Cheapest Life Style = High Class, Getting paid to live the luxury life Options

[IKerensky]

Hi,

there was something cheesy into the life style so I make a few computation.

High Style cost 10.000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) , but give starting money equal to 4D6 x 500 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) , you can add +12 to the roll for an extra 1200 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) .

Wich means you can get from (4+12) x 500 = 8.000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) to (24+12) x 500 = 18.000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) for 'spending' 11.200 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) (10.000 life style + 1.200 unspendt).

So you get a balance of -3.200 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) to +6.800 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) with an average of + 1.800 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) .

So basically living the good life is free, even giving you money to spendt elsewhere while providing you all the benefit of the lifestyle (food, lodgement, security, healthcare). Sound really weird for a game supposed to be set in a grim and street level.

Of course you will only benefit of the luxury for a few month (until you fail your rent roll) but the free (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) are keepers. The chance to lose money in the scam is of 15.89%, not entirely dismissable but it is not like you dont get nothing in return even if you lose a few bucks...

[Summerstorm]

Yes, but it is your starting money, not "equipment money". It just assumes that you have somehow earned that lifestyle and the extra cash. (If you build a char who has no possibility of earning that money ans still live high-class at start, there might be a problem, of course... but the gm should just slap you for that then).

Overall i see no problem in that. The few hundred nuyen burn fast and are a one-time thing. (And immediatly switching over to low style after getting the extra cash... well enter the gm-slap again)

[Makki]

don't really understand you. you may start with some extra cash, but you will need to make good money to keep up the rent. you roll starting money only once: at the end of chargen.

[IKerensky]

Well starting money aren't exactly different from equipement money, they can even provide for more equipment as you can have cheaper offer with contacts.

And equipment money tend to burn very fast when they are spendt on ammo, grenades, guns and vehicules.

I concur that GM should do things to prevent an abuse of it but by the rules there is nothing wrong doing it. And the good thing is that there is no reason not to benefit from the high level for as long as you can, why go back to low when you can benefit from high for as long as you can (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

"Each month that a character misses a payment, roll 1 die. If the result is greater than the number of consecutive months of payments missed, no sweat. The character’s credit (which is part of the cost of the lifestyle) absorbs the missed payment. If she makes the next payment,
everything is fine.

If the die roll result is less than or equal to the number of missed payments, the character is in trouble. Her lifestyle gets downgraded
one level, which means being evicted from her former home, having some of her tech repossessed, having to hock some clothes, and so on."

Notice you will be downgraded to middle and not even low. So basically you can keep enjoying the situation for at least 3 months (1st month payed, 2nd month end roll 1+, 3rd month end roll 2+). 3 month could really be a long running time for some scenario/campaign. So basically you are getting 3 months of 3 stars hotel treatment for free at character gen. and some free bucks for extra ammo or a vehicule.

I supposed this should be a standard mission gambit building. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Take also this example : you are missing 2000 nuyen to buy your starting car (got 11200, car is 13000), take the high live path and if you draw an average roll then tadam, you got your car and a 3 months vacation (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Makki]

you didn't quote the part, where you owe the missing rent and get beaten up into the hospital (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)
although your technique doesn't work with the advanced lifestyle rules from RC

[Medicineman]

don't really understand you. you may start with some extra cash, but you will need to make good money to keep up the rent. you roll starting money only once: at the end of chargen.

not necessarily.
Skipping a Month payment and risking to get kicked out of your Lifestyle (it only gets lowered 1 Level) is a good risk for 2 of my Chars

with a risky but worthwile Dance
Medicineman

[Stingray]

not necessarily.
Skipping a Month payment and risking to get kicked out of your Lifestyle (it only gets lowered 1 Level) is a good risk for 2 of my Chars

with a risky but worthwile Dance
Medicineman

That is why Ogre Stomach- Metagenetic-quality(- 20 % living costs) and easy going Landlord(advanced Lifestyle option) (from Runner's Companion) is your
best choices.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Karoline]

For more fun, take several roommates (lets say 4) so that you only have to pay about 1/4th of the normal high lifestyle, and still get the full starting cash (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

P.S. Possibly my favorite lifestyle quality? Perfect roommate. They do all the dishes and you only have to pay half rent (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[sabs]

My CleanHouse™ Drone from GE House and Home Division, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ares Industries, is actually what does the dishes in my High Lifestyle house.

I also have the MCT Man Servant 3000. It answers the door, helps me get dressed in the morning. It's really quite useful.

[Karoline]

For 99% of the stuff I wear, I honestly can't imagine having someone (or something) helping me get dressed. Seems like they'd get in the way more than help for the most part. On second though, a bra strap could be a notable exception, but otherwise for the most part, just doesn't seem like it'd be that helpful.

[KarmaInferno]

For 99% of the stuff I wear, I honestly can't imagine having someone (or something) helping me get dressed. Seems like they'd get in the way more than help for the most part. On second though, a bra strap could be a notable exception, but otherwise for the most part, just doesn't seem like it'd be that helpful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8WRZcYVbVg

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)




-karma

[Karoline]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8WRZcYVbVg

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

-karma

My clothing is slightly less complex than that. Also, I'm absurdly amazed at how similar that is to the scene of Tychus getting suited up in the opening of SC II

[KarmaInferno]

Heh.

Uh, I just figured out which new "turn of the century" actor for my pixie rigger adept to imitate with her human suit.

Robert Downey Jr.

I already had an iron-man style assembly workshop in the back of her van, and Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie & Isaiah Mustafa appearances for the Mimic function on her anthroform exoskeleton.

Having her suit assemble itself into Tony Stark around her would be hilarious.



-karma

[Neurosis]

not necessarily.
Skipping a Month payment and risking to get kicked out of your Lifestyle (it only gets lowered 1 Level) is a good risk for 2 of my Chars

with a risky but worthwile Dance
Medicineman

Why was this post so like a haiku?

[Yerameyahu]

Yes, the time-honored 6-35-9 haiku format (roughly, English has funny morae). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Karoline]

Yes, the time-honored 6-35-9 haiku format (roughly, English has funny morae). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

That is what I thought
I could not see the hiku
But that is just me

[sabs]

Oh Yeah!
Well Hik U!
or Something

[Saint Sithney]

I never could understand how the Face was supposed to maintain like 3 lifestyles at the same time.

If you have multiple lifestyles would you start only with cash from the highest?

[Mooncrow]

I never could understand how the Face was supposed to maintain like 3 lifestyles at the same time.

If you have multiple lifestyles would you start only with cash from the highest?

That's how I've always done it. Most Faces are fairly low maintenance money-wise though, so once you get established, it's not that hard to keep up a few extra. Especially if you use the rules from RC so you're not paying for multiple entertainment costs.

[Karoline]

That's how I've always done it. Most Faces are fairly low maintenance money-wise though, so once you get established, it's not that hard to keep up a few extra. Especially if you use the rules from RC so you're not paying for multiple entertainment costs.

Yeah, RC is nice. Lets you drop necessities really low (food) but still have a big house with the 'workshop' quality. Also lets you put a few things that you maybe don't care about too much while you're gone. Entertainment like you said, and maybe some qualities like black hole that don't come into play often. Edit: because you aren't there to be effected by them.

[Mongoose]

Black hole is a TERRIBLE idea for any place you are going to be using as a workshop. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

But yeah, I noticed quite some time ago that (unless you really need to spend every ¥ on starting gear) you actually profit from paying for a month of high lifestyle. Pretty reasonable, too - a lot of runners would be folks who've been living high from a job or two, and starting to run low on cash. They'd probably have a low class hidey hole, and once the rent came due, they would bail on the fancy pad and live there until next big pay off.

Gotta say though, the rules for "credit" strike me as unlikely. Try going 30 days without paying your rent some time... and then never making up the missed payment.

[Yerameyahu]

Oh well. Anyone with a commlink will just be spoofing their lifestyle for free anyway. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Saint Sithney]

From what I remember, you can only Spoof your life up by one level. Maybe you can do a repeat performance thing though. Spoof from low to middle to high? It becomes a time sink of sorts.

[Yerameyahu]

Nope, you can pull off whatever your DP will let you, basically. It's about 3 days for Middle or more with a tiny DP, and I really don't know what that means anyway… 8 hour days of hacking?

[Karoline]

Black hole is a TERRIBLE idea for any place you are going to be using as a workshop. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

You weren't paying attention. You get the workshop quality, which means purely that it has more floor space than normal for the necessities, not make it into a workshop. So basically it is a nice big place, but there is no food in the fridge. And since you're generally not there, you generally don't run the risk of losing stuff to black hole.