From:	"Steven A. Tinner" <bluewizard@*****.COM>
Subject:	Re: FASA's On/Off Course?
Date:	Thu, 7 May 1998 04:00:07 -0400

This is silly.
Of course SR is ON course.

Maybe not the course some of us would like, but hey, it's FASA's game.
FASA is a corp.
They're going to go with what the majority of the paying public wants.

FASA has gotten a TON of flack over the IE's Horrors and other assorted
high-power nasties
They responded by toning them down.

Please note - IE's and Horrors have NOT been removed from the canon SR
world!
If you want to use these in your game, feel free, you are still well within
the canon of SR.

As for the Bugs, c'mon, we can't even control the mosquito problem now.
Do you think they're ALL gone in the Sixth world, now that they're
intelligent and magical?!?
Bug City was an excellent setting, but it's been out for several years.
FASA has always kept their game worlds moving along, starting with
Battletech.
As RL time progresses, so does game time.
IMO you couldn't leave a problem like Bug City alone for too long and keep
it realistic.
The UCAS govt. could only keep the quarantine for so long.

As for magic. I don't feel that current supplements have reduced it one
bit.
Altered the feel of things, yes. The "Wild Surge" in CFS, and other
elements have altered the balance of magic vs. tech, but magic is still an
integral part of the SR universe.

Lest you think that I'm an unabashed FASA-ass-kisser (Like Bull ;-)) there
are a few elements of the game that I am NOT happy with.

The "Year of" stuff has the potential to become overdone.
However to be fair, it does seem to be working for FASA.
It certainly allows them to tailor their source materials for the year
around a central theme, and as long as it keeps working, I'll keep buying.

I HATE the "Adventure Track" system, even though I can't think of a better
way to allow the maximum number of people to get the maximum use out of a
single game supplement.
On a similar note, I'm tired of adventures that do NOT focus on runners.
The Missions book was largely useless for me, as I don't have anyone
playing a cop, a fed, etc.
The adventures were solid, but of limited use.

P&P was a serious letdown.
I LOVE paranormal critters! Ever since FAS came out with the Monster Manual
.. er I mean PAoNA ;-) I have used a TON of critters in my games.
I was really looking forward to a NEW critters book, and hoped that P&P
would deliver.
It didn't giving us a couple stupid bugs, and bats, and completely glossing
over the idea of a rigger controlled critter! (A concept I have run whole
campaigns on!!!)

So IMO while FASA (of course) has room for improvement, the game itself is
solid, and moving forward.
Where exactly it's going remains to be seen.

But that's half the fun anyway! ;-)

Tinner
.sig nuked by HD crash.