naga-nuyen
Sep 30 2010, 10:46 PM
Whichever Corp scooped up voodoo doughnut is the one I am working For! OmNom bacon goodness!
http://www.voodoodoughnut.com/
Wraith235
Oct 10 2010, 05:44 PM
been thinking about the extended tests thing .... Im fine with buying hits ... but I dont feel that we should be double penalize us by removing 1 die each time we make the test ....
cndblank
Oct 12 2010, 06:23 AM
QUOTE (Neurosis @ Sep 24 2010, 03:44 PM)

I think 10% of what they actually loot is better, Chance. Because it does not throw verisimilitude so utterly and completely out the window.
I offer my players a 10% option.
Basically there are fences available that specialize in making hot merchandise disappear and you won't have to worry about it coming back to haunt you.
Yeah they only pay 10%, but what every you fence with them will get scrubbed down, filed down, and more often than not broken down for spare parts, and scattered to the four winds.
They deal in bulk and all transactions are totally cash and carry with no records kept.
Most of the time my players like the hassle free nature and the peace of mind.
Neurosis
Oct 12 2010, 06:25 PM
Not having to calculate what (30% of 3750) -20% -20% -10% comes out to is definitely a good thing.
Bull
Oct 12 2010, 08:33 PM
For the record... The official Season 4 FAQ ruling will look something like this:
Anything stolen, hot, damaged, or something that you cannot legally own (Anything with an F (Forbidden) availability code) sells for 10%.
Anything you legally obtained (Starting gear counts as legally obtained for this purpose), which includes non R (restricted) or F (forbidden) availability items that you purchased through contacts, R (Restricted) items purchased with a valid, legal SIN and License, or items awarded to the players by COntacts and Factions as part of their Mission Payment can all be sold for 30%.
Again, no sell times or rolls are used to simplify the process. At the end of any adventure, mark off what you're selling and have the GM sign off on it.
Bull
Bull
Oct 12 2010, 08:33 PM
And to Clarify, that applies to Season 4 and up, for now Season 3's FAQ is still in effect. This will apply to SRM 04, the 2011 CMPs, and the Prime Missions.
Bull
LurkerOutThere
Oct 12 2010, 10:30 PM
QUOTE (Bull @ Oct 12 2010, 03:33 PM)

For the record... The official Season 4 FAQ ruling will look something like this:
Anything stolen, hot, damaged, or something that you cannot legally own (Anything with an F (Forbidden) availability code) sells for 10%.
Anything you legally obtained (Starting gear counts as legally obtained for this purpose), which includes non R (restricted) or F (forbidden) availability items that you purchased through contacts, R (Restricted) items purchased with a valid, legal SIN and License, or items awarded to the players by COntacts and Factions as part of their Mission Payment can all be sold for 30%.
Again, no sell times or rolls are used to simplify the process. At the end of any adventure, mark off what you're selling and have the GM sign off on it.
Bull
Bull this doesn't make a lot of sense, why would a legally aquired item be worth more to the black market? It's not like they check your license when you pawn it to the fixer.
Wasabi
Oct 13 2010, 12:05 AM
The SINner quality is pretty clear cut but the legal license part eludes me. How does one get a legal license?
KarmaInferno
Oct 13 2010, 06:14 AM
QUOTE (LurkerOutThere @ Oct 12 2010, 05:30 PM)

Bull this doesn't make a lot of sense, why would a legally aquired item be worth more to the black market? It's not like they check your license when you pawn it to the fixer.
Who says you're selling the legal stuff through a black market fixer?
Maybe you're just hocking on Ebay, via a fake SIN.
-k
LurkerOutThere
Oct 13 2010, 06:50 AM
If it's a fake sin it's not a legal transactions o it doesn't matter. This also has the potential to turn Sinner(which is a disadvantage) into an advantage. Not a huge one sure, but it does make it somewhat counter intuitive.
Chance359
Oct 13 2010, 07:21 AM
Rather than write up a new set of rules for the new season, we could use the rules in the core book. I understand that some feel that keeping runners money low is a good thing, but there are those of us who disagree.
Fringe
Oct 13 2010, 08:18 AM
QUOTE (Wasabi @ Oct 12 2010, 07:05 PM)

The SINner quality is pretty clear cut but the legal license part eludes me. How does one get a legal license?
Maybe "valid, legal SIN" should just be "valid SIN" with the caveat that you have a valid license for the item in question. It's all "legal" until someone finds out it's fake. Having to have a license means you're losing money for a lot of items anyway, since you wouldn't be able to sell the license itself and each license is tied to a specific item.
I see part of the purpose of this as being to prevent excessive downtime rolling at the end of an already cramped 4-hour con session...especially with those who loot everything that isn't nailed down and then want to spend an hour at the table fencing it all. Another part, I think, is to at least give some benefit to characters who get something they don't want as a Mission reward; it's at least some compensation for the "what's in the box" syndrome.
SaintHax
Oct 13 2010, 11:39 AM
QUOTE (Bull @ Oct 12 2010, 04:33 PM)

Again, no sell times or rolls are used to simplify the process. At the end of any adventure, mark off what you're selling and have the GM sign off on it.
Bull
Hey, when I roll a Face with lots of contacts and fences, can I simplify the part of the game I'm not good at... e.g. combat and simply say I beat all the bad guys and take 10% damage while doing so? That sure would save time; and I think all those rolls and combat options are very time consuming.
EDIT: Oh, I think hacking is very complex and time consuming-- can we circumvent the RAW on this also? I like the more simplified approach to SR4A that SRM is taking. We can probably fit 2 mods into a 4 hour slot if we can get rid of all the dice rolling.
Fringe
Oct 13 2010, 02:10 PM
An interesting point. Although SRM 4 seems to be set already, perhaps something to keep in mind for the future is just having the Face/Fence do the 'buying hits' program like all the other downtime activities.
The FAQ (and/or each Mission) could just say that stuff 'acquired' outside of the stated Mission reward cannot be kept and sells for no more than enough to compensate for Mission-related expenses. Place limits on those expenses to things like legwork and replacement of expendables actually used during that Mission.
But if the intent is to prevent people from looting the bodies, why not just prohibit it outright? It might be reasonable to assume, for instance, that a typical fence won't be interested in buying a half-dozen blood-soaked Horizon-issued sidearms. And while a helicopter might be worth more, it's also going to be quite a bit harder to fence. Others might argue that for such a big-ticket item the potential profit outweighs the risk, it's certainly a GM (or campaign) call. For Affiliate rewards, though, if the reward is worthless to you, is it really a reward? The Affiliate probably would be willing to exchange it for some cash or something of use in order to keep you in their pocket.
Caine Hazen
Oct 14 2010, 06:30 PM
Man you're all a whiney bunch. Sorry your face is all butthurt by getting some downtime rolls taken away... This is a "living campain" and since downtime has to be take into account, without actually having a babysitte for you, it was simplified for everyone. You'll get over it. The bo-hooing of the vocal minority on this site is so grating I can see why people might be turned off of learning the damn game at a Con. I figure that if we give you all a week hough, you'll find some new way to game the system anyway, so why cry? If the Missions just "don't do it for you" move on and quit ruining the good time for everyone else. Otherwise STFU and get back to enjoying a good Shadowrun.
suoq
Oct 14 2010, 08:03 PM
http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...mp;#entry629616QUOTE
1. Personal attacks, flaming, trolling, and baiting are prohibited.
Thank you.
Caine Hazen
Oct 14 2010, 08:53 PM
QUOTE (suoq @ Oct 14 2010, 03:03 PM)

QUOTE
Posting Guidelines:
While not hard and fast "rules", following these guidelines will help keep DSF tidy and flowing smoothly.
- Please do not try to do the job of the forum staff. If you have an issue that you would like to see addressed, PM a moderator and we will take a look at the situation.
indeed? You've become a Mod now? Wait, no, you haven't...
But I'm calling it like I see it... most of this whining doesn't help the forum, nor does it help develop Missions. Calling people out on their negtive behaviour and telling them how it effects something isn't much trolling or flaming though. More bitching and whining over a sense of entitlement will not help te game. The constructiv criticism has gone through the roper channels, decisions have been made, people who don't like it need to move onwith their lives for now
Chance359
Oct 14 2010, 11:18 PM
People dont like being told they are "whiny" when they continue to focus on what they see is a legitimate issue they feel is being ignored.
Oh and seeing that kind of heavy handed attitude drives people from the game.
Redjack
Oct 14 2010, 11:29 PM
1. Please use the "Report" button rather than acting as a moderator.
2. Personal attacks are a violation of the TOS. Impersonal attacks leveled by a writer and moderator from the official Shadowrun Forum at the "vocal minority on this site" fall within that category.
Play nice.
KarmaInferno
Oct 15 2010, 02:49 AM
QUOTE (SaintHax @ Oct 13 2010, 07:39 AM)

Hey, when I roll a Face with lots of contacts and fences, can I simplify the part of the game I'm not good at... e.g. combat and simply say I beat all the bad guys and take 10% damage while doing so? That sure would save time; and I think all those rolls and combat options are very time consuming.
EDIT: Oh, I think hacking is very complex and time consuming-- can we circumvent the RAW on this also? I like the more simplified approach to SR4A that SRM is taking. We can probably fit 2 mods into a 4 hour slot if we can get rid of all the dice rolling.
Your analogy is flawed.
Hacking and combat affects the success or failure of a mission. They definitely affect everyone at the table. They are an integral part of the game session.
Selling off gear affects only the player involved. It more or less is external to most missions, being a "downtime" activity. Having it be more involved or complex means eating up player and GM time, which can be precious especially at conventions or game days that have rigid time slot schedules.
If you were to have hacking or combat somehow occur in "downtime", sure, those should be abstracted to flat results too, for the same reason that selling gear is - it's a campaign structure necessity, not a game balance thing.
-k
Yerameyahu
Oct 15 2010, 02:51 AM
Looting and fencing are definitely the least Shadowrun parts of the game, and subject to video-game-like abuse of the Social system to boot. If the run is a gear-steal, that's one thing.
LurkerOutThere
Oct 15 2010, 04:27 AM
Actually by design hacking is not an essential part of Missions. It will never be required that to succeed at at a Mission that you have to hack a system. I can dig up Bull's post of same but I believe he plans on keeping it this way. Can it make life easier? Yes, a lot easier in some missions but then again so can having more money. The analogy is more accurate then i think you give it credit. If someone is looting gear, especially big ticket items like the aforementioned helicopter all the groups I've seen do split the profit. Even after the group split a fenced helicopter makes an appreciable dent on the bottom line or significantly increases the groups capabilities(after they have taken efforts to scrub it) if they keep it.
Whether people like it or play that way fencing gear and items is a part of the game. Improving and buying gear and increasing capabilities is also a part of the game. This game is at least at the surface about shooting people in the face for money.As such it's perfectly natural for people want to make more money. All that said i'm pretty comfortable with the 10% rate and the no looting 'ware rule. It means you can kit out the opposition without having to worry about how you've changed the runs pay factor.
@Cain: Your "I should shut the fuck up now" sensor needs some percussive maintenance. There's no other way I can think of to post it. By coming over here and thread shating you've accomplished no measurable good and believe it or not you are alienating people in a very real sense. You have a difference of opinion on how things should be played then Sainthax. (or just a difference in general) That's fine, both your styles are theoretically valid. He's no more "gaming the system" then any given combat monster. This is a game system we're talking about.
On the initial subject i've given it a lot of thought and my top two fixes would be:
No skill checks to raise skills.
Change the 4 to 1 buying rule to 3 to 1 or make the buying hits round up to account for the lost dice on extended tests. This keeps downtime activities simple while still allowing for people to use their skills and make their characters as they see fit. After all if people arn't meant to be improving their characters between runs we might as well not bother with a living campaign at all, or see if we can acquire rights to living Paranoia.

New mission, new clones!
Everything else is pretty much gravy, yes I'd like to see certain things in the magic section verbotten, especially things like control thoughts that has a mechanically sound duplicate, but I'm not hung up on it. People that are going to abuse the system are going to abuse the system. The writers and campaign staff (myself included) just need to makehave the tools so no one archetype runs roughshod over the
KarmaInferno
Oct 15 2010, 09:30 AM
I think you got hung up on the wording of my post and missed my point. (which really has nothing to do with how much Missions uses hacking in general.)
Hacking and combat = Happens during game play.
Selling loot = Downtime activity.
THAT is the reason for the fast and simple flat 10%. Everything else is secondary.
It's to minimize the time spent at the beginning or end of the slot on this kind of thing, because selling loot only benefits the players involved yet takes up the GM's time. Which either eats up play time, or cuts into the break between slots (or into the next slot for some conventions).
-k
Wasabi
Oct 15 2010, 10:52 AM
To say gear acquisition is a downtime activity doesn't do justice to how dependent SR characters are on their gear.
Hacking impacts a small percentage of the at-table time.
Combat impacts a larger percentage of the at-table time.
Short of being railroaded Shadowrun characters are usually so nerfed without their gear that gear acquisition/improvement is a big factor in how WELL they can hack, engage in combat, and can even impact social tests via Tailored Pheromones and other implants. The players desire for their power creep almost always shows in gear improvement.
I believe this focus on gear is why players care so much about 'loot', sellback percentages and swaying transactions via Face characters. Even if performed in downtime it affects the game as a whole.
The difficulty in downtime actions is a separate issue. I believe a 3:1 with a diminishing dicepool is reasonable OR that a 4:1 with no diminishing dicepool is reasonable. If both are to remain in effect then tests like skill training need to be removed and just allowed to happen using a set amount of lifestyle.
Chance359
Oct 15 2010, 11:04 AM
how about this:
Contacts with a connection rating 1 or 2 will only handle regular gear
3 or 4 will handle restricted gear
5 or 6 will handle forbidden gear.
This might make contacts worth having again.
Yerameyahu
Oct 15 2010, 02:26 PM
Selling loot isn't gear acquisition. It's extra-mission-reward acquisition. Buying gear isn't subject to the 10% looting rule.
Caine Hazen
Oct 15 2010, 04:35 PM
KarmaInferno and Yerameyahu seem to get it. Feel welcome to my table anytime I happen to run Missions guys.
I think Bull made a huge mistake even giving you all a preview without just dropping the whole FAQ on you. Its been vetted and pretty much approved, they're just working the last of the niggling details I think. Some will laugh, some will cry, but its what we'll use and bitch about ceaselessly. I think this is the tip of the iceburg however, there's plenty more that will stir up a storm when is finally approved and released.
Chance359
Oct 15 2010, 05:00 PM
Since the constant theme from the company seems to be "Shut up and pay", I've just stopped caring about how missions are run. I realize that my business will not be missed because I'm just a in the whiny minority so one more dissenting voice has been silenced.
Fringe
Oct 15 2010, 05:09 PM
QUOTE (Caine Hazen @ Oct 15 2010, 12:35 PM)

Its been vetted and pretty much approved, they're just working the last of the niggling details I think.
That's what I'd figured. My feedback was more for the far future...which means it'll be forgotten by then.

I look forward to seeing the final document. Not that I actually get to play all that much...
SaintHax
Oct 15 2010, 07:18 PM
QUOTE (Caine Hazen @ Oct 15 2010, 12:35 PM)

KarmaInferno and Yerameyahu seem to get it. Feel welcome to my table anytime I happen to run Missions guys.
Obviously a matter of perspective.
The RAW requires a minimum skill and contact to sell loot. I don't play a Face, I play a Charisma 1 (now 2), no contact, no negotiations, combat character. The fact is I saved points and karma not acquiring the skills to let me do social actions, and SRM is going to let me do them anyway. This is as unfair to the Face as it would be to me if they allowed him to circumvent the combat rules. By the rules, my character would never be able to fence loot.
To expand, I have just as many contacts as the Charisma 12 Elven mage in our group that's played the same adventures as me. This makes no sense at all. In addition, you, Bull, and others have taken the system we are endorsing, and then determining which rules (not marked optional) are trivial and not needed. I think this is also insulting to the company and writers of those rules.
Yerameyahu
Oct 15 2010, 07:46 PM
You're overstating things. No matter how ugly and stupid, if you go to the fixer, he could give you 10%. In fact, he's not likely to give you vastly more just because you're pretty. *shrug* It is very odd that you're a shadowrunner who doesn't know a single fixer.
KarmaInferno
Oct 15 2010, 07:46 PM
QUOTE (Wasabi @ Oct 15 2010, 05:52 AM)

To say gear acquisition is a downtime activity doesn't do justice to how dependent SR characters are on their gear.
Whether or not this is true, it is completely irrelevant to my post.
QUOTE (Wasabi @ Oct 15 2010, 05:52 AM)

Hacking impacts a small percentage of the at-table time.
Irrelevant. It's still part of the mission.
QUOTE (Wasabi @ Oct 15 2010, 05:52 AM)

Combat impacts a larger percentage of the at-table time.
Irrelevant. It's still part of the mission.
Selling loot is not part of the mission. It is downtime. In fact, it can even be done at a LATER game. I can play a game where I get a piece of gear. Six real world months later, I go play another SRM game and sell that gear there.
So there's no WAY that it is a part of any mission. Therefore, it is downtime activity.
Not that I did not say that selling gear was unimportant in any way. I am not addressing that point at all. But even if it is important, that does not make it anything but downtime activity.
QUOTE (Wasabi @ Oct 15 2010, 05:52 AM)

Short of being railroaded Shadowrun characters are usually so nerfed without their gear that gear acquisition/improvement is a big factor in how WELL they can hack, engage in combat, and can even impact social tests via Tailored Pheromones and other implants. The players desire for their power creep almost always shows in gear improvement.
I believe this focus on gear is why players care so much about 'loot', sellback percentages and swaying transactions via Face characters. Even if performed in downtime it affects the game as a whole.
The difficulty in downtime actions is a separate issue. I believe a 3:1 with a diminishing dicepool is reasonable OR that a 4:1 with no diminishing dicepool is reasonable. If both are to remain in effect then tests like skill training need to be removed and just allowed to happen using a set amount of lifestyle.
Your arguments, while logical, do not address at all the problem that the 10% rule is designed to fix.
The 10% rule has nothing to do with fairness or game balance.
It is entirely a construct to deal with the convention slot time restrictions inherent to Living style campaigns.
If you can suggest a system to allow the dice rolling that will NOT occupy a GM's time more than a flat result, please do so.
-k
Caine Hazen
Oct 15 2010, 09:38 PM
QUOTE (SaintHax @ Oct 15 2010, 02:18 PM)

In addition, you, Bull, and others have taken the system we are endorsing, and then determining which rules (not marked optional) are trivial and not needed. I think this is also insulting to the company and writers of those rules.
You know this is all vetted and checked by the line dveloper right? Meaning that it is company approved? Which is why the adventues are sold with the Catalyst logo on them. Missions is no longer a fly-by-night fan run thing. You know all this right? Then why make a statement like that?
Neurosis
Oct 15 2010, 10:07 PM
QUOTE (KarmaInferno @ Oct 14 2010, 09:49 PM)

QUOTE
Hey, when I roll a Face with lots of contacts and fences, can I simplify the part of the game I'm not good at... e.g. combat and simply say I beat all the bad guys and take 10% damage while doing so? That sure would save time; and I think all those rolls and combat options are very time consuming.
EDIT: Oh, I think hacking is very complex and time consuming-- can we circumvent the RAW on this also? I like the more simplified approach to SR4A that SRM is taking. We can probably fit 2 mods into a 4 hour slot if we can get rid of all the dice rolling.
Your analogy is flawed.
Hacking and combat affects the success or failure of a mission. They definitely affect everyone at the table. They are an integral part of the game session.
Selling off gear affects only the player involved. It more or less is external to most missions, being a "downtime" activity. Having it be more involved or complex means eating up player and GM time, which can be precious especially at conventions or game days that have rigid time slot schedules.
If you were to have hacking or combat somehow occur in "downtime", sure, those should be abstracted to flat results too, for the same reason that selling gear is - it's a campaign structure necessity, not a game balance thing.
-k
Now hold on a second, k. The truth is, fencing really does effect the whole team and their chance of success. Everyone on the team should be doing all transactions through the Face--that is part of what makes being the Face important, and the Face can even charge the other players commission or a vig. If everyone can just sell stuff for 10% (that's the floor and that's the ceiling) then that shits in the Face's cheerios.
If you remove fencing, you save time but you prevent the face from contributing to the team's success. It is akin to choosing to just abstract hacking or combat.
QUOTE
The RAW requires a minimum skill and contact to sell loot. I don't play a Face, I play a Charisma 1 (now 2), no contact, no negotiations, combat character. The fact is I saved points and karma not acquiring the skills to let me do social actions, and SRM is going to let me do them anyway. This is as unfair to the Face as it would be to me if they allowed him to circumvent the combat rules. By the rules, my character would never be able to fence loot.
To expand, I have just as many contacts as the Charisma 12 Elven mage in our group that's played the same adventures as me.
SaintHax has a point, and that point is that there is a strong disincentive to play a social specialist in Missions. You get a chunk of your resources taken away and your role reduced by the exclusion of contacts and fencing. In terms of effect (not intent) it is like saying "okay guys, no assault rifles or heavy pistols".
QUOTE
Your arguments, while logical, do not address at all the problem that the 10% rule is designed to fix.
The 10% rule has nothing to do with fairness or game balance.
It is entirely a construct to deal with the convention slot time restrictions inherent to Living style campaigns.
If you can suggest a system to allow the dice rolling that will NOT occupy a GM's time more than a flat result, please do so.
This is hard to argue with. But I have a suggestion. If anyone from Missions actually took note of it, I would jump for joy. Well, unless they stepped in to say how retarded it was. Then I would cry like an infant. Here goes:
Hot loot is fenced for Negotiation x 5% (minimum 5%). 1. Charisma is obviously not underpowered. It can be used during the mission. So can Negotiation...but not as much as other Social skills. In any case, that's why Charisma has no effect on how much you fence for in this case.
2. No dice rolling.
3. Faces get to fence loot more efficiently.
4. Faces get to contribute something more to the team. And may charge them for it.
5. No dice rolling. No downtime inflation. No GM time issues.
6. Allows for use of Contacts to fence. They use their Negotiation...and charge a percentage.
Now on the outliers, this gets a little strange, but it only allows a character with Negotiation 7 to eke out a lousy extra 5% beyond RAW, and considering how many valid character options you'd be wasting to get Negotiation 7...yeah. (I'm ignoring wonky things like 'Improved Ability: Negotiation'. You could cap at 40%. Hell, you could cap at 30% if you really wanted to.).
Disadvantages:
15% is harder to calculate than 10%.
Note that this doesn't 'break' Negotiation as a skill. It's still going to be less important, than, say, just as a for-instance,
every combat skill.
RobertB
Oct 18 2010, 02:32 PM
QUOTE (Caine Hazen @ Oct 15 2010, 11:35 AM)

KarmaInferno and Yerameyahu seem to get it. Feel welcome to my table anytime I happen to run Missions guys.
I think Bull made a huge mistake even giving you all a preview without just dropping the whole FAQ on you. Its been vetted and pretty much approved, they're just working the last of the niggling details I think. Some will laugh, some will cry, but its what we'll use and bitch about ceaselessly. I think this is the tip of the iceburg however, there's plenty more that will stir up a storm when is finally approved and released.
So, to paraphrase, "We really weren't interested in any of your input on the perceived shortcomings of the system. We've got it all worked out. No, don't worry about the fact that we're on our fifth campaign organizer in 6 years. Kthx."
Next time, don't even bother with posting "suggestions" threads. Just release the changes to the FAQ, and damn the torpedoes. It would be a lot more honest.
Robert (aka Spanner)
SaintHax
Oct 18 2010, 02:33 PM
QUOTE (Yerameyahu @ Oct 15 2010, 03:46 PM)

You're overstating things. No matter how ugly and stupid, if you go to the fixer, he could give you 10%. In fact, he's not likely to give you vastly more just because you're pretty. *shrug* It is very odd that you're a shadowrunner who doesn't know a single fixer.

You are clever there at the end, but overlooked the fact that what you stated isn't what's done. I'd be happy to include a system where everyone CAN fence for a flat 10% through their fixer, or have the option for the 30% through their contacts using the rules written on pg. 312.

QUOTE (KarmaInferno @ Oct 15 2010, 03:46 PM)

Selling loot is not part of the mission. It is downtime. In fact, it can even be done at a LATER game. I can play a game where I get a piece of gear. Six real world months later, I go play another SRM game and sell that gear there.
...
Your arguments, while logical, do not address at all the problem that the 10% rule is designed to fix. ... It is entirely a construct to deal with the convention slot time restrictions inherent to Living style campaigns. If you can suggest a system to allow the dice rolling that will NOT occupy a GM's time more than a flat result, please do so.
(edited for length)
First part of your argument can be disputed by replacing all occurences of "mission" with "game". We do play this as a game, not just as a mission. Note that we do not spend karma as part of the mission, yet it's a major appeal of the SRM campaign.
The second part I find more valid, and I believe on page one or two we suggested requiring fencing to be done at the end of adventures if there was time. As you pointed out, it can be done at a "LATER game,". This coupled with the option in my reply Yerameyahu seems like a fair way to do this all around.
Yerameyahu
Oct 18 2010, 03:24 PM
If you're fencing through a contact, that's a fixer. If you're fencing through a fixer, that's a contact. I meant that it's kinda impossible that you don't have a single contact, and still function as a shadowrunner.
Caine Hazen
Oct 18 2010, 03:35 PM
QUOTE (SaintHax @ Oct 18 2010, 09:33 AM)

You are clever there at the end, but overlooked the fact that what you stated isn't what's done. I'd be happy to include a system where everyone CAN fence for a flat 10% through their fixer, or have the option for the 30% through their contacts using the rules written on pg. 312.

Which in turn, shows that using a contact is handled on p.287, which the contact subtracts 5% for every point they have in connction rating. So your uberFixer has a connection of 5, menaing you sold the item for 5% of its value, insted of 30%. This is what you're angling for now?
It breaks down really really simple. The rule is 30% value, + or - factors that the GM determine. The roll that the Face gets just reduces that time tofind a buyer. So instead of having a system wherein the Con GM hs to make up all that shit on the fly; tosave time Bull gave us a system that allows you to do it all as downtime and have no worries.
And Spanner, did you ever take ito account that perhaps all of the input you guys gave on the forum may actually have been taken into consideration? Perhaps a majority of the info came direct from repors fromother Con goeres and GMs and that perhaps the disagreed with the assesments made here on the forums?
KarmaInferno
Oct 18 2010, 06:47 PM
QUOTE (SaintHax @ Oct 18 2010, 09:33 AM)

First part of your argument can be disputed by replacing all occurences of "mission" with "game". We do play this as a game, not just as a mission. Note that we do not spend karma as part of the mission, yet it's a major appeal of the SRM campaign.
The second part I find more valid, and I believe on page one or two we suggested requiring fencing to be done at the end of adventures if there was time. As you pointed out, it can be done at a "LATER game,". This coupled with the option in my reply Yerameyahu seems like a fair way to do this all around.
There's no "first part" or "second part". They are both functions of the same argument. They both relate to the time impact of the loot fencing.
Here's the crux of what I was saying:
You cannot take a combat or hacking roll from one game session and decide to do it at at a different game session at a convention six months later. It is integral to that particular game session, MUST be done at that table and is therefore "in-game".
A loot fencing activity CAN in contrast be done at a later session, so it's effectively "out of game", or a downtime activity.
In-game activities must by nature be played out. They affect the success or failure of a mission.
Individual downtime activities should certainly be doable, but their degree of success has little or no impact on the success of any given mission. They also primarily only affect an individual player rather than the whole table.
As such the intent of the 10% rule is to minimize the impact one player's loot fencing has on the time of GM and the other players.
Even in cases of "group loot", a flat percentage is faster and simpler than calculating every modifier out and rolling skills.
With the 10% rule, a GM merely has to glance over the sales notation before he signs the mission log. No dice rolls, no figuring out modifiers. Just two seconds to look at one box on the sheet.
Again, this has nothing to do with "fairness". It is an artifact of the convention-based campaign.
If your system has the same time impact as this, great. Does it?
-k
KarmaInferno
Oct 18 2010, 06:51 PM
QUOTE (Caine Hazen @ Oct 18 2010, 10:35 AM)

And Spanner, did you ever take ito account that perhaps all of the input you guys gave on the forum may actually have been taken into consideration? Perhaps a majority of the info came direct from repors fromother Con goeres and GMs and that perhaps the disagreed with the assesments made here on the forums?
Yeah, Bull takes a very personal interest in the opinions and comments of the player base.
I don't get how people think he's making decisions in some ivory tower.
Is it because he hasn't personally come to each and every person who has presented an idea, shaken their hand, and told them, "Thanks for the feedback! I will consider it carefully!"?
-k
SaintHax
Oct 18 2010, 08:23 PM
QUOTE (Caine Hazen @ Oct 18 2010, 11:35 AM)

Which in turn, shows that using a contact is handled on p.287, which the contact subtracts 5% for every point they have in connction rating. So your uberFixer has a connection of 5, menaing you sold the item for 5% of its value, insted of 30%. This is what you're angling for now?
There is a serious math issue on the fourms currently: a 25% finder fee on the price of the item. If you sell a 100 nuyen item at 30% cost, and pay a 25% finders fee, you net get 22.5 nuyen from the sell-- not 5%. The fixer get's 25% of what you get. Seriously, this is how it works, I'm 100% positive.
Regardless, you quoted a piece of my post, but disregarded my actual suggestion. I stated that 10% for those that have to use a Fixer (or swag rule) made sense, but allow a person that actually has the skills to do it themselves to use the rules in the rule book... when... time... permits.
QUOTE (Caine Hazen @ Oct 18 2010, 11:35 AM)

And Spanner, did you ever take ito account that perhaps all of the input you guys gave on the forum may actually have been taken into consideration?
No idea who Spanner is, nor do I remember who suggested anything to which you refer.
QUOTE (KarmaInferno @ Oct 18 2010, 02:47 PM)

Individual downtime activities should certainly be doable, but their degree of success has little or no impact on the success of any given mission. They also primarily only affect an individual player rather than the whole table.
...
If your system has the same time impact as this, great. Does it?
Stating that you'd only be able to use the RAW for fencing if time permited... yes it does. However, it's only fair to point out that you missed my point, or chose to not reference it: we are not playing this solely as a mission. And I challenge you to state that spending karma (a downtime activity) has little effect on the success of future missions. We play this not for a part, but for the whole of the game. If we just wanted a "mission", we could play a one shot with pre-gens.
QUOTE (KarmaInferno @ Oct 18 2010, 02:51 PM)

I don't get how people think he's making decisions in some ivory tower.
I dont' think that anyone thinks that any of the directors of SRM does this. However, when a rule that is in the book is changed, there is going to be some controversy about it.
Bull
Oct 19 2010, 02:58 AM
Ok guys, please, lets not argue. Everyone has opinions. Everyone has reasons for these opinions. Most folks reason are good ones. But not everyone's opinions or reasons always agree with each other.
Here's the deal, from my end...
1) Missions takes up a crazy amount of time, especially since I barely get paid.
I'll be upfront and honest. I get $50 per published adventure. That's it. All the time I spend writing up documents for the writers, the FAQ, in meetings, writing up ICAs for contracts, doing development work with the writers, meetings, generating art notes, giving feedback on the art and maps, all of that good stuff? That all amounts to $50 per published adventure. I spent 6 hours today doing emails and the like, and on average I spent about 20 hours a week, probably more, working on this stuff. Our schedule for 2011 calls for at least 24 adventures. If we stick to our schedule for 2010, I'll have personally worked on and gotten released (CMPs are considered released when they hit the convention circles) 15 adventures. In theory, it works out to about 2 a month, though the CMPs muck that up a lot because they're worked on in batches.
The point of the above is that I'm not doing this for the money. I'm doing this because I love Shadowrun, and because I want to make Shadowrun and Shadowrun Missions be the best that it can. And everything I do, I do because I very strongly believe it will be for the betterment of the game, and to increase the enjoyment levels of all the players as a whole.
2) I have a lot of venues for input.
There are three public venues online: Here, the official forums, and Facebook. Besides the public postings, I get several PMs from all three each week as well from folks.
I get emails through the Missions Coordinator email address.
I read and discuss things on the CDT Agent forums with Demo Team Agents.
I frequently discuss things with members of the Missions Freelance team as well as the general Shadowrun Freelance pool.
I spent a LOT of time this year talking with players at Origins and Gen Con, especially those that aren't active on the message boards. Along with that, I talked quite a bit with Chuck and Kai about how the games went, and I asked the GMs who ran events to send me feedback on how they went and what comments the players had.
We also have a small pool of playtesters who run through the Missions, and I get some good feedback from them as well.
Trust me when I say, I take a LOT of feedback into account. Dumpshock is but one of many sources.
3) Nothing I do is in a Vacuum.
I have a lot of leeway with Missions, but at the end of the day everything I do goes through Jason Hardy. Almost every idea I have, and almost every document I generate (Such as the Promotion rules and the FAQ) goes through Jason Hardy, Brent Evans (Our Art Director) and Matt Heerdt (Our main Layout guys) first for comments, since they're all big Shadowrun fans. I meet weekly on Skype with Jason, Peter Michelenka (The eBook developer) and Mike "Southpaw" Miller (Demo Team Coordinator and the new Convention Support Manager) where I update them on everything we're doing and get both feedback and approval.
4) Shadowrun is a tricky beast.
Pure and simple, there is no "right way" to play Shadowrun. Every group has a different idea of how Shadowrun should be run. Hell, even in a single group you'll have several different ideas. With the Missions format, it makes things even trickier, but Shadowrun leaves a LOT of things up to the gamemaster to implement through roleplaying or simply through judgment calls. With a living campaign, you have to be very careful how much is left strictly up to the individual GM, because every GM is different.
Right now, I'm at the hardest part of my job, because with the new Season starting up, the decision was made to review and revamp everything, taking the experiences learned through 3 seasons and attempting to refine those experiences and clean up the rules we use for Missions to balance the game out as best as possible, and to try and increase everyone's fun level as much as possible. Everything that I commented on above goes toward this end.
It starts with me. I review and read and reread and re-review. I take all the feedback I get, and I distill it down. I not only look at the suggestions and comments and opinions, but where possible I look to see the reasons behind those. I've found that there are a lot of misconceptions about how things work, and a lot of misconceptions about why we do the things we do. That has to be taken into account as well.
From there, I work up a draft, writing up what I think we need to do, and most importantly why. Any time I tweak a rule, remove an optional rule, add in an optional rule, whatever, I note it and the reasoning for it.
This then goes to review by Jason and Company. It also goes out to the Missions freelancers, sometimes before (If I feel I need more input than I already have), sometimes after (Jason and I are both fallible and we miss things, so more eyes helps). Jason makes notes, sends it to me, and we bounce it back and forth a couple times.
There's a reason why a lot of this stuff isn't out yet, despite the fact we've been working on it and even talking about it since July. It's a long process, and we want to make sure we get it right, and do it the best way possible.
Everyone's input is important, and I think you for taking the time to give me that feedback. I rarely have the time to respond to everyone, so I hope you don't think that just because I don't respond personally to each post that I'm ignoring anyone. It's hard to find enough time to do everything that needs done, let alone what I want to do.
So thank you to everyone that's responded to my inquiries both here, elsewhere, and privately. Thank you for playing Missions. I hope that you'll continue to play in the future.
Steven "Bull" Ratkovich
KarmaInferno
Oct 19 2010, 03:15 AM
QUOTE (SaintHax @ Oct 18 2010, 03:23 PM)

Stating that you'd only be able to use the RAW for fencing if time permited... yes it does. However, it's only fair to point out that you missed my point, or chose to not reference it: we are not playing this solely as a mission. And I challenge you to state that spending karma (a downtime activity) has little effect on the success of future missions. We play this not for a part, but for the whole of the game. If we just wanted a "mission", we could play a one shot with pre-gens.
I only mentioned the in-game vs out-of-game to illustrate that in-game activities HAVE to be played out at a game session, whereas out-of-game downtime activities can be figured out at home between game sessions and simply added to a Mission Log for a GM to sign off on.
I do not address the potential impact of those downtime activities on future games because it is irrelevant to my point.
My point, and ONLY point, is about time.
ALL downtime activities need to be streamlined to not eat up too much slot time. That includes karma expenditures, loot fencing, purchasing, etc. All of it.
QUOTE (SaintHax @ Oct 18 2010, 03:23 PM)

I dont' think that anyone thinks that any of the directors of SRM does this. However, when a rule that is in the book is changed, there is going to be some controversy about it.
I've been involved with no less than a dozen convention-based "living" style campaigns. They all have one constant that regular home games do not have - the convention format. As such every single one has had to modify their "book" rules to account for the contraints of the convention format.
One of those constraints is time. It is a hard constraint and cannot be ignored.
-k
Neurosis
Oct 19 2010, 05:38 AM
QUOTE
Ok guys, please, lets not argue. Everyone has opinions. Everyone has reasons for these opinions. Most folks reason are good ones. But not everyone's opinions or reasons always agree with each other.
But this is Dumpshock. It is made of bickering even by internet standards. I've only been here a little while and even I can see that.
QUOTE
One of those constraints is time. It is a hard constraint and cannot be ignored.
QUOTE
If your system has the same time impact as this, great. Does it?
Trying not to get too bent out of shape that my post was overlooked...it's better than being flamed!
But what is wrong with the system that I provided at the end of my post at the top of this page? As the creator and GM of a long-running LARP, I have a fair bit of experience with creating diceless systems that can be 'resolved' in about a second, so I understand the time constraint concerns you're addressing. The system I posed has the same metagame 'time cost' as the 'Everyone Gets 10%' system, and gives the Face more to 'do' without creating more dice rolling. The biggest fault with it that I can see is that it is nothing like any other mechanics in SR, but then again, neither is 'Everyone gets 10% and that's that'.
SaintHax
Oct 19 2010, 05:05 PM
QUOTE (Neurosis @ Oct 19 2010, 01:38 AM)

But what is wrong with the system that I provided at the end of my post at the top of this page? ... The biggest fault with it that I can see is that it is nothing like any other mechanics in SR, but then again, neither is 'Everyone gets 10% and that's that'.
I skipped it b/c it is nothing like the SR4A mechanics. Despite the tension, I think this thread has proposed a good solution as a compromise-- though no one seems to agree on it.
1. Anyone can fence loot through their Fixer at 10%, using the swag rule. (no dice)
2. If you have enough skill you can sell it at the book listed 30% price.
2b. If we are not allowed to roll, and must be forced to use 4:1 buy and diminishing returns, then you'd need a (Char + Negotiation) pool of at least 10 to sell an item in 42 hours using your Negotiations.
This keeps the quick diceless action, but still gives the Face his bonus.
For those interested: a dp of 20-16 takes 18 hours, 15-13 takes 24 hours, dp 12 is 30 hours, 11 is 36 hours, and then 10 is still 42 hours.
Neurosis
Oct 20 2010, 07:56 PM
What qualifies as enough skill?
Redjack
Oct 20 2010, 08:00 PM
QUOTE (Neurosis @ Oct 20 2010, 01:56 PM)

What qualifies as enough skill?
QUOTE (SaintHax @ Oct 19 2010, 11:05 AM)

(Char + Negotiation) pool of at least 10
Wraith235
Oct 21 2010, 06:48 AM
I really dont see this as that hot button of an issue ..... but sure I'll weigh in
seems like a lot of ppl dont like the fencing rule .... ok fine ...
but its nothing but bickering on how to handle it
I have a suggestion from my years in other living campaigns
take the Value of all Items obtainable in the mission .... and give them a flat rate "Bonus" if you will based on the Sale price of the Items ...
THEN at the end of the mission give them the option to buy Item X for say ... 50% of the cost untill their next mission ....
I know my #'s are not accurate .... and hopefully this post will come off as more "the spirit of whats being said" Rather than" This is exactly what Im saying"
the issue at hand is .... not every group will have a face ... and sorry but I doubt that the face character wants to spend all of his downtime selling the groups loot when there may be things he wants to buy for himself and this is something I think that is being missed in this convo ...Faces are Charachters too
SaintHax
Oct 21 2010, 12:20 PM
QUOTE (Wraith235 @ Oct 21 2010, 02:48 AM)

take the Value of all Items obtainable in the mission .... and give them a flat rate "Bonus" if you will based on the Sale price of the Items ...
THEN at the end of the mission give them the option to buy Item X for say ... 50% of the cost untill their next mission ....
You are missing part of the problem: SRM is supposed to use SR4A rules, and the problem is that the loot rules are circumventing this. My latest proposal goes inline with the "quick, table time saving" aspect that is mandated, and the SRM 4:1 rule, but still allows almost all of the RAW to be used. I understand your intent, and this works better on big, hot ticket items. It sucks to have one awesome weapon found, and three characters that want it.
QUOTE (Wraith235 @ Oct 21 2010, 02:48 AM)

the issue at hand is .... not every group will have a face ... and sorry but I doubt that the face character wants to spend all of his downtime selling the groups loot when there may be things he wants to buy for himself and this is something I think that is being missed in this convo ...Faces are Charachters too
I agree, but that has nothing to do what we are talking about. No where are we stating that the Face has to fence your loot. We are talking about getting rid of an ad hoc rule that was introduced.
Neurosis
Oct 22 2010, 12:32 AM
SaintHax I must say I really dislike the "all or nothing" nature of your suggested patch. Negotiation + Charisma Dice Pool 4 is 10%, Negotiation + Charisma Dice Pool 9 is 10%, Negotiation + Charisma Dice Pool 10 is 30%, and Negotiation + Charisma Dice Pool 18 is still 30%?
It just doesn't seem right. When you turn it into a boolean there's a disturbing lack of granularity. I almost prefer "Everyone gets 10%" to "my face gets triple because he has one more die".
And it is ALSO nothing like the actual SR4 rules.
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