| From: | NeoJudas neojudas@******************.com |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Source Vs. Rule (was... MM on SOTA somesuchcrap) |
| Date: | Mon, 30 Oct 2000 20:01:55 -0500 |
Subject: Re: Mike Mulvihill on STATE OF THE ART
> From: Phil Smith <phil_urbanhell@*******.com>
> >
> > I think FASA have been working hard to make sure they update their old
> books
> > for the new players; you can play the game with the BBB, SRComp, M&M,
CC,
> > MITS and The Matrix (TM?), you only need Rigger2 to have access to every
> > rule in the game.
Very True... that, and just a few maps. The *MOST* important fluff material
of all the books is what is to be found in the very front of the SR3
sourcebook. For whatever reason, I keep finding out that players (some of
mine own included) just don't want to read that section. Hell, they don't
even realize just how much that lays out for people.
> This is true... but these books only apply to the rules to the game... and
> though the rules are obviously important, you also need somewhere to play.
So get a map or three. Hell, this is the Internet Age and quite honestly if
you are in most of the civilized nations of the world (which outside of
those, you won't be able to find Shadowrun anyway) you can gain access to
the Internet. And the Internet is a hell of lot more important nowadays
than a game so I'm sure you can find reasons and motivations to do something
to gain the access if you truly want to.
> The books that fasa has spent so much time in the way of keeping up to
date
> are the rules... the ones that they've pushed aside are the world.
I have a really good argument coming up...
> If you are a new GM to shadowrun, there is some info in the back of the
> rulebook... but not enough if you really want to flesh out a good ongoing
> campaign... locations, NPCs, corporations, run ideas, etc... all come from
> the sourcebooks... and overall are probably the most important parts to
the
> game... more important than the rules.
Not the back, the front.
Okay, now for the counter-argument.
Though I very much agree that the "sourcebook material" is also important
(background, fluff, filler, etc...), I completely disagree with the
mentality and approach of individuals such as yourselves. My reason for
this disagreement in viewpoints?
Simple.
The Veterans also did not have the "sourcebooks" to draw upon with possibly
one-exception and *THAT* one has been covered already in SR3 (and in many
ways, far better than the original).
Those of us who started in First Edition had to use our imaginations. We
didn't have the internet (except for those of us who could gain
email/newsboard access from University level stuff... which is where I first
encountered Lester Ward/Wordman now that I think about it).
We didn't have the Universal Brotherhood material. We didn't have quality
adventures (and don't *even* start with me about Bottled Demon and/or
Dreamchipper being quality... for their time, perhaps... for the here and
now... barely usable as toilet paper). We didn't have flushed out volumes
of information for Tir Tairngire.
We *ONLY* had the material in the *beginning* of the SR1 Hardback/Softbacks
and ... the Seattle Sourcebook (which btw, is the same pattern of
developments that have come forth since SR3's started).
You may not remember, or perhaps you (speaking collectively here, not just
aimed at you Augustus) are just plain impatient because you here the stories
and the tales from the rest of us. I don't know. But I *DO* know that the
development of SR3 is happening at almost exactly, verbatim to the calendar
dates of release, that happened in First Edition as well.
I can also tell you this.
Anyone who is first coming into Shadowrun, 3RD Edition has a significant
advantage over the rest of us. Can you figure out what it is yet???
You have *US*. You have the Veterans to draw upon. We (again, speaking
collectively) fell into a state of infatuation/love with the game.many years
and far more confusedly than the beginning player of the game has to go
through now. You the Newbie (YTN) get the ability to ask the rest of us
questions.
Yes, some of us may not be able to answer every question that comes along.
So be it, no one can. The only reason that Tom Dowd (if you deemed it
necessary to call him) had "an answer for everything" is because he viewed
the entirety of Shadowrun as *HIS* game. And as such, he answered those
questions as any GM might do so in their own game as well.
He made a GM Call.
And you know what, I can tell you from experience as one of those people who
called Tom on more than a few occasions, that his calls often just did NOT
coincide with the rules in the books or even (as I also found out from
experience) didn't even match his previous "answers" he'd given to me.
SR3 is not "Mulvihillrun" (word taken from an old joke other members of this
list may remember about "Keithrun"). When a question about SR3 comes up,
he, Rob or even many of the Freelancers/Playtesters are likely to ultimately
come down to one of just a few responses.
Is it in a book? If its not, why not and can we fix it?
Does your thoughts mesh with your own game? If so, then you aren't doing
anything wrong... you're playing the game the way it works best for you and
your players.
Is it something I even have an answer for? If not, then lets see if we can
at least figure it out together.
Geesh, I realize that many people new to role-playing games have a
significant trouble in being "an individual". That is ultimately what this
is coming down to. Do you want to a run a game "with the pack", or "that
is
going to be like the games that FASA is producing"? Or are you going to run
"Your own Individually Flavored Game"?
If *I*, as a GM, can't find anything in one of the books about somewhere in
the World of Shadowrun-3, I go looking. Maybe I'm too lazy to look even..
at that point I do what I've been doing now for 11 years or so.
I make it up.
I keep playing the game. So what if FASA comes along later and produces
some material that is different than what I did (trust me on this, I was
told specifically why my Aztechnology submission for Corporate Download
didn't make the cut for example and it is because I saw Aztechnology in a
far different light than what was going to work in the "canon" gameverse).
Now I realize that it is also frustrating. Lord how I do remember being
frustrated for not knowing certain things that would have made the games I
was running or even playing so much smoother. I remember how I wish I
didn't have to "make up" stuff for St. Louis MO when it came time for the
"Ubyr Games of 1999" because the I knew that eventually the players would
wind up going that direction. I still did it. And hell, I can guarantee
you that the stuff I made up wound up capturing my players attention far
better than anything FASA would have the ability to come up with. I
remember wishing I had more than just "mere rumors" to go on when I was
running my first "Aztlan Summerfest" PBEM almost 9 years ago now, but in the
end, I made shit up that worked for the games I was running and could keep
my players enjoying themselves (my personal goal as a GM).
I also have paid some very close attention to the books that have come out
since the release of SR3. I have noted the sheer volume of "fluff" and
"filler" that is in those books. What, you mean you have to have it spelled
out for you? You have to see the conflicts that are brewing on the Second
Tier megacorporations that threaten the balance of power one of the megas
has established for itself??? I'm sorry, I'm going to tell you the same
thing I tell those that ask me (and some of my players for that matter).
"Go back and read the books, its obvious to me at least you haven't let your
own imaginations run loose enough."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
J. Keith Henry ("K" "NeoJudas")
Hoosier Hacker House (www.hoosierhackerhouse.com)
THREEH.COM (www.threeh.com)
