@Sicher
I'm specifically talking about razor sharp characters though, that are exceptional at one thing (more often combat related) and horrible at everything else, not just good/proficient at one thing, and decent at everything else. I'm well aware how unbalancing a game can get with an incompetent GM, such as the 3IP mage example, Lone Star uses Jazz to kick up there IP's to handle those situations, and if it was massacring their squads alot, they would probably call in the Ares Firewatch Anti-Mage squad. I've never seen that squad written down on a book, but I'm sure something of that sort must exsist since they have their own haul of awakened. So yes, there are ways around players who take things too far.
Relating to your other post:
I'd rather have a group of a few dedicated roleplayers who care about storyline than an endless supply of players who only care about how to kill their opponents faster.
@Kontact
Heck, a basic Ares Firewatch soldier clocks in about 450BP if you build the character without contacts (Based on the 3rd edition example for stats and skillsets), and they're decent blend of basic hacking, shooting, parachuting, and so forth, but don't have crazy cybered up reflexes or whatnot; they make up for it in squad based cooperation and tactics. But going back to the realism portion, if your character is
really as good as some people build them, why are they shadowrunning? With that kind of skillset/talent you'd make alot more (legal) cred working for a corp.
But going to your backstory subject, I never said about 3 pages of Backstory makes you good a roleplaying, heck you can start with two sentences if you wanted. But if you start with very little, I would worry that the player will just add whatever he feels like afterwards. Such as on the first run you have a run in with the Mafia and he loses a finger, then that character goes "Oh yeah, I know what I want him to be, he was a hitman for a rival Mafia in the city" claiming thats where he got his pistols and unarmed combat skills from, then tries to start a Mafia war... oh wait... thats not bad at all, I'll let backstories slide a little more. Maybe theres a better example than that
