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Message no. 1
From: Matthew Deatherage <mddeath@*****.CIRC.GWU.EDU>
Subject: stupid questions
Date: Sat, 17 Jun 1995 04:16:22 -0400
Do you allow starting deckers to use the cyberdeck construction
rules in Virtual Realities or do you make them buy and modify the
commerical decks provided?
What is the reaction/initiative of a program frame?
Message no. 2
From: Stephanos Piperoglou <sneakabout@**********.HOL.GR>
Subject: Re: stupid questions
Date: Sat, 17 Jun 1995 13:24:21 +0200
On Sat, 17 Jun 1995, Matthew Deatherage wrote:

> Do you allow starting deckers to use the cyberdeck construction
> rules in Virtual Realities or do you make them buy and modify the
> commerical decks provided?

This is sort of a complex thing... VR says that "real" deckers don't buy
decks off-the-shelf (in fact it says you have to make your own MPCP
*anyway*). Thing is, s'pose you have Resources A, and you wanna buy a
novahot deck , but chicken out because it's off-the-shelf. SO you decide,
what the heck, I've got great C, CT and C(B/R) skills, I'll build it.
Save some money too. So we start rolling dice, and the total time comes
out like 16 years or something. Which is pretty disturbing. I can't
really see a decker building a deck full-time since he was in
kindergarden. And I can't see him not buying a better deck off the shelf.

It makes sense; How long would it take for a single person, even if
he/she had a doctorate in CS, to actually design and build a RISC
workstation, design an OS and a full suite of apps? A lifetime, that's
how long. I just don't see deckers going for average decks just for a
stupid rep thing. I ruled that if it takes more than 2 years (which is a
pretty long time if you think of it), you can't have it.

------[ Stephanos J. Piperoglou ]-----<sneakabout@**********.hol.gr>----
Geek Code v.2.1 (finger for info): GCS/S/O d H-- s++:++ !g p?+ !au a16 w
v+++* C++++ UL++>++++ P+ L++>++++ 3 E>++ N+ K W--- M !V -po+@ Y++ t+
. 5++ !j R+++ G++ tv- b++ D+ B? e>--- u**(*) h! f+ r n@ y?
|\|||/ "Where would you aim if you had the biggest gun in the universe?"
8(o o) -Adm. Tolwyn, Wing Commander ]I[
`-(_)-oo----------------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 3
From: "Blair A. Monroe" <bmonroe@******.FSU.EDU>
Subject: Re: stupid questions
Date: Sat, 17 Jun 1995 09:23:29 -0400
>
> Do you allow starting deckers to use the cyberdeck construction
> rules in Virtual Realities or do you make them buy and modify the
> commerical decks provided?
>
If the player in question is willing to take the time to learn hoe to
use the VR rules to build the deck I generaly allow it in my campaign. I
have him make all the necisary rolls and keep track of how much time it
took. When he is done building it I have him pay for the lifestyle he was
at during the time it was being built. Doing this helps the player have a
better understanding of how decking works, gives him or her a chance to
build a deck (I have never seen one built from the grounf up in actual
play...it just takes too long) and is generally more cost effective, even
after paying for the lifestyle.

______________________________________________________________________________
Blair A. Monroe | bmonroe@******.fsu.edu | GLS/TW GC2.1
| blairm@******.com | d? H>H+ s:+ g+ p? au a24 w+ !v(-)
-------------------------------------------| C++ U--- P? !L !3 E---- N++ K-
"A good GM never leaves home | !W(--) M++ !V -po+ Y+ t+ 5+++
without his dice." | j R++ G('''') tv+ b+++ !D B---
-Anonymous | e++ u++ h+(*) f r--@ n-(----) y?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 4
From: The Digital Mage <mn3rge@****.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: stupid questions
Date: Sat, 17 Jun 1995 20:39:22 +0100
On Sat, 17 Jun 1995, Matthew Deatherage wrote:

> Do you allow starting deckers to use the cyberdeck construction
> rules in Virtual Realities or do you make them buy and modify the
> commerical decks provided?
I allow own construction, especially if the character is old enough to
have made most of it himself.

> What is the reaction/initiative of a program frame?
I use Auto Exec Program rating for Reaction for a Smart Frame and +D6 for
Initiative. I also use the AutoExec prog as the Computer Skill of the
frame. Dumb frames? I'm not sure.

You may want to check out my smart frame rules at my WWW site.

The Digital Mage : mn3rge@****.ac.uk
Shadowrun Web Site under construction at
http://www.bath.ac.uk/~mn3rge/Shadowrun.html
Message no. 5
From: cocheese <ZKLJ1@****.EAST-TENN-ST.EDU>
Subject: Re: stupid questions
Date: Sun, 18 Jun 1995 15:37:05 EDT
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
On Sat, 17 Jun 1995, Matthew Deatherage wrote:
> Do you allow starting deckers to use the cyberdeck construction
> rules in Virtual Realities or do you make them buy and modify the
> commerical decks provided?
>>This is sort of a complex thing... VR says that "real" deckers don't buy
>>decks off-the-shelf (in fact it says you have to make your own MPCP
>>*anyway*). Thing is, s'pose you have Resources A, and you wanna buy a
>>novahot deck , but chicken out because it's off-the-shelf. SO you decide,
>>what the heck, I've got great C, CT and C(B/R) skills, I'll build it.
>>Save some money too. So we start rolling dice, and the total time comes
>>out like 16 years or something. Which is pretty disturbing. I can't
>>really see a decker building a deck full-time since he was in
>>kindergarden. And I can't see him not buying a better deck off the shelf.
>>It makes sense; How long would it take for a single person, even if
>>he/she had a doctorate in CS, to actually design and build a RISC
>>workstation, design an OS and a full suite of apps? A lifetime, that's
>>how long. I just don't see deckers going for average decks just for a
>>stupid rep thing. I ruled that if it takes more than 2 years (which is a
>>pretty long time if you think of it), you can't have it.
I agree, for my decker I stated that 1) his father was well off and 2) the
decker in question had began construction in highschool, gone to a technical
college (2 years) and then gone to college (the 5 year program) while build-
ing the cyberdeck throughout the entire time. He spent almost all 1,000,000
and wound up with a great deck, no weapons, low lifestyle and the 2 free
contacts. If he decides to do a major upgrade he's gonna have to have at
least 5 mill. nuyen and a decade off to do it but then his deck will be antiq-
uated for the tech. Catch 22 huh?
CoCheese

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