Shadowrun RPG > SR5 (Shadowrun 5th Edition) General Discussion
Differences between Editions
APOCALYPSE:
This is a great explanation and helpful.
After hearing so far then think I’m going to start back with 2nd edition then slowly work my way up to the new one.
I’m not in a hurry and see most of the books are pretty reasonable.
Plus got a great online source thanks to a pub chummer.
I’ll keep you posted as I get back into this.
Zone:
Going to join the 2/3 camp, You can cherry pick these and basically you get the game it should be. I did play 4 once but it did not blow my skirt up (Where is Gabe when I drop lines like that). My spouse hates all the 4 and up redos and points at 5 as a hot mess, the magic system gives him hives. I can't say, not having read the book, but take it as you wish. Neither of us knows anything about 6 but I found a review of it for you: https://www.geeknative.com/68602/it-says-shadowrun-on-the-cover-a-review-of-shadowrun-6e/
APOCALYPSE:
Has Gabe frequented recently? Curious how that guy has been doing.
Seems the consensus on 6th is pretty consistent. I’ve been combing various places and most say about the same. A couple good things but most bad. However, I got to say that the “Purple” comment was the first that I had read and now I can see it....
ROOTless:
--- Quote from: APOCALYPSE on March 08, 2021, 12:15:51 PM ---Has Gabe frequented recently? Curious how that guy has been doing.
--- End quote ---
Haven't seen him in a while.
As for the editions thing...
In 3rd (and to a slightly lesser extent 2nd), there was a very healthy principle: You always know how many dice you have. What varies is the Target Number. 4th and later editions, this was thrown out with the bathwater. And I tend to believe this was an absolutely horrible game design decision, and that whomever made that decision, should've lost the SR license, right then and there.
Ingo Monk:
--- Quote from: ROOTless on March 09, 2021, 04:53:17 PM ---
--- Quote from: APOCALYPSE on March 08, 2021, 12:15:51 PM ---Has Gabe frequented recently? Curious how that guy has been doing.
--- End quote ---
Haven't seen him in a while.
As for the editions thing...
In 3rd (and to a slightly lesser extent 2nd), there was a very healthy principle: You always know how many dice you have. What varies is the Target Number. 4th and later editions, this was thrown out with the bathwater. And I tend to believe this was an absolutely horrible game design decision, and that whomever made that decision, should've lost the SR license, right then and there.
--- End quote ---
That's an excellent point about the adjusting target numbers vs adjusting dice pools.
I recall in SR2 there were dice pools which were calculated based on stats/skills that you could allocate per combat turn (not round). You still rolled dice based on your skills, but you could focus more on attack or defense, spell casting or drain, etc. by adjusting your skill pool with these calculated pools (which for the life of me I can't recall the name of). Exploding 6's were required in a lot of scenarios. Attributes were really just there as limiters to skills and defining karma costs, and only really used with direct tests (i.e. Body to resist damage, Strength to lift something).
In SR3 they did away with this calculated dice pool model, dice pools were just stat + skill IIRC. There was still adjusting target numbers but the system was more straightforward than SR2.
SR4 basically took SR3's system, removed the adjusting target numbers (essentially TN is always 5), and test modifiers either added or removed dice from your pool, which means you sometimes needed a lot of D6's and by nature there were a lot of opposed tests. As ROOT is pointing out, it took away from some of the essence of SR. The main reason I liked it is because it made being a GM way easier... just add or remove dice from the player or your pool to adjust difficulty. In SR3 I found myself referencing the charts on the GM screen often while in SR4 I found myself just calling out plus or minus dice to the players.
Essentially, with each new edition the required amount of math was reduced... which means SR6 at this point is Kindergarten level math? :bob:
Gabe hasn't posted since 2007, and hasn't logged in since 2011 or so. I used to have him as a friend on Facebook but I just looked and I don't see him anymore. Last I recall he was still on the east coast of the US and had gotten married. :o
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