From:	Mockingbird mockingbird@*********.com
Subject:	Jak Koke E-Mail (Concerning the SR Novels)
Date:	Fri, 16 Jul 1999 10:13:42 -0500

----- Original Message -----
From: <JonSzeto@***.com>
To: <shadowrn@*********.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 15, 1999 8:49 PM
Subject: Re: Jak Koke E-Mail (Concerning the SR Novels)


>
> Wow, I've been getting a lot of heat on the list (with some exceptions)
for
> the fact that the Dragon Heart Saga revealed or touched on the larger
plots
> in the SR Universe and thus shut out players from participating. So I'd
like
> to get some feedback since I'm in the process of writing another novel
right
> now.
>

Hi,
Although I do believe that the larger plots are good for special events
(such as transitioning from 2nd ed to 3rd ed), for the most part I like the
smaller plots. The reason I like the smaller plots, is that I can better
integrate them into my campaign, ie object A is stolen in a book, the PC's
are hired to recover it. Since this is my style, I would love to see it
occur more in the sourcebooks. Unfortanetly I cannot think of a specific
novel reference (I am at work), but I can think of a specific module
reference. The prototype of the "black IC surge protector" is stolen by the
PC's in a module (do not want to deal with spoilers, so will not state
which). Or for example in World Without End (I think) where Harlequin makes
a passing reference to the events from a different module.
Many people have complain about DHS (and I will not, as I have not read
it), but is it really better or worse than the Avatar Trilogy (a set of
novels based on the set of modules AD&D used to covert Forgotten Realms from
1st ed AD&D to 2nd ed). Third edition Shadowrun is a major overhaul of the
rules, changing many things that directly affect gameplay, and therefore our
stories and characters. For this I believe an earth shattering plot is
necessary, but for most novels, no, otherwise the plots no longer become
earth shattering, much like the way that if you use Horrors in every novel,
than every macabre action becomes a Horror driven action, and man looses his
darkest side.

Mockingbird