Shadowrun v4.0: old news, but what's changed?

ak404 · Post by **ak404** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:50 pm

While in the bookstore last night, I spied a copy of SR4.0. I went over the role-playing stuff, mostly, not paying attention to the mechanics, but from what I understand, Captain Chaos is dead, the Matrix is gone, there're a new set of megas, otaku have advanced to something else, and...what's this about dice pools?

Jeff Hauze · Post by **Jeff Hauze** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:51 pm

You want rules changes? Or metagame changes?

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:44 pm

Or, if we're being really up to date, the company change?

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:14 am

If I read you correctly the few times I've met you in person, nothing has changed to make this game worth buying for you. Everything it does with the rules is shit you could care less about, and certainly wouldn't want to pay cash money for. Meta-game wise little enough has changed to make it worth buying.

End result, SR4 in part killed my desire to play Shadowrun. I haven't touched an SR book in...9 months now? I'm considering asking 3278 if he has room to store them, because I have no desire to even have them taking up space in my house.

ak404 · Post by **ak404** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:18 pm

Jeff Hauze wrote:You want rules changes? Or metagame changes?

The metagame changes, mostly.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 12:48 am

Well, it's five years after the events of System Failure, which means things start out at 2050. The most notable change in the setting is the pervasiveness of WiFi Matrix access, which has spread to damn near everything. Credsticks and cyberdecks have given way to commlinks, relatively small communication devices that everyone uses to access and interact with the Matrix in real-time (the so-called Augmented Reality).

Otaku as you know them are gone, and are replaced with technomancers-which are like otaku, but wireless and they have to shave and/or use tampons. The newest big plot book, Emergence is geared toward technomancers and other Matrix developments.

Instead of the old style where the books were presented as file compilations to Shadowland, the new books focus on a select group of shadowrunners vetted by FastJack in a p2p network called JackPoint. As before, files are uploaded and commented on, but there's a fixed cast of shadowtalkers, with a guests brought in when specialist info is needed.

Other than that, there's some metaplot that has moved forward and might be interesting to you, but it doesn't effect the metagame as a whole. Like the mayoral race for Seattle.

Jeff Hauze · Post by **Jeff Hauze** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 4:22 am

Ancient History wrote:Well, it's five years after the events of System Failure, which means things start out at 2050.

The freelancer SR writer guy totally did mean to say 2070 there.

ak404 · Post by **ak404** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 4:29 am

System Failure?

Jeff Hauze · Post by **Jeff Hauze** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 4:46 am

SR adventure/metaplot book that was sort of the end of SR3 and the birth of SR4. Simple summary? Deus from the Arcology go smashy-smashy. Winternight go nukey-nukey. Matrix fall down go boom. Wireless Matrix make everybody yell yeah.

ak404 · Post by **ak404** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 11:13 am

Woah, they made Winternight a serious threat?

And here I thought they were something of a joke; adventure module or novel?

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 11:27 am

Jeff Hauze wrote:
Ancient History wrote:Well, it's five years after the events of System Failure, which means things start out at 2050.
The freelancer SR writer guy totally did mean to say 2070 there.

Typo.

Woah, they made Winternight a serious threat?

They gave it a game try.

And here I thought they were something of a joke; adventure module or novel?

Plot book/'campaign.' Not fully fleshed-out adventures like Brainscan or anything.

TLM · Post by **TLM** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 7:27 pm

Haven't touched SR4 as of yet, but... I always thought Winternight were kind of cool, and I have used them as a serious threat in my old SR games.

Kai · Post by **Kai** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:37 pm

It was a warm fuzzy day to see Winternight cause someone to say 'oh shit'

Ampere · Post by **Ampere** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:58 pm

Kai wrote:It was a warm fuzzy day to see Winternight cause someone to say 'oh shit'

Heheheheh, yeah, I imagine so.