From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SR or T2000, or what's that rigger doing here?
Date: 22 Jul 92 21:07:52 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

"Mark A. Baxter" <mb8p+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:

>   One of the many problems I've encountered in SR is what I would call
>the "Arms Race", Characters will gravitate towards the most destructive
>weapons to deal with deadlier opponents.  And when the upper end
>includes most military hardware (lt. machine guns and Mini-guns) the
>need to control the "Arms Race" can become pretty immediate.  This need
>is not helped by the inclusion of characters armed with those same LMG's
>in the shadowrun book. (The soldier and the troll I think, I don't have
>it here at school) 

These characters aren't that abusive as they are going fairly slow. The
problem starts when everyone is carrying an LMG for everything. The slow
Merc used to do okay 'cause he had fantastic firepower. Now, everyone and
his brother wants an LMG (or worse..the troll in our group says anything
but a STONER!!! is too wimpy). I think the answer here is to move the
adventure out of the Barrens where you can carry heavy artillery and
move it downtown, where you get picked up for carrying a handgun that's
too big. 
Also, don't use adventures as written. If the PC's all come in with LMG's,
adjust enemy armaments to match. Ensure that someone's first action is to
to hit the Panicbutton (TM) and have Lonestar show up loaded for BEAR. 
A Lonestar Tactical Response Team should chew runners a new orifice.

>    And then you have the rigger, who is intended as either just a
>driver (for those players who don't mind waiting in the car) or the
>tank/assault helicopter driver, for the GM's who don't mind shifting
>from cyberpunk to Hammer's Slammers role-playing.  I HAVE
>oversimplified, riggers are a little more flexible than that, but really
>not much.  I just wanted to ask if anyone had ever played a rigger or
>run a rigger and what the experiences had been.  Also, I wanted to bring
>up the idea of combining the rigger and the decker into one character,
>the TECH as a possibility.  Because it seems like deckers must spend a
>lot of time sitting on their hands, waiting to get at the matrix, during
>which time the rest of the team sits on *their* hands, as *that* is
>played out. 

I think this is a really good idea. Mixing the two of them, especially using
a Tech 4, will give a character who can do the matrix and help out with 
firesupport. I think it's partly up to the GM to say "Whoa boy." when the
rigger starts loading HMG's on his drones or vehicles. The enemy teams sort
of play softball with runners. If he/she wants heavy gun drones, make damn
well sure the enemy has them too. Make sure the other players know this too,
and know that the enemy gun drones are a direct result of your rigger having
them. The first time they get strafed by a rotodrone with a Stoner on it,
they'll throttle the boy and have him buy some light weapons.

>    For the arms race problem it's a simple matter to simply say "Oh,
>and where do you plan to buy this Mini-gun/LMG/ammo for same, Lone Star
>(or whoever) tries to keep a pretty close eye on that stuff."  But if
>the game is already incorporating characters equipped with that, it
>becomes much harder to say "no".

This falls under the availability ratings in Shadowtech. If the GM wants
the arms race to stay small, have the player make a Street Etiquette 
to buy the  ammunition at the weapons availability rating. Also, enforce
the Street Index. Make sure the players pay big bucks for big guns. Make
sure they get into situations where it's drop the big gun or die "Gee,
oh troggie bearer of a gyro mounted Heavy Machine Gun, you have been 
tossed into the pool. Let the gun drop..or drown." 

Ruthlessly harass the team with LoneStar if they tote state o' the art
firepower. LoneStar has street operatives, and runners toting HMG's,
missle launchers, and the like will get top billing. *Grin* Your players
will be tickled to hear they've made the most wanted list, until the
bounty hunters come calling. It also strains group loyalty when Ares
offers a free upgrade to Beta Wired 3 to the person who turns in the
heavy machine gunner who did their offices. "Troll, you are coming with
me...Dead or alive, you're coming with me."

Axly