Help - Search - Members - Calendar
Full Version: Revised/Reprinted SR3 books
Dumpshock Forums > Discussion > Shadowrun
Method

Hello! I am an old school SR player who has recently returned to the hobby. My collection includes every SR book prior to the fall of FASA, so I have original (i.e. first printing) versions of SR3, R3, MitS and what have you....

My question is this: How much do the Fanpro reprints differ from the older books I already own?

Are the differences great enough that I should purchase all new books? frown.gif Do any of them contain new material worth consideration? Does anyone have any experience with updating (or not updating) their collection?

I know, for example, that R3 Revised includes changes to the stats on a number of vehicles, and a lot more art work, but then again I own the RBB and R2 so I have most of the art work anyway. Should I buy R3R or just use the R3 I already own?

You get the drift. Any thoughts/comments?
mfb
the best way to determine this is to simply check the errata on the srrpg.com site. if the errata for a given book looks like it might come up frequently in your games, buy the new version (or, if you're a cheapskate, just print the errata out). if not, don't bother.
3278
I gotta say, Rigger Redux did nothing but piss me off. Not because it's somehow bad - it's bad in exactly the same ways Rigger 3 was - but because it's the book that should have been printed the first time around. ["We can't print pictures; that's a huge waste!"] That said, I'm just being a dickhole; having listened, one presumes, to their fans, FanPro has finally printed the book we asked for a couple of years ago. I think the images alone make the book worth buying, if only because it's a lot easier to find the Ares Dragon when you can just scan the pages for the pictures. [If that doesn't sell you, definitely, check out the books yourself to see if they're worth it: I don't find any of the textual changes worth the money, personally.]

Now that I'm done being [only a little bit] helpful, let me say: what the hell. The whole idea for SR3 was that finally, we'd have all the "stuff" in one book. Except that SR3 didn't have anything close to "all the 'stuff'" in it, so they had to reprint the rest of the core books. Hey, okay, that makes sense. But now we're however-many years down the road, and they have to make a reprinted reprint [what printing of R3 were we on before they printed RR, and why does RR rate a whole new book, and not just a "corrected printing?"] just to barely get all the info in. It took SOTA to get all the CorpSec material in [except it's not all in there]. How many bucks do they want us to shell out just so we can get back to the point where the core rules are caught up to exactly where they were six years ago?

Whew. Okay, I'm done. Please, don't let this thread turn into an SR2/SR3 discussion. Just read my rant, nod, and ignore me. It's just that I've had this on my chest since...oh, 1998.
mfb
yeah, fanpro should just print one big book that's got everything in it, and then never put out another book.
Method
QUOTE (mfb)
yeah, fanpro should just print one big book that's got everything in it, and then never put out another book.


Are you being sarcastic, mfb?
Steel Machine
Or conversely Fan Pro could have at the time simply said what was reality-That this was a new edition, and like every edition before it will entail the purchase of numerous add ons to be any real fun.

Yes you can buy the core book and play at that-but I think we all know what the reality of that is. Don't get me wrong-I'm glad they collect the errata, and make it available to me in both new corrected printings, and online at the official site so I don't have to fork out the cash for a whole new book if I don't want to-I do however buy as many books as I can to support my favorite game.

This goes back to an old issue-which is what were they selling when the game went into a third edition. Now they have done a pretty decent job of taking that direction and changing it for what I see as the better. (For instance I like books that add more to the big ideas of the game like DotSW and some of the new releases that are to come out look pretty happening...)

I personally found books like M&M difficult to swallow after being pampered with books like Shadowtech and Cybertech-but I also realize (Having heard Adam, and a few others mention this at times.) that selling a book to a niche market is not good for the game as a whole. And it is kind of a catch 22-(Over simplified generalization to follow)I mean add more content and anger Art people, add less and the content people get pissed. So how do the developers deal with it? Well the realistic soultion is to look at sales obviously and do what sells best.

The good news for people like me is that they are working towards finding what I see as a healthier balance-and thats cool.
Adam
The Rigger 3 situation was very simple. FASA said "We're closing. Hey, Shadowrun department, finish Rigger 3 so we can release it." The Shadowrun department said "Look, we can't do that. It's just not ready." Management said "Do it anyway."

So they did it.

A few years later, FanPro gets the chance to do the book right - or at least, better - and they get pissed on for FASA's actions.
3278
Clarification from IRC: I'm not angry at FanPro for doing it right. [Thanks, guys!] I'm angry at Rigger Redux for [mostly] being the book Rigger 3 should have been. Yeah, that's more than a little irrational. But I don't care very much about that, you know?
Grey
silly.gif
mfb
if there's any doubt, i'm probably being sarcastic.

the R3/R3 Revised situation is unfortunate, but i don't really see any real problem with it. it's not like anyone's being forced to buy it in order to gain access to the rules updates--they're posted for free on the website.

the BBB has everything you need to play the game of Shadowrun. it's got all the "stuff". everything beyond that is an optional expansion. yeah, SOTA had corpsec stuff in there--but it also had new metamagical techniques, a new magical dueling system, and a buttload of new milspec vehicles. that's quite a ways beyond "exactly where we were six years ago." let's also look at YotC, Threats 2, and DotSW, all of which introduced new material. i really don't see how FanPro is, in any way, merely updating old material. yes, they're also updating old optional and expanded material--but, like i said, everything you need to play the basic game is in the BBB.
3278
No one ever listens to me. BACK TO THE TOPIC, KNUCKLEHEADS! biggrin.gif
Wolfgang
I started playing Shadowrun with 3rd edition, and I bought all of the core books back when FASA was still around. I haven't yet purchased any of the revised versions, primarily because I've been broke since the tech industry tanked and I'd rather spend my money on the new stuff as it comes out. That being said, I recently got a new job that pays something like a real salary and I've been thinking I might replace some of my more hard worn books with the revised versions.

Sounds like R3r has the biggest changes, are there any others that have seen a lot of updates?


All that aside, I have to say that I really respect Fanpro for putting the errata online for download instead of forcing me to lay out the cash all over again. It makes me feel far more confident about shelling out for the new supplements as they come along.
mfb
your SR3 copy is probably the most out of date.
3278
Most of the revisions are, in my opinion, minor. The gist of the game is the same; most of the errataed revisions are, in my opinion, minor and unimportant changes to rules which are themselves of only marginal importance. Shadowrun is still Shadowrun. [From revision to revision, at least; from version to version I leave to the judgement of the reader.] On the other hand, it sure is nice to have new books; we have one of nearly every revision/reprinting of every book, as much because of wear and tear than actual revision.
Nikoli
I only have one beef with FanPro and Fast Forward games. I ordered a copy of the BBB, I receive said copy, a few days later, only to check the website and find the copy I received was 3 or 4 revisions out of date. That's unacceptable. If I buy from a website where I can't see what printing I'm getting, send me the newest, save the older stuff for those convention give-aways etc.
Method
Thank you all for your input. I think I might buy R3R and a new copy of the BBB and call it a day. After all, I have about half a dozen Fanpro releases to purchase before my collection will be complete once more.... muahahahahah..... vegm.gif
mfb
if i could trust Amazon to get my orders to me at all, much less within a reasonable time period, i might do the same. sigh.
Voran
I notice that guy selling M&M for 99 dollars on Amazon is still there nyahnyah.gif
3278
I'd like to say, I've spent a lot more time working with R3R recently, and I really encourage people to pick it up, even if they already have Rigger 3.
Lilt
Some problems from R3 (which remain in R3R) still haven't been corrected though. Such-as the fact that you can still install seats (Which can carry more than their load reduction), then remove aforementioned seats and free-up more load than it took to install them in the first place!
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.
Dumpshock Forums © 2001-2012