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Lunar Ronin

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There's a new cyberpunk fantasy tabletop RPG in the works named Subversion, by some of the developers of Shadowrun 6E. It's been described as "Shadowrun's Pathfinder." Looks interesting, with a Kickstarter campaign set for late February.











IMG_0099.jpg
 
As someone who stuck with 2nd edition, how enthusiastic or not should I be from the phrase "from the developers of 6th edition"?
 
The curve from 3-9 dice.

I don’t think 5e is really any less complex than some of the early editions. We will see!
 
As someone who stuck with 2nd edition, how enthusiastic or not should I be from the phrase "from the developers of 6th edition"?

Heh. Well, I haven't played anything newer than 3E myself. From what I understand, 6E is a marked improvement over 5E (after some major editing fails in the first 6E printing were corrected), and on about the level of 4E now.
 
Heh. Well, I haven't played anything newer than 3E myself. From what I understand, 6E is a marked improvement over 5E (after some major editing fails in the first 6E printing were corrected), and on about the level of 4E now.
That's where I sit. Though I'm concerned that their are no shifters but dragon's written up so far.
 
Heh. Well, I haven't played anything newer than 3E myself. From what I understand, 6E is a marked improvement over 5E (after some major editing fails in the first 6E printing were corrected), and on about the level of 4E now.
Major editing = 10 pages of errata on release day!
 
I like the idea. There is definitely a market for a less crunchy Shadowrun.
Is there, though?

I know that every itch-user and their black metal band mates are doing "SR in 8 pages" games these days, but that mostly seems like either first or second-hand nostalgia, or just using "SR" as a short-hand for "cyberpunk with magic". The latter is probably as useful today as it was in the early 90s, with even more people not daring to go all too far from D&D.

But after its Elmore-ish beginnings, SR managed to create some mythology of its own, something that obviously gets lost with any third party game. And while homebrews might *say* that they do their own stuff, but you're going to use it for playing in 2050's Seattle anyways, that's a harder sell for bigger commercial games.

Pathfinder would've had much more trouble if all people wanted to play with it was Greyhawk. That's the Van Damme split of gaming: Compatible with SR, but still an interesting world to sell a) to people who haven't bought into SR already and b) fluff splatbooks.
 
I know that every itch-user and their black metal band mates are doing "SR in 8 pages" games these days,

Do you know of any specific ones? I'd be keen to take a look at some of them.

I played in a SR campaign last year that was tremendously good fun, but none of us actually learned the rules except the GM and he vetoed netrunners to keep it manageable.
 
Do you know of any specific ones? I'd be keen to take a look at some of them.
Shadowrun in the Sprawl - PbTa, of course, I think based on The Sprawl
Runners in the Shadows - power by that other powered by game that isn't PbtA
Into the Sixth World - Powered by the French Language
Neon City Overdrive - actually has its own engine!
Lowlife 2090 - quite a bit more than 8 pages, this time, OSR-ish engine
Touched Prime - I think this is for the Sprawl, too, adding magic and pointy ears
 
Runners in the Shadows - power by that other powered by game that isn't PbtA
Neon City Overdrive - actually has its own engine!
Runners in the Shadows is Forged in the Dark and is far away enough from PbtA that most who dig PbtA hate FitD. I like FitD and despise PbtA (at least I'll never run it).

Neon City Overdrive is written by the author of Freeform Universal, Nathan Russel. NCO is actually a riff on his FU2E beta rules set.

Both of those games are fantastic. Runners in the Shadows manages to distill a lot of what Shadowrun is about in a tighter package.

NCO has additional books to add psionics & magic (with a section that is clearly Shadowrun with the serial numbers filed off), resleeving, and to further expand the Grid. You can buy PDFs of the whole line for less than the PDF for the Shadowrun 6E Corebook.
 
Hey chums. I saw Subversion being discussed, so I dropped by to say hi! I'm the lead dev on Subversion, so if you have any questions, feel free to shoot them at me. Yes, I was a dev on Shadowrun 6th ed., but as I've noted elsewhere, the things I wrote were not directly written into the rules by me, and I of course share some of the same frustrations as everyone else does. I don't think Shadowrun is in any danger from Subversion. We're a small time biz and they have all the resources and fan base we don't. Plus, it is a very different gaming experience.

Also, a note about editing. I don't edit my reddit posts, but our games go through extensive editing and revision before launch (see Gangs of the Undercity and Misspent Youth: Fall in Love, Not in Line as examples). And we plan on doing a very public open release of the rules PDF before going to print, so we get community feedback before doing something we'd have to change later.

And in one regard, we are like Pathfinder. We are committed to an open license so folks can use our rules and our world to make games, stories, and monies of their own.
 
Savage Worlds has one I believe, as does 5e.
I wonder whether the recent CC-ification of the 5.1 SRD will actually serve to increase the amount of 5E secondary rulesets. By that I mean not jumping full on the D&D rules train like the D20 era caused a lot of publishers to do, but "just" releasing an additional core rulebook using the 5E rules, whether that's a true secondary line or a one-off book. Both Symbaroum and The One Ring did this, and I think there's something similar for Numenera, too. Serves to either rope in the numerous 5E players to your main system or just sell your setting publications to both.
I think this would work especially well for typical 90's systems like Shadowrun or Vampire, games that are still only half a step removed from many D&D tropes.

But to get back on the main topic, and as we have opti opti as a designer here.
xd6k3 sounds a lot like EABA. Does this mean adding the top three to compare against a target number or the old-school individual target numbers, so you'd get at most three successes?

How would this handle the two (IMHO) most problematic areas of Shadowrun, the two almost completely separated other playing boards, i.e. the Matrix and astral space? A lot of players like hacking or the whole spiritual thing with otherworldly planes, but they also distract a lot from the regular, real-world gameplay. It's quite hard to square the circle here, later Shadowruns seem to have adopted the Cybergeneration "fix", where it's 90s fad "augmented reality" instead of 80s fad "virtual reality".
(Never mind the horrible real-world spying astral space usage that put high-level D&D to shame when it came to micturating in the GM's broth)

Also, for the tacticool faction amongst the players: Any difference between the damage output of light handguns, heavy handguns and SMGs? ;)
 
Hey chums. I saw Subversion being discussed, so I dropped by to say hi! I'm the lead dev on Subversion, so if you have any questions, feel free to shoot them at me. Yes, I was a dev on Shadowrun 6th ed., but as I've noted elsewhere, the things I wrote were not directly written into the rules by me, and I of course share some of the same frustrations as everyone else does. I don't think Shadowrun is in any danger from Subversion. We're a small time biz and they have all the resources and fan base we don't. Plus, it is a very different gaming experience.

Also, a note about editing. I don't edit my reddit posts, but our games go through extensive editing and revision before launch (see Gangs of the Undercity and Misspent Youth: Fall in Love, Not in Line as examples). And we plan on doing a very public open release of the rules PDF before going to print, so we get community feedback before doing something we'd have to change later.

And in one regard, we are like Pathfinder. We are committed to an open license so folks can use our rules and our world to make games, stories, and monies of their own.
Welcome to the Pub, opti opti :smile:!

So why did you decide to call it Subversion:wink:?

Also, the mechanic reminds me of EABAv2, which is also "roll x dice, keep 3" (and of an unpublished homebrew, which was roll X, keep2). Are you using EABA, or is it a random coincidence?

...just to clarify, I typed that before Sosthenes Sosthenes had posted. I guess we started posting more or less simultaneously:grin:!
 
I wonder whether the recent CC-ification of the 5.1 SRD will actually serve to increase the amount of 5E secondary rulesets. By that I mean not jumping full on the D&D rules train like the D20 era caused a lot of publishers to do, but "just" releasing an additional core rulebook using the 5E rules, whether that's a true secondary line or a one-off book. Both Symbaroum and The One Ring did this, and I think there's something similar for Numenera, too. Serves to either rope in the numerous 5E players to your main system or just sell your setting publications to both.
I think this would work especially well for typical 90's systems like Shadowrun or Vampire, games that are still only half a step removed from many D&D tropes.

But to get back on the main topic, and as we have opti opti as a designer here.
xd6k3 sounds a lot like EABA. Does this mean adding the top three to compare against a target number or the old-school individual target numbers, so you'd get at most three successes?

How would this handle the two (IMHO) most problematic areas of Shadowrun, the two almost completely separated other playing boards, i.e. the Matrix and astral space? A lot of players like hacking or the whole spiritual thing with otherworldly planes, but they also distract a lot from the regular, real-world gameplay. It's quite hard to square the circle here, later Shadowruns seem to have adopted the Cybergeneration "fix", where it's 90s fad "augmented reality" instead of 80s fad "virtual reality".
(Never mind the horrible real-world spying astral space usage that put high-level D&D to shame when it came to micturating in the GM's broth)

Also, for the tacticool faction amongst the players: Any difference between the damage output of light handguns, heavy handguns and SMGs? ;)
Oh, how interesting. I had not seen EABA before. On first glance, it does seem similar, yes. I'd have to get a bit more into it to do a solid comparison. But yeah, you keep the top three dice and compare the sun to a TN. Depending on how many over the TN you are, it is either a normal or dynamic success.

Regarding the mini games like SR, we don't have that. The same basic mechanic is in play throughout the game, and while there are some specific rules here and there for combat, hacking, social stuff, etc, it follows the same basic mechanic and really doesn't encourage one person in a group to spend lots of time doing x without the others. If that's too vague, I can clarify.

Regarding weapons, there are differences in types of weapons, but it won't be as granular as SR for sure. However, instead of having tons of fun or stabby implement variations, you'll be able to upgrade/mod your weapons for a pretty good number of options.
 
Welcome to the Pub, opti opti :smile:!

So why did you decide to call it Subversion:wink:?

Also, the mechanic reminds me of EABAv2, which is also "roll x dice, keep 3" (and of an unpublished homebrew, which was roll X, keep2). Are you using EABA, or is it a random coincidence?

...just to clarify, I typed that before Sosthenes Sosthenes had posted. I guess we started posting more or less simultaneously:grin:!
Answered EABA above!

We called it Subversion because out of all the various names we kicked around, that one felt the best on our tongue, lol.

But we did go through a number of rebellious sounding words because that is more or less the main theme of the game. To push back on the authority that is making your life miserable and to perhaps win and make your life better.

We also tried to subvert RPG tropes whenever we could, and there are endless ways I could point to for that.

But I am reminded nearly daily by people on our team that Subversion was a predecessor to Dropbox and there are certain among us who can't hear anything but that, lol.
 
Nothing more natural than getting ninja'd in a SR thread.
OTOH, it tends to have more lethal consequences in SR... :shade:
Oh, how interesting. I had not seen EABA before. On first glance, it does seem similar, yes. I'd have to get a bit more into it to do a solid comparison. But yeah, you keep the top three dice and compare the sun to a TN. Depending on how many over the TN you are, it is either a normal or dynamic success.

Regarding the mini games like SR, we don't have that. The same basic mechanic is in play throughout the game, and while there are some specific rules here and there for combat, hacking, social stuff, etc, it follows the same basic mechanic and really doesn't encourage one person in a group to spend lots of time doing x without the others. If that's too vague, I can clarify.

Regarding weapons, there are differences in types of weapons, but it won't be as granular as SR for sure. However, instead of having tons of fun or stabby implement variations, you'll be able to upgrade/mod your weapons for a pretty good number of options.
OK, I'm a player. "I hack into the security cameras".
You're the referee. What do you do:thumbsup:?
 
OTOH, it tends to have more lethal consequences in SR... :shade:

OK, I'm a player. "I hack into the security cameras".
You're the referee. What do you do:thumbsup:?
The GM has a few options. If they want to make it really cinematic, they can have the other players fighting or protecting while the hack is happening.
In that case, you'd set a progress track for the hacker and they'd have to make X progress before the others get slagged, etc. I could set the TN at X, and the progress needed at Y, so that in 1-3 turns, the hack would be done. But it would be dramatic since there is crap going on all around.

Or, if there was nothing else going on except "the team comes to a place with a security camera and won't proceed unless it is off", then since there isn't any real dramatic value to having that drag on, I'd make that a simple TN test, but where failure might mean your "heat" goes up and the bad guys are closer to noticing you.

The GM has tools to ramp up or cool down the drama and tension, and its just a matter of what levers are appropriate and fun for that situation.
With that in mind, it is also very easy for a new GM to not have to know all the different mini-systems, but just know the generic tools and apply them as they see fit (not because they HAVE TO in any given situation).
 
I wonder whether the recent CC-ification of the 5.1 SRD will actually serve to increase the amount of 5E secondary rulesets. By that I mean not jumping full on the D&D rules train like the D20 era caused a lot of publishers to do, but "just" releasing an additional core rulebook using the 5E rules, whether that's a true secondary line or a one-off book. Both Symbaroum and The One Ring did this, and I think there's something similar for Numenera, too. Serves to either rope in the numerous 5E players to your main system or just sell your setting publications to both.
I think this would work especially well for typical 90's systems like Shadowrun or Vampire, games that are still only half a step removed from many D&D tropes.
I hope so, I mean lets be honest Dark Matter does Rifts, better than well Rifts.
A Mega-damage system in 5e rules - bootiful.
sounds a lot like EABA. Does this mean adding the top three to compare against a target number or the old-school individual target numbers, so you'd get at most three successes?

How would this handle the two (IMHO) most problematic areas of Shadowrun, the two almost completely separated other playing boards, i.e. the Matrix and astral space? A lot of players like hacking or the whole spiritual thing with otherworldly planes, but they also distract a lot from the regular, real-world gameplay. It's quite hard to square the circle here, later Shadowruns seem to have adopted the Cybergeneration "fix", where it's 90s fad "augmented reality" instead of 80s fad "virtual reality".
(Never mind the horrible real-world spying astral space usage that put high-level D&D to shame when it came to micturating in the GM's broth)

Also, for the tacticool faction amongst the players: Any difference between the damage output of light handguns, heavy handguns and SMGs? ;)
I liked EABA in the same way I used to like Runequest, or Mythras - but it is too gritty, and even the additional rulesets in Mythras Companion does not really get away from that.
Pretty much only play pulpy or full on cinematic stuff nowdays, real life is depressing enough.
It is one of the prime reasons that prompted my shifted to Diceless with Lords of Gossamer, or Savage Worlds, for a lower level game.
 
Hey chums. I saw Subversion being discussed, so I dropped by to say hi! I'm the lead dev on Subversion, so if you have any questions, feel free to shoot them at me. Yes, I was a dev on Shadowrun 6th ed., but as I've noted elsewhere, the things I wrote were not directly written into the rules by me, and I of course share some of the same frustrations as everyone else does. I don't think Shadowrun is in any danger from Subversion. We're a small time biz and they have all the resources and fan base we don't. Plus, it is a very different gaming experience.

Also, a note about editing. I don't edit my reddit posts, but our games go through extensive editing and revision before launch (see Gangs of the Undercity and Misspent Youth: Fall in Love, Not in Line as examples). And we plan on doing a very public open release of the rules PDF before going to print, so we get community feedback before doing something we'd have to change later.

And in one regard, we are like Pathfinder. We are committed to an open license so folks can use our rules and our world to make games, stories, and monies of their own.
Welcome, I'm an old time Shadowrun 1E/4E-20a/6E fan, but I'd love to see a streamlined system (other than Anarchy.) What is the mythology you are using? Is it very British (i.e the Elves in Shadowrun take British naming a bit and their feeling is that, rather than Norse)
 
Welcome, I'm an old time Shadowrun 1E/4E-20a/6E fan, but I'd love to see a streamlined system (other than Anarchy.) What is the mythology you are using? Is it very British (i.e the Elves in Shadowrun take British naming a bit and their feeling is that, rather than Norse)
Yeah, its a bit more crunchy than Anarchy, but I think streamlined is a good word.
the mythology is primarily Babylonian. But since it is also not in ancient times, we have spend a good bit of time thinking about how mythology and religion change, interact, and syncretize with other elements over time. So while the spine is Babylonian mythology, we tried to assume mythologies from other cultures exist as well. What that looks like in Suvbversion's present is a core of Babylonian gods and religion, but having elements of other cultures mixed in (so for example, Nergal, the Babylonian god of death, is represented as a bugbear in modern warfare attire, while Nabu, the god of wisdom, looks like an elf with the eye patch of Odin and the staff of Hermes). The idea being that when Babylonian culture swept into a new land, their gods, religion, and culture absorbed and syncretized with them.

Elves in Subversion have either a French or Cajun influenced culture. :smile:
 
The same basic mechanic is in play throughout the game, and while there are some specific rules here and there for combat, hacking, social stuff, etc, it follows the same basic mechanic and really doesn't encourage one person in a group to spend lots of time doing x without the others. If that's too vague, I can clarify.
Please do. I mean, the hacker doing their own thing to get information, or talk to AIs has been a cyberpunk trope since at least Neuromancer. About the only game I can remember that doesn't do that in a "separate world" is Hardwired, where it's just regular skill rolls.

So does it come down to this, "I want to get the file for the CTO's third wife" = "just do a skill roll"?

What about "shadowing" the real-world party and providing some support. Outside of Cyberpunk, think Zoe from the 24 TV show. "Accessing security cameras and map now. Okay, go to the elevator shaft, I'll open it for you. See you 18 floors up."

We also tried to subvert RPG tropes whenever we could, and there are endless ways I could point to for that.
Hopefully not in the same way all these modern superhero movies and shows "subvert" superhero tropes…
Care to point to a few of them? ;)
 
Please do. I mean, the hacker doing their own thing to get information, or talk to AIs has been a cyberpunk trope since at least Neuromancer. About the only game I can remember that doesn't do that in a "separate world" is Hardwired, where it's just regular skill rolls.

So does it come down to this, "I want to get the file for the CTO's third wife" = "just do a skill roll"?

What about "shadowing" the real-world party and providing some support. Outside of Cyberpunk, think Zoe from the 24 TV show. "Accessing security cameras and map now. Okay, go to the elevator shaft, I'll open it for you. See you 18 floors up."


Hopefully not in the same way all these modern superhero movies and shows "subvert" superhero tropes…
Care to point to a few of them? ;)

The rule for us is, "will it be dramatic?" if so, then it usually is more than just a skill roll. If it is so simple that there is no drama and no consequence for failure, there shouldn't be a roll at all. So in the example above, "I want to get the file for the CTO's third wife," the GM might consider 1) does failure alert anyone? 2) is there any danger? 3) is there any rush? If the answer to those is no, then no roll, the hacker, being the hacker, just does it and the story moves on. If 1-2 are true, maybe there is a skill roll, pass or fail, and move on. If all of them are true, then it may be that the hacker has to achieve a certain amount of progress to succeed.

The point being, the complexity/drama of the required roll is up to the GM and the situation, not overly complex hacking rules.

There isn't any reason a hacker couldn't shadow a team, if that's what they wanted.

Re: subverting tropes - we aren't trying to turn Superman into Homelander, if that's what you're asking. But we are saying things like, no, Dwarves don't have to be scottish. They probably wouldn't live in mountains and all be master forgers either. What if killing opponents and taking their stuff wasn't the optimal play in each situation? What if going against your values actually cost you something? What if selling a magic sword didn't net enough money to buy a nation? What if working for a corporation against another corporation for the chance to retire wealthy wasn't the end goal of a cyberpunk game?

More like asking different questions than the assumptions made by the games we grew up playing. (Note: I love the games I grew up with. We aren't taking shots at DnD, Shadowrun, Mutants and Masterminds, Pathfinder, Earthdawn, Gurps, etc. Just trying to think differently and not just assume the same presuppositions)
 
Yeah, its a bit more crunchy than Anarchy, but I think streamlined is a good word.
the mythology is primarily Babylonian. But since it is also not in ancient times, we have spend a good bit of time thinking about how mythology and religion change, interact, and syncretize with other elements over time. So while the spine is Babylonian mythology, we tried to assume mythologies from other cultures exist as well. What that looks like in Suvbversion's present is a core of Babylonian gods and religion, but having elements of other cultures mixed in (so for example, Nergal, the Babylonian god of death, is represented as a bugbear in modern warfare attire, while Nabu, the god of wisdom, looks like an elf with the eye patch of Odin and the staff of Hermes). The idea being that when Babylonian culture swept into a new land, their gods, religion, and culture absorbed and syncretized with them.

Elves in Subversion have either a French or Cajun influenced culture. :smile:
Very cool, that's different. I've been working on a home game currently nicknamed "Spellchrome" which allows cybernetics/hacking/Norse myth stuff for the most part, but you can for example have an enchanted cyberarm (magic and tech aren't opposed, just different and stackable.) Th pc's consist of a burned-out biochemist/mage (hippie personality), a somewhat stubborn and nervous hacker, a cyber-dog, and an elf street warrior (with her magic sword albeit the player went for a Celtic background despite the Norse influx.) They're busy running around New Vegas Arcology and dealing with corporations and such. Currently, they've added a teenaged NPC werewolf, and a wee dragon (which may just be a baby they don't know.)
 
If all of them are true, then it may be that the hacker has to achieve a certain amount of progress to succeed.
I was assuming that to be the Case.
I'm aware of general "when to roll" theory, I think most people here have been doing this a long time. If your conception of a cyberpunk world contains such ubiquitious things as "Black Ice" and people are hooking up their bare minds to the system, you've got this pretty much by definition. Just like I rarely see it in "trad" games where people just skip combat encounters with "make a Gun roll"…

The point being, the complexity/drama of the required roll is up to the GM and the situation, not overly complex hacking rules.
The problem in cyberpunk games is that "hacker dude" is often considered a niche, a main focus. There's often a big investment into that, either by expensive equipment / foregoing magic etc., or even system-enforced roles (e.g. Cyberpunk 2020's netrunner "class", with exclusive access to 1337 computer skills). Your main role being handled by just some skill roles is often quite boring, even your trap-bypassing rogue often gets more options than that (and complains when the wizard just handles that with some spells).

Otherwise, it actually *is* Pathfinder, where everyone picks a casting class just to fill their time, other niches not being worth it. Then you're just a shooty and/or blasty guy, but with Computer 6 skill. Which might be perfectly okay if it says so on the box, but admittedly rare in the genre, rules-wise.
 
Hey chums. I saw Subversion being discussed, so I dropped by to say hi! I'm the lead dev on Subversion, so if you have any questions, feel free to shoot them at me. Yes, I was a dev on Shadowrun 6th ed., but as I've noted elsewhere, the things I wrote were not directly written into the rules by me, and I of course share some of the same frustrations as everyone else does. I don't think Shadowrun is in any danger from Subversion. We're a small time biz and they have all the resources and fan base we don't. Plus, it is a very different gaming experience.

Also, a note about editing. I don't edit my reddit posts, but our games go through extensive editing and revision before launch (see Gangs of the Undercity and Misspent Youth: Fall in Love, Not in Line as examples). And we plan on doing a very public open release of the rules PDF before going to print, so we get community feedback before doing something we'd have to change later.

And in one regard, we are like Pathfinder. We are committed to an open license so folks can use our rules and our world to make games, stories, and monies of their own.

Does Subversion borrow anything from Shadowrun's background stories? Is it lighter or darker in mood than SR?

Does it have the multiple layers of the world like SR? Physical world, astral, and matrix? How do they work together? There is almost always a bit of a disconnect, a slowdown, of game play when switching back and forth between the players working in the different layers, in Shadowrun. Hopefully Subversion deals with it smoothly.

Which is your favourite edition of Shadowrun?

After watching the fiasco with WotC and their attempt to change the OGL and upend everything that'd happened with OGL stuff over 20 years, are you folks at Fragging Unicorns (hilariously awesome name by the way, Deadpool would approve) willing to write into your gaming license clear language that protects people who use your license, even if sometime down the road your company wants to change it?
 
I was assuming that to be the Case.
I'm aware of general "when to roll" theory, I think most people here have been doing this a long time. If your conception of a cyberpunk world contains such ubiquitious things as "Black Ice" and people are hooking up their bare minds to the system, you've got this pretty much by definition. Just like I rarely see it in "trad" games where people just skip combat encounters with "make a Gun roll"…


The problem in cyberpunk games is that "hacker dude" is often considered a niche, a main focus. There's often a big investment into that, either by expensive equipment / foregoing magic etc., or even system-enforced roles (e.g. Cyberpunk 2020's netrunner "class", with exclusive access to 1337 computer skills). Your main role being handled by just some skill roles is often quite boring, even your trap-bypassing rogue often gets more options than that (and complains when the wizard just handles that with some spells).

Otherwise, it actually *is* Pathfinder, where everyone picks a casting class just to fill their time, other niches not being worth it. Then you're just a shooty and/or blasty guy, but with Computer 6 skill. Which might be perfectly okay if it says so on the box, but admittedly rare in the genre, rules-wise.
Yeah, I get that. Cybertech interactions do have more complexity than just skill rolls, but it really depends on your build and what you want to accomplish. Paradigms, sort of mini -classes that specialize your character, have a number of cybertech abilities which let you decide how your tech specialist excels. You can helped your team with buffs in combat, enhance stealth, breach computer systems, break in to places, control drones, and a number of other things.

While traditionally, cyberpunk games have made hacking a big, of clunky, focus of their games, for us, we've chosen to focus on the themes of cyberpunk instead of the mechanics. Runaway technology, wealth gaps, who has power and who doesn't and what they are willing to do to get it, power distribution towards corporations, suppressing of individuality, etc .
 
Does Subversion borrow anything from Shadowrun's background stories? Is it lighter or darker in mood than SR?

Does it have the multiple layers of the world like SR? Physical world, astral, and matrix? How do they work together? There is almost always a bit of a disconnect, a slowdown, of game play when switching back and forth between the players working in the different layers, in Shadowrun. Hopefully Subversion deals with it smoothly.

Which is your favourite edition of Shadowrun?

After watching the fiasco with WotC and their attempt to change the OGL and upend everything that'd happened with OGL stuff over 20 years, are you folks at Fragging Unicorns (hilariously awesome name by the way, Deadpool would approve) willing to write into your gaming license clear language that protects people who use your license, even if sometime down the road your company wants to change it?

Hmm. Do we borrow from Shadowrun's background stories? I'd say no. We certainly are influenced by them. We've been telling stories in that universe for a while, so I don't think we could help it. But no, the stories are much different in setting, tone, and plots than nearly all of what Shadowrun does. And it is "lighter" than Shadowrun, if for no other reason than you are fighting for something important besides survival and money, and you actually have the chance to change things.

Regarding multiple layers of "reality," yes. The world does have those things. But they aren't features initially. As the world expands, we'll touch on cyber realms and the spirit world, but we've already made the decision that if the entire team can't somehow participate in those adventures, they are probably going to not be as prevalent as in SR. Which means they might be more common or more rare, depending on the particular adventure you're on.

My favorite edition is... Hard to say. By the end of 5th, there were some additions and balancing innovations that, paired with my familiarity with the game, made it run pretty smoothly for my table. But in terms of just having fun and telling stories, Anarchy is, despite it's flaws, pretty fun.

And yes, even before the OGL mess, we had decided to make our rules and world available for others to create and profit from their own games and stories without having to pay us or get our express permission. We'd like to even find a way to incorporate really cool fan or 3rd party stuff into "official" content of that would be desirable to all parties involved.
 
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