I was thinking of ways that corps could get skillwired workers to be more effective than really skilled ones; it'd be great for some background of a character I'm in the process of thinking up, who's constantly being surpassed by people who've Awakened/Emerged/SURGE'd/Dracomorphed/Chromed up or have something else which makes them "better qualified." I looked over the rules for Overdrive on activesofts, and they sound good and corps-like (damaging long-term effects, not personalized for easy swapping after a worker "quits," and very focused on using the skill). However, it's definitely NOT corps-like to have wageslaves (who probably have low Edge because their lives suck) breaking their skillwire systems every single time they activate their Rating 3 Overdriven activesofts.

How would you fix this, from a corp point of view? Somehow build more durable skillwires that can take the abuse? Sounds like maybe the skillwire systems just need a Response or System upgrade, not that they actually have those stats. What if the corp could make activesofts that, instead of damaging the skillwire, damaged the worker? That would be great for profit!

Thanks for reading, and get creative!

overdrive is not needed. simply give a rating 4 set of skillwires and rating 4 skillsofts. this will make the workers better than the average non-chipper human. or for that matter, you can go with cheaper skillwires and skillsofts with the right program options will function at rating 4 anyways.

this is particularly true if the kind of job your character would have been looking for is one where he is average, but not amazing. it won't work if your concept is a gunslinger adept with 6(9) pistols skill and the most important skill for the job is pistols... but it will work just fine if the job calls for half a dozen skills at reasonable rating, and your character only has a few of them at a decent rating.

Also it matters what the corps would consider "good enough" for their wageslaves, are they looking for the "best man for the job" or do they really want someone they can easily control?

Depends on your job. "Good" skill chip can reduce training times to 0, reduce breaks to 10 minutes, and lunches to 20. All the while allowing the worker to maximum artificial enjoyment of his duties the current restictions will allow. Now, if the person is going to be in security or a high profile position probably not, but your average McDonalds, Sanatation, or Grunt Worker, ya.

However, I can't see most Corps actually paying for someone to get skillwires. It could, however, increase thier chances of getting hired.
A small loan from your employer at moderate interest levels perhaps though.

Hmm? Who said anything about the corps paying for ware that they required for employment? Just tack the loan onto the wagesalve's account, charge enough interest that the poor bastard can never hope to get out of debt and then offer to enroll him and his family into "special research projects" for a few extra nuyen.

Then when he dies inform his faimily that they are now responcible for his huge ammount of debt and that they can either become wageslaves themselves or buy the deceased's contract. Meanwhile the corp sells the organs and charges another wageslave nearly new price for the used ware.