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--- khai_deckbuilding [2024/10/05 00:24] – [Success Rates] khai
+++ khai_deckbuilding [2026/05/24 12:23] (current) – [Progression] clarify progression of attack and lock-on ratings khai
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-====== Khai's Guide to the Amateur Decker ======
+====== Khai's Guide to Building a Decker ======
 This is not an in-depth guide to decking, programming, and deckbuilding. Rather, these are thoughts intended to help mechanically optimize the creation of a decker (whether as a primary or secondary role). For more detail, take a look at the other guides and the in-game help files.
 IMPORTANT: If you read nothing else, understand that matrix hosts resist your actions by rolling against your detection factor (see: HELP DETECTION FACTOR), so a DF of 6 is highly recommended for a newbie decker. Also, most utility programs reduce the TNs (see: HELP TN) you roll against, so as a generalization, it is recommended that you obtain them at the highest rating you can, even though you might not be able to fit them all into your active memory at the same time (instead, unload and load programs as needed).
+==== To B/R or not to B/R ====
+Programming and deck building can take quite a lot of time. These tasks are not mandatory to be a decker, but there are reasons why many deckers want to be able to program and deck build on their own.
+Reasons to program:
+  * The Evaluate program, which helps you find paydata (and thus helps you make nuyen), decays by 1 point every 48 hours. There's a lot of convenience to being able to replace it on your own.
+  * Utility programs available from stores have ratings no higher than 9.
+  * The cost of raw chips is much less than the cost to purchase utility programs. This is especially relevant if you need to replace a program because tarpit IC ate it.
+Reasons to deck build:
+  * Store-bought decks have a cold ASIST interface, which prevents a decker from adding their hacking pool dice to matrix tests.
+  * Store-bought decks can only use store-bought persona programs, and personas available from stores have ratings no higher than 9.
+  * The cost of parts is much less than the cost to purchase a deck.
+  * You can build hardening at ratings up to your deck's MPCP, which make it much more difficult for IC to damage your deck.
+Reasons not to B/R:
+  * Programming and deck building take a lot of skills and time.
+  * Some other player characters engage in the role of deckmeister, so if you can find them and persuade them to do work for you, you can pay them to program and build you a custom deck.
+==== Chargen vs Custom Cyberdeck ====
+Probably the most important decision when creating a decker is whether you intend to initially rely on a store-bought cyberdeck or if you intend to build a custom deck before entering the Matrix. A store-bought cyberdeck (e.g., the pre-built decker's CMT Avatar) lets you jump into decking immediately (rather than having to spend a week IRL on building), but is limited to a cold ASIST (which prevents you from using your hacking pool). It also takes up a lot of your starting resources; if you intend to purchase a CMT Avatar and all relevant programs, you essentially need to assign resources to A - 1m nuyen (priority based chargen) or 25 points - 650k nuyen (points based chargen).
+Note that access to the hacking pool means that a custom MPCP 6 deck can perform better than a CMT Avatar, depending on host ratings, even though the Avatar has a higher MPCP rating. The plot below shows a comparison between a CMT Avatar and a custom MPCP 6. Both deckers are assumed to have started with Computer 6 and have picked up all relevant cyberware and bioware. Because the decker with the custom MPCP 6 has spent significant time/effort in building their deck as well as programming rating 6 utilities, it is reasonable to assume that the decker with the CMT Avatar has also taken some effort to increase their computer skill to 7 and to upgrade their utility programs to rating 7 so as to maximize the benefit they get from their CMT Avatar's MPCP 7. The plot also assumes that both decks have detection factor = 6 and that the opposing Matrix Host has a security rating value equal to 2/3 (round down) of the targeted subsystem rating. The alert state is not taken into account, though an alerted host can be approximated by taking its subsystem rating as 2 points higher on the plot.
+The default hacking pool allocation is 1/3 of the pool (see: HELP MAX), so the decker with the custom MPCP 6 will typically roll 6 skill +3 task pool +3 hacking pool = 12 dice. Alternatively, if the decker is willing to wait for their pool to refresh for each action, then they can allocate more hacking pool dice. SR3 pg 44 says the max number of hacking pool dice that can be allocated to any test is capped by skill rating, so this brings them up to 15 dice. The CMT Avatar decker, not being able to use their hacking pool, rolls 7 skill +3 task pool = 10 dice.
+{{:decks_probabilities.png?400|}}
+There does exist a hybrid approach, where you purchase either a CMT Avatar or Novatech Hyperdeck-6 in chargen, along with the necessary persona programs (store-bought decks can only use store-bought personas), but not the utility programs. Once out of chargen, you then take the time to program your own utilities. A CMT Avatar with rating 6 body, masking, and sensors, plus a rating 3 evasion, is 303.1k nuyen. A Novatech Hyperdeck-6 with rating 6 body, masking, and sensors costs 175.4k nuyen.
 ==== Programs ====
@@ Line 33: / Line 62: @@
 ===== Decker Creation =====
-==== Chargen vs Custom Cyberdeck ====
-Probably the most important decision when creating a decker is whether you intend to initially rely on a store-bought cyberdeck or if you intend to build your own custom deck as soon as possible. A store-bought cyberdeck (including the CMT Avatar that the pre-built decker archetype starts with) has a cold ASIST, which does not allow us to use your hacking pool.
-However, access to the hacking pool means that a custom MPCP 6 deck can often perform better than a CMT Avatar, depending on host ratings, even though the Avatar has a higher MPCP rating. The plot below shows a comparison between a CMT Avatar and a custom MPCP 6. Both deckers are assumed to have started with Computer 6 and have picked up all relevant cyberware and bioware. Because the decker with the custom MPCP 6 has spent significant time/effort in building their deck as well as programming rating 6 utilities, it is reasonable to assume that the decker with the CMT Avatar has also taken some effort to increase their computer skill to 7 and to upgrade their utility programs to rating 7 so as to maximize the benefit they get from their CMT Avatar's MPCP 7. The plot also assumes that both decks have detection factor = 6 and that the opposing Matrix Host has a security rating value equal to 2/3 (round down) of the targeted subsystem rating. The alert state is not taken into account, though an alerted host can be approximated by taking its subsystem rating as 2 points higher on the plot.
-The default hacking pool allocation is 1/3 of the pool (see: HELP MAX), so the decker with the custom MPCP 6 will typically roll 6 skill +3 task pool +3 hacking pool = 12 dice. Alternatively, if the decker is willing to wait for their pool to refresh for each action, then they can allocate more hacking pool dice. SR3 pg 44 says the max number of hacking pool dice that can be allocated to any test is capped by skill rating, so this brings them up to 15 dice. The CMT Avatar decker, not being able to use their hacking pool, rolls 7 skill +3 task pool = 10 dice.
-{{:decks_probabilities.png?400|}}
 ==== Mandatory Attribute ====
 **Intelligence** contributes to our hacking pool, and if we didn't pick up the design skills, our design tests default to this attribute.
@@ Line 47: / Line 67: @@
 ==== Mandatory Skills ====
 **Computers** is what we use for matrix actions, programming tests, and caps the ratings of the programs we make (except Evaluate).
-**Computer Build and Repair** is what we use to build deck parts, and caps what MPCP rating we can build.
+**Computer Build and Repair** is what we use to build deck parts, and caps what MPCP (and other deck component) rating we can build. Note that your MPCP rating caps what program ratings you can use.
-**Data Brokerage** is used when fencing paydata, and caps what Evaluate program rating we can make.
+==== Highly Recommended Skills ====
+**Data Brokerage** is used when fencing paydata, and caps what Evaluate program rating we can make. This is not needed for completing matrix autoruns.
 ==== Notable Optional Skills ====
-**Cyberterminal Design** and the five **Program Design** skills are optional for early deck-building and programming. Without these skills, we default to Intelligence for design tests, but if we picked up everything on the the highly recommended 'ware list, our likelihood of failure without these skills for rating 6-8 parts/programs is very small. These skills do make a significant difference for higher rating decks/programs, but we can pick them up later when we're actually thinking of upgrading.
+**Cyberterminal Design** and the five **Program Design** skills are optional for early deck-building and programming. Without these skills, we default to Intelligence for design tests, but if we picked up everything on the highly recommended 'ware list, our likelihood of failure without these skills for rating 6-8 parts/programs will be low. These skills do make a significant difference for higher rating decks/programs, but we can pick them up later when we're actually thinking of upgrading.
 Because programming tests also get bonuses from a computer with sufficiently abundant active memory and from possessing a programming suite, the cyberterminal design skill is much more valuable than the five program design skills. In addition, cyberterminal design tests have TN = MPCP/2 (whereas program design tests have TN = 4, or 5 if program rating above 9), it is particularly important when building MPCP 10 or 12 cyberdecks. NOTE: your design skills are used even if they don't meet/exceed the rating of the program/part.
@@ Line 78: / Line 100: @@
 ==== Other CharGen Comments ====
-All the highly recommended 'ware can be picked up with resources at priority B, and the mandatory skills at priority E, so we have quite a bit of room for the rest of the character. NOTE: because melee is only defended against by melee, it is a very good idea for all characters to pick up a melee skill. If we're using a firearm, we use clubs for melee defense. If we put a bayonet on the firearm, then we use polearms for melee defense.
+All the highly recommended 'ware can be picked up with resources at priority B (priority based chargen) or 20 points (point based chargen), and the mandatory skills at priority E, so we have quite a bit of room for the rest of the character. NOTE: because melee is only defended against by melee, it is a very good idea for all characters to pick up a melee skill. If we're using a firearm, we use clubs for melee defense. If we put a bayonet on the firearm, then we use polearms for melee defense.
-WRT magical characters: picking up everthing on the highly recommended 'ware list means starting with magic 3. For mages, this means we'll want to grind paydata for at least a rating 3 power focus before we start spamming stunbolt 6. For adepts, it may be worth using those 3 power points for kinesics; we'll be lacking combat abilities until we get in a few addpoints and initiations, but we'll also be able to buy truck-loads of APDS ammo much earlier than any other character concept.
+WRT magical characters: picking up everything on the highly recommended 'ware list means starting with magic 3. For mages, this means we'll want to grind paydata for at least a rating 3 power focus before we start spamming stunbolt 6. For adepts, it may be worth using those 3 power points for kinesics; we'll be lacking combat abilities until we get in a few addpoints and initiations, but we'll also be able to buy truck-loads of APDS ammo much earlier than any other character concept. On the other end of the scale, we can skip all the 'ware and just use an electrode net. Note that if we're also skipping all the design skills, this will double our odds of failure when making deck components.
 WRT riggers, each rating of a vehicle control rig reduces hacking pool. Having a rig also increases matrix TN by 1. Because program ratings directly reduce matrix TNs, this is really only a problem while our ratings are still low. One idea might be to start without a rig and pick one up in-game after we can upgrade to higher rating decks and programs.
-===== Starting With a Custom Cyberdeck ====
+===== Custom Cyberdeck As Your First Deck ====
 We can't immediately begin building a custom deck on leaving chargen because we need to obtain a few things that are only available in-game. To build a functionally complete MPCP 6 cyberdeck, we will want to buy:
@@ Line 116: / Line 138: @@
 ==== The Programs ====
 ^Name of Program^Why^
-|Armor 6             |so we can survive longer                             |
+|Sleaze 6            |so the host is less able to resist our actions       |
-|Sleaze 6            |so the host is less able to resist us                |
 |Deception 6         |to logon to hosts                                    |
 |Decrypt 6           |to decrypt paydata                                   |
@@ Line 124: / Line 145: @@
 |Browse 6            |to find hosts                                        |
 |Evaluate 6          |to find paydata                                      |
-|Attack 6 (D)        |so we can clear out IC                               |
+|Armor 6             |to reduce the power of IC attacks                    |
+|Shield 6            |to reduce the number of successes rolled by IC       |
+|Attack 6 (D)        |so we can kill IC                                    |
 |Lock-On 6           |so IC are less able to maneuver                      |
 |Medic 6             |so we can repair our icon without having to log out  |
-|Analyze 6           |so we can reveal hidden passive IC, trapdoors, etc   |
+|Analyze 6           |so we can reveal various hidden details              |
-NOTE: dealing with IC and finding trapdoors are optional when farming blue/green paydata, but trapdoors are featured in early tutorial autoruns.
+NOTE: fighting IC and finding trapdoors are optional when farming blue/green paydata, but trapdoors are featured in early tutorial autoruns.
+NOTE: there is no penalty to attempting to decrypt when there is no encryption, disarm when there is no trap, or logon to a subsystem when there is no trapdoor. Thus, the Analyze program can also be considered optional.
+===== Progression ====
+Since a custom MPCP 6 and a CMT Avatar are roughly equivalent, I recommend that your second deck has an MPCP in the 8-10 range. Due to skill caps, an MPCP 8 is the highest rating a full mage/shaman can build on their own, and an MPCP 10 is the highest rating an adept or aspected magician can build on their own. A mundane can build an MPCP 12, but it takes a lot of skill and time to do so (even more if you don't upgrade your computer to a rack mounted machine), so I recommend an intermediate deck (unless you can find a good deal for somebody else to build you a 12) that you can use while you don't have your MPCP 12 complete yet. For this case, an MPCP 9 may be ideal since there's a design TN increase at 10.
+Note that the size of programs grow faster with rating than the maximum memory available to your deck. In addition to swapping programs that you don't use all the time as needed for your current tasks, you can keep some programs at lower ratings. Because your detection factor is the rounded-up average of your Sleaze and Masking, you can keep one of the two a rating point lower and still end up with the same result. Because IC generally have no armor, attack programs above rating 6 have rapidly diminishing returns (the code allows some to have 2 armor but it's not clear where that has been used, so there's an argument for rating 8). Because host alert states do not affect IC maneuvers and TNs cannot be reduced below 2, there's never a benefit for Lock-On above rating 10 (there are also arguments for rating 7 and for skipping Lock-On entirely if you have Sensors 12). Because Medic is not resisted in any way, it can also be used at a lower rating (you may just need to reload it sooner if you use it a lot).

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