[Jack_Spade]

How is Street lifestyle metagaming? 
Lot's of runners have started with being new to the city the campaign plays in. It's only natural not to have an apartment waiting for you.

[Medicineman]

Good Bye !
....
Seriously,
 what is Munchkinning at changing your Lifestyle Ingame ??
Lot of my Chars try to upgrade ingame ! For some that is the very reason for becoming Shadowrunners
I don't have such a Char, but I think it's a perfect Backgroundstory to have a char that is down on his Luck who starts with a Squatter or Low Lifestyle and who tries to "climb up the Ladder" (is that the right expression ? ) ....

with a raised-Eyebrow-Dance
Medicineman

[Whiskeyjack]

Of all the things in this game that could be called "raw munchkinism," starting with poor lifestyle and upgrading it after making some money sure ain't on the list.

[Hobbes]

Uh, yeah, starting out in a coffin hotel and renting an apartment is really not particularly metagamey or powergamey.  It's pretty much life as a Shadowrunner isn't it?

And, really, Lifestyle is purely a mechanical abstraction to reduce the bookeeping of day to day expenses.  If you don't have a lifestyle (technically a Street lifestyle as Medicineman pointed out) you're simply paying as you go.  No real pressing reason a character needs one out of the gate, pick one up with your first Payday.

[Strange]

Well that is much example of raw munchkinism, I we argue at this level I suppose should quit - there is no point to reasoning my statement with this much of metagaming.

Yeah, nobody gets your take on this.
RAW, The street lifestyle DOES count as a lifestyle.  See page 95 in the core book. Furthermore, it makes a lot of sense in game.  You get pretty desperate when you are sleeping in the gutter, mate enough so that you might do something shady.  I actually start with no fake licenses and SIN when it is supposed to be the characters first run ever, is that munkinism?  How would he aquire these items if he doesn't have the contacts.

[gradivus]

Besides munchkinism for lifestyle using the core rulebook would be:

High Lifestyle, Cramped and Dangerous area for 7000
5D6 x 500¥ averages 17.5 or 8750nuyen
Yes, a risk because you could roll low but then again if you roll half a pip higher per die that's 10000 nuyen

<edit>of course doesn't work for trolls nor does it work well for a dwarf

[Kirito99]

RAW there is no mechanical consequences for take street life in most campaigns, besides possibility of few stun boxes on start first game due to enviromental damage.  It's pure system cheating, on the same level as allergy to cryptonite( hey, it's RAW ! ) or other unlikely happen allergy factor. 
Metagaming - designing character for specific campaign, with foreknowledge about few elements of game
Munchkinism- pure system cheating to achieve best results. Having 0 nuyen lifestyle at start of campaign is very much example of this.

[ZeldaBravo]

Having a street lifestyle wouldn't be an official option if it was not meant to exist. Plain and simple.
Allergy to cryptonite is only valid if there is cryptonite in your campaign. Imaginary substances are not common or uncommon, they do not exist in the game world. And remember that negative qualities without any drawbacks do not grant karma. This is RAW.

[Kirito99]

So, what is drawback of having 0 nuyen lifestyle at start ? This is cheap cheat to roll lifestyle cost into the game. RAW it's perfect trick. Gamemaster cannot penalise you before game, so chapeu bas to medicineman for pointing out this trick.

[Whiskeyjack]

"Upgrading lifestyle is munchkinism because you can take Allergy Kryptonite."

First: no you can't, I suggest you look at the tables regarding allergies. "Uncommon" has a definite meaning and guidelines. Interpreting "uncommon" as "something that doesn't exist at all" is in no way a reasonable reading.

Second: holy shit, what a strawman.

[Strange]

RAW there is no mechanical consequences for take street life in most campaigns, besides possibility of few stun boxes on start first game due to enviromental damage.  It's pure system cheating, on the same level as allergy to cryptonite( hey, it's RAW ! ) or other unlikely happen allergy factor. 
Metagaming - designing character for specific campaign, with foreknowledge about few elements of game
Munchkinism- pure system cheating to achieve best results. Having 0 nuyen lifestyle at start of campaign is very much example of this.

Do you even own the rulebook?  Read it.  I suggest you read page 56, which supports everyone here but you, then read page 369.  Then try page 95.  Quote one thing that even suggests that having a street level lifestyle is discouraged.

As far as what cash you start with up to 5000 AND street level says you get 1d6 x 20 as STARTING CASH FOR STREET LEVEL.  That seems to insinuate that street level is supported for a starting level lifestyle level.

[Halinn]

So, what is drawback of having 0 nuyen lifestyle at start ? This is cheap cheat to roll lifestyle cost into the game. RAW it's perfect trick. Gamemaster cannot penalise you before game, so chapeu bas to medicineman for pointing out this trick.

Less starting nuyen, taking damage from not getting enough comforts and necessities, and the social penalties from not having access to a shower.

[Hobbes]

So, what is drawback of having 0 nuyen lifestyle at start ? This is cheap cheat to roll lifestyle cost into the game. RAW it's perfect trick. Gamemaster cannot penalise you before game, so chapeu bas to medicineman for pointing out this trick.

Less starting nuyen, taking damage from not getting enough comforts and necessities, and the social penalties from not having access to a shower.

Not having a place for your stuff, Having to keep track of every Nuyen spent instead of handwaving into your lifestyle costs, not having a place for any pre-run activities (Alchemy, Summoning, whatever). 

[Kirito99]

RAW there is no mechanical consequences for take street life in most campaigns, besides possibility of few stun boxes on start first game due to enviromental damage.  It's pure system cheating, on the same level as allergy to cryptonite( hey, it's RAW ! ) or other unlikely happen allergy factor. 
Metagaming - designing character for specific campaign, with foreknowledge about few elements of game
Munchkinism- pure system cheating to achieve best results. Having 0 nuyen lifestyle at start of campaign is very much example of this.

Do you even own the rulebook?  Read it.  I suggest you read page 56, which supports everyone here but you, then read page 369.  Then try page 95.  Quote one thing that even suggests that having a street level lifestyle is discouraged.

As far as what cash you start with up to 5000 AND street level says you get 1d6 x 20 as STARTING CASH FOR STREET LEVEL.  That seems to insinuate that street level is supported for a starting level lifestyle level.

Well munchkinism is very much exploiting "RAW" . Yes you can take this, yes it's great way to roll lifestyle into game. I admitted this few times and you point RAW citation over and over. For me it's cheap trick to have cash for must-have gear  in priority system for talented mages without cash. Having one or two stun boxes on first run is very good trade. Alchemy and Summoning RAW don't need specific place or lodge.  To avoid misunderstanding - I am against this from common sense perspective. If you have other meaning of common sense that's your problem, not mine.

[Halinn]

We could always try justifying why you'd be currently living a street lifestyle for a bit. For instance, your last run before campaign start went sour, and you've spent the past 3 months hidden in a bolt hole half a continent away from your usual stomping grounds. You got three shirts, a pair of pants, three pairs of socks, three pairs of underwear, a knife, a pistol, 40 bullets, an armor jacket, a burner 'link and 317 nuyen to your name, since that's the sum total of what was stashed in the bolt hole, plus what you didn't have to leave when the run went sour. Last week, the coffin hotel kicked you out, so you're pretty desperate for a run to get back on your feet and start establishing yourself in a new city.

Remember that one of the core assumptions is that most shadowrunners are SIN-less, and it really sucks being SIN-less. I'd wager that in-universe, it's the minority of runners that can afford a stable lifestyle of any sort, much less a high or luxury one.