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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: "The Kumquat <smirk>" <CRF_BROWNJT@***.CUIS.EDU>
Subject: Cast list
Date: Fri, 2 Dec 1994 17:19:21 -0600
Could someone send me a copy of the most recent cast list?
As long as I've been skulking and listening, I never got one, and I'm preparing
several storylines.....Thanx In Advance..

Just My Two Pence.
The Kumquat.
Message no. 2
From: Gian-Paolo Musumeci <musumeci@***.LIS.UIUC.EDU>
Subject: Re: Cast list
Date: Fri, 2 Dec 1994 19:05:38 -0600
Well, the cast list is sort of being reconstructed right now. ;-) It's sort
of awaiting the installation of my server here at UIUC. Then you'll be able to
do it really easily.
Message no. 3
From: Geoffrey Gerrietts <Siothrun@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Cast list
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 1994 20:07:02 -0500
Seriously & honestly I have *no expectations* for any rapid response on a
cast list, nor am I aiming to pressure. Just hoping someone has the time &
patience to drop me a copy of an old one. I'm not particularly anxious for
the new release -- after all, isn't that what makes for the low quality of
certain unnamed software products?
Message no. 4
From: Mark Imbriaco <mark@******.NET>
Subject: Cast List.
Date: Mon, 30 Oct 1995 16:39:08 -0500
Since Gian-Paolo decided to leave the list, I have taken over his
post of Maintainer of the Cast List. I have just finished making
all of the changes that he had backlogged for several months, and
making the whole thing manageable. There is currently a version
available on the web at:

http://www.itribe.net/shadowrun/cast-db/

I'll have an plain-text version available soon.

BTW: This means that Cast-List submissions are once more a "good
idea" .. There are ALOT of often used characters who do not appear
on the list, but really should. Read the FAQ for more details.

-Mark
Message no. 5
From: Brian Rogers <rogers@****.UIUC.EDU>
Subject: Cast List
Date: Mon, 14 Oct 1996 12:49:01 -0500
Ok, the cast list used to be available via a browser and that information was,
I thought, in the Faq, but a quick checking of the one I just got showed
that I was incorrect or the FAQ I just read was incorrect. Either way, I
could use that URL if someone could be nice enough to post it to me.

Its time I updated all of my characters.
Message no. 6
From: Brian Rogers <rogers@****.UIUC.EDU>
Subject: Cast list
Date: Mon, 14 Oct 1996 21:08:46 -0500
I really need to getahold of the cast list, guys.

Orion is also in use, another character that I have contact with.

Easy did as well, if I remember. We were contracted to kill him, remember?
Message no. 7
From: Sascha Pabst <Sascha.Pabst@**********.UNI-OLDENBURG.DE>
Subject: Re: Cast list
Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 15:33:25 +0000
On 14 Oct 96 at 21:08, Brian Rogers wrote:

> I really need to getahold of the cast list, guys.
>
> Orion is also in use, another character that I have contact with.
>
> Easy did as well, if I remember. We were contracted to kill him, remember?
>
So do I....

Sascha
Message no. 8
From: "Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Cast list
Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 18:50:56 +0100
In message <199610150208.VAA28009@*****.crhc.uiuc.edu>, Brian Rogers
<rogers@****.uiuc.edu> writes
>I really need to getahold of the cast list, guys.
>
>Orion is also in use, another character that I have contact with.
>
>Easy did as well, if I remember. We were contracted to kill him, remember?

Hard to forget :) That did go very quiet, didn't it? No further sign
either of Mako or Orion...

--
"There are four kinds of homicide: felonious, excusable, justifiable and
praiseworthy."
Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary"

Paul J. Adam paul@********.demon.co.uk
Message no. 9
From: Brian Rogers <rogers@****.UIUC.EDU>
Subject: Re: Cast list
Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 14:45:59 -0500
Actually, there are still someone out there, as far as I am concerned, that
wants to tear into my hoop for pulling out of a job "at the last possible
minute".

I've gotten incresingly more worried about Orion, and this person showing
up using his name (after dealing with something or someone that had
the ability to take people over) isnt making me that much easier to live with.


> In message <199610150208.VAA28009@*****.crhc.uiuc.edu>, Brian Rogers
> <rogers@****.uiuc.edu> writes
> >Orion is also in use, another character that I have contact with.
> >
> >Easy did as well, if I remember. We were contracted to kill him, remember?
>
> Hard to forget :) That did go very quiet, didn't it? No further sign
> either of Mako or Orion...
Message no. 10
From: Brad Shantz <BRADS@*********.COM>
Subject: Re: Cast list
Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 13:03:38 -0700
Brian,

I've never lived with you. So, I wouldn't know how easy you are to live
with anyway. Also, you need to send me your address, so I can get the
stuff too you. You know, the stuff I've been trying to get to you for
two years now. **GRIN**

Brad


>----------
>From: Brian Rogers[SMTP:rogers@****.UIUC.EDU]
>Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 1996 12:45 PM
>To: PLOTD@********.ITRIBE.NET
>Subject: Re: Cast list
>
>I've gotten incresingly more worried about Orion, and this person
>showing
>up using his name (after dealing with something or someone that had
>the ability to take people over) isnt making me that much easier to
>live with.
>
>
Message no. 11
From: Avenger <Avenger@*******.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Cast List
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998 22:49:21 +0100
Question


Does anybody have any idea what the heck is going on with the cast list?
I've never seen so many senior Elven Princes, Princesses and god-like
beings in all my days. Is someone taking the rip, or is this something
we should start getting concerned about?


It's almost like it's becoming someone's idea of a super being wish
list. I was under the impression that the characters there were
registered for Shadowtk - not RIFTS.

--
Avenger
Message no. 12
From: Jeffrey Mach <mach@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Cast List
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998 22:40:48 -0700
On Tue, 28 Apr 1998, Avenger wrote:

> Question
>
>
> Does anybody have any idea what the heck is going on with the cast list?
> I've never seen so many senior Elven Princes, Princesses and god-like
> beings in all my days. Is someone taking the rip, or is this something
> we should start getting concerned about?

Not really. If you take a look at the person who put the character in the
list, you will nearly always find yourself thinking "WHO?" And I think at
least the Elven Prince/sses are at least amusing. There are an even
larger amount of sincerely lame characters in the list that I have never
nor expect to ever see actually on the list. Probably just some wankers
that wandered onto the page. Which is why there were some suggestions for
some method of "cleaning out" the cast-list. I mean, I don't even mind
long-dead characters staying, if only to act as name placeholders, but it
is the "they came out of nowhere and to nowhere they returned" characters
that are the product of the delusional ramblings of some poozer who's
greatest contribution to the list was to send a "Uh, how do I unsubscribe
from the list?" post to ShadowTk that I think are a complete waste of
memory.

Hell, somebody even entered themselves as Fastjack (and by the
description, they were implying that they wanted to play as the "real"
Fastjack of yore).

As long as we aren't too concerned about wasting storage space, then it
isn't too much of a concern because usually they give their characters
names as ludicrous as their descriptions. Besides, if any of these
uber-beings did bother to use their characters and stomp all over other
people's plots like Godzilla after breaking up with his girlfriend, they
would either be ignored, or if they really became obnoxious and upset what
other people were doing, they would find themselves off the list. But, in
the interest of having a cast-list that was actually a list of the cast of
ShadowTk, then yes, I would prefer seeing the "never seen 'em"s removed.

> It's almost like it's becoming someone's idea of a super being wish
> list. I was under the impression that the characters there were
> registered for Shadowtk - not RIFTS.

Hey...I actually played that long ago and in a land far away. With a
decent group, it was okay, but I will agree the sourcebooks were the worst
case of Monty Hall-ism and power escallation that I had seen yet. Somehow
I think it is inherently wrong to have character concepts and or weapons
or devices in each subsequent installment that are in every way superior
to their predecessors. It seemed to me that their playtest group just got
_way_ out of hand, and they were continually working to keep the
powergamers satiated.

FASA, so far, hasn't been _that_ bad, although there are some serious
signs and portents when they have NPC's like the Otaku and Harliquin
running about. At least the system seems flexible enough to deal with a
lot of this, but it does seem to be missing the point of a shadow-run when
you have a CEO of a Big 8 (comming soon==> Big 10, and if they get two
more, they can play the University of Texas in the Cotton Bowl) Megacorp
flying about in his power armor and leveling cities with the press of a
button.

I like characters that are more powerful than base starting characters. I
will fully admit that. But on average, the characters I play aren't
_that_ much more powerful, and those that are, are that way because in
order to tell the story I wanted to, they had to be able to do certain
things. A couple of mine are pretty out there, yes, I will admit that,
but as I have argued over the past few months on several occasions, it is
what you do with the character that makes the difference. Heck, there is
even a Greater Dragon or two among the PCs on the list. I don't have a
problem with that as long as a) the characters have them acting in a way
that is believable to be that of a Dragon (don't ask me for specifics on
what I mean here) and b) they aren't used as big monsters to go thrashing
about to show how much more powerful they are than we mere-mortals.

To be honest, would those with characters that existed in the 4th world
(whatever that may mean)--generally that would be greater dragons and some
rare free-spirits--please contact me privately with a short description of
your character and a vague idea of what they are/have been involved in. I
have something that might do to have a bit of "ancient wisdom" touch it
very briefly, to confirm or deny a speculation (similarly to how The Big D
or Laughing Man might in the sourcebooks) and other than that won't be
anything major. Also, I am curious to get a vague idea of how many here
are actually playing with "ancient ones."

--My two yen

Jeff
Message no. 13
From: Avenger <Avenger@*******.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Cast List
Date: Wed, 29 Apr 1998 22:01:43 +0100
In article <Pine.HPP.3.96.980428211236.24058B-
100000@****.ugcs.caltech.edu>, Jeffrey Mach <mach@****.CALTECH.EDU>
waffled & burbled about Cast List
>On Tue, 28 Apr 1998, Avenger wrote:
>
>> Question
>>
>>
>> Does anybody have any idea what the heck is going on with the cast list?
>> I've never seen so many senior Elven Princes, Princesses and god-like
>> beings in all my days. Is someone taking the rip, or is this something
>> we should start getting concerned about?
>
>is the "they came out of nowhere and to nowhere they returned" characters
>that are the product of the delusional ramblings of some poozer who's
>greatest contribution to the list was to send a "Uh, how do I unsubscribe
>from the list?" post to ShadowTk that I think are a complete waste of
>memory.

Agreed mostly, though as for amusing... <g>

>Hell, somebody even entered themselves as Fastjack (and by the
>description, they were implying that they wanted to play as the "real"
>Fastjack of yore).

Yeah I noticed that. Along with Batman, Daredevil, a nuber of royal
personages, Harlequin and some later entries that I dare not mention in
a public forum. Perhaps Mark's quesion regarding removing some of these
more eroneous characters wasn't such a bad idea.

>As long as we aren't too concerned about wasting storage space, then it
>isn't too much of a concern because usually they give their characters
>names as ludicrous as their descriptions.

The characters don't take up much space, a few bytes each, but they're a
rather poor example to future listmembers. I mean, things like the
Godlike Otaku that everyone bows down to because he 'owns' the matrix.
King somebody or other driving a truck because he doesn't know he's
royalty, and the endless immortal Highlander clones... :)

>other people were doing, they would find themselves off the list. But, in
>the interest of having a cast-list that was actually a list of the cast of
>ShadowTk, then yes, I would prefer seeing the "never seen 'em"s removed.

It seems fair that some of the lurkers on the list may have registered
characters, but I can't help seeing the danger that some future members
will look at sections of the cast list, and think. Hey, if they can do
it - why can't I, without being aware that the registered characters
have never been used. four years of Plot Logs are a lot of reading for
anybody.

>> It's almost like it's becoming someone's idea of a super being wish
>> list. I was under the impression that the characters there were
>> registered for Shadowtk - not RIFTS.
>
>Hey...I actually played that long ago and in a land far away.

<AOL>

>FASA, so far, hasn't been _that_ bad, although there are some serious
>signs and portents when they have NPC's like the Otaku and Harliquin
>running about.

To name but a few. Though many of the novels appear to be heading in
that direction - that's a second hand opinion, I gave up eading the
books a while back so have to rely on friends to tell me the story. :)

>At least the system seems flexible enough to deal with a
>lot of this, but it does seem to be missing the point of a shadow-run when
>you have a CEO of a Big 8 (comming soon==> Big 10, and if they get two
>more, they can play the University of Texas in the Cotton Bowl) Megacorp
>flying about in his power armor and leveling cities with the press of a
>button.

Yeah, there's a couple of those in the 'tk list as well. One chap I
found is using magic that's 5,000 years old, he's human, and a god of
some sort. Huh? I thought this was Shadowrun? AD&D have gods as PCs
doesn't it?

>I like characters that are more powerful than base starting characters. I
>will fully admit that.

I think in general most people do. Though playing a weak below starting
level character can be a lot of fun - or so I'm told.


<snip dragon bits>

>very briefly, to confirm or deny a speculation (similarly to how The Big D
>or Laughing Man might in the sourcebooks) and other than that won't be
>anything major. Also, I am curious to get a vague idea of how many here
>are actually playing with "ancient ones."

Not many here, but there's loads that might have been if they'd found
something other than the Character registration page.


Which makes me think of something. Mark, it is possible to access the
character pages without going through your main page - two of the search
engines spit it up under a Shadowrun search. So, might it be an idea,
just to put a short note at the top of the page explaining that the
characters are for Shadowtk - with a link to the FAQ, and not a general
store for _all_ Shadowrun characters and godlike beings. That might
stop a few of the opportunistic chars that have been registered.

--
Avenger
Message no. 14
From: "Mark A. Imbriaco" <mark.imbriaco@*****.COM>
Subject: Cast List ..
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 19:13:41 -0400
General announcement: I've actually started writing code for the new
cast-db system. I'm planning to work on this throughout the basketball
game tonight and maybe I'll have something useable by the end of the
night. I'll post more information as it is available. :-)

-Mark

Further Reading

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These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.

Thwap!