Rookie question: What archetype to pick on first playthrough?

[Dr. Death]

I did Shadowrun returns happy with my dwarf shotgun/pistol hybrid gunner, although due to the stats and the ending it would be better for me to pick an elf. And i just finished dragonfall wishing that i had picked a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ decker because almost every single special conversation option required decking skill.

Is there a class/race/archetype that i should pick to avoid trouble in the future?

Side question: How long is this game compared to shadowrun dragonfall?

[bunny de fluff]

A gun blazing assault rifle street ninja focused on Quickness is good and easy.

[Dr. Death]

Originally posted by bunny de fluff:

A gun blazing assault rifle street ninja focused on Quickness is good and easy.

Is it not gonna be like in Returns in which shotguns were better than rifles in every single way?

[bunny de fluff]

Sorry I dont know much about shotgun. But in this game your teammates have all necessary skills covered so you are free to be whatever you like.

[bvguthrie]

Your primary team members are a decker, a shaman, and an assault rifle/close combat specialist. Early on, you can add in a rigger with the world's best combat drone, and a swordsman. (There are also mercs, but you won't have enough money to hire them.) With five companions to choose from, any combat choice (support, frontlines, decking specialist, etc.) is viable. For dialogue, there are lots of charisma and etiquette checks, so if you want to pass those, make sure your character has high charisma. Of course, failing those leads to more opportunities to shoot people in the face, so dumb powerful characters work, too. Also, you can ask team members for help with various tasks like astral perception to a greater degree than you can in Dragonfall.

[Dr. Death]

And what would be the most useful gun depending on the combat scenarios? Are the distances long enough to warrant a rifle/sniper? or is a shotty just fine?

[bvguthrie]

Originally posted by Dr. Death:

And what would be the most useful gun depending on the combat scenarios? Are the distances long enough to warrant a rifle/sniper? or is a shotty just fine?

There are a decent number of large battlefields in the game, so a sniper is a good option.