From:	mneideng@****.caltech.edu (Mark L. Neidengard)
Subject:	Re: Mechanics Question
Date:	Wed, 27 Mar 1996 11:34:18 -0800 (PST)

According to Randy Nickel:
>
> I am new to this and have been wondering just how a run is done over
> email/internet? Especially since we don't create stats (as far as I
> know).

Well, the way it normally works is that all the characters are sort of
chatting about whatever on the system, intereacting, developing personal
liking and dislikings, while meanwhile some of the august Players have plots
in mind that cause events in the real world (which in turn causes various
characters to say or do various things). Also, various pieces of footage or
news reports about outside events can be insinuated by various media-aware
characters. When it comes to an actual "event", such as a conflict involving
multiple characters, an important speech, or whatever, generally one of the
Players will do a writeup, working out privately with other Players what
their characters will do in the situation.

As to the statistics question, I don't know how other people are handling it
but I find myself to be a real stickler for mechanics. I have my own internal
notion of what my characters stats, skills, and equipment are, and when I do
some sort of combat I try to run mechanics on the entire event as a sanity
check to keep the "cinematic" factor from getting too far out of control.
Essentially, I write a chronology of events that I think seems appropriately
dramatic and cool and then see if the mechanics support it. When using
other people's characters I often just interpolate from the description,
using Skill levels and whatnot that seem appropriate. About the highest
resolution I might need to hear is that someone is a Grade N Initiate, and
most often not even that.
--
/!\/!ark /!\!eidengard, CS Major, VLSI. http://www.cacr.caltech.edu/~mneideng
"Fairy of sleep, controller of illusions" Operator/Jack-of-all-Trades, CACR
"Control the person for my own purpose." "Don't mess with the Dark
Elves!"
-Pirotess, _Record_of_Lodoss_War_ Shadowrunner and Anime Addict