Hey guys, I was working on a "non-cybered" matrix package and I wanted a little help.
I was planning on using an agent, a decent comlink and a bunch of programs.

I had a couple questions...
1. Does it make sense to just buy every program + ergonomic? I can't seem to find a drawback other than it being a little spendy.
2. Is there a standard program package you would suggest?
3. Does it matter what com you buy if you're going to hover around 5 on all your programs?
4. Is it better to buy a better comlink or buy the minimum and upgrade the hardware and OS?

I think that's all I got.

Thanks

1. Well, IIRC, you can only run a number of Ergonomic Programs on a System (or Agent) equal to the System Rating. After that point, they count as normal programs for Response Load.
2. Program Load Varies... There is an okay "Hacker in the Box" setup in Unwired.
3. Yes. Unless you are also buying Optimization on all of your programs, System and Response matter.
4. Always buy the best you can afford and then upgrade. You can only upgrade +2 Rating Levels on your electronics. If you start at a System and Response of 1, you can only upgrade that particular 'Link to a 3 in those stats.

But I could just buy every program at like 5, a couple agents at 4, - optimize all of them and work off an Iris Orb maxed to 5/5/5/5?
I'd only be able to run so many programs and agents at once, but for like 60k, I could roll around 8-10 dice on every matrix action, right?
There should be a standard package for a decent non-sim matrix suite and hardware.

What would a com and everything at like 3 cost? it can't be that much.

Indeed, You would be fine with a 5/5/5/5 all around.

Com with all Stats at 3 is like 2250 or so (No book on hand).
All Programs at rating 3 is not all that bad. At rating 5 you do not even need Optimize for the comlink you are asking about. But for a Comlink 3, you would need 2 levels of Optimize for all of your programs. I would also take your three (or 5) most useful programs and make them Ergonomic to not impact Load. Optionally, you could buy packages of programs that are all linked together (Program Suites). This lets thaem all run in the program space of 1 program, but has the detriment that if one is taken down, they are all taken down. Not a big fan of the Suite Concept, but it is an option that can be used to limit program impact on your comlink.

I assume you are using Rules at their baseline (Skill + Program + Bonuses, if any)?

Yup. Very little fancy. I have like 60 grand and I want to provide hack support.

I have an agent-based package that comes up to 60750 nY, but without cybercombat capabilities. All other DPs should be from 9-11

Vehicles, drones, and Agents.

No browse program? Seems like the number one program to have, doesn't it?

1: Absolutely. Beware rating 6 hackware - it can't take Options due to availability constraints. If you are planning on using an agent, you also want Optimized - roaming agents can have their attributes reduced by the stats of the node they are running on, and optimized helps mitigate that.
2: Everyone and their mother should have a Pro User Suite + encrypt.
2a: For an agent: Exploit/Decrypt/Stealth/Defuse(maybe)/Analyze. Browse for finding things. Edit if you want to change things.
4: If you're thinking about part-time hacking, the best thing you can do is buy System+Firewall 6 at start - its only 1000 more, and its OK if your system gets downgraded 1 point. You can upgrade to Response 6 once the game starts and you have some disposable cash.

You can't have the Optimize program option on an Agent. It can only go on Common, Hacking, Autosoft, and Simsense program types, and agents are none of those.

It's worth noting that by RAW this limit applies to loaded programs, so you can't just buy everything with the Ergonomic option and get the benefit from whatever combination suits you at the time.


As a side question, to check whether it's me or the book that's confused - can anyone explain why the Singularity Seeker (the package listed after the Pocket Hacker, UW p.127) is priced at 8,200 after a "10-20% discount"? By my calculations it should be only 3,950 without any discount:

Browse 5 = 500
Crashguard = 3 x 100
Agent = 3,000
Browse 3 = 150

Or is Horizon simply a scamming bastard?

Also, why has the agent got its own (inferior) version of the Browse program? Can't the better one be shared?

Yeah, but an agents rating acts as a system, and caps the rating of things in its payload.
IE rating 6 agent with rating 6 programs on response 3 system = derp. Of those programs are optimzed 3, it gets a respectable dice pool instead of a shitty one.

As in, you are saying a rating 3 Agent can use a Rating 6 Optimized 3 program? I don't think that's true.

SR4A 234: "Any program run by an agent is limited by its Pilot rating." No mention of working like System or anything along those lines.

Unwired 115: "Under normal circumstances, a node’s System rating limits the rating on any software run on that node (see System, p. 213, SR4). A program with the Optimization option is more effective at running on a system with limited resources. Add the Optimization rating to the rating of the System (to a maximum of twice the System’s rating) to determine the maximum rating at which the program can operate."

No mention of adding it to Pilot, no mention of Agents. Just because Agents limit programs to Pilot and nodes limit programs to System doesn't mean that Optimization helps in both cases.

Wow, good spot! I'd never picked up on that - thanks.