I'm about to run 4th ed for the first time (long time SR GM, had 4th ed a while but not run it until now) and have a group of some new, some experienced players. One of my players was deciding between Hacker and TM and during chargen tonight decided upon a TM.

My initial concern is with a new player doing any Matrix stuff (albeit the new Matrix rules are significantly easier/smoother than any previous edition) but also with the added complications of messing around with Sprites and Complex forms.

Does anyone have any experience of new players/first time Technomancers and/or any advice or helpful aids for them as I'd rather not see his first experience of Srun be a disheartening one from the rule side.

Thanks

TM's are quite complex for a starting player, I believe. They're also lots of fun, but very hard to play and make at the beginning with 400 BP. Leter, they get better - is this game likely to go on for a long while? If so, I might suggest letting the player decide to his own liking, though TM is a very viable option in that case. If not, a run-of-the-mill hacker is fine.

A TM is going to take some savvy building and playing to keep him alive long enough to be truly worth the while. The new player is going to have to be threading left and right for a while, which may make them miss the whole point of the Matrix, and what it can give them. Stick to the hacker for a start. The programs list might be extensive, but it's much easier to say "this is what I've got to work with", then add program options in later. Your payer is trying to learn a game, a setting , a ssystem, and a subsystem all at once. Don't toss even more onto his plate with things like sprites, threading, and submersion.

If they're the only Matrix player then it doesn't actually matter how powerful they are - you can just pull your punches until they advance enough. However, the long term interest in the character is of some import if you plan on keeping the game going and the Devs have made it quite clear that Mundanes are not allowed to have nice things.

Expected to be a reasonable length campaign, Seattle, time in the Tir, then some runs in the far east before back to Seattle. Figure 9-12 months of weekly gaming at least.