The more I read of the 6e core rulebook the more I lament that it is truly one of the poorest explained core books I've ever purchased. This makes even character creation a nightmare.
One such issue I'm having is Essence. Nowhere in the character creation chapter does it seem to mention how much Essence you begin with. In the Cyberare and Bioware descriptions it tells you Essence costs for augments, which I assume you subtract from your Essence score and for every whole number integer your Essence score decreases from its starting value you lose a point of Magic. Is that right?
How do I determine Essence and what effect does it indeed have?