I have a question: when fitting pieces of gear into cyberlimbs, is their ECU reduced when they're made alpha-grade or better? The higher grades of cyberware are always described as smaller and leaner, so I'm curious.

Thanks in advance!

Ya know, that's a good question -- insofar as I know, improved grades don't offer a reduction in ECU.

-Siege

I didn't think so either, but shouldn't they? A player of mine just asked me and I didn't really know what to tell him. I'm thinking of reducing ECU along the same lines as Essence, i.e. 20% for alpha, 40% for beta and 50% for delta.

Does this seem reasonable? It would help to make cyberlimbs a little more attractive...

why not house rule it the same reduction in essence applies to ECU...?

Go ahead. The cyberlimb rules are highly problematic, unless of course the goal of whoever wrote them was to make sure nobody ever got one.

Seems like kevyn668 and I had the same thought at the same moment.

I think that's what I'll do then: house rule it such that if the component is of a higher grade, its ECU is reduced by the same percentage as its Essence cost is. It seems logical, given the colour text describing alpha-grade 'ware as being slimmer and trimmer. Plus, it's another incentive to get cyberlimbs (albeit a modest one).

Thanks!

Stupidly, an alphaware or better cyberlimb has less ECU than a normal cyberlimb. The higher the grade, the more space the limb seems to take up (since it offers less free space). That's a precedent for making higher grade 'ware take up more ECU, not less.

Me, I just ignore any effect that higher grades have on ECU. All limbs and equipment have the same ECU values, regardless of grade.