pc motivation |
pc motivation |
May 15 2006, 08:26 PM
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#1
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 588 Joined: 27-February 06 Member No.: 8,316 |
An issue that came up in my last session is what actually motivattes a character of shadowrunner caliber to be a runner. Anyone who is a shadowrunner could have a nice cushy job giving them at minimum middle lifestyle, all above board. A shadowunner could even start with a full legal sin meaning that he wouldn't have to worry about legal complications (in fact the rules mechanics rewards this condition albeit with drawbacks.)
So why would anyone wiht this high of skill level ever bother doing the dirty, dangerous and just downright unpleasant work of shadowrunning? |
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May 15 2006, 08:30 PM
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#2
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,430 Joined: 10-January 05 From: Fort Worth, Texas Member No.: 6,957 |
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May 15 2006, 08:38 PM
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#3
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 158 Joined: 10-April 06 Member No.: 8,448 |
Loyalty to a person that can't escape the shadows.
Actually, few of my characters have a special motivation for running. One knows that the only thing he is able to is taking life, and if he is paid for it, nice. Another one is into the idea of breaking the limits of the human body by throwing himself into challenge after challenge. Yet another one believes only in himself and his personal freedom and does not want a "real job". |
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May 15 2006, 09:01 PM
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#4
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Beetle Eater Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,797 Joined: 3-June 02 From: Oblivion City Member No.: 2,826 |
Random Angst Generator #12
[ Spoiler ]
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May 15 2006, 09:25 PM
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#5
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 684 Joined: 8-April 06 From: My dorm room Member No.: 8,438 |
What about simply not having a SIN? You can't get a legal job without one, so it stands to reason that SINless people are forced to take illegal jobs, such as "shadowrunner." In fact, a runner is practically expected to be SINless: having a SIN is officially a Negative Quality in SR4.
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May 15 2006, 09:34 PM
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#6
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Beetle Eater Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,797 Joined: 3-June 02 From: Oblivion City Member No.: 2,826 |
Well, lots and lots of people don't have a SIN, but the vast majority of them can never develope the skills needed to be elite runners. That said, I think SINless is part of Random Angst #1-9. ;)
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May 15 2006, 10:07 PM
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#7
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Ain Soph Aur Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,477 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Montreal, Canada Member No.: 600 |
Actually, there are really very few plausible reasons why one would shadowrun. The highest being that you CANNOT hold a normal job. People raised in the ultra violence of the Barrens, or hell simply an abusing home, psychologically damaged so that normal work can't do, a path of violence and risk is all they can know.
Alternatively, people who were ok, and took the legal equivalents of Shadowrunning, such as military, corp sec, etc, but then were forced into the shadows by something that happened. But in most cases, I think you don't chose to shadowrun. You're forced into it. |
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May 15 2006, 10:18 PM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 565 Joined: 7-January 04 Member No.: 5,965 |
lets consider what it REALLY means to be a runner. It means, your the guy who will say "if you pay me money, i will do illegal and immoral acts for you, putting my own life at risk." you carry illegal weapons and gear, to B&E, kidnap, steal, and murder.
If the above is true, and you have the right usefull skills, then your a shadowrunner. If you lack the skills, then your probably in a gang, or a member of organized crime, or just a petty thug. Shadowrunning is the glamourous high-risk high-pay end of things. as to the why... a lot of times, a person will not understand the actual risk, compared to the payoff. look how much people spend on the lottery. they see a big $$$, they go for it. we dont need a 'plausable' reason. we just need to know why character X is doing this instead of something else. maybe he saw the Karl combat mage movie, and decided it was the life for him? just cause we here on dumpshock have working brains, dosent necesarily mean the characters we play have to. |
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May 15 2006, 10:19 PM
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#9
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Hoppelhäschen 5000 Group: Members Posts: 5,807 Joined: 3-January 04 Member No.: 5,951 |
Crime pays - and people are greedy. It's called the shadows because there is no black and white, no real border.. Shady business in the sixth world may start innocent, but in the end, it always comes down to the balance (or the lack thereof) of greed and ethics. |
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May 15 2006, 10:52 PM
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#10
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 684 Joined: 8-April 06 From: My dorm room Member No.: 8,438 |
They don't have to be "elite" runners. Why do you think that so many people on these forums go on and on about the importance of a "street level" gaming experience? |
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May 15 2006, 11:00 PM
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#11
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Beetle Eater Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,797 Joined: 3-June 02 From: Oblivion City Member No.: 2,826 |
It seems to me that the original poster was speaking about elite runners, not street level criminals. Sure, in 2070 you're very existence without a SIN is a crime, so running drugs and robbery are obvious choices. But that doesn't bring many to shadowrunning caliber. |
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May 15 2006, 11:40 PM
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#12
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
i tend to assume that there's a glut of capable people willing to perform acts of questionable morality for money. i mean, consider how many large-scale conflicts there have been in the SR world--not just wars, but corporate takeovers involving illegal manuevering, entire sections of the countryside being cut off from all infrastructure and being forced to rely on smuggling to get basic commodities, stuff like that. the job market for guys with the skillset to be shadowrunners is going to be wide open--and the nature of the work means that the moment any political heat comes down, you're going to be out on the street, and you probably won't be hireable by any legitimate outfits.
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May 16 2006, 03:28 AM
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#13
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,073 Joined: 23-August 04 Member No.: 6,587 |
Sinless only works for people without highly marketable skills.
And magician of any tradition could work into any megacorp office and get a job with corporate sin provided. You will have to sign a long term contract with vicious non compliance penalties on your end and the corporation chooses your postings. You will only be provided low lifestyle and medical for the 3-6 months of your corporate indoctrination. Corporate indoctrination could mean many things, in aztechnologys case being used as a ritual sacrifice but for most corps nothing worse than being plugged into psychotropic sim sense. And not having a sin is not a crime. You are a “probationary citizen” with almost no rights and the inability to deal with any government of financial institution. |
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May 16 2006, 03:52 AM
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#14
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Target Group: Members Posts: 5 Joined: 12-May 06 Member No.: 8,552 |
The man who said "give me liberty or give me death" is a man who would possibly be a shadowrunner if he lived in 2070.
Really, that quote summarizes why most shadowrunners do what they do (IMO). I mean, let's say you are a very skilled gunman, mage, rigger, whatever. Here are your options: -Corporate Work: Your job is probably boring and repative, but safe and comfortable. You don't have to sleep with one eye open and unless you are involved in shady dealings you don't really have to worry about someone betraying you or selling you out. You make good money and your job is perfectly legal. On the down-side, big brother isn't just watching.. he lives with you. You have no privacy at all and the corp owns you. -Shadowrunning: Your on the wrong side of the law. You have an exciting job, but only if you consider ringing death's doorbell and running "exciting". Like corporate work, you make alot of money, but you can't really live the high life you may want to, because you don't want to draw attention to yourself. One wrong move may be your last, and in all likelihood you'll die violently and unexpectedly. On the bright side, your life is *yours*. No one can tell you who to talk to, what to do, or where to spend your free time. And you have privacy. To pull an (admittedly extreme) example from my SR game, there was a female Mr. Johnson who we were working for who fell for me after some very lucky seduction checks (Can't really blame her though.. I mean, who can resist an ork?). Long story short; we went on a couple dates, her corp caught wind and didn't like her mingling with the 'hired help', and sent a couple thug "bodyguards" to keep me away. She's a social adept, and would probably be a welcome addition to any shadowrunning team as a face. The moral of this story? If she lived in the shadows she'd make the same kind of money, and might live in constant danger, but she'd be able to live her own life. So the question is; is life really worth living if all you're doing is following instructions and guidelines like a drone? If the answer is no, and you've got the skills, then shadowrunning may be for you. If it's yes, well... you might as well start typing up that resume. |
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May 16 2006, 05:02 AM
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#15
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Bushido Cowgirl Group: Members Posts: 5,782 Joined: 8-July 05 From: On the Double K Ranch a half day's ride out of Phlogiston Flats Member No.: 7,490 |
...This is KK4.1's dilemma. being the human child born to an elven family in Salem TT she ran away from home to Portland - and eventually to Seattle because of all the bigotry she was forced to endure from the other elven kids. She was officially declared dead when the badly mauled remains of a human girl roughly her age were found in the woods north of Eugene. The genetic test was positive and her death was ruled as an accident (Critter attack). ...Of course dear old dad was a high level genetic research scientist at Willamette U. (the whole thing is a long involved story - 60+ pages) This makes her truly SINless |
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May 16 2006, 05:07 AM
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#16
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
not true at all. a SIN makes you easier to find, and everyone has enemies. if nothing else, there's the chance that prospective employer might decided to turn a quick buck by handing you over to those enemies. basically, the SR universe is chock-full of reasons why someone with highly-marketable skills might choose to not take a 'cushy' corporate job. it is your job, as a player, to find one (or two, or ten) for your character. if you make a character and you can't figure out why he runs the shadows instead of getting a SIN and working for a corp, you probably ought to head back to the drawing board. |
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May 16 2006, 05:13 AM
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#17
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Beetle Eater Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,797 Joined: 3-June 02 From: Oblivion City Member No.: 2,826 |
Not any more. SR4 page 38: "Technically, everyone is supposed to have a SIN (it's illegal not to), but in reality, many people don't." Basically, they've downgraded the status from probationary status to illgeal alien. |
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May 16 2006, 05:58 AM
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#18
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,073 Joined: 23-August 04 Member No.: 6,587 |
Mfb. True, but that isn’t running the shadows because you are sinless, that is running the shadows because you have enemies you need to hide from.
Kanada Ten, bumber. In SR3 a magician with good ennui social skills (like 3) and enough money for a bribe could actually get a sin without selling out to a corp, and make mid lifestyle easily. You would walk into the equivalent of the social security office and apply for full citizenship. You would need to prove you will be a worthy member of society and you can do this with a simple business plan, you wish to run your own small business setting security wards for paranoid middleclass workers. Slip the worker a thousand nuyen to grease the wheals and your legally in business for yourself. |
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May 16 2006, 07:10 AM
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#19
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Prime Runner Group: Banned Posts: 3,732 Joined: 1-September 05 From: Prague, Czech Republic Member No.: 7,665 |
If you are personally an Insect Magician, Ares will hire you, but only as a deniable asset. They won't take the PR hit for putting you on salary.
-Frank |
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May 16 2006, 07:13 AM
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#20
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Beetle Eater Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,797 Joined: 3-June 02 From: Oblivion City Member No.: 2,826 |
I think that's still possible for many characters. The trick is to apply for refugee status from the Matrix, grease all the wheels from cyberspace, have a few important people sign a petition, and then appear in the immigration office for your hearing - once you've insured it's a go. And there's lots of nations that would bend over backwards to register highly skilled IT or Magical persons. The UCAS just isn't politically one of them at the moment.
@,@ These are not the Insect Shamans you are looking for. |
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May 16 2006, 07:46 AM
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#21
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,073 Joined: 23-August 04 Member No.: 6,587 |
When did the UN declaration of rights of the child get repealed
I was bord at work and it was up on the wall (translated so children could understand it) one of the rights was the right to belong to a country. This would mean a child would hav a rite to a SIN. Edward |
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May 16 2006, 07:49 AM
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#22
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,073 Joined: 23-August 04 Member No.: 6,587 |
Aries has insect shamans on payroll.
See threats 2 Edward |
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May 16 2006, 08:17 AM
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#23
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,598 Joined: 15-March 03 From: Hong Kong Member No.: 4,253 |
I think the question you are looking for is, "When did anyone actually follow the UN declaration of rights?" |
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May 16 2006, 08:31 AM
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#24
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Mystery Archaeologist Group: Members Posts: 2,906 Joined: 19-September 05 From: The apple tree Member No.: 7,760 |
When the UN collapsed in the 2030's. No UN no declaration. The UN that is about in SR4 is a rebuild using the old name. |
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May 16 2006, 11:04 PM
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#25
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Hoppelhäschen 5000 Group: Members Posts: 5,807 Joined: 3-January 04 Member No.: 5,951 |
When a child is born in an official hospital, a SIN is assigned automatically. The number of SINless has decreased after the 2nd crash, too... everyone who wanted could get one. |
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