| From: | James Nichols <JMNICH00@****.UKY.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Why Can't You . . . |
| Date: | Sat, 19 Aug 1995 15:38:05 EDT |
A ot of the people ask why certain things can't be done a certain way, or
when looking at a way FASA has done certain things that ARE pretty contrived an
d kludgy. Like Decking (ewwwwwww, they would be a neat PC if FASA aver fixes
decking rules) and putting somekind of interface betwixt deck and decker, and o
ther example that currently escape me.
Namely, and most importantly, GAME BALANCE.
Sure a lot of the ideas expressed are pretty cool, but anything that makes the
game to easy for the PC is gonna make the game, well . . , boring. Unless of
course you like playing an OZ-ian game (read munchkinism).
While what FASA did doesn't always work, a lot of what they did was for a reaso
n, and when people want to start throwing in FIXES or EXTRAS, they (and their
GM's) should expect some counterbalance or penalty.
I.e., anything you can come up with a Bazillion nuyen corp can do better or cou
nteract easily (though admittedly allowing an innovative idea to work for a
while before others catch on is a good reward for creativity). Or in the case
of the interface in decking (a radio setup was metioned earlier not too long
ago) some type of intiative and bandwidth penalties ought to be applied.
An idea for decking insulation that I like is usiong some kind of fiberoptics
that become non light conductive when an energy surge (A successful black ice
attack for instance) attempts to come from the deck to the deckers head.
It polarizes so as not to pass the surge and melts or somesuch.
But as this would allow decking without immediate DEADLY consequences (and I
say immediate because you could still be tracked down and snuffed at gunpoint)
this would probably not be allowed in a game (and shouldn't be)
And be glad that FASA does the things that they do, becuase if the Technology
curve were to follow along as it does today, even allowing forthe big crash
earlier in FASA history, ANY character who was more based on tech instead of
skills and/or magic would be obsolete as soon as he came off the cyber surgery
table or walked out of the black market decker store.
Well, I'm starting (STARTING?!?) to babble, so I better go now. Besides it's
time for another beer. ;->
James Nichols
p.s. Damion I don't know if you got my responses but the message you sent
to my address at work came through.
