Since a few weeks, i have the honor of GMing again. Because it is a long time ago since the last time i did it, i see that mistakes are going to happen and due to the fact that i exclusively play magical characters, i refused to read the other books (augmentation, matrix-stuff etc.) up to now. So, in my last run (the one with the ghouls, some might remember) i did a little "handwaving" to speeden up NPC-actions like hacking etc. For me, it is only for the fluff. If i want the hacker to succeed, i let him, if i want to make it interesting, i roll some dice and tell them that the hacker begins to sweat. That´s the way i play, because i want to concentrate on the PC´s and the story. I also "donated" the runners with a quite good street-doc-contact that provided access to alpha-grade bioware (i told them in front, that they roam around for 2 months, just looking for the ware and the contact that puts the stuff in) but they complained, that it was too easy to get the upgrades. Like i explained, getting ware is just a thing of rolling dice (if you don´t want to play it out), so why putting so much focus on it? At some time, the runners already get what they want. But i admit, that i am sometimes very professionally blinkered...so please help me with your advice. How would you think about this? Do you handle it the same way? Or different?

One thing I learned from D&D - never pause gameplay to sort out a rule. Nothing kills a game than a table full of players yanking out the PHBs, BBBs or whatever, and arguing over a rule interpretation for an hour. Make a snap decision on the spot, for better or for worse, promise to check it at the end of the session and deal with it then. It may piss off the one player directly affected but thats the lesser evil to pissing off the entire table. I am a big believer in keeping the game going, flowing and most of all fun. If I have to occasionally ignore a rule or fudge the play to keep it fun, I will.

Another is to not stat out every NPC - just they key ones and the ones the PCs are likely to face in opposed tests. By opposed, I mean social situation or physical combat, matrix combat, spellcasting, etc.

- J.

I think one of your problems is that just because you consider something trivial (getting better cyberware) you assume the PCs are the same. You need to sit down and talk with your players, find out what goals they want to accomplish, and what things they don't care about. I've known characters that considered it a big deal, and a milestone for their character, to get access to alphaware. Sort of "You're a Shadowrunner, now" type thing.

The other thing is, handwaving can be useful, but not if the players know that's what's going on. It's a better idea to actually roll some dice, and use the result to generate something. You don't have to use the complete rules for hacking, but do a test, and then give the PCs a portion of the information based on the result. Sometimes it comes out a better game if the PCs are going in with less / more information than you originally planned.

If they complain about upgrades being too easy, remind them that alpha cen be had in character generation and beta is in most stores. only delta is hard to find. but not all that impossible anymore . . only problem is finding a clinic that can put it in.

I just overflew the rules and saw, that a standard-street-doc already gives access to alphaware. So i didn´t see the problem at all, as it flashed into my face. The thing i really wanted them to be happy about, is a serious connection that can be contacted if the shit hits the fan, but they even refused to work with him because they thought he is too competent and they hated his runner-protection-team because they were equal to the PC´s. Sometimes i don´t understand them.^^ I will have a quick talk with them before i make the next run.

When I don't know the rule, I first ask the players if they know it. If they don't and it could be solved by taking a look at a single book, I'll do it (or ask a player who's not busy or who's concerned by this to do it for me). If it's more complicated, we agree on some way to rule it (if we hesitate between something good for the PC and something bad for him, we roll 1D6 to choose which one we will use). The important thing is to make sure your or your players will look it up before the next session.

I don't like to run things 'the way I want them to happen'. I don't want to tell a story to my PC, I want to play a game with them, and I like it when the unexpected can happen. But that's just my personal taste.

As for the alphaware, I agree with PirateChef.

It can be quite difficult to anticipate what grabs your players attention. The big baddie you've spent all week on? *yawn* they kill him in the first round. The taxi cab driver that calls the star on them? PUBLIC ENEMY #1. The point is, throw your bits and pieces out there and see what your players nibble on, expand on what grabs them, and not on what grabs you so much. If the cabbie really irks them, bring it in more, rather than have your favorite baddie's even eviler twin/clone come back for revenge.

In the case of the street doc, it is odd that they are getting all hot and bothered over it, fine, make it more difficult. Kidnap the street doc. Maybe the pc's were the last ones seen in the clinic and now everyone's trying to pin to blame on them, maybe the doc's niece is a Miss J and needs some players to get Uncle Fixem back. You can make a whole adventure out of reclaiming the easily gained contact, and make them earn it (and, face it, a reward well earned is always better than charity).