[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

On the other hand, if the costs in hardware, skill investments, and essence were all small in order to hack at max capability, there'd be no place for a decker archetype.  Or put another way: it'd allow a dilettante to be in par with a specialist.  That's no good.

Ok, so being a first rate decker costs significant essence.  To me, that means Sammies, riggers, adepts, and mages can't hack as well as a decker.  Again: that's a good thing in my book.

[Shinobi Killfist]

I’d think the whole skill+attribute thing would keep most people out pretty well, but I don’t mind a bit more niche protection.

[Iron Serpent Prince]

Ok, so being a first rate decker costs significant essence.  To me, that means Sammies, riggers, adepts, and mages can't hack as well as a decker.  Again: that's a good thing in my book.

That is your position this minute?

Because previously it was;

The Classless system again.

With the very notable exceptions of magic and resonance, there are no capabilities that are reserved solely to certain archetypes.  Aside from Magic and Technomancer stuff, anyone can do anything if you invest in the skills and/or hardware.

Riggers are the mundanes that actually come closest to getting hallowed turf... you literally cannot perform their signature ability if you're not a rigger.  Or a post-chargen technomancer.

What will your position be in half an hour?

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

Ok, so being a first rate decker costs significant essence.  To me, that means Sammies, riggers, adepts, and mages can't hack as well as a decker.  Again: that's a good thing in my book.

That is your position this minute?

Because previously it was;

The Classless system again.

With the very notable exceptions of magic and resonance, there are no capabilities that are reserved solely to certain archetypes.  Aside from Magic and Technomancer stuff, anyone can do anything if you invest in the skills and/or hardware.

Riggers are the mundanes that actually come closest to getting hallowed turf... you literally cannot perform their signature ability if you're not a rigger.  Or a post-chargen technomancer.

What will your position be in half an hour?

Post today: if you invest heavily, you ought to be better than someone who doesn't.

Post then: (generally) everyone can invest to gain some degree of proficiency in a given capability.

To synthesize those two "apparently" divergent opinions for you: everyone can hack.  But someone who goes "all in" is rightly better than someone who goes in half way. For the purposes of this synthesis: "all in" means spending the essence as well as skills and nuyen, whereas "hacking half way" is not spending the essence.

[Hephaestus]

I see also that Technomancers get to add their resonance to their matrix roles. Does this mean that they have lower/non-existant abilities to make up for the lack of a Cyberjack and/or a Cyberdeck?

[Michael Chandra]

That says Matrix Attributes, not matrix rolls. Jacks and Decks can go pretty high statwise, higher than people's unaugmented attributes tend to be. This helps TMs get nicely high themselves.

[Singularity]

yes, cyberjacks also provide an initiative boost

So given the clock merge this means cyberjack initiative is also useful in non hacking situations?

I would also like to know this as well, as what route I go will depend on whether this cyberjack affects initiative when not in the matrix. Does the mentioned (in the first quote) initiative boost apply to non-matrix activities? If not, are cyberjacks compatible with other pieces of cyberware such as wired reflexes or the rigger control thingy?

[Banshee]

yes, cyberjacks also provide an initiative boost

It is a static boost and not initiative dice (so no extra actions .. that's regulated by AR/hot sim etc) and it only applies to matrix
So given the clock merge this means cyberjack initiative is also useful in non hacking situations?

I would also like to know this as well, as what route I go will depend on whether this cyberjack affects initiative when not in the matrix. Does the mentioned (in the first quote) initiative boost apply to non-matrix activities? If not, are cyberjacks compatible with other pieces of cyberware such as wired reflexes or the rigger control thingy?

[Michael Chandra]

Your quotes went a bit wrong there.

So: "It is a static boost and not initiative dice (so no extra actions .. that's regulated by AR/hot sim etc) and it only applies to matrix"

[Banshee]

Yes ... posted from my phone so not sure what happened.

Thanks for breaking it out.

[Singularity]

Alright, thanks for the head's up! I have a friend picking up a copy of the main rule book for me at the big convention next month (Gencon?), so I'll play around with seeing if I can make cyberware work for my decker/rigger character concept.

[Hephaestus]

Alright, thanks for the head's up! I have a friend picking up a copy of the main rule book for me at the big convention next month (Gencon?), so I'll play around with seeing if I can make cyberware work for my decker/rigger character concept.

If they have a high essence cost for a Cyberjack, that may be a hard sell with a Control Rig. But, it sounds like it may be possible to get a Control Rig, then pick up both an RCC (for Data Processing and Firewall) and a Cyberdeck (for Attack and Sleaze).

[White_Ghost]

Hey Banshee, you mentioned this:

I ditched Master/Slave relationships just because they were overly complicating the system and didn't need it ... technically from an IT infrastructure pint of view they still exist but it just doesn't matter to the game mechanics. All you need to worry about now is "do they share a network?". Want to hack the camera directly, then do it, or do you want to access the the camera via the security guard station where you can have total overwatch too, then do it ... it is the same process either way because they are on the same network

I had a few questions on what you meant:

1. If master/slave relationships are gone, how do pans work?
2. When you say 'share a network' Does this mean 'on the same pan' or 'on the same host'?
3. If #2 is correct, can we still hack devices that are not on a pan/host?
4. Is direct connection still a mechanic?

I'm curious if hacking is just hacking the 'network' and don't have to hack individual devices anymore. If that's the case, deckers will be a lot more fun, and it would remove a lot of rolls so I don't have to send players for pizza to do the decker areas.

[BeCareful]

Also, for what it's worth, I can by cyberjacks as "like a Control Rig, but for software instead of hardware" or however it's being sold. Though I do hope, as it's been suggested here, a cyberdeck & Control Rig can work together without using up all your money/Essence.

If not, it sounds like it'd be pretty simple to just be a decker with a microdrone. Surveillance, maybe a datatap with legs?

[Hephaestus]

Also, for what it's worth, I can by cyberjacks as "like a Control Rig, but for software instead of hardware" or however it's being sold. Though I do hope, as it's been suggested here, a cyberdeck & Control Rig can work together without using up all your money/Essence.

If not, it sounds like it'd be pretty simple to just be a decker with a microdrone. Surveillance, maybe a datatap with legs?

I see Drone-Deckers and Rigger-Hackers being a thing in 6th. If you can connect to an RCC and a Cyberdeck, then (in theory) you would have access to the full attribute array while still being able to control drones.