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A critical part of being able to enjoy table top Shadowrun is the ability to look at something in the source books and say "No, that's loving stupid. We'll do it this way instead."
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Nov 10, 2017 06:17
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Am I wrong or could you berate Baron Samedi enough to make him drop his gimmick persona? I seem to remember getting him to swap over to Harkeem and a skinny blerd portrait.
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Nov 10, 2017 08:21
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David Corbett posted:Now that we’re drawing toward the end, I just wanted to say that this has been a phenomenal thread for its wonderful combination of gameplay and lore. Truly enjoyable to read whether there has been an update or not. I can’t say that about many LPs, so well done! I really appreciate the kind words. And yeah, I originally figured this thing would have about five active followers so it's been super cool seeing so many people come in and talk about the game and the setting. Lots of really interesting discussion and good people here, it's been great. 7c Nickel posted:Am I wrong or could you berate Baron Samedi enough to make him drop his gimmick persona? I seem to remember getting him to swap over to Harkeem and a skinny blerd portrait. I'm afraid you've dreamt that part up. There's something kind of like that in Dragonfall (which by the way is real deep in spoiler territory and thus best not talked about at all at this stage) so maybe you're getting things mixed up.
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Nov 10, 2017 12:49
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You're almost 50 pages in, of course there's a bunch of us. Edit: VVVV What this guy said. girl dick energy fucked around with this message at 17:29 on Nov 10, 2017 |
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Nov 10, 2017 14:28
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Hell, it's a drat good LP. See, Shadowrun Returns is a lovely game, and it's turn-based so it'd be (technically) easy to LP. You're letting the story tell itself, because it's entertaining on its own. But, and this is crucial, you're giving us new insights, posting relevant stories from the "expanded Universe", and giving us what different responses we'd get out of dialogue options. Doing too much is as much a mistake as doing too little. You're keeping a good balance, and that's appreciated.
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Nov 10, 2017 16:50
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Oh yeah, this is good stuff. I may complain, but hopefully everyone knows it's in good spirits. You're doing good, OP.
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Nov 10, 2017 20:58
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Yeah, you're doing great! Having played through Dragonfall and Hong Kong but not completed Returns, great to see it done.
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Nov 11, 2017 05:55
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Yeah, thanks for doing this, I really like this game and talking about it is great. Nerding out about Shadowrun is a fun time as well, since as I mentioned before, it was my first pen and paper RPG system that I played and I fell super deep into the lore of it when I really got into it. The UB storyline happened in the lore before I got into the game, so I knew all about it from the history section, and once Shane name dropped it in the first half hour, I knew I would be going to be going on a drat bug spirit hunt eventually. Psion posted:This is always, always my lineup for the exact same reason. Yup, me too. I knew of Harlequin from the lore dives I did, but never really saw him in action in any of the fluff writing or whatever, so he was just a prominent GM PC used in the background for me who had a bunch of poo poo feats attributed to him. I knew him showing up was a damned big deal, alongside "Hans Brackhaus" and James Telestrian. Having another gun alongside was always a help, especially since that additional gun is a Tir Ghost, in addition to my runner being an assault rifle wielding Street Samurai.
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Nov 11, 2017 06:19
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I read through this whole thread over the last week--good stuff, thanks for doing it--and went on a wiki safari, ending on Dunkelzahn's Will. I know they're all essentially written to be plot hooks for GMs to latch onto, but did there ever end up being canonical followups to either of these?quote:To George "Locomotive" Fenamore, wherever he is at present, I sadly bequeath the locked steel box number 412 from my private vault at the Manhattan Citibank Depository. The box is not to be opened until he deems it absolutely necessary, or until my comrade manages to successfully "survive" another Double Tuesday. I pray the darkness ends for you someday. quote:To Silvery K, I leave my private can opener program. You know where to find it on the Matrix, and the IC has been programmed to accept your ID in the event of my death. Have fun. I am so very glad I won’t be here to see what you do with it.
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Nov 11, 2017 07:27
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Ciaphas posted:I read through this whole thread over the last week--good stuff, thanks for doing it--and went on a wiki safari, ending on Dunkelzahn's Will. I know they're all essentially written to be plot hooks for GMs to latch onto, but did there ever end up being canonical followups to either of these? There's never been any canon confirmation, but it's usually agreed that his "can opener" was the Magestone, a mythical cryptokey system capable of bypassing any IC.
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Nov 11, 2017 07:43
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Neat. I like the idea that to any deckers confronting it it would look like one of those olde tyme openers. Ciaphas fucked around with this message at 08:08 on Nov 11, 2017 |
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Nov 11, 2017 08:04
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As a kid the genesis Shadowrun game was my jam for years, mostly because I was absolutely enthralled by Matrix runs. I could sit in front of the Genesis and just do random runs against Renraku for Caleb Brightmore for literal hours. Every video game implementation of the Matrix since has been a disappointment, though that's probably more rose tinted memories talking than anything.
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Nov 11, 2017 08:08
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Dunklezahn's Will is one of my favorite bits of Shadowrun lore. It's a Great Dragon going "oh my GOD I can set things up to happen AFTER I DIE?"
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Nov 11, 2017 08:55
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Dunkel's will is possibly one of the greatest adventure supplements of all time bar none.
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Nov 11, 2017 09:32
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Reminds me that while he's not directly featured in any of the games, you can spot his election poster at the Union entrance and probably other places too. E: 
Kanfy fucked around with this message at 10:21 on Nov 11, 2017 |
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Nov 11, 2017 10:10
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Every single picture of D looks drastically different. Emphasizes the importance of having a setting bible of some sort.
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Nov 11, 2017 10:19
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wiegieman posted:Dunklezahn's Will is one of my favorite bits of Shadowrun lore. It's a Great Dragon going "oh my GOD I can set things up to happen AFTER I DIE?" It even opens with him basically telling all of the other Dragons "How did we never think of this, it's amazing!"
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Nov 11, 2017 15:34
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Nov 12, 2017 01:17
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Xander77 posted:Every single picture of D looks drastically different. Emphasizes the importance of having a setting bible of some sort. The Big D looks however the gently caress he wants. If you don't like that take it up to the great dragon himself.
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Nov 12, 2017 01:49
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I now imagine a GM slipping into Dunk's will something like "Five Million Yen to produce and deploy databombs and other viruses to ensure records have enough contradictory evidence of my appearance that no-one can be sure what I looked like."
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Nov 12, 2017 02:16
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I think one of my favorite things about Dunk's run for the UCAS presidency is that he needed Congress to pass a law giving him citizenship before he could run, because dragons, great or otherwise, and other sentient magical creatures weren't given citizenship by default in the new Constitution that formed the UCAS, and that same document said that they could gain it via acts of Congress, and you needed to be one in order to be President in the first place Then again, who's gonna say no to a Great Dragon, especially one so outwardly personable like Big D?
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Nov 12, 2017 02:54
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GhostStalker posted:I think one of my favorite things about Dunk's run for the UCAS presidency is that he needed Congress to pass a law giving him citizenship before he could run, because dragons, great or otherwise, and other sentient magical creatures weren't given citizenship by default in the new Constitution that formed the UCAS, and that same document said that they could gain it via acts of Congress, and you needed to be one in order to be President in the first place I'd imagine he got rid of that whole "natural born citizen" bit as well.
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Nov 12, 2017 02:55
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The creation of the UCAS itself probably did away with that on its own.
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Nov 12, 2017 03:13
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Deep Dish Fuckfest posted:The creation of the UCAS itself probably did away with that on its own. Probably, especially with all those megacorporate citizens running around enjoying their extraterritoriality and all that.
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Nov 12, 2017 03:31
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mauman posted:I'd imagine he got rid of that whole "natural born citizen" bit as well. If he predates the US that's not a problem.
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Nov 12, 2017 03:32
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GhostStalker posted:I think one of my favorite things about Dunk's run for the UCAS presidency is that he needed Congress to pass a law giving him citizenship before he could run, because dragons, great or otherwise, and other sentient magical creatures weren't given citizenship by default in the new Constitution that formed the UCAS, and that same document said that they could gain it via acts of Congress, and you needed to be one in order to be President in the first place IIRC he is the only non-human to get that act of Congress to grant him citizenship; at the very least he was the first. Birthright citizenship isn't as much of a thing in the UCAS as it is in the modern US. If you weren't born in a legal, above-board hospital, you weren't given a SIN; if you don't have a SIN, or you have the kind of SIN issued when you get arrested for the first time, you're a "probationary citizen" with gently caress-all for human rights. If you're a citizen of one of the megacorporations you may not be a citizen of the country you're living in, but that's not as big a deal as long as you don't leave the company (or get pulled out of it against your will). The popular impact of the '57 election and Dunk's death is pretty remarkable considering what a small portion of North America would be allowed to vote in that election. Then again, if what the metaplot rumors say about Dunk's plan is true, he did what he did for everybody's sake and being extremely popular throughout the world was an important part of it.
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Nov 12, 2017 04:21
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IMJack posted:The popular impact of the '57 election and Dunk's death is pretty remarkable considering what a small portion of North America would be allowed to vote in that election. Then again, if what the metaplot rumors say about Dunk's plan is true, he did what he did for everybody's sake and being extremely popular throughout the world was an important part of it. More broadly there was a campaign book called "Super Tuesday" with all the runs themed around the '57 election. It came with a mail-in voter card for players who bought the book to vote for who they wanted to win the election. Though, of course, people were going to pick the dragon. FASA later published the results and the only other candidate who got more then 1 or 2 was the environmental candidate who rewards the runners with a big favor at the end of his run.
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Nov 12, 2017 05:53
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I dont know posted:More broadly there was a campaign book called "Super Tuesday" with all the runs themed around the '57 election. It came with a mail-in voter card for players who bought the book to vote for who they wanted to win the election. Though, of course, people were going to pick the dragon. FASA later published the results and the only other candidate who got more then 1 or 2 was the environmental candidate who rewards the runners with a big favor at the end of his run. Each person who was bequeathed a "token of esteem" in Dunk's will was a person who mailed in one of those ballots. IIRC there was one winner out of the votes for each candidate. Your choices in that election were:
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Nov 12, 2017 08:11
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IMJack posted:Each person who was bequeathed a "token of esteem" in Dunk's will was a person who mailed in one of those ballots. Said token of esteem being a certificate marking the ownership of a single share in a AAA megacorp. Not, like, in game. They actually sent those guys framed stock certificates to hang up on their walls. Every single thing about that entire story arc was amazing.
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Nov 12, 2017 09:19
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Stroth posted:Said token of esteem being a certificate marking the ownership of a single share in a AAA megacorp. How much is a single share typically worth in Shadowrun, anyway? Like, are we talking "I am a corporate wage slave who put in the effort to save for retirement", "I am a low level executive", "I am too important a person to ignore, but not important enough to give too much power", or "This alone sets me up for life"?
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Nov 12, 2017 09:23
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chiasaur11 posted:How much is a single share typically worth in Shadowrun, anyway? It would depend on the corp and the total number of shares issued, just like real life. I'm aware of plenty of times where the sourcebooks have listed who owns certain percentages of the megas, but not of them ever laying out any hard numbers. But iirc the AAAs have like, tens of trillions in revenue or something insane like that, so I'd imagine the dividends for even a single share would look pretty good.  Generally speaking of course the types of people who own those stocks are going to be in the global elite.
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Nov 12, 2017 10:06
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I'm interested to see what kind of thing they're going to throw at you for this final mission. And, like, on one hand I can understand not wanting to "waste" any of this money by not spending it, but on the other hand, that leftover bankroll will keep you going for a year.
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Nov 12, 2017 17:12
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I haven't been making a lot of posts during the LP, but I've been enjoying the LP quite happily. I'd love to see you tackle Dragonfall and Hong Kong but those are much beefier games in general to tackle. Also I've not given Riggers enough credit it seems. (Also just as a side post the stuff about the Will is part of the reason I adore Shadowrun)
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Nov 12, 2017 18:41
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IMJack posted:IIRC he is the only non-human to get that act of Congress to grant him citizenship; at the very least he was the first. Being the first sounds about right for Big D, but there's no way he's the only non-human to get citizenship, unless you mean all of the major metahuman types when you say human. Also, the way the UCAS election works is a straight popular vote via the Matrix using your SIN, right? And while I assume said Matrix infrastructure is vulnerable to Deckers going in and wrecking poo poo (the winner of the election prior to Dunk's was impeached due to massive fraud, after all; which is what gave Dunk his opening to run), it's probably going to be one of the best protected UCAS servers with IC, military deckers pulling security, and possibly some corp contractors helping out. I assume the fake SINs that some runners have to try and get by with permits and stuff and so they don't get hassled by Lone Star every day would get filtered out of that system if they tried to vote, unless that fake SIN is really good.
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Nov 12, 2017 20:15
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GhostStalker posted:(the winner of the election prior to Dunk's was impeached due to massive fraud This cyberpunk existential horror dystopia is too optimistic to be believable.
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Nov 12, 2017 21:31
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Necroskowitz posted:This cyberpunk existential horror dystopia is too optimistic to be believable. Nah, I figure Dunk had some hand in that evidence coming out in order to accelerate his run, via friendly runners or people connected to him. Fits the machinations of a Great Dragon and all, plus he probably needed it for his plan to work. Apparently there was some big scandal in the prior administration of the nascent UCAS as well, and it was disgust at that plus the first (interim) female President of the UCAS (formerly UCAS Senate President Pro Tempore) declaring said election null and void due to the aforementioned massive fraud and the excitement of Big D declaring his candidacy that was necessary for the ritual he was working and all that to be successful. The Vice President of the ticket disqualified for fraud a year earlier tried to make a go of it, like IMJack said above, but he was super boring and the only way he could get elected at all was due to that massive fraud, so... I think he was supposed to be a Republican as well.
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Nov 12, 2017 22:16
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Are "Corporate Shamans" established like corporate wage mages in the universe? Do they follow the "Sprit of Capitalism" or can the big animal totems like coyote or bear be reworked for the corporate environment?
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Nov 13, 2017 00:01
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Magpies and vultures would probably have traits that would work for a corporate spirit. Or you could bee literal and have a corp drone chill out with bee.
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Nov 13, 2017 00:12
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FoolyCharged posted:Magpies and vultures would probably have traits that would work for a corporate spirit. That sounds like a good way to get shot by accident. Spider is a legitimate totem but it doesn't take much for people to decide that you're just buggy enough to need to be put down.
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Nov 13, 2017 00:17
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OutofSight posted:Are "Corporate Shamans" established like corporate wage mages in the universe? Do they follow the "Sprit of Capitalism" or can the big animal totems like coyote or bear be reworked for the corporate environment? While I'm sure there are exceptions, the vast majority of wage mages follow a hermetic tradition, rather than shamanistic one. The attitudes that tend to come with the former are usually a lot more compatible with corporate values. Hell, the AAA's that are big into magic practically have their own traditions and schools for magic. Hogwarts, brought to you by Mitsuhama Computer TechnologiesTM! MCT: The Future is Mitsuhama
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Nov 13, 2017 01:07
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