[Trojan]

First, I'll say that I really like the high cost of Cyberdecks.  Going from the Renraku to the Sony is a massive upgrade and it's not something I'd want to accomplish in a game sesh or two.

Second, I'll say I'm new to Shadowrun and may simply just not understand how the game works...

I'm looking at making between 4k and 8k a run, one run a month, 3k for the lifestyle, so I'll have enough to upgrade to that Sony in about... 10 years?  Good thing I'm an elf!  At the same time, I'm looking at the other players in the party, and that 8k translates into decently paced upgrades in their characters (at least I think so)

I don't want to break the game, but I also don't want to never be able to upgrade my character's deck.  I see crafting as a possibility, but considering that the material costs are typically half of what the goal item's base cost is... I'll have enough in about 5 years :-/

How do you balance the credflow in your game?  Or how does your GM do it?  I don't want to make so much nuyen the game gets ridiculously easy, but decks are soooo expensive :-/.   Am I missing something?

[RHat]

Well, you can fence your old deck, for one, to finance the upgrade - fencing most gear nets (25 + 5*Net Hits)% of the item's cost, which can be a pretty significant chunk, especially if you've got a good Face to do this for you.  Those payouts do seem a bit low to me, though...  Saving for, say, Delta Wired Reflexes 3 or Beta Synaptic Boosters 3 would take freaking forever (the former costs about what the Shiawase Cyber-5 does), and if you can sell what you're replacing there at all it's for a pretty diminished value.  Trying to advance a Rigger on that would get pretty seriously rough, too.

The important point, though, is actually to balance the nuyen rate against the Karma rate - the two are asymmetrically required by different archetypes for their advancement, so if things get out of whack advancement gets unbalanced.

[Whiskeyjack]

Yeah frankly it is not going to be feasible in most games, just like going from Synaptic Booster 2 to 3. And while homebrew "upgrading" rules might make sense for ware, even cultured bioware, it doesn't really make the same sense for decks.

I suggest trying to steal an upgrade!

[Noble Drake]

I would expect Data Trails to have some info on upgrading cyberdecks, possibly even scratch-building them, as those are things which prior editions of Shadowrun had.

I really only remember 3rd edition, and you could buy and replace each chip in your deck individually, but you had to make sure that the ratings stayed within what the other parts of the deck could handle - so you needed to make sure your MPCP (Device rating equivalent) stayed on par with your other chips - you couldn't just load a bleeding-edge Bod chip (roughly equates to firewall) into any old deck.

[Csjarrat]

Yeah frankly it is not going to be feasible in most games, just like going from Synaptic Booster 2 to 3. And while homebrew "upgrading" rules might make sense for ware, even cultured bioware, it doesn't really make the same sense for decks.

I suggest trying to steal an upgrade!

I can think of ways you could totally do this for decks, ie:
Upgraded memory banks. cost: 1% of deck cost. Threshold 15 extended LOG + HARDWARE (mental) test.
-Expands your deck's memory banks allowing it to run an extra program slot.

Filtered Feedthroughs:
Cost: 10,000 Threshold 20 extended LOG + HARDWARE (mental) test.
-Installation of filtered feedthroughs shields key components from heat and power spikes; Add 2 to your matrix damage resistance pool.

[Michael Chandra]

I'm looking at making between 4k and 8k a run, one run a month, 3k for the lifestyle, so I'll have enough to upgrade to that Sony in about... 10 years?  Good thing I'm an elf!

Well a Troll simply pays more for their Lifestyle, so they could go Squatter for 1 grand.

4k~8k per run is quite little by the way. Any decent run will already be a minimum of 9k before Negotiation, and likely you'll be dealing with ~14k after Negotiation if the party has a good Face. Subtract lifestyle and expenses and you're at ~11k per month. So yeah, it'd take a long while still, but so does all the expensive gear. And the GM can plan some runs and favors around getting better equipment at hand with the party.

Alternatively, take out an enemy decker and start driving/flying to keep out of reach of the company while you try to change the ownership.

And Data Trails will likely have a way of upgrading Cyberdecks.

[RHat]

4k~8k per run is quite little by the way.

Breaks the Ford Americar rule, in fact.

[Taejix]

Breaks the Ford Americar rule, in fact.

What is the Ford Americar rule, out of curiosity?

[Prodigy]

I am assuming RHat is referring to the "At this level of nuyen earning, it would be safer/easier just to steal Ford Americars and sell them for the same amount of money" rule.

And he would be correct.

[RHat]

Breaks the Ford Americar rule, in fact.

What is the Ford Americar rule, out of curiosity?

Basically, runners would not do runs unless they paid more than they could make for things like boosting Ford Americars.

[Sendaz]

How to finance that cyberdeck upgrade

1) Get a flunky and dress them up in a Ghillie suit.  Settle in somewhere close but out of sight.

2) Have them turn the suit's  Wireless to ON.   

Ghillie Suit Wireless Bonus: Um … you draw in curious Hackers?

3) Ambush said Hackers, take their decks to scavenge for parts (if building up your own) or sell on. Ka-Ching!

4) Rinse and repeat.

Yes that is a joke, but still amusing.

[Whiskeyjack]

Breaks the Ford Americar rule, in fact.

What is the Ford Americar rule, out of curiosity?

Basically, runners would not do runs unless they paid more than they could make for things like boosting Ford Americars.

Ha, I'm gonna have to share this with my group. I think we run on the low side of cash rewards too often. 

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

See other suggestions in this thread.

[Dangersaurus]

I'm looking at making between 4k and 8k a run...

I wouldn't get too hung up on the suggestions for run payment in the book. They're clearly marked as optional and don't match up to the payments in the published adventures.

[DWC]

How to finance that cyberdeck upgrade

1) Get a flunky and dress them up in a Ghillie suit.  Settle in somewhere close but out of sight.

2) Have them turn the suit's  Wireless to ON.   

Ghillie Suit Wireless Bonus: Um … you draw in curious Hackers?

3) Ambush said Hackers, take their decks to scavenge for parts (if building up your own) or sell on. Ka-Ching!

4) Rinse and repeat.

Yes that is a joke, but still amusing.

I wouldn't say it's a joke at all.  The single most profitable thing most runners can do is rolling deckers.