| From: | Steve Lusk <hunter@*****.CA> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: SR Comp Comments |
| Date: | Tue, 3 Dec 1996 19:02:42 -0500 |
area. Id been expecting it for months. Now that ive read (most of it),
ive decided to add my 2 cents to the pot to possibly save some would be
consumers some money. That doesnt mean i dont like it (in fact, i like
it a lot), it just means its not for everybody.
Bull wrote:
> [snip intro and "egocentrics"]
>
> CHAR CREATION:
>
> Good explanation and clarification of the standard char creation rules...
> Especially good for new GM's...
>
> As for the point based system, it's so-so... I'll have to see how it plays
> before I go either way with it... Good idea, though, as it possibly can
> give new characters a little more flexibility, but without GM supervision,
> could leave itself open to Min/Maxing badly...
The sum to 10 rule is a definite OUT! If you think about it, this says
that ALL human mundanes are rich, skilled, and in peak physical and
mental shape.
I like the point system, but it could use some tweaks. Ive already
decided that the new meta variants will cost 15 points (as opposed to
10), and special metas (like Tir Na Nog elves) will start at 30.
Perhaps the different adepts could be tweaked as well, either to balance
them for the power they have relative to the others (perceived or
otherwise), or to incourage players to try these characters.
I dont like that magician characters get force points free, and
mundanes get zip (in the priority system, or point based). I decided to
give everyone 110 starting points, but magicians get no automatic force
points (but no limit on how many they may purchase with build points).
I plan on using this system exclusively from now on.
>
> EDGES/FLAWS
>
> Not too bad of a system, although not particularly necessary, IMO.
[snip a section in the name of tiddyness]
I also noticed the descrepancy about the Tech knowledge and college
education edges that Max Rible posted. Id suggest characters that get
the college education _in_the_course_of_play_ get both bonuses.
All i can say is, if you ever played Vampyre: the Masquerade, you know
how awesome this stuff can be (BTW, i think FASA "borrowed" some
material here, like they didnt even change some of the names).
> SHAPESHIFTER CHARACTER
[snip all comments, no offense, just trying to keep it tiddy]
>
A big NOOO! from this critic. Why remove the mystery from such a well
accepted terror by making it commonplace?
>
> METAHUMAN VARIANTS
>
> [snip big portion]
>
> BTW...
>
> I thought there were going to be rules for playing some of the other
> Metatypes, such as Ghouls, Sasquatches, etc. I was sorta disappointed that
> these weren't in there...
>
Ditto that. I thought i read a post someplace saying something to this
effect. I was sorely dissapointed.
> SKILLS AND TRAINING
>
> Hmmmm, still not sure on this section as I have just skimmed it...
>
Well, i read it, and most was pretty good. I especially liked the new
defaulting rules, and the skill advancement.
> [snip another section]
>
> The optional Training Rules and Learning RUles are kinda nice if you're
> going for as much realism as possible with your game (and I know a lot of
> you are big on realism after reading Minigun/Assault Cannon thread>, but
> personally I like to keep things fast and loose... I just say that they
> spend most of their time between runs (which is usually 2-3 weeks, more if
> the players were hurt badly last run) training, or whatever...
Why do i like the skill advancement? Cause in my game, players like to
spend their "down time" on personal B/R projects. Thats fine for
deckers, riggers, and even magicians (who tend to value the end
product), but whats a sammie to build? One of my enterprising (read
annoying) players decided to produce high end products for resale, in
order to rake in cash to buy cyber/bio/whatever. Despite a target # 10
(considered "impossible" under the rules), he consistently produces
hoards of the stuff. These rules allow me to limit the time he may
spend on the tasks. I hope i didnt just infect a bunch of other games
with the same plague :(
BTW, these same rules (almost verbatim) existed on a web page more than
six months ago. Has anybody else noticed how FASA regularly rips off
Joe gamer since we havent got any of this stuff copyrighted. I mean i
remember reading about induction datajacks 6 months before
Cybertechnology, and didnt meta variants appear in NERPS _way_ back?
Should we be proud we're making a contribution, or pissed off we dont
get payed?
Sorry, im ranting :)
>
> CONTACTS AND ENEMIES
>
> This is a very well done, yet for me, unnecessary section.
Ditto
[snip]
> As a player, i pay my contacts and buddies more in Upkeep, Favors, or whatever in a
single game
> usually more than the book suggests for an entire year...
Ditto again.
For experienced players, a mostly useless waste of trees. For those
new to the game, a definite must.
> OPTIONAL KARMA RULES
>
> Hmmm.... Not sure on this yet... Another new rule that needs to be
> playtested before I can judge it...
I dont need any time.
Cash for Karma: Make it a rolepalying experience, or dont use it at
all. For instance, if DURING a run a player encounters a needy person
who apperently _wants_ to help themselves but has hit rock bottom, and
helps out by giving enough cred to help the poor guy get back on his
feet, thats good karma. While asking for recognition for good deeds is
not the sign of a true saint, continuous anonymous contributions to
needy causes the character doesnt even care about is a tax right off
(and how many runners pay taxes?), not a karmic return. In cases such
as these, tens or hundreds of thousands of nuyen should get a single
karma ("give till it hurts").
Karma for Cash: This ones simple. What happens when somebody rakes at
a casino consistently? They get tossed on their hoop into the parking
lot and told not to come back, thats what. And how many "relatives" are
you gonna spontaneously get when you win the lottery (BTW how DO the
SINless collect lottery winnings?).
However... I dont agree with either rule.
>
> MAGIC
>
> Well, the new Wild Surge Rules are interesting, but generally not all that
> useful... Basically, it seems to be a misfire chart if you critically fail
> the test with your basic skill dice... And while the results are
> interesting, I don't think that it's all that big of a thing that it will
> make any sort of impact on the game, and is just one more set of numbers,
> dice, and charts to keep track of... Wait a minute, that sounds an awful
> lot like... <gasp> ROLE-MASTER! AHHHHHH! <grin>
Ditto that. My only question is "why?".
>
> CREATING PRIME RUNNERS
>
> Ok, an NPC chart. Ok. Whoo. See the excitement?
Yup, that about summs it up.
[snip]
> SOTA (STATE OF THE ART)
>
[snip]
I like to bleed as much money out of my game as possible, so i LOVE
this one :)
> OTHER ADVANCED AND OPTIONAL RULES
Most of this stuff you'll probably have house rules on anyway, and
might find it hard to switch, even if these rules are better (which im
not aying they are).
> There's some cool ideas for things like Retirement (Like runners ever fo
> that:)), A second career (Ok, I have over three hundred guns just sitting
> around, what do I do with them all? Open a shop, of course:))
>
> A nice write up on integrating new characters into an established team, or
> dealing with characters who are leaving it for one reason or another.
>
> And a bunch of nice clarifications and ideas about things like Intimidation,
> Deadlier than Deadly Damage, Availabliity, Fatigue, and some magic stuff...:)
>
> There's a nice section on running games... Good advice for gamemasters,
> both new and old.. Casuse let's face it, even those of us that have been
> around for a few years can always use more good ideas, right?
>
> It's nothing spectacular, but isn't bad. As I said, good ideas, especially
> for newer GM's...
>
> Some cool adventure hooks, someideas for running different types of games
> (like the docwagon character), and Gang information. One question,
> though... Seeing as how the Docwagon Character type was one of those taht
> was promoted highly in all the ads for the book, howcome there's not much
> info on playing that type of character. It seems to have been left very
> open, unless I missing something...
[snip snip]
>
> Overall, on a scale of 1-10, I'd give the book a 6.5-7.5. It's not a bad
> bool, and seems to be especially useful to newer GM's, and has some cool
> info and insights, but most GM's who have been doing this awhile will find
> that some of the new Optional rules just incorporates stuff we've been using
> for years...:)
>
> Ok, that's it... I'm outta here...
>
> Bull-the-book-reviewing-decker-turned-GM
>
[snip]
Id haveta give this one a 7 star (out of 10). While its good, like i
said, some is bad, some is stolen, and some just isnt useful to
everybody.
To Guido, the book is 130 pages, not including record sheets. And note
that the pictures (normally over abundant in FASA products) are kept to
a reasonable amount.
--
Thus endeth the sermon
--William Hunter
