Shadowrun 6E

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finarvyn

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Anyone know anything about this? I guess they've released a starter set and a board game, with main rules to follow.

I've owned various editions of Shadowrun over the years, but never actually played the game. Read one novel, I think. The setting always seemed pretty cool.
 
I hear about it often as I follow Catalyst's BattleTech releases pretty faithfully. As someone who hasn't followed Shadowrun since 2nd edition, Catalyst's approach seems to be doubling down on the Crunch, which is not really my bag in regards to RPGs.
 
The starter set isn't out over on this side of the pond at any rate. Was supposed to arrive late June, so seems a little late.
 
So if the current company is "doubling down on the Crunch," are there any older editions which would be more useful to me? I'm not really a Crunch guy, either. :sad:
 
I hear about it often as I follow Catalyst's BattleTech releases pretty faithfully. As someone who hasn't followed Shadowrun since 2nd edition, Catalyst's approach seems to be doubling down on the Crunch, which is not really my bag in regards to RPGs.

Wow.

5e was obtuse. Not sure how you get worse.
 
So if the current company is "doubling down on the Crunch," are there any older editions which would be more useful to me? I'm not really a Crunch guy, either. :sad:

2e is the only edition I'm familiar with. It's got some issues (mainly regarding the hacking rules), but the basic system and character creation I'd say is probably only about as crunchy as the D6 system
 
Wow.

5e was obtuse. Not sure how you get worse.

Well Catalyst is a company run by a fiction writer who is a huge fanboy of a very complex wargame. I took one look at what they did with the Mechwarrior RPG, and was like "I do not have enough hours in my life left to run this system"
 
From what I've been reading it sounds like 6E is going to be simpler overall. With a few odd mechanics choices. We'll see. If not, well, there is Corporia (though humans only pretty much, as its monster are monsters) but I could hack it. I also have Shadowrun: Anarchy which with the GM running a game actually works as a really stripped down SR game. Plus, at the end of the day, I have got a game, I can adapt I wrote (High Valor) that's pretty darn flexible for action-oriented gaming.
 
I plan on checking this edition out. If I don't like the system (which is my *only* hesitation)... I'll seriously consider getting it anyhow and do a conversion of it to CPRed. I figure the core Interlock system has all the non-magic stuff covered, I can probably extrapolate the magic stuff from the Witcher RPG pretty easy.

If I go this route - I'll make it public. Hopefully I won't have to. Most of my players come from the Shadowrun side of the fence, so getting them to buy into trying 6e would be a snap. (though they're pretty frothy about wanting to CPRed).
 
I've not played since 2E, but I've always wanted to come back. I got some of the 5E but it was a bit crunchy for causal play, and we jump around from games and systems so easier is better.

Shadowrun Anarchy sounds appealing, but the critics give it hell. Anyone here actually played it?
 
Shadowrun Anarchy sounds appealing, but the critics give it hell. Anyone here actually played it?


Yes. We ignored the "cues" which are meant for GMless play as ways to hand around the Gm-ing/Players role and found it a much much simpler ruleset that a GM could utilize to make Shadowrun move fast, and quite well. Though it moves fairly firmly from cafeteria-style powers/cybernetic/etc to more effects-based style. It maintained fairly solid playability. I enjoyed it quite well, but the game died due to outside causes.


I offered it to be used for the current game I'm running, but one player insisted on 4E. I'd have broken his mind if I'd said 5th instead. But I enjoy 4E, which is to me as a GM the cleanest of the complex versions. Though sadly once this campaign is over (or stopped for another game for a while) I'll ask if we can move to a simpler system. Simply because I'm doing all the hard work and they forget things like naming their force for spells before casting (and boy, there are some things that are clear mistakes which we realized that are not corrected in any of the text with 20A version.) Though I do enjoy the game, I could have more time to add more plotting, action, interaction, challenges and more if I weren't weighted down by rules.

So I'll be one of the few who pick SR: A over other versions. (As much as I did love 1E and its moving parts.) There are some fair criticisms, I could share if I'd played it recently; but honestly. None stand out clearly to me so they couldn't have been large issues.
 
So I'll be one of the few who pick SR: A over other versions. (As much as I did love 1E and its moving parts.) There are some fair criticisms, I could share if I'd played it recently; but honestly. None stand out clearly to me so they couldn't have been large issues.
I wonder how streamlined SR:A rules would compared (in complexity) to PbtA rules in the Sprawl (and it's Shadowrun like supplements)? Any thoughts?
 
Its more flexible in many ways than SOME PbtA games, but not others. (For example Same Flexibility as Monster of the Week, slightly more than Sixth World (harder archetypes)--itself a Shadowrun hack, or Dungeon World.) A lot depends on how "class" based the version of PbtA character types are handled. As there is nothing that prevents mixing a lot of different things in SR: A, beyond a few notes here and there. Of course only so much stacks. So there are limits.

I've not seen the Sprawl, or its fantasy bits are handled.
 
I've softened my views on Shadowrun dramatically since 2e. Not for any other reason than I like the ideas of the setting. I've never been a fan of the system. I can get past that.
 
released a 10 page errata pdf with the one they were selling at GenCon. the reviews are currently somewhere between brutal and horrifying.
here is one.

edit: stupid preview was a little much, click the spoiler
 
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I actually like the sound of some of those things - a return to priorities and fewer skills, especially - but I accept I'm not really the core Shadowrun fanbase.
 
released a 10 page errata pdf with the one they were selling at GenCon. the reviews are currently somewhere between brutal and horrifying. here is one.

Is 10 pages an exaggeration?? If not. Wow. Must have been released too soon.
 
Is 10 pages an exaggeration?? If not. Wow. Must have been released too soon.
it is not.


I actually like the sound of some of those things - a return to priorities and fewer skills, especially - but I accept I'm not really the core Shadowrun fanbase.

I think some fewer skills is probably good. it seems they went down to something like 5e has, or close to it. which... frankly is fine, but i'm not sure that's what they want. I'm actually more worried about the editing and how horrible it is.
 
I think some fewer skills is probably good. it seems they went down to something like 5e has, or close to it. which... frankly is fine, but i'm not sure that's what they want. I'm actually more worried about the editing and how horrible it is.
Aye. I passed on the 5e magic book when there was a typo on the back cover; I can sympathise the amount of work that goes into the books, so a few typos is fine, but your covers should be perfect.
 
I am so glad that I didn't pre-order a limited edition copy of the core rulebook like I did with 4AE and 5E... Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times... well, I'm not that stupid. :tongue:
 
Ran my first game of Shadowrun the other day. Well, I started to run the sample adventure in the quickstart boxed set but ended up trying to run just one simple combat. First round (3 PCs versus 3 baduns) took us around an hour to figure out. The whole roll to hit, then roll to dodge, then soak damage thing was pretty counter-intuitive to us. The next few rounds went a lot faster, but at the end my group was happy to move on to something else. One of the guys said, "I'll try anything twice. Not sure about this one."
 
Ran my first game of Shadowrun the other day. Well, I started to run the sample adventure in the quickstart boxed set but ended up trying to run just one simple combat. First round (3 PCs versus 3 baduns) took us around an hour to figure out. The whole roll to hit, then roll to dodge, then soak damage thing was pretty counter-intuitive to us. The next few rounds went a lot faster, but at the end my group was happy to move on to something else. One of the guys said, "I'll try anything twice. Not sure about this one."


That actually is about how other editions have gone. So far of those I like, SR: Anarchy is the best. If you keep a GM.
 
Oh well SR6 went from a must have to buy when nothing else better to read is available. Even then on PDF.

Mostly though I'm tired of Catalyst just releasing books without proper editing. As well not happy with what they did with Riggers. In the end just really tired of rpg companies making the same mistakes.

Bring on 7E I guess.
 
Ran my first game of Shadowrun the other day. Well, I started to run the sample adventure in the quickstart boxed set but ended up trying to run just one simple combat. First round (3 PCs versus 3 baduns) took us around an hour to figure out. The whole roll to hit, then roll to dodge, then soak damage thing was pretty counter-intuitive to us. The next few rounds went a lot faster, but at the end my group was happy to move on to something else. One of the guys said, "I'll try anything twice. Not sure about this one."
At least you gave it a honest try. I still play SR to this day but I acknowledge that familiarity (it was my first rpg ever) is what makes the experience viable. If I was to encounter it today, with all the baggage I accumulated from other games, I'd probably give it a hard pass.
 
Shadowrun has become a frelling disaster.

IMO it is from a spineless, non-caring LD giving a couple freelancers the rights to make their houserules the new version of Shadowrun.
 
That actually is about how other editions have gone. So far of those I like, SR: Anarchy is the best. If you keep a GM.
I don't have SR:A, but I do have a copy of the Valiant Comics RPG and for all it talks about sharing GM duties, it just seems like... fluff. There's nothing to enable or encourage that, it's just a thing that you could do if you really want to I guess? Or not, that's cool too.
 
For me, I will probably ignore the system entirely but translate stuff over to Mythras. There is such a thirst for a good, clean, well edited, somewhat streamlined Shadowrun it’s insane. Not to say I’m the one to deliver it, because I’d butcher the sacred cow of the d6 pool and make delicious burgers out of it, but damn folks, just listen to the people.
 
My brother ran this for us, the Starter Box set. The scenario is very basic. Literally a limo with a politician is surrounded by gangs and you have to get her out of the limo. You start across the road in a shop. Quite short and simple and presumes a good bit of combat, if you use the characters in a clever way it could be over in an hour.

Edge is very "meta" for lack of a better word and I doubt most here would like the rules. I'll post more at some point.
 
I bought quite a bit of 5e when it appeared as a Bundle of Holding, and felt a little aggrieved when 6e was announced very shortly after. But I read through maybe half of the 5e core book and found it to be very high crunch even there.

Like most in this thread, I wouldn’t be queuing up to buy 6e at this point, even without feeling a little salty. I will probably run the SR world for my group in the near future, but I will be using GURPS to do it. It has plenty of tools to make the different power options work, and I would probably take an approach that is heavy on the Powers system where equipment, cybernetics and magic are all built using advantages with modifiers. That way it will be much easier to balance having a big gun versus cyberwear versus blasting spells.
giving a couple freelancers the rights to make their houserules the new version
This seems to be the primary model in modern RPG publishing... The reduced barriers to entry mean there is little curation or even capability assessment. A combination of enthusiasm and single-mindedness seem to be the prerequisites for most writing-gigs with the positives and negatives that implies...
 
I don't have SR:A, but I do have a copy of the Valiant Comics RPG and for all it talks about sharing GM duties, it just seems like... fluff. There's nothing to enable or encourage that, it's just a thing that you could do if you really want to I guess? Or not, that's cool too.

Anarchy is a little more organized and crunchy than Valiant RPG.
A little.

jg
 
My brother ran this for us, the Starter Box set. The scenario is very basic. Literally a limo with a politician is surrounded by gangs and you have to get her out of the limo. You start across the road in a shop. Quite short and simple and presumes a good bit of combat, if you use the characters in a clever way it could be over in an hour.

Edge is very "meta" for lack of a better word and I doubt most here would like the rules. I'll post more at some point.
the full rulebook is on DriveThru now. . . Some folks in the comments are saying the rules are "dumbed down" and not in a good way. Did you see that in the play test, Séadna Séadna . Big difference in streamlining and dumbing down.
 
the full rulebook is on DriveThru now. . . Some folks in the comments are saying the rules are "dumbed down" and not in a good way. Did you see that in the play test, Séadna Séadna . Big difference in streamlining and dumbing down.

Actually one person not several by a long shot.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/286850/Shadowrun-Sixth-World-Core-Rulebook?src=hottest .

Proving once and for all gamers don't know what the hell they want imo. If the changes are to their liking "it's the greatest thing then sliced bread". If not and it's galaxy sized cop-out of a response it's "dumbed down". Only gamers would complain making something easier too be a negative. It's damn embarrassing being a gamer in the hobby sometimes.
 
Actually one person not several by a long shot.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/286850/Shadowrun-Sixth-World-Core-Rulebook?src=hottest .

Proving once and for all gamers don't know what the hell they want imo. If the changes are to their liking "it's the greatest thing then sliced bread". If not and it's galaxy sized cop-out of a response it's "dumbed down". Only gamers would complain making something easier too be a negative. It's damn embarrassing being a gamer in the hobby sometimes.
Exactly. Streamlined is a good thing to me, and Shadowrun, in general, has been known as needing a good overhaul.
 
Anyway, I'm still looking forward to Shadowrun 6E. I felt 4E/20A did so much right but was bogged down by its own rules. (It's my preferred version, outside of Anarchy. ) I doubt I'll have funds for it anytime soon. I just wrapped up the first major arc however after several months of my most recent 20A game. We'll play something else, but will be coming back to the game later.

I did notice the talk of errata, and finding that "small" compared to many OTHER games I've played (TSR era to modern-day) I'm not put off by a few fixes having not made it into the earlier draft. The same is true of so many games. I mean D&D 5E, it is pretty obvious they need to fix Ranger, based on my play of it, and many others speaking on it around the internet. The best fix I saw was in UA, and never reached official status in the supplements, so I don't know why not, but apparently they're not happy with the fix.
 
Streamlining...
I’m always reminded of Amadeus. “Too many notes.”

Catalyst’s problem hasn’t been amount of rules. It’s been contradictory, poorly written, poorly edited, untested rules that don’t work by themselves, let alone in synergy with other rules.

It doesn’t matter what they decide to cut, keep, fold, spindle, mutilate, or mutate. If it’s the same people inputting, and the same editorial process, you’re going to get the same hot mess coming out the other end.
 
Catalyst’s problem hasn’t been amount of rules. It’s been contradictory, poorly written, poorly edited, untested rules that don’t work by themselves, let alone in synergy with other rules.

That’s some Kevin Siembieda shit right there.

A D&D5 version would be cool but cybernetic would probably be fiendishly hard to integrate without throwing assumptions of balance to the wind.

Maybe SWN can be tweaked to work with it.

Curious about Anarchy. Might check it out.
 
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