I still use two old PC's of mine as quasi recurring NPC fixers in my games. Tinman and Elfin-Face.
Tinman I generally go out of my way to describe how his ware (he's almost a full conversion cyborg) is 'practically from the stone age'. I describe the skin on his synthetic cyberskull as having an odd waxy look to it, and his face is remarkably non expressive. His right cyberarm whirs whenever he bends the elbow and a nurological reaction to his boosted reflexes causes his left hand to twitch uncontrollably. He lives a comfortable semi-retirement in the barrens, working as a fixer and funneling weapons to the Ironside Rockers, a troll go-gang that's been operating around his shop for years.
Elfin-Face (a troll) works with Tinman. While Tinman is the face most runners see, Elfin-Face deals with the locals. When it comes to describing him it really just begins and ends with old. His hair is white, when he walks around he looks like he's the same height as an ork just because he's stooped over so much. He still has (and uses) an old plug and play datajack and VCR sticking out of his skull. He's horribly addicted to stim patches, and he's missing most of his teeth. He's also an absolute wizard when it comes to mechanical stuff.
Full Version: You kids call that shadowrunning? In my day...
QUOTE (Blade @ Nov 6 2008, 05:01 AM) 
I don't expect my 2nd and 3rd ed characters to be still alive in 2070. I don't expect many runners to run the shadows for more than 5 years.
I don't think any of my past characters are still alive. The only one I can conjure to memory died post-last-session to a space laser trying to help Master Deus escape an underground facility (and the face went and bluffed his way into the starring role in a movie about himself).
Of course I've only played 3rd and 4th ed.
My old 1st Edition Virtual Seattle merc character is still kicking around in 4th Edition Shadowrun Missions.
Of course, he's in his late 60s now, grumpier than before, and gets annoyed at these new young punks and their fancy toys.
And his 20 year old cyberarm gives him all sorts of grief, much like an old car has it's problems.
-karma
Of course, he's in his late 60s now, grumpier than before, and gets annoyed at these new young punks and their fancy toys.
And his 20 year old cyberarm gives him all sorts of grief, much like an old car has it's problems.
-karma
Hmmm, just thought about the culture changeshock of having "Antiques" stores & tridshows about the tech the original 2050 runners used. Would those Fuchi decks sell as collectors itmes in auction houses? What about the remakes of old simchip favourites like "Neil the Ork Barbarian" I mean look at the Swartzenegger now compared to when he was in his prime. Are there any products that old runners get a nostalgia burst over and reminiss about in those old runner hangouts?
I remember a player of mine once had a three minute IC rant about how "they" remade Star Trek in the 2040's with Orks as Klingons, Elves as Vulcans, and Dwarfs as Ferengi.... it was an impressive bit of roleplaying and had the other players sat there looking agast, then the guy playing a Troll just stage whispered 'nerd' to another player and the place fell about.
The group could not stop inventing things "they" had remade after that- like the return of flares in 2010, 2022, etc....
The group could not stop inventing things "they" had remade after that- like the return of flares in 2010, 2022, etc....
So, I might actually be in a Shadowrun game again after 2 years off. I started building a character and I got to the physical description and I realized that I've been going w/ a very barrenesque description of my characters for a while now. My previous character, Dutch, started the game being homeless and the hacker I'm building is still going to have a low lifestyle starting. I thought about what the average low-lifetstyle goon or squatter would be wearing and I came up with this: Plain grey jumpsuit (w/ zipper utility pockets and a convenient upzipper), work boots, brown jacket (armored) and a Seahawks hat. The gray jumpsuit is what my old GM pictured "Flats" being.
I do have a character who made it from late 2nd to 4th but mostly because the campaigns along the way were short and punctuated w/ disapointment (at least until the last one). In that campaign the datajack was kind of the sign of the old timer. The GM and I were the only two who were really into the whole SR mythos (the history the styles etc). One of the other players had some prior SR experience but didn't understand that the fashion and culture was supposed to say something about the world the characters lived in and the other guy was brand new to SR. We ended up embracing the concept of cyberthug. At no point in the game were we fighting the man or rebelling against a corrupt system (ala punk) instead we just wanted to get ours and we were willing to take it by force (ala thug). I think this difference spoke to me on some level and it reflected into the game world. Our characters were badasses and if we had a cause we could've helped people and maybe made at least our corner of the world a better place. Instead my pistolero took vengeance upon his enemies, our rigger/hacker in true powergamer excess built a nice collection of vehicles, drones, and programs, and our mage indulged in Novacoke binges Scarface style.
I do have another thing to add. In the last decade there has been a marked increase in the number of remakes and there's been a wave of 80s nostalgia hitting market. The rebirth fo the Batman and Superman franchises, Miami Vice, Zorro, the upcoming G.I. Joe. Hell, they're talking about doing a Magnum P.I. movie (and I agree that Hawaiian shirts never go out of style). Who's to say that there won't be remakes and updates of these same movies or at least remakes from what was popular in the 2050s in the 2070s. Not to mention we've had: Ray and Walk The Line; I could easily see "Jet Black" movie being in production somewhere in the SR universe.
I do have a character who made it from late 2nd to 4th but mostly because the campaigns along the way were short and punctuated w/ disapointment (at least until the last one). In that campaign the datajack was kind of the sign of the old timer. The GM and I were the only two who were really into the whole SR mythos (the history the styles etc). One of the other players had some prior SR experience but didn't understand that the fashion and culture was supposed to say something about the world the characters lived in and the other guy was brand new to SR. We ended up embracing the concept of cyberthug. At no point in the game were we fighting the man or rebelling against a corrupt system (ala punk) instead we just wanted to get ours and we were willing to take it by force (ala thug). I think this difference spoke to me on some level and it reflected into the game world. Our characters were badasses and if we had a cause we could've helped people and maybe made at least our corner of the world a better place. Instead my pistolero took vengeance upon his enemies, our rigger/hacker in true powergamer excess built a nice collection of vehicles, drones, and programs, and our mage indulged in Novacoke binges Scarface style.
I do have another thing to add. In the last decade there has been a marked increase in the number of remakes and there's been a wave of 80s nostalgia hitting market. The rebirth fo the Batman and Superman franchises, Miami Vice, Zorro, the upcoming G.I. Joe. Hell, they're talking about doing a Magnum P.I. movie (and I agree that Hawaiian shirts never go out of style). Who's to say that there won't be remakes and updates of these same movies or at least remakes from what was popular in the 2050s in the 2070s. Not to mention we've had: Ray and Walk The Line; I could easily see "Jet Black" movie being in production somewhere in the SR universe.
QUOTE (Ogrebear @ Nov 25 2008, 01:27 PM)
I remember a player of mine once had a three minute IC rant about how "they" remade Star Trek in the 2040's with Orks as Klingons, Elves as Vulcans, and Dwarfs as Ferengi.... it was an impressive bit of roleplaying and had the other players sat there looking agast, then the guy playing a Troll just stage whispered 'nerd' to another player and the place fell about.
The group could not stop inventing things "they" had remade after that- like the return of flares in 2010, 2022, etc....
The group could not stop inventing things "they" had remade after that- like the return of flares in 2010, 2022, etc....
Heh, funnily enough way back in 1st Edition one of our GMs created a troll street gang called "the Worfs." Realistic body armour and functional bat'leths weilded by trolls with a klingon warrior fixation are quite a scene to encounter - especially if you happen to accidently burst into their Enterprise-bridge themed hideout during a run. (Of course this was before Earthdawn brought us the Sky Raider)
The SOTA waits for no one.......
being old, i realised that a new generation has come into being when they dont't know stuff that I reference that happened as little as 20 years ago. My daughter asked "what is that" when she saw a record and a telephone booth. Those hot 18 year olds? what would the want with an old man like me? 
so sad that life passes by so fast now, years are like a blur, time flys by so fast you don't even know it till its too late. Soon having 2 hot bi curious 18 year old catholic school girls will be a total impossibility....so many dreams deferred...what is there left to do but sit in my rocking chair dreaming of days of future past? longing for what could have been?
don't make the mistakes us old codgers have you young wipper snappers. LIVE!
us old peoples reality
so sad that life passes by so fast now, years are like a blur, time flys by so fast you don't even know it till its too late. Soon having 2 hot bi curious 18 year old catholic school girls will be a total impossibility....so many dreams deferred...what is there left to do but sit in my rocking chair dreaming of days of future past? longing for what could have been?don't make the mistakes us old codgers have you young wipper snappers. LIVE!
us old peoples reality
QUOTE (Ogrebear @ Nov 25 2008, 08:27 AM)
I remember a player of mine once had a three minute IC rant about how "they" remade Star Trek in the 2040's with Orks as Klingons, Elves as Vulcans, and Dwarfs as Ferengi.... it was an impressive bit of roleplaying and had the other players sat there looking agast, then the guy playing a Troll just stage whispered 'nerd' to another player and the place fell about.
The group could not stop inventing things "they" had remade after that- like the return of flares in 2010, 2022, etc....
The group could not stop inventing things "they" had remade after that- like the return of flares in 2010, 2022, etc....
I'm not sure a guy playing an RPG where he's a troll has any right to start throwing the 'n' word around at osmeone else at the table. Geek maybe but not nerd.
Then again, as an 'in character' comment, it is fitting enough ... and quite amusing.
A situation in character that mirrored a rant one would have out of character only to be retorted by an in character response one would have out of character....
Did I get this right?
If so, then yup, it's hilarious.
Did I get this right?
If so, then yup, it's hilarious.
In our continuity we have a game that is presently in early 2057. The game started for the present PCs in 2046. Eleven years almost, eleven years and Bodie (shortened form of Bodhisattva), the groups Mage extraordinaire (Initiate*4), is already talking about the learning curve being too steep...as a Mage in the Sixth World whereas techies have it really tough! Our Decker will be at her wits end when it comes to the big crash... she's REALLY at the epitomal tippity top of her game right now as a Decker, so fully loaded out for bear that the megastars of the regular game are talking about HER, that type of thing, and for her hacking will be a DRAG! *lol*
Isshia
Isshia
QUOTE (Fortune @ Nov 27 2008, 12:26 AM)
Then again, as an 'in character' comment, it is fitting enough ... and quite amusing.
True. or you go the way like in the movie "Running Man" and ask "Who's Mr. Spock?"
Ya know, it's been 4 editions and there's still confusion on just how fast orks age!
QUOTE (last_of_the_great_mikeys @ Nov 28 2008, 05:54 PM)
Ya know, it's been 4 editions and there's still confusion on just how fast orks age!
I wonder if it's like velociraptors in Broncosaurus Rex: most of them are dead through violent means by the age of 30.
(Curious, FireFox didn't like "velociraptors")
In Character (as Big Blue, troll mercenary 2046 to 2063 and freelance security consultant 2065 to present):
QUOTE
I've seen a few things. My first run as a merc was from June of 46, fresh off a ten year hitch with the CFS military, through late 63. So, yeah, I started out at this all told back in December 2036. Back then the size of me was almost enough, unmodified, to carry me through most situations and I actually didn't get my first piece of cyberware until August 47 after being shot up so badly that muscle replacements were a simpler, faster and more intelligent solution than rehabbing my poor torn up physique. I went from being pretty strong even for one of my own to being ridiculously strong even for a cyber-runner. But it was the increase in my reaction time from the muscle replacements that sold me on wired reflexes. Sure, they were already well known by then, but you really didn't see them that much even as a Runner. Playing a little mix and match with my poor meat body meant that soon I was twice the terror I had been. Man for a while after that I was the abso-friggin-lute bomb in Sao Paolo and I headed for Seattle and the big leagues sure I would be there too.
And you know, with very few other mods until 2050, I was.
It didn't take much to stay at the peak of the peak until the early mid 50s. But then, as the 50's wore on and bioware became all the rage things became much more niche driven...a preview of today. Even loded down with all the bioware I could throw in to compliment my cyber sickened backside I was still hard pressed to be the Mr Everything I had always been. By the late 50's I gave up trying to be. I had been SOTAed out of my Mr Everything roll and had to come to grips with being the best heavy weapons and smash and mauler I could be. It still made my team happy to look around and see me with the (highly modified and hugely recoil compensated) sawn short LMG strapped to one arm for close assault work or popping my spurs and diving face first into the pile ups for hand to hand, but it left me cold. I was always the smart guy...even after I metasized at puberty. I was the educated guy who loved to quote Chaucer and played old 1930s Jazz music.
In 63 I and fourteen of my closest friends were ---detained--- by the will of the UCAS government for almost 2 years before they let me and four of my friends out because they needed something stupidly dangerous done down in Sao Paolo and we knew the area (even if our knowledge of it was really much more dated than we let on about) and were stupidly expendable.
Damn, allot can happen in just two years...and between 63 and 65 the biggest change in the way things work to date happened...and now the world is wireless. My cyber and bioware in antique, the ear mods are literally antique, and I'm surviving mostly on guts, bravado and better than 30 years of experience (20+ as a Runner) in a field where the average successful Runner lasts eighteen months from the time of his first run to when they strip the wares out of his corpse. But one good thing...the wireless world has made me more of a generalist again, if nothing like I was way back when. And it's not like the world gives a damn whether I approve of things or not... you have to step up and keep the SOTA leading edge at least in sight or it's time to do what I did and find a way to semi-retire.
BB
And you know, with very few other mods until 2050, I was.
It didn't take much to stay at the peak of the peak until the early mid 50s. But then, as the 50's wore on and bioware became all the rage things became much more niche driven...a preview of today. Even loded down with all the bioware I could throw in to compliment my cyber sickened backside I was still hard pressed to be the Mr Everything I had always been. By the late 50's I gave up trying to be. I had been SOTAed out of my Mr Everything roll and had to come to grips with being the best heavy weapons and smash and mauler I could be. It still made my team happy to look around and see me with the (highly modified and hugely recoil compensated) sawn short LMG strapped to one arm for close assault work or popping my spurs and diving face first into the pile ups for hand to hand, but it left me cold. I was always the smart guy...even after I metasized at puberty. I was the educated guy who loved to quote Chaucer and played old 1930s Jazz music.
In 63 I and fourteen of my closest friends were ---detained--- by the will of the UCAS government for almost 2 years before they let me and four of my friends out because they needed something stupidly dangerous done down in Sao Paolo and we knew the area (even if our knowledge of it was really much more dated than we let on about) and were stupidly expendable.
Damn, allot can happen in just two years...and between 63 and 65 the biggest change in the way things work to date happened...and now the world is wireless. My cyber and bioware in antique, the ear mods are literally antique, and I'm surviving mostly on guts, bravado and better than 30 years of experience (20+ as a Runner) in a field where the average successful Runner lasts eighteen months from the time of his first run to when they strip the wares out of his corpse. But one good thing...the wireless world has made me more of a generalist again, if nothing like I was way back when. And it's not like the world gives a damn whether I approve of things or not... you have to step up and keep the SOTA leading edge at least in sight or it's time to do what I did and find a way to semi-retire.
BB
QUOTE (Draco18s @ Nov 29 2008, 04:43 AM)
(Curious, FireFox didn't like "velociraptors")
Nobody likes velociraptors...
Hmmm, cyber-enhanced bio-engineered velociraptors for your security needs of today. New for 2071 from Ares.
QUOTE (BIG BAD BEESTE @ Dec 2 2008, 01:15 PM)
Hmmm, cyber-enhanced bio-engineered velociraptors for your security needs of today. New for 2071 from Ares.
Do you really need chipped raptors? Aren't regular raptors enough?
true, regular raptors are scary and would frighten off most people, but a chipped out raptor is a guarantee that no one is going to mess with what ever its guarding.
QUOTE (Blacken @ Dec 2 2008, 07:52 PM)
Do you really need chipped raptors? Aren't regular raptors enough?
Of course you don't need a chipped raptor, but don't you want one?
Hey, thats what the marketing department is for after all!
Besides, unchipped Raptors are soooo last season. You'd have to be a dinosaur to use those these days. Oh... but you are a dinosaur... [and with a flamboyant flourish we wittily and serepticiously return to the theme of the thread...
]
Besides, unchipped Raptors are soooo last season. You'd have to be a dinosaur to use those these days. Oh... but you are a dinosaur... [and with a flamboyant flourish we wittily and serepticiously return to the theme of the thread...
]
You mean this is the woman in designer genes?
QUOTE (nezumi @ Nov 9 2008, 04:10 PM)
As an aside, why the devil DON'T we have cell phone watches with flip screens? We have the technology for it.
http://technabob.com/blog/2008/05/01/cell-...-flips-its-lid/
Also non-flipping:
http://www.chinavasion.com/product_info.ph...ellphone-watch/
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/12/lg-cellphone-wa.html
http://www.slipperybrick.com/2008/04/van-d...ellphone-watch/
http://www.vinodlive.com/2007/04/17/m500-c...finally-viable/
Stay up with the SoTA, chummer!
QUOTE (Wesley Street @ Nov 7 2008, 04:16 PM)
First rule of dirty banking: always convert cash into gold.
Ah, but in the future, you'll be better off trading your dirty money for dirty bullets.
Gold is just gold, but bullets are always worth 2Y a pop.
And you can't kill anyone and take their stuff with gold...
Unless you've got a really good arm...
unless i press gold powder into the resperator of your chest unit
That's the traditional way to kill a cyberman
That's the traditional way to kill a cyberman
QUOTE (BIG BAD BEESTE @ Dec 2 2008, 06:15 PM)
Hmmm, cyber-enhanced bio-engineered velociraptors for your security needs of today. New for 2071 from Ares.
And my next run is born!
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