War, HUH! It's out on pdf Options

[Adam]

Which is why the official forum was created in the first place, while the FAQ happily answers "Why are there no Catalyst-sponsored Shadowrun forums?" with "Because the fine folks running Dumpshock have been maintaining those forums for many years, and we see no need to duplicate their efforts." (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

Shadowrun FAQ out of date ... news at 11. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[sabs]

Forgetting about whether there was a Dome of Magic over Auschwitz, etc, etc.. none of which I remember.

Why is it even in a book called War!

Do we have information on standard grunts and how many of the Military's are equiped and organized?
Did we get insights on how the mostly Magical Amazonian troops fight?
What about the Aztech/Aztlan troops, did we get some samples of how they operate, are equiped. Etc.

What about Lagos. Did we get more information on the Mercenary activities going on in that part of the World?

[hermit]

Do we have information on standard grunts and how many of the Military's are equiped and organized?

Yes on first part, no on second (I sorely miss example units with organisation details and the likes).

Did we get insights on how the mostly Magical Amazonian troops fight?

Tehy rely on magic and are badly equipped but have critters. Also, they don't seem to be doing very well. Other than that, no.

What about the Aztech/Aztlan troops, did we get some samples of how they operate, are equiped. Etc.

Only in terms of generic soldier layouts, nothing on vehicles, the makeup of a mechanised unit, ect. We don't know much more about the Aztlaner armed forces than we previously did. No info on C&C from any of the parties involved, actually.

What about Lagos. Did we get more information on the Mercenary activities going on in that part of the World?

Not a word, but Somalia is not going to change a bit in 63 years, if you ask War.

[sabs]

Why does Somalia even still exist?

Vitas I killed anywhere between 75% to 90% of the African Continental Population.
There shouldn't be enough people left in Somalia to fight /anything/

[Kid Chameleon]

Unlike you, I don't claim to work in the publishing business, nor do I demand money for my crap.

See, there you go again, making shit up. I've never claimed to work in the publishing business. I do some writing in my free time, no publishing.

If that's common practice, fine, it seems this was mentioned by others too. And I didn't make this up, mind you. I wasn't informed about American publishing practices, oh my!

What, you can't be bothered to read the damned thread?

However, I can formulate sensible sentences in English. How's your German again (with War, this is a relevant question)?

Mein Deutsch? Nicht sehr gut aber nicht schrecklich für alles Ich habe gearbeitet. Bayer Rechnungsprüfer sprechen gut Englisch. Mon français est beaucoup mieux.

You see, you're looking for reasons not to take criticism seriously (pretty lame reasons too, considering you're doing your best to be insulting yourself). Admittedly, nobody here is sugar coating anything, but you don't have any right to expect this. Not as long as CGL churns out deeply flawed and unsatisfactory product like the Almanach and War.

I'm not expecting anything, just letting you know why I don't bother to pay any serious attention to anything you bring up other than what you are completely wrong about.

[Method]

hermit and Kid Chameleon: Please take it elsewhere.

[Stahlseele]

Mein Deutsch? Nicht sehr gut aber nicht schrecklich für alles Ich habe gearbeitet. Bayer Rechnungsprüfer sprechen gut Englisch

My german? Not very good, but not terrible for everything i have worked. Bayer beancounters speak well english.
Close enough, i could actually understand it.

[hermit]

Mein Deutsch? Nicht sehr gut aber nicht schrecklich für alles Ich habe gearbeitet. Bayer Rechnungsprüfer sprechen gut Englisch. Mon français est beaucoup mieux.

Damit ist dein Deutsch besser als das der Autoren von War.

Alors, donc votre francais est aussi mauvais que le mien.

Why does Somalia even still exist?

How would I know. Ask the authors. It was called Ethnomalian territories in the Almanac. Probably because they could not be bothered with research?

[Brazilian_Shinob...]

Do we have information on standard grunts and how many of the Military's are equiped and organized?

Not that I could find. And this is disappointing. Ok, the setting is about Bogota and AA War, but half of the book is talking entirely about the city without talking much about the armies, how they are deployed, other points of battlefield, timelog of movements, main battles, etc.
For me, the most useful chapter is Game Information, with new rules and gears.

Did we get insights on how the mostly Magical Amazonian troops fight?

We know that Amazonians "troops" are usually squad-level and most use guerrilla tactics. They have trained critters and paracritters on their side the info about magic support is a single paragraph that doesn't say much than "their magic is terrible and cruel". I agree there should be more.

What about the Aztech/Aztlan troops, did we get some samples of how they operate, are equiped. Etc.

Aztlan units are somewhat detailed (number of grunts, snipers, experts, etc). The Magicians are given lot of reagents to work with, etc.

Again, this could have been given more detail all the stuff detailing both Aztlan and Amazonian troops fill two and a half pages. It could be a whole chapter.

What about Lagos. Did we get more information on the Mercenary activities going on in that part of the World?

We have one and a half page talking about Somalia.

On the whole, I'm giving a 5 out of 10 for this book.
I expected more about how armies deploy their forces on the Sixth World.
For instance, how much aerial drones are used? They are kept controled close to each other with a rigger inside one of the vehicles preventing jamming and hacking from other riggers and hackers?
What countries still keep professional armies?
What special training is given for Awakened and Emerged soldiers?

I just hope Attitude won't be as much disappointing as this book was (and I'm saying this because I really had high expectations for this book and I still have a lot for Attitude).

[sabs]

Tous le monde parles Francais maintenant?

[Shrike30]

It's sounding like the book had some focus problems... I'd expect a book like War! to be more about, well... war.

[hermit]

Tous le monde parles Francais maintenant?

C'est la langue des rois! Aussi, c'est très practique si on veut traduire une partie de Shadowrun France.

It's sounding like the book had some focus problems... I'd expect a book like War! to be more about, well... war.

Admittredly, they did a general section on life in crisis zones and some merc companies that have been covered elsewhere already. But it's really more a Bogota sourcebook with some stuff about wars and things and some stuff on randomly selected other war zones (a couple of which haven't even got a war going).

Nothing on the war it's actually supposed to be about though.

[sabs]

What about TACNets, Hacker Oversight. What does the Hackersphere look like during a battle?

What does having matrix/communications supremacy in an area look like.
What about Drones, how are those used. What's the ratio of Drones to metahuman soldiers in various armies.

When I think about all the things that could be in the book.. I'm dissapointed that there's stuff about zombie smashing in Auschwitz. Seems completely unnecessary.

[hermit]

What about TACNets, Hacker Oversight. What does the Hackersphere look like during a battle?

High-powered. They have POWERprograms, POWERcomlinks and a couple new utilities. Other than that, it'S pretty standard, unless someone starts lobbing EMP grenades.

What does having matrix/communications supremacy in an area look like.

Nothing on that, neither on matrix tactics, sadly.

What about Drones, how are those used. What's the ratio of Drones to metahuman soldiers in various armies.

The future is like today with more colorful holographic displays.

When I think about all the things that could be in the book.. I'm dissapointed that there's stuff about zombie smashing in Auschwitz. Seems completely unnecessary.

When I read this book, I thought of the Firestorm campaign for CP2020 ... and it made me very sad indeed. That's what a war ought to be covered like.

[Aaron]

The most major broken thing I noticed so far is the new grenade rules.

If several grenades explode at the same area, you get to add half DV from each grenade after the first to the total DV of the first grenade.

Meaning, a full burst of 10 mini frag grenade from any automatic grenade launcher will give you 66(f) DV +5AP, plus hits (you can add them in now).

This seemed over the top, but then after watching this video I no longer have any objection.

[Yerameyahu]

Seriously: grenades should be ungodly. If anything, it should be 'every grenade is a separate explosion', but they apparently backed off that for balance?

[Aaron]

is there a "calling something a fallacy" fallacy?

Probably the argument by personal incredulity fallacy. It's kinda popular around these parts.

[Stahlseele]

Wait . . Monofilament Grenades?

[hermit]

This seemed over the top, but then after watching this video I no longer have any objection.

Please keep in mind that the damage values you get are in cruise missile territorry.

But yes, grenades ARE sure capable of incredible damage.

[Dr.Rockso]

Wait . . Monofilament Grenades?

Apparently. I haven't see the write up, but I imagine it's ridiculous.

It's one of those ideas that sounds really good until you stop to think about it.

[Stahlseele]

And here i thought Monofilament BOLOS were silly . .

[Rotbart van Dain...]

Apparently. I haven't see the write up, but I imagine it's ridiculous.

Indeed. 150¥ and containing "hundereds of meters" of monofilament wire.

Read: Instant money.

[hermit]

Good thing Dikote has been cut, I guess.

[Stahlseele]

Nah, Dikote can't be cut.
It only has been made standard.

[hermit]

An SR4 steak knife would cut my finger clean off in SR3 but thanks to wireless technology the 6th world's denizens' skin has hardened (all that electro smog) so that it evens out?