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<blockquote data-quote="eyebeams" data-source="post: 5319838" data-attributes="member: 9225">As someone who worked on an SR book I can tell you that supplements and precedents created by plots are way more influential in that game than they ever were in the old World of Darkness. Some of this is extremely subtle, such as precedents in technology. Others have to do with the uncertain state of crossover material from Earthdawn. Either way, it's very pervasive. That's not good or bad -- it's just how SR is.All in all, changes in plot arcs tend to follow fan demand over what game designers want. All the assassins died in Faerun not *just* because uncool AD&amp;D2 made it so, but because they were a widely despised class in 1e. In fact, most of the AD&amp;D2 changes were themselves focused responses to 1e complaints at the time.Mage Revised happened because the fans who preferred 2nd often didn't play the game, didn't buy much, and created a closed community that alienated new players. (I used to have a standard test to see if people played Mage to tell whether to take feedback seriously, because the core spellcasting system has a flaw that is obvious to anybody who uses it over time.) Line artist Chris Shy was given marching orders to &quot;do something different because it's a failing line.&quot; To a great extent, fans reap what they sow. There were better ways to do it in both cases, but the reality of time and pressure versus practical objectives led to something of a kludge. Still, I'm very happy with things such as how I ended Ascension, in the Giovanni Chronicles and other things that weave in and out of metaplot development.But we sure as hell never decided the devil said Spider-Man had to get a divorce.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="eyebeams, post: 5319838, member: 9225"] As someone who worked on an SR book I can tell you that supplements and precedents created by plots are way more influential in that game than they ever were in the old World of Darkness. Some of this is extremely subtle, such as precedents in technology. Others have to do with the uncertain state of crossover material from Earthdawn. Either way, it's very pervasive. That's not good or bad -- it's just how SR is. All in all, changes in plot arcs tend to follow fan demand over what game designers want. All the assassins died in Faerun not *just* because uncool AD&D2 made it so, but because they were a widely despised class in 1e. In fact, most of the AD&D2 changes were themselves focused responses to 1e complaints at the time. Mage Revised happened because the fans who preferred 2nd often didn't play the game, didn't buy much, and created a closed community that alienated new players. (I used to have a standard test to see if people played Mage to tell whether to take feedback seriously, because the core spellcasting system has a flaw that is obvious to anybody who uses it over time.) Line artist Chris Shy was given marching orders to "do something different because it's a failing line." To a great extent, fans reap what they sow. There were better ways to do it in both cases, but the reality of time and pressure versus practical objectives led to something of a kludge. Still, I'm very happy with things such as how I ended Ascension, in the Giovanni Chronicles and other things that weave in and out of metaplot development. But we sure as hell never decided the devil said Spider-Man had to get a divorce. [/QUOTE]

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