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Spookymonster

Aug 23 2005, 05:41 PM

Post #1

Moving Target

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Slashdot reviews GenCon

Do a search for Shadowrun (about halfway down the article).

QUOTE

Wizards of the Coast wasn't the only publisher at Gen Con this year, of course. FanPro, in association with Wizkids, put out the latest version of the magic/cyberpunk RPG Shadowrun. Now in its Fourth Edition, the setting has received its most serious overhaul to date. The basic mechanic has been reworked, major advancements have been made to the state of in-game technology, and the political boundaries of the North American Nations have been redrawn. Though the plot elements are compelling, the new simplicity of the core game mechanic will be the most widely felt change. Previous editions of Shadowrun required a player or GM to roll a number of six-sided dice equal to a skill or attribute, with the intent of hitting a target number determined by the situation. The lowest a target number could get was 2, but the sky was the limit for difficulty. The fluidity of combat often meant there would be high target numbers, which required a participant to roll a six on a die, so that the six could be rerolled and a higher number achieved. Fourth Edition does away with this clumsiness, with all dice rolled in the game now seeking either a five or a six to be determined a hit. All rolls are made with a number of dice equal to the requisite attribute + skill combination. Penalties result in fewer dices being rolled at the outset, and the GM is encouraged to assess penalties on the fly rather than being confined by arcane tables. The simplicity of this mechanic allows for the GM to gain a better grip on the fast and loose nature of combat in the real world, the astral plane, and the virtual reality of the Matrix. Speaking of the Matrix, the most important plot change is probably the advent of a wireless Matrix. The old "decks" have been removed in favour of an Artificial Reality overlay to normal vision. This requires computer criminals to come on-site with the rest of the Shadowrun team in order to participate, and opens up the role of the hacker in the game to a previously unknown degree. I've been playing Shadowrun for 15 years now, and I'm very excited about the changes this latest edition have brought around. Here's hoping FanPro follows up the new edition with some material that allows us to better come to grips with the setting changes.

Posts in this topic

Spookymonster Shadowrun on Slashdot! Aug 23 2005, 05:41 PM

SL James QUOTE The simplicity of this mechanic allows for t... Aug 23 2005, 06:10 PM

Demonseed Elite Interesting. Certainly not the only GenCon review... Aug 23 2005, 06:29 PM

Pistons Not the only person (reviewer or otherwise) I... Aug 23 2005, 07:13 PM

nezumi Keep in mind, they're going to share the same ... Aug 23 2005, 07:16 PM

ShadowDragon8685 I don't like the "DM is encouraged to ass... Aug 23 2005, 10:05 PM

the_dunner QUOTE (ShadowDragon8685) And in the hands of a DM ... Aug 23 2005, 10:35 PM

SL James QUOTE (the_dunner)QUOTE (ShadowDragon8685 @ A... Aug 24 2005, 12:52 AM

Derek QUOTE (ShadowDragon8685) I don't like the ... Aug 24 2005, 01:43 AM

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