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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: BOSCHETM@********.BITNET
Subject: SURVEY:
Date: Wed, 2 Dec 92 12:41:59 EST
As part of the research that I am doing for a couple of research papers
I am doing on Human Computer Interfaces I need some data to analyze. So I
ask that you could fill out the following survey it would be much appreciated.

Send the results to:
BoschetM@****.ipfw.indiana.edu
BoschetM@********

or if all else fails BoschetM@******

------------------------CUT-HERE------------------------------------------------

Age 7-12___ 13-18___ 19-25___ 26-32___ 33-40___ >40___

Are you a student Yes___ No___

If yes then what is your major:________

Occupation:

Rank the following from 0 to 10 where
0 is no skill and 10 is amazing skill

Computer Programing ___
Computer Electronics ___

Rank the following in order of importance where
1 is most important
If you don't understand what an entry means don't rank it.

What kind of computer interface would you prefer using (not necessarily what
is available)?

Display Input Overall
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
__Text Based __Voice __Text(ex. Msdos)
__Graphical, 2d __Touch Screen __Graphical User Interface
__Graphical, 3d __Mouse (ex. Amiga, Macintosh)
__Direct Neural Interface __Keyboard __Full Immersion Virtual
__Light Pen Reality
__Tablet
__Glove
__Direct Neural Interface

Is there any other type of interface not listed that you would like to use?
___Yes ___No

If yes explain:






For the following rank from 0 to 10 where
0 is don't care and 10 is it is the most important factor
How would you rate your willingness to to settle for an interface other than the
one you ranked as number:

One: ____
Two: ____




The importance of graphics quality: ______
The importance of how responsive the interface is: ______
The importance of ease of use: ______
The importance of flexibility: ______

--------------------------CUT-HERE----------------------------------------------

Thanks,
Michael Lee Boschet, Jr.
BoschetM@****.ipfw.indiana.edu
BoschetM@********
BoschetM@******
Message no. 2
From: Harlequin <harlequin@*********.CA>
Subject: Survey
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 13:39:06 -0400
What standard archetype is the best in these ways:

- Usefullness
- Playability
- Fun

-Up to me, for the Usefullness is the Detective (p.52 SRII), he as a lot of
social skills
and many contacts...
-for the playability, it will be the Street Samurai (P.62 SRII), he dont
have to think, just act...
-for the fun, i think it is the Bodyguard (P.49 SRII), he has great
fighting abilitys and he is also more diversified than the sammy...

so what is your favorite character?

Harlequin - The master of chaos
harlequin@*********.ca
Message no. 3
From: Duncan McNeill-Burton <dmcneill@************.EDU>
Subject: Re: Survey
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 14:10:19 -0400
> ----
>From: Harlequin <harlequin@*********.CA>
>To: SHADOWRN@********.ITRIBE.NET
>Date: Wednesday, April 30, 1997 1:45 PM
>Subject: Survey
>
>What standard archetype is the best in these ways:
>
>- Usefullness
>- Playability
>- Fun
>
[ snip ]
>
>Harlequin - The master of chaos
> harlequin@*********.ca

As for the Usefullness, I'd plump for the Former Company Man. He is second
only to the Merc and the Rigger for fire support. He is one a few with a
decent Corp Etiquette, which can make negotiations easier ( since he is far
less likely to piss off the Johnson ). He's reasonably sneaky, and is one
of a few with a decent skill with a computer. In addition, he brings the
demolitions skill, which is always useful.
In short, the Former Company Man isn't quite the fountain of knowledge
that the Detective is, or the combat monster the Mercenary is. He is a
heavy-weight combatant with a few useful non-combat skills, and with the
right two contacts, he can be a very useful team member ( think gang leader
and fixer ).

As for Playablilty, I'll agree about the Sam. He's got enough 'ware that
he will probably survive the first time or two that the player forgets to
spend the Free Action ducking. No complicated magic to worry about, no
strange decking rules, no vehicle combat, none of that fun stuff.

Fun, well, that depends on your definition of fun. I liked the Burnt Out
Mage from Big Blue. I love the idea of playing characters who've foolishly
traded something away and are starting to regret it, despite the benefits
they picked up in trade.

Later-

Duncan
Berek Thunderfist, Wolf Lord of the Blackmane Company
Tech Priest in Training
http://attila.stevens-tech.edu/~dmcneill
Message no. 4
From: Harlequin <harlequin@*********.CA>
Subject: Survey
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 14:12:37 -0400
What standard archetype is the best in these ways:

- Usefullness
- Playability
- Fun

-Up to me, for the Usefullness is the Detective (p.52 SRII), he as a lot of
social skills
and many contacts...
-for the playability, it will be the Street Samurai (P.62 SRII), he dont
have to think, just act...
-for the fun, i think it is the Bodyguard (P.49 SRII), he has great
fighting abilitys and he is also more diversified than the sammy...

so what is your favorite character?

Harlequin - The master of chaos
harlequin@*********.ca
Message no. 5
From: Scott Taylor Spencer <sts100z@****.ODU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Survey
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 17:07:46 -0400
On Wed, 30 Apr 1997, Harlequin wrote:

> What standard archetype is the best in these ways:
>
> - Usefullness
> - Playability
> - Fun
>
> so what is your favorite character?


> I would have to say that my fav for all 3 is the former Company man...
>

Scott


"The sights on this gun must be off all I keep hitting are coffee
mugs." -John Cleese
Message no. 6
From: "Faux Pas (Thomas)" <thomas@*******.COM>
Subject: Re: Survey
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 16:31:38 -0500
At 02:12 PM 4/30/97 -0400, Harlequin whispered:
>What standard archetype is the best in these ways:
>
>- Usefullness

Detective

>- Playability

Not sure what you mean by that.

>- Fun

Burnt out mage

> so what is your favorite character?

One I create that doesn't fit into a standard archetype. (The next PC I'd
like to play is an ex-athelete who is now a driver/bodyguard for hire like
Mace in Strange Days. And that one sentence doesn't really sum her up.)




-Thomas Deeny
Over 3,400 people have partied at http://telltale.hart.org since Jan 6th!
The Digital Mage's archive: http://telltale.hart.org/digitalmage/intro.html

"This is turning into another one of those Tick things, isn't it?
-Arthur
Message no. 7
From: "Paul J. Adam" <shadowrn@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Survey
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 22:53:19 +0100
In message <199704301742.NAA11815@****.videotron.net>, Harlequin
<harlequin@*********.CA> writes
>What standard archetype is the best in these ways:
>
>- Usefullness

I'll go for the Bodyguard: good in a fight, able to talk his way out
(even if only by slotting the right Etiquette chip), smart, and able to
fit into high-end establishments as easily as low-class dives.

>- Playability

Most of them are playable in the right campaign. If I was going into
someone else's game cold, with no knowlege of their style, I'd opt for
the Detective or the Bodyguard: good flexible PCs.

>- Fun

Any character's fun if you play him or her right :)

In the right game, the Gang Member could be real fun. All in-your-face
attitude right up to the point he first tries to drop someone with that
Streetline Special :)

>so what is your favorite character?

Haven't got one. Depends who you're playing with.

--
There are four kinds of homicide: felonious, excusable, justifiable and
praiseworthy...

Paul J. Adam paul@********.demon.co.uk
Message no. 8
From: Tim P Cooper <z-i-m@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Survey
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 22:34:50 EDT
On Wed, 30 Apr 1997 13:39:06 -0400 Harlequin <harlequin@*********.CA>
writes:
>What standard archetype is the best in these ways:
>
>- Usefullness
>- Playability
>- Fun

[snip]

>
>-for the fun, i think it is the Bodyguard (P.49 SRII), he has great
>fighting abilitys and he is also more diversified than the sammy...

WHAT?!? I think a Coyote or Coon shaman would beat out a Bodyguard on the
"fun" factor any day.

But then who plays standard Archtypes anyway?
Message no. 9
From: L Canthros <lobo1@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Survey
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 22:57:06 EDT
On Wed, 30 Apr 1997 13:39:06 -0400 Harlequin <harlequin@*********.CA>
writes:
>What standard archetype is the best in these ways:
>
>- Usefullness

Kinda depends on your campaign, really. If your group is nearly all
combat-oriented, it'll be the Merc, if you've got more of a social bent,
go with the Detective, if you fall somewhere in between, it'll be the
Former Company Man.

>- Playability

Like it's been said: the Street Sam. If you want the most playable
magical character, it'll be either the Combat Mage or the Sorceror
archetype out of Awakenings.

>- Fun

I've always enjoyed the Combat Mage, but I never play using the pre-made
archetypes. My characters tend to fall in the 'Combat Mage' stereotype,
though. Burn-outs are fun, too.

[...]
>so what is your favorite character?


<big grin> What can I say? I still enjoy the (somewhat munchy)
shapeshifter-mage (my second character)...Old habits die hard, I
suppose:)

--
-Canthros-the-shapeshifter-mage-boy
If any man wishes peace, lobo1@****.com
let him prepare for war. canthros1@***.com
--Roman proverb
http://members.aol.com/canthros1/
Message no. 10
From: "Steven A. Tinner" <bluewizard@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: Survey
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 01:19:52 -0400
> What standard archetype is the best in these ways:
>
> - Usefullness

That depends entirely on the team.
If the group already has 2 mercs and 2 sammies, then a mage will be more
useful than a detective any day.
Played solo, then yeah, the detective is good, as is the Fromer Company
man.

> - Playability

Well, I'm a firm beleiver in the theory that NO character is unplayable, so
I think that's not a fair question.
If we're talking playable for a newbie, then yeah Sammy or even gang member
are goo archetypes.
This goes along with the old "Make 'em be a Fighter" rule that started in
D&D, and I have carried through all my games.
The best way to get a hand on a game is to play the simplest character
possible, until you get the concept, then go ahead and get tricky.

> - Fun

IMO - the archetypes aren't all that fun.
But Street Shaman is IMO the easiest arcehtype to flesh out.
Taking the attributes of your totem gives you an almost ready made
personality, so it's easy to get into the action.

My most fun character I've ever made from scratch has to be Harmacy, the
Chemical Samurai.

Steven A. Tinner
bluewizard@*****.com
http://www.ncweb.com/users/bluewizard
"Fire and T_ts! Fire and T_ts! All my favorite things!" - Tinner and Bull

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