[Herr Novak]

Hi everyone,

I'd like to read some comments about my char I'm going to play in a new group. Any suggestions for improvement? Did I forget anything important?

First a short summary: That guy is the nephew of an Azanian diplomat in Europe. He went to some pretty private school but we had some bad grades so a political or business career was no option. Since he was interested in martial arts and motor sports his uncle hried him as a driver/bodyguard and the Azanian taxpayer came up for some augmentations. Unfortunately his uncle got involved into some shady businesses with the Vory and eventually got caught: his car was connected to some drug smuggling. To save his uncle's career, the nephew claimed the responsibility for that incident, and thanks to some top laywers he only got 2 months in prison. But unfortunately the embassy fired him due to his criminal record. Time to become a freelancer.

Creation parameters: the group I will join is heavy on magic and could need some mundane ranged attack power and a driver. The group also tries to prevent lethalities whenever possible. The char is 400 BPs with all books permitted - including the extra content of the German translations - the car is from the German Arsenal. The group seems to not over-optimize their characters, I was told 19 is the highest dicepool of their hacker, the other characters have primary skills with a DP of no more than 15.

The group already has a hacker / drone rigger, so skills/gear for those roles are not necessary. If you think my character would gain from some hacker/ drone rigger abilities/gear feel free to post it. Hacking and drones aren't necessary but not forbidden.

About karma efficiency: I DO care about karma efficiency but I'd also want my characters to be able to do things someone of his background should be able to do at the beginning of his career. I don't like the idea of buying e.g.  survival 1 for a former military character with his first karma points or such tricks. So there are some rating 1 skills which I know isn't very efficient.

Okay, enough small talk, time for the stats:

== Info ==
Movement: 10/25, Swim: 6
Karma: 0
Notoriety: 2
Elf male Age 28
Composure: 8
Judge Intentions: 8
Lift/Carry: 10 (75 kg/50 kg)
Memory: 7

== Attributes ==
BOD: 5
AGI: 4 (6)
REA: 4 (6)
STR: 3 (5)
CHA: 4
INT: 4
LOG: 3
WIL: 4
EDG: 1

== Derived Attributes ==
Essence:                   1,30
Initiative:                8 (10)
IP:                        1 (3)
Matrix Initiative:         5
Matrix IP:                 1
Physical Damage Track:     11
Stun Damage Track:         10

== Active Skills ==
Automatics                 : 6                      Pool: 14 (+2 Smartlink)
Climbing                   : 1                      Pool: 6
Con                        : 1                      Pool: 5
Disguise                   : 1                      Pool: 5
Dodge                      : 1                      Pool: 7
Etiquette                  : 1                      Pool: 5
Flight                     : 1                      Pool: 6
Forgery                    : 0                      Pool: 5
Gunnery                    : 2                      Pool: 8
Gymnastics                 : 1                      Pool: 7
Infiltration               : 1                      Pool: 7
Intimidation               : 1                      Pool: 5
Leadership                 : 1                      Pool: 5
Navigation                 : 1                      Pool: 5
Negotiation                : 1                      Pool: 5
Palming                    : 1                      Pool: 7
Perception                 : 1                      Pool: 8
Pilot Aircraft             : 1                      Pool: 7
Pilot Ground Craft         : 4                      Pool: 10
Pistols                    : 2                      Pool: 10 (+2 smartlink)
Running                    : 1                      Pool: 6
Shadowing                  : 1                      Pool: 5
Swimming                   : 1                      Pool: 6
Unarmed Combat             : 4 [Martial Arts]       Pool: 10 (12)

== Knowledge Skills ==
Afrikaans                  : 2                      Pool: 6
Cars                       : 2                      Pool: 6
Diplomacy                  : 3                      Pool: 6
English                    : 4                      Pool: 8
German                     : 5                      Pool: 9
Motor Sports               : 3                      Pool: 7
Upper Class Etablissments  : 2                      Pool: 6

== Contacts ==
Azanian Diplomat (Uncle) (5, 6)
Car Mechanic (2, 2)
Vory Drug Dealer (2, 1)

== Qualities ==
Guts
Incompetent (Hardware)
Low-Light Vision
Sensitive Neural Structure (Tech)
SINner (Criminal)

== Lifestyles ==
Middle  1 months

== Cyberware/Bioware ==
Attention Coprocessor Rating 3
Commlink
Cyberears Rating 2
   +Ear Recording Unit
   +Sound Link
   +Audio Enhancement
   +Damper
   +Select Sound Filter Rating 3
   +Spatial Recognizer
Cybereyes Basic System Rating 4
   +Eye Recording Unit
   +Image Link
   +Eye Light System
   +Low-Light Vision
   +Vision Enhancement Rating 3
   +Smartlink
   +Flare Compensation
   +Vision Magnification
Datajack
Muscle Augmentation Rating 2
Muscle Toner Rating 2
Wired Reflexes Rating 2

== Armor ==
Actioneer Business Clothes5/3
   +Fire Resistance 6
Armor Jacket              8/6
   +Fire Resistance 6
Form-Fitting Half-Body Suit4/1
   +Nonconductivity 6
PPP Gear

== Weapons ==
Ares Executive Protector w/ Smartlink
   +Stock
   +Smartgun System
   +Sound Suppressor
   DV: 5P   AP: -   RC: 1
Ares Predator IV
   +Silencer
   +Smartgun System
   DV: 5P   AP: -1   RC: 0
Ceska vz/120
   +Silencer
   +Smartgun System, Internal
   DV: 4P   AP: -   RC: 0
Ingram Smartgun X
   +Stock
   +Gas Vent 2
   +Smartgun System
   +Sound Suppressor
   DV: 5P   AP: -   RC: 3
Unarmed Attack
   DV: 4S   AP: -   RC: 0

== Martial Arts ==
Tae Kwon Do (+1 DV)
Finishing Move
Kick Attack

== Commlink ==
Meta Link (1, 1, 1, 2)
   +Vector Xim
Transys Avalon (4, 4, 4, 4)
   +Novatech Navi [Firewall 4]
   +Suite: Pro User [Analyze 4, Browse 4, Command 2, Edit 4]
   +Encrypt Rating 4 [Copy Protection 4, Registration]
   +Biofeedback Filter Rating 3 [Copy Protection 3, Registration]
   +Purge Rating 4 [Copy Protection 4, Registration]
   +Stealth Rating 3 [Copy Protection 3, Registration]
   +Scan Rating 4 [Copy Protection 4, Registration]

== Gear ==
Ammo: EX-Explosive Rounds (Submachine Guns) x30
Ammo: Gel Rounds (Submachine Guns) x200
Ammo: Regular Ammo (Submachine Guns) x200
Ammo: Regular Ammo (Heavy Pistols) x60
Ammo: Regular Ammo (Light Pistols) x30
Ammo: Stick-n-Shock (Heavy Pistols) x60
Ammo: Stick-n-Shock (Light Pistols) x30
Concealable Holster
Fake License (Wired Reflexes) Rating 4
Fake License (Ingram Smartgun X) Rating 4
Fake License (Ares Predator IV) Rating 4
Fake License (Bodyguard) Rating 4
Fake License (Driving License) Rating 4
Fake SIN (Laurence Utongo) Rating 4
Jammer, Area Rating 4
Latex Face Mask
Mapsoft (Home City) Rating 6
Medkit Rating 6
Quick-Draw Holster
Respirator Rating 6
Security Tags x20
Smart Jammer, Area Rating 4
Stealth Tags x20
Stimulant Patch Rating 6 x2
Tag Eraser
Tool Kit (Automotive Repair)
Tranq Patch Rating 6 x2
Trauma Patch x2
White Noise Generator Rating 6

== Vehicles ==
BMW RV430 (Sedan)
   +Amenities, Middle
   +Anti-Theft
   +Armor, Concealed Rating 5
   +Chameleon Coating
   +Engine Customization, Speed
   +Passenger Protection Rating 4
   +Rigger Adaptation
   +Spike Strip
   +Spoof Chip
   +Vehicle Sensor

Thanx in advance.

edit: added smartlink bonuses

[UmaroVI]

Cybereyes/cyberears are inefficient etc etc (compare how much you're paying in Y and essence, to the cost of installing Eye Light Systems directly into your eyes, and putting everything else in goggles/contacts/earbuds).

Datajacks don't do anything useful in 4th. You can have them, there's just no real reason.

You don't have Reaction Enhancers. They're really good and a staple for street samurai for a reason; I'd cut some Pilot to afford them.

You have a bad case of Average-Stat-Itis. Lots of 3-4 are bad karma efficiency. Even Willpower is bad (stun boxes round up). I would probably get +2 Agility, -1 Strength, -1 Logic, -1 Willpower, +1 Intuition. (also, lower logic/higher intuition seems to fit a lot better to the background you described).

Get a Shock Glove if you want to punch people.

You don't seem to be modding any of your weapons, but Automatics pretty much require mod-fiddling to get the best use from them because of the need for recoil compensation.

If you're going to pay 8 bp to be meh with pistols, you should really carry pistols that are actually good at things like the Morissey Elan and the Yamaha Sakura Fubuki (with Stick-n-Shock), not overpriced mediocre guns with good ad campaigns like the Ares Predator.

[Herr Novak]

Reaction Enhancers: Yes I forget them, went for Move By Wire System first and that would had me reached the augmented maximum without them, they will be added of course.

Datajack: Well, I like the idea of good old jacking in, also I do see a benefit: while rigging I'm not prone to electronic warfare or hackers

Average-stat-itis: Will lower willpower and logic to raise intuition and agility.

Lowering strength and Shock glove: I don't want to punch people, I want to fight with them You're totally right about efficiency but I'd like to use some of the options of unarmed combat like kick attacks or subduing combat. And you have your fists always with you, while shock gloves can be forbidden in certain areas or you have to put them on first when a fight starts.

Guns: Will review my choice of weapons.

Thank you for your input!

[Herr Novak]

Any comments about the driver-part of this char?

[Henzington]

Given you have a datajack I would hope you plan on jumping in to pilot your vehicle.  In that case you should defitinely get a control rig and mod for hot sim.

[UmaroVI]

I think your driving is fine. Manual driving is what you do if you're a street samurai who wanted a high reaction anyways, and you get to be an alright driver for a fairly low investment.