From: jgoodric@dante.nmsu.edu (GOODRICH)
Newsgroups: rec.games.cyber
Subject: Re: CP 2020 rules for drugs, decks, and programs
Date: 12 Jan 93 20:32:11 GMT
Organization: New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM

In article <1993Jan11.213858.444@ncsu.edu> bjbisset@eos.ncsu.edu (BILLY JOE BISSETTE) writes:
>
>  Anyone out there ever notice that the sample drugs, cyberdecks and programs
>don't fit the rules for creating them?  Well, a couple of drugs do, those with
>durations of 1D6+1 turns(although cost and duration are both messed up in the
>rules for creation), and some programs can possibly be tweaked to fit...
>  What I want to know is, do you give explanations for these differences, or
>do you just try to fix them.  I've made it so that modifying a store-bought
>cyberdeck is very difficult, because they are SO cheap compared to building/
>designing a new one.  With drugs I've been trying to fix the obvious problems,
>like the creation table using the wrong die and the cost multiplier being wrong,
>not to mention the wrong strength for some drugs.  As for programs...  I will
>admit that I have MU for created programs go above 7MU.
>  Does anyone out there have either legal corrections to these areas, or
>logical corrections made on their own?  Also, has anyone thought about or
>made overdose rules as these presently don't exist, but should...
>
	Actually, to paraphrase an old Paranoia rule, "rules are for players."
The GM does not have to justify anything she does.  The GM has thousands
of level ten people working for him, and the best party seldom has one.
Do you really think Arasaka cares how many MU a program takes up?  Since
Zetatech and all the rest have MASSIVE facilities researching how to make these
decks better, and have large factories putting out hundreds of cyberdecks a day,
I thing it is quite reasonable that their cyberdecks are cheaper and better
then one the cracker could build himself.  Let me put it to you this way.
Do you think you could build a computer- hell a calculator for the given 
price?  I mean I'd be willing to bet that even the spare parts would cost
more than getting the sucker whole.
	Drugs?  So what?  Just pump the characters full of them and see how
much they care if it's rules-legal or not.  See the above for 'justification.'



>PS: How was Alt supposed to created that massive program in that little bit of
>time?  How was the program able to be bigger than 7MU(the max in the rules)?
>How was the Arasaka main able to hold it(the rules say a system can have a
>max of 7 CPU(with 28 MU) and 12 CPU(with 36 MU)?  Which brings to mind, which
>is the correct max number of CPU?   Do watchdogs work on their own, or does the
>CPU have to control them?  Why doesn't the Militech database presented have a
>roof or a floor?  What the heck is the Militech symbol?  And lots of other
>inconsistencies not even typed in which I would like answered...
	Again, with ALT, don't allow rules to come in the way of a good 
storyline.  BS the time reqirements (they do it all the time on TV and movies)
if it's interestind, dramatic, or likely to get the characters killed.
	Remember that the Mindkiller program is semi-independant, and can 
probably moe its own programming to other places, if it damn well pleases.
Militech doesn't need a roof or a floor, you can't get there unless there's
a program that allows you to.  It's nivce to be able to see what the '
'higher-ups' ar e doing.  besides, it looks neat.
	Make your own Militech symbol.
	Cyberpunk is not a well-supported game, so the GM has to put a lot of
energy into writing her own stuff.  I find this personally very liberating
(ever try to run a game in ADD's Greyhawk?  No room for your own ideas.), and
am goiong to read a paper every siunday in order to get a scenario idea.
	The Laughing Priest!   {Jgoodric@nmsu.edu}

"Laugh-a while you can, monkey-boy!"  -Lord John Whorfin