Shadowrun
Catalyst Game Labs => Catalyst's Shadowrun Products => Topic started by: Backgammon on <08-11-14/1510:26>
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Latest Enhanced Fiction story is out, Nothing Personal.
This story clocks in at over 20k words, so it is roughly twice as long as Vladivostok Gauntlet. It is NOT a sequel to Vladivostom Gauntlet, it is a whole new story with new characters.
Mr. Johnson. You know the name. You probably know the face—smooth, implacable, professional. He’s got the nuyen and resources you want, and he knows it. He may not have your skills, but he doesn’t care. That’s what he has the nuyen for—so he can buy yours. He’s corporate through and through, and you can’t ever forget that, because if you do, that’s when he sells you out for the good of his corp. But he’ll stay professional, of course, right up until the moment he slides the knife smoothly into your back. He’s useful, that Mr. Johnson, but every time you meet him, every time you have to deal with his double-crosses, his condescending put-downs, his smug superiority, you wish that the day would come when the tables were turned, when he was forced out on the street with nothing but his wits and street skills—whatever those might be—to keep him alive.
Well, good news. Sometimes wishes come true, even in the Sixth World. Mr. Johnson is about to meet the street, and you’ve got a ringside seat.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shadowrun-Nothing-Personal-Olivier-Gagnon-ebook/dp/B00MLQXQ9I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407783945&sr=8-1&keywords=nothing+personal+shadowrun
Battleshop: http://www.battlecorps.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=28_187_241&products_id=3354
Please let me know what you think :)
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Nice to see this...looking forward to picking it up once back in the land of wifi :).
An aside, the next SR Missions scenario has also been released :)
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Picked up the Kindle version and saw it did not have game stats then found a link on drive thru RPG and another link on main site and both did not load game stats. Does anyone have a better link to follow?
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Awesome. I'll start reading it after I finish Frost and Fire.
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Frankie (and anyone else) - I'll sent the comment up the ladder. Hopefully this can get fixed before GenCon, otherwise it might got to next week. But don't worry - you'll get the stats for sure sooner or later.
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I read through it today and found it a rather good read. The protagonist of the story is unusual but that just adds to the entirety of it all. I would recommend it to others to read.
I did however encounter a few little snags when reading it. Does that first page really did to be that descriptive? I know it adds to the character building, but still are all those details necessary?
Also the implants of two of the characters, Angel and Irish does not match when comparing the description within the story and their profiles.
Definitely four stars out of five.
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Thanks for the feedback!
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I enjoyed it, there were a number of touches--like how First Impression would work--that I thought you pulled off well.
A few quick thoughts. I apologize for the format, but I'm at work so I'm going for speed.
1. It's not an error, but the switch in tense in the first paragraph ("What I got...." vs. "What I have..." is jarring to the reader since you're establishing the first-person present tense narrative.
2. I'm sure it's done to evoke stream of consciousness, but the number of "Anyway" on the first page alone is distracting. It's repeated throughout, so I take it that you were establishing a personality quirk, but it makes the narration a little jumpy. Jumpy narrators are fine, but the reader shouldn't feel distracted.
3. The narration of the chase lacks tension. The writing could be choppier and more frenetic. Having an aside about the narrator's workout schedule is great flavor in terms of world building, but it doesn't convey the stakes of the scene.
4. There's a certain sameness to your sentence construction. Subject - Verb - DO. This is an easy things to fall into while writing in the first person, but it can become flat for the reader after a few pages.
5. Although I disagree with Vonnegut when it comes to semi-colons, you seem to use them in clusters and it's not always clear exactly why. Conversely, you separate certain clauses that work better together. "I pass my hand though my hair. I notice it has a slight tremble." Neither of those really work as clauses independent of one another, so you should combine them. "My hand trembles slightly as I pass it through my hair." Or whatever.
6. This may be an issue of audience, but some things felt over-explained. "...I make sure the teams I send to their death don't come back." Brief aside: this is a good example of where not to use a semi-colon. This sentence is much more sinister and powerful when it stands alone. Whether or not you even need the sentence is debatable. The reader should be able to infer that he's never had the problem precisely because all the teams he sends to die stay dead and letting that unspoken truth hang over things creates more dread than having the narrator lay it all out.
7. ZOMG that drone!
But I really did enjoy it. I thought the downtime scenes between the narrator and the team were particularly good, giving the reader a good sense of not just personality, but also how personal dynamics work in the shadows.
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Thank you Kincaid for taking the time to write out in this level of detail, I greatly appreciate this feedback.
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I enjoyed the book, definitely worth buying.
I'm also very happy that the DriveThroughRPG version included both e-book formats and a PDF, so I could get my stats directly without having to go to a third-party site.
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Thanks! A small favour to anyone that has read it and has a big 4 minutes on their hands - please write a little review where you go it from (Amazon, Drivethru, etc). Doesn't have to be a dissertation, just a few lines is enough. I'd appreciate it a lot, thanks!
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Done ;)
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So any word on the game information document popping up soonish?
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I brought it up, but CGL was in a GenCon, then a post-GenCon haze. So.. I don't know :(
I'll see what I can do
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Any Updates here?
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The game information is in the book - is something missing? Maybe I don't understand.
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Should there be more than the runners and drone?
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Not this time. I promise next book I will put more stuff in. It wasn't clear how much people liked the crunch at time of writing, so I just put the few obvious things. Feedback has been that the crunch is very appreciated, so next one will have more.
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So what is this about?
So any word on the game information document popping up soonish?
I brought it up, but CGL was in a GenCon, then a post-GenCon haze. So.. I don't know :(
I'll see what I can do
Any Updates here?
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Previous rules bits from enhanced fiction were released for free in separate pdfs, same is suggested for this on the blog entry annoucing it's release
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Previous rules bits from enhanced fiction were released for free in separate pdfs, same is suggested for this on the blog entry annoucing it's release
Ahhh, that makes more sense now. I hadn't seen that the rules portions were released for free in the past. Thanks for clearing that up. :)
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Is the PDF still not available? Anyone that doesn't have the stats feel free to PM me and I will send.
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As far as I know, and a quick 5 minute Google search, the PDF is not available for free, no.
If you bought the book from DriveThruRPG for example, the stats are included in the PDF but not the mobi and epub as far as I know.
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In lieu of an official link, I've made the states publicly available from google drive. Here is the link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwYDFs1Woc4lNHNXc2JUemJSclU/view?usp=sharing
I believe this should work for everyone, if not let me know
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Thanks Backgammon!
Good stuff. Incidentally, what rating is the Bumblebee's Targeting Autosoft supposed to be? That recoil is going to be pretty nasty... suppressing fire would be fun though!
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Backgammon
Thanks, I'm sure quite a few people who are inclined to play riggers will want to get their hands on a Bumblebee or two ;)
JackVII
Keep in mind that drones receive Recoil Compensation equal to their Body (4 in this case); additionally, since Machine Guns can take Top, Barrel, and Underbarrel Accessories you can slap on a Gas-Vent System Rating 3 and an Underbarrel Weight for a total Recoil Comp of 4+3+1 (+1 for Start of Firing) = 8 (9), which means even when firing a full 10 rounds you only impose 1 recoil penalty, which is then doubled to 2.
The biggest issue to my mind is that it's not clear if drones accrue cumulative recoil regardless of the firing mode they use, since all firing modes are complex actions for drones. This is to me the biggest issue with using drones, unless your GM agrees to a houserule of some sort.
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No, all firing is complex actions for Gunnery. Drones are noted to be just like humans in combat, which heavily indicates they can move and act like humans. As GM I read that as "jumped in riggers and autopilots are not limited by Complex Actions, only remote/manual is". It's a GM call, not a houserule, since RAW and RAI are unclear.
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Huh, interesting distinction; I had not considered that Drones wouldn't be using Gunnery for some reason.
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JackVII
Keep in mind that drones receive Recoil Compensation equal to their Body (4 in this case); additionally, since Machine Guns can take Top, Barrel, and Underbarrel Accessories you can slap on a Gas-Vent System Rating 3 and an Underbarrel Weight for a total Recoil Comp of 4+3+1 (+1 for Start of Firing) = 8 (9), which means even when firing a full 10 rounds you only impose 1 recoil penalty, which is then doubled to 2.
I know you've 86d your account, but I was mostly intimating that a Gas vent system of some kind should probably come equipped with the Stoner for this particular drone given the double recoil penalties. It just seems weird to have a MMG like that come on a drone with BOD (4) without something to offset it already installed.
P.S. I generally go with Complex Action regardless, as long as its mounted and using Gunnery.
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Jack, don't drones count as "mounted" for the purposes of reducing the recoil penalties of firing an MMG?
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Jack, don't drones count as "mounted" for the purposes of reducing the recoil penalties of firing an MMG?
Is that a rule from R&G? I just checked the Machine Gun and Recoil entries in the BBB and didn't notice anything about mounted weapons changing the doubling penalty for uncompensated recoil for MGs. I very well may have missed something. I don't look at MGs too often given that, outside of range and ammo cap, they're generally inferior to an Assault Rifle.
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I could have sworn I'd seen something in there... let me check again.
Here it is:
VEHICLE AND DRONE MOUNTED WEAPONS
Vehicle and Drone mounted weapons have the advantage of a sturdy platform from which to fire. The vehicle itself has enough mass to absorb the bulk of the recoil created by the weapon. Mounted weapons have Recoil Compensation equal to the Body of the vehicle plus any built in Recoil Compensation of the weapon.
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I could have sworn I'd seen something in there... let me check again.
Here it is:
VEHICLE AND DRONE MOUNTED WEAPONS
Vehicle and Drone mounted weapons have the advantage of a sturdy platform from which to fire. The vehicle itself has enough mass to absorb the bulk of the recoil created by the weapon. Mounted weapons have Recoil Compensation equal to the Body of the vehicle plus any built in Recoil Compensation of the weapon.
Right, but that rule just plays out so that the drone automatically gains RC = BOD. The Bumblebee has BOD (4) and the Stoner is FA only, so the shortest burst you can fire is 6 rounds, equaling 4 total points of recoil you have to deal with after doubling. That's why I suggested the MMG should probably come with a Gas-Vent system pre-installed, just my opinion.
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Right, but that rule just plays out so that the drone automatically gains RC = BOD. The Bumblebee has BOD (4) and the Stoner is FA only, so the shortest burst you can fire is 6 rounds, equaling 4 total points of recoil you have to deal with after doubling. That's why I suggested the MMG should probably come with a Gas-Vent system pre-installed, just my opinion.
Ahh, gotcha - yeah the math makes sense to me now. :)
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Can't believe I didn't put a rating on that autosoft. I wonder if I really didn't put one or it got lost somewhere along the way. Anyway, I'd stick it as Rating 3.
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I really liked this short story. The main character is the opposite of your previous story's hero, as he is an almost complete bastard (especially in the beginning). It was a really interesting ride into the mind of an archetype that is not explored enough in Shadowrun books. It would be nice to see this character back in a sequel.
I've noticed that you also wrote the Sourcebook Montreal 2074: since I live in Quebec and that I like your writing, I will make a note to buy it soon. :)
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Thanks! Yep, I wrote Montreal too. Would love to hear your thoughts on that too,
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Thanks! Yep, I wrote Montreal too. Would love to hear your thoughts on that too,
Will do. I have some reads to finish before that, but I'll make sure to read it (it seems to be a short book also, so it is perfect for me).
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I presume the "version of a typical Roto-Drone" means it gets the same "Treat its Body as 3 higher than its actual Rating for determining how many weapon mounts or customizations it can integrate." bonus as the MCT-Nissan Roto-Drone, which is why it can carry a M202 with less than 6 Body ?
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Yes. She is a heavy gal.
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My review (in French) of Nothing Personal is online (http://fondationdraco.free.fr/?p=1450) :)
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Merci!
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So, does that M202 actually come with the drone, or is that just a recommendation or something? On that note, does it also come with a heavy weapons mount? If not, then it can't technically use that gun at char creation since those are 14F. Also, is it just me, or do we finally have a drone that's really worth using? 18 soak dice, 14 armor for outright resisting small arms fire, is medium, is flying, free r3 autosoft, 1000 cheaper than the steel lynx. That alone already makes it a contender, but if it also comes with a heavy weapon mount and heavy weapon, then it's an absolute steal. Will it be missions legal?
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So, does that M202 actually come with the drone, or is that just a recommendation or something? On that note, does it also come with a heavy weapons mount? If not, then it can't technically use that gun at char creation since those are 14F. Also, is it just me, or do we finally have a drone that's really worth using? 18 soak dice, 14 armor for outright resisting small arms fire, is medium, is flying, free r3 autosoft, 1000 cheaper than the steel lynx. That alone already makes it a contender, but if it also comes with a heavy weapon mount and heavy weapon, then it's an absolute steal. Will it be missions legal?
It really is that good RAW.
Comes with stoner m202, good armour and such.
Just needs some recoil comp, upgraded autosofts and it's good to go!
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Indeed normally you need at least Body 6 to get a heavy weapon mount. The rules as written are not explicit on the situation, so I would leave it to GM call. Either yes, it comes with a standard heavy weapon mount, so you could uninstall the MG and stick anything else you want in there, or the GM could rule it is a special mount custom made for that drone and that gun, and you cannot uninstall the MG to put something else on.
However, it does come with the machine gun, and as stated in here, a rating 3 targetting autosoft. Recoil comp is on you. Ammo too, I suppose.
(edited for clarity)
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Even if you cant replace the Stoner, it is a decent MMG. Up-grade the auto-soft, add recoil comp, and get some ammo then light up baddies from the sky!