Why do you play with them, then? I'm guessing these are friends who you like socially, but have trouble with in gaming? Happens a lot. The trouble is, if they won't work with you, they just won't work with you. There's no way to force people into accepting your rules. Even if they superficially accept it, they'll still rebel and give you the kind of grief you're having now.
Have you considered building sympathy by sharing the GM job? Or going on strike?
Yes majority of the players are kith, and I've played RPGs with them for over a decade. I'm not trying to have the players accept my rules, but attempting to alleviate the necessary micromanagement of gear to focus more on enjoying the game along with other inherent concepts of SR. I have worked with them in the past (concerning gear and encumbrance), which they applauded me on the idea of Carried Gear and Adventure Gear when I ran World Of Darkness, but unfortunately I couldn't manage their lack of organization which resulted in arguments and complaints when a situation would arise, such as getting robbed or character killed, and players declaring that their adventure gear did not have certain valued items so it should be safe and not lost.
As for the GM job, I took up because these fellow kith have run games before but have a tendency to just stop running it for no reason. Games would run a few game session, gain steam, and then just dropped dead. So if I go on strike, then there will be no gaming at all.
There's something much more important than encumbrance and equipment lists at play here. You're on your way towards a pretty unhealthy relationship with your players, which will lead to an "players vs. GM" game, which will lead to friendships being genuinely threatened (if they aren't already). If I were you, I'd invite your players to read this thread so that they can see what you think about them.
If they react to it in a manner that shows concern over what they've done to make you think this poorly of them, perhaps a friendship (which should be of primary importance) and a stable gaming group (which should be secondary) can be salvaged, and things can roll on towards Funtown and the clatter of dice.
If they get pissed at you for talking about them this way behind their back, maybe it's time to call it quits; you don't seem to think much of them, and they probably wouldn't think much of you.
You're not encouraging realism if you've got characters that don't own anything but what they carry around with them everywhere they go. In the short term, that can be a fun character concept (and one I've started with, more than once), but in the long run characters should have spare weapons, extra ammunition, obvious armor they don't wear everywhere, changes of clothing, first aid kits, electronics, and all sorts of other stuff that it isn't "a game concept grounded in reality" for them to be carrying with them to a fancy meet with a Johnson in Downtown.
You're being just as unrealistic as they are, and as the GM it's not your job to go "tit for tat" like that, anyways.
My players already know my view and opinion. I've talked to them, encouraged them, vocalized concerns, but alas there is no remedy for player laziness. In fact, among the three kith whom have GMed games before, they never took the time to work with players on a game. I've taken up a hands on approach and got them involved in my ideas and tried to work out any issues, but I get resistance because their mentality is "The GM is the enemy".
For example, when I ran World of Darkness, one of the players was a vampire. His character was shot, but in the middle of combat he attempted to use a vampiric power that requires no distractions with the target. I ruled that since his character was shot, it's considered a distraction. He, and the rest of the group, argued that being shot is not a distraction because a vampire reacts to distractions differently than a normal mortal. Eventually the player moved on, but needless to say, they argued with me on something that was a sound and factual judgement on my part.
Then i guess the only player surviving to end of first session is the pure face(if the team has one and he's smart enought to stay far away from the rest of the team) as everyone else most likely ends up dead in a fire fight with Knight Errant and possibly military if they fare too well against KE.
That kind of rule might work in D&D, but it doesn't work in Shadowrun.
You just can not walk down the main street of Seattle carrying a ton of illegal military grade weapons, while wearing "heavy" armor.
All of which is standard equipment for shadow runners.
My theme for the game I'm running is "dystopian paranoia". It's the players job to survive and overcome the challenges I'm planning on deploying. As I read from Runner's Companion, Runner's Haven, and Seattle 2072, a Shadowrunner has to be paranoid. One of the challenges the players have to deal with is gear management, including the responsibility to decide what gear do they really need. Unfortunately, due to past experience with majority of the group they tend to overlook such a task as insignificant because they expect to have access to all gear, as long as they have the funds, but without the responsibility of encumbrance and tracking. So if their PCs get robbed or killed (due to their actions), they fret. Which is what I was looking to tackle with ideas from SR Forums. I have one idea as I mentioned it, which I think is fair and reasonable as far as simplifying gear and encumbrance, so focus on the other aspects of the game aren't lost.
Why in gods name would you want to play with people you obviously can't agree with in the first place? o_O
That's a good question, and a philosophical one too. But let me ask you this, have you ever ran a game where everyone got along and there were no arguments or complaints?
There has to be a area of handwavium. Does Usda have cloths? Yes. where are they in his home... mostly but he's probably have something to change into after a run. Does he have grenades? Yes.Does he always carry them? No.
Doom asks us before we even begin running what do you have with you & do you want to buy anything before you go? I have all my gear on the sheet for when we're running. Anytime else equipment is situational, I am going back to Full body FFBA so I can wear it under some loose fitting cloths! As long as I have my fists I'm armed but in Seattle... on the streets... You just have to be careful!
So what do you say to a player that has their character go on a run, doesn't write down or mention that they brought their grenades, then declares they are tossing grenades in middle of combat? What do you say if the player continues to press the issue that since they are going on a run, it should be automatic that they brought the grenades?
This is one situation I have experienced, hence why I'm thinking of sticking to my original idea of "if it's on your character sheet, it's on you at all times". But I'm also looking for ideas gear management, which why I'm asking from the forum community.
