As long as we've got threads describing what needs to be fixed for a theoretical Shadowrun 6, let's have one celebrating what has been done well in the current edition.

I've not played the newest edition, so I'm not sure where to start. So to those of you who have played 5th: what did they do right? What should be kept or built on?

And please try to keep the discussion of issues in those threads.

honestly, most of 5e is reasonably good imo. there are some really dumb mistakes they made (like removing every strength that technomancers had, but leaving them with all of their old weaknesses) and there are things that i have a burning hatred for (like stupid wireless bonuses), but as far as the system goes, it isn't bad. except for vehicle rules, but i don't think i've ever seen a pen and paper game really handle vehicle combat combined with regular person combat very effectively, so that's par for the course really.

I like how they made magic spells a lot more reasonable, as you resist with two attributes now and thus have a fair chance to fight against the mage's spellcasting ability.

Bye
Thanee

Hacking: I like the simplified ideas of marks, hacking always need to be dumbed down to grab new comers and that was step on the right direction......followed by 20 steps backwards in the terms of implementation but at least there was that first step nonetheless.

Lesser power level: I like they scale back on the power level just to make PC not start as powerful.

Rules for magic traditions: I like them, they are a nice optional throwback to previous edition.

Decks: I love that decks are back and you can mod them.

Martial arts: I love systems with martial arts and while in this editions they are a hit and miss. I still like them.

SR5's main flaw is a massive editorial failure at the production level, compounded by the exodus of talent that left some decent contributors, but also some writers who have displayed a glaring lack of knowledge of both the game mechanics and the Shadowrun world's lore.

But there are still a lot of nifty little ideas in there - free points for contacts in addition to the ones for knowledge skills, mentor spirits having bonuses for both mages and adepts, qi foci for adepts, used cyberware as a grade of cyberware (one that has some viable uses), tightening up the wording on how Edge and Regeneration work, better fluff for social skills (the example of intimidation shows a more subtle effect, and another comment implies that social skill dice rolls are not typically rolled for when PC's are roleplaying with each other), better rules for cyberlimbs (giving them just Agility and Strength scores, losing the needless complication of giving them a Body rating too), etc.

That mostly sounds good, but weren't cyberlimbs the only body-improving cyberware that existed in 4th edition? Did they add something to replace that method of improving body in 5th?

bone lacing kinda did. other things filled in the gaps in augmenting body that bone lacing didn't fill (poison and disease resistance mostly).

in any event, it's better to have nothing to boost body than it is to have things that boost body as poorly as cyberlimbs did.

Well... cyberlimb Body does not help with those tests, were Body is really important (like toxins).

And other than that, they add plenty of survivability otherwise.

Four cyberlimb Sammies in SR5 are pretty tough to take down.

Bye
Thanee

...and decks are one part of the system where limits really work well. MARKs are way better than the vague user/security/admin classifications. Riggers are no longer just hackers with a drone fetish.

Other stuff off the top of my head:
-nerfing direct spells certainly was necessary, although the extent still is debatable
- Totems for adepts, finally
- Better costs for qualities instead of just increments of five
- Used cyber as a separate grade, no more "used Alpha" shenanigans
- The xD6 Initiative system...I hate how poorly it meshes with the dice mechanics used for everything else, but ultimately it just produces better results

The thing that I don't like about decks is how expensive they are. It would have been nice to have rules for home grown decks. Right now the best way to have a deck is to have a cyber one put in your skull or in a cyberleg with a lot armor for that leg. Otherwise, it's too expensive to leave to chance.

The red cover was nice.

As someone slowly getting back into shadowrun,how so?

Each cyberlimb adds a box to your physical condition monitor, and can have armor that adds to your overall armor rating.

there's also some pos Quals that enhance the User with Cyberlimbs (Seeker of Transcendency or Overclocking IIRC )
And you can Armor up yours Cyberlimbs.
if the cyberarms/legs Streetsam was valid in 4A its even more valid in 5th ed.

with a cybered Dance
Medicineman

IMO that's more of a general problem with 5th, you are essentially forced into a "class". But this thread was supposed to be about the good parts

OK, one thing that I like is that Matrix programs are pretty damn cheap. I figure that the Devs decided that you've spent enough for the deck that you didn't need to mortgage the other half of your soul for the programs.

I also liked how they cut down the number of things that can inflate your dice pool to stratospheric levels, and the program options from Unwired that made it so you could run a dozen programs at the same time. It also makes it a lot easier to keep track of what you're running.

Also I liked how they defined Agents and what they can do. No more "Can I get my agent to do this?"

The boatload of programs with five options each also were a pain on charsheets...

That's why I love Chummer and Chummer5. It allows me to buy those program option and upgrades to equipment, but collapse them down when I don't need to see them and open them up when I do.

Like I said before, I do like the idea of the new matrix, but I still think that Deckers should be allowed to put together their own decks... just makes more sense.

Also, it is possible to put together a "hacker in a can"... it just costs a whole hell of a lot more money.

As powerful of a deck you can afford and then add a rating 6 Agent. Expensive, but pretty decent.

But "get an unofficial program which can collapse those entries" can't really be the answer, and it does not even solve the issue of remembering what each option did. Hackers could get as many upgrades for their programs as a sam sticks on his favorite rifle, only that a hacker in 4th needed 10+ programs.
The new system of programs as pseudo-qualities and decks as a limit to your skills just works far better, even though I still dislike the matrix rules as a whole...


And speaking of hackers, could it be that CGL treats patches the same way they treat errata? Because I'm pretty sure that's what "patch ton systeme de merde" means

That's why I said I liked what SR 5 did with that. Also I liked how SR5 got rid of "I hacked it so I get it really cheap." I think they baked that into the new cost of software.

I would like it if you could upgrade Agents with different upgrades. My SR 4 character had an Agent with a rating 6 Virtual Person and Adapability rating 3 plugged in. I would like to think it would allow the Agent to be more... humanized.

Hell, I think that if decks were cheaper and/or able to be custom built by hackers, then anyone could have a "hacker in a can" and those parts of the Run could have everyone who has one be involved... kinda like a second character for the purposes of a Matrix run. I know If I ever do play SR 5, my mage character is going to save up some money so he can get a deck in his leg just so he can have an Agent protecting his gear.

The only thing I can honestly say I like about SR5 and think was well done was getting Deckers and cyberdecks back in circulation. They're a lot better for the setting and more interesting than a bunch of nerds hacking with their iPhones.

That actually sounds like a good campaign idea. A shadow market vendor starts selling these things, and it turns out they're pretty darn good. They're even priced affordably, but not suspiciously cheap. However, at night, they secretly phone home, providing full details on your team's actions (and identities), along with copies of any interesting paydata (and then erasing any records of its communication with "home base").