]

I think building in some of the drawbacks listed in Unwired would have been a much better way to balance them.  I mean would instant Pistol 3 from a activesoft be avaiable without restrictions? Say for example the Pistol 3 keyed to not shooting Knight Errant or Lone Star.

[Walks Through Walls]

I think the issue is that as some one stated above that now skills can be bought, and karma spent on them.

Yes skillwires takes essence for the initial system, but after that money buys skills. If you buy the skills that only matter if you succeed not how many successes and have a decent stat to go with it you can literally become a jack(or Jill) of all trades. Then you spend your karma on the skills where the number of successes matter and you are suddenly able to increase your characters scope.

Or better yet spend the karma on your attributes so that even with only a level 4 skill you are around 8-10 dice and presto you have power.


The other problem that cheap activesofts creates is the oh we need this skill for the job run down to the local Radio Hack and buy the skillsoft and add in my attribute that I max out and I am suddenly as good at it as your average person in the field. They have skill I have the raw attribute

Another option is buy the activesofts for skills that you can't default on.

I'm not saying the high price was the right way to try and solve the problem, but I think these are some of the reasons behind the price increase

[DarkLloyd]

Yes skillwires takes essence for the initial system, but after that money buys skills. If you buy the skills that only matter if you succeed not how many successes and have a decent stat to go with it you can literally become a jack(or Jill) of all trades. Then you spend your karma on the skills where the number of successes matter and you are suddenly able to increase your characters scope.

Sooo, you want More min/maxed monsters that are good at just one thing? So when one or two of your players don't show up to a game it has to be called because the needed skills are no longer there?!! Interesting.

Or better yet spend the karma on your attributes so that even with only a level 4 skill you are around 8-10 dice and presto you have power.

10 dice is an average of 3 to 4(maybe) sucsesses. That is Power to Only the Basest of NPCs.

The other problem that cheap activesofts creates is the oh we need this skill for the job run down to the local Radio Hack and buy the skillsoft and add in my attribute that I max out and I am suddenly as good at it as your average person in the field. They have skill I have the raw attribute.

Which is Exactly why they were created by the Corps in the first place.... A Cheap labor force. It changed the face of the sixth world, read Unwired.

Another option is buy the activesofts for skills that you can't default on.

Uhm, Yeah. That's kind of the point.