MonSTeR

Vito continues "Hospital? Nah Kid, you misunderstand me ok?" There's another puff on the cigar, "Your boys are fine, just whoever hit that place put them down and thought nothing of it, KO gas or something, couple of aspirin and they'll be fine ok. Listen, just meet Tony there, if your boys 've come round by then they'll be able to fill us all in"

Back at the safehouse Neko is pretty much with it by now but his head is still pounding. The man with the coffee pats him on the shoulder and turns and calls "Tony!"

Another suited man comes downstairs. Coffee-guy whispers something to him and truns to point at Neko The newest arrival nods and stares over at the solo whilst coffee-guy finishes his report. Neko doesn't manage to trigger his amplified hearing in time to catch the conversation.

The new arrival comes over to the young solo and offers his hand. neko swaps the cup over to his left hand and shakes.

"I'm Tony" says the suited guy. "you're gonna be fine and so's our friend" he gestures at Rat who starts to move slightly, maybe the voices are bringing him round. Tony moves to the kitchen to get another coffee, and calls back to Neko "So, you remember any of what happened?"

The only problem I see here is not a problem with the game but a problem with the "cross-genre" idea.

I've always considered cyberpunk to be an extrapolation from the now, rather than a "change history drastically/alternate universe" game. Which is perhaps why some of us are asking for an updated timeline.

In truth yes. Most experienced players realise the value of holding off an action or two to allow them to react to a threat that presents itself later in the round. They'll also realise the importance of not attempting too many actions as they simply will fail them often leaving them exposed and vulnerable.

That's actually the same as how I do it. The next action comes 3 intiative points after the last.

I divide the round up into "initiative phases", one for each point of initiative up to the maximum roll of any of the combatants. The phases "count down" from the maximum roll to 0.

If a solo has the hightest initiative roll and a total initiative roll of 20, he acts on phase 20 (the first phase in that round), 17, 14, 11 and so on. Taking the -3 penalty to his roll to succeed with the action. I've also said that they can keep going with the actions basically until they run out of skill+stat values to take the 3 away from meaning that unless they use "luck" points they'll have "no" chance of success.

If in the same example the nomad with an initiative roll of 15 would act on phases 15, 12, 9 and so on. So yes the solo would act twice before the nomad, but this reflects his "years of combat experience" or his "cat-like reflexes"

It works perfectly for me and has done so for several years now.

If you're worried about folks "standing there" for 2 seconds then they should space their actions out voluntarily over the combat round acting at lower phases. This also lets them interact more with the other characters, but if they need to "get the drop" on someone, by cramming all actions into the earliest part of the turn they can, they still can.

If they choose to act as soon as they can, the "left standing there" aspect reflects the fact that thier attention has been completely drawn elsewhere and they should have used thier last action to get under cover or similar. I think the acting once per 10 points of initiative is plain "too slow" and means the average character would be able only to act at the very best twice in a 3.33 second round. I'd like tho think most folks could say

1) draw a gun,

2) spin around

3) fire said gun

all within 3 seconds, even if they -6 penalty on the third action means they have only a minimal chance of hitting the target.

The 3 point system, I think, shows clearly the advantage/broken-ness of the "Combat sense" special ability.

The other thing is, if everyone has finished acting by phase 10, then it doesn't mean that everyone is just standing around for 1/2 the combat round. It means unless someone wants to do a late action (at an appropriate penalty), that round is over and a new one begins even is there are 10 initiative phases oleft. What I call initiative phases are just a convenient way to divide up the combat round  until everyone has done what they need to.

I'm also very interested to see how folks handle multiple actions.

For me I would like, the following. Some of it is pretty much the same to other folks so if I've stolen your idea you know you were right

Simple "stat and skill" system very much like interlock, that takes account of "real" human abilities and limits. One that also takes into account somewhat the way in which skills and stats overlap and interact.

A character creation process that allows for the generation of equal characters with OR without classes or archetypes.

Special Abilities mixing with "pros and cons" to become something else... that actually works

Decent combat system with well defined ranged and close combat rules and a workable damage and armour system.

A well defined and illustrated equipment/weapon section. It helps folks to visualize. Style over substance and all that.

Well defined but variable power levels. A system that could either let folks play amine style super heroes or gutterpunks within the same world and let them know whereabouts they stand in the foodchain OR for my own personal preference, that could preclude the use of ACPA/Hardsuits and focus on the punk attitude and "Heat" style edgerunning.

A game world that reflects current trends and social/political movements that is realistc but flexible enough for tweaks to not utterly destroy it. Also a timeline that can either explain the technological leaps or one that does away with them.

Technological improvements based on current trends and projections in science, not old-skool sci-fi of a type that's not even written anymore. For me that means concentrating on bioware rather than cyberware as this looks currently the more likely root. Tailored retroviruses and somatic gene therapy rather than nano-mechanical alterations. But also a world with a scientific discovery that allows the "neuralware processor" or a similar invention to allow "cyberlinking" to various devices.

Room temperature superconductors, if you're going to have cyberware, these things would help a lot.

A fix to the netrunning system. If that means turning it into a few rolls of the dice with cyberdecks that are more like laptop PCs built/bought with programs that add to a  set of characteristics, rather than a game of noughts and crosses (tic-tac-toe) then so be it. I'd also like to see the netrunning able to be done using a variety of interfaces from keyboard and screen, datagloves and eyepieces or direct cyberlinkage. with pluses/minuses for each.

Neko starts to come round, his vision still blurry. He can amke out dark shapes moving in front of him, definately men, and he is sitting on the floor propped up against a wall.

One of the men must have heard him groan and comes over, kneeling in front of him. Neko's eyes seem to start to focus now, his nervous system is returning to normal. He can make out an olive skinned man in a suit. The man speaks over his shoulder and another suited man comes to stand behind him.

The kneeling man seems to stare into Neko's inorganic eyes for a moment then turns and nods to the man behind him. The kneeling man stands and offers the semi conscious solo his hand to help him up.

The voice on the other end of Shrap's phone is a familiar one. it's Danny Vito

"Hey Kid" The mafia head makes no introduction, "My boys found your boys ok" He pauses for breath and Shrap hears the sound of and inhale exhale as if Vito is puffing on a big cigar. "Seems they were left for dead or something. Someone came looking for something and your boys didn't have time to get out. Tony will fill you in when you get there ok."

Neko stands and someone helps him across the room. The suited men ease him onto one end of the couch and Neko makes out Rat slumped over sitting backwards on the other side of the sofa. He seems to be out cold. Someone hands Neko a cup of hot black coffee and the scent of it jars him back a little further into the land of the awake. He takes a sip of the strong coffee and waits as he comes to properly.

Consciousness begins to tempt Neko to it's unpleasant realm. His head is pounding and he feels incredibly sluggish. His eyes aren't working at all and he can't even tell if he has them open or not. he can tell he's sitting up against a wall somewhere, at least it feels like a wall, it's not soft like a chair, and his legs are outstretched in front of him.

There are voices, strange unfamiliar voices, he's not coherent enought to make out what they're saying but they're aggressive, just maybe not directed at him.

As Bloodbath talks V8's with the cabbie, Thumper scans the traffic, there doesn't seem to be a tail. Shrap's phone rings in his pocket as the cab heads across town.

Just a post to let folks know I'm going away for a long weekend. I'll be back Monday

Tune in Monday to see where Rat and Neko wake up. And just where Shrap is taking Thumper and Bloodbath in that taxi

Vito grunts a parting "ok" at/to Shrap as Thumper takes a good look around. There's no-one doing anything they shouldn't be. It looks like it was the location that the Ops Team were on to rather than your crew. If you ever were under surveilance, they've split now.

The taxi driver turns round as Thumper gets in and asks in a surprisingly good mood.

"Where to gentlemen?"

I think travel sepends a lot on fuel costs. The stereotypical CP2020 setting has fuel shortages limiting air travel and uses Chooh as a substitute. However there are still a load of AV's which burn fuel like no-one's business so go figure??!?!?

If you think aero-engines can run on chooh, or, if you play that there'll be no major oil shortage in 20 years time then again, no problem, air travel would probably be very much the same as it is today.

Hypersonic commercial flight is not something I'd say was realistic, even Ben Rich, former head of Lockheed's "Skunk Works" the man responsible for the Blackbird (along with his mentor Kelly Johnson), the F117 and a few others, reckons hypersonic flight is a long way off.

As for security, I'm sure it's tight in 2020 after last year's events. But again depending on your setting, it might be looser granting american citizens the ability to defend their own skies? or AIRtight with the Federal Aviation Security Agency or FASA;) having agents on all flights  with a US destination.

The mark then reaches into his jacket for his cred chip, and pulls out his fully licensed Glock. He then executes the assailant, and relies on his firm's excellent lawyers and the corp-zone surveillance to prove he was being subjected to what constituted an assault and responded with appropriate force to protect himself and proceeds to his meeting without missing a beat

Because most corp. execs would rather kill a man in cold blood than arrive late to a meeting!

http://www.georgecarlin.com/georgecarlin/home/bogus.html

There's a thing on his site about a mail like this being bogus and not by George Maybe this version is the real one? Anyone know any more?

Either way it's pretty cool

"You're a good kid Shrap so you don't worry 'bout it ok? I'll get you the number of our "family business" line, and you can call me on that ok? It's good that I hear this from you, I appreciate it."

His tone of voice sounded very reassuring. Danny Vito is as straight a guy as the get. By letting him know first hand and not finding out form someone else Shrap did the right thing and followed the proper etiquette. His appreciation is sincere.

The "family business" number comes through to Shrap 's phone, and when he says "family business", the emphasis is on "family"! It'll be as secure as a corporate line can be. He'll no doubt get people over to the safehouse pretty damn soon.

A cab pulls up next to the group, It's a big old Chevy, from just before the merger with Toyota. It sport the newly introduced "Night City Taxi" logos and is bright yellow like the NYC cabs.

But isn't it more of a case of it's only those who are "prime pros" who are actually true "edgerunners"? dunno.. anyone else go tviews on this...?

Shrap's phone rings a couple of times before someone picks up.

It's Vito's own phone, and he answers in his east coast accent with a gruff "Yeah?"

Yeah you're right, the teasing should stop. Afterall he did say he worked FOR the SAS and not that he was a member of the regiment itself.

What is mugging exactly these days?

When I was growing up, mugging was when you beat someone up and stole their watch and wallet sort of thing.

Street robbery was different, that's when you get "the mark to co-operate" through intimidation and such, and "persuade" them to hand over their watch and wallet without actually harming them.

But like Phipps said, true "Edgerunners" don't mug people, they hit platinum depositories, steal R&D files and the like. Gutter-punks hold up old ladies for their state pension.

The SAS have toilets to clean and paper bins to empty too y'know...

The closest thing to a true "cyberlimb" I've seen was years ago, something they called "The Utah Hand" developed a t a lab in... "Utah" .

That responded pretty well to nerve impulse stimulation and had full articulation jut like ahuman hand.

There was an article in "New Scientist" recently about a pair of brothers, one an electonics expert the other an occular doctor who've implanted specially designed chips in to patients retinas that are looking like they're giving the recipients their site back, but that's only if the retina is the non-functioning part, not the optic nerve.

Scanning the area, Bloodbath and Thumper take note of the area, cars pass by, the occasional black SUV does passes by, but then they always do in Night City, so many corporations use them as well as all those wannabes and even civilians. None of them look threatening and the streets seem devoid of any hostiles, the midday rush is always a bad time to try and follow someone, it's also a bad time to try and spot your stalker. Thumper scans the usual areas, and takes note of vehicles that might be doubling back, people loitering and so on. His experience and skill tells him that you're not under any observation, this site is clean.

There are no conspiracies here, please move along peacefully, we thank you for your co-operation.

The black ops team moves into the safehouse securing the area and checking for anyone else in the apartment. Neko valiantly tries to stand again, ready to spring into action.

One of the operatives stands over him and punches him to the ground again.

"Stay Down" he snarls at the young Solo.

Walking over to the scuffle another of the Black Ops Team, casually says to his associate, "It's alright, I got him" He smirks before shooting Neko in the neck. Neko reaches up to feel the dart in his artery, but doesn't even have time to pull it out before darkness falls.

There's a huge muffled thump as the charges go off in blowing the exit clear open.

The intruders cover up somewhat from the shock, the pointman staggers slightly then as he lowers his arm from his face, Rat unloads both barrels from his custom shotgun.

Buckshot shreds the entrance, furniture and walls splinter under the barrage of flying metal. The big man drops to the floor screaming, clutching what's left of his face, with what's left of his hands.

The second intruder doesn't go down. Rat sees a red beam come up and a dot trace over his face before the impact. The first dart hits him in the cheek, the second on the jaw. He feels real sleepy, real fast.

Neko slams the HK towards the black clad face of the intruder. Closing the distance to close combat range lost him every advantage he had.

The bigger man blocks Neko's attack and swats him insignificantly to the floor. Neko's armour  easily absorbs the fall, and his own constitution prevents him from being stunned.

From the floor. as he prepares to stand again, Neko sees a second operative enter behind the first. The point man gestures into the room, from his "unique vantage point" Neko can't quite make out where but the second man raises a pistol and Juliet takes a silenced round to the leg. She crumples to the floor like a rag doll clutching her thigh before Rat can reach her.

Rat feels a small calibre round hit the back of his coat, it's real small and he hardly feels it. He's aware that he's probably covered by a heavier weapon by now too, he may well need to be lucky to make this next action count.

Thumper check's for the all clear at Mr.Gambino's place, he shouts back to Shrap in the affirmative and the trio prepare to move out.

Rat spins to find Juliet who stands in shock in the living room as Neko draws his MPK-9 to cover the doorway in ambush.

There's a flashbang that goes off, but Neko's anti-dazzle and level damper kick in and he stands cool as the first intruder enters.

A tall man dressed in cliched back, probably the first of several.

It seems Neko's ambush has given him the slightest edge and he reacts ahead of the unfortunate point man...