[Bradd]

Arsenal has rules for modifying weapons and vehicles, which lets you trick out your favorite gear over time, as you can afford it. I've been wondering whether you can do the same thing with other stuff, especially software and magic.

Let's say you own a stock Exploit 6 program, and you want it Ergonomic. Can you just add on Ergonomic "DLC" for +300¥, or do you need to buy a whole new program for 6,300¥? If you want to upgrade from Exploit 3 to Exploit 6, does it cost 4,500¥ or 6,000¥?

Or let's say that you own a rating 2 weapon focus, and you want to upgrade to rating 6. Can you use the existing weapon as a telesma and put its value toward the cost of the new focus? In other words, does the new focus cost 40,000¥ or 60,000¥? When you re-bind the stronger focus, can you build on your existing bond (+12 karma), or do you need to redo it from scratch (18 karma)?

How about 'ware? If you upgrade Muscle Toner 2 to Muscle Toner 4, do you pay just the difference for the upgrade, or do you have to yank out the old bioware and pay the full price for the new stuff?

And regardless of the existing rules, would it be a reasonable house rule to allow the cheaper upgrades? Or would it break something?

[FastJack]

In most circumstances, I'd rule that you could sell the old on a "trade-in" to the new product, except in the case of Cyberware/Bioware. Spent Karma is spent and can't be moved to a new focus.

[Dakka]

If the troll in our group is any indication the market for second-hand Cyberware/Bioware is a big one. 

[Bradd]

Heh, White Rabbit is full of secondhand bio too. But since they're selling it at half price, they're certainly not accepting trade-ins at full value. In contrast, I can easily see you upgrading software and foci in-place (not even trading up, but simply adding DLC/enchantments).

[Nomad Zophiel]

My thought is that, from a game balance perspective, since vehicles and weapons can clearly be retrofitted with new mods then so can programs. Foci and cyberware are somewhat different since they represent a single, possibly indivisble unit of hardware. For example, A Wired Reflex 2 is probably not a Wired Reflex 1 with extra stuff added. Its different from the ground up. Maybe it has silver instead of copper wire, maybe it has a next generation processor, whatever. So you'd have to get trade-in value (which would almost certainly not be 100%.) for your old gear and buy the new one. As for using a lesser focus as material for building a greater one, I honestly have no idea how I'd go with that. There are good justifications either way.

[FastJack]

Don't forget that the better the grade of the cyberware, the more it's tailored specifically for your character, so the less ¥ you'd get in trade-in.

[Usda Beph]

I see where this is going and it is a good point. I buy say.... Microsoft Office Infiltration '77 and I want to upgrade to Infiltration '80! There are upgrade "patches" for Office to upgrade Office 03 tp office 07 that cost a bunch less than buying '07 off the shelf. You don't sell off the original you add to it to upgrade the software.

Nice thinking, I would say subtract teh original value from the new and pay the difference for "Up Grades" but thats just me house ruling.

[Bradd]

@nomadzophiel: In some cases, it's really obvious that 'ware is not a simple upgrade, like bone lacing. You've gotta take the plastic out to put the titanium in! I imagine that's true for a lot of other 'ware too. I imagine it's often a moot point though, because players will often want to bump the 'ware grade at the same time as rating.

@Usda Beph: Yeah, that's kinda what I'm thinking. Those upgrade packages are not really a 100% upgrade deal, but they are very deep discounts. And a lot of stuff (like DLC) really is optional add-on software. At the very least, Unwired program options should probably be freely upgradeable, and maybe base program ratings too. It's a little generous, but not a big deal I guess.

For anything you can't upgrade ('ware, maybe foci), I'd use the fencing rules as a guideline, so trade-in value about 30%. Bookkeeping is my least favorite part of RPGs, so I don't want to get in the business of pinning down exact upgrade values!