Editing Skills and Implants (section)

===Neural Remapping===

A neural remapping allows you to adjust your attribute scores in a more permanent manner in order to emphasize the training of certain skill sets. Every character starts with 19 or 20 points for each attribute, but a neural remap will allow you to change that distribution. You only get the opportunity to remap once a year, so any changes you make will be yours to live with for a long time. 

It's generally not recommended for starting characters to use a neural remap. One reason is that beginning characters need to train a wide variety of skills, so specializing early on will always create disadvantages as well as the intended advantages. You might also want to do different activities with the same character, making balanced attributes a better choice. Also, a remap is semi-permanent, which might leave you stuck with attributes that were useful for your first intended career but not so much for the career you changed your mind to pursue instead. 

====Well, If You're Going To Do It Anyway====

If you really want to do a neural remap early on, that is of course your prerogative. New characters starting out get one standard annual remap, as well as two bonus remaps, so even if you make a really terrible choice, you at least have the option to fix it without having to wait for a whole year. 

As long as you're sure you will be sticking with exploration as a career, here is an example of how you might decide on a a neural remap that could be suitable:

Most of your exploration skills have Intelligence as the primary attribute, and Memory as the secondary attribute. Navigation is the most important exception, and has Perception as the secondary attribute. In addition, most of the Mechanics, Electronics, and Engineering skills are based on Intelligence and Memory. So:

Perception 17, Memory 21, Willpower 17, Intelligence 27, Charisma 17 

You'll essentially be shorting your combat skills, as well as a lot of the trade and industry skills, but those aren't really useful for exploration in the first place. Dropping Perception to 17 is an issue for navigation skills, but adding a relatively inexpensive +3 implant will bring perception back up to the pre-remap 20.

The biggest liability here is the reduction in both Perception and Willpower, which can be problematic for Spaceship Command skills. However, beyond Racial Frigate skills and later Covert Ops, there are not a lot of requirements for exploration ships until you start looking at T3C's. That's probably far enough off to consider another remap to adjust to the need for skill levels in cruisers and gunnery.

====Patience Is A Virtue, So Is Decisiveness====

If you want to do an early remap, you probably won't do any lasting harm, beyond depriving yourself of the opportunity to make better use of a remap further down the line. Just remember that the purpose of a remap is to deliberately unbalance your attributes. That creates benefits for some skill training, and corresponding detriments for others. Neural remapping is a sword that cuts both ways, so be careful when you start waving it around.