Returning to the fold, Starting a new campaign- advice and opinions sought! Options

[Magusinvictus]

Hi everyone!

I luck here constantly, but rarely post; one of my habits everywhere.

I’m a long-term SR aficionado, and I’m planning to soon start a new SR campaign. However, I’m torn with which edition of the rules I should use…

• I really like some of the new options available in 4th edition, such as new character types (Free Spirit, A.I., and (some) critters as characters, etc), but especially the A.R. rules.
• However, 3rd edition may just edge it for me (no pun intended), because I can be a bit of a number cruncher, I do like the extra intricacies available in some areas of the rules.

If I do decide to continue with 3rd edition, just to save myself a little time in conversion, I was wondering if anyone has already done some work in back-porting the A.R. rules into 3rd edition? If so, would somebody please point me in the right direction?

Also, I was just thinking in passing how nice it would be if Catalyst could produce, or licence for production, a range of pre-painted plastic SR miniatures, much like WotC does for its game lines. Does anyone know if there’s been any movement, or potential in this direction?

Anyway, that’s all for now… thanks!

[Joe Chummer]

Hi everyone!

I luck here constantly, but rarely post; one of my habits everywhere.

I’m a long-term SR aficionado, and I’m planning to soon start a new SR campaign. However, I’m torn with which edition of the rules I should use…

• I really like some of the new options available in 4th edition, such as new character types (Free Spirit, A.I., and (some) critters as characters, etc), but especially the A.R. rules.
• However, 3rd edition may just edge it for me (no pun intended), because I can be a bit of a number cruncher, I do like the extra intricacies available in some areas of the rules.

If I do decide to continue with 3rd edition, just to save myself a little time in conversion, I was wondering if anyone has already done some work in back-porting the A.R. rules into 3rd edition? If so, would somebody please point me in the right direction?

SR2 was my bread and butter, and I kinda skipped 3rd Ed. rules (although I bought the book back then on principle, to help keep FASA in the biz; vote with your dollars!), so I can't be much help there other than this: AR in and of itself is more like fluff and set dressing than actually being constrained by rules. Aside from obvious things like Black IC can't affect you in AR and you can move around and such, most things you can accomplish in VR you can accomplish in AR, only VR is MUCH faster. According to SR4, AR has one Initiative Pass, cold sim has 2, and hot sim (what SR2/SR3 deckers ran in) has 3 passes. I can't recall how to figure Matrix Initiatives in SR2/SR3, but something along the SR4 lines should work (at least on the basis of Initiative Passes). I would also think that the prices and Essence costs for various AR-accessing gear should be about the same as those in SR4.

Also, I was just thinking in passing how nice it would be if Catalyst could produce, or license for production, a range of pre-painted plastic SR miniatures, much like WotC does for its game lines. Does anyone know if there’s been any movement, or potential in this direction?

Anyway, that’s all for now… thanks!

I was thinking the same thing. Too bad the only kind of SR minis currently available (that I know of, anyway) are the old Ral Partha minis from IronWind Metals. And those you have to paint yourself, of course.