Yupp, that's right.

I am currently in the middle of organizing a little project that will bring the "old" Matrix back and incorporate the rules for decking, programming, cyber-combat, deck-construction, and all those wonderful little things into the - in my humble opinion - better SR4 rules.
Why? Because I dislike the new matrix and all this wireless drek, while liking the new rules - I want to have my deck. I want to "jack in". I don't want to play in a SciFi world, where apparently nobody talks anymore, because they are all talking over internal speakers all the time. I want Cyberpunk. I want DECKERS!

So I searched the internet, but I couldn't find anything - Guess I have to do it myself.
I am sure there's others out there. Maybe someone from this forum wants to help? If not, there might be someone, some time who thinks like me

So, if you are interested in this, drop me a line on this board. I am currently working on a webpage. The first steps are here. There's more to come, but right now I am more inclined to work on actual content, before I update anything online, although a "to do" list should pop up soon.


Oh and in case you are a fan of the new stuff - I don't really want to hear about it. Have fun with it, but please don't start a "But MAN! How can you NOT like it?!" post. Save yourself the time it takes to type your reply, because it's wasted! ;P

I miss the old decks as well. Wireless is good and all but it just doesn't feel SR to my personally. I miss my Deckers, and my Riggers. I miss them honestly being different guys all together.

Yeah, I'm trying to run an old school game in 2054.

I miss the deckers. The riggers, I let slide a little with much less expensive VCR.

I'd be interested in what you come up with.

That's what I was thinking about. Starting a Shadowrun game set back in the 50s and slowly moving it forward. I've still got pretty much all the old adventures laying around though all my old rule books went missing in one my moves. Though using 4th rules from the start would save the players from having to convert characters every so often (if they live that long).


Since the players are all looking to be guys completely new to SR I figured the best way to get them knowledgeable about the world's history and such (with out handing them a massive tome and saying read first) is to run those older adventures (Queen Euphoria and such).

Saying why are things so different, why has tech not stood still. It's like wondering why kids are'nt into disco in 1997. Nostalgia is great but time waits for no man, it's a new age out there and those old runners from 20 years ago have been left in the dust of there dustups. It's a new world with new runners in a new age.

Actually set up my 4th edition game this way, make all new characters and really have them look back on past teams as outdated and out of touch.

Now on the other hand starting the game back in 50's is a sweet idea, for newbies in particular. Replaying some old modules with them like Dragon Hunt,Harlequin,bottled demon,dream chipper and paradise lost. (some of my faves)

What did a kick ass cyberdeck cost in previous editions, and what will that same amount of money get in SR4?

Hint: A STOCK Fairlight Excalibur cost 1,500,000

Try this: SR4 allows a maximum 50 build points worth of startup gear, or 250,000

What kind of system could you build for 250,000 ?
What could you do with it ?

What does it take to build a UV Node, a Resonance Well, an AI? Can a shadowrunning team do this? How close will 1,500,000 get you?

Why wish for the past when the future offers even more possibilities?

NPC status, I think.

Anything happening with this?

I think that there is a very good case to be made for using a deck, even with all the wireless crap. I'd imagine that decks are dirt cheap, untraceable, and insanely disposable. It's kinda like placing a bomb threat from a pay-phone rather than your cell phone...

A comlink IS a deck, correct? Yeah, the prices have dropped on hardware in SR the way they have in RL. Now the best portable computer in the game with all the tweaked options is well under 100k.

I'm running my game also at 2050+. We kept moste matrix game mechanics, but had to do a few changes. Furthermore we had to to some adjustments

-Dropped Augmented Reality
-Dropped Signal
-Illegal Jackpoint access can be done thru a successfull Logic + Hardware (12, 1Minute) test.
-Cyberdecks (Commlinks) need a change. As we removed the Wifi Element, they consist now of following modules: Response, Firewall and System. I multiply Response cost by 4 times to reflect the rarity of the hardware technic used back in the day. The OS (Firewall and System) costs have been doubled.

Cyberdecks 2050+
Radio Shack PCD-100
-Response (1)
-Availability (4)
-Price (1,000 Nuyen)

Allegiance Alpha
-Response (2)
-Availability (4)
-Price (3,000 Nuyen)

Sony CTY-360
-Response (3)
-Availability (8 )
-Price (5,000 Nuyen)

Fuchi Cyber-6
-Response (4)
-Availability (10)
-Price (8,000 Nuyen)

Fuchi Cyber-7
-Response (5)
-Availability (12)
-Price (16,000 Nuyen)

Fairlight Excalibur
-Response (6)
-Availability (16)
-Price (32,000 Nuyen)

Since we dropped Signal and the whole idea of the Commlink, we had to reintroduce a few bits of gear again:
-BattleTac System (SR2: Fields of Fire)
-Subdermal Induction Pad (required if you want to run a Smartlinksystem)
-Tactical Communicationsystem (SR1/2: Street Samurai Catalogue)


There are more things we changed, but its getting late overhere.

Laters.