QUOTE (JoelHalpern @ Jan 12 2010, 02:35 PM)

Why? Why would the runner not have rating 6 programs, with suitable optimization to run on the grade 4 or 5 hardware they can get at chargen?
For that matter, why (other than purely to keep them vulnerable) should the opposition run such low grade software. Analyze 6, with an optimize 3, costs a whopping 900 nuyen. Firewall 6 costs 3000 nuyen. Given what minimal hardware, car, gear, etc costs for the security guy, even cheap security companies would want to fund that. (Leaving your guards commlink wide open is an invitation for hackers to use that to get into your networks.
Yours,
Joel
Well, YES, we CAN assume that EVERYONE runs rating 6 firewall, rating 6 programs and all that jazz but how PLAUSIBLE is that.
It simply DOESNT HAPPEN.
Its like saying that EVERYONE today runs LINUX because WINDOWS is insecure, and EVERYONE runs Norton Antivirus because the opposition SUCKS. The point with having diverse rating is to create a sense of realism.
Opposition Security
We also have the problem that the cost in the books doesn't cover corporate licensing costs. If we go by todays standard of computer contracts they have to pay for each computer with the software. So a rating 3 firewall in a corporate enviroment on 2000 computers - with added cost for continuing support for that version of the program.
Also, the rating 3 Firewall of a corporation might have been a lvl 5 Firewall one year earlier but they havent upgraded to the latest version because their budget department screwed up or the CEO wanted a new pool.
My suggestion is mostly to get an average number on security.
The Hacker
The problem for a hacker I see is diversity. You can, at maximum by RAW run 5 programs at rating 6 with a rating 5 commlink - not very flexible. A rating 6 Commlink can run 17 programs at rating 4 without going below Response 4, you loose at most a few dice.
And lets not forget COST. I dont know about you but my characters have a life outside of their little niche of specialization.
ALL Rating 6 programs (I might have missed a few): 95K - Thats 19BP
The above does not include all the tricked out software options we can add for more money.
Now we trick out the commlink completely: 35K - Thats 7BP
So without a problem 26BP that can easily get into the 30-35 BP.
That would be my version of a High end runner, the very best, and many runners arent like that, they are above average - around 4, but perhaps have a high firewall but ratign 4 programs.
Hmm...I think I'm rambling again i think.