What are the absolute minimum requirements for a good Hacker?

Seems to me like:

Skills:
Cracking (group) 4
Electronics (group) 4

Gear:
Comlink - Transys Avalon (4/4), or upgraded (6/6)
OS - Novatech Navi (4/3), or Custom (6/6)
Hot Sim Mod

Software:
All common programs at rating 4 or 6 (depending on gear)
All hacking programs at rating 4 or 6 (depending on gear), except Blackout & Blackhammer.

If you spring for the 6/6 comlink, the 6/6 custom OS, and rating 6 in all of the above programs, it's about 130k¥ -- slightly over half what a starting character can afford.

- - -

So, am I right that that's all a budding Hacker will need to be very effective for quite a long time, in terms of character creation stuff? If so, it looks like the Hacker role can be filled while allowing the character to be at least halfway effective in another role.

Thanks, -- N

For a -good- hacker? There are various Tiers of awesome. Unwired has professional rating 1-6 Spiders/security hackers - take a look there for examples, as it scales up in programs, hot-sim, implants, etc.

For a bare minimum, you want:
10+ dice doing things you're supposed to
More than one pass.
An agent of some sort(I made my first hacker without one. Seriously useful not having to do everything yourself.).

The easiest way to do this, on the cheap, is with Hotsim.(and don't forget your biofeedback filter)

Along the way, there are various things you can add, tweak, or pick up to make you better.
For example, using a datajack, and physically plugging it into your commlink( in case you need to yank it out to sever a connection quickly) when you need to hack.
Picking up a Jammer, or a spare Microtransciever(for Jamming on the Fly without turning off your own commlink)
a Hardware toolkit, for physically messing with systems.
If you're going to go the implant route (you don't have to - Trodes and DNI, or even wired reflexes with AR can let you hack pretty well, but vr is the most iconic), there are good things to pick up there. Datajacks, math SPUs, encephalons, simsense boosters.

But yes, you're right - a hacker is rather easy to make in BP-gen, and you can do it on the cheap while fullfilling other roles. When you think about the cost involved, you can get a hot-sim commlink with a vr module for under a grand. On the extreme low end, rating 3 programs for the cheapness (I believe there are 20 hacking programs, including the ones from unwired), so that's around 30k. Rating 3 programs are not necessarily -good-, and you won't be cracking anything milgrade with them - but its a bare minimum. A hacking skill of 4, hotsim for 2, and programs of 3 already has you rolling nine dice to do stuff. Which isn't too bad.

Hope that helps - anything specific you wanted advice on?

Is a Datajack the only implant that I need? Can I go full VR with just an implanted Datajack (+ a Comlink with a Sim Module, of course, but both external)?

Otherwise, thanks very much! Knowing what dice pools are "respectable" is vital for planning.

Hmm, if meatspace IPs work for AR hacking, that means it could be a decent strategy buying the Adept power IReflex 3 (for 4 power points, assuming we spend 1 point of Essence on 'ware).

You're very welcome.

VR needs DNI and a sim module - where that DNI comes from is up to your network.

Keep in mind that trodes can be yanked off or jammed, and if they are(while VRing), bam->dumpshock. Datajacks are all around safer, if you're going to take the essence hit.

And yes, hacker adepts can be pretty badass. They can get fairly good hacking skills on the cheap for their power points with Improved Ability as well.

You've pretty much got it with your first build. I would say a rating 2 encephalon is a must if you plan to be the best you can (Technomancers will still whip your ass when they get running).

Rating 6 commlink isn't available at starting due to rating (at least I remember that being the restriction stopping me on character creation). I would also say a black program is a must. You want to be able to stop people running away!

Program's are all relatively cheap, and I would get all the SR4A book ones asap at the best rating you can.

The comment about agent's I will back 100%! Agents agents agents. Most nodes will have multiple forms of defence, and swarming them is just the way to go. Probe for a log in, once you get it share it with the agents and they can log in as you can.

Datajack, however, is not a must. Most things are wireless, including rigger adaption and you can fit your commlink in your head. (Good one in the head, cheap one in the pocket).

You will get 2 passes for cold simming, 3 for hot simming (a modified hot sim can be switched to cold mode as a free action so woot!).

On kitting out my hacker (before encephalons were avail) I had 12 dice for pretty much everything. Once I got cash, he hit 18 and I can't see any more dice. So if you want the potential to be better, take some of the exceptional perks.

OK. Sounds good. Let's see this guy!

I am running a hacker - adept who only uses AR. I spent 4 PP to get 4 IPs and picked up extra dice for perception tests. My DP in the matrix are not spectacular (10ish) but I can act in meatspace right besie the Sam if needed.

Also no Hot Sim addiction and for black IC vulnerability.

I wish I'd known about hacker/adepts back when I made my hacker. Being unable to react in meatspace while in VR has tripped me up a couple of times.

There's also a Commlink accessory/modification in Unwired that gives you an extra hot-sim pass if you want to go that route (simsense accelerator, p.198).

So it seems like the two ways for a Hacker to stay equally useful in meatspace and the matrix are:
- AR + one of the usual meatspace IP tools (Wired Reflexes / Adept power / magic spell cast by a friend / Synaptic Boosters)
- VR + HotSim + Drones

What kind of stuff can you do to optimize yourself for AR interactions?

Thanks, -- N

Like a Bust-a-Move with an Ingram, just chillin out on your shoulder while you hack?

A custom model named "Bust-a-Cap", surely.

I like to use a smart weapon platform with a LMG

VR has one other, fairly significant advantage over AR: when probing a system, the interval for the extended test is only 1 hour in VR, but 1 day in AR.

I usually use an Agent to do the probe so that I am not "wasting" time. Even the 1 hour interval becomes pretty tedious.

How many Agents do you recommend buying?