combat

So, I was wrong. Recoil does subtract from the number of dice you roll on an attack in SR4. Recoil compensation helps. Here's the biggest example I have. As a starting character, you get ONE attribute at 6 and either ONE skill at 6 or TWO skills at 5. Let's say an average player is going to have an Agility of 4 and a Longarms of 4. That gives you 8 dice to roll on an attack. Want to make a full auto attack with your light machine gun? Can't do it. Well, you can, but it's an auto miss because you have no die to roll unless there's recoil compensation in there. Even with your Agi maxed at 6 (human) and a 6 on Longarms, you get to roll 3 dice. In the meantime, your opponent is probably rolling 7 or 8 dice. If he gets more successes, you miss.

I'll probaby ammend this after finishing the book and/or playing a few rounds of combat, cause that's my first read through over lunch at work. Seems kind of screwy to me.