Okay, the purpose of these questions is that I am creating a runner, who was a former sim-sense star, and is now trying to dabble in the BTL trade. I gave him electronics and electronics b/r so that he can modify simdecks, and chips... but my question is, what skills does it take to actually make the various types of BTLs.

I know that his simrig can record, but what skills do I need to turn it from a normal sim into, say, a persona fix. What skills would I need to program in the BTL options? And what kind of target numbers are we talking about here?

Sorry if this sounds like a newb question, but I could not seem to find the answers in the Cannon Companion... and funny enough, that's the reason I bought it. Not the guns, but the simsense and skillwires part. lol

i'm pretty sure that the Cannon Companion has the rules for that... hold on, i'll fetch it......
*Goes to look for cannon companion*

Let's see.... i'm just gonna give the info i see....
modifying simdecks into BTL-decks: Electronics B/R check, TN: 4
changing a one-shot chip into a permanent: Computer B/R, TN: 6
the BTL chip needs it's rating on the program MP table (SR, 223) times 2.....
Blablabla....
GAH! i can't find any info on creating BTL chips!
Why not try to make a normal skillchip but with a BTL chip instead?

Meh, you were right... there's no info about creating BTL chips.....
it would be cool though, running AND dealing BTLs at the same time.....
mmmmm...... nyen.....

Yeah, I thought so.

The idea behind the character was that he was a minor Simsense star in Japan, with two younger brothers who goblinized when they hit puberty, and became Orcs. Well, the family patriarch did not take to well to that, so the character grabbed his brothers and hit the road so to speak. He finally got them to Seattle, where the Ork Underground has agreed to take them in.

Now, he is trying to make the nuyen to keep himself and his brothers afloat. About 10-25 percent of anything he makes will be given to his brothers to help keep them going, as well as his brothers providing numerous RP hooks that the GM can use. So, he needs to make the extra cash. As his bod is already loaded with Cyberware, he's also going to try to do what he can. Make Indie-sims... and BTL's as Seattles BTL industry is much higher than most places. Of course, this can provide good RP chances with the Mob and Yaks as they control the majority of the BTL industry.

As he was a SimStar, he will have good negotiation, acting, and charisma... which will allow him to be a good face for the group. Might toss in a little Aikido, as he'd be more inclined to subdue than to kill.

Well, anyway, enough about him.

If anyone has house rules, or a reasonable idea of how the programming should be done, please, feel free to Chirp in.

Thanks for all the Help, SolidCobra... if you have any other ideas, feel free to toss them my way.

Thanks! That warmed my heart!
Let's see.....house rule.....
Step 1: Remember where to get info on creating skillchips
Step 2: Apply the x2 BTL mod to the MP needed
Step 3: Do a few Ettiquette: Streets checks (or ask a contact) to sell the chips off, using the normal selling rules.... (you leave box outside of door, they leave letter with money in your mail)
Step 3b: If you are going to trade dirctly then it's a better idea to just do a few Ettiquette: Street checks (Like, one per hour), the successes=Number of chips sold, lowering the price=Lowering the TN......



uhm, that wasn't any help at all.... sorry!

LOL. No problem. Yeah... Finding a way to deal it, you have covered

I just need to figure out how to make them.
Then I can let people slot themselves all they want. Muhahahaha... I mean..umm...

Cannon Companion (of all books) actually has numbers for creating BTLs, although I don't have it in front of me.

But you'll need:
Computers: to actually encode and alter the simsense feed.
Electronics B/R: is necessary to modify simdecks
Psychology: if you want to design custom BTLs or make really freaky chips
Biotech: A reach, but the more you know about the human body, the better your product
Computer B/R: to tweak the computers you're using to produce these illegal goodies

You'll also need some way of actually producing the initial image, so possibly performers or base the chips on your character's experiences using his(?) own sim rig.

-Siege

I do have Cannon Companion, but I haven't been able to find all those rules you just spoke about. However, the skills do sound appropriate. If you could shoot me some page numbers, I'd be most appreciative.

Also, the Character is male, and will be basing most of it off of his own Sim recordings.

You need to reference both Matrix and the Cannon Companion. Creating a BTL is the equivalence of coding a utility with a multiplier of ×2. The size and effective rating for programming purposes of the BTL is based upon that as well, then modified using the values given in the Cannon Companion for any options you choose. In all other ways not specifically mentioned in CC, treat it as if creating a standard decker utility.

Using information recorded from a simrig would help out, though I don't know the specifics of how that would be applied. If there's no hard-and-fast rule for it in either of the aforementioned books, treat the recording as Complimentary Skill dice on the Computer (Programming) test. That's what I would do, at least. Reducing the effective rating for programming purposes of the BTL by one-half the simsense recording is another option, though that can be pretty powerful.

Multipliers for price, Availability, or Index have no bearing on programming your own BTLs.

Bizarre -- I'll have to look at CC again when I get home.

Based on the fiction in the Shadowrun anthology, the simsense recordings are put through post-production and the emotional spikes and whatnot that make a sim chip a BTL chip.

You can also use Biotech or Psych as complimentary skills when coding the simsense. It sounds funky, but a real-life example: they chose the colors and carpet patterns in Vegas casinos to be intentionally disturbing to study, which means you tend to look at the obvious and desired points of interest -- the gaming tables.

-Siege

Edit: Price would be based on what you as the character wish to charge -- as to how well the chips are received would depend on the GM.

Actually, selling the BTL's "by the rules" would be like selling anything else. If you have the Connected (Selling Software/BTLs) edge, you would be the equivalence of a BTL dealer and could sell them for the full Street Index cost (instead of half the base). Negotiation can increase the price either way.

I still think using the simsense recording as a Complimentary Skill is the best way to go. Just require the use of one and maybe limit the maximum rating of the BTL to the base rating of the recording (I'd use a Rating of 3 for baseline and 6 for Active-X). So if you want to make a Rating 1 BTL, you could use either. But if you want to make a Rating 5 one, you need Active-X.

That's assuming there is no actual rating listed in the books for either. I don't think there is.

Alright, this is just gonna suck but bear with me:

In Matrix, there are rules for writing code with options -- basically creating your own programs.

Creating BTLs follow the same procedure, except the options associated with BTLs can be found in Cannon Companion.

Unfortunately, I don't own Matrix so I can't be more thorough in my explanation but I'm pretty sure that's how it breaks down.

-Siege

Psst, I said that a few posts up, Siege. That's the correct thing to do.

Okay, Dr. Funk, Siege. Just to make sure I have this right.

Basically, you suggest the following. The character records the sim on his own sim rig.

To modify the hardware, use electronics and the normal procedure for Cannon Companion.

For the software, use the normal recorded sim, which could be sold as an indie MonoPOV without alteration, or use computer to alter it to become a BTL, to make it a persona chip, or an emotional track, etc. Just use the Matrix rules for creation of the program. Correct?

P.S. Thank you, all three of you, for the help.

Yessir.

Okay. Got it. Now I just need to fine tune the character. You guys are great.

I used to have a character that would wear a limited simrig, and would make money on the side by selling "Special Effects" to Sim/BTL producers.

Effects such as: what it feels like to get shot. what it feels like to fall off a building. what it feels like to have your wounds magically healed. what it feels like to receive a fireball. What it feels like to get hit in the head with a baseball bat. What it feels like to get hit by a car.