Pondering a game, Yes, me as a GM Options

[Penta]

Okay...

Because the game I'm in with BishopMcQ seems dead (though I'm utterly happy to play...If others are too), I'm pondering...

Running a game. Laugh, cry, or whatever as you will.

I will admit: My grasp of rules is not the best. This would be my first time GMing an actual game with dice.

I'll GM in SR4 only - I just can't find my SR3 books. Low-to-Medium Power is my forte.

My possible "broad themes":

Privateering - A mix of mercs and cyberpirates, set in SR4. Could go either way, but initially set to enable characters from either side of the light spectrum to join in.

SR4 classic - Ye Olde SR. Wobbling between semi-legit and illegal.

Mercenary Small Unit Ops - Maximum of Company-sized (90 people) operations in a mercenary environment.

Not really a fan of detective or high-magic campaigns; just not my thing.

I prefer to play the rules by ear - My focus is on story and character, not the dice-rolling. I am grumpy about writing as a GM, preferring to be able to immerse myself.

Schedule thoughts:

What day of the week I do bumps? Well, I'm looking for work, so it's really "Am I inspired?"

If the players post a lot, I will endeavor to meet your pace. Because I have attention deficit disorder, please...Try to post once a week, if ONLY to let me know you can't post but are still interested in playing.

In the real world, I have a breadth of interests described by those who know me as "so wide it's actually kind of scary"; I may not be an expert in anything, but I know enough to be dangerous about a lot. I can deal with some pretty odd things - but I need to see clearly how you got from the start point to your desired endpoint, the less handwaving the better.

So...anybody interested?

[Redjack]

I find the #1 killer of pbp games is RL sucks away a player or two for a week. Everyone else is ready and raring to go, but loose interest awaiting the 1 or 2 people currently indisposed.

While it obviously requires some commitment from all parties involved to keep a game going, an engaged GM is definitely the first ingredient required to keep a game moving forward. A forced bump every week, even if just to allow the active players to continue in the current scene would be greatly appreciated. Example: The last few interactions in Heresy and Hearsay have been mostly just Bishop and me. ;)

I would be open to a game based on that premise.
Reading your introduction, I take it you are leaning towards a combat heavy game?

[Penta]

Not Necessarily.

I favor RP over dice-rolling. If the playors look at the situation rationally and decide to go in with guns blazing, I can do that - but equally, I can do sneaky or whatever else the players come up with.

[DireRadiant]

Setting or theme you'd really like to do?

[Penta]

Can't really think of any.

[Redjack]

With multiple references to mercs and an aversion to detective or high-magic, sounds like its time to pull out Augmentation. ;)

Is that a suggestion for a team without any magic support? Could a team without any magic be successful in your game or did you mean something different?

I'm thinking about the team hacker/rigger....

[Tarantula]

I'd definately like to get in with this. Either the mercs or privateering could be a lot of fun. Smugglers yacht maybe? Anyway, I'd love to be in on this, whatever theme it is.

[Penta]

I'm saying I have an aversion to high-magic campaigns...Adding in detective stuff was unclear, and I'm striking that reference here. (I'm not sure what I meant, anyway.)

Did know what I mean re high-magic: Don't expect to be messing with Horrors, Ancient Magical Conspiracies, or so forth.

Magic support would be recommended, still, though. Thaumaturgy, after all, just adds a new dimension to things.

So far as book support goes:

In the SR4 category: I have SR4, Street Magic (though I'll confess to having skimmed it only so far), Runner Havens, Augmentation, and Emergence.

We'll be starting things on 1 January 2071 in whichever campaign setting is decided upon. (I'm going to leave it up to the players, really.) Thus, all of the above books are fair play.

So...from here:

If you want in, speak up. I'll take no more than 8 people, though if there's more, that may shift my thoughts in re campaign setting, leaning me towards something which allows for a higher number of players.

Preference-order the campaign concepts I presented, please; commentary welcome! If there's no apparent group decision, I'll pick one semi-randomly, then (in either case) pick a starting location.

Is there anything I'm missing...?

[Fortune]

Chargen guidelines?

[Penta]

Oh, yeah.

Okay....I'm actually going to hold off on specifics til the theme and setting is decided on, but:

I'm aiming for a -range- of around 400-420 BPs.

[Trigger]

New game? Hmm.....

[Narse]

I have to agree w/ tarantula mercs and privateering sound interesting, but especially privateering. (taking peoples shit that you have no right to.... mmm.... :D ). let me know what you decide. O Btw, I don't have access to anything but SR4 and Street Magic, will that be a problem?

[Redjack]

I can do privateering/mercs. You want character concepts here or PM? Have a deadline on submissions?

[Penta]

PM, Deadline will be....Eeehhhhhh, let's say Oct 11.

[Penta]

That said: Post HERE your theme/setting choice and your interest, THEN send me a PM.

Or would people prefer I pick the setting and go from there? (In which case, still post your interest here, then send me a PM)

DireRadiant, I have your submission and have sent back comments, but you're jumping the gun.

[DireRadiant]

Have no preference, will make a character to fit if I'm interested in the choice of theme or setting.

[BishopMcQ]

I'm interested. 3 of the games I was playing in just got put on hiatus, so I can devote myself to a new one.

Privateering or classic SR4 sound good to me. Concepts tumbling around are either a long-range fire support and medic or stealth adept.

What post rate are you hoping for the players to commit to? 2-3 times per week is doable for me now that I'm only involved in 4 games instead of 8.

[WearzManySkins]

Privateering sounds interesting. Concepts percolating around armorer, water adapted merc.

WMS

[Penta]

Bishop: I'd be happy with once a week. 2-3 times a week would leave me ecstatic.

[Penta]

To answer questions:

1. Right now, I'd like everybody to focus on the setting they want and what sort of character they'd like to play in whichever setting is picked (I'm happy with "If X setting then Y, but if Z setting then C" or whatever, just so I have something to go off of).

2. I'd like a consensus on setting type (classic, privateering, merc) to be reached by tomorrow at 5 PM Eastern (GMT -5, I think?)...Then I'll post what I'm looking for in characters for that setting.

3. After I post, you'll have til...Eh, Tuesday night to post basic ideas...Feel free to pitch things out for reactions and stuff.

4. Character sheets: I'll have you PM them to me once we've settled on basic concepts and stuff.

Basic thoughts, on that note, of a miscellaneous nature:

A. No ghouls, vampires, SURGE things, or metavariants. The standard metatypes work just fine, thanks.
B. I'm aiming to keep the level of team interconnection small at start: I want the bonding to occur in-game, not before the game.

[BishopMcQ]

Listed by preference:

If a Privateer campaign, I'd vie for the team medic with a shotgun role. Light combat support, but focusing more on the patching people up side of things. (Maybe awakened, if so probably aspected)

If a classic Shadowrun, I'd vie for the Covert Ops Stealth Adept role.

If Mercenary Small Unit Ops, I'd vie for heavy weapons and support.

[Redjack]

Preferences
Game type: Merc, Privateer or Classic
Character Type: Rigger/Hacker or Shaman (Former Sioux Wildcat)

[Narse]

As stated earlier I would prefer the privateering setting.
Thinking about trying a Tech-Wiz type character.
If merc setting, I'm not sure what I want to play, might go for magical support tho...

[DireRadiant]

Privateering or Classic
Rigger/Smuggler or Face

[Tarantula]

I'd prefer privateering, and for privateering a rigger. Wheelman who can drive anything with some heavy backup just in case.

If we go classic, I'd probably go with a wired up hacker/sammy.