Yet if you read it, all it is talking about is Cyberlimbs. Your Cyberlimbs are jacked to the max that is why they get it. You lose boxes because not only are you stressing the hardware you are stressing your body too. It is away for people to throw karma at getting that last augmented point that they normally could not get. Whether the meat side of things also it is up in the air. As written I would say yes ...
You could be right... there are so many holes in this book I now now the Pain that Street Grimore caused (though Ways were cool & they addressed the problem of Upgrading Foci which this book still failed at.) But that would make this Quality Complete Trash!!!! It still doesn't address the Movement or Physical Limit Sinkholes that fully Cybered characters fall into. That last +1 is meaningless when you are using Str & Agi as semi dump stats. If you raise them high enough to have a decent Movement & Physical Limit, then getting Cyberlimbs is dumb. Just raise the Attributes themselves with Ware. It's already ¥72k per limb to get Str 6/Agi 9, Armor 3... ×4 = ¥288k & 4 points of Essence. That's before investing in Reaction & Initiative.... which a Street Sam needs badly. The Essence cost is restricting you to Synaptic Booster which is about 100k a Rating.
Actually i feel that with Chrome Flesh, cyberlimb is very comparable to straight up augmentation, and maybe even stronger for a Street Sam. The reasons are:-(1) Cheapish essences and nuyen initiave combo that allows your Sam to get decent initiative score without investing too much,
(2) Internal router allows you to use all the wireless goodies without fear of bricking (cyberlimbs have quite a number of them)
(3) Skimmers double your movement rate
(4) Cyberlimb optimization for that 2 extra dice pool + 4 increase physical limit for a particular skill.
(5) Biocompatibility Quality is just icing that allows you to cramp more into Sam (this quality affects cyberlimb Sam more than normal Sam, who usually will go more for bioware)
(6) Fundamentally, cyberlimb is not really much more expensive essence and nuyen wise vs going ware. It is just that most people did not price in the armor benefit vs bone lacing and orthoskin. i.e. 4 full obvious limb [2 armor, 6 str, 6 agi, Optimisation] is 4 essence and 212k nuyen vs used R3 Toner & Augmentation, Aluminium lacing and R3 Orthoskin of 3.25 and 177.75k nuyen. R3 Agi or Str enhancement cost 19.5k for each limb.
Both the qualities cyber singularity seeker (CSS) and redliner are a steal is terms of karma effectiveness. (1) CSS is effectively equivalent to 45 karma if your starting will power is 3 and 65 karma if your starting willpower is 5.
(2) For redliner, whichever way you read it, it is very strong.
(a) if it adds 4 stats to your meat body, that is equivalent to a priority upgrade for stats (from priority C to B or from B to A), or in terms of augmentation, a rating 2 muscle augmentation (50k nuyen and 2 essence) or a R2 muscle toner and augmentation (126k and 0.8 essence).
(b) If it adds to the cyberlimbs itself, then the cyberlimb can augmented up to at 11 agi and str for a human. A very significant improvement in combat capability. It will also allow you to start with a 8 Agi and Str just via cyberlimb customisation.
(c) The loss of 2 physical condition box is not very meaningful because going cyberlimb allows you to easily stack armor high into the low or mid 20s. Most attacks against you should be doing stun rather than physical damage.
I have created a cyberlimb Sam as an example to illustrate its viability. This is assuming worst case that redliner adds 4 to meat stats. If redliner adds to cyberlimb, you can always go elf, or a sum-to-10 human to rearrange the priority. You should get back a very similar stat arrangement (but with less karma), and a significant increase in combat efficiency of an additional 2 agi and str. it will also allow you to delay some of the cyberlimb upgrades, that you effectively use the nuyen to get better iniative augmentation
Key strengths:- (1) 19 DP for assault rifle (9 cyberlimb + 8 skills & spec + 2 smartlink). Recoil compensation 9 (2 Ares Alpha + 3 Str + 3 Gas vent + 1 shock pad)
(2) 19 DP unarmed (9 cyberlimb + 8 skills & spec + 2 cyberlimb optimisation). Spurs DV 12, AP -2, Accuracy 10 (6 physical limit, 4 cyberlimb optimisation) [Accuracy 8 if you are using skimmers]
(3) 26 armor (10 cyberlimb + 13 sleeping tiger + 3 line coat) [another 2 more can be added to your cyberlimbs post creation, with nuyen and availability]
(4) High Willpower of 5
(5) Relatively high movement speed 16/32 with skimmers (equivalent to 8 agi)
(6) Decent physical limit of 6
(7) Except Logic at 2, all other stats are 3 or above. No true dump stat that will make GM mad at you
(8 ) Decent initiative score 14 + 2D6.
(9) Except for the +2DP from smartgun link, all wireless capable augmentation can be used without fear of bricking due to internal router
(10) Cyberlimb is cool!
==Notes==
10 Karma to increase logic from 1 to 2
10 Karma to increase Nuyen by 20k
2 Kama to increase palming skill to 1
2 Karma to increase pilot ground craft to 1
11 Karma left to spend on qualities and skills
6.7k Nuyen left for ammo and misc equipment
== Info ==
Movement: 8/16 (16/32 with skimmers)
Human
Composure: 8
Judge Intentions: 9
Lift/Carry: 8 (45 kg/30 kg)
Memory: 7
Nuyen: 6700
== Priorities ==
Metatype: D - Human or Elf
Attributes: B - 20 Attributes
Special: E - Mundane
Skills: C - 28 Skills/2 Skill Groups
Resources: A - 450,000¥
== Attributes ==
BOD: 5
AGI: 2 (4) (2 from redliner)
REA: 5 (7)
STR: 1 (3) (2 from redliner)
CHA: 3
INT: 6
LOG: 2
WIL: 5
EDG: 5
== Derived Attributes ==
Essence: 0.34
Initiative: 14 + 2d6
Physical Damage Track: 9
Stun Damage Track: 11
== Limits ==
Physical: 6
Mental: 5
Social: 4
Vashon Island: Sleeping Tiger [+1] (Must be visible)
Vashon Island: Synergist Business Line Longcoat [+1] (Must be visible)
== Active Skills ==
Automatics : 6 [Assault Rifles]
Con : 1 [Fast Talk]
Etiquette : 1
Gymnastics : 1
Leadership : 1
Negotiation : 1
Palming : 1
Perception : 4 [Visual]
Pilot Ground Craft : 1
Running : 1
Sneaking : 6 [Urban]
Swimming : 1
Unarmed Combat : 6 [Cyber Implants: Spurs]
== Knowledge Skills ==
== Qualities ==
Redliner
Biocompatability (Cyberware)
SINner (Corporate)
== Lifestyles ==
Low 1 months
== Cyberware/Bioware ==
Synaptic Acceleration (Standard)
Cybereyes Basic System Rating 3 (Alpha)
+Image Link
+Flare Compensation
+Low-Light Vision
+Smartlink
+Thermographic Vision
+Vision Magnification
Datajack (Alpha)
Internal Router (Alpha)
Obvious Full Arm (AGI 9, STR 9) (Left) (Used)
+Armor Rating 3
+Customized Agility Rating 6
+Customized Strength Rating 6
+Cyberlimb Optimization (The Greatest)
+Enhanced Agility Rating 3
+Enhanced Strength Rating 3
+Spurs
Obvious Full Arm (AGI 9, STR 9) (Right) (Used)
+Armor Rating 3
+Customized Agility Rating 6
+Customized Strength Rating 6
+Cyberlimb Optimization (The Greatest)
+Enhanced Agility Rating 3
+Enhanced Strength Rating 3
+Spurs
Obvious Full Leg (AGI 6, STR 6) (Right) (Standard)
+Armor Rating 2
+Customized Agility Rating 6
+Customized Strength Rating 6
+Cyberlimb Optimization (The Greatest)
+Skimmers
+Cyber Holster
Obvious Full Leg (AGI 6, STR 6) (Left) (Standard)
+Armor Rating 2
+Customized Agility Rating 6
+Customized Strength Rating 6
+Cyberlimb Optimization (The Greatest)
+Skimmers
Reaction Enhancers Rating 2 (Alpha)
== Armor ==
Vashon Island: Sleeping Tiger 13
+Custom Fit
+Newest Model
+Ruthenium Polymer Coating 3
Vashon Island: Synergist Business Line Longcoat3
+Custom Fit (Stack)
+Holster
== Weapons ==
Ares Alpha
+Gas-Vent 3 System
+Shock Pad
+Personalized Grip
+Smartgun System, Internal
Pool: 10 (12) Accuracy: 8 DV: 11P AP: -2 RC: 8
Remington Suppressor
+Gas-Vent 3 System
+Personalized Grip
+Smartgun System, External
+Sound Suppressor
Pool: 10 Accuracy: 9 DV: 7P AP: -1 RC: 5
Spurs
Pool: 10 (12) Accuracy: 6 DV: 12P AP: -2 RC: 2
Spurs
Pool: 10 (12) Accuracy: 6 DV: 12P AP: -2 RC: 2
Unarmed Attack
Pool: 10 Accuracy: 6 DV: 3S AP: - RC: 2
== Commlink ==
Transys Avalon (ATT: 0, SLZ: 0, DP: 6, FWL: 6)
== Gear ==
Fake SIN Rating 4
+Fake License (Driver's License) Rating 4
+Fake License (Concealed Carry Permit) Rating 4
+Fake License (Firearms License) Rating 4
+Fake License (Restricted Cyberware License) Rating 1
== Vehicles ==
Suzuki Mirage (Racing Bike)
+Sensor Array Rating 2