SR: What do love most? And what company can best bring it?, Or, who do you want to have the license? Options

[augmentin]

For me it's the metaplots. I really miss the metaplots and the larger than life stories. It's not enough just to have an uber munckin Cyber/Mystic/Adept with an Ally Spirit and a Tbird. I want my PCs to be involved in something that matters.

Which company can best do that?

[Demonseed Elite]

Well, there hasn't been a company yet that has tried to kill off Shadowrun's metaplot. So, assuming the company doesn't kill off the idea of a metaplot, how much you like the metaplot development mostly comes down to the line developer and the writers.

[Yerameyahu]

See, I don't care about the metaplot at all; at most, it's the fluff for rule changes across editions.

[Adam]

Three posts in and three differing viewpoints! Bring Back the Metaplot, The Metaplot Never Left, and The Metaplot Serves No Major Purpose!

<3 Shadowrun.

[Brazilian_Shinob...]

Three posts in and three differing viewpoints! Bring Back the Metaplot, The Metaplot Never Left, and The Metaplot Serves No Major Purpose!

<3 Shadowrun.

Which pretty much sums up the "Spirit of Dumpshock" ask three people the same question and you'll get 5 answers (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Patrick Goodman]

Which pretty much sums up the "Spirit of Dumpshock" ask three people the same question and you'll get 5 answers (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Only 5?

[YourAdHere]

Who did it best? FASA. You can often imitate but never replicate. But I'm a sucker for nostalgia.

And I like the metaplots, and I feel that they remain to this day. However, there are WAY to many holes. I know, these are left intentionally to make you desire to know more and buy the latest wiz book. Or you could just fill them in yourself. Then a new book comes out and everything you came up with is junk...

[LurkerOutThere]

Not to mention two threads, same basic premise. There's another thread with a poll around here somewhere with the same stuff. I'll say the same basic thing here that I did there:

Quality of Work with a minor caveat to usability of material.

On that score CGL gets higher marks then any other company out there. There are other companies out there who do good work especially on their pet system/game world, but CGL has been a good incumbent to a customer standpoint I see no reason not to pick them over a dark horse.

Edit: Clarified

[Adam]

Then a new book comes out and everything you came up with is junk...

If you had fun with it, was it junk? Of course not. Funny that RPG publishers are damned if they do something -- make a change, advance a plot, etc -- and damned if they don't. I'd rather be damned for doing something than not doing anything (and doing things generally makes more money (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) )

[nezumi]

Punk, math, grit and explosions. In a nutshell, SR2 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

However, I don't think Shadowrun will ever, officially, go that way again. So I'd rather have the company which includes the most metaplot and splat books relevant to the SR3 campaigns I play. So far, CGL has done quite well at that. I don't care if they change to SR5 or a new mechanics system, as long as it doesn't go to a linear probability mechanic. Then I'll just cry.

[Demonseed Elite]

Yeah, the metaplot has never gotten in the way of what I wanted to do. Maybe I took an open plot hook and developed an entire campaign around it, only to discover that it got covered in a later SR book. So? I'll just typically go with what I came up with and maybe see if I can use the SR-developed material elsewhere.

[YourAdHere]

On that score CGL gets higher marks then any other company out there. There are other companies out there who do good work especially on their pet system/game world, but CGL has been a good incumbent to a customer standpoint I see no reason to pick them over a dark horse.

As long as CGL keeps putting out books, I'm happy with them. And as long as WotC doesn't get the license. The last thing we need is a d20 Shadowrun.... That's just my opinion.

If you had fun with it, was it junk? Of course not. Funny that RPG publishers are damned if they do something -- make a change, advance a plot, etc -- and damned if they don't. I'd rather be damned for doing something than not doing anything (and doing things generally makes more money )

I don't disagree with that at all. I just wish my players were on the same page. But once we finish a story, and even act on it in the next one, then other book comes out and you find out Ghostwalker was actually a fairy princess in disguise, they're just ready to kick whatever we did right out the window in favor fr "offical" story.

[Brazilian_Shinob...]

as long as it doesn't go to a linear probability mechanic. Then I'll just cry.

I second here. If there is one thing I really hate is linear probability distribution.

[Kid Chameleon]

If you had fun with it, was it junk? Of course not. Funny that RPG publishers are damned if they do something -- make a change, advance a plot, etc -- and damned if they don't. I'd rather be damned for doing something than not doing anything (and doing things generally makes more money (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) )

Perhaps there's a business model not yet discovered where we could hint what a new product will be about, how it will screw up what the fans are doing and then how much they can pay us not to release it. Hmmmmmm....

[Yerameyahu]

My favorite part of SR is the integration of combat, magic, and matrix. Yes, this is the perennial problem, but it's also where SR stands out for me from games like Heavy Gear, Exalted, or D&D. And I'm not saying just in the setting sense, because it's supported by the mechanic, especially since the matrix went wireless.

It's the 'Heist' effect, or whatever people are calling it. Sure, you can do something like that in other games, but SR has all the mechanics for it, all at once, out of the box.

I have no opinion about one publisher over another, though.

[JM Hardy]

[snip]
But once we finish a story, and even act on it in the next one, then other book comes out and you find out Ghostwalker was actually a fairy princess in disguise, they're just ready to kick whatever we did right out the window in favor fr "offical" story.

My solemn promise to all you denizens of Dumpshock is this: Ghostwalker is not a fairy princess in disguise. And you can quote me on that.

Jason H.

[Patrick Goodman]

My solemn promise to all you denizens of Dumpshock is this: Ghostwalker is not a fairy princess in disguise. And you can quote me on that.

So much for that proposal....

[tete]

Piazo... They really didnt change 3.5 all that much to make Pathfinder so we would have a tweaked SR4A with shiny new books and alot of adventures.

[augmentin]

There's another thread with a poll around here somewhere with the same stuff.

Sorry! Where's the poll? What were the results?

[augmentin]

My favorite part of SR is the integration of combat, magic, and matrix. Yes, this is the perennial problem, but it's also where SR stands out for me from games like Heavy Gear, Exalted, or D&D. And I'm not saying just in the setting sense, because it's supported by the mechanic, especially since the matrix went wireless.

It's the 'Heist' effect, or whatever people are calling it. Sure, you can do something like that in other games, but SR has all the mechanics for it, all at once, out of the box.

I have no opinion about one publisher over another, though.

Totally agree. For me, Fields of Fire was the best book we've ever head in the SR line. Great dialogue. Great plot hooks. Opportunities for grit or cyber/magic/matrix/vehicle munchkinism. It had it all. Also, the best cover of any SR book. Next best was Street Samurai Catalogue. SR2 will always have a special place in my heart, but I definitely appreciate the better layout, fixed TNs, and a wireless matrix. Keep that and bring back the whizdrek.

BTW: What's Tom Dowd up to these days?

[eidolon]

I'm all for CGL pulling it out and holding onto my baby. Situations/bumps aside, I've been consistently impressed with the plot, mechanic, and production quality to come out of CGL. And no, that's not a sockpuppet post or anything. I love the old FASA stuff. Hell, that's where the ball got rolling. But I'm perfectly happy with Shadowrun in the hands of CGL, and I'd rather they keep cranking out the awesome then have to cross my fingers and hope another company doesn't fuck it up.

[Kid Chameleon]

Sorry! Where's the poll? What were the results?

Here. Looks like 60% of respondents are in favor of CGL retaining the license.

[Adam]

BTW: What's Tom Dowd up to these days?

Teaching game design at a university in Chicago.

[augmentin]

Teaching game design at a university in Chicago.

They teach classes for that? And people say we need higher education reform...

[sunnyside]

Between some things like the vastly improved matrix rules, the freely availible missions series, and some other things I'd be happy if catalyst can hang on.

Though I wish they'd bring in some more decker chat type stuff. I also enjoy to the metaplot. It probably isn't so relevent for the newbloods. But I think it really makes things enjoyable for the old school.

It also allows for a ramp up from gang trouble on your local street to something Epic that is handled better than other systems in my opinion.


To that end if it can't be Catalyst I'd probably like to see it go to RedBrick, as they have the Earthdawn licence.