The all-purpose pen-and-paper RPG megathread

**Paladin** · 03-21-2005, 01:02 PM

I've only heard the initial buzz but they've pushed the timeline forward, the "new Matrix" overlays the real world so Deckers are now sort of technomages and the rules have been "streamlined". What is your take folks?

Me, I think it is shite that the Deckers have been boosted, I liked playing a Decker because they where inconspicuous, nobody but the Faceman or Covert Ops archetypes was better at blending in in SR3 and you ussually had enough points and nuyen left over from your essentials to make your matrix-monkey pretty cool in combat. Plus a good decker was damn scary because it did not matter where you went, a good decker would find your trail on the matrix and proceed to make life drek for you, too many old speeding tickets? suddenly the cops in your new 'hood are thinking you committed vehicular homicide, late on your taxes? suddenly some very nice people from the government are at your doorstep, null sheen...

**UncleBob** · 03-21-2005, 01:21 PM

I haven't played it in years... all I remember was Physical Adepts = OMGMAXIMUMPWNAGE!

**Paladin** · 03-21-2005, 01:28 PM

Only if you play them smart so you don't start getting hit with deadly damage alot, losing a power after the badass final battle with the massively pumped security forces sucks royally. I preffered running a combat decker because your team needed you, if you didn't watch their asses on the matrix chances are they died, and if stuff got too hairy off-line you just jumped back in your meat body and where almost as good as a street sammie.

**Perry Holley** · 03-21-2005, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by Paladin

the "new Matrix" overlays the real world so Deckers are now sort of technomages and the rules have been "streamlined". What is your take folks?

Without having read anything else regarding this, I suspect the change related to deckers is designed to avoid the problem of 'Bob the decker is trying to hack into the corp's security... everyone else gets to twiddle their thumbs for the next half hour while this gets played out'.

As for streamlinging the rules, anything that makes the SR rules more coherent... okay, makes them at all coherent, is fine by me.

**Shellhead** · 03-21-2005, 04:34 PM

Shadowrun = Cyberpunk for role-players who refuse to be weaned off of the Tolkien tit. And cheap bastards who won't buy more miniatures.

**Perry Holley** · 03-22-2005, 04:43 AM

Originally Posted by Shellhead

And cheap bastards who won't buy more miniatures.

Hey! I resemble that remark!

**GremlinClr** · 03-22-2005, 06:23 AM

I miss ShadowRun. Haven't played in about 3 years.

Originally Posted by Perry Holley

Without having read anything else regarding this, I suspect the change related to deckers is designed to avoid the problem of 'Bob the decker is trying to hack into the corp's security... everyone else gets to twiddle their thumbs for the next half hour while this gets played out'.

Yea, I gotta agree with that. When it was time for the decker to do their thing usually everybody got up for a piss break or made a sandwich. I enjoyed running one tho.

**Shellhead** · 03-22-2005, 08:56 AM

Originally Posted by GremlinClr

Yea, I gotta agree with that. When it was time for the decker to do their thing usually everybody got up for a piss break or made a sandwich. I enjoyed running one tho.

That was a real problem with Cyberpunk, too, though Cyberpunk 2020 found a lame rationalization for dragging the rest of the group along for the hack. Then they came up with an even better way, which involved a mechanism using cards from the Netrunner CCG to resolve the hacks. I've played that CCG and it was a good game, but I was done with the RPG by the time that the CCG came along. Maybe someday I will give Cyberpunk another try and attempt to use the cards.

**Chuckg** · 03-22-2005, 08:59 AM

*sigh* so, now deckers get reality-warping powers?

... you know, this may sound like heresy, but "The Matrix" appears to be reaching out from its grave to kill the entire cyberpunk RPG genre.

I much prefer Ex Machina's (Tri-Stat Cyberpunk) idea... which was, if netrunning was fuggin' up the game, get rid of netrunning and go back to Hacking skill rolls.

Voila.

... btw, have I said yet that I /really/ like Ex Machina? (Well, except for the 'Underworld' and 'Daedalus' setting chapters.)

**Perry Holley** · 03-22-2005, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckg

I much prefer Ex Machina's (Tri-Stat Cyberpunk) idea... which was, if netrunning was fuggin' up the game, get rid of netrunning and go back to Hacking skill rolls.

The Spacetime RPG (I suspect I'm about the only person who actually played it) treated hacking in a similar way; one skill roll to see whether you succeeded or not, no extended 'dungeon crawl through the net' mechanics.

Actually, they did have 'extended netrunning rules' in one of the modules, but I always ignored those.

**Smokey** · 03-22-2005, 02:35 PM

i remember this game being on sega and me getting tired of it :\

**Perry Holley** · 03-22-2005, 02:37 PM

4th ed FAQ

**Metal-Demon** · 03-22-2005, 03:41 PM

Based on the comic by Mark Smylie ... has anyone seen it or played it yet?

**Inkthinker** · 03-22-2005, 07:35 PM

A p&p RPG?

Smylie's series is one of the most intricately detailed and well-designed... it's a shame I don't see more of it, or that it doesn't recieve more attention.

**Metal-Demon** · 03-22-2005, 08:03 PM

Yes, a Pen & Paper RPG ... as far as I know it was supposed to be out last December, but I've not seen anything about it since.

(In fact I think is was even solicited in Previews last year ... )

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