Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Capt_North]

So, once again i find myself in the ownership of 4th edition books, brothers friend was getting rid of his and traded him some stuff for bunch of his..

And, once again, i find myself hating this edition.. I hate point buy systems.. If i wanted to do accounting for fun, i'd be a fecking accountant! half way through character generation i find my self suddenly turning into..



Excess math dont make for a happy capt'n. I tried using chummer to help, but found i spent all my points while missing alot of the important stuff like.. you know, contacts, buying credits. ect.

*covers himself in fluffy blanket so can properly grump, kicks 4e across the room, and camps out in bunker with 3e books. and many big fusking guns.*

[bull30548]

You could look at the priority system they put in the runner's companion in 4th.  I mean not a lot of people like having very little flexibility with the priority system in third which is why in that companion there was  a point buy.  However, if you want to create characters quick and easy I like 3rd edition as well.  Also if you wanted and this is just a suggestion get the online (free I think) gm tool box and use the PACK system they have.  They do the math for you, you just look for the things that sound cool to you.  Like I would love to be a master caster but I don't want to have a lot of conjuring. Just look under the skills and you will find some blocks of stuff like that math already done for you.  Chummer also takes some getting used to as well.  Now that I have converted over probably a hundred or so NPC's I have learned two things.  One I got really good with Chummer and two NPC's suck in SR4 lol however you throw enough pawns at players they will hit them once or twice.  However, these are my own observations and imho type stuff.  I still agree with you that 3rd is better.

[Capt_North]

i've got my 3rd edition book still, heck, even my old 2nd edition. and im all for flexibility, but.. well, when i posted that i was pissed off cause i have to do excess math and budgeting. ANd it didnt feel like i was getting any more flexibility then i was using priorities. Just felt like someone was trying to sneak in "ANd this is how you balance your budget idiot". I got chummer to make a character, but still just makes it "easier" to track your budgeting. which is, you know, what i really wanna do in a game.

I like some of the stuff they do with the stuff.. but other things, i just hate. now someone can hack my fucking cyber arms and take control of them? The Fuck To you. Now someone can just go "LOl, I haxed ur cntral nervus sistum and nothing u can do bout it."

and yeah, sure its probably not that easy, but the entire thing feels like its dumbed down when i read it. i like how some things are changed, but... not enough to really sell me on it. and nobody seems to want to do 3rd edition.

... soo.. Fucks to the system, and fucks to the makers. *shrugs*

[kv]

I will be the first to admit, I wasn't happy when I saw some of the changes they made when they updated to 4th edition. I liked cyberdecks, I liked the matrix working on a light-based bacterium as a medium for storage. Having all of that information go through analog routers to a wireless carrier? Seemed like more trouble than it was worth.

But I will admit, I grew up in BBS-es and ad hoc networks, and that's more a part of my formative years than wireless networking, P2P and pinging local wireless devices- which is now an everyday occurence (don't believe me? Take your laptop on a college campus, open itunes, and see how many people around you have forgotten not to share their entire personal music library- I know I was shocked. Here's a hint: it's everyone. I found professors and faculty as well as students with their computers wide open).

I will also say that I've grown to like 4th edition. I like the simplified dice schema, I don't miss target numbers in the 30s (and trying to mentally gauge if I had enough of an armful of dice to make a success on this roll). I missed the priority system at first (I usually built skilled characters, and the priority system gave me an edge for that), but not only is that system included in runners companion, I now see the benefit of building a character from the ground up.

Download chummer- update it, load all the books, and go to town. It takes a little getting used to, but just try and recreate some of your previous characters, and you'll be surprised at how flexible the system is.

  -kv

[Capt_North]

i will admit, i do like the new dice, it gives you kind of a safety net to keep your rolls from going bad quick..

and my dad works as the network manager tech guy whats it for department of corrections, and just by listening to him i learned a good bit about wireless security, or lack of.. and as for going wireless... eh, it doesnt really bug me to completely, it struck me was weird that riggers were basicly flying wireless, but it wasnt used anywhere else.. but same time, it kinda feels almost over used..? *shrugs*

A good bit of rage from these last couple posts is from a lack of game.. Im only 2 atm, i run an only war with some friends (and having a blast) and in an exalted game.. but in exalted 90 percent of the ooc chatter is people talking about how they twinked their character and how awesome they are for it. And only war is awesome, my players are great (though one thinks we are playing Grim Derp rather then Grim Dark, but he is learning) but we only meet once a week.. and damn it! that just aint enough for me!!

I decided to retire Cap long ago as, well, he is so old, and so built up in my head, im never gonna be able to do him right in a game, so figure time to move on. Using chummer i decided to make a new character, basic street sammi. Things.. worked slowly, and frustratingly.. It would be nice if chummer let you put a max limit on how much you want to spend where, otherwise you accidently run over like i did in a couple spots (i only want.. 150 to spend in attributes, 160 for skills, 40 for contacts, ect) i know thats an easy thing to do yourself, but im not good with numbers really.  So i think the some of it is, i just need another game or something, heh.

Im still working on the character (chummer keeps crashing, though nice enough to ask me to save before it closes down, which is great cause only 80 percent of the time it saves a corrupted file over my original). I ever get him done i'll post him up so you guys can take a look.

[kv]

Patching at the start can be kind of frustrating, but once that is done, take a look through the 'Options' in the menu, and you'll get to see all the house rules you can add and tweak- want to amke a 600BP combat monster? Go ahead. Want to build with karma instead of BP? I guess you could if you wanted, but it seems needlessly complicated (although I do understand the desire to have things scale after character creation the same way they do during character creation- I don't agree, but I do understand it).

You can also use 'Omae,' which is a built-in program that allows you to upload and download characters- the generic NPCs in the books, the starter PCs, everything. People even upload their own custom characters, but I've yet to find one worth more than a second look.

One trick I learned (I had the same problem with chummer crashing like that on me), was that when I got a file to open, I immediately hit the menu and clicked 'save as,' so that I wouldn't overwrite a working file. I ended up with a lot of ~1 and ~2s, but it kept me from going insane, so I'll call it a win.

  - kv

[Capt_North]

aahh, and im just making a standard 400bp, figure make it by the book means if i find a game, more likely i can just straight submit..

and.. I have found something i like.. weapon/lifestyle customization and all..

My character lives in a place called "The Crowley Residence" actually little apartment complex..

Low comforts, has nough to be comfortable and keep the occasional guest so at the same time with in reason

Middle entertainment: Amazing how much more you can do when your not buying drek like furniture and stuff...

Middle necessities: Good bit of cash going into keeping the soy tasting like food, plenty of floor space to spread out with.

Low neighborhood: Not the prettiest or safest, but the people are nice enough.

Low security: Local gangers have some family living there which keeps them interested in keeping the place safe.

The landlord is pretty easy going, enjoys having the character (Keter) around as he helps keep things a little safe, acts as quasi on hand security/pest control. Net access is free, one of the old tenants was a technomancer who popped the area and now the building has a free connection, and just work to keep it quiet.. Its also quite well made, heavy brick construction, plenty of rebar, and just well put together.

Unfortinatly the building has trouble with its power, a good portion of its main power being from solar cells, charged batteries, and occasionally kicking up an old generator. The previous tenants also left in a bit of a hurry so on occasion someone comes looking for him, one guy even pissed on my fragging rug. Theres also the occasional phone call for one of the local businesses as well, though, its kind of interisting hearing the awkward pause when you answer with "This is Moist Jimmys Gourmet assmeats! Do this be delivery or take out!"

Of course.. Then theres the problem with the occasional unfriendly spirit....

His signature guns a Ruger super-warhawk, quick draw holster with 2 speed loaders, increased capacity cylinder, smartgun system, skinlinked with advanced safety (basic sys) as well as a personalized Gecko grip. He side works as gun repair/crafting/customization. when someone asks how good he is, this is his resume.

When/if he loses it, its gonna hurt worse then when he lost both his arms...

[Capt_North]

And i found it again.. what keeps you coming back EVERYTIME the shopping.. the joy of shopping, picking out equipment, putting it together, kitting out, and getting ready to go..

[Capt_North]

Heres a question thats possibly been asked.. but is it possible to put gas vents on heavy pistols? Help compensate some of that recoil for the guns akimbo, or high caliber mods/ammo or such? Or was it dropped for a balance sort of thing or what? mainly asking as the book mentions machine pistols, but nothign bout heavies..

[bull30548]

Gas vent is covered under page 152 of Arsenal under the weapon modification section.  Unfortunately, it states only for machine pistol, smg, assault rifle, and machine guns.  I will state that recoil for eavy pistols only occur if you fire more than one shot in a combat round.  High powered chambering modification is in War book.   It is on page 156 of the book and states that it is incompatible with high velocity.  If you got more I think we have a thread just for SR4 questions somewhere I know I have started at least 2.

[Capt_North]

*nods* The character i got in mind uses a pair of pistols, not for "more dakka" but lets him take more controlled shots, and carry special clips for the pistols containing situation appropriate ammo (anti armor, explosive, gel, tracer, ect)

And when there is the time needs more Dakka, any uncomped recoil from one gun counts towards the other being fired. Nothing really big, just kinda, rolling things over in my head. heh

[Ingo Monk]

I'm on the fence, I can enjoy both the priority and the build point system.  I feel however that the build-point system allows for more customization of the character, which appeals to the internal min-maxer demon inside of me haha!  Being a professional nerd I had no issues throwing together a spreadsheet that tracked all the BP I used when creating a character.

When I GM it's an entirely different matter, I just write down stats and give skills/abilities/gear/etc. as I feel necessary.  I find that as long as I know the system well enough I can make NPCs this way that are a good challenge but not a brick wall for the players.  Of course if I mess up I can always add/remove dice from the rolls I make.  It's about game play and not specifics after all

I've been meaning to get into Chummer at KV's recommendation, I just haven't gotten around to it.  Actually I haven't had much time the last 6 months or so to do anything RPG related at all!  It bugs me a little but I'm sure I'll eventually find time for it again.

-Ingo

[Capt_North]

*nodnod* Chummer is pretty awesome.. Only done a "Vanilla" style character, human street sam, but it has some good charm, ad when shopping its handy in that it will tell you things like what book said item is in and what page (though its wrong on the core book parts) And, i'll admit, just kinda fun to dink with.

[kv]

I think the 'core' book pages numbers refer to the Anniversary edition (or maybe they refer to the original printing, and I'm remembering it wrong), so there's that.

Chummer is awesome. Go download chummer.

  - kv

[The Laughing Man]

It really is flexible, on a 400 bp build I came up with a Troll unarmed fighter/grappler that held a bottle necked tunnel on his own for multiple turns against guys in armor and guns. I went down but with enough time for the rest of the team to drive out the enemies coming from the other side and come to save the day. Good times