I see the term around, but I have no idea what it means.

What is (are?) NERPS?

EDIT: Well, that was fast. Thanks for the replies...now let's have fun with the topic! Let's have fun with NERPS! Post your ideas and speculations on what NERPS is/are!

Everything that you've ever wanted, but nothing that you'll ever need.

It kills great dragons, but only if you use it in the right place.

NERPS! For Breakfast!
NERPS! For Happiness
NERPS! Restores Hair Loss!
NERPS! for Comfort!
NERPS! Gets rid of pesky neighbors!
NERPS! Stops Chaffing!
NERPS! Gets you where you're going!
NERPS! Now 50% less Stress!
NERPS! Repairs chipped and damaged paint!
NERPS! Your new best friend!
NERPS! For all your needs!

NERPS doesn't stand for anything specific. There's a few theories, but nothing has ever been confirmed. The big one from the FASA days was "Nothing Ever Really Pleases Steve". Sometimes it was Scott. AFAIK, there was no particular Scott or Steve for this to refer to. There was also a series of fan rpoduced sourcebooks called "Net Enhancements for Roleplaying Shadowrun", but these came after NERPS, and were named for them, rather than the other way around.

THere is no single definition for NERPS, and there's not really any defined product. They're a sort of generic product that can do almost anything. It's a gag on the nature of advertisements, and the idea that in a dystopian cyberpunk future, you don't need to define the product you're selling, because the masses are so brainwashed, that they buy what you tell them to.

Shadowruns slowly gone away from this outlook a little, as the "Cyberpunk Future" from the late 80's that seemed so possible has now moved into it's place next to the "Retro Future" of flying cars and robot houses from the 50's. These days, NERPS is more just an in joke than anything else.

I was told it was something like "Non-Essential Role Playing _____". I forget what the "S" stands for in this acronym. System? Substance? Probably Substance.

That's a new one on me. Almost sounds like you're mixing NERPS and GURPS (Which is Generic Universal Role Playing System).

Honestly I think it was probably just a cool name at first and people came up with the meaning afterwards.

*EDIT*

I'm not so sure, I remember reading the same thing at one time as well Bull.

If the adage is true, I am NERPs.

On a more useful note, here [LINK] is a search of all the references to NERPs, there are dozens of these threads spread throughout the archives. Good luck hunting.

I know for a fact this topic has come up before, I posted a thread about it once. If I remember the answer I got was that A) NERPS is basically IC fluff, and B) Non Essential Role Playing Stuff.

That's it!

Through judicious use of the search engine I remembered that I learned that particular acronym for NERPS from Aaron.

NERPS is.

NERPS was.
NEPRS will be.

I believe Bull thoroughly covered it! But there's always my signature to click on!

Unfortunately, no one can be told what NERPS is. You have to see it for yourself.

ain't the answer for 'What is NERPS?' 42?

No, 42 is the answer to the ultimate question.

Pray to the Great Dunkelzahn for more NERPS!

It's NERPS or nuthin'!

Nerps is actually the 23rd flavor in Dr. Pepper.

"NERPS saved my life....Look inside specially marked packages for how!!!!!"

"Win a NERPS dream vacation in beautiful Lagos!!!!

<Charleton Heston>
NERPS are people!
NERPS are peeeople!
</Charleton Heston>

"Non-Essential Role Playing Substance/Service"...
I think I remember seeing it in the Illuminati Game prior to Shadowrun... btu I could be mistaken...

Fnord!

Exactly...

We usually roll with NERPS being a mildly tasty, insanely addictive, and 'mostly' harmless drug. It is completely legal to buy and sell NERPS, and its most common incarnation I am used to is a NERPS shake.

Oh, and... Vote NERPS 2012!!

Awesome... you got my Vote...

NERPS has been likened to the Shadowrun/Sixth World version of Aspirin. Most don't know what it is, how it does it's thing, but it works and is relatively inexpensive and available to the public.

So, expect a small conveinience-store bottle of NERPS in your friends medicine cabinet if you see it.

NEW! NERPS Chewables for kids! Because they need NERPS too!
NERPS Troll-Sized. For those EXTRA large pains.
NERPS for Orks. Because life is too short.
NERPS Thins. They slide down smoother.

NERPS! Yeah, there's an app for that.

I was digging through old net material based on mailing lists that I followed in college. Found a PDF called N.E.R.P.S. Lost and Found.

Nerps stands for Net Enhancements for Role-playing Shadowrun. It is a compilation of stuff contribited to the itribe listserve way back in 97. Adam was credited with proofreading, and interestingly enough "Book name thought up by David Buehrerdbuehrer@denver.carl.org"

All individual articles are copyright © 1994-1997 by their re-spective authors. This compilation is copyright © 1997 by Gurth.All rights reserved.

If anyone wants a copy of this I can send it to them. I am not sure if I have the other ones mentioned

http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/shadowrun/netbooks.html

It's an old blast from the past at the very least.

that's a backronym.* NERPS is the Alpha and Omega of Shadowrun. In the Beginning, there was NERPS.


jumping on the bandwagon:
NERPS is so much more than just a drug. NERPS is a brand. it's like Coca-Cola if Coca-Cola was Disney, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and Hershey's all rolled into one. NERPS cola? yeah we've got that. NERPS candy? yeah we got that too. NERPS is your kid's favorite TV show. NERPS is your uncle's favorite trideo station.

NERPS is Life itself.

NERPS! it's the secret ingredient in the Original Recipe.

NERPS! two great tastes that taste great together!*

*some ingredients may be carcinogenic

*(It may not in fact be a backronym - I'm 99% sure NERPS was on an ad in the SR1 BBB artwork though.)

I was told way back in the day that the 'S' stands for "stuff."

Although most recently I think it was "NeoNET Emergent and Resonant Phenomena Study" ...

NERPS, because you're worth it.

NERPS, she'll pretty much have to...

NERPS, apply directly to the forehead!
NERPS, apply directly to the forehead!
NERPS, apply directly to the forehead!

The trusted, total troll deterrent, NERPS!

Are you NERPSin'?

New Minotaur strength NERPS. NERPS, kills trogs dead!

NERPS, strong enough for a troll, gentle enough for a sissy elf girly-boy.

NERPS, a 20 year old running gag consisting mostly of advertising slogans.

Some explanations that have been given:
"Non Essential Role-Playing Stuff"
"Nothing Ever Really Pleases Steve" (maybe Steve Kenson, except that he was line dev for SR3 and NERPS existed before)
"Net Enhancement for Roleplaying Shadowrun" but these were named after NERPS, not the other way around.

I heard Humanis got no NERPS. Poor bastards...

All you need is NERPS.
We all know that the whole New NERPS thing was just a ploy to get us to miss the old NERPS.

I wish we had the old archives around to dig it up. The "Nothing Ever Really Pleases Steve" would definitely not apply since Steve wasn't even around when it kicked off. I will contact Gurth to try and get his take on it since that was in the document he put together. He has always been one of the most reliable sources of information from the glory days.

It's turned into a running joke now, but I am pretty certain that it didn't start that way.

It was some different Steve who was with FASA at the time.

Though some accounts list it as "Nothing Ever Really Pleases Scott".