[Dinendae]

With Season 4, we decided to try and have the contacts be more involved with the adventures, so that they show up regularly, allowing players to interact with them more often and more directly.

For those that have been reading/playing Missions, how do you like this so far? 
Is it cool to see the same NPCs popping back up, or annoying? 
Do you like the NPCs? 
Do you want to see more (or less) or them? 
Would you want to see some fiction based around some of them?

I just played my very first SRM game Monday (SRM 04-00 - Back in Business), and I used to run Shadowrun like crazy back during 3rd edition: I have to say it was a blast seeing some of the old school NPCs pop up. Loved the NPCs, and my face has a grudging admiration for that little extortionist Pip! I'm glad to know I'll be seeing at least some of them again.

[Mara]

Honestly, I would like to see something a bit more like these in NON-missions stuff.
One of the biggest tricks I have as a player or GM is figuring out what connection rating someone
should have. These are great examples, far better then the ones in the corebooks, etc.
You know exactly what they can and can't do, you know their rough limits. If I am playing in a game,
I am more likely to use the Missions Contacts over the generics, jsut because they are ready made.

[CanRay]

My group hates Tosh.  Loathes him would be more accurate.  But has to admit he's handy.

[JustADude]

My group hates Tosh.  Loathes him would be more accurate.  But has to admit he's handy.

Haven't done this Season yet. Is he supposed to be one of those characters you Love To Hate?

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

Depends on reactions, really.  I at least enjoyed him, even if he didn't have a sufficient Connection rating (see my post above).

[CanRay]

My group hates Tosh.  Loathes him would be more accurate.  But has to admit he's handy.

Haven't done this Season yet. Is he supposed to be one of those characters you Love To Hate?

Maybe it's just the way I play him.  But he's a Knight Errant Detective that's heading a special unit to catch Shadowrunners.

He hires Shadowrunners, specifically, the PCs.  So I play him up as pretty corrupt, and, well, "You're on my list, but it's pretty far down that list.  Keep me happy, and you'll stay near the bottom.  Those idiots stealing Ford Americars have to be somewhere, and they're always below you so I don't show favoritism."

He also has a touch of Captain Renault in him when I RP him, "I'm only a poor corrupt official."

Honestly, I think it's the way he keeps sticking the group with the drink and food tabs at their meetings that gets my group's ire the most:  "Thanks for the dinner."  "Damnit, those were REAL BEEF RIBS he just had!"

[Bull]

Two notes:

1)  I use Connection not just ion terms of "What can this Contact do" but also "What will this contact do."  I realize that overlaps with loyalty some, but for some contacts, even though they should have a higher connection rating, I cap them based on where their personal and professional limits are.  You may be their best friend, and they may be willing to take a bullet for you, but they're not going to sell out their country/corp/whatever for you. 

There's also a little bit of a balancing factor there too.

Plus, you will never see a "6" contact rating in Missions.  That's Lofwyr, Fastjack, Nadja Davier level of Connections.  6 should be very, very rare.  (Honestly, the ratings should go higher, but since they stop at 6...)

Bull's connection rating is a 5 not so much because of him, but because of his extended contacts.  Bull can pull in Jackpoint if necessary.  He can call on Fastjack.  And considering how personal some of the Missions are to him, it made sense for him to have a 5.

2)  Tosh is not actually head of a task force charged with capturing Shadowrunners.  He's on a floating, Special Crimes task force.  His job is to handle anything major that crops up.  Frankly, Shadowrunners are not too often a major crime problem for the city.  For corps, yes.  but the city?  Not as often.  Tosh's focus is gangs, the mob, and whatever major crime problem is making the news and causing problem for the city and the DA's office.  Keep in mind he got this gig by catching a serial killer that had been terrorizing the city for 3 years.

that said, play him up how you like.   It's all fun

Bull

[All4BigGuns]

... That's Lofwyr, Fastjack, Nadja Davier level of Connections.  6 should be very, very rare. ...

Honestly, I feel this is incorrect. Connections for people at this level, IMO, should not only be connection 6, but maxed out on every additional aspect that gets added in when doing group contacts.

[CanRay]

Damnit, now I want FastJack as a contact.

...

Not you FastJack, I already have you as a Contact.  Probably low Loyalty, but still...

[JustADude]

... That's Lofwyr, Fastjack, Nadja Davier level of Connections.  6 should be very, very rare. ...

Honestly, I feel this is incorrect. Connections for people at this level, IMO, should not only be connection 6, but maxed out on every additional aspect that gets added in when doing group contacts.

Agreed.... well, except for Fastjack. He's probably about right for Connection 6.

Lofwyr, on the other hand, doesn't just get you a Great Dragon as a Contact (if a Great Dragon can ever be "just" anything), you get the entire Saeder-Krupp empire. That means Connection 28.... probably should be even higher, but Group Size caps at +6 for 1000-plus members.

Someone with Connection 6 would be (in real-world terms) a General or a Senator, or a key figure in a wide-spread underground "scene". They have influence, and lots of friends, but they don't actually have full-blown Minions.

[Dinendae]

Someone with Connection 6 would be (in real-world terms) a General or a Senator, or a key figure in a wide-spread underground "scene". They have influence, and lots of friends, but they don't actually have full-blown Minions.

Someone needs to explain that to generals then....

[JustADude]

Someone with Connection 6 would be (in real-world terms) a General or a Senator, or a key figure in a wide-spread underground "scene". They have influence, and lots of friends, but they don't actually have full-blown Minions.

Someone needs to explain that to generals then....

The soldiers under their command work for the Army, not the General. Same way you work for the company that pays you, not your supervisor.

[Chance359]

For those that have been reading/playing Missions, how do you like this so far?

Is it cool to see the same NPCs popping back up, or annoying? 
It started out nice, but became bs when after one of the Lin Yao Chang tried to kills us rather than pay us our GM prevented us from sending him back to lung for his dishonor in little packages because he's featured in future missions.  BS

Do you like the NPCs? 

Some better than others, I dislike how they pop up in pairs trying to force the story.  (looking at the media contacts in particular)

Do you want to see more (or less) or them?
They should be be in the background, to be pulled out by the players when needed/wanted.  If I'm hired for a "discreet" job, why is not 1 but 2 reporters are contacting me on the way back to the car asking about it. 
 
Would you want to see some fiction based around some of them?

No, I'm good. 

[Dinendae]

The soldiers under their command work for the Army, not the General. Same way you work for the company that pays you, not your supervisor.

I know that, and you know that, but as I said someone needs to explain that to them! Come to think of it, I've met more than a few managers who seem to think those working for them are minions as well, but I digress.

Back to the original question on seeing the sdame NPCs return? Now that I have played through the first few season four missions, I definately like the idea; it makes the choices on who to back have far more meaning to me. For instance, in the very first mission, we originally accepted one group's offer, but changed our minds at the end when we met the Johnson, in order to back a group we favored more. That the first group who we decided not to back gets mentioned now and again definately makes those of us that chose to change who we were backing at the last minute far more uncomfortable, as it should.

[CanRay]

The soldiers under their command work for the Army, not the General. Same way you work for the company that pays you, not your supervisor.

I know that, and you know that, but as I said someone needs to explain that to them! Come to think of it, I've met more than a few managers who seem to think those working for them are minions as well, but I digress.

Don't get me started...

That said, I got to put one in her place quite nicely.