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Message no. 1
From: Christopher Church <cchurch@*******.SCRI.FSU.EDU>
Subject: Roleplaying vs. Pacifism
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 1994 00:01:51 18000
[In regard to the argument that big bang scenarios don't go with good
roleplaying, ad nauseum]

I believe that the violence of Shadowrun is an integral part
of the dark vision of the future that the game represents. Along with
that, the people I roleplay with demand a high degree of realism in
their roleplaying. This includes bloody, accurate, and clever
gunbattles. No where is it said that gunfights are not good
roleplaying, and we expect it. We also demand background and
"throwaway" skills that add character to the PC's. We spend as much
time if not more just getting our team together and outfitted as we do
blowing things up. One player knows more about ordinance, ballistics,
and tactics than most law enforcement officers, and we have to address
that to make the game enjoyable. And it works for us.
But by no means to we skimp on the rest of the RPing, in fact,
we often found the information provided in the sourcebooks (to which
we have devoted big $$$) to be extremely lacking. For instance, can
anyone tell me what happened in the Middle East during the Awakening
besides the Desert Wars referred to in the Street Sam Cat? And we
knew that most of our characters would lose their shadow status when
we go great guns, but then there are many characters who are in the
shadows only for a limited time. Some seem to skirt in and out. We
all have our reasons for being there, and some of us don't intend to
stay there for long, just long enough to take care of a few things...

-- "In the immortal words of Socrates-- 'I drank what?'"
-Chris Knight (Real Genius)
Message no. 2
From: Matthew Alan Hufstetler <gt2778a@*****.GATECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Roleplaying vs. Pacifism
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 1994 08:32:15 -0400
> I believe that the violence of Shadowrun is an integral part
> of the dark vision of the future that the game represents. Along with

I really think that style can become a good portion of Role Playing a
character. Shadowrun provides a lot of good opportunities for this. Do
you play a Street Sam who only uses HK's, or are you a Mage who plays an
electric guitar for his centering skill.

It is almost like Cyberpunk. It's not what you do, it is how you look
doing it.
Message no. 3
From: John Moeller <John.Moeller@*.CC.UTAH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Roleplaying vs. Pacifism
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 1994 10:12:45 -0600
in reply to Chris Knight:

You say that violence is an integral part of Shadowrun, and I'll give you
that. But I'll also put forth that it's not the only part. Even with
your example of the SSC, it shows; look at the narrative in back. It
tells about the constant paranoia that permeates every Shadowrunner's
life. To me, _that's_ Shadowrun. And that's how I run it. I want my
players to feel that paranoia. Of course, that's just my view. It's
also my opinion that GMs have every right to interpret an RPG however
they want.

Just my two cent's worth,

John IV aka John Moeller <John.Moeller@*.cc.utah.edu>
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Message no. 4
From: The Powerhouse <P.C.Steele@*********.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Roleplaying vs. Pacifism
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 1994 16:35:49 +0100
In reply to Christopher Church .....

> For instance, can
> anyone tell me what happened in the Middle East during the Awakening
> besides the Desert Wars referred to in the Street Sam Cat?

If you check in 'How It Came To Be' you'll discover that the Ayatollah <sp?>
decided that all magic and any manifestation of it <including metahumans> was
an affront to humanity and the Islamic religion. A jihad was declared against
all the awakened, not long after I seem to remember that a Great Dragon went
down and kicked some ass.

That's more or less the story.

Phill.
--
Phillip Steele - P.C.Steele@***.ac.uk - University Of Newcastle Upon Tyne
Message no. 5
From: Matthew Alan Hufstetler <gt2778a@*****.GATECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Roleplaying vs. Pacifism
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 1994 17:07:07 -0400
> If you check in 'How It Came To Be' you'll discover that the Ayatollah <sp?>
> decided that all magic and any manifestation of it <including metahumans> was
> an affront to humanity and the Islamic religion. A jihad was declared against
> all the awakened, not long after I seem to remember that a Great Dragon went
> down and kicked some ass.
>
> That's more or less the story.
>
Didn't the Sphinx get up and disappear? You know, kinda like walking off
into the sunset?

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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.

Thwap!