 What are NERPS?, Noobski Question |
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  May 23 2006, 07:14 PM
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#1
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Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 351 Joined: 17-February 06 From: San Francisco Member No.: 8,275  |
It's mentioned but not defined in the SR4 book, and it's not on the Sixth World Wiki. What in blue blazes are NERPS?
:newbie: |
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May 23 2006, 07:20 PM
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#2
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Target Group: Members Posts: 30 Joined: 6-April 06 From: UK Member No.: 8,433 |
Nerps are a running gag from the early sourcebooks. They'd have various adverts for Nerps but never make it clear exactly what they are. I've had some fun with this in the past. I had one character would always buy some Nerps whenever he visited the local StufferShack, and always for wildly different reasons.
"Oh, and some Nerps please. I need to clean the mildew from my shower." "And a pack of Nerps, please. My breath just doesn't feel as fresh as it could be." "Tube of Nerps, please. I've a feeling I'll be getting lucky tonight." "Mustn't forget the Nerps. I'm cooking dinner for that special someone in my life." etc etc. |
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May 23 2006, 07:35 PM
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#3
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 475 Joined: 13-March 06 From: dusty Mexican borderlands Member No.: 8,372 |
I've also heard this defined as "Non-Essential Role Playing Stuff", which fits nicely into WyldKarde's description.
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May 23 2006, 07:35 PM
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#4
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
Did anyone from FASA ever clear up what it was?
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May 23 2006, 07:42 PM
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#5
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The back-up plan Group: Retired Admins Posts: 8,423 Joined: 15-January 03 From: San Diego Member No.: 3,910 |
Glayvin--Because it will inevitably come up, the use of the Search feature on the boards is often very useful in answering questions like "What is X?"
Shown here |
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May 23 2006, 08:25 PM
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#6
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 351 Joined: 17-February 06 From: San Francisco Member No.: 8,275 |
Yeah, well, now I know the very nature of the term NERPS makes it a might hard to research. :grinbig: |
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May 24 2006, 02:53 AM
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#7
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Mr. Johnson Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,148 Joined: 27-February 06 From: UCAS Member No.: 8,314 |
When I was young (was so much younger than today), some time in the early-ish 90s, I overheard a FASA writer tell another FASA writer that it stood for "Non-Essential Role-Playing Stuff." Interestingly, that was the same year I found out that TORG (a different game by West End) stood for "That Other Role-playing Game." It was a season of acronyms, I guess. |
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May 24 2006, 03:12 AM
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#8
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
You can't be serious.
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May 24 2006, 06:22 AM
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#9
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Shooting Target Group: Validating Posts: 1,618 Joined: 29-January 03 From: Montevideo, Uruguay. Member No.: 3,992 |
The other rumor is "Nothing Ever Really Pleases Steve," a reference to a certain FASA editor.
In any case: NERPS for flu! |
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May 24 2006, 06:27 AM
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#10
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,379 Joined: 16-April 02 From: the LI shadows Member No.: 2,607 |
NERPS is.
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May 24 2006, 06:30 AM
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#11
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
It's made out of worms that sigh constantly?
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May 24 2006, 06:44 AM
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#12
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Beetle Eater Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,797 Joined: 3-June 02 From: Oblivion City Member No.: 2,826 |
NERPS: they're worth living for.
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May 24 2006, 07:45 AM
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#13
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Hoppelhäschen 5000 Group: Members Posts: 5,807 Joined: 3-January 04 Member No.: 5,951 |
Given the SotA-Rules in SR2 Companion, the "Non-Essential Role-Playing Stuff." things sound very likely... because that's what a NERPS SotA advance is. |
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May 24 2006, 08:23 AM
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#14
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,925 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 948 |
Necessary Equipment Regarding Personal Survival
Norwegian Equadors Republican Party Sisterhood Noob Equipment Rusty Parts Store Nubian Echoshaman Running Partly Shadows Nifty Economical Rigger Pimp SUV :grinbig: :grinbig: :grinbig: :grinbig: |
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May 24 2006, 04:45 PM
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#15
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,026 Joined: 23-November 05 From: Seattle (Really!) Member No.: 7,996 |
Another common explanation is/was:
Net Enhancements for Role Playing Shadowrun, though that may have been Gurth's personal take on it. |
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May 24 2006, 05:07 PM
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#16
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 239 Joined: 16-December 05 From: new jack city Member No.: 8,077 |
Nerps: it's whats for dinner
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May 24 2006, 05:14 PM
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#17
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
The NERPS project was named after the occurances in the books and had nothing to do with what FASA may have or have not meant. Also, I'm pretty sure that the Net Enhancements for RolePlaying Shadowrun name came from someone other than Gurth, as he wasn't the original coordinator for the project, but I don't remember who named it. |
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May 24 2006, 05:20 PM
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#18
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
thats news to me... |
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May 24 2006, 07:40 PM
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#19
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,556 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Seattle Member No.: 98 |
New England Role-Playing Society.
One of my favorite things in a game was TACOs... Totally Arbitrary Collectible Objects. Can't for the life of me remember the game's name, but it was a console-rpg style thing based on the Quake 2 engine. |
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May 24 2006, 08:54 PM
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#20
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,002 Joined: 22-April 06 From: Canada Member No.: 8,494 |
This discusion remindes me of other RPG systems where 90% of your kit is NERPs. I wonder if that could be done for SR. I find I spend too much time buy equipment.
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May 24 2006, 08:59 PM
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#21
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 475 Joined: 13-March 06 From: dusty Mexican borderlands Member No.: 8,372 |
If I'm not tightly watching money, I usually let my runners NERPS the shit out of everything. If I'm being a tight-ass about PC cashflow, however, and trying to forcibly degrade the PCs, they have to pay for absolutely everything out of pocket, including car fuel, drinks, cigarettes, snack foods, shampoo, etc. Allowing a character to have a particularly creative or useful item in their possession that wasn't necessarily on their sheet, however, can be a boon to good RP, as the players aren't fiercely scrutinizing their character sheets for solutions instead of roleplaying. You can always charge them retroactively. |
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May 25 2006, 07:15 PM
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#22
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Target Group: Members Posts: 81 Joined: 26-February 02 From: DC/NOVA, USA Member No.: 80 |
No, that's Spoo. :) And no, NERPS does not taste like Swedish meatballs. At least, I don't think it does... :D |
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May 25 2006, 09:11 PM
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#23
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Incertum est quo loco te mors expectet; Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 6,546 Joined: 24-October 03 From: DeeCee, U.S. Member No.: 5,760 |
The brown ones do, if you put them on krill. But most stores don't seem to stock them for some reason. |
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May 25 2006, 11:42 PM
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#24
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,556 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Seattle Member No.: 98 |
It turned out that the brown NERPS wasn't able to get soap scum off of tile as well as it were supposed to, so the marketing kinda flopped.
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May 26 2006, 01:26 PM
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#25
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,002 Joined: 22-April 06 From: Canada Member No.: 8,494 |
As much as I hate the D20 system there is one thing I like in D20 modern:
In D20 modern you have a purchase skill (though in SR I would make it an ability) that is a measure of how easy it is to buy things (ie through credit cards, cashflow, etc). It would be nice if SR had a similar system. |
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