Making Essence Loss not matter for mundanes?, Some thought experiments here. Options

[Sengir]

a small side-point- in cyberpunk 2020, implants reduce one of your social attributes when you get them, but you can also buy treatment to restore that attribute. ergo, by paying twice you can get implants without any real penalty.

But bear in mind that Humanity Cost in CP2020 was partially random, without a way to compensate for an unlucky high roll players would probably never have dared to install anything interesting (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[ShadowDragon8685]

When you're rocking that kind of hardware, then you're worth more than the gang bangers some Johnson would hire to create a distraction. The idea that you would get less than 10,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) for a 'Run that a Johnson NEEDS people of the skill level that your characters represent is ludicrous. I mean lets take it from a BEGINNING street sammy. 400 BP (or 750 Karma) gets you someone who is rocking AT LEAST 150,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) in augmentation alone. Hell, my combat medic MAGE is rocking 170,450 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) in augmentation* and people are saying that someone like him is going to work for a mere 5,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) ? Are you kidding me? No, people that good are working for some serious cash.

Well, this is the problem with Shadowrun sourcebooks. It always has been and always will be, apparently. The suggested payout for missions is so hilariously low that you can literally do as good as most early missions, for a fraction of the effort and danger, by remotely hacking SUVs and cars and selling them to chop shops.

[KCKitsune]

Well, this is the problem with Shadowrun sourcebooks. It always has been and always will be, apparently. The suggested payout for missions is so hilariously low that you can literally do as good as most early missions, for a fraction of the effort and danger, by remotely hacking SUVs and cars and selling them to chop shops.

Well whoever is running the games needs to be a little more realistic about the payouts. Shadowrunners should NOT be over glorified car thieves.

[Neraph]

I think the chargen rules have a decent precedent for payouts. The run should pay no less than 5,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) per point of karma it awards, and it should generally pay more than that. Extenuating circumstances notwithstanding, of course, such as collateral damage.

[KnightAries]

I've sat here and read all the comments and I have to say there are some good idea and some uummm.... WOW!.!. Complex ideas.
I've seen the removal of essence, the purchase of essence, nerfing mages, boosting Sammies, don't take this away, do take that away, etc. etc. etc...
Everything seemed to be about mundane sammies (scattering of decker and rigger) and mages. I seem to remember between 1st and 2nd ed hardly anyone played mages (too expensive and more likely to kill themselves before a bullet reached them), Deckers (faster and easier to hire out because the matrix rules were wack), Riggers (I'm mostly useless outside of my car).
3rd ed came along and fixed many of the problems but added a few of their own (I actually liked the rule about possible magic loss and medicine as is made them make a choice between possible loosing magic but improved chances of living or less of a chance to live but no loss of magic.). But 3rd ed also added Technomancers and for the most part since 3rd ed the technomancer rules have been similar (nearly carbon copy except with chances necessary to fit into the matrix or control drones)
Then karma is brought up and yes it is slow to raise these characters... Really really really slow... I have to have Karma to submerge/initiate then more karma to raise resonance/magic now I need more karma to get that new complex form/spell ([IIRC] oh wait technomancers can thread forms that they don't know with a high chance of fade) but mages can have focus but it costs more karma (oh and did I forget that too many focus can lead to an addiction and burnout), we can have spirits/sprites (which may cost karma). None of this includes the fact I need to up my skills (cost Karma), up stats to avoid fade/drain (cost karma), up stats to help control complex form/spell (more karma).
Oh I forgot about some other options that are available for mage category Adepts and mystic adepts.
I'll start with the mystic adept since that one will be faster. Mystic adept no astral travel but I can buy (karma) power points for phys adept qualities everything else above applies.
Now for the physical adept to gain powers I have to buy magic (karma) but I've maxed and now need to initiate (karma) but now I need more magic (karma) but like Sammies I need skills and other stats (karma).

Average run for karma award 4 to 6 with 2 to 3 extra for various RP elements if the run was rather long and/or challenging an additional extra of 2 to 4
So lets say we got allot of karma for 1 run at 15. I would initially need about 3 runs to clear the karma costs with that number going up for lesser karma awards and as the price of power increases.

Sammie: I need a new piece of chrome "Here take my (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) " but I only have up to 6 essence. now that piece of chrome isn't cutting so let me upgrade it to alpha "Here take my (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) " but it's nut cutting it anymore let me upgrade to beta "Here take my (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) " oh wait I can get delta "Here take my (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) ". I now have an essence hole to fit more chrome "Here take my (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) ".
That nifty new alpha grade cyber arm got blown off "Here take my (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) " now it's a Beta.

Average nuyen earned from Mr Johnson/fixer 15 - 20k I believe and up to double that (with the rare circumstance of a shit ton more) depending on what come up and players actions... I know there was a run my players went on that they told Mr. Johnson to keep the money and asked for some access to chrome because the stuff the stole was worth more than their pay would have been as each character walk away with more than 1/2 mil at fence prices and they were only make 25k ea from Mr J. Even though renegotiation is normally taboo; Mr J didn't complain as his "corp" was making money (even discounting the gear) instead of spending it. It was a triple win for them. (Job done, got it for mostly free, made money from the runners, made money due to the runs outcome

There is balance there as mundanes advance faster but can cap sooner where technomancers/mages don't have much of a cap but each point of power can seem to take a lifetime to get.

And then there is the great balancer of all things unyielding, doesn't care mage/technomancer/mundane, will strike with no prejudice, doesn't care when/how/who, called a bullet. Oh wait... Sammies tend to shoot A Lot of those and I wonder how many of them hit innocent bystanders. Mages tend to have that LOS thing going on.

Now for my last comment..... I know there are some holes in here from missing information and chunks were very much intentional as I didn't feel like posting the books. And the great thing is it cover multiple editions (I'm still working on reading up on all the 5th ed rules)

I really did like the potential magic loss rule but remember anyone running those rules need to apply them toward resonance as well. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
The massive damage rules are nice too. I still use them (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)