From:	Brett Barksdale <brett@***.ORST.EDU>
Subject:	Re: FASA Answers on Red Widow and GAQS
Date:	Fri, 12 Sep 1997 14:58:47 -0700

To be blunt, I have to say that this is the WORST bunch of rulings
I've seen in any card game in a /long/ while.

>Ok this set of questions on on a timing issue. Let's say I send in
>Lord Torgo and Nightshade on a run. The challenge that gets flipped
>over is Yak Attack. Lord Torgo's trait of Anti Social triggers the
>alarm. Right now the only spell on Nightshade is Astral Sense, but
>I'll sill clean up in combat with Torgo. Realizing this my opponent
>plays Green Apple Quicksteps (GAQS) on Torgo to send him home and more
>than likely kill off my mage. Questions:

>Q. Is it OK timing-wise for him to throw out GAQS at this time? Must a
> stinger like GAQS come out as soon as the challenge is turned over,
>or at any time while figuring out sleaze or combat?

>A. It's okay. He played after the alarm is triggered and before
>combat. It just can't be used in the middle of combat.

Ye gods... GAQS now has been promoted to one of the most powerful
cards in the game BY FAR. And this isn't even considering the
/defensive/ uses of this card yet...

This game already has a serious endgame problem with each player ending
up with HORDES of runners. If you allow GAQS to be /this/ effective,
small running groups are toast. Just sit back and kill them off with
GAQS by sending the right runner home.

>Q. If GAQS sent Torgo home, is the alarm still triggered from his Anti
>Social trait?

>A. Yes--if it's played after the alarm is triggered.

Great, another advantage for GAQS. Get the most out of it. Set the
alarm off AND send the big gun home.

You know, kids. GAQS only costs TWO FRAGGIN NUYEN. Can you say "game
play imbalance". If you can't yet, play a few more games using this
ruling. You'll learn, trust me...

There are a host of other stingers that cost more and don't screw over
an enemy running team even HALF as bad as GAQS can using this
interpretation.

I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, though. It took FASA actual
playtesting to realize that False Mentor, costing only 4 nuyen and
not being unique, would unbalance and dominate a game.

Duh. :-)

I think it took us about 10 seconds to read it and realize its implications.

>Q. I have used GAQS to send a runner home that held the necessary
>skill(s) to sleaze a challenge thus triggering the alarm. (i.e. an
>opponent has Sam the Sleuth and Nightshade in on a run. The challenge
>revealed is Lone Star Patrol. Sam's Street 2 and Stealth would sleaze
>it so I toss out a GAQS and get rid of him.) I was just wondering how
>the same applies to sending home a runner who has triggered it (the
>same might apply to using GAQS on a runner with stealth that triggered
>Eyekillers).

>A. If you play GAQ when the Challenge is revealed and before the alarm
>is triggered, it's okay. People think WAY too hard about timing on
>this card. It takes effect when it's played--it's that simple. The
>reason you can't use it to "interrupt" a combat is that once combat
>begins, it's instantaneous. All da mage is dealt simultaneously so it
>can't be interrupted.

What kind of stupid *$&^%_)#! ruling is this? Is Jim SERIOUSLY claiming
that there is no hard and fast ruling on timing for GAQS? How the /hell/
does one determine that infinitesimal time between when the challenge
card is flipped up and when it registers in the players brains that a
challenge has not been sleazed? Is the first person to yell out "no
sleaze"? What if a person incorrectly yells out "no sleaze" every time
someone ELSE is on a run just to make sure that they're first? Do we
now have to have rules to punish such actions? If no punishment, then
there's no fraggin reason NOT to yell out "no sleaze" each and every
time.

This is just the tip of the iceberg if one subscribes to this idiotic
interpretation of timing in SRTCG.

I don't mean to sound this nasty, but FASA needs to RETHINK THEIR
POSITION on this in a big bad way. This ruling effectively ruins
the game - almost as bad as the cheap, non-unique GAQS.

I understand the desire to have simpler timing rules than Magic, but
this is ridiculous.

>I hope that clears it all up for you.

I don't think so. :-(

- Brett