How on earth do you manage that? Even with a programming environment, the interval becomes 3.5 days. Rushing it, if that's even possible, reduces it to just under 2 days.

Also, scriptkiddies can use programming environments just as well as skilled deckers. You still only need 1 success to patch a program, and even a Logic 1 character is likely to get that.

Assuming a Week is 40 Hours.
Programming Environment reduces time to 20 Hours.
Rushing reduces it further to 10 Hours.
If Spending Edge (on those rare occasions that it was needed to complete prior to an important run), it further reduces to 5 Hours.

So, Typically, I would rush and use a programming environemnt, so done in a night plus a bit.

And yes, a Script Kiddie can Patch a program as well; the problem with the Script Kiddies are that they are so very unlikely to actually have a self-programmed Program above about Rating 2. The Real Hackers can actually get to the Upper levels of Program Ratings, and do so in a relatively short amount of time.

A week should be 8*7 (not 8*5) at the minimum (big assumption: standard 8 hour work day), if not 16*7 (allowing 8 hours for sleep). So 56 hours, halved to 28 hours for program environment, halved again to 14 hours for rushing as the best case, double that (28 hours) for a worst case.

First, I disagree... you do not have a 7 day work week.

Halved to 7 (14) Hours for Edge Expenditure.
For a Dystopian Worst Case.
We use 40 hours, with multiple shifts per day. Easier that way. The Corp gets its work done (24 Hours worked in a day), and they keep their drones happier (each one only works 8 hours, 5 days of the week).

Personally, I like the idea of using Logic (or Stream-specific attribute, for Technomancers) as a cap on hits-per-roll. Or perhaps "Attribute+1". It makes Logic relevant enough to a hacker that it won't be a dump stat at least, and encourages them to get that 4 or 5. Also, to get the Logic-boosting augmentations out there.

Except, we're not talking about a salaried job, with a 40-hour work week and weekends off. We're talking about a task that requires an exclusive amount of your time (sans reasonable breaks for eating, sleeping, etc.) that takes 1 week. 1 week = 7 days. It doesn't list the time required as 5 days. I.e. no running, no working, no doing other substantial tasks for 1 week.

Is there something in the sourcebook that states that 1 week = 40 hours of work?

We use Logic as part of the roll, and use the program as "Reach." Seems to work pretty well. Still not done testing it, however.

Neither does it list the time required as 7 days, 24 hours/day, with only reasonable breaks for sleep and eating. 40 Hours per week is pretty damned exclusive. and equates out to a fairly large chunk of time.

It is all assumption at that point. We use 1 Week = 5 Days of 8 Hours = 40 Hours. Why? Because an Actual Corporate Programmer probably uses 5 Days of 8 hours to the week for the Corporations.

Simple, and to the point.

That… only makes sense if you're estimating times for a corp programmer, and assuming that the 5/40 still exists in 2070. It's nonsense to say that a shadow hacker keeps a 5 days/40 hours work week. He works however much he wants/can.

Well, hey, if it works for you all.

There's only really a small amount of programs a good hacker needs at super high levels, IMO: Stealth, Exploit, and Analyze. Maybe Spoof.

Well, yeah. But as a time mechanic, it is a good baseline.

Indeed... Those are the big 4, for my Hacker.

Command - so you can out-Rig the Rigger.

Firewall - because nothing sucks for a hacker, like getting hacked by someone else.

Purge - if your game plays with Virii and other malware.

Maybe Decrypt, if your GM is a bastard with Strong Encryption ...?

Just some thoughts.

Command is nice, if you use it. Not everyone will.
Firewall is not a Standard program (It is neither Common, nor Hacking, it is a Device Attribute), but it is Nice to have high. Same would go for System and Response.
Purge is Good, a 6 is usually not too bad.
Decrypt is nice to have high, but 6 is usually pretty decent, as well.

Strongly disagree TJ... SR does not necessarily have the 40 hour work week (or a lot of other OSHA nonsense). If the rules say it takes a week that doesn't mean 5 days because I choose to work the weekend.

Also many other tasks such as many magical ones also have times measured in months or week and require daily things with no breaks. (good example is orichalchum... good job for someone with absolutely no life). I see no reason to treat hacking/mechanics/etc... any differently than magic when it comes to extended tests and time frames.

That said it's a strong case for a sleep regulator on any hacker character to have more downtime at nights available.


Quite frankly given your example... all it does is push the numbers up very slightly to 10->14 hours for a rush job or 7 for edge. Not a huge huge problem.

Some of the SR4 fluff books (Corp, Attitude) refer to 12-16 hour days for wageslaves. It probably depends on the job, and whether they can telecommute.

First of all, it doesn't say "work week". It says "week". If you want to house rule it, that's fine, but that's not what the rules say.

Second, where does it say you can spend Edge to further reduce an interval? I can't find that rule anywhere.

Third, script kiddies don't need to have self-programmed code at high rating; they just need the source code, which is not hard to get. The patching difficulty is based on how much the program has degraded, not how powerful the program was in the first place.

It's under "Edge Variations", page 75 of the SR4A. Spend a point of Edge to reduce an Extended Test interval by half.

I can agree with that. We just do not do that ourselves.

1. Sure... And as I said, we use 40 Hours. So...

2. Page 75, Edge Variations. SR4A hardbound. And I quote...



3. Having source code means they have to actually obtain that themselves by cracking it themselves (No Self-Respecting Black Martket Warez Site is going to give that away). Most Logic 1 Script Kiddies will not be able to make that test. Just sayin'. You can disagree with that if you like, but that is how it works at our table. You want source code, you either program it yourself, or you crack it yourself. Limits the Script Kiddies, and gives a boost to the Hackers.

As a house rule, that's fine But it's not a core rule.


Cracking source code isn't that difficult, either I'll grant that it's a small advantage to the real deckers, but it's hardly a huge bonus in their favor.