Hi.

My group didnt like the default ranged combat as Opposed Test (we found the possibility of dodging fire uneralistic), so we adopted the ranged combat as Success Test, as suggested in the SR4A "tweaking the rules" section.

By this rule, the success in a ranged combat is defined by a "distance threshold": 1, 2, 3 and 4 (for short, medium, long and extreme distances, respectively). Also the rule suggests that some situational modifiers should affect the threshold, not the dice pool (eg: cover, blind fire, etc.), but it doesnt specify exactly what situations are those.

So my question is: which situational modifier should affect thresholds, and which should affect the dice pool?

And what tips would the guys that already use/tested this alternative ranged combat system give me?

THanks!

Target moving factoring speed, target size and wide bursts.

Cover should be moved to a threshold modifier of +2 in my opinion. That makes it slightly more beneficial against shooters that don't have a significant chance to hit you out of cover, and feels right. Target moving should be a similar modifier, perhaps the same size for simplicity. Move visibility penalties to the threshold as well (add 1/3 their DP modifier).

I'd personally go with 0, 1, 3, 6 for range based thresholds. It should be easy to hit things close up and incredibly difficult to hit things further than your weapon is designed to. This gives Assault Rifles a 100m band around their intended range (300m) which is all at the same threshold.

Yeah, shooting a target dodging between cover at extreme range (without a scope) is difficult, but shouldn't it be difficult? The fact that it's possible in 2070 is just indicative of how insane the standards of normal SR4 are.


Losing wide bursts isn't actually all that significant really, in my opinion.

Thanks for the help.

Is it just my impression or is there a correlation between dice pool modifiers and threshold modifiers?

I mean, could we state that for each -3 pool modifier, we could swap it for a +1 threshold?

Yep. The expected number of hits is 1/3 for each dice, hence 3 dice are expected to equate to 1 hit. A -3 DP modifier is, therefore, broadly equivalent to a +1 threshold.

Uh no and you shouldn't swap dicepool and threshold modifiers because the out come really depends on the size of your dicepool.
There is no equivalent as to how many dice represent a 1 higher threshold.
Keep those separate.