| From: | Avenger <Avenger@*******.DEMON.CO.UK> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Bus Killings & LSSS (Couple of things...) |
| Date: | Thu, 26 Feb 1998 20:57:35 +0000 |
goes in continual endless circles. Some people see more magic in use
than others. It's not so much a personal thing as an interpretation of
the existing information.
Novels I'm afraid, you'll find are not considered canon, and are not
supported as such by FASA corporation. This statement is available
direct from the current line Developer Mike Mulvihill and Mr. Magic
Steve Kenson, in the Shadowrn logs of last year.
As regards current product, I don't think honestly that anyone can use
that as justification on increasing magic. They've been primarily
sourcebooks for expanded game information, ie Target:UCAS and
Cyberpirates. The only book that I've seen in recent months that is
more based around magic is Predator and Prey. The rest are mundane
based - Rigger 2, Underworld... But that's not really the point. I
don't dislike magic to the point you have assumed I do, if I did, why
would I play Shadowrun?
You seem to have misunderstood my statements as supporting "no magic"
when they mean "little magic". That magic exists is undeniable, that
corporations and security use it is undeniable. It is this fact that
adds the colour to Shadowrun and takes it away from the more simplistic
CP2020 style Cyberpunk environment. The prevelance of mages on this
board is immaterial - that's a personal thing for the players. That
there are a large number of magical people on this list was discussed
last year, and is in the PlotD logs. I'm not going to go back over that.
There are justifiable reasons for that situation here. Out of nearly 70
available characters only two I have are mages. But that's just me.
As regards magical backup for Seattle - full/partial/adept or otherwise.
This assumes much and denies some things. Just as my comments about the
DPI being busy assumes things. I can quote from books as well as any
other person, but I would rather not be reduced to that, I've done it
before and find it rather tasteless. If, as I have said magic is an
unreliable source of power - which by all indications it is. Then why
would anyone rely on it for reliable information. When there are
mundane methods that are as if not more reliable? I can see the
presence of mages in all walks of life increasing as the mana levels
increase, but not this soon into the situation. However, I will quite
happily change my tune later this year if my thoughts are disproved by
Steve Kenson once he's finished the Big Book of Magic, though so far
he's still sticking to the "it's damned rare matey" statements. The few
times i've spoken to him over private mail - most recently regarding
psionics - he's voiced some surprise over the importance that people
place in magic, and isn't overly happy with that - magic and technology
are in complete opposition to each other, one thrives on mana, and
derives from a biosphere, the other doesn't and destroys the biosphere.
The planet (allegedly) is terribly damaged, the ecology of the planet is
rapidly being overcome by uncaring corporations, with the destruction of
the ecology, the biosphere suffers terribly, and magic takes a brutal
downswing in capability. A rather simplistic view explaining the lack
of magic, but in ways a valid part of the whole.
This is all probably going to be taken the wrong way, but. I'm not
saying magic shouldn't wouldn't and can't be used, but I do maintain
that it is a valuable and scarce resource. All the more reason for the
amount of mundane and technological solutions that are available. But,
somewhen around Autumn, I'll be able to review my opinions, and so will
a great many other people. Maybe at the end of the corporate war, magic
will begin to grow, and we can each have a mage in our living rooms to
make coffee and doughnuts <g> until then, I for one will be keeping it
to a minimum in things I do on the list.
Why Paul's bus posts didn't have drones and whathaveyou lurking around,
and all manner of other nice cutsey little toys, is more down to how the
posts were written than any denial of the existence of these toys, the
same as the lack of magic was down to the writers of the posts than a
denial of the existence of magic. I've stated before, many times, and I
stick to that statement. Magic is a powerful and diverse tool, as much
so if not more than mundane tools. However, it's undeniably rare, and a
valuable asset. It's power and unpredictability make it less reliable
than a highly trained infiltration squad. Again, I'm not saying that
magic would _not_ be used, but that it's use is not a guarantee of
success or reliability. Assume the possibility of a magically capable
person being with the terrorist teams, if an astrally scouting DPI is
noticed by such a person the situation will logically escalate a hell of
a lot quicker, becuase that person will know of the kinds of things that
can be brought against them.
It is, and I think will continue to be, policy to discuss, negotiate and
bring down a situation than risk escalation by infiltration, until it
becomes essential to do so. There was no way that Lone Star or anyone
else could have known that the intention was to obliterate the
passengers. The second that gunfire is heard in the buses, then all
hell would be let loose outside, but...
The FBI, for instance have access to a specialist negotiation team CINT.
This team is called in to every hostage situation that involves more
than one person - or they are used as direct consultation by Police
Forces. They exist for a very good reason, that of negotiation. In a
situation where hostages are at risk, the security forces can be held
accountable for any loss of life caused through rash actions. The
policy is to give in to demands where possible, encourage the release of
passengers, and line the perpetrators up for a rapid takedown, with
minimal collateral damage.
If your interested in current procedures for
hostage/terrorist/kidnapping situations there's a web site that will
take you on a tour of the whole thing.
http://www.terrorism.net/
There are other sites that will offer a professional's eye of such
situations but this is a good place to start.
I appreciate that I'm using current day information to judge future
actions, but I personally find too much reliance on Magic as
distasteful, dangerous, and unfaithful to the low magic statements
issued so often by FASA.
There are plenty of threats out there to keep DPI busy without involving
in a situation that might escalate beyond control with their presence.
If the mages (generalised) are held back and used in a support position
as SWAT enters the arena, I can see uses for them that would be
invaluable, but no communication from the astral to mundane is
instantaneous (unless manifestation of the astral mage is allowed) Now,
if as mentioned, one of you wants to use a DPI detective as a character
on the list, I have no problem with that at all, and in fact look
forward to reading the posts, I just consider the department to
expensive, too valuable and too small to be used effectively to combat
terrorism, and respond to every hostage situation which is normally not
as violently resolved as the bus incidents.
Some of the lack of magic use in my plots is from personal taste, and I
believe that is mirrored by Paul as well. It's too easy to say, OK, the
mage went in, this is what he found out, so what we do is, sleep spell
the whole lot, and stun ball the rest that aren't snoring. Then we
carry them all off to the pen.
Yes that could be done, but it's not as much fun to write. :)
I've not seen, in just over two years on this list, a great deal of
magic - it existed in the early part of the Bug plot with IF-1 (95/96),
it exists up to a point in one of my other plots (Red Shift), and
magical backup was used during the Thunda episode of Christmas 96/97 in
the defusing of a large explosive device. So, it's not like I and
others don't use it, we just don't use it as a constant presence.
And as for cutting down my posts and saying things in one sentence.
Why? I'd be breaking with a 25 year tradition. I never say in two
words what I can say in two dozen. :)
All of the above is of course in my opinion.
--
Dark Avenger -:- http://www.shalako.demon.co.uk/index.htm -
Unofficial Shadowtk Newbies Guide, Edgerunners Datastore &
Beginnings of the Underseas Sourcebook.
http://freespace.virgin.net/pete.sims/index.htm - Alternative UK Sourcebook
(U/C)
