[Jack_Spade]

Another, easily overlooked, cheap and helpful quality: "Practice, Practice" from Hard Targets increases your Limit by 1 for any one non-combat skill and can be taken for different skills. At 2 Karma there is really no reason not to take it.

[Hobbes]

Another, easily overlooked, cheap and helpful quality: "Practice, Practice" from Hard Targets increases your Limit by 1 for any one non-combat skill and can be taken for different skills. At 2 Karma there is really no reason not to take it.

I didn't think "Practice, Practice" increased Matrix limits as those are set by your Persona stats.  "Overclocker" and the assorted programs increase your limits for Matrix tests because they increase the associated Persona matrix attribute.  "Practice, Practice" seems to modify a Mental, Physical, or Social Limit...

If your GM rules "Practice, Practice" works for Matrix Limits then, it's a no-brainer 4 Karma for Hack on Fly and Computer at least. 

[gilga]

If you want to optimize I'd say you need high decking pools and then I suggest to be awakened. An adept decker can start with 3 additional skill points in computer/hacking and get +2 bonus for computers from a mentor spirit.  This is +5 computers, +3 hacking.  Also, you can take the higher concentration power to negate negative dice pool penalties (e.g. running silent) at the expense of action economy.
 
Now, while you can have ware - if you are awakened money tends to be expensive so if you do mystic adept, you can use increase attribute spells to steal +4 dice for your decking needs.  So a net of +9! dice to computer and +7 for hacking just for having a dash of magic.  Even with a cheap deck - your limits may be a bit too low for your skill level but you reliably reach these limits. Also if you focus on hacking rather than cybercombat then smoke and mirror means you can get away with cheap decks.

I agree that device level 2 is enough  - but I'd rather have an erika and incredible dice pools (and constantly hit my limit of 5 or 6) then have an expensive deck with less dice.

So this is just for being the best decker you can be - I played an adept (not mystic) decker that way and had really good starting dicepools - if I wanted to optimize her more I'd fix her access to increase attribute spells.  It seemed for me that being an adept (even if I only had magic 3) gave me far more then selecting the right qualities did. (and being a plain adept you'll have karma for over clocker and the other goodies).

[FST_Gemstar]

Character is also trying to be human... and edge is often important to decking (especially sleaze decking).  I like magical deckers a lot, but it is a lot of finagling, and I don't think optimal for human decker (dwarf on the other hand...). 

[gradivus]

Character is also trying to be human... and edge is often important to decking (especially sleaze decking).  I like magical deckers a lot, but it is a lot of finagling, and I don't think optimal for human decker (dwarf on the other hand...).

Seriously-if you say you can't readily fit the magic with a human, taking a race that starts 2 priority higher is not the answer.

[FST_Gemstar]

Character is also trying to be human... and edge is often important to decking (especially sleaze decking).  I like magical deckers a lot, but it is a lot of finagling, and I don't think optimal for human decker (dwarf on the other hand...).

Seriously-if you say you can't readily fit the magic with a human, taking a race that starts 2 priority higher is not the answer.

It is a balance issue. Taking dwarf lets you drop your attributes from C to E. And Taking Dwarf A or B/Magic D (4-5 priority points) is more efficient than taking Dwarf C/Magic B (5 points, less edge...). I still think it optimal for deckers to have decent edge and skills, and and it is tough to scale humans up magically/edgy without losing out someplace else they need for decking (basically skills), and their metal slot scales poorly. Dwarves still still let your adept decker take Skills A or B, get a Little Hornet, get some useful 'ware, get adept powers and decent edge. 

I'd prob go:
Dwarf A
Atts E
Magic D
Skills B
Resources C 

This build basically trades some 'ware for adept powers that are more specific to decking, that probably allows for future growth of taking more 'ware and scaling up on adept powers. 

[Fatespinner]

This thread is really great and I learned much about hackers from it. But why is always "Hacking (Hosts)" included and not files? Files are more often the goal of a run and also use the host values.