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Active Hardwires vs. Activsofts

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adzling

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« on: <07-07-15/1702:50> »
any one riddle me this:

Y does an active hardwire that involves invasive surgery cost $4k per rating while an activesoft that just slots into a jack and you can buy off-the-shelf and requires no surgery costs $5k per rating?

ugh

Herr Brackhaus

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« Reply #1 on: <07-07-15/1712:10> »
Only if you riddle me this: y do people feel the need to x-post?

adzling

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« Reply #2 on: <07-07-15/1717:30> »
ok, i'll bite.
Sometimes you want to talk to different audiences.

now your turn!

Herr Brackhaus

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« Reply #3 on: <07-07-15/1733:07> »
Because activesofts require skilljacks, which cost 10k nuyen and .1 Essence per rating, as well as skill wires, which cost 20k nuyen and .2 Essence per rating.
« Last Edit: <07-07-15/1812:29> by Herr Brackhaus »

adzling

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« Reply #4 on: <07-07-15/1747:08> »
so that makes activesofts MORE expensive than hard skillwires that require surgery?
huh?

ScytheKnight

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« Reply #5 on: <07-07-15/1813:36> »
Like I said, the strength of Actisofts is that you can swap them out as needed.

Active Hardwires on the other hand cost essence and can't be swapped out as needed.

Basically it's the cheep and dirty option as opposed to investing in a proper skilljack/wires setup.
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Herr Brackhaus

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« Reply #6 on: <07-07-15/1814:33> »
so that makes activesofts MORE expensive than hard skillwires that require surgery?
huh?

Yes and No.

Active hardwires do not require a skilljack or skillwires, but are limited to a single skill chosen at implantation. They are cheap, but limited

Activesofts require both implanted skillwires and a skilljack, at a minimum cost of 30k nuyen per rating, in addition to the activesoft itself. They are more expensive, but also more versatile.
« Last Edit: <07-07-15/1816:36> by Herr Brackhaus »

adzling

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« Reply #7 on: <07-07-15/1825:54> »
I agree with both of you re: the relative utility of active hardwires vs. activesofts.

However given that you must spend a whole heckuva lot more to install the skillwires and skilljacks the setup is more expensive and more essence costly.

Given that it's the same software in the activesoft and in the active hardwire how can the activesoft be more expensive even though it involves no surgery?

Just seems nutty to me.

Even if they were both the same price, or the activesoft a little cheaper it would not effect the game play balance, active hardwires would still be the cheaper option due to not requiring the support systems to make them run.

It just seems like someone didn't think it through well.

jim1701

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« Reply #8 on: <07-07-15/1842:22> »
Popularity.  Activsofts are more popular (e.g. mainstream) and so are more expensive.  Go on Amazon right now and you could most likely find two identical items where one is more expensive simply because it's red. 

ScytheKnight

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« Reply #9 on: <07-07-15/1848:16> »
What's not to get? You want to quickly give someone a skill? You cram Active Hardwires into them, you want to have someone who can easily swap between a variety of skills, you get them a Skill Jack/Wires combo.

Also worth noting that Skill Jack/Wires is more current technology, read the fluff on Active Hardwires and it mentions that it's old, practically discontinued tech making it much cheaper to manufacture.
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adzling

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« Reply #10 on: <07-07-15/1858:53> »
Bottom line, the cost of surgery.

One has it, the other just plugs in.

Installing a comlink in your head costs more than carrying one in your pocket.

Imagine installing a comlink in your head cost less than carrying one in your pocket.

would that make sense?

ScytheKnight

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« Reply #11 on: <07-07-15/1906:31> »
Forget it...
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jim1701

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« Reply #12 on: <07-07-15/1927:15> »
There are many things that go into determining a price point for a product.

Econ 101
  • How much does it cost to manufacture?  This aspect seems to be where you are getting hung up on this but this is only a single factor in price determination.
  • What are my R&D costs?  Early adopters always bear the brunt of R&D costs.  Generally always cheaper to buy last year's model vs. next year's model. 
  • What are my marketing costs?  Old tech is less likely to get advertising dollars because its old.  It also means its price is not getting jacked up from a big ad budget.
  • What is the demand for this product?  No one is going to get Hardwires because they want them.  They get them because they can't afford the good stuff.  Hence the good stuff costs more.

adzling

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« Reply #13 on: <07-07-15/1945:24> »
I agree with all of your points.

If you think that the cost of surgery is not a factor then I would understand your rationale.

Last I checked surgery wasn't free.

jim1701

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« Reply #14 on: <07-07-15/1949:35> »
In general I would include surgery as a manufacturing cost.  You don't have too and you can make it a separate factor but that does not change the fact that there are perfectly valid reasons why hardwires are cheaper than activsofts.  But obviously I can't help you so I'm outta here...