 Can SR4 use SR1-3 supplements? |
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 Nov 29 2005, 02:22 AM
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#1
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Dragon  Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019  |
As in using extra totems/spells/equipment/programs introduced in books like "Cyberpirates" and "Awakened Lands?"
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Nov 29 2005, 02:25 AM
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#2
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Chrome to the Core Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,152 Joined: 14-October 03 From: ::1 Member No.: 5,715 |
The systems are entirely different. It'd be like using a d20 book to supplement V:tM.
(Well, not really. But the idea is similar.) |
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Nov 29 2005, 03:02 AM
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#3
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,086 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 364 |
Settings details (aka roleplay 'fluff') from previous Shadowrun titles is all still good.
Game mechanics (aka rules 'crunch') will probably need to be adapted, sometimes heavily so. |
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Nov 29 2005, 04:01 AM
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#4
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Decker on the Threshold Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,922 Joined: 14-March 04 Member No.: 6,156 |
Even the setting details will largely need changing. Most of the Matrix stuff is flat-out invalid now, and everything else is at least 7-10 years behind the times.
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Nov 29 2005, 04:10 AM
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#5
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 289 Joined: 20-February 04 From: in the matrix Member No.: 6,091 |
It depends on what you want to do. If you want to use the "missions" those would work wth tweaking of the NPCs/Creatures & any gear/matrix stuff. The overall storyline still works.
As for gear, you will have to convert (and use your best guestimate on) the old to the new system. Can be done but will take some work. I use some of the stuff from SR3 in my SR4 campaigns. YMWV! dx |
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Nov 29 2005, 06:40 AM
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#6
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,328 Joined: 28-November 05 From: Zuerich Member No.: 8,014 |
I pick and choose from all supplements for my campaign, so I'd say yes for fluff. Crunch seems to need more work to convert.
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Nov 29 2005, 08:12 AM
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#7
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Shadowrun Setting Nerd Group: Banned Posts: 3,632 Joined: 28-June 05 From: Pissing on pedestrians from my electronic ivory tower. Member No.: 7,473 |
Really? You can pick any five year period from 2050 to 2065 (No, hell... You can pick any five year period IRL from 1989 to today) and there will be a considerable amount of things that will be significantly different. I fail to see how relevant setting stuff will be in 2070 aside from (most) places not moving on maps.
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Nov 29 2005, 08:33 AM
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#8
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,328 Joined: 28-November 05 From: Zuerich Member No.: 8,014 |
I don't really follow the "canon" timeline and events too closely. Some events I skip entirely, others I drastcially change or shorten (Renraku arcology shutdown was finished in 1 to 2 weeks, f.e.). When exactly the Fuchi breakdown and corp war happened is not really important for my campaign, just whether the runners got involved in it or not.
basically, each new supplement book I decide what to implement of it in my game, and how - either by running the events detailed in the campaign, dropping them as "won't ever happen", saving them for future runs "someday", or just adding them as "happened already" in the background. So far I avoided Surge completely, dropped most if not all from year of the comet, and changed a lot of the rest. I kept corp war events. As an example for altering stuff: The Renraku arcology was taken over by some mad AI, UCAS forces and Renraku troops took 1 to 2 weeks to solve the issue with brute force - spec force secured the reactors, then it was just a matter of time until the AI ran out of ressources, time and space confronted with a military operation supported by a megacorp. It provided me with a window for a run or two inside - Competing megacorps hiring runners to secure some paydata and information from inside during the confusion - but keeping the arcology in deus' hands for longer than this would have been silly in my campaign, and not serve any game purpose either. So, I'd say one can easily pick and choose from all supplements. |
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Nov 29 2005, 03:15 PM
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#9
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 944 Joined: 19-February 03 Member No.: 4,128 |
There is nearly no such thing as a useless suppliment, regardless of the system. It just makes more work for the GM in the form of conversion.
Want to use a full-conversion cyborg from the Chromebook as a CZ? You're the GM. Even many D&D modules can be played in SR with a little rewriting, especially if they are city adventures. Town watch... Lonestar... samesame. :) |
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Nov 29 2005, 03:49 PM
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#10
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
What about old spells and totems? Are they already in SR4? And what about programs? I want to be able to black hammer somebody.
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Nov 29 2005, 04:03 PM
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#11
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,718 Joined: 14-September 02 Member No.: 3,263 |
That's pretty rich coming for someone that gets bent out of shape for not having the minutia of German sourcebooks printed in English.....besides being able to run older SR history in SR4 by removing AR and the flavour of wireless Matrix everywhere (but basically keep the rest of the rules intact). |
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Nov 29 2005, 04:09 PM
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#12
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,718 Joined: 14-September 02 Member No.: 3,263 |
Yes, totems are now called Mentor Spirits. You'll have to do a rough translation from the bonus/penalties of the old format to the new format, but it isn't likely to take you more than 5 minutes a piece. If you find you are having writer's block with them ask here and in short order you'll get a number of people posting suggestions. The tricky part traditions outside of shamanic and hermetic, and there are a few threads with suggestions.
Yes, ice is there. To give you an idea of what is there check this SR3-SR4 conversion guide. You might find some stuff in the index too. Vehicle lists are fairly short. Firearms/weapons cover the basics. Spell list size is similar to SR3 BBB, but it's not the same list. Same with adept powers. Only 5 basic metamagics (but basic initiation is in). |
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Nov 29 2005, 06:17 PM
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#13
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Shadowrun Setting Nerd Group: Banned Posts: 3,632 Joined: 28-June 05 From: Pissing on pedestrians from my electronic ivory tower. Member No.: 7,473 |
I fail to see the problem, but I'm not yet playing in 2070 either. |
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Nov 30 2005, 02:08 AM
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#14
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 289 Joined: 20-February 04 From: in the matrix Member No.: 6,091 |
Do you know what the number one requested handgun of the Iraqi war is (war on terror)? The M1911A1. A gun introduced into the US Army in 1911. By my calculations that is over 90 years ago. And they have plenty of handguns designed in the last 5-10 years. Why? the 90+ year old one still works better. Newer is not always better. dx |
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Nov 30 2005, 03:21 AM
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#15
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Chrome to the Core Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,152 Joined: 14-October 03 From: ::1 Member No.: 5,715 |
So? One out of... How many million important changes?
The point is: Every sourcebook is important in its own way. Each one sets the stage at the time of its release. News from 1905-1910 and 1995-2000 are incredibly different. The supposed Y2K bug, for instance, wasn't even thought of in 1910. And we all know how big of a news item that was in 2000. |
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Nov 30 2005, 03:52 AM
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#16
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Shadowrun Setting Nerd Group: Banned Posts: 3,632 Joined: 28-June 05 From: Pissing on pedestrians from my electronic ivory tower. Member No.: 7,473 |
And that has what to do with what? Maybe if you were to mention what hasn't changed in politics, economics, business, mass culture, entertainment in the last five years which are what make setting books being more useful than almanacs that might be something. All I see is a nonsequitur. |
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Nov 30 2005, 04:16 AM
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#17
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 289 Joined: 20-February 04 From: in the matrix Member No.: 6,091 |
Well lets see.. Tactics, procedures, ethics, military code all are about the same. There some differences (minor ones). Just because 10 years have happened doesnt mean everything is different. Yeah in 1980s we were not talking about Y2k. But some of us were. Granted that is a minority. Things do happen to change they way people think/economics/warfare/etc. But how much of it stays the same? Most of Western Europe, Great Britian, Australia, South America and North America has not changed the borders/countries in the last 10 years. A few dictators overthrown for the next one. Borders might shift by a few miles. But overall it is the same countries. Granted in some parts of the world there has been big changes. But those are not the majority. Maybe I am talking to myself but I see where majority of a source book (campaign, gear, spells, what not) would be relevant 10 years later. I could be wrong. have been in the past and will do so again in the future. talk it with a grain of salt. |
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Nov 30 2005, 08:06 AM
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#18
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,283 Joined: 17-May 05 Member No.: 7,398 |
... /me goes off to convert "The Speaker in Dreams" |
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Nov 30 2005, 01:09 PM
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#19
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Chrome to the Core Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,152 Joined: 14-October 03 From: ::1 Member No.: 5,715 |
In our world, most things haven't done a hell of a lot of changing. In the SR universe? Ohhhhh hell yes they have. Borders are constantly changing, stockholders are always changing, there are new and glorious ways in which to fuck over your enemy, politics change as rapidly as a gunbunny changes his clip. The information presented in the sourcebooks prior to 4th Ed is handy. The gear? Not so much. You'd have to reconvert everything over, and any Body Mods (Essence/Bio Index usage) will have to be ignored entirely. |
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