Friday, October 16, 2009

Blueprint For Sand Rail

Madeleine electric

As I had some time before me, back forces blocked, here is a little "blast from the past." You have been warned ...

20 years. It seems close, almost yesterday, and yet it is already so far.

No, it's not the fall of the Berlin Wall that commemorates I, but the 20-year Shadowrun. When you're geeks, we do not remake. I stopped fight.

Shadowrun since its release is one of my favorite role playing games. My attachment to this world can even measure very prosaically: my collection (of books rpg, novels, artbook) is nearly two meters of linear library! Suffice to say that the case is hopeless. I heard for the first time in a critical game, rather Commendation, published in an issue of the journal Grail. In full wave Cyberpunk, Shadowrun and its dicey mix of anticipation and magic, was an outsider. At the time, the mere mention of "American Indians" in the background was enough to I do get wasted and so I threw on the translation done by Hex.

20 years, so. This means that the first time I laid hands on Shadowrun, I ... 16. Hard to believe it. This was followed by whole days of play, during a campaign during squeezing to the bone the first supplements, the transition to the second edition, reading novels (among the first things I read in English , dico on knees) ...

Yet all was not rosy with Shadowrun. Difficult first right mix cyberpunk and fantasy, especially when you buy the first scenario is the very PMTesque " DNA / DOA "Widely regarded as one of the worst modules range. Then difficult, long process, renew the classic Mission-cons accepted that heart is more complex than expected and ends with the betrayal of Johnson. And then there's the black point of the rules, too complex for me. At the time, it was inconceivable to lead a party without mastering the rules on the fingertips. So I'm getting cards and memory aids, but despite this, no way to exploit the subtleties of magic, make a pass fluid matrix to remember multiple modifiers induced cyberware, or to work rules of sustained firing, recoil or scattering of pomegranate. Frustrating.

Nevertheless, I remain hooked. At the time history student, I am more familiar with the storyline of Shadowrun that my courses in medieval history. I almost never operates the farm involved, but I'm passionate about great storyline: the secrets of Universal Brotherhood, the presidential candidacy of Dunklezahn, the contents of his will, the events in Chicago or the true identity of Damian Knight. .. And the clues linking to Shadowrun Earthdawn. Even if I dropped the matter around the 3rd edition, due to time and players, I am still a fan this universe always on the line between kitsch and flamboyance, still reading from time to time the main supplements.

20 years later, then. History celebrate, I bought the 20th anniversary edition vf, published by Black Book Publishing in, even though I had already invested in the 4th American edition, identical in substance despite some rearrangements. The fourth does not convince me on the visual level: even if there is good, as the drawings of SwaI, this is far from true of the whole work, burdened by more than one layout in emetic green duotone. To say that this is the 20th anniversary edition level: the book is beautiful, colorful layout, however, managed to stay sober and illustrations are generally well chosen. Butt strongly a little tear at the sight of the cover page listing the iconic artwork of Larry Elmore, who served as cover for first and second publish the game, and one is caught by an attack of nostalgia regretting the absence of any drawing of the brilliant Jeff Laubenstein. Thick cover paper, pleasant to the touch, it is simply the most beautiful Shadowrun to date. Vf is the more excellent, with a very good translation and no shells. Thank you Black Book!

You tell me that I speak and form. Indeed, because it remains Shadowrun: even if the rules have undergone a big bet for the 4th flat, they are still as thick and occupy the majority of the work. The transition from the old array to augmented reality, however, is a success. When the new storyline was not much to be put in the tooth, despite an interesting "Emergence .

Still, Shadowrun is one of the best RPG of all time! And to celebrate, I raised a small piece of countryside, quickly aborted because of the damn back. But I hope to return soon and check if the flame still burns! Unless he must avoid the wake of good memories at the risk of spoiling ...

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