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Message no. 1
From: korishinzo@*****.com (Ice Heart)
Subject: Shadowrunner Callsigns (was Street Name ... two ... runners)
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2003 03:39:21 -0700 (PDT)
> I agree with your argument that cheesy immature street names will
> likely have a negative effect on any Johnson worth his weight in
> spit, but "rapper name", "wrestler name", "alias", and
"street
> name" are all one and the same thing.



Somewhere along the way, I lost track of what was being discussed
here. This all started because someone had a question about how to
handle two runners using the same street name. It has evolved into
an entirely different debate. And it has gotten a bit surreal.

Once and for all:

STREET NAMES ARE NOT NICKNAMES!!!!!!!!

A nickname is an appelation given in the name of affection, cruelty,
or convenience by one's peers, friends, or acquaintences. We have
all been exposed to this in our lives, either because we wore one or
gave one. I would not give my nickname anymore than I'd give my real
name at a meet with a Johnson. A nickname has very tangible
connections to who you are, because it connects you to your roots.
Gang members might give their nickname to a Johnson, because they
don't know any better. A frat boy might as well. No self respecting
shadowrunner would EVER tell a Johnson a name her older brother gave
her in the 6th grade. On the other hand, she might VERY WELL drop a
nickname her FAKE older brother, connected to her FALSE ID, gave her
in some assumed story about her SUPPOSED background. My players are
all encouraged to pick a name their fellow teammates call them by in
their day to day life. This is primarily because I can't stand my
players calling each other by their real names in an In Character
exchange. It kills the mood. Especially if "John" is playing a
slender human woman with killer fashion sense and eyes you could
drown in, or if "Becky" is playing an absolutely ripped male elf with
a background in Urban Brawl and a physique to die for. This is a
NICKNAME. If they want "Blue Steel", they need a story within their
20 Questions for why their pals would call them that.

I ask every player to detail the following when selecting their
names, IDs, contacts, and the like.

What is your real name? (if you have one you know of)

What do your teammates call you? (your "street name")

What other names do you go by? (alternate street names, nicknames,
false IDs, etc)

How do your various contacts know you? (especially important if they
know more than one of your names)

How do your various enemies know you? (even more important if they
know more than one of your names)

Any shadowrunner with a career longer than a half dozen runs will
probably have at least 3 commonly used names. Read "The Bourne
Identity" and sequals (or watch the movie, if you are lazy ;> ).

If MR. Johnson asks for a name, and you say "Blue Steel", he is going
to call you Blue Steel. After all, it was only last week he hired
some decker named "Neon Katana" or "Glass Spider". And a month ago,
he hired some slot named "The Dodger". Drek, one of his chummers in
Seattle had to put up with a team of runners calling themselves
things like "Twist" and "Ghost" a few years back. Spirits forbid you
get stuck with a cheesy runner named "Bandit". I mean, what are the
odds _he's_ into racoons?!? Or maybe you hire someone named "Kid
Stealth". Perhaps you are sitting in a bar next to some scary Asian
gal everyone calls "Striper". "Blue Steel" starts to blend, neh?

Come on people. The GAME we play is set in a world of colorful
characters and colorful backdrops. What are the odds one or two
people have colorful names? And can we PLEASE stop with the "well,
in today's world..." and the "I'd break someone in half who used..."
crap?!?!!!!!!! The original characters around which this game was
built bore names right out of some cyberpunk setting... FOR A
REASON!!!!

If any of you, walking down the street today, met a real troll, and
he said his name was "Blue Steel", you'd smile REAL nice and nod your
head. Or he'd be crushing you into pulp. So until it happens, let's
remember that part of the FUN of our mutual game is the names we give
our characters, and relax just a little bit.

I mean, you might as well ask me why I am known as...

======Korishinzo
--careful, I've got a monowhip with your name on it :>

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Message no. 2
From: SteveG@***********.co.za (Steve Garrard)
Subject: Shadowrunner Callsigns (was Street Name ... two ... runners)
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2003 14:40:07 +0200
Ice Heart wrote:
> > I agree with your argument that cheesy immature street names will
> > likely have a negative effect on any Johnson worth his weight in
> > spit, but "rapper name", "wrestler name", "alias",
and "street
> > name" are all one and the same thing.
>
>
>
> Somewhere along the way, I lost track of what was being discussed
> here. This all started because someone had a question about how to
> handle two runners using the same street name. It has evolved into
> an entirely different debate. And it has gotten a bit surreal.
>
> Once and for all:
>
> STREET NAMES ARE NOT NICKNAMES!!!!!!!!
>
> A nickname is an appelation given in the name of affection, cruelty,
> or convenience by one's peers, friends, or acquaintences. We have
> all been exposed to this in our lives, either because we wore one or
> gave one. I would not give my nickname anymore than I'd give my real
> name at a meet with a Johnson. A nickname has very tangible
> connections to who you are, because it connects you to your roots.
> Gang members might give their nickname to a Johnson, because they
> don't know any better. A frat boy might as well. No self respecting
> shadowrunner would EVER tell a Johnson a name her older brother gave
> her in the 6th grade. On the other hand, she might VERY WELL drop a
> nickname her FAKE older brother, connected to her FALSE ID, gave her
> in some assumed story about her SUPPOSED background. My players are
> all encouraged to pick a name their fellow teammates call them by in
> their day to day life. This is primarily because I can't stand my
> players calling each other by their real names in an In Character
> exchange. It kills the mood. Especially if "John" is playing a
> slender human woman with killer fashion sense and eyes you could
> drown in, or if "Becky" is playing an absolutely ripped male elf with
> a background in Urban Brawl and a physique to die for. This is a
> NICKNAME. If they want "Blue Steel", they need a story within their
> 20 Questions for why their pals would call them that.

Thank you. This is exactly what I've been trying to say, only you said it
much better. What do I owe you? ;)


Slayer

"Beware my wrath, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
- Unknown Dragon


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Message no. 3
From: Marc.Renouf@********.com (Renouf, Marc A)
Subject: Shadowrunner Callsigns (was Street Name ... two ... runners)
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2003 11:50:15 -0400
On Friday, July 11, 2003 6:39 AM, Korishinzo whispered:

> STREET NAMES ARE NOT NICKNAMES!!!!!!!!

Agreed. I'm arguing less for them being the same than I am for them
(street names) not being used at all.

> My players are all encouraged to pick a name their fellow teammates call
them by in
> their day to day life. This is primarily because I can't stand my
> players calling each other by their real names in an In Character
> exchange. It kills the mood.

Ditto.

> If MR. Johnson asks for a name, and you say "Blue Steel", he is going
> to call you Blue Steel. After all, it was only last week he hired
> some decker named "Neon Katana" or "Glass Spider". And a month
ago,
> he hired some slot named "The Dodger". Drek, one of his chummers in
> Seattle had to put up with a team of runners calling themselves
> things like "Twist" and "Ghost" a few years back. Spirits forbid
you
> get stuck with a cheesy runner named "Bandit". I mean, what are the
> odds _he's_ into racoons?!? Or maybe you hire someone named "Kid
> Stealth". Perhaps you are sitting in a bar next to some scary Asian
> gal everyone calls "Striper". "Blue Steel" starts to blend, neh?

See, this is exactly what I'm talking about. I think that most of
these names are hokey as hell. When I first started playing Shadowrun
(right after it came out in what, '89?) I was in high-school and I thought
street names were bad ass. Then I thought about it, both in the context of
professional crime and in the context of all the (non-shadowrun) cyberpunk
fiction I had read. And then it seemed kind of juvenile, and it made the
entire setting sort of lose verisimilitude for me.

> The original characters around which this game was
> built bore names right out of some cyberpunk setting... FOR A
> REASON!!!!

I don't know, I remember colorful characters with names like "Molly"
and "Case." But maybe I was raised on a different kind of cyberpunk. These
didn't have to be (and probably weren't) their "real" names, but they did
the trick of identifying them plenty well enough.

> If any of you, walking down the street today, met a real troll, and
> he said his name was "Blue Steel", you'd smile REAL nice and nod your
> head. Or he'd be crushing you into pulp.

Actually, I'd heap scorn and derision on him and skip nimbly out of
the way of his slow, clumsy attempts to silence me, merely adding to his
shame and frustration until he broke down sobbing and admitted that his real
name was Myron, but that everyone in elementary school called him Stinky.
;)

Marc
Message no. 4
From: iridios@********.net (Iridios)
Subject: Shadowrunner Callsigns (was Street Name ... two ... runners)
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2003 20:48:49 -0400
Renouf, Marc A wrote:
> On Friday, July 11, 2003 6:39 AM, Korishinzo whispered:

>>If any of you, walking down the street today, met a real troll, and
>>he said his name was "Blue Steel", you'd smile REAL nice and nod your
>>head. Or he'd be crushing you into pulp.
>
>
> Actually, I'd heap scorn and derision on him and skip nimbly out of
> the way of his slow, clumsy attempts to silence me, merely adding to his
> shame and frustration until he broke down sobbing and admitted that his real
> name was Myron, but that everyone in elementary school called him Stinky.
> ;)

You're a cruel, cruel man. :P

--
Iridios / http://iridios.bravepages.com

Top ten reasons to visit my new site:
7. I visited yours.
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RR rm= rr+ l- m=>- w--->= s=>*:= GM+:+(=):=[PF] hp!>+ LA= mf+ W+ C--(+) CG-
OG+ F= c->= K=(?)
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7/11/03
Message no. 5
From: robertennew@*****.com.au (Robert Ennew)
Subject: Shadowrunner Callsigns (was Street Name ... two ... runners)
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2003 15:52:45 +1000 (EST)
--- Steve Garrard <SteveG@***********.co.za> wrote
> Thank you. This is exactly what I've been trying to
> say, only you said it
> much better. What do I owe you? ;)

I reckon you probabely owe Korishinzo your true
Identity aswell as 1 annoying nickname that you really
hate, that'll probabely cover It :)

GZ - don't ask me, What ever you come up with is
probabely much better then what they used to call me :)

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Message no. 6
From: robertennew@*****.com.au (Robert Ennew)
Subject: Shadowrunner Callsigns (was Street Name ... two ... runners)
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2003 16:09:33 +1000 (EST)
--- "Renouf, Marc A" <Marc.Renouf@********.com>
wrote: > Actually, I'd heap scorn and derision on him
and
> skip nimbly out of
> the way of his slow, clumsy attempts to silence me,
> merely adding to his
> shame and frustration until he broke down sobbing
> and admitted that his real
> name was Myron, but that everyone in elementary
> school called him Stinky.
> ;)
>
> Marc

You fail to realise that not all Trolls are as slow or
unskilled as you think, especially when they're maxed
out natural then maxed with mods, Damo "Milko"
Milliken can testify to that ;)

GZ-Dandelion eating elf, when I'm finished slicing &
dicing with you you'll be the size of tinkerbell you
fraggin' fairy.


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Message no. 7
From: Marc.Renouf@********.com (Renouf, Marc A)
Subject: Shadowrunner Callsigns (was Street Name ... two ... runners)
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2003 10:25:50 -0400
This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand
this format, some or all of this message may not be legible.

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
Robert Ennew wrote:

> You fail to realise that not all Trolls are as slow or
> unskilled as you think, especially when they're maxed
> out natural then maxed with mods...

But you fail to realize that I am a blazingly fast master of the
martial arts, capable of Neo-style bullet dodging and killing my opponent
with a single touch of my left pinky. But I try not to do that, because
it's not very sporting. ;)

Marc

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Message no. 8
From: cknoll@******.com (Chris knoll)
Subject: Shadowrunner Callsigns (was Street Name ... two ... runners)
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2003 17:22:14 -0400
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
Hahahaha!

-----Original Message-----
From: shadowrn-bounces@*****.dumpshock.com
[mailto:shadowrn-bounces@*****.dumpshock.com] On Behalf Of Renouf, Marc
A
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2003 10:26 AM
To: 'Shadowrun Discussion'
Subject: RE: Shadowrunner Callsigns (was Street Name ... two ...
runners)



Robert Ennew wrote:

> You fail to realise that not all Trolls are as slow or
> unskilled as you think, especially when they're maxed
> out natural then maxed with mods...

But you fail to realize that I am a blazingly fast master of the
martial arts, capable of Neo-style bullet dodging and killing my
opponent with a single touch of my left pinky. But I try not to do
that, because it's not very sporting. ;)

Marc


---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
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Message no. 9
From: robertennew@*****.com.au (Robert Ennew)
Subject: Shadowrunner Callsigns (was Street Name ... two ... runners)
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2003 16:11:01 +1000 (EST)
--- "Renouf, Marc A" <Marc.Renouf@********.com>
wrote: > Robert Ennew wrote:
>
> > You fail to realise that not all Trolls are as
> slow or
> > unskilled as you think, especially when they're
> maxed
> > out natural then maxed with mods...
>
> But you fail to realize that I am a blazingly fast
> master of the
> martial arts, capable of Neo-style bullet dodging
> and killing my opponent
> with a single touch of my left pinky. But I try not
> to do that, because
> it's not very sporting. ;)
>
> Marc

I reckon I could match grade you still hombre, If you
try & do bullet time when I'm poppin' a cap in your
arse you better pray sonny jim, 'cause I don't miss &
If I have the big .50 on hand not a hope in hell that
your buddies are gonna' find ya' in one piece man,
they might as well bring a mop 'cause you're liquid
pasty boy.
But that's not very sporting is It now ;), "You need
to die up close mother fragger" - Dead man can't
dance.

GZ - Let's meet, It'll be magic against the machine, &
I intend to pound magic user boy into fairy dust.
Theirs no way "Tinkerbell's" gonna stand over me, I've
got a good 3 foot over him & I'm gonna make It 6 when
I've finished poledriving his head up his arse :)

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Message no. 10
From: robertennew@*****.com.au (Robert Ennew)
Subject: Shadowrunner Callsigns (was Street Name ... two ... runners)
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 16:42:23 +1000 (EST)
--- Chris knoll <cknoll@******.com> wrote:
> Hahahaha!

Frag off!

GZ-I now have a vendetta against all things non trog &
no before you you even ask me,I still refuse to work
with humanis policlubs

>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: shadowrn-bounces@*****.dumpshock.com
> [mailto:shadowrn-bounces@*****.dumpshock.com] On
> Behalf Of Renouf, Marc
> A
> Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2003 10:26 AM
> To: 'Shadowrun Discussion'
> Subject: RE: Shadowrunner Callsigns (was Street Name
> ... two ...
> runners)
>
>
>
> Robert Ennew wrote:
>
> > You fail to realise that not all Trolls are as
> slow or
> > unskilled as you think, especially when they're
> maxed
> > out natural then maxed with mods...
>
> But you fail to realize that I am a
> blazingly fast master of the
> martial arts, capable of Neo-style bullet dodging
> and killing my
> opponent with a single touch of my left pinky. But
> I try not to do
> that, because it's not very sporting. ;)
>
> Marc
>
>

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