Shadowrun 1 v Shadowrun 2 v Shadowrun 3 v Shadowrun 4, Which is your favourite ?? Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Switch to: Outline Standard Switch to: Linear+

[Synner667]

There's been 4 main versions of the game, which has gone through some major changes in rules, artwork/layout, "feel", technology, support, philosophy...
...But which is your favourite or most disliked - and why ??

[DireRadiant]

This is historically a hot button topic. Feel free to share opinions but please be nice.

[Mr. Mage]

I've really only played 4th edition, so I'd have to say its my favorite by default. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[X-Kalibur]

I feel the system is the most streamlined and efficient in SR4.

That said, I prefer the setting and feel of SR2/3. I also felt they had the best fluff material.

[Mr. Mage]

I feel the system is the most streamlined and efficient in SR4.

That said, I prefer the setting and feel of SR2/3. I also felt they had the best fluff material.

I noticed that there were quite a few fluff books for SR3. I've been thinking about getting some just for the extra lore, but I'll probably just wait for the almanac to hit shelves (unless it has already, I'm not really keeping track, I just know there's an electronic version already.)

[Ryu]

There's been 4 main versions of the game, which has gone through some major changes in rules, artwork/layout, "feel", technology, support, philosophy...
...But which is your favourite or most disliked - and why ??

I´m a second edition man regarding the fluff, and a fourth edition man regarding the rules. I miss the metaplot.

[Voran]

Though I played both 1 and 2 when they came out, I can't really recall much about them. Most, well, all of my original stuff (including my 1st and 2nd ed D&D stuff, Star Frontiers, and whatever the hell I had back in the 80s and 90s) is all gone now. (Actually, I still have about 5 1st edition sr adventures, and naturally the adventure/sourcebook that my avatar comes from, the awesome Hawaii centered Paradise Lost)

I rather liked 3, as pointed out by others, it did have a nice array of fluff pieces and supplements. The problem 4 runs into now is, that balance between what has already been presented in previous editions, vs new stuff.

For example, for the most part Arsenal and Augementation basically take stuff from 3rd edition and barely reformat it for 4th edition coverage. I can see the challenge when it comes to other things, you don't just want to just redo all the 3rd edition stuff, or earlier stuff, but you also can't just bank on the idea that those of us with 4th ed also have earlier stuff. As noted, some newer members just have the 4th ed stuff.

But by that same nature, I don't think the market is all that big for SR stuff anymore, unless they can capture the newer younger market. So most stuff will be designed for people just picking up the game. Course, then you end up with people like me going, "huh. I wonder if I should get that. Or "I knew Arsenal when it was called Cannon Companion" For me, the big thing will be "If they come out with rigger 4, will I buy it?" I already bought 2 and 3, heck, I might have 1 lying around somewhere.

[flowswithdrek]

Even though I was introduced to Shadowrun via 1st ED I have the most nostalgia for 2nd ED, I think it was to do with the metaplot and some great novels that came out. 3rd ED didn’t really work for me or my players but we battled on with it because it was the latest incarnation. If Just comparing rules then 4th ED would come out Topps (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[X-Kalibur]

If Just comparing rules then 4th ED would come out Topps (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

GROAN

[flowswithdrek]

GROAN

What? Did Dumpshock lose it's sense of humour while I was away lol

[KnightRunner]

I am gonna have to echo much of what other have said. I really do like 4th from a rules standpoint, but I had the most fun with 2nd. The fluff/them oriented nature made for a great play experience. I was also playing with a great group back then, so that helped a lot.

[Karoline]

Well, I've only really played 4th, but have had some exposure to 3rd. There were some things I liked about third, but overall I think I enjoy 4th more. It is true that 3rd had way more fluff books and such, but 4th is still (somewhat) new, and all those extra books are still being worked on. Kind of unfair to compare the two based on all the extra books when 4th been able to get all of its books out yet.

[X-Kalibur]

Well, I've only really played 4th, but have had some exposure to 3rd. There were some things I liked about third, but overall I think I enjoy 4th more. It is true that 3rd had way more fluff books and such, but 4th is still (somewhat) new, and all those extra books are still being worked on. Kind of unfair to compare the two based on all the extra books when 4th been able to get all of its books out yet.

I think you'll find for many that it's not the quality or quantity of the fluff, but rather, the flavor of it.

I like my fluff sort of a lemon-lime, others want orange. Yes, I sort of ripped off Deus Ex right there. Gunther would be proud of me.

[Prime Mover]

Ran enough games of 1st and 2nd edition I acquired a masters in Seattle Shadow Op's. I slacked off some after 3rd's release but kept up with things.
Although 2nd probably ate up the most of my life 4th has definitely a great improvement in SR's evolution. Fluff books are definitely worth going back and picking up if your a fan, collector or even curious about things that haven't been covered in 4th. Lot's of old fluff still holds up.

[Thanee]

My personal ranking would be...

SR4A, then SR4, then SR2 and SR3 pretty much equal, then a long time nothing, and then SR1 (those auto successes and variable staging weirdness were just crazy). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I always disliked the target number modifications (esp. because of the probability weirdness when you went beyond TN#6), as it seemed so counterintuitive and in practice often evolved into trying to get a single really high roll as opposed to many hits/successes, which is the idea of the dice pool system (number of successes are the most important).

Even back in 2nd we played with a system that is very similar to what SR4 does. We also had the much more reasonably priced equipment. I was very happy to see that the official rules finally arrived there, too, after so many years. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

While 4th edition isn't perfect and some parts of the older editions would still be nice (esp. missing the Dodge/Combat/etc. Pools, and the old school Shadowtalk, of course), all in all it's a great edition and works really smooth in practice.

Bye
Thanee

[Summerstorm]

Well, i never played 1st Edition... And i am gamemastering a 4th for 3/4 year now. But my heart belongs 3rd edition (With some remnants of the 2nd - initiative rules for example). Just the FEEL of it... real cyberpunk + a bit biopunk and midlevel magic. Perfect mix, loved it.

Rules were complex, kept your brain working (OK, Rigger rules were just crap... but the rest were great), but easy to improvise. Fluff and rules were fitting and nice (Loved the shaman/magician split of the magic rules etc.)

Ah well. Maybe i will have the opportunity to play that again sometime.

[Moomin]

I've played from 2nd to 4th Ed, mostly played 3rd but we moved onto 4th and it's probably catching up now.

I'd say 4th Ed has the best all round rules system, in terms of the feel of the game I don't really think the rules system you're using should influence that so much, it's down to how the GM runs the game.

3rd Ed had the best sourcebooks so far for me. Corporate Download, Shadows of Asia/Europe/North America, Target:Awakened Lands/Wastelands, Loose Alliances - all great books!! 4th Ed will have equivalents once the new corp book and the almanac hit shelves but I haven't seen them yet.

I really liked the SOTA books, YotC and Threats 2 too, I really like the advancing timeline and world events, 4th Ed hasn't had that yet, just the Dawn of the Artifacts campaign (only read Dawn so far).

Although I'd say 4th Ed is best all-round for rules there are some rules things I do miss from 3rd Ed:
1. Spirit Domains and the difference between spirits and elementals
2. I miss my combat pool, I liked the little pool of dice I could allocate to anything combat related, it was like "Full power to the shields!" or putting everything into gambling on one knockout punch
3. The Matrix. I get that it's better integrated now with the wirelessness but I liked the old system maps, I don't get the same feeling of there being a topography to the matrix anymore, it's like it's all just there in the system instead of a set of nodes like there used to be. The old matrix rules were complicated but I worked at it and got them, I ran a matrix campaign once and loved it. Re-routing your connection/tracing someone was better then and I liked the old LTG, RTG system.
4. Riggers were way better in SR3. I liked the different channels you had, don't like SR4 vehicles very much. I've a story I love from when I ran a rigger to do with them, but maybe this isn't the place for it.
5. Rolling big piles of dice, never seem to roll as many these days. Don't have as many initiative passes either (I think our group may just have matured and not be so munchy these days though)
6. Exploding dice! The fact that you could always hit any target number as long as you kept rolling 6s. It was just a mechanice that was so associated with Shadowrun for me that it took me a long time to let go when SR4 took it away (yes, I know you can still do it with Edge but it's not the same)

[Maelstrome]

3rd is my favorite. while fourth has more character options, but 3rd feels like it just has much more i can do with it rules wise. i dont like the unified magic system and riggers and deckers being smooshed into hackers. i guess i just dont care for how things got streamlined. its great for bringing in new players but i feel like 4th is just lacking something.

[eidolon]

1st and 2nd had the feel and style right.
3rd had the Riggers right, and was my favorite system for a long time. I still like it okay..but.
4th has the best system and gameplay.

[tete]

I think my sig says it all but I'll elaborate a bit.

3e gives me everything I need to run Shadowrun while removing most of the not fun elements from prior editions. Throw in a few house rules from 4e and you have a really solid game.
4e is a lot like 1e in my opinion, it needs another edition or two to get the rules really solid. They also destroyed some of the old flavor in favor of new flavor but I think I could get over that when the rules are solid again.

[Stahlseele]

I don't like SR4. Period. I think the whole System and Fluff are kinda dumb.
We are still playing SR4. And we are probably gonna stay with SR3 for quite a while, seeing how both of our GM's have planned at least one longer running campaign EACH . .
SR1 has been too long for me to really remember much if anything. And the same applies for SR2, because i never really got to play with that ruleset . .
It basically reintroduced me to the world of shadowrun, and then we switched to SR3 before anything got stuck in my head . . i only remember one thing from SR2.
Maximum-Bio-Index was a derivative of Body. And certain Bio and Cyber gave + to Body. So yes, you COULD make a real Bio-Monstrosity Troll, if you wanted to . .
I think i made a Character once just to prove that point where i had every single piece of Bioware at least once and at least one level . . And still had Bioindex left over @.@

[Mister Book]

3rd, but I am slowly coming around to 4th. I still don't like the way that Shamans and Hermetics have been made generic and that the Matrix is all magical now.

[tete]

3rd, but I am slowly coming around to 4th. I still don't like the way that Shamans and Hermetics have been made generic and that the Matrix is all magical now.

Well, except for that weird time after VR2.0 but before 3e... Spellcasting and Running a Program have been very similar (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) I agree with the shame that the difference between a Shaman and a Hermetic is some stats... WHERE IS THE FLAVOR!

[Karoline]

Well, except for that weird time after VR2.0 but before 3e... Spellcasting and Running a Program have been very similar (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) I agree with the shame that the difference between a Shaman and a Hermetic is some stats... WHERE IS THE FLAVOR!

They still have as much flavor difference, they just don't have as much crunch difference.

[Shinobi Killfist]

1.5. Really its a toss up between 1 and 2e. But I'll edge it to 2e. For me they beat both 3e and 4e on the rules and 4e on the fluff.

I like them all and 3e would be up there with 2e for me if a couple things were changed. Like go back to 2e skills. It was weird that stealth was a skill that covered, hiding, following, palming etc(everything stealthy) but weapon skills were broken down to ridiculous degrees. Give me firearms as a single skill again.