| From: | 00DNA mcmanus@******.albany.edu |
|---|---|
| Subject: | role of novels in SR universe |
| Date: | Thu, 15 Jul 1999 13:45:39 -0400 |
>Jak asked:
>- - -
>So my question is, finally, what role do you believe the SR novels
>should
>play in the larger plots of the SR Universe?
>- - -
>
>In my opinion as big as possible. I love epic plots, and I haven't seen
>enough highlevel novel stuff coming from FASA. That's also why I usually
>don't buy FASA novels. I only own Burning Bright and Dragonheart
>Trilogy.
Hmm, I must have missed this letter then.
I agree and disagree with you.
I liked Burning Bright for what it did with the plot. And the Dragonheart
series answered a lot of questions. But I also like the books that I can
point to a new player and say there, that's a shadowrun team. The two
books from Mel Odem about Jack Skater and his group are somewhat of a good
example, if they didn't get so hung up on "emotional problems" (:
I have some players who haven't read any SR and are new to role-playing as
well, and they just have no clue as to how to go about it. I give them a
very basic simple straight forward run and they fumble around because they
have no clue on how to be a shadowrunner. I'm easy on them and we work
things through, but now they are all reading the SR novels and starting to
get more understanding of the world and can now interact in the game a bit
more. I think it allows them to envision the world a bit better and gets
them into "SR Mode". It seems that any of the books really do this for
them, the "epic books" or the "runner books".
Too much of a runner book can be boring however. I think some of the books
in the past have tried to do a "complicated simple plot" or something. I
think Fade to Black had some nice descriptions of how runner operate.
However, I couldn't even guess the plot of the book. No idea what so ever.
I think the first Trilogy was a very good set of books for new people. I'd
like to see another Trilogy in these terms. The books do turn epic but it
starts off with a guy just entering the shadows and pretty much
"game-level" characters. This trilogy is a bit outdated now, so I think it
would be nice to see a Trilogy based on a group of characters or an
individual, or both (: and see them go through a few things and maybe
something big overall. It would be a nice way of showing the SR world off
again, since there's been a few changes and hint at a few things to come,
like Year of the Comet.
Someone else went on a bit about how they feel like they are missing
because they don't read the novels. I don't mind having things covered in
novels, well ok...I generally like it...sometimes it's where it fits. But
in a way I do agree. I think in the past that the novels would introduce
you to things and then Sourcebooks and Adventures would give you the
answers and fill in the gaps.
2xS --> Universal Brotherhood
Burning Bright --> Bug City
I think that has pretty much changed now.
Everything about Dunkelzahn --> Dragonheart Series
Something from Threats --> Terminus Experiment.
others...
I'd like to see it go back the other way and then it's more fair for those
who do not read the novels, and also allows the GM's a bit more control if
they don't want to follow the canon timeline/events.
Also...books that are basically only written to support a sourcebook....
Atzlan Sourcebook & Bloodsport...
well...don't do that. Besides Bloodsport being poorly written IMO, it
didn't do anything besides talk about things in the Atzlan Sourcebook.
After reading this book, I had the opinion that someone asked Lisa Smedmen
to read the Atzlan Sourcebook and then write a book about it. And I wasn't
impressed with that.
And then...maybe another Short Story collection...that way I'd get a chance
to publish with FASA. haha. (:
--00DNA
"...user connection terminated."
