After giving up on joining an existing group in my area, I made some calls and tracked down some guys I used to play other RPGs with. They all seem to like the idea of "magic and guns" so we're pretty much a go.
My questions are: how much guidance is too much for new players? I've already adopted a stance of "tell me what you'd like your character to do and I'll suggest appropriate skills". (please note "suggest"). Same deal for tech.
I plan on starting around 2055, that way they can experience all the world shattering events that take place in the next 5 or 6 years (also, it'll let me catch up on my sourcebooks )
The next question is how to handle the concepts of "real life". Things like cops call for back up, etc... The guys I'll be playing w/ are familiar w/ certain ideas ("I put my seatbelt on") from our TMNT&Other Strangeness days but their main focus in RPing was always D&D. No radios, so if you kill everyone in one part of a complex chances are good that the creeps in the next level don't know you're there or they have no minds any way (slime, zombies, etc.) I don't want to turn them off to the game but at the same time I don't want to set precedents for carnage. I was thinking of "easing them into it". Simple low level runs, the money wont be great but neither will the security (low powered guards; but tactically smart). Not too much in the way of complicated sec systems, focus will initially be use of cameras, maybe some pressure plates and gas delivery systems.
How do I introduce the idea of "call your contacts"? Can I just include that in my "state of the world" briefing I plan on doing during char gen, or is that too heavy handed?
And lastly I've already have one player that has played some SR before and wants to play a Decker this time around. He played back in the SR1 days some so there's probably gonna be some conversion anxiety there but my problem is i'm hopelessly behind the SOTA in decking (I usually play a Mage or a Sam).
General (from the "do you guys wanna play SR?"):
"yeah, I wanna be a decker this time"
"okay"
"and he used to work for the corps but got fired"
"okay"
"for embezzling...to support his drug habit"
"okay"
"i want some sort of amphetamine, and he's addicted"
"how does 'novacoke' sound?"
"perfect. he's paranoid and on the run from his old bosses"
"okay, who did he work for?"
"um... the Aztech one."
"..."
Nothing like diving right into the pool w/o sticking your big toe in. But I really do like his character idea. All it needs is some fleshing out. He's already told me why he got into the shadows and what he wants (the high life). AND a great plot hook for down the road. If he can keep his character alive for a while these guys could have a ball dukin it out w/ Azzie hit squads or fleeing to another country and a whole new set of shadows (or maybe they could "flee" to Chicago....)
I've decided that the corp won't notice him for a while. Which makes sense; small fish, big pond and all that. Unless he really wants them to...
My other fav request so far is "Swords and guns, huh? can I have a sword-gun like in Final Fantasy?"
So thats my whole thing. I would very much appreciate advice.

Suggestions. First off, you might not want to jump straight into character generation. Possibly play an intro game to show everyone the game mechanics using the character archetypes. This will mean more satisfaction with the characters when everyone gets to make them for themselves.

As far as the Matrix goes, it is astonishingly simple once you understand it. Everything is a roll from the system and a roll from the player. Combat is a little more complex than that, but it's not as complex as real combat, so that's neither here nor there.

It might be a little easier to make suggestions if you tell us what Shadowrun books you have access to.

@ Fortune: fair enough (sorry).

SR3 core, Cannon Companion, MitS, Man and Machine, Target: UCAS, Portfolio of Dragon, Bug City and host of SR2 and SR1 books (Fields of Fire, Rigger1 & 2, ALL the Area books--NAN1&2, TT, TNO, England, Denver, etc; SSC1, Cybertech, Shadowtech, The UB book...). I was planning on setting in Seattle (novel, huh?) using the New Seattle Sourcebook

I'm not planning on allowing M&M for starts (too many choices and not sure what year in game time that technology became "available". If any one knows off hand I'd be interested) but CC rules and gear are okay and possibly some of Raygun's stuff. I may have to advance the tech level subtly to allow for alphaware being available. Hopefully, no one will call me on it.

I don't have Matrix or SR comp (shame on me) but plan on ordering at least the SR comp for now. I didn't see a need to putting off the fun b/c i don't have a book w/ flaws and edges. We can roleplay those or make judgement calls as needs arise (ie. the novacoke addicted decker that pissed off the Azzies). I know it might be difficult to maintain balance but I've always felt if you put time into your background you should be rewarded or punished--in the game world--based on what happened to you in your past. Thus far, nothing outlandish has come accross my desk.

Starting with archetype characters is definitely the best. Also try the FIRST RUN published adventure book, it will put them in climate. Also I'd suggest giving more weight on the uniqueness of the SHadowrun world. The whole problem with Shadowrun is that it has a difficult system that sends people away, so try to addict your players and get them to want to read sourcebooks.
hope I helped

Re: the sword/gun, IIRC there's no way to do it in CC creation rules, but how's this for a pure stats guideline?

Gunblade- has two components, a sword edge, and a heavy pistol.

Blade:
(STR+2)M damage
+1 reach

Pistol:
9M damage
Semi-automatic
Uses heavy pistol ranges
15[c] ammo

Full package stats:
Price: 1000
Conceal: 3
SI: 1.5
Avail: 8/1 week

Then we can get crazy...

Lionheart (Gunblade)- has two components, a sword edge, and a submachinegun.

Blade:
(STR+4)S damage
+2 reach

SMG:
7M damage
Burst-fire only (up to 10S)
3 points of RC
Uses SMG ranges
30[c] ammo

Full package stats:
Price: 10000 (can be reduced by killing 1000 dragons to get the requisite parts )
Conceal: 2
SI: 3
Avail: 18/2 months

First Run, OK. Do not do the Supernova module. It's just...ugh. Start with the one involving the man-of-the-woods, make sure that the social aspect of the game is made all-important. For this reason, don't make the Food Fight a first run. Just jump it on your players whenever you're bored, but wait awhile. And I agree with Tinker: don't let the players waste their time making characters. It's best to either make characters for them or let them use the archetypes given in the book: this is should be strongly influenced by the power level you want to present as well. Putting the Street Samurai in the middle of a low-level gang campaign, for instance, might be a bad idea, especially if you don't want to press the combat angle too hard.

Heh...decker embezzling from the Big A to support his drug habit. *LOL* Did you tell him about BTLs and Aztechnology's involvement in that particular industry yet?

Three things:

First, have them play an intro session with the SR3 sample chars.
Reason: They need to have a basic understanding of how a run works, and how the rules work. Without this, they will have cool character ideas, but bad stuff may happen because they dunno not to shoot the Johnson, or how many combat pool dice to save for resisting. One game to crash-course them and *idea* of what to expect will help loads.

Two, now make characters, after a session.
Reason: above. They might now realize that everyone needs the etiquette skill, or that not having unarmed really sucks so take it at 3. The little things that you pick up along the way; would be nice to have some of them at the get go. Finding out how bad your "ex-bouncer sam" does in a brawl cause you thought "my str is 10, I rule hth" is gonna suck and be unfun. Avoid it.

Three, avoid the advanced stuff.
Reason: Magic is good, cyber is good, guns are good, etc etc. Allowing 5254 different choices of all those will just lead to confused and bewildered players, who lost you back at "Ares" and have no idea of what they are picking anyhow. You seem to already be heading the right way with no M&M, Id suggest limiting it to SR3 only, unless a player says something you know you can have from elsewhere (such as I want this ability to hide my magic, so people dunno Im a mage). Then just say oh, thats this thingy here, write it down and move on. Less is more for the beginner.

Okay, thanks everyone.

I tried telling the newbs that they had to use pregenerated characters and there was a small rebellion (they are fairly experienced RPers and didn't like being "under the Man's yoke" as one of them put it). So we bargined down to using the basic archetypes as a template. Reassign some points and purchase your own gear using the set priorities given. (The Covert Ops Specialist + Walther palm Pistol= unhappy new PC, trust me). That went pretty well. I had planned all along to run an exibition run or two. Meaning, no karma but no one dies. They grumbled a little bit at the first part but lightened up once they heard the second part. I do have firstrun and was planning on using it (but not the Cyber Zombie/meet Richard Villiers one). That'll probably be the second pre-season game. For the first: "Foodfight"!! I don't care what anybody says about that "run". I had a ball the first time I played it and if I'm using it as a stand alone I don't have to worry about why the whole team gets hungry at the same time and no body has food at the house.

I haven't told them yet, but if any of them asks I'm gonna let them remake characters after the play testing anyway.

@Gunner]: please, please, please don't let those specs get into the hands of my player. Of course they may fall into some nasty NPC's hands....
(I like your style..."1000 dragons, coming up!!")