[Man Who Walks At Night]

Not a big issue:
Give them an NPC or two to argue with. That way you as GM/NPC can be the sounding board to swing the conversation into the ways that your gut says will be more interesting.

This is even better than a normal PC <-> GM conversation, as both parties remain in Character for longer, so the session is much more fluid.

Valid points, I just feel the time I get to just think, because the players entertain themselves is so limited in one on one sessions that it hinders my ability to do a good job

[Charybdis]

Not a big issue:
Give them an NPC or two to argue with. That way you as GM/NPC can be the sounding board to swing the conversation into the ways that your gut says will be more interesting.

This is even better than a normal PC <-> GM conversation, as both parties remain in Character for longer, so the session is much more fluid.

Valid points, I just feel the time I get to just think, because the players entertain themselves is so limited in one on one sessions that it hinders my ability to do a good job

I just feel you should give it a go, because you're not a dragon.

A good plan, executed quickly, is better than a perfect plan executed far too late. - Human Proverb
What's Your hurry? - Dragon response to human proverb

[Man Who Walks At Night]

I just feel you should give it a go, because you're not a dragon.

A good plan, executed quickly, is better than a perfect plan executed far too late. - Human Proverb
What's Your hurry? - Dragon response to human proverb

You mean you ASSUME I am not a dragon....

But you might be right, I could be worrying for no reason - I'll keep that in mind if the situation should pop up, my GF dosn't play roleplaying games - and so far I have been able to keep my group together for roleplaying, the few times some of them did something needing a little extra time I have usually given them a couple of pages of written handout before a session describing what has happened with that special case they needed to deal with between sessions and on their own, seems to work

[Charybdis]

You mean you ASSUME I am not a dragon....

I stand corrected

But you might be right, I could be worrying for no reason - I'll keep that in mind if the situation should pop up, my GF dosn't play roleplaying games - and so far I have been able to keep my group together for roleplaying, the few times some of them did something needing a little extra time I have usually given them a couple of pages of written handout before a session describing what has happened with that special case they needed to deal with between sessions and on their own, seems to work

Written handouts from between sessions work well. My group do most of this stuff by eMail (which also allows out of character secret stuff to happen, without taking time away from actual gaming on those precious nights we're all together for the mission.

[CanRay]

Between games I would write news reports and such that the group's CommLinks picked up from their Data Search programs dynamic search requirements (IE:  What happened last game, and whatever I figure I want to tell them.).

They're re-postings of news reports, actually, on ShadowSEA, and have Shadowtalker comments.

Unfortunately, I think only one player ever read it even a little. 

[Charybdis]

They're re-postings of news reports, actually, on ShadowSEA, and have Shadowtalker comments.

Unfortunately, I think only one player ever read it even a little. 

I've done a lot of these. Some are really well received, others are ignored.

Such is the nature of players

However once, when a player actually used some information read in these reports, and he received:
A) bonus karma point
B) A free contact when he followed up the journalist to find their source
...suddenly, the whole group was very, VERY interested in all these nice little GM tid-bits

Note: This wasn't planned or anything, but I thought it was nice to reward an eagre player. And suddenly I had a group of them. Was very nice

[Man Who Walks At Night]

They're re-postings of news reports, actually, on ShadowSEA, and have Shadowtalker comments.

Unfortunately, I think only one player ever read it even a little. 

I've done a lot of these. Some are really well received, others are ignored.

Such is the nature of players

However once, when a player actually used some information read in these reports, and he received:
A) bonus karma point
B) A free contact when he followed up the journalist to find their source
...suddenly, the whole group was very, VERY interested in all these nice little GM tid-bits

Note: This wasn't planned or anything, but I thought it was nice to reward an eagre player. And suddenly I had a group of them. Was very nice

Now that we have totally derailed this topic - I'll add to it

These newsreports you guys make for your players, what type of stuff do you put in them? is it only news reports as results of what the players did? or "just" general fluff from the world?

[CanRay]

Yes.  Both in other words.  And a few things about how Shadowrunners are affecting the election in Seattle.  (I run in 2070.).

[Charybdis]

Now that we have totally derailed this topic - I'll add to it

These newsreports you guys make for your players, what type of stuff do you put in them? is it only news reports as results of what the players did? or "just" general fluff from the world?

Yes.  Both in other words.  And a few things about how Shadowrunners are affecting the election in Seattle.  (I run in 2070.).

What CanRay said

A) News reports (if applicable) of Runner activity, or at least the visible consequences.
- KnightErrant faces serious embarrasment as a container shipment of arms was lost in transit last night....
- Ares stock soared as news of it's new Taser prototype was discussed with KnightErrant officioals today, possibly even leading to a breakthrough in the hunt for Dunkelzahn's grant for a non-lethal weapon accurate to 100m.....
- Denver is asking what has Ghostwalker so upset? The Great Dragon has made zero public announcements for some weeks since explosions rocked several sections of the pueblo.....
Note: These are not normally immediate, as unless its high-profile breaking news, even the corps take a few days to announce big developments or stock-shaking growth.

B) Fluff and gumf of zero relevance, but popular nature
- After sold-out concerts in New York and LA, banned in Sanfrancisco, Troll Psycho-Grunge Band 'The Scream' are headed home to Seattle!
- Traffic on the I5 was brought to a standstill by an overturned Ice-Cream truck. The Halloweeners go-gang have cordoned off the area in order to loot buckets of Cookies-and-Cream. Now for our live drone-feed...

C) Unknown teasers, hidden in either news items or Gumf, that may foreshadow future missions...
- Descendants of the 20th century rockstar Elvis Presley announced today that further unheard recordings will be made available (if they're not stolen by an interested Mr.Johnson/King fanatic) at the Graceland Memorial park
- JimBob, our resident squatter-in -the-know tells us that aliens have abducted his talking pet rat (Horizon took an interest in his Technocritter). More comedic ramblings at 10.

[CanRay]

I also include information in the Shadowtalkers that either corrects the situation that's given from a media point of view (RE:  Corporate, or, at least, SINner friendly).

Or derails the situation (Racist ramblings between two characters are my favorite.  Both actually do have something to say about situations at times, but you have to dig through their comments.

Or, occasionally, gives off bad information.

And, sometimes, it's just "Whoa.", like the time the warehouse blew up.

[Charybdis]

I also include information in the Shadowtalkers that either corrects the situation that's given from a media point of view (RE:  Corporate, or, at least, SINner friendly).

Or derails the situation (Racist ramblings between two characters are my favorite.  Both actually do have something to say about situations at times, but you have to dig through their comments.

Or, occasionally, gives off bad information.

And, sometimes, it's just "Whoa.", like the time the warehouse blew up.

I haven't allowed PC's onto Shadowsea or JackPoint as yet, and likewise my GM is enforcing the same limitation.

We're trying though, but because we don't have access to it at all, my PC in particular is spending a lot of time and effort finding out which Palms to grease to find that particular treasure trove of knowledge....

[CanRay]

So far, the only thing my group has done with it is the news reports.

Which, when you consider how big a resource it is...  Of course, it's organized chaos in there with missing files, disinformation, cranky and anti-social hackers, and more than a few bars to distract PCs...

[Charybdis]

So far, the only thing my group has done with it is the news reports.

Which, when you consider how big a resource it is...  Of course, it's organized chaos in there with missing files, disinformation, cranky and anti-social hackers, and more than a few bars to distract PCs...

My bigger concern is then with JackPoint/Shadowsea access, this gives them the logical progression of access to all such military sourcebooks and specifications that they normally wouldn't access. It's the equivalent of giving the mage an instant R6 Firearms knowledge skill (amongst others).

Until the campaign reaches a level where most any type of information is freely available through contacts anyway, JackPoint/Shadowsea are off limits to my PC's (and me when playing)

[FastJack]

Hmm... News reports is giving me an idea. Give me a moment.

[CanRay]

Uh oh, we have FastJack ideas.  Now I'm scared!