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Run Faster Out!

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Namikaze

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« Reply #75 on: <12-21-14/1148:58> »
My problem is this. When Shadowrun moved from 3rd to 4th, they also moved the timeline forward by several years. It was an implied "hey, retire your characters". I have players who have played their 4th ed characters for several years. I can't just go to those characters (one of whom, yes, plays a Free Spirit) and say "Well, you have to dump your character, because there's no rules support for you in 5th."

That is a VERY good point actually.  And I have to absolutely concede that one to you as I have no good counter-point to make.

The notion that they might put it in later books? Okay, sure, great. But I've already had to hold off switching to 5th since it came out because of this issue. So the fact that they still give me nothing, in the book I was expecting it to be in? Yeah, that's off-putting.

I can understand this, and I sympathize.  The information from 4th edition on these character types isn't likely to be so drastically different in 5th edition though as to prevent the opportunity to house rule things.  I know house rules are frustrating, but that's the way it is with any new edition.  Until the information is released, we have to adapt.  The only thing that would probably be HUGELY different in 5th edition is AIs.  The changes to the Matrix would likely make AIs a whole different animal.  They no longer have nodes to live on - presumably they just float around the Matrix.  I honestly have no clue where to begin with them.

I don't think it's too much to ask, as paying customers, to at least get an idea of what is or isn't GOING to be supported in an edition.

This would be a good idea, but there have been numerous discussions by us paying customers to try to get this sort of communication flowing, and none has happened.  The primary reason why no one can give us any kinds of dates and such is because when a date is mentioned, even off-handed, people take it to be gospel.  For instance, Street Grimoire was due out "by the end of summer" and people started using the solstice to justify the delay or to say that "end of summer" referred to September 1st.  It was insane.

Additionally, Catalyst recently underwent a major overhauling of how the books are edited, compiled, formatted, etc.  This resulted in an overall delay in all material.  Run Faster is the first book printed with the new changes, which means Catalyst probably has no clear understanding of the effects of these changes on the book publishing process.

So because of a few bad apples who take things too literally, and internal changes to the quality of books, Catalyst is gun-shy about making dates or information for products now.
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Grinder

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« Reply #76 on: <12-21-14/1508:54> »
3.  The lack of drakes, AIs and free spirits are pretty much the big leap as compared to the Runner's Companion.  Something new would be how Infected are handled, as you don't generally start with all of their powers; there's a Karma cost to 'learn' them, as it were, which makes starting as an Infected much easier and less broken.

I would also add that there are a few new Infected in there as well; which may or may not be interesting.

Tell me more!  :)

Namikaze

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« Reply #77 on: <12-21-14/1642:13> »
They're not actually new per se.  I know that a lot of Infected information was spread out across a bunch of books in previous editions, and some of the infected that Patrick Goodman wanted to implement had to be added as unofficial errata - but they were all there in some form or another.

I am curious though: Patrick, can you elaborate on the absence of the Chupacabra?  I know it was a genengineered species in the past, but is it unlikely that any more exist?  If one were to be found or reproduced, what would it's stats and powers look like?
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DeathStrobe

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« Reply #78 on: <12-21-14/1710:55> »
They're not actually new per se.  I know that a lot of Infected information was spread out across a bunch of books in previous editions, and some of the infected that Patrick Goodman wanted to implement had to be added as unofficial errata - but they were all there in some form or another.

I am curious though: Patrick, can you elaborate on the absence of the Chupacabra?  I know it was a genengineered species in the past, but is it unlikely that any more exist?  If one were to be found or reproduced, what would it's stats and powers look like?

Chupacabra's will probably make a comeback in the monster book. I don't think they're sapient so wouldn't make sense to include them in Run Faster, but that might not be what you're asking.

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« Reply #79 on: <12-21-14/1745:59> »
I am curious though: Patrick, can you elaborate on the absence of the Chupacabra?  I know it was a genengineered species in the past, but is it unlikely that any more exist?  If one were to be found or reproduced, what would it's stats and powers look like?
The chupacabra isn't a playable metahuman. Had no place in the player's companion. That said, there is a stat block on a thumb drive across town from me, waiting for a critter book. Same goes for the drop bear.
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AJCarrington

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« Reply #80 on: <12-21-14/1817:38> »
The chupacabra isn't a playable metahuman. Had no place in the player's companion. That said, there is a stat block on a thumb drive across town from me, waiting for a critter book. Same goes for the drop bear.

Appreciate that you're not hinting with this, but hope we see an updated critter book sometime in the future. Given the current full color approach, I'd be in it purely for the art ;) (though stats are nice too)

Lusis

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« Reply #81 on: <12-21-14/1849:55> »
Please, oh mighty Devs, assure us there is an Aztlan book in the works.
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Namikaze

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« Reply #82 on: <12-22-14/0139:05> »
Thanks for the reply - now I'm eagerly awaiting the Running Wild equivalent.  I assumed that the absence of some of the Infected might have been caused by this reasoning, so it's good to get confirmation and to learn that the truly freakish, horrid monsters of the world aren't being left out.  :)
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Fable

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« Reply #83 on: <12-22-14/1529:33> »
This would be a good idea, but there have been numerous discussions by us paying customers to try to get this sort of communication flowing, and none has happened.  The primary reason why no one can give us any kinds of dates and such is because when a date is mentioned, even off-handed, people take it to be gospel.  For instance, Street Grimoire was due out "by the end of summer" and people started using the solstice to justify the delay or to say that "end of summer" referred to September 1st.  It was insane.

Additionally, Catalyst recently underwent a major overhauling of how the books are edited, compiled, formatted, etc.  This resulted in an overall delay in all material.  Run Faster is the first book printed with the new changes, which means Catalyst probably has no clear understanding of the effects of these changes on the book publishing process.

So because of a few bad apples who take things too literally, and internal changes to the quality of books, Catalyst is gun-shy about making dates or information for products now.

See, though...I'm not saying specific dates. Hell, I'm not even saying GENERAL dates, necessarily. Just a nice, simple "Yes, we will be providing support for playable (AIs/Free Spirits/Drakes/What The Heck Ever) in 5th Edition" or "No, we will not be providing support for (Insert all that stuff again) in 5th Edition". I don't think that is in any way too much to ask for.
« Last Edit: <12-22-14/1532:01> by Fable »

PeterSmith

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« Reply #84 on: <12-22-14/1544:45> »
See, though...I'm not saying specific dates. Hell, I'm not even saying GENERAL dates, necessarily. Just a nice, simple "Yes, we will be providing support for playable (AIs/Free Spirits/Drakes/What The Heck Ever) in 5th Edition" or "No, we will not be providing support for (Insert all that stuff again) in 5th Edition". I don't think that is in any way too much to ask for.

Ok.

Yes, we may be supporting material that was released in previous versions of Shadowrun in 5th Edition at some point in the future.
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Namikaze

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« Reply #85 on: <12-22-14/1716:52> »
See, though...I'm not saying specific dates. Hell, I'm not even saying GENERAL dates, necessarily. Just a nice, simple "Yes, we will be providing support for playable (AIs/Free Spirits/Drakes/What The Heck Ever) in 5th Edition" or "No, we will not be providing support for (Insert all that stuff again) in 5th Edition". I don't think that is in any way too much to ask for.

You have to understand a few things about this whole process.  First off, Catalyst is hesitant to release any information about anything that will be coming out.  Dates are only a portion of that information.  Someone barely hinted at a date "at the end of summer" and it resulted in the forums exploding.  Someone else previously mentioned that rigger stuff would be in a separate book from Run & Gun and the forums exploded.  The fans here are very supportive of Shadowrun - some of us have been playing this game most of our adult lives.  So naturally we are very involved and even emotionally attached to the things we love.  But inevitably that emotional attachment results in some really REALLY vitriolic, bile-filled, god-awful crap being slung around.

So the decision was made that Catalyst wouldn't talk about any future content.  When someone even hints at future content, it can cause people to develop unrealistic expectations.  And when those expectations aren't met, people go completely guano crazy.  So when you see someone who works closely with Catalyst, like PeterSmith, saying that at some point content may exist to cover the things you may want to be covered...  he's not kidding.  It might happen - but it might not.  At any point during the editing process, content can be cut out with a flick of a wrist.  That's not to say that the decision to remove content is arbitrary, but rather that it's not hard to remove content.

Back a LONG time ago, I worked as a journalist.  If anyone's keeping track of the jobs I've mentioned that I've done, I think we're up to about 500.  I would get an assignment from my editor a week or so in advance of my deadline.  I'd then work contacts, angles, etc. for about 5 of those days.  I'd spend the 6th day writing, re-writing, and re-re-writing everything until I felt it was perfect.  And then I'd have to write it over again because the editor didn't like it.  And so there were times when my assignments came down almost to the wire, and when I turned it in and got the article green-lit, I would relax a little bit.  And it might not appear in the next paper.  There's millions of reasons why content can be removed, and it might happen at the moment right before printing begins - it's impossible to promise what will absolutely be covered at any given point.
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PiXeL01

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« Reply #86 on: <12-23-14/0428:22> »
Is it possible to receive clarification on whether a character still receives knowledge skills and contacts based on their mental stats when using the point buy or life module system?
Iirc Sum-to-10 states follow view rules in this regard but the other systems do not.
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« Reply #87 on: <12-23-14/0805:54> »
Please, oh mighty Devs, assure us there is an Aztlan book in the works.

Out of curiosity, would you rather see a 20k words on AZTLAN, or focusing on Technotitlan (sp)?
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Herr Brackhaus

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« Reply #88 on: <12-23-14/0913:08> »
Please, oh mighty Devs, assure us there is an Aztlan book in the works.

Out of curiosity, would you rather see a 20k words on AZTLAN, or focusing on Technotitlan (sp)?
Personally, I think Aztlan or even South America as a whole is more interesting than just Tenochtitlan (Nahuatl spelling).

Then again, has there ever been a sourcebook that focuses solely on the UCAS, for example, as opposed to the city-specific ones like the various Seattle sourcebooks? The only recent nation-book that comes to mind is The Land of Promise (Tir Tairngire), honestly.

Perhaps a city-focused sourcebook that focuses on South America in general would be appropriate, something like Corporate Enclaves (Los Angeles, Neo-Tokyo, Dubai, Europort, Manhattan, Nairobi, and Tenochtitlan, incidentally), Feral Cities (Chicago, Lagos, Bogota, GeMiTo, Geneva, Karavan, and Sarjevo), or Runner Havens (Hong Kong, Seattle, Capetown, Caracas, Hamburg, and Istanbul).

I have no idea how far 20k words go, but for my money I'd definitely buy a South America book, and I would personally buy an Aztlan book over "just" a Tenochtitlan book.

Lusis

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« Reply #89 on: <12-23-14/0929:44> »
+1 for a Aztlan book over a Tenochtitlan one.

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