[Mirikon]

So I have the old version of Arsenal, and I was wondering what changes there were between the original version and the new version that came out recently, besides the much cooler cover art? Is it worth it to get the new version?

[Mason]

They probably put in all the errata. I don't know for sure, sorry.

[jonathanc]

Am I the only one who liked the artwork on the original printing of Arsenal?

[Mirikon]

The old art wasn't bad, but the new art is AWESOME!

[jonathanc]

Hmm....just checked the new art out.....nope. I like the old one better. The new art looks like it could belong to any modern RPG; it's just a random, bland human guy in a black trenchcoat and sunglasses, bristling with generic guns.

The old art was SHADOWRUN. A badass ork chick posing on top of an armored vehicle with a rocket launcher, surrounded by a wide variety of guns. No offense to the new artist; I don't know what parameters he was given for the project, but the old art looks much more flavorful to me. There should be metas on the cover of ever SR book, IMO. We especially need more Trolls and Dwarves.

[Nebular]

The first printing of Arsenal and the "new" printing of Arsenal are exactly the same except for the page numbers and the cover. They really screwed up the book, losing all of the changes from the second printing and not incorporating the errata. Apparently whomever did the revision used the first printing material. Jason had said they were going to say something shortly after GenCon about the possibility of updating the book to what it should be, but we haven't heard anything about it since a few weeks before GenCon. Unless you don't have Arsenal at all it's just not worth it, and even then I'd hold out until they do the right thing and correct it.

[Mirikon]

Thanks, Nebular! That's what I needed to know.

[Crash_00]

Hmm....just checked the new art out.....nope. I like the old one better. The new art looks like it could belong to any modern RPG; it's just a random, bland human guy in a black trenchcoat and sunglasses, bristling with generic guns.

The old art was SHADOWRUN. A badass ork chick posing on top of an armored vehicle with a rocket launcher, surrounded by a wide variety of guns. No offense to the new artist; I don't know what parameters he was given for the project, but the old art looks much more flavorful to me. There should be metas on the cover of ever SR book, IMO. We especially need more Trolls and Dwarves.

Pretty sure the new art is an ork also. Take a good look at the face. They both say shadowrun to me. The new art feels more sleek and professional, while the old art had more of the classic punk feel. That said, I like the new art better just because things seem proportioned right.

All said though, I still think that the art from the first page in the book (with the human standing behind the counter, guns on the wall, and an AR display giving data) should have been the cover instead of either piece used.

[CanRay]

Maybe I'm just old, but I want more punks...

[jonathanc]

Hmm....just checked the new art out.....nope. I like the old one better. The new art looks like it could belong to any modern RPG; it's just a random, bland human guy in a black trenchcoat and sunglasses, bristling with generic guns.

The old art was SHADOWRUN. A badass ork chick posing on top of an armored vehicle with a rocket launcher, surrounded by a wide variety of guns. No offense to the new artist; I don't know what parameters he was given for the project, but the old art looks much more flavorful to me. There should be metas on the cover of ever SR book, IMO. We especially need more Trolls and Dwarves.

Pretty sure the new art is an ork also. Take a good look at the face. They both say shadowrun to me. The new art feels more sleek and professional, while the old art had more of the classic punk feel. That said, I like the new art better just because things seem proportioned right.

All said though, I still think that the art from the first page in the book (with the human standing behind the counter, guns on the wall, and an AR display giving data) should have been the cover instead of either piece used.

To each their own, but honestly, I can't find anything to love about the new cover. If that guy is an ork, then he's got smaller tusks than the gunslinger adept from the main book. And I refuse to accept the idea that dressing head to toe in black like you're cosplaying as Neo qualifies as "professional".

[CanRay]

And the guy with the fiberoptic mohawk, the leather jacket with the buttons, chains, spikes, and the Anarchy Symbol spray painted on the back is? 

Professional is what gets the job done.  The Armoured Duster has been the "Uniform" of Shadowrunners for a long time now (predating "The Matrix") as you're able to more easily conceal firearms and other gear under it and it protects the legs as well as the torso and arms.  FastJack called it the "Standard Streetwear of Shadowrunners" or some such in Street Samurai Catalog way back in '90. 

But, to be fair, wearing something that makes you blend in is what is needed, that's professional.

[jonathanc]

And the guy with the fiberoptic mohawk, the leather jacket with the buttons, chains, spikes, and the Anarchy Symbol spray painted on the back is? 

Professional is what gets the job done.  The Armoured Duster has been the "Uniform" of Shadowrunners for a long time now (predating "The Matrix") as you're able to more easily conceal firearms and other gear under it and it protects the legs as well as the torso and arms.  FastJack called it the "Standard Streetwear of Shadowrunners" or some such in Street Samurai Catalog way back in '90. 

But, to be fair, wearing something that makes you blend in is what is needed, that's professional.

The armored duster was the uniform of the gunbunny. Time gone by, deckers looked like deckers, mages looked like mages, shamans looked like shamans, at least in the official art. Also, the duster comes in more colors than just black....wasn't the mage on the cover of the 2nd ed book (reprinted on the inner cover of SR4A) wearing a brown one with western-style tassels?

I don't hate all of the new art; I thought SR4A had  nicer art in general than SR4. It just feels like some of the books are almost embarrassed to be Shadowrun, and would rather be some other, more generic shoot 'em up game.

[CanRay]

You mean like this?

[jonathanc]

Sure, why not?

[Argent]

Maybe I'm just old, but I want more punks...

Or rockers ala SR1?