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Dumpshock Forums _ Shadowrun Missions _ COMPLAINTS!

Posted by: bitrunner Nov 8 2004, 10:21 PM

Guys,

This really pisses me off, but I just received some scathing emails from people that attended Pentacon this past weekend.

Please, believe me, if you have any complaints about the campaign, whether it be the adventures or the gamemasters, please send me an email to missions@shadowrunrpg.com. You can make it anonymous if you want, or ask that your name not be included, but I need to know when bad things happen to good people.

Case in point - at Pentacon, there were players that had a GM that:

- had them use the 100-point system to generate characters
- told them repeatedly that the adventure said to do a TPK (total party kill)
- told them there was no way for them to finish the adventure

what the hell!??!?!

Obviously, if you see this, please report it to me, as well as taking that GM outside and having him flogged...do NOT continue to play at this person's table until they have pulled their noggin out of their rectal cavity!!!

that is all...i feel better now...

Posted by: linei Nov 8 2004, 10:42 PM

Rich, I totally understand your anger.

Gosh, how stupid can people be ?

Posted by: Casazil Nov 9 2004, 03:16 AM

Wow so this was said

"told them there was no way for them to finish the adventure"

So then me and the people I played with were either real lucky or we are gods as far as our characters go seeing as I have played 4 out of 5 runs and survived no problem.

Oh well some people just have the urge to screw up anything they can. If this Gm is an offical SRM commando he needs to have his GM licence revoked!

Posted by: the_dunner Nov 9 2004, 01:24 PM

Gah! That sucks on all fronts.

Posted by: GaiasWrath8 Nov 9 2004, 05:15 PM

Wow, thats a real bummer. Does not sound like much fun to play a game like that. I don't have any complaints, but if I had a complaint, I would let you know.

Remeber, smile, its a new day.

Posted by: Deacon Nov 10 2004, 08:36 PM

I agree. This sounds like a case of GM's frag-up. Possibly someone who doesn't like Missions, trying to get people to turn away from the campaign.

I'd contact Pentacon's con committee, and see who the GM was, and try to get a message to them to the other players who weren't on the list that this kind of behavior is inexcusable. ::sighs:: Now I wonder if we need to have the modules available for public release at all, maybe only allowing them for download by Commando members...

...except that would mean that half the country couldn't play SRM. Between Ohio and California, there's only one Shadowrun Commando, and that's me.

Posted by: Deacon Nov 10 2004, 08:42 PM

QUOTE (bitrunner)

- told them repeatedly that the adventure said to do a TPK (total party kill)

Thinking about it, there are times when such an outcome is warranted by the module... but this is generally a situation where common sense says that there's not going to be any other way out. And even then, there's always the option of the opposition capturing the runners, tagging them, and letting them go saying "We'll be needing a favor from you one day, and we'll know where to find you..."

So, depending on what module this was, I can see it... but it still sounds like the GM was running his own game and using Missions to do it with.

Mind you, the game may have been half inside his own head...

Posted by: TimberWolf Nov 10 2004, 09:21 PM

I was supposed to judge at Pentacon, I think. Some friends wanted me to judge at their con, but I guess they never recieved my e-mail about changing my e-mail addy. Anyway, I'd like to know what happened. There was a judge a while back who believed that you had to use one karma point to reroll one failure. He was using the open-ended reroll rule for everything. It took breaking open the SR3 book and showing him the section on re-rolling to chang ehis mind. But I don't think we changed it permanently. If that was the major problem, then we need to talk to that judge. If it was something else.... They only ran the first two mods, I don't see how you could kill anyone in those.

Posted by: GaiasWrath8 Nov 10 2004, 09:30 PM

Well this whole things sounds sad, but its making me want to sign up to be a commando! Exspecialy since you said there is only one in our area? I have never been the type to sit around and complain about things, I like to get my hands dirty and try and make it better.

I think another month or two of third edition, so I can be sure I know the rules really well, and I might apply. I don't want to sit by and have some crack head ruin the game for others.

Posted by: bitrunner Nov 10 2004, 10:30 PM

If there is not an SR Commando within a 2-3 hour drive of where you live, and there are enough SR players in your area or a convention where you could run games periodically, and finally, that you know how to read and interpret the BBB, then get off your arse and try to become a Commando!!!

Posted by: Fortune Nov 11 2004, 02:07 AM

I've GMed Shadowrun since '89. My one problem with applying as a Commando is actually getting the required attached adventure down on (electronic) paper. I am just not settled enough (ie I don't have enough Willpower and failed my roll) to actually accomplish it at the present time.

That, and a decided lack of opportunities to fullfil the exhibition requirements in Sydney.

Posted by: Johnson Nov 11 2004, 07:03 AM

Here is SA the shadow runners are very much hidden and hard to find. Yet at the local books stores that stock the games, they are selling the books. I have asked them to get the names of those who are buying so I can contact them. This has been prooving fruitless. Therefore I have held off the application to commando's. Next year sees 5 conventions here in SA. BUt I would have to travel around 8000 KM just to attend 5 of them. I do believe there are going to be more cons on the agenda for next year. Maybe more than 5.

Posted by: Deacon Nov 11 2004, 10:17 AM

QUOTE (bitrunner)

Yeah, I'm 3 hours from a couple of major cities (Des Moines, Iowa City and Kansas City), but the problem is driving when one does not have a car.

Or a job to get said car.

Or a job to have money to go to conventions to run Missions at. Nuke-Con (in Omaha, Nebraska) is my only convention, because every year I can count on my parents to gift me with the money to go to it, for my birthday.

And the sad thing is, I'm 36.

Posted by: bitrunner Nov 11 2004, 02:04 PM

Rather than ask the bookstore to collect the names, ask if you can post a signup sheet on the bookrack where they are selling the SR books, or at least at the counter - asking them to take names is probably "too much work" for them, so you have to make it as easy as possible. if you have the form near the books that says "hey, if you like SR, and want to play, either in a second group or a bigger group or whatever, sign this sheet with contact info (or put your contact info) and we'll get together!"

i did that when i first moved to the Orlando area, and i ended up with a group in about a month, and a couple have become close friends - one is still in my group after almost 10 years!

Posted by: TimberWolf Nov 13 2004, 04:19 AM

Well, my big thing is that they lost my paperwork, and now I have to find the disc I stored the mini-mission on. Plus, running 6 events in a year. It's hard to do for the area. But I hope that's changing soon, we're promoting.

Posted by: SaintHax Nov 22 2004, 04:38 PM

QUOTE (bitrunner)

Case in point - at Pentacon, there were players that had a GM that:

- had them use the 100-point system to generate characters
- told them repeatedly that the adventure said to do a TPK (total party kill)
- told them there was no way for them to finish the adventure

what the hell!??!?!

Rogue GM

I'm guessing he just REALLY likes the 100 point system and felt that he should make changes where he felt fit to. I'm guess the other two are b/c he didn't read the mod, I can think of one where if you are thick headed you could come to those conclusions.

There's a mod where if the players want to try to make some additional, dangerous money, it says if they fail or are discovered, to give everyone involved a deadly wound as a GM Fiat b/c they been discovered by a AAA MegoCorp who will research and send a more than prepared strike team to deal w/ them. It's not possible to include this level of detail in a mod, to have it customized for every team out there. And, it's only if they want to gamble and fail, and it's a Deadly wound, not death itself.

That same adventure if you wanted it to end one way-- where Shane is alive as he rides off into the sunset (not part of the mod, but an old western allusion), then there is no way for it to end like that. Tough cookies, it's a gritty world.

Maybe this GM sucks, or maybe he was just rushed and had a bad weekend. Got dumped by his g/f and needed to control and bash everything. Who knows. Big suck for the players though. Sorry, if I'm right, that's a good mod.

-SaintHax

Posted by: bitrunner Nov 22 2004, 09:00 PM

yeah, i think you're thinking of the same adventure...

i wasn't going to say anything, but what REALLY torqued me off is that the convention's Guest of Honor was playing at the table - Jean Rabe...

doesn't look promising for the campaign when that happens....

Posted by: JackWill Nov 26 2004, 05:20 AM

yeah that GM needs to quit.. period the end.

I have played with my character thru 1-3, and have made it out alive, untouched actually, and minus 1 gel round of ammo! =) UNTOUCHED, not even swung or shot at!! I got a little itimidated when i try stealing a puppy that was cute, and i dived at the PETRA to save her from being torched =) but other than that.. nothing on the condition monniter, not even to my persona, or on my Vechical =)

Just to let you know in the charlotte area, i think all the missions ran the players have been pleased with the GM he's a good guy. So just to let you know over here its good.