Planning, Knowledge, & Improv, Love it when a plan comes together.... Options

[Saint Hallow]

OK, I've watched shows like Burn Notice, Leverage, A-Team, and etc. Each show has its own version of when a plan is enacted.

Burn Notice has the voice over and usually involves some kind of Knowledge skill background with some props and Active skill usage (Con, Negotiate). How does this translate into SR? By that, I mean... my group tries to perform the same things by taking on "assumptions" and using background skills to see if we can get some insight on what to expect, obstacles, and etc... Usually we end up failing miserably.

Now, our GM wants us to be creative and think for ourselves... however, what good is that when we try to use background skills and get no info or data?

Is it our faults as players for not knowing enough or being creative/bright enough? Is it our GM's fault for not giving us enough background? Or is it a combo of the 2 mixed in with other stuff?

So what I am asking is...

1. How should background Knowledge skills like Security Procedures, Lone Star Tactics/Policies, and such be handled when players try to plan for these things when going on a run?

2. How much info should a GM give when describing this knowledge to a player who has no idea of the SR setting or it's feel/genre?

3. If a player is taking on the role of the Face, but doesn't have the real-life skill of being cool/charismatic/knowledgeable in the ways... how much should the paper stats fill in when the RP cannot be done?

4. How do you handle players or games that require you to be able to plan things in advance and then perform tactics or changes on the fly if needed?

I know it sounds like I am asking a lot and not much of it makes sense.... but the game/group I am in has gone through many transitions and I am trying to figure out how to save it and keep it going before I decide that it's not worth it anymore.

[DMiller]

You may want to check out this thread... It may be helpful in a lot of ways.

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=32787

-D
P.S.
Sorry if it's not clickable.

[Triggvi]

OK, I've watched shows like Burn Notice, Leverage, A-Team, and etc. Each show has its own version of when a plan is enacted.

Burn Notice has the voice over and usually involves some kind of Knowledge skill background with some props and Active skill usage (Con, Negotiate). How does this translate into SR? By that, I mean... my group tries to perform the same things by taking on "assumptions" and using background skills to see if we can get some insight on what to expect, obstacles, and etc... Usually we end up failing miserably.

Now, our GM wants us to be creative and think for ourselves... however, what good is that when we try to use background skills and get no info or data?

Is it our faults as players for not knowing enough or being creative/bright enough? Is it our GM's fault for not giving us enough background? Or is it a combo of the 2 mixed in with other stuff?

So what I am asking is...

1. How should background Knowledge skills like Security Procedures, Lone Star Tactics/Policies, and such be handled when players try to plan for these things when going on a run?

2. How much info should a GM give when describing this knowledge to a player who has no idea of the SR setting or it's feel/genre?

3. If a player is taking on the role of the Face, but doesn't have the real-life skill of being cool/charismatic/knowledgeable in the ways... how much should the paper stats fill in when the RP cannot be done?

4. How do you handle players or games that require you to be able to plan things in advance and then perform tactics or changes on the fly if needed?

I know it sounds like I am asking a lot and not much of it makes sense.... but the game/group I am in has gone through many transitions and I am trying to figure out how to save it and keep it going before I decide that it's not worth it anymore.

If some one is having problems role-playing the details of a very skilled character, I as Gm would help him like he had the common sense quality. i would not be creative for him, but help him not fall into rookie traps, until he learned to role-play the part better.

The old saying "no plan survives contact with the enemy". No amount of planning can defeat Murphy. The better your planning the less murphy has to work with. You plan your op perfectly, but what you didn't know was the corporate VP was making a surprise visit with his body guards during the middle of your op. murphy strikes again.

knowledge skills should make your planning easier, but never fool proof.

[Makki]

3. If a player is taking on the role of the Face, but doesn't have the real-life skill of being cool/charismatic/knowledgeable in the ways... how much should the paper stats fill in when the RP cannot be done?

no more and no less than you inflict roleplaying on your Sam when doing his stuff like shooting/dodging. Everything else is just racism against special archetypes.
Face tells what he wants to do -> Face rolls dice -> GM tells net hits -> Face explains his actions in some detail according to the result.

Sam: I wanna shoot him.
Sam rolls 27 dice.
GM: You slice him into pieces.
Sam: Because of my awesome skills and longtime experience I jump out of cover, running towards the book shelf, while quickdrawing my gun with ease. I let the smartgun aim for me and pull the trigger. The guard's blood splashes against the books, behind which I already took cover.

Face: I tell the guard I'm a librarian.
Face rolls 15 dice for Con.
GM: 4 net hits.
Face: I put on my afraid-face and slowly crawl out of my hiding. At the same time I load my Classic Literature Knowsoft. With my hands up I walk towards the guard and tell him he must be mistaken. I work here and I was on my way to the Shakespeare section. I quote some Hamlet and smile after he let me pass.


I think, every player, no matter how charismatic he is, can come up with something like that.

[Triggvi]

no more and no less than you inflict roleplaying on your Sam when doing his stuff like shooting/dodging. Everything else is just racism against special archetypes.
Face tells what he wants to do -> Face rolls dice -> GM tells net hits -> Face explains his actions in some detail according to the result.

Sam: I wanna shoot him.
Sam rolls 27 dice.
GM: You slice him into pieces.
Sam: Because of my awesome skills and longtime experience I jump out of cover, running towards the book shelf, while quickdrawing my gun with ease. I let the smartgun aim for me and pull the trigger. The guard's blood splashes against the books, behind which I already took cover.

Face: I tell the guard I'm a librarian.
Face rolls 15 dice for Con.
GM: 4 net hits.
Face: I put on my afraid-face and slowly crawl out of my hiding. At the same time I load my Classic Literature Knowsoft. With my hands up I walk towards the guard and tell him he must be mistaken. I work here and I was on my way to the Shakespeare section. I quote some Hamlet and smile after he let me pass.


I think, every player, no matter how charismatic he is, can come up with something like that.

i agree. There is never a situation that can't be roleplayed. There are only good and not so good roleplayers. I believe it is every ones responsibility to help the not so good roleplayers to become good roleplayers.