From:	Mongoose m0ng005e@*********.com
Subject:	skillsoft chips
Date:	Sun, 21 Feb 1999 16:34:12 -0600

:> I don't think you can burn a chip (of any kind) without its source
:> code. Unless you somehow got the source code for a skillsoft (which
the
:> price of the chip probaly does not include), you are out of luck as
far as
:> making more goes. Anti-tamper measures are not really needed.
:> As such, the manufacture of Skillchips is pretty much at the
:> descretion of the GM, since the ability to buy (or create) skillchip
:> sourcecode is not covered in SR sourcebooks.
:
:The creation of skillsoft chips is covered in the SR3 main book. Go to
the
:equipment section which details skillsofts and in there will be the
:information regarding the size of skillsofts. And, IIRC, Base Skills
have a
:programming multiplier of a 3, while specializations have a multiplier of
a 2.
:
:-Herc
:


Actually, SR3 does not even cover the creation of matrix utilities, so
I don't see how giving the code size in SR3 covers anything like creating
Skillsofts. Sr3 mentions that you need source code to modify or copy a
utility, but not how to resolve doing so.
The PURCHASE of skillsofts is covered- their creation is not.
Additionally, Skillsofts are NOT the same as normal utility and
cyberdeck programs- as an indication of this, their price per MP is
different (matrix progs have a staged cost per MP- skillsofts do not).
Although the size of the code on the Skillsoft chip is provided, the
size of the code the programmer must write, the time and TN to do so, and
the equipment that code needs to be written on are all left open
questions.
I think there would be a LOT more involved in creating a rating 3
general Skillsoft than following the rules in VR2 for creating a rating 3
program with a size multiplier of 3. Just sitting at a computer with at
least 27 MP of memory for base 54 days, reduced by a (Cybernetics) 3
programming test and maybe by task bonuses would suffice for creating a
rating 3 utility with a size multiplier of 3, but not (imo) for a
Skillsoft. Shadowrun sourcebooks never state that Skillsofts can be
written in that way, even though matrix utilities (per VR2) can be.

Mongoose