From: elandal@archtwr.tower.nullnet.fi (Ismo Peltonen)
Subject: Re: RFD: rec.games.cyber renaming and unmoderation
Organization: Chambers of the Archmage
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 05:57:21 GMT
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

Laura Mollett (lmollett@lunatix.uucp) wrote:
: In article <1992Dec9.034530.8036@archtwr.tower.nullnet.fi> elandal@archtwr.tower.nullnet.fi (Ismo Peltonen) writes:
: >  I know it very well.
: Well, there are some very good reasons why these people are opposed to "genre"
: splits.  Why do you think the .cyber group should be a exception?

  Cyberpunk contains elements unknown in fantasy, other scifi, historical,
or many other genres I can think of. Cyberpunk LIVES on these elements,
they are the cornerstones of the genre. And, as I said, they are quite
unknown in other genres.
  In what genre would you expect to see deckers plugging themselves into
the matrix, a worldwide computer network? How about the 'on the
edge'-feel of cyberpunk? Limbs replaced with tech quite commonly?
Runners (who are not part of any corp but do the dirty work for
whichever pays them)?
  I can think of campaign plots that are used in cyberpunk but don't fit
into other genres without serious rewriting. How about discussion about
how cybernetic parts should affect the sanity? Or 'how to design a
decent computer network which has defences against the netrunners but
are not impenetrable'? Or AIs?

: I'm really firmly opposed to anything that will further scatter the role-playing
: discussion.  It's easy to kill very technical discussions, but any game system
: can generate the campaign ideas, plot ideas, character ideas, and general
: role-playing  advice and discussion.  I feel we lose a lot when these ideas
: get too split up.  Without a real clear idea of where the dividing lines are
: and what comes into what group, I'm afraid it will be even worse.  Do the
: current shadowrun character quotes and death lines etc. belong in the .misc
: group or would they belong in the .cyber group under your proposal?

  It is for the poster to decide if it's cyberpunk specific or of
general interest to all roleplayers. Were I to play only fantasy and
superhero genres, I wouldn't be so interested in campaign plots
concerning megacorps, character ideas involving cybernetic
modifications, or discussion about smartgun links.
  I can't think of a genre I don't play, so this is not 'I want a group
with only the discussion I like' RFD. The only r.g.f group I don't read
is .dnd.

: >  I still believe in r.g.f.cyber group. If it doesn't pass, cyberpunk
: >roleplaying will still have it's own group.
: 
: Hmm, sounds like if the general role-players don't agree the group should be
: split, you intend to bypass the process and assume your opinion has more
: validity.  Isn't that sorta how we got in the mess of having role-playing
: discussion in two places in the first place.  If it's role-play discussion
: (as you claim), it belongs in the .frp heirarchy, but if the group doesn't 
: want the split in the same way you do, you'll just continue to have it 
: outside the heirarchy.  Why not consider switching it back to a mailing list 
: then. That's what the other systems do. 

  If very different things are separated to different groups it's a lot
easier to read them. I can begin reading a group and know beforehand
what to expect.
  As this is far from the first time I heard complaints about linking
those two together (removal of r.g.c and creation of r.g.f.c) I'm slowly
coming to the belief that they have to be separated.
-- 
Elandal		(aka Ismo Peltonen)			| Hanuripolku 5B15
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