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[GrinderTheTroll]

So I see a lot of folks posting this and that about professionalism, I'm sure we all have our parameters about what's professional and whats not. I am curious what you all consider professional or not and why.

I'll seen many times in movies, books and stories that sometimes someone is needed who can get the job done when none else will do, or sometimes when no one else will take it. These types go by different names: Hit Men, Mercs, Cleaners, etc., the list goes on. They each usually have some reprehensible method of style about them, I mean they are muscle-for-hire after all. Think about it, what really makes them any less professional than any other shadowrunner?

Take someone playing a Gang Member for example. From their perspective professional might simply mean "not getting caught", so they kill anyone who might have witnessed them on their mission doing something nefarious. While a Company Man or Samurai type might try intimidation or strong-arming threats as opposed to murder. I'm sure we can all agree that killing so many leaves a lot of physical evidence that a spur-induced threat does not. Similar ideas about professionalism seem to spill over into fencing loot as well.

I've noticed that many folks seem opposed to fencing ill-gotten goods which strikes me as puzzling. I mean, yeah it seems rather dumb sometimes that runners would be grabbing up items from some corp office or some dead samurai, but why not? They aren't abiding by any laws most of their SIN-less lives, so why should robbery and theft be considered unacceptable? If they fulfill their obligation to Mr. Johnson and don't make a mess of things, what does it matter if they sell of stolen property, or keep for their own use? The way I see it, the black-market operates on similar premises.

With all that being said, here rough gauge of how I rate professionalism for my runners. It's more of a mental guide, this is probably the first time I've committed it to any medium:

1) Not getting caught.
2) Always getting the job done.
3) Not leaving evidence behind.
4) Following orders and instructions.
5) Keeping cool when the pressure is on.
6) Only harming those related to the job.


So what do you consider professional and unprofessional and why?

[Connor]

I'd just like to make a comment on the stealing bit. It's never really been a problem in my group. In fact, I can't think of a single player or character that went on a looting spree. Now, there has been the occasional grab of ammo/weapons or other small things. Mostly to be used and discarded.

The character's aren't usually hired to break in some place and loot it. To this end, being professional would mean to accomplish what you were hired to do with minimal sideline stuff. Sure, if the decker seems some paydata he can swipe while he's downloading the stuff for Mr J that's not a problem. If the team takes out some guards (lethally or preferably non-lethally) and snag some extra ammo or what not (especially if they happen to be packing APDS or something similar...) I don't see that as much of an issue.

But, when the looting becomes the main focus of the game, outside what the characters are hired to do, I think that's when the game as devolved into a less-than-professional attitude.

A professional shadowrunner in my view is someone who does the job he's hired to with a minimal of exposure to himself, his contacts, and his employer. He does what he's hired to do and really not much more. He gets the job done in a timely manner that benefits him and his employer and I could go on for awhile like that. A lot of what other people have said definitely apply in my view as well.