Full Version: What SR Players Do
I have this theory that SR (and cyberpunk in general) appeals to a more educated audience. I have always found it fascinating to learn what SR players do for a living in RL. Here on these boards I’ve read comments from engineers, chemists, physicist, military personnel, law enforcement officers, gun smiths, doctors, martial artists... the list goes on and on.
Anyway I thought it would be interesting to hear what people do in RL and how that influences their characters (PCs and NPCs) and the themes in their games.
Personally, I do research in molecular biology and microbiology and I'm getting ready to start medical school so as a GM I tend to focus on creepy medical research (Renraku is my ol' standby) and interesting cyberware/bioware combos.
Anyone else?
I spent some time in the military (Loved It!) and now I'm an armed responder at a nuke plant who moonlights as a member of our adversary team.
I'm a high school student with a pencheant for computers and science in general. I've never touched a decker, for whatever reason.
I tend to focus on characters who can do something unusual, like an all-bioware sammy, a character with EVERY peice of sensory cyber, or a magician who uses Divination to produce incredibly effective military strategies.
I tend to focus on characters who can do something unusual, like an all-bioware sammy, a character with EVERY peice of sensory cyber, or a magician who uses Divination to produce incredibly effective military strategies.
College student, with diverse interests and a somewhat interesting and eventful history; mainly involving packing up and moving to other states frequently. You'd have to hear my accent to believe it.
I have a website. Which either indicates a certain madness or dedication, I'm not sure about intellect.
I have a website. Which either indicates a certain madness or dedication, I'm not sure about intellect.
Certainly an excellent ability in pattern recognition and memory.
Nothing special, I work in a casino as a Cashier/ Inspector/ Trainee Pitboss. Have interests in military theory and Maths.
Im unemployed at the moment and generally work in the retail sector.
I actually love science, history and art.
My character inspiraction comes from films and TV mainly.
I actually love science, history and art.
My character inspiraction comes from films and TV mainly.
I'm an admissions/financial aid officer. And a bit of an armchair commando. 
I'm a theatrical stagehand and sound designer, and I freelance doing computer programing related work. I'm also an actor when that kind of work comes (but it's rare).
JaronK
JaronK
I perform rudimentary supervisor duties and operate CNC lasers for a machine shop, a job that includes much pushing of buttons, turning of wrenches, and posting on Dumpshock.
I'm a college student (Computer Science major) working as a CAD operator for a plumbing/electrical/fire protection/code consulting firm. On the side I'm a writer and actor, run a few tiny web sites, dabble in martial arts, and fiddle with computers.
~J
~J
I'm also a college student (thats starting to sound broken recordish now) studying computer science, and work with a credit union as their "computer operator." Yes, that is my official title. Mainly, it consists of looking like I'm working as I finish my 5 hours of work in the first half hour, and then watching the clock until I can go home. Of course, dumpshock helps because people assume when you're typing, you must be working.
Oddly enough, like many other computer minded people, I don't touch deckers, but riggers.... well, thats another story.
Oddly enough, like many other computer minded people, I don't touch deckers, but riggers.... well, thats another story.
Would you believe I'm a materials engineer? I've mostly worked on military contracts, trying to vainly stop US military gear from rusting away.
I tend to play a merc-samurai-muscle thing, or (more recently) a decker.
My latest runs I GMd involved little in the way of materials and a lot in the way of creepy extra-planar runs that, as far as the mage PCs know, should not be possible.
I tend to play a merc-samurai-muscle thing, or (more recently) a decker.
My latest runs I GMd involved little in the way of materials and a lot in the way of creepy extra-planar runs that, as far as the mage PCs know, should not be possible.
| QUOTE (Tarantula) |
| Oddly enough, like many other computer minded people, I don't touch deckers, but riggers.... well, thats another story. |
Pity. I find I Decker it up regularly. Wonderful stuff, it is.
~J
Used to review state contracted providers of Child Mental Health services. Now I provide 1 to 1 support and service to a child with autism in his school setting.
No practical experience with firearms, martial arts or being Shadowrunnery in real life
I'd probably make a decent Face character tho. In certain circles.
No practical experience with firearms, martial arts or being Shadowrunnery in real life
I'd probably make a decent Face character tho. In certain circles.
Software engineer. I GM alot.
Professional school Student.
Helicopter pilot, soon aspiring towards fire-suppression. I majored in ancient Japanese history in college. Also a practioner of kyokushin karate, sambo, and ju jitsu for around 9 years or so. Strangely, none of my characters have had over a 4 in unarmed combat. Never rigged before either due to the GM not being overly fond of the rules for it. Mostly into the magic side of things, done some decking as well.
I'm a doorman at a college bar. Prior to that I was in the Marine Corps Infantry. Prior to that, I was an English major. Prior to that I was a high school drop out. Prior to that I was a kid, and prior to that I was a sperm, but I had big, big plans. Before that I either didn't exist or I was some sort of animal, like a goat. It really depends on who you ask.
I primarily run SR these days. I've played the game for over a decade, and I've never had a magical character. I've always wanted to play one, but its never come up. I tend to play sams, though that sometimes overlaps with riggers and techs.
I primarily run SR these days. I've played the game for over a decade, and I've never had a magical character. I've always wanted to play one, but its never come up. I tend to play sams, though that sometimes overlaps with riggers and techs.
Senior In high school, shooting for a degree in electrical engineering.
I enjoy decking and rigging, B&E specialist, and occasionally a shaman of various types.
I wish I could be marooned for a period of time on a lush, uninhabited tropical island with a solar-powered laptop and 2 shipping containers full of various usefull tools and materiels.
I enjoy decking and rigging, B&E specialist, and occasionally a shaman of various types.
I wish I could be marooned for a period of time on a lush, uninhabited tropical island with a solar-powered laptop and 2 shipping containers full of various usefull tools and materiels.
I used to be in the US Navy's Nuclear Propulsion Program. Then I had a spiritual awakening, and about six months ago got sent home. Now I'm an unemployed college student majoring in visual arts. I have to say, painting is a lot more fun than operating nuclear reactors, but it really doesn't pay as well.
I was in the Army, was a civil engineer and now? I'm an insurance salesman. 
I'm a 5th year collage student, year and a half to go. Studying Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly. Sell food on campus (sport games mostly) and run a roulette table for a local casino night company. Also make anime music videos and sword fight (Amtgard).
I'm the main GM for our group, but we like to switch it around a bit, so we do a new campaign every quarter or two. I'm a player this quarter, sometimes it's nice to let somebody else do the work.
Every once in a while I get to go on up north and game with my old GM in mountain view. Now those are some great runs.
Have a binder of about 60 characters, and they run the gambit of pretty much every archtype there is. Only about a dozen or so of them I'd actually use, but the rest are fun on occasion.
I'm the main GM for our group, but we like to switch it around a bit, so we do a new campaign every quarter or two. I'm a player this quarter, sometimes it's nice to let somebody else do the work.
Every once in a while I get to go on up north and game with my old GM in mountain view. Now those are some great runs.
Have a binder of about 60 characters, and they run the gambit of pretty much every archtype there is. Only about a dozen or so of them I'd actually use, but the rest are fun on occasion.
College student, Biology major, graduating in 4 days. Most of the research in which I've participated involves spatial modeling of plant species distributions, which doesnt really translate well into anything relevant to SR. *shrugs*
I usually GM, but am currently playing in an online game that has lasted longer than any other SR game in which I was involved that I didn't run (almost a year now).
I usually GM, but am currently playing in an online game that has lasted longer than any other SR game in which I was involved that I didn't run (almost a year now).
College student (Comp Sci, possibly minors in several language fields, maybe switch to a major in Culinary or sticking to Comp Sci and moving to Robotic Programming) and cashier/photolab operator at a pharmacy. I dabble in writing and am told I have a pretty good singing voice.
I tend to gun for the overly-violent gunbunnies that can soak far too much damage. That or just random ideas that pop into my head (which usually see play here than in real life games).
I tend to gun for the overly-violent gunbunnies that can soak far too much damage. That or just random ideas that pop into my head (which usually see play here than in real life games).
Wow - a lot of computer science majors...I get to throw a wrench in stereotypes
I'm a church organist, and an audio engineer. As a player I generally did mage types, with the occasional sam and one fatally unlucky rigger. As a GM I tend to run big meta-plot type games that range in subject from the underworld to insects to corp intrigue. The runners seem to be specializing in paladin rescues tho...and no, I tend to not run an overly religious game.
I'm a church organist, and an audio engineer. As a player I generally did mage types, with the occasional sam and one fatally unlucky rigger. As a GM I tend to run big meta-plot type games that range in subject from the underworld to insects to corp intrigue. The runners seem to be specializing in paladin rescues tho...and no, I tend to not run an overly religious game.
I'm a retired globe-trotter who has worked in all facets of the music industry. Other experiences are too numerous to mention ... or they're classified.
| QUOTE (Lafcadio) |
| Helicopter pilot, soon aspiring towards fire-suppression. |
What helo do you fly?
| QUOTE (Thistledown) |
| I'm a 5th year collage student, year and a half to go. Studying Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly. |
Hey dude, any room in your group? I'm in AG.
After years of loving computers and 5 semesters of Computer Science I'm finding increasingly that I like my communications minor more (I apparently picked the wrong hemisphere of my brain). If there were money in it, I'd major in History - there are so many amazing true stories that some of the made-up ones pale in comparison. I intend to someday walk that trail from California to Washington (it takes about 3 months from what I've heard).
I almost always play mages. I've also never tried a decker. As a GM, I try to make the runs individually interesting, and have yet to link a bunch of them together (I'm new at this, and the semester's ending so I didn't get to give them the rest of the ones from the series they started)
I almost always play mages. I've also never tried a decker. As a GM, I try to make the runs individually interesting, and have yet to link a bunch of them together (I'm new at this, and the semester's ending so I didn't get to give them the rest of the ones from the series they started)
I draw comics and sell RPGs to people, and try very hard not to play the same kind of character twice.
Experienced Software Developer (C, C++) with a Master's degree in Computer Science. Mostly I GM, and more than half the character's I've played have been Shamen and Shawomen. 
| QUOTE (grendel) |
| [/QUOTE] What helo do you fly? |
Of course the R22 beta and beta II, R44 raven and am looking jump to turbines like the A-star and other work-horses soon up in Alaska or down in Aruba for touring. A dual Huey or Cobra would be pretty slick as well, but time is tough and expensive in that arena.
college student , mainly studying history (chinese and japanese) picking up languages as i go , and wishing i could deck into the grad schools computers to speed up the admission process
im mainly GM, but if i can twist some arms i may get a break soon , I play alot of Npc runners to fill gaps in the group . I'm partial to street sams, "Face" type chracters, and mages.
im mainly GM, but if i can twist some arms i may get a break soon , I play alot of Npc runners to fill gaps in the group . I'm partial to street sams, "Face" type chracters, and mages.
IT for the local Police Department here permanently stationed in the Detention Center.
Hence my stong views on Law Enforcement and the treatment of SINless.
Hence my stong views on Law Enforcement and the treatment of SINless.
Full time draftsman/IT guru in an architectureal office while I'm getting my batchlors in Architecture.
I'm the fool who runs the games.... but I love riggers... not the rules mind you...
I'm the fool who runs the games.... but I love riggers... not the rules mind you...
Datawarehouse developer, specializing in online report development. Mostly play mages; sometimes sammies.
ex-army (hated it), doing tech support until i get back to college next fall. i play a lot of adepts; otaku and deckers are my second choice, though i've recently discovered the wonderful world of drone rigging. i've never successfully played a spellcaster of any type.
Part-time law school student and working full-time as a patent examiner at the Patent and Trademark Office with a Chemical Engineering background.
I mainly play phys ads, mages and sams. I will be GM'ing my first game soon. Wish me luck.
I mainly play phys ads, mages and sams. I will be GM'ing my first game soon. Wish me luck.
Radiochemical processor.
I'm pretty much just GM, but would play a sam or shaman if given the chance...
I'm pretty much just GM, but would play a sam or shaman if given the chance...
Linguist,
I am currently finishing my masters in Linguistics, and plan to go on to a PhD soon. I am interested in studying theory (Syntax and Semantics mainly) with a focus on Thai, Mandarin Chinese, Hmong and other Southeast Asian languages (Austro-Tai, Sino-Tibetan, and Hmong-Mien language families).
I pretty much GM, but occasionally I will play a character in other roleplaying games. But when it comes to Shadowrun I figure no one else can do it right except for me.
I am currently finishing my masters in Linguistics, and plan to go on to a PhD soon. I am interested in studying theory (Syntax and Semantics mainly) with a focus on Thai, Mandarin Chinese, Hmong and other Southeast Asian languages (Austro-Tai, Sino-Tibetan, and Hmong-Mien language families).
I pretty much GM, but occasionally I will play a character in other roleplaying games. But when it comes to Shadowrun I figure no one else can do it right except for me.
I was in the Air Force (Computer Programmer), then become a contractor for Lockheed Martin, where I am a systems integrator/engineer making things for the Department of Defense.
No degree, but a few college credits.
All this seems to have no relation what-so-ever to my SR style, as I've done everything from a no-cyber combatant to a 2 essence mage.
My favorite characters are either a Coyote shaman, or a decker.
No degree, but a few college credits.
All this seems to have no relation what-so-ever to my SR style, as I've done everything from a no-cyber combatant to a 2 essence mage.
My favorite characters are either a Coyote shaman, or a decker.
| QUOTE (Vera53) |
| I am interested in studying theory (Syntax and Semantics mainly) with a focus on Thai, Mandarin Chinese, Hmong and other Southeast Asian languages (Austro-Tai, Sino-Tibetan, and Hmong-Mien language families). |
Mandarin chinese but not cantonese chinese?
University student without any real interests in anything. I always GM, but if I got to play I'd want to play a Covert Ops Specialist/Combat B&E-person.
Ex-Army tanker, now a software project manager. Sidelining as an enthusiastic wrestling coach and a dabbler in various martial arts. I've usually GM'd for my group, not because I've got any talent for it, but only because no one else wanted to.
| QUOTE | ||
Mandarin chinese but not cantonese chinese? |
I am very interested in Cantonese too, but I have not taken any language courses in Cantonese. I started studying Mandarin, but at the time I met my to be wife who was Thai, so I switched to taking Thai classes. As a linguist, it is not necessary to be fluent in the languages that you are studying (although it really helps), but rather only a knowledge of the certain linguistic phenomenon you are studying.
I have done and read a few studies on Cantonese, but mainly in comparative work to Mandarin, Thai and other languages. Cantonese has some really interesting uses or functions for classifiers that have helped me better analyse classifiers in the above languages. Right now I am writting a thesis chapter about serial verbs (i.e. verb compounds) in Mandarin, Thai, Hmong, and maybe even Cantonese (if I find some good data, that is). So yeah I guess I have studied Cantonese, at least indirectly.
Suprisingly, this has very little to do with Shadowrun. But I guess my formal linguistics background explains why I like complex rule systems.
Vera53
Army photograpger/video specialist and my character tend to either be skill based "tech-support" or Combat intesive characters. I really liked playing the tech character in my last game, but everyone kept harping on him, so I played a different character for a few sessions, and everyone's like, "Where's Wiz?" How are we supposed to get through the door? Who's gonna fix the toaster? Who's got the AOD tracking bugs? So when he came back, everyone was cool to him.
| QUOTE (Vera53 @ Dec 15 2004, 04:26 PM) |
| Suprisingly, this has very little to do with Shadowrun. But I guess my formal linguistics background explains why I like complex rule systems. |
Unless you want to add flavour to the session.
I remember one session our characters were in HK, and two players (another guy and I) spoke cantonese. I started saying what the GM wanted to say in cantonese just for the humour sake and to drive home the point that the other characters did not really know cantonese. Though, thankfully for our characters, english is known by most of the inhabitants of the city (though level of skill varied).
edit: Made some grammatical mistakes that made the point of my statement confusing... it's still confusing though...
I'm a professional student nearing the end of his "employment" contract, and a technological freelancer. Right now I'm working in the software development group of the information services division of a local nonprofit of unusual size, but that's temporary and more of a stepping stone and an economic stability source than anything else.
I play all types, with a penchant for analytical/combatant types, such as infiltration specialists, detectives, bountyhunters, and other mercenaries. I prefer magic to technology, but I play a fair bit of mundanes and even more Awakened characters with augmentations.
I play all types, with a penchant for analytical/combatant types, such as infiltration specialists, detectives, bountyhunters, and other mercenaries. I prefer magic to technology, but I play a fair bit of mundanes and even more Awakened characters with augmentations.
I´m a bored collage student, trying desperately to find a way through life that has no obsticals. I currently study religion (the view is scientific and it incorporates any number of different religions. And the theology, exegesis, ethics, psycology, anthropology, history, sociology, etc. that concernes them). Planning on studying litterature and swedish later and maybe be a teacher.
I tend to go for the mage the few times I get to play myself. I GM most of the time.
I tend to go for the mage the few times I get to play myself. I GM most of the time.
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