Why IPs?, ...and no jokes about my soycaf addiction, please. Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Outline Switch to: Standard Switch to: Linear+

[MikeKozar]

I was watching Iron Man 2 last night, and really enjoyed the scene where the secret agent KOs a dozen security guards. However, it did remind me of one of the issues I have with Shadowrun - the IP system.

The basic premise is fine - faster things get to go more often then slower things. The implementation leaves something to be desired, however - during IP 1, everybody gets a turn to make one action. After everybody has had a turn, the faster people go again.

This is easy to illustrate in a cinematic fashion. Let's look at gunfighters - in a one-on-one fight, where a hit is lethal and neither is expected to miss, the gunfighter who 'wins initiative' and is quicker on the draw will walk away.

Now, consider that one hero gunfighter is up against two slower enemy gunfighters, and the hero is fast enough to go twice. In an IP system, the hero will kill one enemy, who won't get a turn, and then the second enemy will kill the hero. The first gunfighter won't survive to use his second IP.

Conversely, if we imagine a system where people with multiple IPs instead get multiple actions on their initiative order, the quicker gunfighter will win initiative and then fire twice, and walk away alive.

We could even replicate this 'faster first' using the Shadowrun's IP system if we flipped the order - IP 3, IP 2, then IP 1. This maintains some of the advantages of simultanious IPs while increasing the power level of the wired reflexes up to a more cinematic level.

That greater power level is the only argument I can imagine against 'fastest first' instead of 'fastest again'. It makes sams who traded their soul for Wired-3 incredibly lethal killing machines, and they will tear through half of a go-gang before the unaugmented bastards even draw their guns.

My question is, is that wrong?

[Karoline]

Another way to do it that would be something I suggested once, which was a pyramid system of sorts. Went something like this:

CODE

4IP   4IP   4IP   4IP
   3IP   3IP   3IP
      2IP   2IP
         1IP

So basically someone with 4IP will always go first, then someone with 3IP will go before the guy with 4IP goes again or anyone else goes for the first time. Then when the 4IP goes a second time, the 2IP also goes, with who goes first based off init like normal, and so on. That way IPs are a way to ensure going first, and get can get you 2 passes before someone with 2 fewer IPs than you can go at all, without leaving lower IP people completely defenseless, since they won't have to wait for the high IP people to completely finish the battle before they can do anything.

Bit more complicated I suppose, but I think it would produce good results which are a mix between speedy getting to act faster, and not leaving normal humans totally out of the picture.

[tete]

Another way to do it that would be something I suggested once, which was a pyramid system of sorts. Went something like this:

CODE

4IP   4IP   4IP   4IP
   3IP   3IP   3IP
      2IP   2IP
         1IP

So basically someone with 4IP will always go first, then someone with 3IP will go before the guy with 4IP goes again or anyone else goes for the first time. Then when the 4IP goes a second time, the 2IP also goes, with who goes first based off init like normal, and so on. That way IPs are a way to ensure going first, and get can get you 2 passes before someone with 2 fewer IPs than you can go at all, without leaving lower IP people completely defenseless, since they won't have to wait for the high IP people to completely finish the battle before they can do anything.

Bit more complicated I suppose, but I think it would produce good results which are a mix between speedy getting to act faster, and not leaving normal humans totally out of the picture.

Thats basicly the way SLA Industries handle it. They break a round into 5 passes where the slowest guy goes on 3 and the fast guy goes on 1 through 5