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Originally Posted by Harlequins_Back
Two and a half sessions, of about five-six hours apiece-- one almost entirely spent in character creation, and another almost entirely spent on one single combat. The last session just kind of petered out midway through-- we got distracted by something on cable. That was long enough to know that we weren't enjoying nSR.
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Having played a few games of nSR, I have to say that I enjoy the game, despite having played every previous edition of Shadowrun as well.
The mechanics do indeed bear a similarity to nWoD, but mostly in dice-rolling. Cyberware seemed a bit underpowered compared to the original (particularly wired reflexes and the smartgun system, and one of the latter was left completely out!), but it was more a matter of perception than of actual downgrading of 'ware. While it really isn't much simpler, it definitely is more accessible in terms of mechanics. SR1, 2, and 3 showed FASA's tactical game roots, but they proved FASA
could produce an RPG without building a tactical game for it first. SR4 makes the universe easier to get into without dumbing it down.
That having been said, there's still significant room for improvement. Astral Combat does need its own list of maneuvers, Decking (I refuse to use the term Hacking; stupid continuity blips) needs its own as well, and the gear system could stand better explanation in general, as there is simply too much puzzle-piecing from the rest of the book. Many devices are mentioned by name, but there's no description of what they actually DO.
If I had to write a list of things to change, this is what it'd consist of:
1. SIMPLER CHARACTER CREATION. Don't get me wrong. I loved the purchase system from SR2 and 3. Then again, it was simpler, and better explained. This one has promise, but could benefit from better organization, and a reduced Metahuman cost.
2. ASTRAL COMBAT MANEUVERS TABLE AND EXPLANATION. Yes, one is badly needed. The mechanics might be the same, but the dice pools and maneuvers aren't. Sure, one can always reference previous edition books to get the gist of it, but if the system's been rewritten, it should include more on what it's covering. At the very least, a well-written explanation and a maneuvers table should appear in a future sourcebook.
3. CYBERCOMBAT MANEUVERS TABLE. Same as above.
4. IMPROVED GEAR LIST. This is where you find out what something is and what it does. The current gear list does neither one particularly well. Some devices seem completely fifth-wheel, as nothing is said about what they're supposed to do. I had to figure out what a few of them did from old material, and that shouldn't be necessary with a whole new game system.
5. FIX THE SLANG! This isn't the 21st century we know, and the game's terminology should reflect this. It certainly shouldn't back-borrow from slang that was discarded in game continuity in favor of in-genre terms. DECKER! HARDENING! RESPONSE! FRAG!!! Say it loud, say it proud, for you are speaking of SHADOWRUN!!
'Scuse me while I wait for errata and supplements, preferably of the free and glossy printed variety. Failing that, free PDFs will do. I like what you've done with FASA's universe, but I'll like it even better once I see some fixing.
