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HailDiscordia
2009-10-07, 07:50 PM
Thinking about starting up a Shadowrun game when our current D&D campaign comes to an end (probably a couple months), but I'm not sure which edition to go with. I've played it a bunch when I was younger (1st edition I assume) and then again a couple of years ago (3rd edition?). I've always enjoyed the world a ton, but sort of loathe the mechanics. Anyway, I guess I'm asking what books I should get. I see that 4th edition is well reviewed, but there is also a 20th anniversary edition as well.

Also, no one I'm playing with has ever run the shadows before so I would like to keep it simple. Suggestions?

Raum
2009-10-07, 08:01 PM
The 20th aniversary edition is 4th edition with errata updated and a few extras...I'd get it if those are your choices. :)

In general, the consensus seems to put 2nd or 3rd as the best setting with 4th having the best mechanics. Of course there are exceptions. :)

Darkameoba
2009-10-07, 08:13 PM
I would go for 3rd edition for for sure, it is in my opinion the best of them, however if you don't already own the 3rd edition books, go 4th edition. as 4th is a close second.

jmbrown
2009-10-07, 08:16 PM
I'll agree with the "4E has better mechanics, 3E has better fluff" bit. I miss the jargon that came with Shadowrun. Instead of using cusswords they had their own lexicon for each race and culture. It was pretty cool.

For new players, I'd introduce them to the matrix and magic slowly. Messing with spirits and jacking into the matrix requires additional work on the GM and player's part.

John Campbell
2009-10-07, 09:12 PM
I prefer the 3E mechanics, myself, but I realize that not everyone does. If you didn't like 3E, give 4E a try. They changed the system pretty significantly for 4E, simplified a lot of stuff, integrated the decker-types into what the rest of the party was doing better.

Oracle_Hunter
2009-10-07, 09:33 PM
3E is the best "nostalgia" Shadowrun, for sure. I mean, 4E has wireless cyberware for crying out loud!

Of course, 3E rules are clunky as hell. Having picked up a few old modules I'm getting a real craving to run one... but then I look at the rules for Explosion Rebounding and Shotgun Choke and that enthusiasm just dies.

4E is (as far as I've heard) super-streamlined. Compared to other systems, I don't know how it stacks up, but it has to be easier to use than 3E.

HailDiscordia
2009-10-07, 10:36 PM
Thanks for the advice, good stuff all around. I suppose I will give 4th a shot for the sake of mechanics and trust in myself enough as a GM to create a good world. That's a total bummer that a lot of the jargon was left out of 4th ed, that is some of the stuff that I really liked about it. The potential players seemed real excited from the way I explained it, so hopefully that will carry over whenever we get around to starting up a game.

Seriously, what an awesome world SR is. I remember reading those first rule books sometime around 1992 (maybe 1993? Really, where does it go?) and thinking it was the coolest stuff ever. The art was excellent as well.

Lost Demiurge
2009-10-08, 09:50 AM
Thanks for the advice, good stuff all around. I suppose I will give 4th a shot for the sake of mechanics and trust in myself enough as a GM to create a good world. That's a total bummer that a lot of the jargon was left out of 4th ed, that is some of the stuff that I really liked about it. The potential players seemed real excited from the way I explained it, so hopefully that will carry over whenever we get around to starting up a game.

Seriously, what an awesome world SR is. I remember reading those first rule books sometime around 1992 (maybe 1993? Really, where does it go?) and thinking it was the coolest stuff ever. The art was excellent as well.

Well, the cool thing about Shadowrun is that the little setting details are mostly independent of the rules. If you want cool jargon, throw it in! If you don't like the map, change it.

Or just take a city or region that the book doesn't cover, and make up whatever you want about it. Do what you want with it, and when you get bored with it, make a run that takes your pc's to a different place.

Britter
2009-10-08, 10:33 AM
If you choose to use an older system, my advice is to:

1) Provide the players with an NPC to do their decking for them off camera

2) Ignore any and all incredibly complicated sub-rules, like shotgun spread or blasts in confined spaces.

3) Be willing to play fast and loose with the rules.

Shadowrun pre-4e is a system that can be easily bogged down in minutiae, and when it takes 45 minutes or more to play out a 3 second round of combat, you do tend to lose players interest. I am sure 4e can fall victim to the same issues, but I am only passingly familiar with that playstyle, so I can't comment intelligently on it.

I have been running Shadowrun games for about a decade, and my most sucsessful ones honestly have only the most basic connections to the default rules, and I focus on simplifying things as much as possible.

Also, be advised that any and all editions of Shadowrun can be extremely deadly. Players should be aware of this and act appropriately.

kjones
2009-10-08, 10:36 AM
kjones@deus:~$ which shadowrun
/usr/bin/shadowrun4e

Sorry, just a bit of geeky humor... I've played 4th edition, it works pretty well. Take a look at the Ends of the Matrix (http://tgdmb.com/viewtopic.php?t=48836&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=aabc7ba2ae63e9d44e54f1fdce66671f) houserules if you don't like the matrix rules as-is.

HailDiscordia
2009-10-08, 01:04 PM
If you choose to use an older system, my advice is to:

1) Provide the players with an NPC to do their decking for them off camera

It's rare that I ban anything from a player in a game, but I am going to say no deckers. It's just sort of boring to be doing your matrix thing while the rest of the party sits around.



3) Be willing to play fast and loose with the rules.

That's the plan. Since they don't know the system at all I doubt anyone is going to argue with me. I'm fair and so are they. It's a healthy marriage.



Also, be advised that any and all editions of Shadowrun can be extremely deadly. Players should be aware of this and act appropriately.

Yes! It's one of the best things about it. They are used to high mortality rates in my D&D, this should be no surprise.

Another_Poet
2009-10-08, 02:07 PM
I recommend 4e based on your criteria (simple for new players to pick up). There actually isn't an edition of Shadowrun that is truly simple to pick up, they all have complicated rules, but 4e is the closest thing. Some of the changes include better healing, faster recovery time, and less clunky combat mechanics.

Do what Britter said and you should be able to get your group into the swing do things easily enough.

I'd also recommend that you read the main book in enough detail that you can automatically flip to the sections on races, qualities, skills, weapons/gear, cyberware, and magic. The books are not laid out really well and don't cross-reference enough, so if you can find things easily it will really help your characters.

Expect a full session for char gen the first time they make characters, and suggest they not use the "archetypes" (pre-built characters) in the book as most of them are actually rather poorly built.

If you can get the hang of the rules you are in for an awesome game.

ap