Anybody interested in playing Shadowrun?

[Douane]

Hi Reaper, welcome back!

First thing: I hope I didn't give the impression of implying anything negative with my above remark; when you didn't reply I had just assumed that you were too busy. (Well, I had considered the account thing, too, and had planned on giving it another try by mailing your wife some time during the week.)


Concerning the sacrifice of time:

I will freely admit to my own fault in making this thread so cumbersome with all of my "Have you thought about this" and "I have a houserule on that", but I'm doing this to get a feel for the characters involved in order to provide a better game. However, most of this is limited to the actual PC creation, so it won't get in the way later on.

In regard to a possible posting frequency, I can assure you that it will be once every two days at most. (Due to my own situation [ie. translating my thoughts from german into english and then cleaning them up] this would be the optimum I deem possible for me.)

Or if you want more experienced (in SR) players, I totally understand that, too.

Please let me tell you that this would be the worst reason for not playing.

In my rather long years of GM'ing SR I hace met many a newcomer, who - would we have been put into direct comparison concerning our gaming abilites - would have surely put me to shame.
On the other hand, I had my share of "veteran/oldtimer" players whose main effect was to have everyone at the table considering quit playing SR. (I hope that I don't fall into this category myself.)


In conclusion:

We would really love to have both of you playing!


Concerning the characters, please post them. I know Shalimar will do her best to adjust them to the campaign. (I would offer my assistance as well, but, given my rather old-fashioned attitudes, Shalimar is really your best choice.)


[Hope all of this makes sense, since I'm typing it with a cold and a monstrous headache.]

Folkert


P.S. I hope the boards don't swallow this post, too.

 

[Douane]

@ all

While I'm at it, there's one thing I would like all of you to think about. I'm very sure that we all have different conceptions of SR (I know I have ) and of what constitutes a good campaign/story.

So if you could state the aspects you are not fond of, I will try to manage that and avoid if them, if possible.

Also, if there's something you would really like to see, please speak up.


Folkert

 

[Shalimar]

The only things I didn't like about shadowrun was decking and rigging, but thats only because they have so many complex rules, they just seemed to leave the rest of the group twiddling its collectve thumbs while they waited for the person to get done what they had to. The easiest fix that I found was just to make npcs do that stuff so that the GM can just say what happens and not have to dwell in it.

I would like a little to see some free spirits and not neccessarily evil ones, again if your up for it. I like the fact that they can have their own goals and not just be servants.

 

[Xael]

Also, if there's something you would really like to see, please speak up.

Guns, lots of guns. (Though preferably NOT pointed at Xerd...)

Seriously, no idea. T-Birds and/or helicopters that Xerd could steal?

 

[Howling Coyote]

What I strive for is a complex and intriguing plot, I just love a good story.

Btw. I'm not going to be very active this week, since I have an exam, and have to finish three projects (two haven't even been started yet.)

 

[Douane]

The only things I didn't like about shadowrun was decking and rigging, but thats only because they have so many complex rules, they just seemed to leave the rest of the group twiddling its collectve thumbs while they waited for the person to get done what they had to. The easiest fix that I found was just to make npcs do that stuff so that the GM can just say what happens and not have to dwell in it.

I would like a little to see some free spirits and not neccessarily evil ones, again if your up for it. I like the fact that they can have their own goals and not just be servants.

Myself, I just love rigging/riggers. (In fact, the first PC I ever made was one.) But that was back in the day and not quite as rules-intensive as it today.

Concerning decking there is nothing I could agree more with. (This is why I am quite happy have noone playing one.)


Free spirits, hmm? The campaign background has in fact one, though I thought that its own story had come to an end. Well, maybe not. [And yes, I'm very proud that I had introduced that one into my campaign, before any official SR product had done anything in that direction.]

 

[Douane]

Guns, lots of guns.

Hmm, no problem!

(Though preferably NOT pointed at Xerd...)

Hmm, big problem!

Seriously, no idea. T-Birds and/or helicopters that Xerd could steal?

What is he going to do with them? "No guys, seriously, one point of skill is enough to fly it properly!"

 

[Douane]

What I strive for is a complex and intriguing plot, I just love a good story.

I'll do my very best, sir!

Btw. I'm not going to be very active this week, since I have an exam, and have to finish three projects (two haven't even been started yet

I wish you an extraordinary amount of success, Howling Coyote!

[Sorry, but I've been taught to never wish luck, since it is a fickle thing.]

 

[reapersaurus]

(checking in from work)
Thanks for the words.

As for what I prefer (if it means anything from a total newB to SR), I would rather not have a ton of canon thrown in (i think this was already addressed), since the more the world is detailed, the less flexibility you have in adventuring.

I agree about the decking boredom.

As for my take - I don't like the aspect of SR that we are all just schmucks, with little to no power to really affect anything.

Here's my worries - someone please tell me why it's not an issue:
In SR, don't we play flunkies of either a fixer or a corp?
If we are independant, the minute we're successful enough to accomplish anything, won't we register as a blip on the corporation's radar, and we'll either be assimilated or exterminated as competition?
If we're corp, aren't we kinda stuck, with no free-will?

It's my main question with both Shadowrun, and Vampire: the Masquerade.
IMO, Both systems aren't "heroic" systems because of it, and I've never understood how a campaign can be run IF we're playing 'heroes'.

IF we aren't playing heroes, how long are corp lackeys or doomed or incompetent independants interesting to play?

Thanks for helping me understand.

 

[Shalimar]

since the more the world is detailed, the less flexibility you have in adventuring.

We aren't adventurers, we aren't the good guys, we are criminals. Its just a question of how criminal we are that is up to us. We can say no to runs that we are against. For example, Angel, my character will not take any jobs that require killing someone (Wet Work), she like most elves doesn't like killing, she will only do it to save her own life, or that of someone she is protecting.

In SR, don't we play flunkies of either a fixer or a corp?

Hell no, we are not funkies in any sense of the word, if we were "flunkies" we would die very fast. We are professionals, fixers have the contact info for shadowrunners yes, but that means nothing, the runners don't have to accept the runs at all. Fixers simply set up Johnsons (Corporate reps) with people who can do the runs that they need done. Its up to the runner to negotiate a price, whatever price they can get for themselves, decide whether they are going to do the run, plan it out, and do it.

This isn't DnD, we aren't the righters of wrongs, we aren't heros, but what we are is people, people trying to get by in a world where people slip through the cracks and are treated like filth. Just because we are criminals doesn't make us murderers. We play real people, we have feelings, and we have goals.

Just remember we aren't lackeys, we are professionals, we are effectively a group of mercenaires thats hire ourselves out. And yes Shadowrunners can change the world, but it depends on the power level of the campaign.