The opposition, What kind? |
The opposition, What kind? |
Feb 2 2005, 06:46 PM
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#1
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 108 Joined: 6-December 04 Member No.: 6,871 |
Lets get some numbers to see where we are on the realistic vs challenge opposition.
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Feb 2 2005, 07:18 PM
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#2
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Genuine Artificial Intelligence Group: Members Posts: 4,019 Joined: 12-June 03 Member No.: 4,715 |
I submit that the first line should read "...no matter how easy, or hard..."
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Feb 2 2005, 07:19 PM
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#3
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Mr. Johnson Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,587 Joined: 25-January 05 From: Berkeley, CA Member No.: 7,014 |
I typically go with realistic. However, the level of combat challenge often isn't an issue with my group, as they abide by the philosophy of "if a shot isn't fired during a run, then you did it right". This may change as they have recently acquired a mortar. :-P But there you have it.
It also depends on the scope of the game. If a particular shadowrun group is regularly mowing down security guards and the security company is not meeting its contracts, that security company is quickly going to get canned and replaced by a stronger, more aggressive security company (i.e. Knight Errant), making the overall difficulty of future runs significantly harder. If there is a rash of Shadowruns against a particular company, that company might start to reallocate its "security assets" against physical incursions. Likewise, if there have been a lot of infiltrations recently, the level of corporate paranoia might increase (now using retinal scans instead of name badges). Note that any opposition can be challenging, given the right circumstances. If you are having trouble with runners greasing your security guards, use ambushes, flanking, and other tactics (a well-placed grenade can do wonders). If the opposition is too difficult, you can have the runners captured instead of killed (hey, the runners should know to run if they in over their heads... cutting and running is a time-honored shadowrun device). The runners also have to be sophisticated and professional enough to learn when to turn down a job (and when I plan my runs, I try to give them that option) if the heat is too much, or at least ask for more pay. Likewise, a Johnson/fixer isn't going to hand over a cakewalk run to a group of experienced shadowrunners... why pay more, when paying less to a newbie group would achieve the same results? |
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Feb 2 2005, 07:22 PM
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#4
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 108 Joined: 6-December 04 Member No.: 6,871 |
Agree. I have no problem having tanks and cyberzombies at a site if that is what sounds correct. If all the players are deckers and decide to drive up in a pinto waving AK-98s then :dead: |
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Feb 2 2005, 07:32 PM
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#5
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Genuine Artificial Intelligence Group: Members Posts: 4,019 Joined: 12-June 03 Member No.: 4,715 |
Of course, if the opposition is hopelessly overwhelming, the fixer should've found a better team, and the PCs probably wouldn't get offered the job in the first place.
And if the team is too good for the job, then they probably expect too much money, and the fixer should've found a cheaper team, and the PCs probably wouldn't get offered the job in the first place. So my runner teams do usually end up meeting resistance that is approximately appropriate to their ability, but that's because as they get better they build a reputation and start being offered more difficult and higher paying jobs. But as soon as they go outside a fixer or someone who knows their level of ability, or do something more independently character motivated, they're getting a response appropriate to the situation, character-abilities-be-damned. |
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Feb 2 2005, 07:37 PM
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#6
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,129 Joined: 11-June 03 From: Tir Tairngire Member No.: 4,712 |
Always realistic. Setting them to scale with my group just makes the run seem more DnD-ish.
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Feb 2 2005, 07:55 PM
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#7
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,756 Joined: 11-December 02 From: France Member No.: 3,723 |
Realistic as in "Realistically, no corp would spend half a million nuyen on implants for each security goon" or as in "Realistically, no corp would be stupid enough to rely on security goons who can't stop any newborn runner ?"
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Feb 2 2005, 07:58 PM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 108 Joined: 6-December 04 Member No.: 6,871 |
Both |
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Feb 2 2005, 08:16 PM
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#9
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,430 Joined: 10-January 05 From: Fort Worth, Texas Member No.: 6,957 |
I have to go with Moon-Hawk on this one. Generally speaking I like to have the opposition be a challenge for the team, at least on runs that they themselves didn't think up. This means that the enemies should be of a calibre to hurt the party. and that means sending the party somewhere that the defenses will be a challenge.
So I guess I would have voted "realistic but still a challenge." |
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Feb 2 2005, 10:50 PM
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#10
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Target Group: Members Posts: 71 Joined: 2-February 05 From: Greensboro, NC Member No.: 7,046 |
my gm would find a way to balance any run-- if the security amounted to a few boyscouts with pocket knives there would always be an extremely challenging puzzle or maze we had to figure out... it also cut down on min/maxed characters-- being seperated from your crew and trying to figure out how to shut off some deranged mages's trap with a 1 int was not going to go well for your character.
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Feb 2 2005, 11:47 PM
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#11
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Great, I'm a Dragon... Group: Retired Admins Posts: 6,699 Joined: 8-October 03 From: North Germany Member No.: 5,698 |
In the games i've played we usually found reasonable opportunity. Sometimes that had been hard to overcome, sometimes easy. But most of the time it had been fair fights. If both sides (GM as well as players) use cover etc. a fight can be very challenging, even if one side is "weaker".
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Feb 3 2005, 12:08 AM
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#12
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Creating a god with his own hands Group: Members Posts: 1,405 Joined: 30-September 02 From: 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:1 Member No.: 3,364 |
Gangers should be pitifully easy, but have quite a few tricks up thier sleeves when on own turf.
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Feb 3 2005, 12:20 AM
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#13
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
Depends on the gang. A fight against the Ancients or the Spikes would be a lot different to one against the local bully-boys.
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Feb 3 2005, 01:41 PM
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#14
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 230 Joined: 3-December 04 Member No.: 6,863 |
If the runds calls for low end security gruads with a taser then that is what it gets. On the same hand if you are trying to break into Fujicorp, be prepaired for heavy firepower, cyberd patrols and the such.
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Feb 3 2005, 02:20 PM
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#15
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Canon Companion Group: Members Posts: 8,021 Joined: 2-March 03 From: The Morgue, Singapore LTG Member No.: 4,187 |
It depends on the individual fixer or runner. Some fixers will try to get as much of a cut for themselves as possible, some runners only take runs that pay well. Some fixers go for overkill, more concerned with his stable coming home in one piece with the run completed than getting as much a cut as possible. Some very experienced runners will go for a 500 :nuyen: or do it pro bono.
I keep the opposition at the site fixed no matter how experienced the runners are. The only time I add to the opposition is when the run is somehow compromised. |
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Feb 3 2005, 02:48 PM
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#16
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 865 Joined: 31-December 03 From: Shadows of Britain Member No.: 5,944 |
I`m in the realistic regardless boat with so many others. :-)
That Shiawase compond that looks like nothing special and is located outta the way only has a small sec team. But they are enhanced and well trained because there is a reason Shiawase was keeping the facility looking low key. The big flashy building in the middle of down town..sure they have a HTR team and a steady Astral and Magic sec presence but most of the main sec team is Joe Av sec - guard, trained to be good in PR, loyal to the Corp and how to shoot a random intruder if they are trying to nick stuff....and thats about it. |
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