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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MGibster" data-source="post: 8227438" data-attributes="member: 4534">You're looking at this in terms of more human or less human and that's not what Humanity measures.  A character with no cybernetics at 50 Humanity is just as human as the character with 70 Humanity and some cybernetics.  Humanity is connected to Empathy which is a measure of how well a character connects to other people.  The wealthy have the time and resources to shield themselves from the vicissitudes of 21st century life.  They don't have to worry about someone breaking into their home, where their next meal is coming from, and they can mitigate the risks associated with cyberwear.  Far from being antithetical to the setting I think the divide between the haves and have nots is a fundamental part of the setting.  I have mixed feelings about this.  Do I really need dozens of pistols or rifles that all do approximately the same thing?  Not really.  But when it comes to style over substance, it's a lot cooler saying I'm packing a Tamiya G-70 than saying I have a very heavy pistol.  You're right, most people aren't going to live such a risky life.  But in Red, the characters are the type of people who would rather live fast, dangerously, and on their own terms than play it safe even knowing it would mean living longer and more comfortably. It's not just about money it's about ideology.  I expect most edgerunners die relatively young.Ha!  Back in the day, sometime in the 1990s, my group came to the same conclusion in regards to stealing cars in Shadowrun.  In Red, a compact car goes for $30,000 and let's say the PCs can sell them for 10% of market value.  A five man team could steal 5 of them a month and net each member $3,000 for work that's less risky and more rewarding than a difficult run.  According to this <a href="https://journalistsresource.org/economics/illegal-income-crime-drugs-job-research/" target="_blank">article</a> from 2017, in one study the average criminal who made their living selling drugs, burglarizing, or forging checks made about $900 a week.  But in one of the Freakanomic books, the authors noted that many Chicago street dealers were making less than minimum wage.  I'm completely with you on this one.  The PCs should rake in the dough for successful jobs and most likely spend it as soon as they get it.  Life is short, especially for an edgerunner, so they might as well enjoy it while they can.  Why do these games futz around with income like this?  I would have liked to see some rules for negotiating the price of a job.  Perhaps adding modifiers for any reputation the PCs might have.</blockquote>

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