The best quotes, shadowtalk, descriptions... Options

[silva]

What are the ones you like best? Show us!

- - -

Here is one I stumbled today reading Corp Enclaves... Neo-Tokyo, pg 91:

"If Sorayama or Fujimi-bou is where to go to get some augmentation
done right, then the Bleeds are where you go to get augmentation
done cheap. It’s the poorest section of Chiba, occupied by all the
doctors that screwed up.

The Bleeds is, to put it mildly, fucking scary even for us natives.
You don’t want to go alone, and you always go armed. I swear
I’ve taken a friend in to get a new kidney and the doctor excused
himself, left for a couple minutes, and came back blood-spattered
and with a nice warm kidney bagged in his hand. After he took
a minute to catch his breath, he asked whether or not my friend
needed to be sedated for the operation."

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[Tanegar]

Pretty much the entire "Beyond the Pale" section in Cybertechnology is the best shadowtalk ever.

Twice I've found myself waiting for a heartbeat that never came...
-----
...I asked [the doctor] if I was alive.
He said yes.
I asked him if I was going to stay alive.
He said yes, as long as I remembered.
Remembered what, I asked.
Remembered that I was alive, he answered.
-----
Late one night, someone came and spoke to me. It might have been Priest, but I don't think so. He's gone. It might have been my memories telling me something I'd forgotten, but I'm not sure. Whoever it was came in without my seeing him enter and left without my seeing him leave.

He told me that I wanted to die. My body and spirit knew that I should be dead, and only tricks of magic and technology were keeping me alive. I was caught on the edge of death and held there by my own willpower. The voices, some of the tech in my body, and apparently some magic - though none of the doctors or nurses had ever mentioned magic - existed to help me fight the urge to die.

Ultimately, he said, nothing anyone did could keep me alive if I did not want to live. He said the time might come when I would no longer want life. Then, he said, I would find it easy to slip away.

I get the shivers every time I read that.

[Professeur]

Is there any way to buy Cybertechnology as a .pdf still?

[The Jake]

My favorite was the shadowtalk right throughout the Aztlan sourcebook.

To this day I get shivers reading the chatter between all the IEs and the Big D. Especially when they realise what the teocali's really are, how they are empowered and the dragon with the black aura....

More recently, I like the quote by Man-Of-Many-Names explaining it was he that led Ares to the Chicago hives (Feral Cities).

- J.

[tsuyoshikentsu]

For funny and for freaky, crack Augmentation.

> Did you ever notice how it's always elven souls that need reclaiming? Everyone's trying to find their inner elf, but no one so much as knocks on a dwarf soul's door to deliver pizza.
> Ethernaut

> My soul can go out and get its own pizza, thank you very much.
> Lyran

> Your body's spiritual and holistic wholeness is compromised every time you introduce some foreign device into your body -- regardless of whether it is cyberware or bioware. Your energies are knocked out of balance by the change to the fundamental nature of the body. There is a limit to how much of your holistic essence you can compromise in this manner; a point beyond which your mind and spirit cannot sustain you. Nothing metahuman survives beyond that threshold.
> Axis Mundi

> You're forgetting cybermancy.
> Johnny No

> No, I'm not.
> Axis Mundi

[Dhaise]

The Tir tangire sb had a great description of a resturant that served illusory food and one of the posters had a simple "elves chummer, it's elves" explanation that cracks me up every time I read it. It's the written word equivilent of the comic timing pause between 'roast duck' and 'mango salsa'.

The cybertechnology , neo anarchists guide to real life and renraku shutdown shadowtalk were great. And I've always gotten a kick out of the Shadowtalk from the lofwyr/art dankwalther sections in threats/threats 2.

[Dikotana]

(Extended Volume bioware)

>>>>>[Oh boy. Bigger breaths. Wow. What am I going to do with that?]<<<<<
—Wolfman

>>>>>[How about using it to apply some of that wolfoid halitosis before you use your guns? You know: huff and puff, then blow them all down.]<<<<<
—The Smiling Bandit

>>>>>[Hardy-har-har.]<<<<<
—Wolfman

>>>>>[Oh, speaking of bad cases of dog-breath...]<<<<<
Feral

>>>>>[Now, don't start. You ain't one to talk.]<<<<<
Wolfman

>>>>>[This ain't a very practical mode of attack. You have to get in real close to deploy the toxin, which is what's goign to happen in most situations. What this exhaler is really meant to be is either a last-ditch defense or a shock (as in surprise) attack. Not many people are going to expect you to breathe them to death—at least not unless you're the Woflman.]<<<<<
—The Smiling Bandit.

>>>>>[O.K., that's it. You die..]<<<<<
—Wolfman

>>>>>[I wonder if this will protect me from the Wolfman's breath?]<<<<<
—The Smiling Bandit

>>>>>[Slow and painful, Bandit. Slow and painful.]<<<<<
—Wolfman

>>>>>[Just as long as you don't breathe on me—anything but that. Hey! Maybe you should try try some of those new Better Breath treats. I hear they clean the teeth while freshening the breath.]<<<<<
—The Smiling Bandit

>>>>>[Dead men leave no time/date stamps.]<<<<<
—Wolfman

All from Shadowtech, and exactly why shadowtalk needs to return.

[Malachi]

All from Shadowtech, and exactly why shadowtalk needs to return.

Shadowtalk isn't gone... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/question.gif)

[KCKitsune]

Shadowtalk isn't gone... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/question.gif)

It's nothing like it was in the previous books.

[Malachi]

It's nothing like it was in the previous books.

How so? Could you be more specific?

[FlashbackJon]

Previous books had entire pages of Shadowtalk, with considerable back-and-forth. Entire conversations.

As for the original question, I have two (possibly mis-remembered) quotes from Paranormal Animals of Europe that will hopefully bring back fond memories for those who remember them.

Why does anyone still agree to go on vacation with you?!

Women will tell you that childbirth is the worst pain a human can know, but only another man will understand why Andraesson's screams will haunt us for the rest of our days...

[Wesley Street]

Previous books had entire pages of Shadowtalk, with considerable back-and-forth. Entire conversations.

Huh? Emergence is made up of entire chapters of Shadowtalk conversation.

My favorite bits from the past were the sidebar conversations amongst the planet's secret mystic masters in Aztlan Sourcebook. Not only was it a unique break from the typical, occasionally tiresome "serious talk/serious talk/insert something witty" RunnerBanter of other fluff pieces it hinted at the strange and powerful things to come outside the immediate material.

[Cadmus]

I think the issue is with shadowtalk from how i read the other posters views is, The gallows humor or the lack there of, Men and women who do the work and know they are doing the work, know they are damaged goods but still crack a wise about it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

a quote I like, page 41 of paranormal animals of north america.

isn't there anything out there that likes people?
--Leslie

granted Dikotana already posted my altime fav shadowtalk post (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[FlashbackJon]

Huh? Emergence is made up of entire chapters of Shadowtalk conversation.

Nono, I get that, and it's cool, but it was also a giant book filled with background. But for the most part, the newer books do not have the same volume of shadowtalk - but they also have considerably more content.

I remember where each individual gun or critter had a half-page of shadowtalk.

[Demonseed Elite]

Yeah, I think the criticism is that the rules sourcebooks don't have entire pages of shadowtalk (though they do have entire chapters that are in-character). But I think the design decision is that they'd rather the rules sourcebooks were filled with rules (and denser background material where necessary) and save the pages of banter for non-rules sourcebooks.

[Malachi]

Yeah, I think the criticism is that the rules sourcebooks don't have entire pages of shadowtalk (though they do have entire chapters that are in-character). But I think the design decision is that they'd rather the rules sourcebooks were filled with rules (and denser background material where necessary) and save the pages of banter for non-rules sourcebooks.

Emergence had lots of shadowtalk, including the feud between Clockwork and Netcat. Unwired for being a "rules" book had a lot of in-character stuff. Ever since SR3, I have very much enjoyed the clear delineation between in-game "fluff" and metagame "mechanics" in the sourcebooks (marked by the consistent "Game Information" chapter). Additionally, we should also keep in mind that the "fluff" chapters at the beginning of the "crunch" books like Arsenal, Augmentation, and Unwired are entirely in-character. This aspect (in-character sourcebooks) is, in my mind, the defining factor that makes Shadowrun different from its peers.

Now, if by saying "bring back shadowtalk" people mean "one piece of gear per page with half a page or more of shadowtalk" then, no, I don't miss that. If one simply skips all of the initial chapters of a book like Arsenal or Augmentation that contextualizes the gear into the Sixth World via in-character conversation and goes straight for the "stats" but then complains that there is no shadowtalk in the "stats" then you are sorely missing out, IMO.

[Wesley Street]

Now, if by saying "bring back shadowtalk" people mean "one piece of gear per page with half a page or more of shadowtalk" then, no, I don't miss that.

I'm starting to think that's what people mean. And I don't miss it either. Street Samurai Catalog and Paranormal Animals of North America were cool back in the day and I don't want to harsh anyone's nostalgia buzz. But that lack of content per page just doesn't fly in today's market.

[FlashbackJon]

Even though I remember something fondly (see "vanilla WoW"), doesn't necessarily mean I wish its return. Clearly, I may differ from KCKitsune or Daikotana in that regard.

[Demonseed Elite]

Emergence had lots of shadowtalk, including the feud between Clockwork and Netcat. Unwired for being a "rules" book had a lot of in-character stuff. Ever since SR3, I have very much enjoyed the clear delineation between in-game "fluff" and metagame "mechanics" in the sourcebooks (marked by the consistent "Game Information" chapter). Additionally, we should also keep in mind that the "fluff" chapters at the beginning of the "crunch" books like Arsenal, Augmentation, and Unwired are entirely in-character. This aspect (in-character sourcebooks) is, in my mind, the defining factor that makes Shadowrun different from its peers.

Now, if by saying "bring back shadowtalk" people mean "one piece of gear per page with half a page or more of shadowtalk" then, no, I don't miss that. If one simply skips all of the initial chapters of a book like Arsenal or Augmentation that contextualizes the gear into the Sixth World via in-character conversation and goes straight for the "stats" but then complains that there is no shadowtalk in the "stats" then you are sorely missing out, IMO.

Well yes, I agree with you, I'm just trying to clarify what I think the criticism is. But I agree with you that the format of Street Samurai Catalog, with its one gun per page and lots of shadowtalk, is a waste of paper.

[Dreadlord]

I do like having a picture for each and every weapon/vehicle/gear. It helped a lot when I was a newbie to SR and had no idea how all my "kewl" gear was supposed to look. On the other hand, there was a LOT of empty space...

I liked Arsenal, as it had more art for the gear, but it didn't have art for EVERY piece of gear. Of course, I am greedy, as that much art would make the book cost a LOT more!!

[Tanegar]

But I agree with you that the format of Street Samurai Catalog, with its one gun per page and lots of shadowtalk, is a waste of paper.

I disagree. Sure, you could cram ten times as many guns into the same number of pages by getting rid of the artwork and shadowtalk, but how many guns do you actually need before they become entirely redundant? I also second Dreadlord's wish to have artwork for each item; it helps enormously with my sense of immersion in the game.

[Demonseed Elite]

I disagree. Sure, you could cram ten times as many guns into the same number of pages by getting rid of the artwork and shadowtalk, but how many guns do you actually need before they become entirely redundant?

It's not about cramming ten times as many guns into the same number of pages. It's about using some of those pages for other relevant material.

[The Jake]

Previous books had entire pages of Shadowtalk, with considerable back-and-forth. Entire conversations.

As for the original question, I have two (possibly mis-remembered) quotes from Paranormal Animals of Europe that will hopefully bring back fond memories for those who remember them.

I do agree there was more of it but some books like Ghost Cartels and Feral Cities did a damn good job I thought. Emergence had too much shadowtalk I felt...

- J.

[The Jake]

I disagree. Sure, you could cram ten times as many guns into the same number of pages by getting rid of the artwork and shadowtalk, but how many guns do you actually need before they become entirely redundant? I also second Dreadlord's wish to have artwork for each item; it helps enormously with my sense of immersion in the game.

Didn't Arsenal show pictures of every gun??

What are you after? Shadowtalk? Artwork? Both? There are actual limitations with how much you can fit into a book, let alone how economically feasible it is.

- J.

[Tanegar]

It's not about cramming ten times as many guns into the same number of pages. It's about using some of those pages for other relevant material.

Such as? The firearms rules are pretty straightforward (IMO), and frankly I feel that any elaboration would simply be complexity for complexity's sake, which is seldom a good idea.