SR4
Huh. At the Source on Sunday, no SR4. Call on Monday to see when they'll get it in. They got it in. Not only that, but when I mention they didn't have it Sunday, the guy's like, "Are you sure you were at the Source?" I've decided this near idiotic form of customer service is actually part of the draw to the place. Nonetheless, I swung by and grabbed Shadowrun 4th edition and a D&D minis booster pack.
Saw that Wizkids has an Axis&Allies style clicky game now. That's purty cool.
Anyway, a lot of changes in SR4. This is only a mini-review as i'm just 1/3 through the book.
No more priorities during character creation. Now you get a set number of build points to make your character with. Making a character is now like building an army in a Wizkids clicky game, especially considering the "recommended" build is 400 points, but the number really determined by the GM.
Stats changed a bit in the sense of what's derived and what isn't. Because of the way the dice system has been reworked Agility and Charisma are significantly more important than previously. This is the ONLY rules reason I've discovered as to why elves cost 10 more BP than Orks while orks get more stat bonuses (but the decreased maxes for them bring the total bonus/penalty down to being equal with elves numerically). Kind of miffs me, because it lends to the impression that elves cost more because they're more rare in the world or something....
Skill groups are back, so you can buy Firearms, instead of buying Pistols, SMGs, etc, individually, but you CAN still buy them individually. There's a max 250K nuyen on resources now. Don't know if cyber/bioware has been reduced costwise, too, haven't made it that far.
For all "tests" (die rolls), the target number is now 5, across the board. You roll a number of die equal to your skill + the appropriate attribute, and these die are added to or subtracted from based on the situation. That's a BIG change from just modifying the target number. A "threshold" is set to indicate how many "hits" (5 or 6 on a die) are needed to succeed. Opposed rolls compare the number of hits.
That's obviously the biggest change game wise. Doesn't bother me either way, but I don't see how adjusting the number of dice rolled is any easier than adjusting the target number. Easier to track hits, I guess, because the "rule of six" has changed. Still, it's such a flip from the original for no reason that's apparent to me. I should try to find some design journals on that, I guess.
Haven't made it to combat, yet, so I don't know how recoil, etc, is calculated. You can't very well drop a die for each bullet fired in a full auto burst and have any hope of hitting....
More later, and look for reviews on Freeport: City of Adventure and Crime & Punishment (if I ever finish it. At this point, I'd just be reading it for review purposes).
Saw that Wizkids has an Axis&Allies style clicky game now. That's purty cool.
Anyway, a lot of changes in SR4. This is only a mini-review as i'm just 1/3 through the book.
No more priorities during character creation. Now you get a set number of build points to make your character with. Making a character is now like building an army in a Wizkids clicky game, especially considering the "recommended" build is 400 points, but the number really determined by the GM.
Stats changed a bit in the sense of what's derived and what isn't. Because of the way the dice system has been reworked Agility and Charisma are significantly more important than previously. This is the ONLY rules reason I've discovered as to why elves cost 10 more BP than Orks while orks get more stat bonuses (but the decreased maxes for them bring the total bonus/penalty down to being equal with elves numerically). Kind of miffs me, because it lends to the impression that elves cost more because they're more rare in the world or something....
Skill groups are back, so you can buy Firearms, instead of buying Pistols, SMGs, etc, individually, but you CAN still buy them individually. There's a max 250K nuyen on resources now. Don't know if cyber/bioware has been reduced costwise, too, haven't made it that far.
For all "tests" (die rolls), the target number is now 5, across the board. You roll a number of die equal to your skill + the appropriate attribute, and these die are added to or subtracted from based on the situation. That's a BIG change from just modifying the target number. A "threshold" is set to indicate how many "hits" (5 or 6 on a die) are needed to succeed. Opposed rolls compare the number of hits.
That's obviously the biggest change game wise. Doesn't bother me either way, but I don't see how adjusting the number of dice rolled is any easier than adjusting the target number. Easier to track hits, I guess, because the "rule of six" has changed. Still, it's such a flip from the original for no reason that's apparent to me. I should try to find some design journals on that, I guess.
Haven't made it to combat, yet, so I don't know how recoil, etc, is calculated. You can't very well drop a die for each bullet fired in a full auto burst and have any hope of hitting....
More later, and look for reviews on Freeport: City of Adventure and Crime & Punishment (if I ever finish it. At this point, I'd just be reading it for review purposes).
posted by Amazing Shafeman at 2:03 PM
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