Shadowrun

Catalyst Game Labs => Official Announcements => Topic started by: JM_Hardy on <05-27-11/1714:41>

Title: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: JM_Hardy on <05-27-11/1714:41>
Happy Memorial Day weekend to you Stateside folks, and happy weekend to everyone else! Our eBook crew has been hard at work, and as a result we have a new PDF book on sale--Unfriendly Skies is now available at the Battleshop (http://www.battlecorps.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=2789) and at Drivethrurpg (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=91994). Here's the lowdown:

WINGS TO FLY

It’s a big world, and not all of the work that’s available is sitting right outside your front door. Sometimes you might need to hop across a country, across a continent, or across an ocean. Other times you might look to the air to find a way across a border that’s too tough to cross on the ground. And then there are the times you might need something in the air that can pack a much-needed punch.

Unfriendly Skies provides descriptions and game information for thirty-two aircraft, including the EuroWars-tested MiG-63, the slow but easy-to-overlook Skyswimmer, and the luxurious Platinum II. The book also includes information on the basics of air travel in 2073, including information on which paths you may or may not want to follow if you are trying to lay low.

Get your runners into the skies and moving fast with the options Unfriendly Skies provides. Unfriendly Skies is for use with Shadowrun, Twentieth Anniversary Edition.
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: CanRay on <05-27-11/1722:32>
*Sighs*  There goes the budget again...

Hm, weird, my Adobe won't let me see all of the preview.  Oh well.  I'll buy it when I wake up from my nap.

Ooooooooooooooo, "Euro-War Antiques"!  It's not just AK-97s any longer?
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: Frankie the Fomori on <05-27-11/1805:07>
Had a brief look through, and I love it. Shadow talk, and one option for PC creation with a Glider for 19K and availability of 8 :) get a license and fly around Seattle till the GM gets tired of it and shoots me down :)
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: Mystic on <05-28-11/0021:01>
*Drools* Flying Zoom-Zoom GOODNESS!!!

OK, without sounding too much like a fanboy...oh wait...Anyway, I love this idea. I'll have to download ASAP. I've always loved aircraft, and one of my favorite Riggers ended up with a tricked out Plutocrat that made a modern Apache look like a traffic-report chopper. Can't wait to see what is in this!

BTW, I remember from the old Rigger 3 book, in the back there was this delta/triangular shaped "attack" craft, anyone remember what it was and for anyone who has already read this product...is it in there and what is it's name?
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: CanRay on <05-28-11/0112:47>
I'm happy with my purchase.  :)
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: hobgoblin on <05-28-11/1047:46>
Apparently the military ones still have the lack of clarity regarding weapon mounts and launch weapons as found back in Arsenal.
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: PeterSmith on <05-28-11/1743:09>
Apparently the military ones still have the lack of clarity regarding weapon mounts and launch weapons as found back in Arsenal.

Do what now? I saw a whole slew of weapon mounts listed in the standard packages for the military craft. Did you pick up the book, or are you passing along second-hand information?
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: Nexushound on <05-29-11/0051:48>
Oi Chums,

Good stuff in this one. All the PDF products have been great. With this and MilSpec Tech I have an unending stream of goodies to throw at my group. And they have something to dream about owning.
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: CanRay on <05-29-11/0102:04>
Grand Theft Vertical-Thrust Tank?
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: CanRay on <05-29-11/0132:11>
OK, gone through the e-book pretty good now.  Just have one question:  Will we ever see rules for Cargo?

It gets really important when the group does something like knock over the armory of a third-world nation in their Tilt-Wing and want to know how many crates of AK-97s and ammo they can steal.  :P
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: Bull on <05-29-11/0337:21>
I have a dream, CanRay...  Someday, all vehicles and drones will include:  Sizes (Length, width, height, or at least a silhouette comparing it to a normal human), seating, and cargo.  These are all important pieces of information.  Dunno if we'll ever see it, but I can always hope and prod.
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: Mystic on <05-29-11/0542:19>
And then one day, all children, of all metatypes will conduct 'runs togeather, and then we as a people will raid the promised land???

 :o  ;)
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: hobgoblin on <05-29-11/0808:25>
Apparently the military ones still have the lack of clarity regarding weapon mounts and launch weapons as found back in Arsenal.

Do what now? I saw a whole slew of weapon mounts listed in the standard packages for the military craft. Did you pick up the book, or are you passing along second-hand information?
Mostly that it is unclear how launch weapons and weapon mounts interact. Is it one weapon, one mount. And if so, are we talking reinforced mounts? If it is both, then those vehicles need a crapload of body (or some author handwaving) to get something that looks to have a sane loadout capacity.
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: FastJack on <05-29-11/1156:50>
Apparently the military ones still have the lack of clarity regarding weapon mounts and launch weapons as found back in Arsenal.

Do what now? I saw a whole slew of weapon mounts listed in the standard packages for the military craft. Did you pick up the book, or are you passing along second-hand information?
Mostly that it is unclear how launch weapons and weapon mounts interact. Is it one weapon, one mount. And if so, are we talking reinforced mounts? If it is both, then those vehicles need a crapload of body (or some author handwaving) to get something that looks to have a sane loadout capacity.
Never really understood the confusion of weapon mounts. The details in Arsenal (p. 146-148) are pretty clear on how to determine weapon mounts and it's One Weapon/One Mount, just the cost of the mount differs based on the Size, Visibility, Flexibility and Control. Since Launch Weapons are almost always bigger than LMGs, they'd be reinforced mounts.
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: CanRay on <05-29-11/1201:59>
I have a dream, CanRay...  Someday, all vehicles and drones will include:  Sizes (Length, width, height, or at least a silhouette comparing it to a normal human), seating, and cargo.  These are all important pieces of information.  Dunno if we'll ever see it, but I can always hope and prod.
Start punching people in the neck like Jason's going to do if things don't happen with the novels during GenCon?  ;)  (I think that's what Jason said he'd do.  Or I suggested he do.  Or I put words into his mouth about doing.  Can't remember which right now, still working on my first tea of the day.).

I kid, I kid.

And then one day, all children, of all metatypes will conduct 'runs together, and then we as a people will raid the promised land???

 :o  ;)
Well, we now have stats for the lift capacity for performing a raid on Jerusalem.  But, honestly, what is there to steal that's worth the expenditure of fuel?  :P

Anyhow, Shadowrunning is the most Equal Opportunity Occupation ever created.  Metatypes and Non-Metahuman Sentients of all walks of life are welcome.

Well, as welcome as anyone is in an occupation full of anti-social borderline sociopathic neo-@s who shoot people in the face for money...
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: hobgoblin on <05-29-11/1235:44>
Apparently the military ones still have the lack of clarity regarding weapon mounts and launch weapons as found back in Arsenal.

Do what now? I saw a whole slew of weapon mounts listed in the standard packages for the military craft. Did you pick up the book, or are you passing along second-hand information?
Mostly that it is unclear how launch weapons and weapon mounts interact. Is it one weapon, one mount. And if so, are we talking reinforced mounts? If it is both, then those vehicles need a crapload of body (or some author handwaving) to get something that looks to have a sane loadout capacity.
Never really understood the confusion of weapon mounts. The details in Arsenal (p. 146-148) are pretty clear on how to determine weapon mounts and it's One Weapon/One Mount, just the cost of the mount differs based on the Size, Visibility, Flexibility and Control. Since Launch Weapons are almost always bigger than LMGs, they'd be reinforced mounts.
With the end result that the BF Eagle having less weapon capacity then a old F-86 Saber...
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: CanRay on <05-29-11/1250:33>
As they said in a previous e-book, "They don't build 'em like they used to."  Which is very true.

Military hardware is expensive.  Metahuman life is cheap.  So it's more boots on the ground than other elements and force multipliers.  Because it's more cost effective to use less force multipliers and just multiply the force the old fashioned way.

Such as Aztlan's "10,000 Miguel Army".  :P
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: hobgoblin on <05-29-11/1257:52>
Or send up half a dozen drones carrying missiles? Similar to how US forces operate Predator drones these days?
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: PeterSmith on <05-29-11/1335:14>
With the end result that the BF Eagle having less weapon capacity then a old F-86 Saber...

Last I checked we were talking about the Shadowrun Role-Playing Game, not the Shadowrun Historical Military Simulation. If RAW says a game-current aircraft has fewer weapon slots than a historical fighter, then it has fewer weapon slots. If your group doesn't like it, houserule it.
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: hobgoblin on <05-29-11/1338:53>
With the end result that the BF Eagle having less weapon capacity then a old F-86 Saber...

Last I checked we were talking about the Shadowrun Role-Playing Game, not the Shadowrun Historical Military Simulation. If RAW says a game-current aircraft has fewer weapon slots than a historical fighter, then it has fewer weapon slots. If your group doesn't like it, houserule it.

I know all that. I just wonder how some of the vehicles are supposed to perform their claimed role...

A Eagle that can carry barely 2 missiles or bombs, yet is supposed to operate as a fighter-bomber?
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: Mäx on <05-30-11/1055:57>
With the end result that the BF Eagle having less weapon capacity then a old F-86 Saber...

Last I checked we were talking about the Shadowrun Role-Playing Game, not the Shadowrun Historical Military Simulation. If RAW says a game-current aircraft has fewer weapon slots than a historical fighter, then it has fewer weapon slots. If your group doesn't like it, houserule it.

I know all that. I just wonder how some of the vehicles are supposed to perform their claimed role...

A Eagle that can carry barely 2 missiles or bombs, yet is supposed to operate as a fighter-bomber?
And in the other end we have problems too, because just this reason they kinda went over board with the amount of weapon mounts in WAR.
CI-89 Vicious Fighter-Bomber can atleast function as a fighter bomber with it's 11 reinforced weapon mounts, but it can also now mount 11 gauss cannons :o

Changed Arsenal to WAR a per the following comment, thats what i was supposed to write there in the first place :-[
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: hobgoblin on <05-30-11/1316:24>
With the end result that the BF Eagle having less weapon capacity then a old F-86 Saber...

Last I checked we were talking about the Shadowrun Role-Playing Game, not the Shadowrun Historical Military Simulation. If RAW says a game-current aircraft has fewer weapon slots than a historical fighter, then it has fewer weapon slots. If your group doesn't like it, houserule it.

I know all that. I just wonder how some of the vehicles are supposed to perform their claimed role...

A Eagle that can carry barely 2 missiles or bombs, yet is supposed to operate as a fighter-bomber?
And in the other end we have problems too, because just this reason they kinda went over board with the amount of weapon mounts in arsenal.
CI-89 Vicious Fighter-Bomber can atleast function as a fighter bomber with it's 11 reinforced weapon mounts, but it can also now mount 11 gauss cannons :o
That is a artifact of the mounts being generic in nature. And i think the CI-89 shows up in War, not Arsenal. Btw, going by the Arsenal mod rules that vehicle would be impossible if the mounts where not designed in.

A simple fix would be to introduce something similar to a ammo bin for launch weapons. RL military aircrafts can use racks that allow multiple bombs or missiles to attach to a single hardpoint, limited by weight and physical shape of the weapons.

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Ejector_rack#Ejector_racks

One could in theory emulate this using ammo bins, except that they eat into the mod slots at an alarming rate. Also, how do one read the "doubling" effect when the weapon have a effective ammo count of 1?
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: Sichr on <06-01-11/1225:56>
gut kauf :)

Really. Well spent money. Loe the book, things that flies, pictures, and many of them. Perfect piece for airport atmosphere :)
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: savaze on <06-01-11/1417:43>
I'm frustrated that this book is mostly ported over aircraft from Rigger 3 and not all of the stats carried with them (cargo, load, seating, entry, fuel, economy)... That's life I suppose.
Title: Re: Take to the air with Unfriendly Skies--new PDF product released!
Post by: hobgoblin on <06-04-11/1144:57>
Got some more numbers on the tactical aircrafts and basically they make little sense.

The helicopters are so so, but the fighter jets are just weird. For one thing none of the weapon mounts are listed as reinforced. The MiG got 3 mounts. Even if one consider them reinforced by default, that is maybe 1 gun and two launch weapons. And even funnier, it is more expensive then the SU. This even tho the SU brings 5 mounts to the fight. And they are both more expensive (tho easier to get hold of, then the CI-89 Vicious from War).

All in all, i think the game would be well served by someone sitting down and clearing up how Launch weapons are supposed to be used in game.