[Triskavanski]

What is the most important skills for a Technomancer?

I know Tasking ones are important, as is Software, what about the rest of electronics and cracking skills?

[JackVII]

Automatics, so they have something they can actually do without knocking themselves out/dead.

[Triskavanski]

I hardly think you need to do everything at level 12 force, besides, thats about as useful as saying Deckers need Heavy Weapons so they have something to actually do without getting bricked all the time.

Like for example,

Can Technomancers use the matrix actions without having to A) use a complex form, and B) have to have a device to do it? If so, how important is Electronic Warfare?

How important is Cybercombat? Since Hackign looks to be used for a lot of them, I'd figure that would be useful there. As would be computer.

[MaxKojote]

If you're planning to actually do any matrix stuff yourself, the electronics and cracking groups would be in your area, yes; you still need to use those skills to do hacking properly. Technomancers just can use Software to cast thread complex forms, but that won't nearly cover all matrix activity. Granted you can just get a  sprite to do the matrix stuff, but that requires you to compile the sprite, give it the instruction and so on. Which can take longer. And requires you to compile successfully.

More precisely:

Hacking. This covers a fair portion of your matrix actions. You should have it unless you intend to purely focus on having sprites handle all the hacking.
Computer. Used fairly often for a mix of legal and illegal stuff (from editing files to formatting  devices). You should also consider having it since otherwise you're getting a sprite to do a lot of trivial stuff.
Cybercombat is less necessary. Generally you don't want to do any of the actions requiring a cybercombat skill (due to them being attack skills where failure means stun damage). It's needed for matrix combat  and crashing things. Possibly get it, but I'd recommend a sprite instead.
Electronic Warfare should be a level of focus since you use it to hide if you get spotted, as well as checking overwatch, Jam Signals (or what I like to call 'improvised jamming') and snooping.
Software is used for complex forms, yes. So you should have it. Outside of that, it's also used for data bomb-related stuff, please get a sprite to do this instead. Even then though, a lot of the complex forms are of questionable value at best, so your mileage may vary.
Hardware is used if you need to jack out. So it's kind of necessary in the event that you get hit by black IC or need to rush out.

[JackVII]

How closely have you looked at the TM rules OP? There's a reason they are generally looked upon with revulsion.

Anyway:

1) TMs can use all the Matrix Actions though their Living Persona. Many hacking related actions can't be accomplished through CFs, or at least not without risking a ton of drain. EW is pretty important for a number of different Matrix Actions. I wouldn't skimp on it.

2) You can get away without having Cybercombat. You can get Resonance Spike, but it is mostly garbage compared to Data Spike for a number of reasons.

3) Get as many ranks in Hacking and Computer that you can. Computer is critical for Matrix Perception/Search. Hacking is going to be pretty much the only way you're going to get into a Host.

[Triskavanski]

I've been going through them over and over, trying to figure out why people are repulsed.

But since I haven't played SR4, I probably have less of a reaction since I don't have something to base it off of.

Alright, High Computer/Hacking. At least mid electronic warfare, Mid-high Software.

[JackVII]

I didn't play SR4 either, but it's pretty easy to see where the TM is going to have some major challenges.

[Triskavanski]

Well I'm pretty oblivious then. What are these major challenges?

[JackVII]

It's probably easier to build one and then throw it up a few sample hosts to see how it works out,

[firebug]

The problems a TM has are mainly that they are trumped by deckers in very many ways.  For instance, deckers can put E into MAG/RES, and having a dump priority is always nice.  They also require less attributes (LOG and INT, with a bit of WIL) while a TM uses all four mentals.  The ability to get augmentations means they'll be able to get Cerebral Booster for a bonus to logic (and thus the majority of offensive matrix actions), some kind of Initiative booster to allow them to AR hack more easily (important in this edition due to the focus on the decker being "with the team" and direct-connecting to devices to get around defenses), have access to the hacking programs (which provide massive boosts like Baby Monitor, Fork, and Sneak) and are capable of actually being part of a PAN.  Technomancers cannot get any noise compensation (which deckers get through a datajack and the Signal Scrub program), nor can they make use of Agents (which cannot be replaced by Sprites--  asking a sprite to do something like use Matrix Perception every pass to check for marks would use a task every combat turn).  TMs also use more skill points, as they need Compiling and Registering and a higher focus on Software.  This is to access their Complex Forms, which are underwhelming and have extremely high Fading values, and Sprites, which are themselves not any better than a decker while being limited to a few matrix actions--  Unless compiled at very high force, which will likely result in a lot of Fading.

And of course, the "taking stun damage instead of matrix damage" but that hardly seems worth mentioning after all that.

Now that I'm done with that...

Electronic Warfare is actually really useful, IMO.  It's used for Control Device when used for non-standard actions like opening doors and locks, and it's used in the Hide action, which can be absolutely vital.

[Namikaze]

But Technomancers do get access to Echoes like Overclocking.  And I'd be completely crazy if I thought that TMs wouldn't get some sort of awesome love in the Matrix supplement.

[Shinobi Killfist]

They are pretty damn solid in te matrix and they might be really damn good if they ever come put with some errata/faq to clarify some thing like what is a sprites logic, so we know how many dice a cracking sprite rolls to hack on the fly. The complex forms should all be about 2-4 less in drain but otherwise they are all fairly awesome, well resonance spike really needs to just go against firewall and not will+firewall.  With will+firewall it is too high of a chance to miss while taking drain.

Assuming you don't take bioware for the increased logic, they are a couple dice short of deckers at standard decking but gain technomancer powers(on;ly 1 or 2 powers are worth the drain, but sprites are awesome assuming they have an effective logic stat for their skills) to compensate which IMO puts them ahead of deckers at decking until the mad money rolls in and deckers have super decks. Others seem to put no value what so ever on complex forms and sprites so they keep the decker ahead at all stages. The issue for me is making a good technomancer takes a lot more in resources than making a good decker so deckers end up really close to as good as technomancers at decking but are actually functional outside of the matrix,.

The technomancers I;ve made were either A,B attributes/skills or the reverse with C technomancer, D human, e resources. This allowed a 6 in every skill i remotely cared about, and good enough stats to get by. I prefer a attributes, as it lets you get 6,5,5,5 limits which is solid, 7.5.5.5 or 6,6,5,5 if you take exceptional attribute(which is a solid choice IMO)  The technomancer in the game I run is doing fine, we don't have a decker to compare against but he is defeating the matrix opposition fairly well though his sleaze attribute is limiting him.

[Dakka]

Sprites have a Device Rating = Level.  Anything that rolls a test without an attribute subs device rating.  Sprites roll Level x2 for Hacking.

[Triskavanski]

Technomancers can't get programs - Actually they can. One of the echos allows them to get a new program to run, and I don't think they are limited with how many programs they can run at once. So they can get that noise scrub. And yes its true they can't get agents even with this.

Technomancer can't jack in - Well it depends, technically, they can. using Mind over Machine, isn't one of the benifits of having a control rig a data jack?

Its true they need all 4 mental stats, so that is a problem.

[Namikaze]

Technomancer can't jack in - Well it depends, technically, they can. using Mind over Machine, isn't one of the benifits of having a control rig a data jack?

I know the phrasing of the Mind Over Machine echo says that it gives the technomancer all the benefits of a control rig, but it cannot possibly also include the data jack.  The data jack has a fiber-optic cable as well - where would that come from?  The TM's brain matter?  With Data Trails we will likely see more echoes, which will probably include Skinlink from 4th edition.  Skinlink allowed TMs to directly interface with a device via their skin.