[Ethan]

Omae, if you ever get that rich I guarantee you'll have better things to spend it on. Wired Reflexes 2 is a solid choice. So is Move-by-Wires 2 if you want to use Restricted Gear for it.

[TheNarrator]

That is kind of the problem. If i start with wired reflexes 2 I also get to start with some other good upgrades, but if I ever strike it rich, I don't have enough essence for Synaptic 3. If I start with synaptic 1, I can barely afford anything else but I have the potential to get Synaptic 3 if I strike it rich.

You'll have more than enough Essance for Synaptic Booster 3. It's bioware. It only costs 1.5 Essence. (And 240,000 nuyen.)

It's Wired Reflexes 3 that you'll never have enough Essence to have, but that's fine. It's not really worth it.

[All4BigGuns]

Don't forget that when you remove an implant, there is an 'essence hole' left that can be used for future essence costs until it's filled up.

[Strungest]

Don't forget that when you remove an implant, there is an 'essence hole' left that can be used for future essence costs until it's filled up.

Is that how it works? I thought that each new implant had an additional essence cost, regardless of the previous implants.

[JustADude]

Don't forget that when you remove an implant, there is an 'essence hole' left that can be used for future essence costs until it's filled up.

Is that how it works? I thought that each new implant had an additional essence cost, regardless of the previous implants.

Kinda-sorta. Think of Essence as "Money" and an Essence Hole as "Store Credit". Here's an explanation using both the metaphor and the proper terms.

"You have to spend money to buy stuff, but if you return something you get store credit back. When you go to buy something else, you use up your store credit before you have to spend any more money."

"You have to spend Essence to install cyberware. If you remove the cyberware, you're left with an Essence Hole. When you install more cyberware, you fill the Essence Hole before it costs any extra Essence."

[TheNarrator]

Yeah, sorry, I suppose I should have been more clear.

If you remove your Wired Reflexes 2, then you'll have a 3 Essence "hole" left. (Or slighly less, since you have Biocompatability.) Your Essence doesn't go back up, but the hole is left unfilled and something else can be put in there. So if you then installed Synaptic Booster 3, it would fill 1.5 Essence of the hole. (Or rather, 0.75 Essence, since it's bioware and whatever kind of 'ware you have less of only counts for half. But at this point you might actually have more bioware than cyber, so... eh, it's complicated.)

The end result is that if you later pull out your Wired Reflexes and replace them with Synaptic Booster, your Essence score won't change, and you'll have some unfilled space that could hold other 'ware

[Strungest]

This SOOOO changes how I was doing my 'ware. I thought that you needed to implant stuff at the level you wanted it at, otherwise you just lost essence. Upgrading is so much easier now.

[Mad Hamish]

As far as essence holes goes you've got to be a bit careful
In Augmentation it splits things into 2 essence holes, 1 for bioware and 1 for cyberware (see page 128 of Augmentation)

So by the book you can't directly use the essence hole from wired reflexes for a synaptic booster, check how your GM is doing things to see if he'll let you do so.
You can add additional cyberware into the hole (and possibly remove some bioware as well)
and there is the possibility of slowly reducing the essence hole with an expensive treatment

[All4BigGuns]

As far as essence holes goes you've got to be a bit careful
In Augmentation it splits things into 2 essence holes, 1 for bioware and 1 for cyberware (see page 128 of Augmentation)

So by the book you can't directly use the essence hole from wired reflexes for a synaptic booster, check how your GM is doing things to see if he'll let you do so.
You can add additional cyberware into the hole (and possibly remove some bioware as well)
and there is the possibility of slowly reducing the essence hole with an expensive treatment

I believe that was changed, but I could be mistaken. Lord I hope it actually was because honestly, that makes no sense to me--Essence is Essence after all.

[Mad Hamish]

The latest pdf version of Augmentation doesn't have multiple types of essence holes, but you'd still better discuss it with your GM

[TheNarrator]

Either way, it won't become an issue unless you hit the jackpot and have 240K to spend.

[JustADude]

Either way, it won't become an issue unless you hit the jackpot and have 240K to spend.

Or talk your GM into getting you Deltaware MBW 3 as a reward for doing something risky and high-profile.

A couple million (Delta MBW3 is 1,750,000¥, plus medical expenses) "retail cost" in goods and services, per Runner, sounds about right for saving Damien Knight from a massive SNAFU with a bunch of escaped Bugs, doncha think?