| From: | Mark Fender markf@******.com |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Shadowbeat and Atmosphere |
| Date: | Fri, 20 Aug 1999 11:05:56 -0500 |
>
> How is Shadowbeat any different from any of the other sourcebooks to come
> out? What gave it and the Neo A books this So called "atmosphere". It
> had
> characters, it had rules for them, and it had gear for them. <shrug> For
> the most part, Corp Download does the same thing if I want to play Corp
> Characters.
>
Well, I'm not of the opinion that the Neo-As and Shadowbeat were the best
sourcebooks ever, but I'll still address your complaints.
> I think somehow, you guys are putting too much emphasis on Shadowbeat and
> the Neo A books. For my money, NAGTRL would be useless. There's nothing
> in there that I need for my games, ever.
>
DocWagon response times?
> Sure, there were some interesting
> pieces of data in there, but it was nothing necessary or useful. I need
> to
> know how Credsticks work, I gloss it over and flub it based on what I do
> know. NAGTNA was even worse, and better at the same time. I mean, it's
> was NO different really than the Target: books, other than it gave
> slightly
> different information.
>
Would you say the same thing about VR 2 or R2?? You see, before those books
came out, I glossed over all the stuff too because I couldn't stand the old
system. Now, I don't have too, and I'm much happier with the game. So people
don't like to gloss over the little details. They have just as much right as
you to see what they want in print. They might not get it, but it's still
their right.
> And Shadowbeat. I love Shadowbeat. But only because I think Rockers and
> Reporters and Athletes make for neat Shadowrunner ideas. Not because I
> really needed to see that two (three?) page Shadowrun TV guide section. I
> like to think I have enough imagination to come up with TV shows.
>
> Basically, unless you guys are having different definitions of what
> "Atmosphere" is, what you want is a book that gives you information on
> average, day to day 6th world stuff, stuff that is all background detail
> and not really game useful.
>
Is your game about running into buildings and blowing shit up, or is it
about roleplaying a character that runs into buildings and blows shit up. I
like to have a good amount of background material for my characters.
Background detail is game useful, if you roleplay. From other things you've
said, I believe you do roleplay and you have a vivid imagination. So,
wouldn't you be inspired to more craziness for you characters if you were
presented some of this stuff? I usually am inspired for different campaign
ideas from reading the different books, even if they don't take place where
the book is. For instance, much of my Bug City campaign actually came from
the Aztlan book (horribly, horribly changed). I think any book that inspires
ideas is a good book, whether it has "game useful" info or not?
> Interesting read, but I wouldn;t buy it. Niether would any of my players.
> Ok, *I* might buy a copy of it. Or *one* of my players might buy a copy
> of
> it. I'd read it. They might read it. Once. And no one else in my group
> would buy it. Why? It's unnecisarry. While two or three of my group
> might buy a Target book for the game info, and most of my group will buy
> Man and Machine and Cannon Companion the second it comes out.
>
That's because you're more into rules than story. Others aren't. I'm sorry
every SR product doesn't exactly fit your needs, but the last six months of
product hasn't fit mine one iota (I already owned the basic SR rules, I
didn't need another copy). Does that make it bad? For me, yes. For you, no.
Different books for different people. I don't consider an atmosphere book
unnecessary. I do consider a book collecting all the guns that I already own
unnecessary. We want different things. Hopefully this game is big enough to
allow for both of us to get the products we want. (and there's no rule that
says you HAVE to buy every book - if you don't want the atmosphere book,
don't buy it).
> Guys, lets face it. The interest isn;t there. Not really. Like I've
> said
> elsewhere, make it up.
>
> I've never seen any other game system that details stuff like you want.
>
Legend of the Five Rings has two such books. Both were very useful. And,
according to a recent discussion on the L5R list, both were highly
recommended to a new player. Makes you think there might be something to
them.
> That type of info ends up in Novels, because that's what you really want.
> YOu want day to day life info, which is really boring, dry reading unless
> you're talking about a story of some kind. And that's not gonna fly as a
> Sourcebook.
>
> And no one said you have to read ALL the novels. And at $6 bucks a pop
> new, and you can often find them a LOT cheaper used, buy a couple. get
> Wolf and Raven if you can. If you have time to read a sourcebook cover to
> cover, you can take a little time out to read a novel.
>
Well, that's my issue with the novels. My issue with the novels is they're
generally poorly written and I can't slog through them. SO I won't read any.
Makes it hard to pick them up and discover all this wonderful information.
> Hell, read the short story in the book.
>
A description of a run? That's hardly atmosphere.
> Read the "And so it came to
> pass..." section in SR3 (Or whatever they call it now).
>
History? That's not atmosphere either.
> That right there
> gives more than enough info and flavor, IMO.
>
> Ok, Ok... You won't know that there's a TV show called the "Odd Coven",
> which parodies the old Odd COuple show, and is about a Hermetic and a
> Shaman living together. Whoopee. I can live without that.
>
> Oh dear, you might not know the names of all the Urban Brawl teams.
> heaven
> forbid.
>
> Oh look, wouldn;t you know, you're entire campign is ruined because there
> ISN'T really a Cleveland Baseball team named the Spiders, but you put them
> in your campiagn, and now you have to start over!
>
> <sigh>
>
> Ok, I'm done.
>
You know, I was reading along in your response and generally seeing your
point (if not agreeing with it) up till these last couple paragraphs. Calm
down. There's nothing to get that upset about. It's only a sourcebook that
you don't have to buy. Consider it saving money.
