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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Steven A. Tinner bluewizard@*****.com
Subject: List of Requests (aka slightly unreasonable demands) to FASAMike
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 16:48:32 -0400
>> 3: A place on the website where playtest files could be checked, instead
>of
>> just a select few being chosen to try out new material. While there is
>some
>> concern for loss of sales due to downloads versus buying the book, if
>> properly limited it could serve to whet customer's appetites even more.
>
>I'd still buy every book, no matter if the whole stupid thing was on the
>website. So I agree with this; FASA would also be able to get feedback from
>a LOT more people, with a LOT more gaming styles this way. However, that
>would also require a LOT more staff to run through it all.

Excuse me for a minute.
ho-ho-hee-hee ... ROFLMAO!!!!
I think it's safe to say that this will NEVER happen.
Those people that DO playtest are bound by a legal Non-Disclosure Agreement
to not reveal their knowledge of and FASA product before those products are
released.
That simply doesn't mesh with the notion of posting playtest material to the
web.

You are absolutely right that this is all about sales.
Sure a lot of the fans would still buy the books even if they could download
everything from the net.
I still bought a copy of everything I playtested.
But there will be some people who won;t buy a copy if they get it for free,
and in a shaky, unstable industry like gamaing, you can;t afford to lose
even a single sale. That's just bad business.

Also, consider this.
One of the things people like about SR is its unique setting and concepts.
People enjoy wacky stuff like Move-By-Wire and corporations owned by
dragons.
And FASA has made much of its rep by being an innovator, and hitting new
trends and new markets before their competitors.

Now, if FASA puts their potential publications on the internet where their
competition can see it, and then rip it off, do you think that might affect
FASA's bottom line? ;-)
It's just NOT gonna happen.

You really dying to see the new playtest material? Send Mike a letter and
offer to help.
Better yet, talk to him at a con. Pitch him some ideas, instead of rambling
on about how "kewl SR is"
Once you've done that, be prepared to wait.
I had submitted items to FASA since the game came out, and it's only been in
the last few years that I've been priviledged to do any playtesting.

>> 4: Simplify the web page. While it looks cool and all, with having that
>> many frames and the actual information taking up about half of the width
>of the page, tops, is sometimes hard to read.

Hopefully the merger with Decipher will give FASA the opportunity to use
Decipher's web resources.
Decipher's web site is simple, but solid. I'd like to see FASA's go the same
way.

>> 5: The new choice Start Here is a good thing to put up there. Its a great
>> way to guide new customers. But, its really hard to find anything at all
>> that actually says what Shadowrun IS. How about copying the SR3 preview
>> stuff right to the front of the page. Between the blurb about the SR3
>> rulebook, to the Game Concepts excerpts, this would be perfect for
showing
>> a first time looker who likes the pictures exactly what all of this stuff
>> relates to. I'd love to be able to print out 2 or 3 sheets like that to
>> show to people and explain what the games is all about.

Again this is a great idea.
I'd like to see things that are "missing" from SR3 added to the websites.
Little fluff things like the weapon illustrations from SSC, and the Critter
pictures from PAoNA and PAoE.
Stuff like that is what helps draw people into SR and make the world come
alive for them, and that is what makes an impulse buyer look for more SR
stuff in the future.

Steven A. Tinner
bluewizard@*****.com
http://listen.to/tinner
"Half of All Gamers Never Read the Rules, Half of All Gamers Argue About the
Rules, Unfortunately, Its the Same Half."





From dghost@****.com Fri, 29 Oct 1999 16:41:29 -0700
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 16:41:29 -0700
From: dghost@****.com dghost@****.com
Subject: List of Requests (aka slightly unreasonable demands) to FASAMike

On Fri, 29 Oct 1999 16:48:32 -0400 "Steven A. Tinner"
<bluewizard@*****.com> writes:
<SNIP>
> I'd like to see things that are "missing" from SR3 added to the
websites.
> Little fluff things like the weapon illustrations from SSC, and the
Critter
> pictures from PAoNA and PAoE.
> Stuff like that is what helps draw people into SR and make the world
come
> alive for them, and that is what makes an impulse buyer look for more
SR
> stuff in the future.

Unfortunately, I think this would require that FASA acquire the
electronic distribution rights for said artwork. As far as I know the do
not have those rights.

--
D. Ghost
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.
-Groucho Marx

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Message no. 2
From: dghost@****.com dghost@****.com
Subject: List of Requests (aka slightly unreasonable demands) to FASAMike
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 16:41:29 -0700
From Ereskanti@***.com Fri, 29 Oct 1999 17:54:32 EDT
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 17:54:32 EDT
From: Ereskanti@***.com Ereskanti@***.com
Subject: List of Requests to FASAMike [was re: Simsense Rules from M&M?]

In a message dated 10/29/1999 12:07:20 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
abortion_engine@*******.com writes:

>
>
> Oh, and, by the way, FASA, if you need a web designer, my e-mail address is
> abortion_engine@*******.com.

AE, If I were you, I'd tell you the same thing I've told others out there
(Heya to the "Grand Poo-Bah" ;-). Make your resume' something impressive
and sharp (which I'm sure you are capable of doing), then mail it to them
directly. Perhaps include in the cover letter of list of your ideas for the
unexplored potential of the FASA website. Alternatively, I would also send
one to Decipher, on the chance that Decipher does buy FASA.

-K
[Hoosier Hacker House]
[http://members.aol.com/hhackerh/index.html]
ICQ#-51511837




From Ereskanti@***.com Fri, 29 Oct 1999 18:02:00 EDT
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 18:02:00 EDT
From: Ereskant
Message no. 3
From: Ereskanti@***.com Ereskanti@***.com
Subject: List of Requests (aka slightly unreasonable demands) to FASAMike
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 18:02:00 EDT
> Alternatively, I would also send
> one to Decipher, on the chance that Decipher does buy FASA.
>
I was under the impression that Decipher had bought FASA. Am I wrong?

DavidC
Q: Is poison going to be in the game?
A: We have no plans to include an aging glam-rock band of dubious talent
(ok, we'll try for a cameo ;).
-From the FAQ of the new game Icewind Dale





From cybertroll@******.crosswinds.net Sat, 30 Oct 1999 02:22:53 +0300
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 02:22:53 +0300
From: Cybertroll cybertroll@******.crosswinds.net
Subject: House rules

j.jacobsma@************.com wrote:
>

>
> Now, I know other groups have house rules. How did you get your players to like them,
if they do? If they don't, how did you get them to put up with them? Or are you like me,
living in a dream world, thinking your players are fine with your additions, when th
Message no. 4
From: Kismet kismet_sr@*****.com
Subject: List of Requests (aka slightly unreasonable demands) to FASAMike
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 14:09:01 -0700 (PDT)
What got us interested in SR? A friend loaned us a
copy of The Dragon Heart Saga. I know you guys don't
like those books all that well, but the story brought
us into the world and we have stayed ever since.

Just my take on things,
Kismet

====
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com




From Starrngr@***.com Sat, 30 Oct 1999 17:03:45 EDT
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 17:03:45 EDT
From: Starrngr@***.com Starrngr@***.com
Subject: Dumb Things [Long : ae]

In a message dated 10/30/1999 11:19:12 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
sphere9@***********.com writes:

> His explanation was that because the machine guns were light MG's and the
> launcher was for rockets and not missiles that he was going easy on the
> design. He refused to accept that when he drove down a street he would
> attract attention and have Lone Star all over him.
> This turned out to be typical of him. He didn't last long in my game.

Sheesh. And here I was feeling slighlty munch over the vehilce I had made
for my last rigger. I did want a vehicle which would pass cursory inspection
by the 'star, so I only gave it concealed armor and a single concelaed
firmpoint.

--
Starrngr -- Ranger HQ
HTTP://home.talkcity.com/TheSanitarium/Da_Muck/

"You wear a Hawaiian shirt and bring your music on a RUN? No wonder they
call you Howling Mad..." -- Rabid the Pysad.




From Starrngr@***.com Sat, 30 Oct 1999 17:03:41 EDT
Date: Sat
Message no. 5
From: Ray and Tamara macey@***.com.au
Subject: List of Requests (aka slightly unreasonable demands) to FASAMike
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 14:59:20 +1000
From LXR@***.net Sun, 31 Oct 1999 08:35:03 +0100
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 08:35:03 +0100
From: LXR LXR@***.net
Subject: Harlequin

S
S
S
S
S
S
P
P
P
P
P
P
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
R
R
R
R
R
R

The campaign Halequin sucks!

I've read the first five adventures now and they are terrible in my opinion.
Boring and without any special ideas. I really wonder why this campaign is
so famous. Anyway, I've the doubtful pleasure to master this campaign as my
playsers want to do it. Well, I'll master it if someone of you can give me
some real good point why this is a good campaign :-))

Beside that the runs are not very interesting I really ask myself how some
of the runs can by done without a decker. In the first run (Body - I don't
know if this is the correct english translation) for example you really do
need a deck. Even worse is it in the fifth (Love). A pure decker run. In my
group is no decker and I really don't like to introduce a NPC decker. That
would make the runs even more boring. So, has anyone of you good ideas how
to overcome the problem to play Harlequin without a

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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.