[Stahlseele]

I almost feel like that book was an attempt to built a bridge between Shadowrun and Battletech.

Why? O.o
We have Battlerun for that ^^

[Sichr]

I almost feel like that book was an attempt to built a bridge between Shadowrun and Battletech.

Why? O.o
We have Battlerun for that ^^

What? Never heard of it
Im simply too focused SRholic IMO

[FastJack]

I almost feel like that book was an attempt to built a bridge between Shadowrun and Battletech.

Why? O.o
We have Battlerun for that ^^

What? Never heard of it
Im simply too focused SRholic IMO

Just in case the "Never heard of it" wasn't sarcasm

[Stahlseele]

I almost feel like that book was an attempt to built a bridge between Shadowrun and Battletech.

Why? O.o
We have Battlerun for that ^^

What? Never heard of it
Im simply too focused SRholic IMO

Just in case the "Never heard of it" wasn't sarcasm

Kinda sad that the Aprils Fools Jokes can trump line products in quality . .
But read it nonetheless ^^

[Crimsondude]

So im keeping this events only as a trid news for my players, slightly annoyed that the setting is falling apart...

The setting is what? Christ on a stick. One mediocre book that came out nine months and four books ago (One of which is, again, half setting), and the setting is falling apart. Yep. That's a rational examination of the line.

.I hope people who wrote that sourcebook know answers...and more to it...that thiose answers are in line with great metaplot of Shadowrun universe, that was absoultely awesome in previous Aztlan sourcebook...

Yes. There's a giant roadmap every freelancer is shown based on the original archaic scratchings of Tom Dowd and Paul Hume.

The metaplot isn't a static thing. It's an ongoing evolving storyline. Do you seriously think the Crash of '29's origin as blowback from the machinations of a dude not even introduced until 1995 was planned? For years the big conflict was expected to be Aztlan vs. CAS. Then Ghost Cartels pretty well forced the Colombian border issue into open conflict. Quite frankly, the line changes every time someone new comes onboard. And that is especially true with new line developers (of which SR4 has had a few). That makes legacy projects like War!, which has been an ongoing and developing storyline for sixteen years now, interesting beasts.

Anyway, my point is this: We know what the metaplot is because we're creating it.

I dont know what CGL issue "they" have...even that we here in czech republic have heard about some successfull shadowrunners  inside CGL team (hope he gain some Karma from judge )

I'd just as soon they see the inside of a federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison myself.

[Sichr]

So im keeping this events only as a trid news for my players, slightly annoyed that the setting is falling apart...

The setting is what? Christ on a stick. One mediocre book that came out nine months and four books ago (One of which is, again, half setting), and the setting is falling apart. Yep. That's a rational examination of the line.

.I hope people who wrote that sourcebook know answers...and more to it...that thiose answers are in line with great metaplot of Shadowrun universe, that was absoultely awesome in previous Aztlan sourcebook...

Yes. There's a giant roadmap every freelancer is shown based on the original archaic scratchings of Tom Dowd and Paul Hume.

The metaplot isn't a static thing. It's an ongoing evolving storyline. Do you seriously think the Crash of '29's origin as blowback from the machinations of a dude not even introduced until 1995 was planned? For years the big conflict was expected to be Aztlan vs. CAS. Then Ghost Cartels pretty well forced the Colombian border issue into open conflict. Quite frankly, the line changes every time someone new comes onboard. And that is especially true with new line developers (of which SR4 has had a few). That makes legacy projects like War!, which has been an ongoing and developing storyline for sixteen years now, interesting beasts.

Dont take me wrong, but since there are Dragons and AIs on the chessboard, there have to be some "roadmap" since if you present such beings  as hyperinteligent, godlike, immortal cratures that remember possibly creation of life itself, you would expect there are some goals and strategies they follow..and even if those are hidden, there are long-term strategies of companies that rule the world. They are possibly more powerfull than current superpowers - USA, EU, China, Russia...and those powers follow strategies that had been drawn long ago...by mundane human. So Yes, I would expect some continuality and compactness of storyline...am I wrong?
For example - what I got...and I may be totally out of the picture, from little parts of puzzle here and there, 6WA, and Dragons of the sixth world, I have an impression the there may be ongoing mating ritual between Lowfyr and Mujaji...this itself can take years or decades to finish...dont tell me that ideas like this will be gone with new team of freelancers, and that possible (just highly speculative) plots like that, seeds that been planted, ends up in nowhere because "newcomers" dont care, they have their own ideas...?

[EmperorPenguin]

The frequency (and prevalence) of sarcasm in this review is downright exhausting by about halfway through.  I had to think through every paragraph to determine if it was legitimate (rarely) or contained a thinly-veiled twist on one of War's already identified shortcomings.

Those of us who have read through War know that it, all opinions on plot and metaplot aside, had problems with both writing and editing.  I'm thankful that more recent releases have suggested it will be less a trend and more a blip on the map.

It's clever, but it's also overdone and tiring.  It did not get any laughs out of me.

[FastJack]

Crimson/Sichr, let's keep it a bit more civil.


In regards to Sichr's response, remember that turnover happens and continuity changes when new people come on board with new ideas. The main reason I stopped reading Marvel/DC comics is because every writer came on board to a book a) decided to toss out everything the previous writer established because they wanted to do "their" take on the character(s) and b) wrote said character(s) based on their own impression of that character, no matter if it fit with the "known" basis/logistics/powers of the character(s).

The freelancers at Catalyst are a lot better than some comic book authors (I'm looking at you, Mr. Frank Miller), but they do have ideas of how to evolve the storylines. No one sat down (I believe, anyway, I'm not privy to the back room discussions) in 1989 and said, "let's wait a few years then introduce the Otaku. Then later on, we can upgrade them to Technomancers!". Somethings occur organically and have no set plan. The GD's and IE's are not god-like and (most) aren't prescient of the upcoming events, so they are still reactionary creatures. They may have plans upon plans upon plans set up, but plans almost never go off as planned.

[Sichr]

Im trying to be as polite (and no sarcastic) as possible, Jack. I can see reasons why this is happening. Still, IMO for players is quite difficult to play long term campaign...based on, IE, Dulkezahns Will, if nobody officialy develops this further... IE BigD even foresaw the futre and made many things that fit to that view and worked withthat. You think about Otaku and Techno,mancers, well Ive read assumption somewhere that seeds of Resonance were planted by Celedyr some millenia ago...It seems that there is only one rule that is followed by everyone making shadowrun: Never go to the space. It seems stupid but it works, even if events in official line must be overmanipulated and orchestrated to make it work sometimes...so i thought there was even from the beginning very urgent need for some bottom storyline...if there isnt...well, im a bit dissapointed...like when listening to the joke with no point...

[Stahlseele]

Never go to space, because mages/adepts will revolt.

[Tsuzua]

The frequency (and prevalence) of sarcasm in this review is downright exhausting by about halfway through.  I had to think through every paragraph to determine if it was legitimate (rarely) or contained a thinly-veiled twist on one of War's already identified shortcomings.

I'm curious, what paragraphs do you consider to be legitimate? 

As for the metaplot and setting debate, the metaplot has always been not very good and Shadowrun's setting has always never made sense.  Then again, I find RPG metaplots to only be useful for starting a campaign and never during one.  And you play SR for the dwarf pimp shamans and not how exactly the NAN was created much less maintained and its ramification on the Euro Wars.

Edited for harshness.

[EmperorPenguin]

I thought that perhaps the character descriptions were legitimate.