[firebug]

So with Gun H(e)aven 3 out and flamethrowers brought to 5th edition, I'm again thinking about how my ex-ganger could put one to use...  As she's always had a soft spot for the burny stuff.  My first thought was, since she has skillwires, it'd be much easier to just get the skill to use them as activesoft.  Not having the book yet, I assume they require a specific Exotic Ranged Weapon skill.

But then I was like "Wait.  Could I really just go buy software to know how to use a flamethrower?  That seems like it'd be kinda hard to come across..."

According to the book though, all activesoft is Availability 8 no matter what.  I was thinking it'd be reasonable though, to houserule a bit of a shift in that.  Skills that are very, very basic or simply very civilian (running, pilot groundcraft) would have a bit lowered, like say...  6.  Meanwhile skills with especially dubious uses (like gunnery or locksmith) would be higher, and possibly Restricted.  It makes sense, you know?  I mean, it's kind of weird that skillsofts for lock picking and firing vehicle-mounted weaponry is available to every citizen, while the actual things required to do so are restricted.

One could make an argument that there's nothing actually illegal about simply knowing how to pick or lock, or how to kill someone with assault rifle.  That is true; thankfully Lone Star cannot arrest you simply because you might know about something without a license for it, yet.  But skillsofts are clearly tools, and you can't learn from them.  In my mind, going to purchase an Automatics skillsoft is the same as going to buy an SMG.

Do you think my houserule would be reasonable?

[Namikaze]

Sure sounds reasonable to me.  I like it actually.

[firebug]

Thanks!  :3
I'm gonna see if I can make a list here then of the activesofts and what availability I think they should be.

Combat Skillsoft
Archery - 8
Automatics - 10R
Blades - 8
Clubs - 8
Heavy Weapons - 12R
Longarms - 8R
Pistols - 6R
Throwing Weapons - 6 (disguised as a sports skillsoft)
Unarmed Combat - 6
Exotic Melee Weapon (Monofilament Whip) - 12R
Exotic Ranged Weapon (Flamethrower) - 12R

Physical Skillsoft
Disguise - 8 (likely a fashion or theatrical makeup skillsoft)
Diving - 6
Escape Artist - 10 (finding a skillsoft that makes you a contortionist sounds difficult)
Freefall - 8
Gymnastics - 8
Palming - 10 (stage magician activesoft)
Perception - 8
Running - 6
Sneaking - 8 (very dubious, but the best I could see is it being for game hunters, so as to not frighten deer, so I can't see it being restricted)
Survival - 8
Swimming - 6
Tracking - 8

Vehicle Skillsoft
Gunnery - 10R
Pilot Aerospace - 12
Pilot Aircraft - 8
Pilot Walker - 10
Pilot Exotic Vehicle - 12
Pilot Ground Craft - 6
Pilot Watercraft - 8


I'm not sure if Social Skills can be autosofts.  Then again, Perception can be...  I've always been confused.  It says "physical active skills".  It clearly means more than just those listed under Physical Active in the Skills chapter though, because 1) that wouldn't include any combat skills or vehicle skills, and 2) it says "basically every skill that isn't based on MAG or RES".  So if disguise and perception and the other skills and uses of skills that don't use physical attributes count...  Does that mean social skills are go?  I suppose since you have to have a Skilljack installed as well, it's not unreasonable, since that's already purely for logic- and intuition-based skills.

Assuming that...

Social Skillsoft
Con - 8 (can't think of what it would be, but it clearly wouldn't be marketed as a "lie better" autosoft)
Etiquette - 6
Impersonation - 8
Instruction - 8
Intimidation - 8 (probably as a 'personal confidence' or 'stern commands' thing, or even a parenting skillsoft, hilariously)
Leadership - 10
Negotiation - 8
Performance - 10

Technical Skillsoft
Aeronautics Mechanic - 12
Animal Handling - 8
Armorer - 8R
Artisan - 8
Automotive Mechanic - 6
Biotechnology - 10
Chemistry - 10
Computer - 6
Cybercombat - 10R
Cybertechnology - 8
Demolitions - 10R
Electronic Warfare - 10R
First Aid - 6
Forgery - 12R
Hacking - 10R
Hardware - 6
Industrial Mechanic - 8
Locksmith - 8R
Medicine - 10
Nautical Mechanic - 8
Navigation - 6
Software - 8

The mechanic skills at least must be possible as skillsoft.  I figure that's the basic "cheap unskilled labor to slightly less cheap but skilled labor" activesoft the corps use.

Anyways!  I'd love feedback.  I'm concerned the differences might be too small...  Two dice up or down doesn't seem like a whole lot

[Xenon]

Automatics - 102R

^That one is a bit excessive you't you think?

[firebug]

Automatics - 102R

^That one is a bit excessive you't you think?

Lol a bit.  Fixed it to 10R like it's supposed to be.

[martinchaen]

I don't have a problem with availability ratings for skillsofts. Think about it; you may be getting them from the black market, and let's face it, you can find some scary pieces of software on the internet today so I for one think the proposed change just adds unecessary complexity.

[Namikaze]

I like the idea that some of them might have higher or lower availability.  I even agree that the legal ramifications of skillsofts would potentially be quite high.  I view the availability listed in the book as a guideline for simplicity's sake.  If the GM wants to make it more complicated, then this is a great start.

Personally, I think the mechanic skillsofts should be really easy to acquire.  By now, most of the technical skills used by the unskilled labor pool have to come from skillsofts.  With a rise in the number of skillsoft-based workforces, it should be really easy to acquire these skillsofts.  Additionally, I want to remind you (Firebug) that in 4th edition, there was a flavor text in one of the books that talked about how a team infiltrated a skillsoft-based sweatshop, and the spider on duty noticed them.  The spider then loaded a bunch of combat skillsofts and turned the whole place into a bloodbath.  Kind of fun.  I think the combat skillsofts should have license requirements above a rating of 2.  1 or 2 skill points isn't really useful to a criminal, but it's useful for training or for hunting.  Ultimately, I'd say that it's likely at least the restriction of the device intended to be used.  And legalities can shift between borders.