| From: | Loki <daddyjim@**********.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | GAQS: Jim Nelson's reply to Brett Barksdale's post |
| Date: | Mon, 15 Sep 1997 20:24:20 -0700 |
heated reaction over the GAQS ruling. I've tried to clean up the
formatting best I could. You should be able to follow it.
~~~~~~~~~~
---FASACorp2@***.com wrote:
>
> Loki,
>
> WOW! Brett's one angry guy (at least when it comes to GAQ). Here are
my
> thoughts (written to Brett but you may post them for all to see):
>
> <<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.>>
>
> <<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...>>
>
> Reply: GAQ IS one of the most useful cards in the game...and one of
the most
> potentially powerful. We intended that. Useful/powerful cards don't
always
> have to cost a fortune. If they did, where would the fun be? GAQ
provides an
> element of shock and surprise (it sounds like Brett has experienced
a little
> of both). Maybe we should start a GAQ support group...
>
> <<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.>>
>
> Reply: I disagree that SRTCG has an endgame problem as described
above. If
> players are doing a good job of deckbuilding, most games shouldn't
end with
> hordes of Runners on each side--at least games shouldn't end that
way if you
> don't want them to.
> Anyway, why complain about having hordes of Runners at the end of
games in
> the same breath that you complain about GAQ being a useful card for
killing
> off Runners?
>
> <<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...>>
>
> Reply: We've used this card for months--and we think it works fine.
We can
> say "game imbalance".
>
> <<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.>>
>
> Reply: No? What about No Way Out? or Bad Reputation? They're
CHEAPER than
> GAQ...and potentially nastier. I'd say All or Nothing, at a cost of
4Y, could
> mess up a team of Runners worse than GAQ...
>
> <<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.>>
>
> Reply: Aw, now you're just being mean...
>
> <<>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 damage 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.>>
>
> Reply: <Sigh>. I suppose it's too much to ask that some players go
without
> "hard and fast" rulings on everything. It's just a game...
> ...but, to address the points you make above: it's not necessary to
> "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". Beacuse GAQ is a Stinger (and because you should be aware
of what
> Challenges you've played) it can send a Runner back at any time. Let
me put
> it this way: by rule, when a Challenge flips over the owner of the
Challenge
> reads the sleaze requirements aloud and the shadowrunning player
looks to see
> if his Runners can sleaze the Challenge. At this point, there is a
natural
> pause during which players can examine and assess the situation and
play
> Stingers (shouting out "no sleaze " is ridiculous and
> unsportsmanlike--completely against the sprit of the game). If it
helps you
> understand timing, then think of this as a short "phase" when
Stingers can be
> played. Because players can assess the situation at this point, GAQ
can be
> used to send a Runner back and prevent the Challenge from being
sleazed.
> Players also have time to see if the alarm is going to be triggered
and play
> GAQ to "set up" the remaining Runners for a nasty combat. If the
alarm IS
> triggered, there is another natural pause before players start
comparing
> Threat ratings or assigning damage. This is the other "phase" during
which
> it's okay to play a Stinger. Having already had an opportunity to
consider
> playing GAQ, it should be easy enough for a player to "jump in"
after the
> alarm is triggered and play GAQ before combat begins. All of this is
> basically a complicated way to say that you should allow other
players a
> brief opportunity to play Stingers before sleazing or combat begin.
>
> <<This is just the tip of the iceberg if one subscribes to this
idiotic
> interpretation of timing in SRTCG.>>
>
> Reply: just being mean again. There's no need for name-calling.
>
> <<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.>>
>
> Reply: Okay, I HAVE to say it...are you crazy? You think this
ruling "ruins
> the game"? Boy, you must have been burned pretty badly by a GAQ. Do
you
> realize that there's a FREE card (Luck o' the Irish) with a 50%
chance of
> stopping a GAQ? Do you realize that the 50% chance can be modified
for FREE
> (with Loaded Dice). Do you realize that strategic use of your cards
(esp.
> Runners) can prevent you from being screwed by GAQ?
> I'm sorry if I'm being flippant but your comments were more than a
little
> rude. It seems to me that for a card to ruin the game it would have
to be so
> broken that it virtually guaranteed victory and GAQ just doesn't
qualify.
> Sure, it can sting you...that's why it's a Stinger! But if you put
cards in
> your deck that can counter it and don't play stupid, GAQ will rarely
(if
> ever) singlehandedly beat you.
>
> <<I understand the desire to have simpler timing rules than Magic,
but
> this is ridiculous.>>
>
> Reply: Oh, well. You can't please ALL of the people...
> ...I hope there are some people out there who like this ruling. I
think it
> makes the game more fun!
>
> Jim Nelson
~~~~~~~~~~
===
@>--,--'--- Loki <gamemstr@********.com>
Fearless Leader of the Shadowrun Trading Card Game Mailing List
Web Page: Poisoned Elves at www.primenet.com/~gamemstr
"You're calling me Bitch like it's a bad thing."
--> CrapGame during the Drive in the Country tournament
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