There are many different aspects of Shadow Run that allows for GM interpretation. Frankly, that's part of the awesomeness of the game. However, I'm curious to see how everyone else handles this particular aspect of our favorite RPG.

~ Contact Mechanics ~ The contact rules are pretty simple. We pretty much all agree with that. However, I have been running something through my head for the last few games. Why roll? If the goal of legwork is to propel the PCs into the next section of the game, then why chance the failure of that goal to dice rolls? I understand that we need a way illustrate your personal connections (I love it, personally), but the mechanical portion is what is giving me troubles.

I suppose you could argue that the roll doesn't NECESSARILY stop forward progression since you could design fall-backs into the adventure
(ie. PC doesn't roll high enough on conn. His contact could take an extra hour to find someone that DOES know, or you could just provide the information in another media like the Matrix where they DID roll high enough), but, if this is the case, why roll at all?!?! If success propels things forward and failure complicates advancement, unless you DESIRE that slow down, why not just provide the information via whichever contact was most appropriate? It's not like we don't have advance knowledge of what contact resources the PCs have.

What's your take on all of this?
Do you make the PCs roll each relevant contact until they succeed?
Do you make rolls FOR the PCs to foster RP?
Do you have a simplified contact rolling system you want to share?

I want to reward the PCs for having various contacts, but I don't want to have a prime RP moment descend into more pointless (and possibly problematic) dice rolling.

Rather than having the minimal result be not knowing anything you can always assume a contact with story critical information would produce results running from just enough to keep things moving (could be hard info or a lead to someone/somewhere else that the PCs can try again) to very useful+possible bonus info.

Overall, I tend to wing it. Sometimes I rely heavily on rolling, especially if the RP aspect is not useful or it is a little used contact that I don't feel like fleshing out at the time. Other times, I'll decide what the contact knows (sometimes before play) based on their place in the 'universe' and RP it out without any dice.

I never use dice with contacts. unless the character wants to conn him or something, but how many players are trying to pull one over on their own contacts? anyway, I look at what they paid for this contact, both in loyalty and connectivity, and roleplay accordingly (with a little tilt here and there for story advancement or flair)

I loathe using die rolls where great gaming can be had, however there are times where speed is essentials-in that case I'll determine what sort of dice I'll use-how much they really know, who they can talk to with out raising too much attention or red flags, how skilled they are, how reliable they are.

If it is something where the character is trying to acquire something, then I make them roll as that helps determine how much they need to spend on the gear they are looking for. For tracking down info, unless they have a negative personality quality, I tend to opt for roleplay value over diceplay value.

Pretty much what Red-ROM said. If a player has an appropriate contact they get a cookie. As long as the character does right by the contact the contact will be there for them when it makes sense. Even loyalty 6 contacts are not going to do crazy stuff for a character. Your brother the soldier isn't going to get you a T-bird out of the motor pool "just because".

If a player comes up with a contact that you can't ever see how it will work you shouldn't let them take it without understanding this, and/or change it into something that makes sense for the game.