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Message no. 1
From: David Buehrer <dbuehrer@******.CARL.ORG>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 12:14:29 -0600
Spike wrote:
/
/ And verily, did David Buehrer hastily scribble thusly...
/ |It's probably old age creeping up on you ;)
/
/ Oh THAT!
/ That happened ages ago.
/ (It really struck home in comp.sys.sinclair recently when a young'un was
/ posting and someone said "I was doing my GCSEs before he even started
/ school", to which I replied
/ "I was doing my CSEs and O-levels before he was even BORN!
/ God, I'm depressed!!"

heh. I recently hired someone that was born while I was in high
school. And he's in high school right now.

/ :)

:)

Just out of curiousity, how many people play older characters (compared
to the rest of the characters in the group)?

-David
--
"Earn what you have been given."
--
email: dbuehrer@******.carl.org
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1068/homepage.htm
Message no. 2
From: Patrick Goodman <remo@***.NET>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 13:27:57 -0500
>Just out of curiousity, how many people play older characters (compared
>to the rest of the characters in the group)?

That would be me. My youngest character is 31; the rest of the team
averages areound 20 (I happen to be the youngest player by about six or
seven years, which strikes me as odd). My oldest character is 37, with
the average age of that party being around 24 (we're all about the same
age in that one).

Is that what you were asking?

---
(>) Texas 2-Step
El Paso: Never surrender. Never forget. Never forgive.
Message no. 3
From: Dhl9@***.COM
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 14:33:07 EDT
In a message dated 9/2/98 2:31:34 PM AST, remo@***.NET writes:

> >Just out of curiousity, how many people play older characters (compared
> >to the rest of the characters in the group)?
>
> That would be me. My youngest character is 31; the rest of the team
> averages areound 20 (I happen to be the youngest player by about six or
> seven years, which strikes me as odd). My oldest character is 37, with
> the average age of that party being around 24 (we're all about the same
> age in that one).
>

I usually play older characters, 35-45.
Message no. 4
From: Tomus Cone <brother_1@*******.COM>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 11:42:47 PDT
>>Just out of curiousity, how many people play older characters
(compared
>>to the rest of the characters in the group)?

Brother-1 is 32. Beats the rest of the group everytime I've played.

______________________________________________________
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Message no. 5
From: Shaun Gilroy <shaung@**********.NET>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 14:54:16 -0400
At 02:33 PM 9/2/98 EDT, you wrote:
>In a message dated 9/2/98 2:31:34 PM AST, remo@***.NET writes:
>
>> >Just out of curiousity, how many people play older characters (compared
>> >to the rest of the characters in the group)?
>>
>> That would be me. My youngest character is 31; the rest of the team
>> averages areound 20 (I happen to be the youngest player by about six or
>> seven years, which strikes me as odd). My oldest character is 37, with
>> the average age of that party being around 24 (we're all about the same
>> age in that one).

This raises an intriguing thought.

I'll admit, I'd assume that the PC demographic is average of 20 [with
exceptions, of course]. So what about the NPC runner age bracket? Do most
GMs out there attempt to offset young PCs with older NPCs (I know that it
rarely crosses my mind)?

And where do all those burnout runners go when they reach 25 and decide
they just aren't willing to risk it any more (oh, my weary titanium laced
bones :)?

Is this runner demographic more likely due to offed characters, or do all
those retired middle-aged runners try to return to some sort of normal
life? Not taking into account player bias, why are there so many young
runners and why?

And don't give me that "they ALL died on hard runs" either. That shouldn't
account for 80% of the 25-30+ age runners just not being there.

Any ideas?


noysh the spoonë bard [BABY 909]
shaung@**********.net
>jack of all trades, master of none.
Message no. 6
From: Duncan McNeill-Burton <dmcneill@************.EDU>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 15:01:43 -0400
David Buehrer didst sayeth:

>heh. I recently hired someone that was born while I was in high
>school. And he's in high school right now.


Oh, that's nothing...most of the engineers and supervisors I worked with
this summer had kids my age.

>
>Just out of curiousity, how many people play older characters (compared
>to the rest of the characters in the group)?


That's be me too. Again, I point to Wylde Chylde the mildly nuts, and newly
dual natured vatjob. He was born back in 2028, which in the current game
makes him 6 months shy of his thirtieth birthday, and older than three of
the other PCs put together. It's lead to some serious differences in point
of view though, and since he's an elf, none of the other characters is sure
just how old he is.

Later-

Duncan McNeill-Burton
-Tech Priest in Training
-Violent Felon for Hire
-Pipe-wielding Sociopath for Fun
http://attila.stevens-tech.edu/~dmcneill
"Your eyes shiver and you grit your teeth,
You've sold you soul now cold blood's how you get relief."
-Ice-T, The Syndicate
Message no. 7
From: Duncan McNeill-Burton <dmcneill@************.EDU>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 15:11:33 -0400
Shaun Gilroy didst sayeth:
>At 02:33 PM 9/2/98 EDT, you wrote:
>>In a message dated 9/2/98 2:31:34 PM AST, remo@***.NET writes:
>>
>>> >Just out of curiousity, how many people play older characters (compared
>>> >to the rest of the characters in the group)?
>>>
>>> That would be me. My youngest character is 31; the rest of the team
>>> averages areound 20 (I happen to be the youngest player by about six or
>>> seven years, which strikes me as odd). My oldest character is 37, with
>>> the average age of that party being around 24 (we're all about the same
>>> age in that one).
>
>This raises an intriguing thought.

>
>And where do all those burnout runners go when they reach 25 and decide
>they just aren't willing to risk it any more (oh, my weary titanium laced
>bones :)?


Why should they burn out? Thanks to the miracles of modern bioware, most of
the effects of aging can be alleviated, and with magic, as long as you don't
lose touch with the power there's nowhere to go but up. I'd say the service
ceiling for runners is probably closer to 40 ( for a human ) at which point
they retire to someplace warm, tropical, and isolated.

>Is this runner demographic more likely due to offed characters, or do all
>those retired middle-aged runners try to return to some sort of normal
>life? Not taking into account player bias, why are there so many young
>runners and why?


I guess most people retire the character and start new ones after the
character is more than a few years old. Once you get past a certain point,
it gets really, reall difficult to challenge them without starting a power
spiral which is either won by GM fiat or a huge karma pool.

>And don't give me that "they ALL died on hard runs" either. That shouldn't
>account for 80% of the 25-30+ age runners just not being there.


I can't account for all of them, but Wylde is older because he started
older. He entered the game at 27 as part of a rather foolish attempt to
self-extract from Renraku's Security division.

Later-

Duncan McNeill-Burton
-Tech Priest in Training
-Violent Felon for Hire
-Pipe-wielding Sociopath for Fun
http://attila.stevens-tech.edu/~dmcneill
"Your eyes shiver and you grit your teeth,
You've sold you soul now cold blood's how you get relief."
-Ice-T, The Syndicate
Message no. 8
From: David Cordy <DCordy@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 12:17:37 -0700
> He was born back in 2028, which in the current game
> makes him 6 months shy of his thirtieth birthday, and older than three of
> the other PCs put together.
>
> Duncan McNeill-Burton
>
OK, maybe word problems aren't my strong suit, but doesn't this mean that
you run around with a bunch of ten year olds?!?
Wylde is 30 and is older than 3 PC ages put together. 30 > n x 3, therefore
n can not be greater than ten. Right? Even if you meant two, that puts the
average age at 15. Yikes! I hate to put words into other people's mouths,
but maybe you meant simply that he is older than all the other PC's in the
group. If I am wrong please explain. Milk Run could take on a whole new
meaning. };-)

-Rune
Message no. 9
From: Duncan McNeill-Burton <dmcneill@************.EDU>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 15:25:19 -0400
David Cordy didst sayeth:
>> He was born back in 2028, which in the current game
>> makes him 6 months shy of his thirtieth birthday, and older than three of
>> the other PCs put together.
>>
>> Duncan McNeill-Burton
>>
>OK, maybe word problems aren't my strong suit, but doesn't this mean that
>you run around with a bunch of ten year olds?!?


Sort of...

>Wylde is 30 and is older than 3 PC ages put together. 30 > n x 3,
therefore
>n can not be greater than ten. Right? Even if you meant two, that puts
the
>average age at 15. Yikes! I hate to put words into other people's mouths,
>but maybe you meant simply that he is older than all the other PC's in the
>group. If I am wrong please explain. Milk Run could take on a whole new
>meaning. };-)


Nope. Scary as it is, I meant it as I said it. One member of the group is
a shaper ( hi Mark ), who's about six years old, which is a young adult for
him...another is a clone who's about three, but was force grown and had some
other influence and thinks she's in her early twenties...and the group's
shaman can't be more than 18, but she knows it. Suffice to say it's a weird
group.

Later-

Duncan McNeill-Burton
-Tech Priest in Training
-Violent Felon for Hire
-Pipe-wielding Sociopath for Fun
http://attila.stevens-tech.edu/~dmcneill
"Your eyes shiver and you grit your teeth,
You've sold you soul now cold blood's how you get relief."
-Ice-T, The Syndicate
Message no. 10
From: Steve Collins <einan@*********.NET>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 15:43:27 -0400
>This raises an intriguing thought.
>
>I'll admit, I'd assume that the PC demographic is average of 20 [with
>exceptions, of course]. So what about the NPC runner age bracket? Do most
>GMs out there attempt to offset young PCs with older NPCs (I know that it
>rarely crosses my mind)?
>
>And where do all those burnout runners go when they reach 25 and decide
>they just aren't willing to risk it any more (oh, my weary titanium laced
>bones :)?
>
>Is this runner demographic more likely due to offed characters, or do all
>those retired middle-aged runners try to return to some sort of normal
>life? Not taking into account player bias, why are there so many young
>runners and why?
>

Well for PC's it's because of the Character Creation System. It's just
not possable to generate an experienced character, so most characters
have just hit the streets for whatever reason. This would be a far more
common occurance for younger people (more energy, fewer
responsabilities), middle aged folks aren't gonna throw away their lives
to become Shadowrunners unless it's forced on them (Ok there would be the
rare midlife crisis) so they would only run long enough to correct
whatever caused them to enter the shadows anyway. It's harder to come up
with a good story why a 28 year old character has just started to run the
shadows than one who is 21.

>And don't give me that "they ALL died on hard runs" either. That shouldn't
>account for 80% of the 25-30+ age runners just not being there.
>
>Any ideas?
>

Well how many games run more than a couple of years game time? If you
start around 18 - 25 and the game lasts 4 - 6 years how many characters
are gonna get that old?

My current character was 28 at the start of game (29 now), but that's
what his history demanded. He went to college for 4 years on a football
scholarship, then played 3 years in the NFL and then was banned for life
for gambling. He then spent 3 years setting up a new life as a private
detective which didn't turn out to be profitable enough so he has started
to expand his horizons.
Message no. 11
From: Nexx <nexx@********.NET>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 15:16:09 -0500
----------
> From: Tomus Cone <brother_1@*******.COM>

> >>Just out of curiousity, how many people play older characters
> (compared
> >>to the rest of the characters in the group)?
>
> Brother-1 is 32. Beats the rest of the group everytime I've played.

I tend to play character's who are old for their race... 25 year old orks,
for example, are into middle age
Message no. 12
From: Nexx <nexx@********.NET>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 15:19:14 -0500
----------
> From: Duncan McNeill-Burton <dmcneill@************.EDU>

> That's be me too. Again, I point to Wylde Chylde the mildly nuts, and
newly
> dual natured vatjob. He was born back in 2028, which in the current
game
> makes him 6 months shy of his thirtieth birthday, and older than three
of
> the other PCs put together. It's lead to some serious differences in
point
> of view though, and since he's an elf, none of the other characters is
sure
> just how old he is.

I'd like to point out that he's sleeping with one of those people who is
that young (10-12 year difference), and the other has lived 6 years since
he was whelped (wolf shapeshifter)..

***************
Rev. Mark Hall, Bard to the Lady Mari
aka Pope Nexx Many-Scars
*
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yeilding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend.
If you pardon, we will mend.
-
So good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.
-Puck "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Message no. 13
From: Nexx <nexx@********.NET>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 15:23:32 -0500
----------
> From: Duncan McNeill-Burton <dmcneill@************.EDU>
> Nope. Scary as it is, I meant it as I said it. One member of the group
is
> a shaper ( hi Mark ), who's about six years old, which is a young adult
for
> him...another is a clone who's about three, but was force grown and had
some
> other influence and thinks she's in her early twenties...and the group's
> shaman can't be more than 18, but she knows it. Suffice to say it's a
weird
> group.

THREE?!?!?!?!? Arachne is 3? As in more than 2, but less than 4?

::sound of Nexx blowing about 600 fuses mentally::

Ok, this is really going to change how I write that damn segment,
Duncan...

***************
Rev. Mark Hall, Bard to the Lady Mari
aka Pope Nexx Many-Scars
*
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yeilding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend.
If you pardon, we will mend.
-
So good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.
-Puck "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Message no. 14
From: Lehlan Decker <DeckerL@******.COM>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute -Reply
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 14:32:19 -0400
<SNIP getting old, don't we all>
>Just out of curiousity, how many people play older characters
>(compared to the rest of the characters in the group)?

I have in the past once or twice, but they were few and far
between. Since I started Gming, most of the my player's
PC's were late twenties at most. (Except for that one shark
shaman, who never would tell us her age, but that is another
story).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lehlan Decker, Unix Admin (704)331-1149
deckerl@******.com Fax 378-1939
Moore & Van Allen, PLLC Pager 1-888-608-9633
Message no. 15
From: Duncan McNeill-Burton <dmcneill@************.EDU>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 17:11:17 -0400
Nexx didst sayeth:

>> From: Duncan McNeill-Burton <dmcneill@************.EDU>
>> Nope. Scary as it is, I meant it as I said it. One member of the group
>is
>> a shaper ( hi Mark ), who's about six years old, which is a young adult
>for
>> him...another is a clone who's about three, but was force grown and had
>some
>> other influence and thinks she's in her early twenties...and the group's
>> shaman can't be more than 18, but she knows it. Suffice to say it's a
>weird
>> group.
>
>THREE?!?!?!?!? Arachne is 3? As in more than 2, but less than 4?


Something like that. And I thought you knew already...I know Bishop
doesn't, but none of the PCs do. Sorry about ruining the surprise. But
have no fear, it will get much worse.

>::sound of Nexx blowing about 600 fuses mentally::


<Elmyra>
Awww...lookit da cute little shocky wocky puppy wuppy...
</Elmyra>

>Ok, this is really going to change how I write that damn segment,
>Duncan...


Oops. Forgot about that...though I really fail to see how it could get much
worse. But that's another debate entirely, and one that I think the group
has already had this summer. But I digress.

Later-

Duncan McNeill-Burton
-Tech Priest in Training
-Violent Felon for Hire
-Pipe-wielding Sociopath for Fun
http://attila.stevens-tech.edu/~dmcneill
"Your eyes shiver and you grit your teeth,
You've sold you soul now cold blood's how you get relief."
-Ice-T, The Syndicate
Message no. 16
From: Nexx <nexx@********.NET>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 16:29:23 -0500
----------
> From: Duncan McNeill-Burton <dmcneill@************.EDU>
> >THREE?!?!?!?!? Arachne is 3? As in more than 2, but less than 4?
>
> Something like that. And I thought you knew already...I know Bishop
> doesn't, but none of the PCs do. Sorry about ruining the surprise. But
> have no fear, it will get much worse.

No... I knew she had been heavily sculpted, but 3...

> >::sound of Nexx blowing about 600 fuses mentally::
>
> <Elmyra>
> Awww...lookit da cute little shocky wocky puppy wuppy...
> </Elmyra>

Bishop would not hesitate (long) to kill her...

> >Ok, this is really going to change how I write that damn segment,
> >Duncan...
>
> Oops. Forgot about that...though I really fail to see how it could get
much
> worse. But that's another debate entirely, and one that I think the
group
> has already had this summer. But I digress.

No shit. Now I _want_ to get to work on it (along with the 3 other
projects I have simmering... damn imagination, makes too much work)
Message no. 17
From: Paul Gettle <RunnerPaul@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 22:50:16 -0400
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

At 12:14 PM 9/2/98 -0600, David wrote:
>/ (It really struck home in comp.sys.sinclair recently when a
young'un was
>/ posting and someone said "I was doing my GCSEs before he even
started
>/ school", to which I replied
>/ "I was doing my CSEs and O-levels before he was even BORN!
>/ God, I'm depressed!!"
>
>heh. I recently hired someone that was born while I was in high
>school. And he's in high school right now.

Here's a chilling fact that I've found can make most anyone feel old.
Starting next year, Americans born during the first year of the Regan
Administration will be of legal voting age.

>Just out of curiousity, how many people play older characters
(compared
>to the rest of the characters in the group)?

And while we're asking questions, have you ever played someone who was
as old as you would be at that point in time?

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--
-- Paul Gettle, #970 of 1000 (RunnerPaul@*****.com)
PGP Fingerprint, Key ID:0x48F3AACD (RSA 1024, created 98/06/26)
C260 94B3 6722 6A25 63F8 0690 9EA2 3344
Message no. 18
From: Patrick Goodman <remo@***.NET>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 22:51:06 -0500
>>Just out of curiousity, how many people play older characters
>>(compared to the rest of the characters in the group)?
>
>And while we're asking questions, have you ever played someone who was
>as old as you would be at that point in time?

I *am* an NPC in all my games. In 2060, I'll be 94...and I am in the game,
too. And I'm a cranky old fart....

---
(>) Texas 2-Step
El Paso: Never surrender. Never forget. Never forgive.
Message no. 19
From: Nexx <nexx@********.NET>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 22:52:08 -0500
----------
> From: Patrick Goodman <remo@***.NET>
> >And while we're asking questions, have you ever played someone who was
> >as old as you would be at that point in time?
>
> I *am* an NPC in all my games. In 2060, I'll be 94...and I am in the
game,
> too. And I'm a cranky old fart....

ROFLMAOATCMP!
Message no. 20
From: "<Alfredo B Alves>" <dghost@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 00:53:54 EDT
On Wed, 2 Sep 1998 12:14:29 -0600 David Buehrer
<dbuehrer@******.CARL.ORG> writes:
<SNIP>
>Just out of curiousity, how many people play older characters (compared
>to the rest of the characters in the group)?
>
>-David
<SNIP Sig>

I get a nice range in ... I have a 16 year old decker and a 28 yr old
druid (with a Masters in Thaumaturgy. :)

D. Ghost
(aka Pixel, Tantrum, RuPixel)
o/` Trideo killed the Video Star ... o/`

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Message no. 21
From: Spike <u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 12:20:47 +0100
And verily, did Paul Gettle hastily scribble thusly...
|Here's a chilling fact that I've found can make most anyone feel old.
|Starting next year, Americans born during the first year of the Regan
|Administration will be of legal voting age.

Or, from a British perspective, people born during the first election where
the evil demon woman Maggie got into power, were of legal voting age LAST
year...

Even scarier is the fact that Labour only got in last year, so they've spend
their entire lives under a tory government until they got the power to
vote....


--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|u5a77@*****.cs.keele.ac.uk| Windows95 (noun): 32 bit extensions and a |
| | graphical shell for a 16 bit patch to an 8 bit |
| Andrew Halliwell | operating system originally coded for a 4 bit |
| Finalist in:- |microprocessor, written by a 2 bit company, that|
| Computer Science | can't stand 1 bit of competition. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|GCv3.1 GCS/EL>$ d---(dpu) s+/- a- C++ U N++ o+ K- w-- M+/++ PS+++ PE- Y t+ |
|5++ X+/++ R+ tv+ b+ D G e>PhD h/h+ !r! !y-|I can't say F**K either now! :( |
Message no. 22
From: David Buehrer <dbuehrer@******.CARL.ORG>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 07:39:26 -0600
Paul Gettle wrote:
/
/ >Just out of curiousity, how many people play older characters
/ (compared
/ >to the rest of the characters in the group)?
/
/ And while we're asking questions, have you ever played someone who was
/ as old as you would be at that point in time?

Now that I think about it, no. I've never played a character who's age
was the same as mine at the time.

When I was younger I played older characters.

Now I seem to play young characters.

Maybe it has something to do with the escapist nature of roleplaying
games. If I were to play a character the same age as I am that would
be to close to home.

<shrug> :)

And on another note, my current characters aren't much like me at all.
I've got a Demon superhero, a female vigilante, a dwarven do-gooder,
and a female mage that's chaos incarnate. (The characters are from
different games. The members of my gaming group take turns GMing.)

Oh wait. There was one game that I played in where I played myself.
It was really akward and not much fun.

-David
--
"Earn what you have been given."
--
email: dbuehrer@******.carl.org
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1068/homepage.htm
Message no. 23
From: Mongoose <evamarie@**********.NET>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 23:20:09 -0700
>>>> >Just out of curiousity, how many people play older characters
(compared
>>>> >to the rest of the characters in the group)?


When we had a large group, the age spread of PC's seemed to fall
pretty broadly from 16-40. Things tend to tip to the young end because
you get a lot of metahumans, and we didn't have any "spike babies".
The old characters tend to be the ones who start with lots of cyber-
but it makes sense, if you consider their backgrounds, and maybe the
perceived need to "keep an edge". Unfortunately, they usually have fewer
skills (that big cash priority), which doesn't fit the "old and wise"
background.

Mongoose
Message no. 24
From: "Ubiratan P. Alberton" <ubiratan@**.HOMESHOPPING.COM.BR>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 14:22:37 -0300
Patrick Goodman wrote:
>
> >>Just out of curiousity, how many people play older characters
> >>(compared to the rest of the characters in the group)?
> >
> >And while we're asking questions, have you ever played someone who was
> >as old as you would be at that point in time?
>
> I *am* an NPC in all my games. In 2060, I'll be 94...and I am in the game,
> too. And I'm a cranky old fart....


Have yourself undergo Leónization then... Return you back to 21
years of age :) . This makes me wonder why all those filthy rich (and
incredibly old) executives are still in Zurich-Orbital, they sure
have more than 2M¥ to pay for the rejuvenation...

Bira
Message no. 25
From: Patrick Goodman <remo@***.NET>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 12:47:24 -0500
>> >And while we're asking questions, have you ever played someone
>> >who was as old as you would be at that point in time?
>>
>> I *am* an NPC in all my games. In 2060, I'll be 94...and I am in
>> the game, too. And I'm a cranky old fart....
>
>
>Have yourself undergo Leónization then... Return you back to 21
>years of age :) .

You couldn't pay me enough to be 21 again.

In any event, "I" have undergone Leonization in the game world. Still
doesn't change the fact that I'm a cranky old fart...I'm just a much
younger-looking (late 30s, early 40s, definitely not 21) old codger.

I was also under the impression that Leonization didn't work quite that
well.

>This makes me wonder why all those filthy rich (and
>incredibly old) executives are still in Zurich-Orbital, they sure
>have more than 2M¥ to pay for the rejuvenation...

They might not be good candidates for rejuvenation treatments...it's
mentioned somewhere that some people are just too far gone for the
process.

---
(>) Texas 2-Step
El Paso: Never surrender. Never forget. Never forgive.
Message no. 26
From: Jett <zmjett@*********.COM>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 16:15:43 -0400
David Buehrer wrote:
>
> Paul Gettle wrote:
> /
> / >Just out of curiousity, how many people play older characters
> / (compared
> / >to the rest of the characters in the group)?

Generally, I play characters around my own age. My oldest active
character is Winter, who's 28. Sinclaire is 50, which is pretty old for
a troll (variant).

> And on another note, my current characters aren't much like me at all.
> I've got a Demon superhero, a female vigilante, a dwarven do-gooder,
> and a female mage that's chaos incarnate. (The characters are from
> different games. The members of my gaming group take turns GMing.)

Interesting. Generally, I tend to play characters with at least some
small element of myself. Some little trait or personality type. Of
course, I can seperate reality and fantasy, but a few similarilies help
me get into the skin of my characters. Jett, of course, is the most like
me, being semi-psychotic and the ultimate goth ( :) ) Sessie, my female
dwarf rigger, is a LOT like me when I'm acting like a normal human
being, right down to looks, an 18-year-old psi right out of high school,
to an elderly wheelchair-bound fomori college professor (Prof.
Sinclaire) that lets me have fun with my tendancy to intellectualize
things. However, if you look at each character individually, you won't
see it. :)


--Jett

<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*>


"I'll make this clear, that I'm just here for backup. And to offer the
occasional advice or insult."
--Jett, on being an NPC

Behold the mighty sonic scream of the Jett!

http://www.scifi-fantasy.com/~zmjett/shadow.htm
Message no. 27
From: David Foster <fixer@*******.TLH.FL.US>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 17:01:23 -0400
On Wed, 2 Sep 1998, David Cordy wrote:

->> He was born back in 2028, which in the current game
->> makes him 6 months shy of his thirtieth birthday, and older than three of
->> the other PCs put together.
->>
->OK, maybe word problems aren't my strong suit, but doesn't this mean that
->you run around with a bunch of ten year olds?!?
->Wylde is 30 and is older than 3 PC ages put together. 30 > n x 3, therefore
->n can not be greater than ten. Right?

Wrong. Try writing the formula like 30 > c1 + c2 + c3. c1=3,
c2=5, c3 would still work and would still have one character older than
10. First problem I find most people have with word problems is the
difficulty of making the initial formulas.

Fixer --------------} The easy I do before breakfast,
the difficult I do all day long,
the impossible only during the week,
and miracles performed on an as-needed basis....

Now tell me, what was your problem?
Message no. 28
From: Spike <u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 21:58:36 +0100
And verily, did Patrick Goodman hastily scribble thusly...
|You couldn't pay me enough to be 21 again.

But I do that every year anyway.
(I've been 21 now for 10 years... It helps that I look younger than I am.)
:)
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|u5a77@*****.cs.keele.ac.uk| Windows95 (noun): 32 bit extensions and a |
| | graphical shell for a 16 bit patch to an 8 bit |
| Andrew Halliwell | operating system originally coded for a 4 bit |
| Finalist in:- |microprocessor, written by a 2 bit company, that|
| Computer Science | can't stand 1 bit of competition. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|GCv3.1 GCS/EL>$ d---(dpu) s+/- a- C++ U N++ o+ K- w-- M+/++ PS+++ PE- Y t+ |
|5++ X+/++ R+ tv+ b+ D G e>PhD h/h+ !r! !y-|I can't say F**K either now! :( |
Message no. 29
From: David Cordy <DCordy@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 14:16:22 -0700
> ->> He was born back in 2028, which in the current game
> ->> makes him 6 months shy of his thirtieth birthday, and older than three
> of
> ->> the other PCs put together.
> ->>
> ->OK, maybe word problems aren't my strong suit, but doesn't this mean
> that
> ->you run around with a bunch of ten year olds?!?
> ->Wylde is 30 and is older than 3 PC ages put together. 30 > n x 3,
> therefore
> ->n can not be greater than ten. Right?
>
> Wrong. Try writing the formula like 30 > c1 + c2 + c3. c1=3,
> c2=5, c3 would still work and would still have one character older than
> 10. First problem I find most people have with word problems is the
> difficulty of making the initial formulas.
>
> Fixer --------------} The easy I do before breakfast,
>
I guess I should have said that the average age can not be greater than 10
for the other runners on the team. Ok, now that I have a back story to fill
in the blanks it makes sense. But, in general... hell, except for some VERY
unique circumstances, most runners are not 3 or 5 years old. Again, an very
unique situation. And not one that I have ever run into before in any of
the games that I have either played in or GM'ed.

-Rune
who's always willing to admit his mistakes
Message no. 30
From: Paul Gettle <RunnerPaul@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 22:29:10 -0400
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

At 07:39 AM 9/3/98 -0600, David wrote:
>/ And while we're asking questions, have you ever played someone who
was
>/ as old as you would be at that point in time?
>
>Now that I think about it, no. I've never played a character who's
age
>was the same as mine at the time.

That wasn't what I was asking. I didn't mean someone 18, playing a 18
year-old shadowrunner.

I meant, for example, someone 18 years-old this year ('98), playing in
a shadowrun game set in 2060, and their character is 80, the age the
player would be, in 2060.

A bit far fetched, but not unimaginable.

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--
-- Paul Gettle, #970 of 1000 (RunnerPaul@*****.com)
PGP Fingerprint, Key ID:0x48F3AACD (RSA 1024, created 98/06/26)
C260 94B3 6722 6A25 63F8 0690 9EA2 3344
Message no. 31
From: Thomas Charron <thomascharron@*******.COM>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 12:47:02 PDT
>From: Duncan McNeill-Burton <dmcneill@************.EDU>
>Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
>Nope. Scary as it is, I meant it as I said it. One member of the
group is
>a shaper ( hi Mark ), who's about six years old, which is a young adult
for
>him...another is a clone who's about three, but was force grown and had
some
>other influence and thinks she's in her early twenties...and the
group's
>shaman can't be more than 18, but she knows it. Suffice to say it's a
weird
>group.

Reminds me of a group we just made up.. I'm playing a 24 year old,
and did up this in depth background and the such.. Everyone else is
playing 15 year olds for the most part.. Heck, it even reminds me of my
sig.. ;-P


---
Thomas Charron
thomascharron@*******.com - Address for ShadowRN mail..
tcharron@*******.ups.com - Other stuff..

"Lemme get this strait, your married with
2 kids, and you take time every onceand a while
to sit around with a bunch of other guys and make
believe??"

- Buddy at work..


______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Message no. 32
From: Kama <kama@*******.NET>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 16:22:29 -0400
On Fri, 4 Sep 1998, Thomas Charron wrote:

> >From: Duncan McNeill-Burton <dmcneill@************.EDU>
> >Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
> >Nope. Scary as it is, I meant it as I said it. One member of the
> group is
> >a shaper ( hi Mark ), who's about six years old, which is a young adult
> for
> >him...another is a clone who's about three, but was force grown and had
> some
> >other influence and thinks she's in her early twenties...and the
> group's
> >shaman can't be more than 18, but she knows it. Suffice to say it's a
> weird
> >group.
>
> Reminds me of a group we just made up.. I'm playing a 24 year old,
> and did up this in depth background and the such.. Everyone else is
> playing 15 year olds for the most part.. Heck, it even reminds me of my
> sig.. ;-P
>
>
> ---
> Thomas Charron
>
> "Lemme get this strait, your married with
> 2 kids, and you take time every onceand a while
> to sit around with a bunch of other guys and make
> believe??"
>
> - Buddy at work.
>

I understand. I'm the old foggie of our gaming group. I keep on having
these revelations that scare me (my spouse was born in the SEVENTIES and
doesn't remember Watergate and two of our gamers don't even remember the
seventies or Hogan's Heroes. When we were talking aout Battlestar
Gallatica the other day, they thought it was a minitures board game . . .
these kids have no appreciation for the classics. . . :))

I have to admit, lately my characters have been getting younger. Something
about hoping that one of the "babies" will actually have their character
do a little bit of the leading. Unfortunately it hasn't worked that way .
. .

Recent characters include: Lena, 23 and retired; Rose, Ageless Free Spirit
who has taken off for other parts not to upset game balance; Amber, 16 but
looks and acts older; Briar, 17, a shy rabbit shaman; and Windy, 123, a
windling great-grandmother who is currently determined to have as much
adventure (and as many men) as she can pack into her few remaining years.

Looking at them, I have to admit that I am having a harder time playing
the younger characters. After all, as the youngling of the group I can't
slap someone upside the head and tell them to stop being so stupid as is
so often my inclination. :)

- Kama
Message no. 33
From: Tarek Okail <Tarek_Okail@**********.COM>
Subject: Re: Getting older by the minute
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 21:06:18 -0400
Kama--

>When we were talking aout Battlestar Galactica the other day, they
>thought it was a miniatures board game ... these kids have no
>appreciation for the classics... :)

"There are those who believe, that life down here, began out
there."

[This one always gets derisive laughter from the physics guys.]
"Five microns to firing range and closing. Four, three, two..."
"Positive shields, now!"
"One."

"Transferring control to probe craft."
<buttons being pressed, turbine noises start>
<Starbuck chews on cigar. Cigar mysteriously dissapears in next =
=

cut>
"Launch."
<fwooshing noises>

You do know that there are two new Battlestar:Galactica novels ou=
t,
right? Richard Hatch [Captain Apollo] wrote both of them, and they're not=

bad. He's obviously been writing for a while, even if he hasn't done any
novel length stories before.

Shadowmage

Further Reading

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