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[APOCALYPSE]

Hello Pubbers,

My kid is out of the house (if you can believe that or not, one more year till she graduates university) and my wife and starts boardgaming last year. This has finally led me back to my love of Shadowrun and interest from my wife so...
I have slowly started getting back into Shadowrun after many many years so have been slowly reading and reviewing the various editions.

I am starting with the 2nd Edition (mainly for nostalgic reasons and the book I first got) and going through the various editions. Obviously there is a sixth edition now.
So I’m debating to get each edition just for fun or just stick with editions 2,5, and 6. I’m assuming that 6 would cover previous history in previous editions but no ideas as I haven’t gotten that far yet.

Does anyone have any reference or know the differences between the editions?
Also, would just a 2nd edition and 6th edition be enough to delve back into the Shadowrun world?

Thoughts, advise, comments (good or bad) is welcome.
Look forward to responses.

[ROOTless]

2nd and 3rd are very similar. So much so that 3rd mostly feels like a bugfix for 2nd. Except that the rules from Virtual Realities 2 became the default Matrix rule. ...and I firmly believe that to be an improvement.

I haven't played 4th ed or any of the later ones. As far I've been able to tell, they took the then-latest version of the Storyteller system, changed the dice from d10 to d6 and called it a day. And since that version of Storyteller wasn't much worth my time, I've stuck with 2nd/3rd edition myself.

As for the 6th edition ... I have yet to hear anyone utter a kind word about it. Sadly. I'd like to though.

[APOCALYPSE]

Ok. Good comments. From research, seems to coincide with what you are saying and I believe your word over most of the internet....lol.
I’m buying a 2nd edition soon then thinking to collect the others as I can.
I think I mainly want to catch up on history as would be interesting to play in the various decades potentially.

Hopefully some of the other pubbers pop in with some comments.
Also, hoping to refresh and get lost in the shadows again.

[ROOTless]

Hopefully some of the other pubbers pop in with some comments.

That would be awesome!

Also, hoping to refresh and get lost in the shadows again.

I know the feeling!

[APOCALYPSE]

How often have others been dropping by?
I see Ingo and Jester and Kid Vid here and there.

I love getting back into Shadowrun.
It been an interesting journey back into the Shadowrun and shows me what I have missed all these years.
We literally have been boardinggaming and upping the challenge each time of games. I stumbled upon a deck building game called Shadowrun Crossfire Prime Runner. Surprisingly, my wife had been enjoying so she said maybe she might be willing to give the real thing a try.

This led me to the books and I have been able to find a lot in the Matrix which has been great. So I’m getting just the core response or books then downloading or printing the rest.
I found The London Sourcebook, Dunkelzhan’s Secrets, Harlequin among many other delightful ones that I remember.

It’s been really exciting and trying to just get the stuff I like.
Got a second edition on the way now then will get the third but just debating to jump to sixth mainly for history info and see what I missed.

[ROOTless]

Zone was here a lot until recently.

[APOCALYPSE]

Hopefully she drops back in as wouldn’t mind to hear her thoughts.

[Capt_North]

Ha! Look what the cat dragged back in!!! Welcome back ya old dragon!!

Sadly, my shadowrun esition knowledge is fairly limited. Ive found i like 5th,, seems to flow smoothly, and disliked 4th, felt rather jank.

Though one game i almost joined the gm was hesitant to go from 4th to 5th, but then jumped full hearted after a couple games, and shes a pretty big SR fan. Havent heard much about 6th, aside from the little starter thing got a right paddling.

[APOCALYPSE]

Hey Capt’n

Good to hear another familiar voice.
Good to hear the comments as I’m really starting fresh so got a lot to catch up on but looking forward to it.
I’m starting back with second edition as just need to remember things first. Even old age catches up with a dragon.

[Capt_North]

Yup. All ive heard is 3rds 2 with a fresh paint job and new radio. 5th fixes things up pretty well as well.

... 4th.. eeehhh. They introduced wireless and pushed a lot of ideas i still find stupid, like to trigger spurs as a free action it has to be a wireless connection... cause evidently before having it plugged directly to your nervous system didnt work. Its small stuff that just doesnt make sense to me but is pushed cause someone got a bug spirit up their ass about wireless.

This does continue into 5th, but carries same issues still. It doesnt even fix anything. Youd expect wireless mods to cost less essence as they dont have to dig through your body as much... but essence cost is still the same. Smartguns now get constant weather updates and all to help adjust for windage and such, but give the same bonus as wired, not counting options of dropping mag wirelessly, firing mode selection, ect...

But it also comes with the threat of getting hacked. Now guys can make your smartgun spaz out, eject mag, throw off aim major, and if you have a triggerless mod start firing randomly.

Its just dumb and badly written. Why would wireless make it so you can do all these things as free actions, but being wired you cant? Its not like wifi is faster.

Anyways. Thats my big grump with current stuff.

[APOCALYPSE]

Makes sense what you are saying. Sounds like someone got excited to add something but didn’t think it through especially with wireless versus wired. What about magic? Any differences there?
Does sixth edition fix this at all?

When I get to the point then may have to make my own rule modifiers....

[ROOTless]

Hopefully she drops back in as wouldn’t mind to hear her thoughts.

Seconded.

[ROOTless]

Its just dumb and badly written. Why would wireless make it so you can do all these things as free actions, but being wired you cant? Its not like wifi is faster.

I understand the parallels to phones and all that. But we've been digging control chips out of vehicles since 2nd/3rd edition. If I was taking my gun out for absolutely any type of black op, I'd turn off the wireless before I left home. Both to not broadcast my location constantly, but also to keep it from going BSoD from some silly update in the middle of a gunfight.

Silly.

[Capt_North]

Its just dumb and badly written. Why would wireless make it so you can do all these things as free actions, but being wired you cant? Its not like wifi is faster.

I understand the parallels to phones and all that. But we've been digging control chips out of vehicles since 2nd/3rd edition. If I was taking my gun out for absolutely any type of black op, I'd turn off the wireless before I left home. Both to not broadcast my location constantly, but also to keep it from going BSoD from some silly update in the middle of a gunfight.

Silly.

Yeah, cept now its not just your gun, but your arm being controlled wirelessly. So less you just want them to hang limp at your sides while your running around..

granted its suppose to be a VERY short range network thing, i've heard between like 20 yards and 3 feet being the range someone has to be to hack you... but still. it just feels like it was jammed in to try and push something. They could ahve easily given the option of a wired one that has a higher essence cost, but better security while still having those same options, and wireless, which has a good deal lower essence, but those security holes (maybe even some extra options like quick connect, dont need to buy a palmpad for your smartgun as its already connecting wirelessly)

[APOCALYPSE]

The more I hear the more it sounds like some special mods are needed now especially to compensate for these issues.

And changes in magic? Or still the same?