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Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/18 23:29:06


Post by: Bromsy


Figured we could turn this into a miscellaneous Shadowrun thread at this point.

Shadowrun Online update -
Looking more like a real game.



Project Update #50: A little Summer Update & Dev-Diaries
Posted by Cliffhanger Productions

Hoi Chummers,

The temperatures are rising but here at Cliffhanger Productions we’re staying cool and working the shadows to create more Shadowrun Online features.

Right now we’re finalizing the first, basic version of the Character Creation system. That means that you won’t have to play with the predefined party any more which we created for you, but instead you can build your own avatar, select looks, weapons and companions for the run. This becomes even more important as we’re also working on getting an early version of Coop ready, so you can play the missions with other runners, making Shadowrun Online a true multiplayer experience.

As we know a lot of you have been looking forward to both Character Creation and Coop we’re working hard on getting those features to you as soon as possible. We can’t provide you with a fixed ETA yet, however we can tell you that while both features won't make it into the next update, they will be in the one after that.

Speaking of next update: On July 8th we will release a new update that contains a new gameplay feature everyone has been asking for ever since we released Shadowrun Online into Early Access: the Free Initiative Selection. Gone are the times when you had to move Payday before Takshak could cast his shield. Now you can move your characters in any order during your team’s turn which increases your tactical options a lot. This is just the tip of the iceberg though, as we add several other features (hint: Border Scrolling!), introduce Daily Missions and fix a lot of issues.



For those of you who'd like to get more insights into our development we started a new Dev-Diary Series on www.shadowrun.com. Here are excerpts from the first two installments:

#1 Dress-up!

Hi! This is Tom – you might know me from one of the dev Q&A sessions. In our first installment of our dev blog I’m going to give you a couple of insights into how our technical item system works for the long awaited character customisation. We always knew that creating and customising your Shadowrunner is the big thing, but the details were vague up to a few weeks ago. As with all systems that we want to do the deciding factor is effort – can we implement the system initially, and can we support it with enough content in the long run? (Read more)

#2 Tuning the AI

“Organ Farm”, just after our team has cleaned out a hallway full of gangers. The next door opens and who comes running? Our new not-quite-buddy, Bert. One of my jobs on the team is to make sure Bert the ganger behaves somewhat believable. So let’s start with what we think is “believable” with a guy like Bert. (Read more)

So prepare to enter the Shadows again on July 8th and if you can't be there due to a well deserved vacation, start thinking about what your Character shall be like once you can create him later this summer.

See you in the shadows, Chummers!



- old OP, Returns stuff.
Spoiler:


Harebrained Message -

[spoiler]From Harebrained-

Hey everybody!

It’s hard to believe that the launch of Shadowrun Returns is only 7 days away. Holy smokes! It’s been quite a marathon. Thanks for sticking with us during this amazing adventure.

Remember back in December, during Jordan’s fireside chat, when he said we didn’t have a marketing budget? Well... we still don’t. But we have something better than money. We have our community.

We have you.

If you believe that crowdfunded games should be encouraged...

If you believe that indie studios should be supported...

If you believe that the Shadowrun universe should live, thrive, and survive...

This is your call to action. [Cue heroic music.]

Take this freshly-minted trailer for Shadowrun Returns and post it! Share it! Write pithy comments about it! Show it to your mom!

http://youtu.be/UFYsQ0M2Jrg

But wait, there’s more...

We’ve got new Facebook profile pics and cover images. We’ve got Twitter avatars. Wallpaper for your PC. Wallpaper for your phone. Here's the link: http://harebrained-schemes.com/shadowrun/backer-images/

As gamers, we know that a lot of paid marketing efforts are kind of useless. Most of us rely on the opinions of people we trust to help us figure out what we want to play next. So please get the word out and get people talking - not just about the game but about how they have the power to add to it and tell their own stories using the Editor.

Thanks again. We’ll see you on launch day!

HBS


12:30 7/25 - installed, messing around with the character creator interface.

Okay, first impression - interface is good, nice and slick.

-Human, Dwarf, Elf, Ork, Troll
-Street Sam, Mage, Decker, Rigger, Shaman, Phys Adept, or Custom (which is a nice touch)
-Lots of different portraits (most portraits have like 3-4 minor variants, cybereyes, tatoos, what have you)
-Not a ton of different options for your avatar - skin color, hair/facial hair, horns - adequate though as I bet the gear is what will make the difference
-Simplified stats, Body, Intelligence, Quickness, Strength, Willpower, Charisma - your score in the stat also unlocks what abilities you can use from that stat's 'tree' - Body is just endurance, Quickness is Ranged Combat, Strength is Close Combat and Throwing, Intelligence is Decking/Rigging, Willpower is Spell Casting and it looks like Adept stuff too, Charisma is all Summoning and it unlocks "etiquettes" which I assume will be special social interactions with members of a certain group
-Etiquette groups are - Corporate, Security, Gang, Socialite, Shadowrunner, Street and Academic

12:52 7/25 - First combat
Really smooth, cover mechanics, had Gridrazer marking targets and my teammates flanking em and blowing them apart. Seems like a nice set up, and the story is pretty good so far, building your character's past and everything.

13:25 7/25 - Pretty impressed so far, they did a good job with the roleplaying aspects - a fair bit of investigative stuff, good dialogue (with plenty of stat/etiquette tests for special options). I've only had the intro flashback combat, and one against some Halloweeners to help out an old friend*. Now if only I could figure out how to get my doberman to actually do stuff.
*
Spoiler:
Jake Armitage!



17:38 7/25 - First Matrix run, which is awesome because I'm primarily a decker. I'm waaay better than the dude who is "teaching" me. Been working through the story, so I have a fixer and everything, pretty boss. Just unlocked being able to equip two drones, so that ought to be fun.[/spoiler]


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/18 23:38:53


Post by: Gearhead


Yippee!!

I got and registered my Steam code yestreday, and I'm all excited to get the game...and then put it on the to-do pile, along with every other fun thing that I have to postpone for the next 18+ months.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/19 07:31:26


Post by: Seaward


I dunno. I'm a backer, and Shadowrun is the RPG I grew up with, but I'm just not that excited about this. It's looking a little too much like it'll just be X-COM: Enemy Unknown with a Shadowrun skin.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/19 07:39:30


Post by: Bullockist


Personally I can't wait. I really want to try out my mage with boosted reflexes (and a smartgun link).
I'm a sucker for turn based games the main reason I loved arcanum and fallout 2.
Is this the full launch of shadowrun returns or a beta. Reason I'm asking this is i bought a copy of shadowrun returns the other day and am crious if it's beta launch or full launch.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/19 15:05:06


Post by: Lynata


X-Com? I'm getting more of a Jagged Alliance or Fallout vibe from it - but then again, I suppose it's a fair point to say that all those games are somewhat similar due to the traditional isometric perspective, kind of like how all FPS show a gun on the right bottom of your screen.

Myself, I'm waiting more eagerly for Shadowrun Online, but I have preordered SRR as well as I just like the setting, and the game looks like it'll be a fun experience. I will probably use it to decide on and try out the character concepts I have in mind for SRO.

Lock and load, chummers.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/19 15:42:01


Post by: Bromsy


Shadowrun Online is gonna be pretty boss too - I'm a bit more excited for this cause it's 2050s instead of 2070s - a bit closer to my first experience. Plus this is my first kickstarter game I'm actually getting.

- oh, and it's full launch.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/19 16:15:37


Post by: Lynata


I like the earlier time as well. That's pre-Crash, isn't it? When they still had keyboards that required physical connections etc? It just seems more "punk" that way, even when it's obviously outdated by modern day standards (unless we account for something like signal jamming and intrusion, which will be an interesting factor in the 5th edition rules).






But Shadowrun Online, playing with friends ... can't pass that one up. I like the social / multiplayer aspect in such games way too much.

It's certainly a good year for SR fans.

... damn, it's been way too long (several years!) since I last played a game of Shadowrun. :(


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/19 17:59:56


Post by: Gearhead


My only beef is that the sword animation shown at 1:10 in the launch trailer looks pretty lame.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/19 18:37:41


Post by: Seaward


Lynata wrote:X-Com? I'm getting more of a Jagged Alliance or Fallout vibe from it - but then again, I suppose it's a fair point to say that all those games are somewhat similar due to the traditional isometric perspective, kind of like how all FPS show a gun on the right bottom of your screen.

Yeah, any of those would work. I guess what I'm saying is that I think a turn-based tactical/strategy game doesn't quite do Shadowrun justice, because it's never been all about the combat. It's about the atmosphere, the paranoia, the world, the fact that you got screwed six different ways by your Johnson at the meet, and only ever found out about two of them. Shootin' mens with Ingram Smartguns is fun and all, but...


Lynata wrote:I like the earlier time as well. That's pre-Crash, isn't it? When they still had keyboards that required physical connections etc? It just seems more "punk" that way, even when it's obviously outdated by modern day standards (unless we account for something like signal jamming and intrusion, which will be an interesting factor in the 5th edition rules).

Ayup, 2054 in Shadowrun is when the Matrix was still based on late 80's telecom technology. The old knock on Shadowrun is that it manages to be both hyper-futuristic and ten years out of date at the same time.

Late 2nd/early 3rd edition Shadowrun is my sweet spot, but I still wish they'd take the Games Workshop approach to their canon and do a, "Okay, all that stuff we said about finding hardlines to jack into the Matrix and the Indians going crazy in 2011? Yeah, that never happened. Here's the revised timeline/tech."

But hey. I still find the whole, "What will happen when the Japanese electronic corporations take over the world?" basis of it all charming, so I can live with the fierce anachronisms.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/19 22:40:48


Post by: Trondheim


Not going to buy this, played Shadown run when I was younger. And frankly itsa eson why I never went back to that game system, but I can understadn those whom buys this game though


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/21 15:35:08


Post by: Bromsy


I am curious how much role playing there will be. I'll be super happy if there are ways to talk/stealth or just think your way through missions. And even if that's lacking, they are releasing the tools to make your own modules along with the game, so I bet someone will make it happen.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/23 00:33:38


Post by: Bullockist


I'm kinda curious about that too Bromsy. Is this one campaign and that's it? Will there be user made content, will there be more campaigns? I know I only have to wait for more shadowrun until shadowrun online happens, but goddammit , this is my favourite fictional world and the only setting I have liked for this extended period of time.

I watched the 30 minute game play video this morning, and fekk me I cannot wait until it launches!

After watching the video it looks like there is no drain for spells, woohoo , combat mage as my first character.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/23 04:46:49


Post by: Bromsy


They are releasing the creation tools, specifically to generate user made content; and I assume there will be more "official" campaigns. From the page -

Powerful Editor: With the Shadowrun Returns Editor, everyone is empowered to create and share their own stories and campaigns with the Steam Workshop community. You can even explore the entire Shadowrun Returns Seattle campaign in the Editor directly - see how it was built and borrow as much as you need to jump-start your own creations! No advanced coding or art skills are required to create content using the SRR Editor.


Which means if it has Workshop integration I am - and I use this term with all due shame - Super Stoked.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/23 06:48:52


Post by: Bullockist


I am super excited for these tools, I am making a campaign as soon as i've given the first one a run through.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/23 13:07:43


Post by: Lynata


I'd be more excited for the toolset if I knew I could play the resulting campaigns/scenarios with friends, meaning if SRR had co-op- functionality. It could be so much more awesome if they had done it like a sort of NWN.
But that's why I'm eagerly waiting for SRO. SRR will serve to bridge the gap until I get to shoot rent-a-cops together with my chummers.

And who knows - maybe, just maybe, someone does manage to craft cool singleplayer stuff for SRR.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/23 16:48:17


Post by: streamdragon


Backed this when it was on KS, so Im super stoked to get my hands on it. Code added to Steam and ready to go! Im extra curious because Ive backed a handful of games and this will be the first to make its way into my hands.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/23 19:51:42


Post by: Macok


Yeah, this will be one of the first crowd-funded game I'm really interested in.
There have been quite a substantial amount of game funded that way that can be either hit or miss. Soon we'll see how all this KS-hype turns out.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/23 20:34:29


Post by: marv335


I like the look of that, Shadowrun was my favourite game on the SNES, this looks visually very similar.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/23 22:17:20


Post by: Lynata


I think that was a major point on their agenda - in fact, didn't they say that the game is supposed to tie into the SNES story somehow?


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/24 00:07:15


Post by: Bromsy


Well, now I'm trying to decide who I want to play as my first character. I think I'm down to my old decker/rigger Gridrazer or my drunken mess ex CAS commando gun bunny, Memphis Black. I think to accurately play Memphis, I will have to get drunk so currently Gridrazer is ahead so I actually remember the game.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/24 00:18:19


Post by: ironicsilence


preorder on steam for 10% off


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/24 01:35:05


Post by: RiTides


Looks interesting... let us know how you like it in 2 days


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/24 02:52:30


Post by: ironicsilence


 RiTides wrote:
Looks interesting... let us know how you like it in 2 days


ill post some thoughts after I play it a bit, honestly my hopes arent all that high but i've blown 20 bucks on far worse


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/24 12:53:05


Post by: marv335


I signed up for steam especially to get this


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/24 16:52:03


Post by: Wyrmalla


I could never get into the RPG due to how much it enjoyed annoying the hard cyberpunk lover in me with its adding of magic and trolls or the like to the genre. However in a computer game I think I could probably put up with those details. A pity that I have too many other games to get through right now, but I will definitely be picking this up (hopefully by that time it'll be on sale, though £14 is a decent price).


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/24 17:53:48


Post by: Seaward


 Wyrmalla wrote:
I could never get into the RPG due to how much it enjoyed annoying the hard cyberpunk lover in me with its adding of magic and trolls or the like to the genre. However in a computer game I think I could probably put up with those details. A pity that I have too many other games to get through right now, but I will definitely be picking this up (hopefully by that time it'll be on sale, though £14 is a decent price).


The only other real RPG option is Cyberpunk 20XX. Far better theme, but by Jebus was it a horrible system.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/24 18:00:12


Post by: Sigvatr


Played Cyperpunk for 2 years and...well...right now, I cannot recall a single character that survived more than 1 meeting. It was deadly as heck. But I liked it for its deadliness.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/24 18:05:41


Post by: Wyrmalla


 Seaward wrote:
 Wyrmalla wrote:
I could never get into the RPG due to how much it enjoyed annoying the hard cyberpunk lover in me with its adding of magic and trolls or the like to the genre. However in a computer game I think I could probably put up with those details. A pity that I have too many other games to get through right now, but I will definitely be picking this up (hopefully by that time it'll be on sale, though £14 is a decent price).


The only other real RPG option is Cyberpunk 20XX. Far better theme, but by Jebus was it a horrible system.


0.o Paranoia? Old World of Darkness. Though yes, decent cyberpunk RPGs can be hard to come by.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/25 01:21:04


Post by: Bromsy


My buddy and I toyed around in 3e with playing Shadowrun straight - changed the backstory to something closer to Gibsoneque, the different metatypes were gene-hacks created for the Corporate Wars, and such. Never played a game with it but we had fun brainstorming.
But I like the fantasy elements thrown in, gives it flair.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/25 09:53:55


Post by: Skinnereal


Cyberpunk (2020)'s main rule for the GM was to try to kill the players off any way they could. It was meant to be brutal, and usually was very-much so.

As for this game, the price looked good, so I'll give it a go.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/25 17:12:31


Post by: Bromsy


Called in sick, got it installed, ready to rage. I'll update the OP with my thoughts as I go.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/25 18:01:04


Post by: Lynata


Thanks for the update. Can't wait to try it myself


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/25 18:12:11


Post by: Kanluwen


Chris Kluwe posted on his Twitter(three separate tweets though) about a bug for people to watch out for:
First bug encountered in Shadowrun Returns. Don't sell the armor you're currently wearing if you want to buy new armor. It glitches out and won't let you re-equip any armor, even if you go to your stash and try to do it from there. A naked runner is a dead runner. Other than that the game is awesome. Very nostalgia invoking.


Thought I would repost it here as a heads up for those who are playing.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/25 18:33:38


Post by: Sigvatr


First reviews are in...ouch.

tl;dr: Great story, bad game.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/25 18:46:04


Post by: ironicsilence


 Sigvatr wrote:
First reviews are in...ouch.

tl;dr: Great story, bad game.


not sure if you intended to include a link to a review?


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/25 18:52:10


Post by: Sigvatr


 ironicsilence wrote:
 Sigvatr wrote:
First reviews are in...ouch.

tl;dr: Great story, bad game.


not sure if you intended to include a link to a review?


German review, by the biggest German gaming magazine - but since it's in German, I didn't include it. If you're interested, however:

http://www.gamestar.de/spiele/shadowrun-returns/test/shadowrun_returns,48087,3026022,2.html

Others, on metacritic, seem to be more positive about it. I'm looking forward to more.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/25 19:17:31


Post by: Wyrmalla


Having watched TotalBiscuit's review I can say that I'll be downing the games that I bought in the Summer Sale and going for it. It will be nice to see mods that add new character portraits, tilesets and the like though. Hopefully that area of the community explodes, as it can really determine the longevity of a game.

¬¬ Unfortunately its no longer 10% off.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/25 23:32:23


Post by: marv335


I've been playing it for a couple of hours now, and I'm loving it.
I was a huge fan of the SNES version and this is a faithful sequel to it, it even has nods to the old game, and recurring characters.
Seriously impressed.
I know how I'll be spending most of tomorrow.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/26 00:22:47


Post by: Bromsy


Yeah, so far I've enjoyed everything - the only part I don't really like is the armor - not much customization and sometimes I find the stats on something useful but I don't like the look. I was running around in a Hawaiian shirt for the first couple of hours.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/26 01:12:03


Post by: carlos13th


I hate the saving in the game. They need some kind of quick save.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/26 02:20:45


Post by: Lynata


Playing it, and loving it. The game is incredibly atmospheric, thanks to the level design and the great music score, and combat is basic but fun. What fascinates me is the quality of the writing, from the introduction texts to the dialogue. Occasionally, that game plays almost feels like a novel. I'm really not used to such writing in games anymore, but it succeeds in drawing me closer into the setting.

I agree about the autosaving, though - that's the one major criticism I have. How in the 7th World did they come up with that idea? I'm not playing this thing on a console.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/26 03:21:37


Post by: Ronin_eX


Only got 2-3 hours of play in before I had to go to work. But the initial stuff was awesome. The turn-based combat runs smoothly and very intuitively. But there is definitely some depth there to explore.

The game allows for a lot of lateral problem solving. Going the face or decker route nets a lot of possible alternative means of running through things (Rigger for that matter, drones can squeeze in to some tight spots). The character creation system is fairly robust. You can either grab a pre-gen with a bit of extra karma for tweaking exact abilities or you can build a character from the ground up (good if you are going for something a little off the beaten path). So it allows a pretty good breadth of character concepts.

Gear is fairly simple (from what I have seen so far). And in comparison to the average TTRPG campaign of Shadowrun, you start off fairly street level. You wont be running around the barrens sporting half a million nuyen in top o' the line ware (in fact, outside of archetype-specific stuff, you don't start with any ware). Your guns will be low-grade black market stuff. It really helps lend a real down and out feel to the game (considering the story, this makes sense). It also gives them some room for upgrades throughout play. As you progress the quality and quantity of gear will improve, of course. But people used to the average starting levels from 3rd, 4th or the newer 5th editions (at least those that never played street-level campaigns) may be a bit surprised. But I quite like the effect it has on the tone of things.

The 2D art assets look amazing and ooze character. The 3D models are a bit blocky, but small enough that they don't really detract from the overall look in any way, shape or form (would have liked a few more options for tweaking the look; I found the facial hair selection on Orks to be a bit sparse). At the very least, they blend well and fit the aesthetics.

As far as the story and writing go, they are quite good so far. They are really hitting the film noir angle hard for this and the characterization is excellent. It is a treat for any long time Shadowrun fan to see the world come alive like this.

And all of this is without me having gotten a look at the modding tools (one of the biggest selling points here). They are up on day one and are already integrated with Steam Workshop. The early birds have been busy and there seem to be a few scenarios floating about (I hear tell that some nutter has already gone to work re-creating the SNES game). If they are as robust as the user mod tools for NWN, TES or Torchlight II, then we should be in for a great modding community.

I'm currently sitting at work, watching the clock. Waiting until I can jack back in and finsih getting paid for the last run I did. The wait is maddening.

TLDR; This game feels like a modernized late-90's era CRPG (ala Baldur's Gate and the original Fallout games) and definitely seems to have all the makings of a classic. If you are a fan of isometric CRPGs from that era then you owe it to yourself to take a look. It is another one of those games to add to the nuveau-retro revolution we seem to be going through. It is one part old-school adventure game, one part turn-based tactical shooter and one-part classic CRPG. This is the kind of game I have been waiting for since they started dropping dead at the end of the 90's and the early 00's.

It is a good time to be a retro PC gaming fan (now... off to go help fund that not-Syndicate remake...).

My only major complaint is the auto-save only stuff. It usually triggers upon entering/leaving an area. But after a run, before I had to head for work, it didn't re-trigger when I shifted to a new area. So it is still running on my PC for when I get home. If they can come up with a hack in an upcoming patch (even if it is something cludgey like a JRPG "save-point" back at the home base), then it will be a beautiful thing.

Can't wait until they start pumping out more DLC for this. Apparently early priority is more outfits and the like. Wonder if the in-game mod tools can import assets (that was the general gist back in June, but I will need to have a look when I get home). I think they played it smart by making sure the mod tools were front and centre on day one. That kind of support tends to make for active communities (I think the delay for Torchlight II's tools was probably what caused its mod scene to be so slow). I'll probably dive in to 'em myself after I have a few campaign runs under my belt.

Alright, just two more hours until I'm done.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/26 03:50:24


Post by: Tannhauser42


I'm enjoying the game a lot. And, yes, the save system is annoying. Having thrived in the Isometric PC RPG era, I feel right at home playing this game. It's refreshing and different to play a RPG that has no voice acting, so getting to read everything is nice. I just wish they had applied that to all the gear, too, since much of it only has a single sentence describing it. There should be a full fluffy paragraph describing all the gear, to help immerse you in the setting.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/26 05:10:53


Post by: Wyrmalla


Loving the descriptions that everything has. Its a pity that they put so much effort into the story, but its lacking in other aspects. For instance it would have been nice to be able to mod the weapons, or perhaps upgrade the cyberwear. On the latter I'm conflicted. Is there any reason why you can't swap out older pieces for newer ones as they appear, or, as I said, upgrade them instead? I'm feeling a little redundant using stuff from the start of the game now that better pieces are appearing. Also is there any way to increase essence? In the RPG you did this by increasing your magical attributes, but I don't see anything that explicitly says that this is how you do it in the game.

For me Decking's an aspect of the game I'm avoiding. The one segment that's so far been forced on me was a bit dull really. TotalBiscuit used his decker at one point. However, it being an RPG where you have multiple solutions to a problem, I just blew away the enemy decker with a few shotgun blasts instead (which was much easier...). Though this may just be that generally I'm not into mechanics that complicate combat all that much (or at least add more dimensions to it).

Oh, and as a rule; there's been no combat situations so far in which a shotgun didn't solve them rather promptly. Frankly I'm considering just dropping the pistol altogether (though does the shotgun having the no AP to reload skill too? Or is that overkill?). Oddly my character's fit right into their archetype of Street Samurai pretty. Well, no magic, no robotic companions, just pure cyberwear. ...I really shouldn't take so many character design decisions from Deus Ex...


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/26 07:06:42


Post by: marv335


I'm probably going to end up with a character not dissimilar to Jake, the protagonist from the SNES game...


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/26 07:31:34


Post by: Laughing Man


 marv335 wrote:
I'm probably going to end up with a character not dissimilar to Jake, the protagonist from the SNES game...

Jake actually shows up at several points in the game, joining your team. Less dog shaman, more fireball throwing combat mage.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/26 08:57:56


Post by: Minx


It's a great game so far. I especially enjoyed reading the atmospheric descriptions and dialog. It feels a bit like an interactive novel at times.
The save system on the other hand is a bit limiting and not very intuitive, e.g. if you like to keep one of the auto-saves from being overwritten as soon as you switch to the next scene you need to go the system->load->copy-route for every save. And of course I am missing a save-and-exit function.

I hope coming mods, updates and DLCs will bring new 3d character models, as the otherwise great game is not really deserving of some of the current ones, especially female orks and trolls which resemble a barrel with huge breasts attached. The character portraits are quite varied and fit right into the Shadowrun setting though.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/26 13:57:40


Post by: Manchu


I only got halfway through chargen before a friend called me last night ...

T_T

Will try to log some hour tonight.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/26 14:46:18


Post by: Red Viper


Any idea on when it will be available on ipad? I didn't see it yesterday.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/26 15:02:05


Post by: marv335


I didn't know they were making a port to iPad.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/26 15:24:15


Post by: ironicsilence


I got about 15 minutes of game play in yesterday. While its not a super crazy cutting edge game I found it to be good fun. The system is easy to understand. From my perspective its a solid quality game for the cost. Dont think I would have paid $60 for it but at $20, or $18 since I preordered its well worth the money IMO


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/26 15:45:49


Post by: Sigvatr


About 2 hours in and I love the game. Feels like an actual Shadowrun RPG.

I agree about the downsides though - combat does not have anything to do with tactic as the AI is terrible (at least on Hard) and even continues to stand in the open while getting shot...meh. Made a Human Rifleman and I basically 1 hit everyone with the 2-AP special skill right now

Sure, it's no AAA title. Not even AA. But it's a damn good RPG so far, at least for such a small developer. Worth the 15€ imo.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/26 19:50:20


Post by: marv335


I'm not missing cutting edge graphics and physics.
A lot of games these days spend too much on the look of the game, rather than the feel.
I'm getting totally sucked in to this one.
I'll be playing it again when I've done this time, and I'll create my own character rather than one of the pre-made ones.
I need an armoured trench coat though
I've burned up about 12 hrs so far...


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/27 02:50:35


Post by: Wyrmalla


Having just completed it all I can say is. ...More.

Not to say that there wasn't enough content in there (it took 13 hours to complete for me).

The prospect of importing a character for subsequent campaigns intrigues me. It'll be nice to see what they come up with.

Overall the game really played like an RPG (the tabletop version). The storyline was written so much like them (including all the contrived coincidences). Someone coming into it not understanding that may have found it cliche or maybe even a little predictable, but to me it was this style that carried it through. It would have been nice to have seem more repercussions for your actions, in lieu of Deus Ex or Mass Effect, instead of mostly playing to a script (lampshaded by Harlequin at the end perhaps). Major changes to the plot would have been nice, but I can understand that that would have require more development time that wasn't available. However small things like say the Halloweener's gang leader coming back if you spared him or just off hand comments from random gangers would have been nice.

Perhaps it was its desire to resemble a traditional rpg that meant the lack of content outwith the main story. I mean there was the odd sidequest, but other than one (in which you capture a scientist) these all took place within the standard mission areas, and could be mostly completed just by following the established path. I would have really liked if there had been more like the aforementioned side quest to fill in the gaps between the main missions. Though this type of short quest will probably instead make up the bulk of user generated content. It'll be nice to see how the DLC is handled, and whether there will be a string of quests that don't link to one another contained as some sort of a pack. Then again, with it emulating an RPG perhaps its the case that the developers felt that every quest should lead onto another and develop into a greater story.

I'll be keeping it installed and perhaps looking into the development toolkit. If its not too much to get my head around I may give a short quest to go. ...Not that I have a small fetish for writing text based games at all. ...Nope, never. ^^'


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/27 07:46:12


Post by: Bromsy


So, terrible run of luck last night - I'm on the mission where you
Spoiler:
infiltrate Telestrian

And they hinted that I might need a
Spoiler:
second decker

So, I took my decker/rigger (I have like 7 Intelligence and Decking to match, a Fairlight deck, and level 3 of the important programs (but I forgot to buy Esps)), a good gun bunny guy (Pistols, Assault Rifles, SMGs), The recommended mission dude (he was only 1k, save money right?) and a hybrid shaman/adept with a katana. First thing I notice when I go in, is my shaman/adept doesn't have the katana he was supposed to have. Balls, but I keep going cause he still has killing hands and haste. Then I'm at the part where you
Spoiler:
are in the office, holding waves of guys while you try to hack the elevators


and first try, I go into the Matrix, and I am cutting through ICE like nothing, straight cowboy stuff. I'm in the damned node with the

Spoiler:
Elevator controls
....

and the thrice damned Water Spirit my Shaman was moving around breaks loose, turns around and crits my poor innocent dude from across the room, while he was hiding behind a desk for 42 damage, one shotting me.

Second time around, I figure I didn't have any real trouble with the ICE, so I will stay out - that way me and my drone can fight, so I send ol' "one of the best deckers in the city" into the matrix. Realize this dude is sporting all of 5 decking and has a Fuchi VirtuX and like one level 3 program. So he is goofalumping his way through the matrix, taking like twice as long to get it done - and I can't get through before the alarm goes - 2 Black ICE and two enemy deckers pop in and one shot him one node before the end. I got pretty pissed at that point.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/27 08:54:38


Post by: marv335


I'm at the same point.
I got so pissed at that level that I rewound the game and started the mission again with a different crew.
The recommended decker is a waste of time, in my opinion.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/27 09:28:33


Post by: Bromsy


Yeah, I ended up beating it pretty handily the 3rd time - I went in and used the other guy to run around marking targets and taking pot shots. My gun bunny did probably 75% of the damage that area, by himself.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/27 10:09:14


Post by: Sigvatr


The balance is...meh. I chose to go for Rifles at start and my main character is insanely overpowered. I am not that far in (just solved the Ripper case), but I instantly kill everyone with a single shot with my pew-pew-pew 5 shots ability. Furthermore, with the Cyberware upgrade and my armor, I feel almost invulnerable...and I got Body 8 now


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/27 10:42:18


Post by: carlos13th


I hated that part with the elevator controls too.

Finished the game last night and enjoyed it. Looking foward to move. I really enjoyed the game but it very much feels like a budget title. There are problems and bugs that need to be ironed out but I think its well made all in all.

I tried the modding tools a little last night and map making is really difficult.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/27 11:33:18


Post by: Ronin_eX


Alright, I am going to freely admit, that is the first elevator shootout sequences I have actually enjoyed in a game. Probably helps that you were simultaneously the defence team and the guy hacking the door.

It was frantic, but a lot of fun. I ran my Ork street sammie (loaded out with rifles, SMGs and shotties to give me some flexibility), Coyote (because shotguns are love), the Nephilim utility mage (love this utility dorf) and the recommended decker (because I'm cheap!).

When I got in to the main room and got hooked in, I had taken the time to set up a defensive cordon on all entry points. The mage laid down flame walls and continued to boost and heal the street sam duo of death. As things came through the door, they were lit on fire and then buried in bullets. The hack itself was pretty tense (had some horrible aim in that one, but the fact that the recommended decker can lay down 3 ESPs makes for some great action economy), and I finally managed to slice through and shut down the elevators.

Then I managed to set up a great little kill zone. Double-layered flame wall with a smoke grenade just ahead of it. The last of the security team run through the door. Half of 'em die in the fire and the rest can't hit the broad side of a troll through the haze. Cleanup is relatively simple at that point.

Very well designed encounters in that run. Can't wait to see more user generated two-tier runs, this type of stuff works way better in a computer game than it does in the PnP version.

Can't wait to see what they do for Berlin. Now that they aren't trying to build a robust mod system, a basic game engine AND designing a 10-15 hour campaign, they can spend more time on the specifics of gameplay. Should be a recipe for a lot of improvements.

Edit - Just got word about Berlin from a podcast. It sounds like, while DMS was inspired more by the SNES title, Berlin will be more of a callout to the more "open-world" Genesis game. I can't wait, looking at the editor, doing an open world with radiant content should be quite doable.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/27 12:29:48


Post by: Sigvatr


Anyone else constantly reading "Sesamestreet Union"?


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/27 14:48:49


Post by: marv335


Anyone know what the benefit is of having a "smartlink" weapon?


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/27 17:48:19


Post by: Wyrmalla


 marv335 wrote:
Anyone know what the benefit is of having a "smartlink" weapon?


More accurate I think. However I find that without further advances beyond them that I'm sticking with the other high tier guns. They lack the extra functionality that the others do ( I think that you can just use the "aim" command, rather than say burst fire or the like), but they have the same stats as the lower capacity high tiers. Personally though I choose the extra ammo ones over them as you can just buff your accuracy.

Elevators? That mission requires you to take a decker, but I see no reason than taking more than one (I used one of the Network's ones, rather than a conventional decker). Really the only issue I had in that whole mission was the time it took to do the decking parts, holding off the guards was a non issue. I placed a Street Samurai with a double tapping shotgun overwatching either entrance, and had my shaman mix between buffing them with haste, placing traps at the doors and occasionally summoning something to tie them up.

As for the toolkit. I'm finding the texture limitation thing to be odd, though I can understand perhaps that the game can only cache so many at one time. It takes a bit of time to get your head around how perspective effects how you build the levels, but its really simple once you get it. I would say that the main issue I had with my first level was its size. I'm going into it after using the Bethesda ones which operate with open worlds. Shadowrun's worldspaces however are quite small in comparison. I do take issue with how characters move about a level though, or at least on the existing tilesets. I'd really love to have stairs as a feature, but as it stands I'm unsure if the engine could handle them ...though it'd be really easy to emulate them instead.

So, in testing the toolkit I've decided what my first level will be. Anyone played Chaser? Well the skyscraper assault level in which you land on a dojo on its roof before descending each floor all the way down to the bottom seems like it could be transferred into the Shadowrun Returns engine without too much effort. Come to think of it damn near any level from that game would look great. ...I may need to do some "research".


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/27 23:19:21


Post by: Tannhauser42


I did find one minor thing that annoys me, but it's present in other games, too. When someone in your party dies, if you have a trauma kit on someone else, you can bring them back. But if YOUR character dies, the game ends. Doesn't matter if the rest of the party are all carrying trauma kits, you're reloading.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/28 17:04:11


Post by: Wyrmalla


Annoyingly the devs just patched the Editor without releasing some patch notes beforehand. Perhaps a bit picky of me to ask for them, but as a result of some changes the mod that I've been making's lost a wad of its story data and other little details. The changes however do make it more user friendly, but it would have been nice to have been able to have backed up all that dialogue. =/


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/28 17:18:27


Post by: purplefood


When did they patch it?
I've been messing around with the editor and it's great fun. Making the scenes and the maps is pretty simple but scripting everything is making my head spin.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/28 17:33:22


Post by: Wyrmalla


After five this morning at least. It only patched when I run the launcher a few minutes ago. I could only tell that it had been patched at first due to my mod being changed to only contain data (and by doing this everything under the story section was removed).

For the most part the editor's really simple to work. Scripting is a pain, but that's mostly just because I'm acclimatizing myself with it. I will say that the way props clip into things a lot of the time is really counter productive and I'm struggling to wonder why you can't force props to be placed in front of things they clip by.

^^ Currently, barring the setback, my mod's sitting on five cells (with a silly number of interactive objects). I've yet to work on any npcs other than just some placeholders as I'm still working out the story though. On the subject of interactive objects though, I'm wondering if I'm adding too many. Personally I like being able to walk into a kitchen into a Corporate Executive's home and have a popup saying something like, "you wonder why a CEO would need to prepare his own food. Properly paranoid perhaps", or looking at a mirror and it reading, "you can barely make out the outline of an antiquated astronauts helmet in the condensation. Weird". The base game only really had these around important objects, however I feel like putting at least two in every room. Maybe its just the roleplayer in me.

...Yes I have included a Truman Show reference in my mod. Its somehow became highly relevant to the plot.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/28 18:02:00


Post by: purplefood


I think if you kept it consistent throughout the campaign it would work. It you stopped it halfway through it may seem odd.
I'm a bit behind you still (Trying to get my head around triggers)


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/28 18:06:51


Post by: Sigvatr


I've gone to duo-ing all missions by now. Main character + support mage (+decker if forced to take on). My main character drops 2 enemies per turn and has, iirc, 16 armor and max Body and max Quickness so is a walking doomsday device. Supp mage for +AP, +Armor and the occasial heal.

Balance would have needed quite some work


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/28 18:09:08


Post by: Wyrmalla


Currently I'm writing up the dialogue for my first scene. However I'm trying to think twenty moves ahead of myself constantly I like for a player's actions to effect the world. For instance in this first scene I'm considering that you could pick up certain information/items which could be checked in later situations to provide more choices (in the base game as far as I can tell you can't say pick up someone's wallet in scene A, and later give it back to them in scene F).

As for triggers as I've not made up any combat scenes (though my first scene will feature one) so I've kind of avoided the scripting heavy ones. When I go back and build up more detail in the levels I'll certainly be chucking a load in, but as this campaign's just to allow me to get used to the editor works its the case that with each new scene I'm trying out something new. =P

I'm considering limiting the party size to just one runner. Its the player's choice whether they have the skills to access all the features of a level. Ie, more like say Fallout:New Vegas, where your companions don't directly effect the choices you have in a situation constantly. However the difficulty level for a single runner campaign is iffy. As in I'd have to limit the karma range so somebody doesn't go in and gets hammered.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/28 18:10:53


Post by: Sigvatr


I'm looking forward to players re-building actual, already existing Shadowrun adventures with the editor.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/29 10:17:20


Post by: Sigvatr


Okay, just finished the game.

Good game overall, I'd say 7/10. The story really saved the game as it was pretty darn awesome, better than the crap Bioware etc. keep throwing at the market. The game itself...hmpf. I only played on the 2nd highest difficulty, but the game was way too easy, my main character almost solo'd most of the missions starting at about 1/3 of the game. Melee is vastly inferior to ranged attacks. I am severely disappointed in Adepts as in the tabletop, they are incredibly strong due to their passives, but in the game, they fall short. AI is very sub-par, not able to apply any tactics.

The last missions was very disappointing. You get a NPC (hint: makeup) that is completely useless except for casting heal and you basically spend an entire missions killing one type of enemies. The "end boss"...really? My character just shot the last enemy thrice and defeated him / her, mop up and that's it. The closure at the end was ok, usual hinting at DLC.

Overall: very good first game that's saved by its extremely well-written story and kept me going. Sadly, the game itself falls short.

But for 20$ - buy it! It's a real steal as you get an actual RPG which is rare nowadays.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/29 13:43:30


Post by: KalashnikovMarine


 Tannhauser42 wrote:
I did find one minor thing that annoys me, but it's present in other games, too. When someone in your party dies, if you have a trauma kit on someone else, you can bring them back. But if YOUR character dies, the game ends. Doesn't matter if the rest of the party are all carrying trauma kits, you're reloading.


This. Extremely annoying. Also if you hire runners to help you, and you give them items, those items leave when they do.

Other then that this is game's fantastic, I chewed my way through a big chunk of the Dead Switch campaign last night and had a blast!


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/29 15:45:03


Post by: Lynata


Sigvatr wrote:The last missions was very disappointing. You get a NPC (hint: makeup) that is completely useless except for casting heal and you basically spend an entire missions killing one type of enemies. The "end boss"...really? My character just shot the last enemy thrice and defeated him / her, mop up and that's it. The closure at the end was ok, usual hinting at DLC.
Huh. Really? In my game, that NPC was rather useful for the fight, as he / she
Spoiler:
was the one chasing Miss Crazy around, pommelknocking her AP away and applying liberal use of Cleave to strike both her as well as the "beacons" with one attack, whilst the rest of my team - my streetsam, the Tir Ghost, and a support mage - took care of the bug army

What weapon did you use? Assault Rifle? I've heard some people say it's OP, which, together with your choice of upgrades, could have made your playthrough easier than average/intended. My smartlinked HK227 SMG certainly didn't feel too powerful (just adequate), and the end boss had loads of HP as well (presumably due to youknowwhattheydid). I actually had to reload the save once, though on the second try I aced it ... still was under pressure the whole time, which only increased with every further round and you end up getting swarmed not by one but by three types of enemies.

To me, the fight felt "just right", but it looks like there's a slim chance to have an easy mode if you're real quick and have a powerful weapon?

As for the closure, I actually thought it was awesome. Felt like the ending to a novel. I could perfectly picture that final dialogue line to be printed on the last page of a book.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/29 15:54:19


Post by: Bromsy


Yeah, everyone I know who played through as a ranged combat specialist said it was too easy. I felt like it was fine, because I was a decker/rigger and had like 5 ranged combat at the end of the game.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/29 16:08:14


Post by: Sigvatr


 Lynata wrote:
Sigvatr wrote:The last missions was very disappointing. You get a NPC (hint: makeup) that is completely useless except for casting heal and you basically spend an entire missions killing one type of enemies. The "end boss"...really? My character just shot the last enemy thrice and defeated him / her, mop up and that's it. The closure at the end was ok, usual hinting at DLC.
Huh. Really? In my game, that NPC was rather useful for the fight, as he / she
Spoiler:
was the one chasing Miss Crazy around, pommelknocking her AP away and applying liberal use of Cleave to strike both her as well as the "beacons" with one attack, whilst the rest of my team - my streetsam, the Tir Ghost, and a support mage - took care of the bug army

What weapon did you use? Assault Rifle? I've heard some people say it's OP, which, together with your choice of upgrades, could have made your playthrough easier than average/intended. My smartlinked HK227 SMG certainly didn't feel too powerful (just adequate), and the end boss had loads of HP as well (presumably due to youknowwhattheydid). I actually had to reload the save once, though on the second try I aced it ... still was under pressure the whole time, which only increased with every further round and you end up getting swarmed not by one but by three types of enemies.

To me, the fight felt "just right", but it looks like there's a slim chance to have an easy mode if you're real quick and have a powerful weapon?

As for the closure, I actually thought it was awesome. Felt like the ending to a novel. I could perfectly picture that final dialogue line to be printed on the last page of a book.


Yep, keep in mind that's my anecdotal experience

I went for a rifle-gunner and breezed my way though the story. I just leveld it up (btw, Double Tap seems to be bugged, the skill doesn't show up) and then stacked armor. Skill-wise, I got myself the healing skill and that's about it.

Nice to hear that you had a better experience, so it really seems that ranged (especially Rifle) is too strong in comparison. Melee felt very underpowered as I easily dealt thrice the damage the melee NPCs did. I'm in for additional stories!


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/29 16:36:51


Post by: Wyrmalla


Not put any points into charisma? Its an RPG, so I dumped 9 points in it despite not using any shaman powers, which I guess meant my combat stats weren't as high as others by the end of the game. I mean to say that if you're min maxing of course the game's going to be too easy. For me it felt "just right" too. Combat wasn't a total breeze, but it wasn't like I ever lost a runner to anything but my own stupidity (five crazy mental patients attacking my medic. Hmn... a grenade in there will sort that right out. Oh it didn't? The medic's still alive? Chuck another one in. ).

^^ My campaign's now sitting on six separate quest segments, and twenty five unique locations (and you return to certain ones at relevant times in the plot, though with suitable noticeable changes). The design document for it's fifteen pages long, and that's just on basic scene descriptions/flow of the quests. ...It'll be hell once I begin to flesh out the dialogue.

...What? I like modding.

Is it a bit OT to put the plot past people here in this thread? I'm considering that its perhaps a little cliche', but I have been coming up with it on the fly, so its a bit rough around the edges.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/29 16:41:17


Post by: Sigvatr


Ended with 6 points in charisma, but it didn't pay off tbh...in the end, I would have saved about 500 Nuyen I'd else have spent on bribing people. Plus, the game is extremely linear, there's only one (!) alternative mission (which felt...slapped on. I don't know...). Did anyone "free" him? I knocked him out and dragged him with me, if anyone "freed" him, how did that pay off?


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/29 16:46:54


Post by: Wyrmalla


I considering letting him go, the thought " it". Its a dog eat dog world and I want some cash. I presume that you'd get a smaller amount of cash as a reward and that'd be the last you heard of the guy. Oh, and when returning to the employer you'd get a little speech about how you ruined everything/ this was only a temporary setback and they'll pick the hostage up soon enough.

The way that the engine works makes providing alternative questlines a bit iffy. Iffy as in it requires a lot more work, but not so that its difficult to do. I suppose the devs didn't implement branching quests (or at least multiple quest endings) due to how much time would be involved making the alternative scenes later on in the game. Mind that the game had a really short developement time. =P

But yeah, that one side quest felt a little tacked on. At first I thought that it was setting up for more of them, but this didn't occur. I'm guessing that they may wanted to make more but didn't find the time to, or that it was just to show off that they can make side quests, but felt that they'd be more suitable for the DLC, or modders to make.

Oh and on dialogue choices. I feel as though you could choose any of the options, but they only seemed to effect what tone the NPC takes afterwards. Ie you could get into a long discussion about philosophy with an enemy, or yell at them, but they'd still try and kill you afterwards. The same goes for bribing someone. You could do that, or you could just follow a few more dialogue choices, you'd still get the information you wanted. Its not like the editor doesn't allow you to change how an NPC reacts after a conversation...

.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/29 16:59:30


Post by: purplefood


Magic wasn't exactly overpowered but mages and shamans could be insane force multipliers with the right skills and spells.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/29 17:27:55


Post by: Lynata


Yep, the Support Mage I hired from the Nephilim Network certainly paid off.

As for skills, this is about what I went for:
Spoiler:

Not the latest screenshot, but it gives you an idea of how I developed the character, and the final version wasn't too far off due to how much you pay for increases at some point anyways. In terms of cyberware, I just went with a datajack and wired reflexes in the obvious attempt to build a character who's strong in agility - moving fast, not getting hit, being good with guns and bare hands/feet. Worked out fairly well; as I said, difficulty level felt "just right" for me. I also liked that the game didn't force you to constantly upgrade your gear all the time, because frankly some of the clothes looked rather silly. Or rather, actually they all have their place, but some really didn't fit with the image of the character I had in mind. I ended up wearing only two different armours throughout the entire game, but I think that in the end, the upgrade that still fit my style was necessary and it became available "just in time".

As for charisma, I felt it had its place. Yeah, maybe it doesn't save you tons of money, but the alternate dialogue options are sometimes just really cool to have. Not just from the basic stat, but also the etiquettes. Didn't regret spending karma on this, especially as it made for a more balanced character it seems.

Oh, and as for the guy from the side run ... didn't knock him out, just told him I would.
For what it's worth, I would've actually loved if there were more side runs such as this one. A simple objective, no connection to the main plot, just a nicely designed level for some cool gameplay. Could very well serve as an inspiration for UGC.

Wyrmalla: Sounds like you're putting a lot of effort into your content module. Let us know how it proceeds - I'm sure we're all hungry for more SR.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/29 21:09:18


Post by: purplefood


That side run was a pain. Had to do it solo since i had no money for a crew. Ended up managing to do it through a judicious use of Confuse and Blindness (Both excellent powers) and the crowd favourite of spamming Fireball (and the rest of my spells I suppose) at groups of enemies.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/30 01:52:03


Post by: Bullockist


What a great game, I totally enjoyed it. I played a troll sammy straight off in normal mode and had a blast. My favourite moment was quite early in the game when out of the blue during a combat "I'm playing fallout 2" burst unbidden from my mouth .

I am running a mage through the game now so I can use her in the user generated campaign. I want a casty summony magic dorf!

I missed the smartgun link in the cyber options however (I got a datajack but never connected the idea I could use a smartgun with it - I thought you had to get a link for your hand as well) I also missed cyber spurs, are there cyber spurs? Where are the cyber spurs???????

I cannot wait for UGC!


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/30 02:23:20


Post by: Wyrmalla


Is there going to be a Shadowrun Returns Nexus? The Steam workshop is just a little un-user friendly compared to the nexus for me.

As for my own mod. I'm wondering on how to implement the decking portions. A runner with a high decking skill could find out about certain bits of information those without it wouldn't be privy too. This info, whilst not explicitly ruining the plot, will however lead you to question what you're being told more (hint, for the first three quarters you'll have no idea who the real bad guys are unless you take most of the stuff the npcs are telling you as misdirection). As its going to be a higher level single player campaign, players may not have any points in decking at all, or find that they don't have the ability to complete the matrix segments due to their difficulty. For the most part I want these segments to be skippable, but they'll offer up more information on the main questline + access to hidden areas if you do complete them. Should I still provide npcs to do the decking for the player should they not have the skills, or go back to the old rpg mechanic of "feth them, if they don't have the skills that their problem"?

Anyone know anything about the Shadowrun universe? I'm wondering if there's an alternative plane of reality for mages, much like deckers can access the matrix. Though the tilesets are limited, I'd like to create a level like this to round off a chapter of my campaign. (It'd be a ruined version of the apartment block the PC's in *. Or more like the building's returned to nature. The remains of walls surround by grass covered scenery). Pity the game lacks any trees, though it is cyberpunk.

*At this point in the story you're investigating a mage's coven (which at no point should seem weird ...as the whole questline is about the rise in crimes perpetrated by cybernetics). They're inhabiting an apartment block that they've made look like the inside of Hogwarts... but uh cyberpunk. At the conclusion you confront the head mage, but he'd drop you into the alternative plane where you'd have to travel though the previous apartment floor, but in its alternative state, battling mages and their summoned creatures before finally talking to him again.

Spoiler:
At which point he says, "Who the feth are you?"
Runner: Who the feth am I? Am the guy you just tried to kill with all your nasty beasties. Now don't you play coy, tell me all you know about this here cyber crime thing"
Mage: "Cyber crime thing? What are you on about?"
Runner: "...You know what I'm on about, why else would you attack me?"
Mage: ".I had my mages attack you because you burst into my building, busting down magical barries and blazing away at everyone in sight..."
Runner:"....Oh. Ah my mistake. ...Uh. ...I guess I'll be going then?"

At which point you'd have various conversation choices, depending on your answer you'd either fight him, be escorted out, or be supplied with their aid for the coming missions.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/30 03:18:35


Post by: Lynata


Wyrmalla wrote:Anyone know anything about the Shadowrun universe? I'm wondering if there's an alternative plane of reality for mages, much like deckers can access the matrix.
I'm not an expert on mages/magic in SR, but I know there is the Astral Plane ..

*rummages*

There we go:

"While the physical realm is the world characters know and walk in every day, another realm exists alongside it, invisible and unnoticed by most of the people on the planet. That place is called the astral plane, a sort of photo-negative of the physical world where only living things - things infused with mana - are real. The astral plane is the home of spirits and magic. It is suffused with mana, the essence of magic, which flows from the metaplanes into our physical world and through it to the astral, where it pools and infuses the astral plane with its presence.
The astral plane is fueled by the life force that exists in and on our planet, and the general aura of that force illuminates the astral world at all times with an ambient glow. Things that exist only on the physical plane can be seen and heard from the astral, albeit with blurred features and indistinct sound - emotional content registers far more strongly than exact details."


"Many Awakened characters can perceive the astral plane from the physical world. This ability is called astral perception, available to any characters who take the Magician quality during character generation. It is the primary sense used in the astral plane; it shows auras, allowing magicians to examine living creatures in the physical world as well as creatures who live on the astral plane. [...] It takes a Simple Action to shift one's perception from the physical to the astral, and another to shift it back again. It is not possible to see both at the same time, though almost everything in physical space is reflected on the astral, albeit without detail."
- Shadowrun 4th edition, p181/182

I suppose you'd need a special "greyscale" tileset for a proper representation ... would be a cool feature for mages and shamans, though.
There were a few scenes in the main campaign where NPCs were looking into it, though the player character was only able to witness their weird behaviour (blank stare) or listen to their descriptions. Remember the hangar?


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/07/30 03:37:17


Post by: Wyrmalla


Tah. Ah yeah, though that scene slipped my mind. According to the wiki there's many of these planes, so I would assume that they wouldn't all look the same. For the purposes of the plot I think I can get away with the idea that the Player gets dragged into one of these planes (one closely linked to our reality) by the mages. They're the ones keeping them there, and the PC has to either get their leader to let them leave or destroy the thing tying them to it (an altar of some sort or a tree). Again, being tied to our world, inside this plane the Player could interact with objects from the building that its a reflection of's past, including finding out information about the mages and their goals (which of course hints that they have nothing to do with the cyber crime plot).

It is a pity as you said that making a grey scale world would be difficult, as would presumably making material objects look unfocused require a new tileset (thus why I'm considering using ruined building parts as stand ins). The current grass however is grey though, but I guess that I would need to stick to similarly muted colored objects too.

However on the note of grey scale, you can edit the region colours to produce a dark looking environment. I'm sure if I messed around with the sliders long enough I could get something looking similar to that. A bit of green would be a nice highlight, with the plane representing nature's reflection of the city; ie sickly, and dying bar around the mage's altars.

Meh, as long as people find the segment fun and interesting to play I'm guessing it'll be fine. Jaunts out onto the astral plane presumably won't be common in that many mods right now (unless the devs decide to realize a tileset for one of them that is...).


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/08/02 17:20:39


Post by: Seaward


Non-Awakened can't really go to the astral planes.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/08/03 09:43:28


Post by: Sigvatr


Technically, you are always "on" the Astral Plan, as everyone has his body's representation on it, correct?

Iirc, non-awakened characters just can't see or consciously enter said plane.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/08/03 09:48:30


Post by: Laughing Man


 Sigvatr wrote:
Technically, you are always "on" the Astral Plan, as everyone has his body's representation on it, correct?

Iirc, non-awakened characters just can't see or consciously enter said plane.

Non-Awakened can't project either, which is rather handy, especially when you're visiting the Deep Astral or the meta-planes. You can technically drag a non-Awakened person along to the latter, via rather intricate rituals. Ares uses it to nuke the Hive from their manufactured orbital astral bubbles.

If you're making the astral however, I'd go with most of it being grey. However, grass and anything else living ought to be rather vibrantly colored. If it's alive and bigger than a microbe (or it's FAB), it has an aura and is impermeable to astral forms (unless you kill it first).


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/08/05 23:00:17


Post by: Lynata


So, I've begun to check out the user-generated content now. After a slow start in the first week (presumably because everyone was busy playing the campaign and/or getting to know the editor), it really seems to kick off now. There's new content almost daily, ranging from missions and campaigns to simple kit modules (someone made a content pack with 53 guns from the P&P) to be added to other content.

A fun one is the Random Runs pack, which ... well, it doesn't have any sort of story whatsoever. You have a small hideout from where you can contact a couple of people (your Johnson, merchants, etc), then you get some basic assignment, and off you go to some map with randomly generated enemies and a random objective. Rinse, repeat. If you like SRR's combat as much as I do, this can soak up quite a few hours!
Word of warning, though. The enemies are tough, and a character who has finished the main campaign (200+ karma) is recommended.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/08/14 01:44:20


Post by: Bromsy


I've played the Shadowrun Unlimited - kind of fun, you do a bunch of random little tasks at the beginning - can rent an apartment to heal at, etc - but until you get a docwagon contract which I haven't gotten the option to pick up yet, whenever you die it's over.



Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/08/14 15:01:36


Post by: Lynata


Thanks for the hint, that looks like an interesting module!


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/08/14 22:53:27


Post by: Gearhead


I'm a little slow on the up-take, since I haven't been gaming for a while now (I have SR, but won't be able to actually sit down and play it for another year or so!), but is the DRM-free version able to use play-created mods and scenarios, or do I have to use it on Steam? I know that DLC will only be on the latter...


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/08/14 22:59:01


Post by: Wyrmalla


I think DRM was covered on their kickstarter page, so reading the FAQ there will probably answer your question. ...Though what's up with just running it on steam? 0.o


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/08/14 23:33:16


Post by: Lynata


There you go!
(tl;dr: yes, you can install user generated content, but you'll have to search for, download and install it manually rather than just clicking the "subscribe" button - if you find the module you want hosted outside of the Steam Workshop, that is)

Wyrmalla wrote:Though what's up with just running it on steam? 0.o
Principles, I guess? At least he's consistent about it, unlike those who boycott Origin but are perfectly happy with Steam.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/08/15 00:25:36


Post by: Gearhead


Thanks! Jeez, I'm getting lazy these days.

As for Steam, I just prefer not to use it if I don't have to.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/08/15 22:37:06


Post by: Macok


 Lynata wrote:
At least he's consistent about it, unlike those who boycott Origin but are perfectly happy with Steam.

I boycott Origin and I'm perfectly happy with Steam.

I had problems connecting to Origin. I had problems with frame rate in Mass Effect 3 when using Origin overlay. I was unable to add games to Origin. Had to disable anti-spyware software when using Origin. I have three games there (including two from current Humble Bundle). All those problems (and more) were just with one game - ME3.
I never had any problems with Steam (currently ~80 games).

But sure, I'm just inconsistent Origin hater. It's as if a person can have different opinion about two different products!
</unnecessary, off-topic rant over>


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/08/15 22:53:44


Post by: Lynata


If you had so many problems with Origin but none at all with Steam, your low opinion is certainly valid! It doesn't match my own experience (believe it or not, Origin runs more stable than Steam lately - and I've never had your issues with ME3 either), but obviously that doesn't change yours.

No, my comment was referring to what seems to be the majority of ardent "haters", as you call them, who are very quick to propagate opinions about how Origin is DRM that spies on your data - as if both wouldn't apply to Steam as well.

I thought public knowledge about this controversy would make this explanation redundant.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/08/16 11:16:23


Post by: Sigvatr


 Lynata wrote:
If you had so many problems with Origin but none at all with Steam, your low opinion is certainly valid! It doesn't match my own experience (believe it or not, Origin runs more stable than Steam lately - and I've never had your issues with ME3 either), but obviously that doesn't change yours.


Prices. Steam wipes the ground with the piece of crap Origin is.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/08/16 22:38:28


Post by: Manchu





Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/09/13 01:44:51


Post by: streetsamurai


Surprised that most seems to like it. For me it was a huge dissapointment. Gameplay was boring and linear, I'd consider it more of a turn by turn Diablo than a rpg.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/09/15 17:16:41


Post by: notprop


I'm re-enliven this one to see if anyone has any recommend DLC for Shadowrun Returns.

I've only just picked it up myself and while I'm not blown away by the linear nature and the frankly annoying inventory system I have enjoyed the overall game and want to compile a list of good community created adventures to do next.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/09/15 21:01:24


Post by: Lynata


You didn't like the official campaign?

Well, I've had some fun with Shadowrun Unlimited as recommended by Bromsy, as well as Random Johnson Runs, but both of those are pretty much just something for in-between in case you enjoyed the combat system. I've enjoyed a few story-heavy modules, too, but they were all WiP and as good as they were it kind of sucks when it just "stops" in the middle because it's unfinished.
It's been a few weeks since I last looked at the Workshop, though. Might be time to take another stroll ...


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/09/15 21:53:36


Post by: notprop


I'm enjoying it ergo the desire to find any community modules worth looking at. There were 10 or so pages of DLC so I figured I'd get recommendations rather than trial and error if I could.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2013/09/16 02:59:51


Post by: Wyrmalla


My laptop died a few weeks ago, so all work on my own mod's came to a standstill. ...Life's forever throwing up barriers for completing my damn mods.

Though I would say that its fairly simple to make mods for this game. The editors easy to use (after you beat your head over it for a few hours trying to make it rain...), and with the lack of requiring voiced dialogue, one of the biggest stumbling blocks of story driven mods is removed. The way it limits memory usage for a level is damn annoying though, but I can understand that its there so it doesn't take a year to load the things on poor pcs. Still it is a major limiting factor if your attempting to make large areas. I haven't looked at what's been done with the game in the weeks since its launch, but I'm going to assume that people have worked out how to do a lot of cool things with it.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/01/29 01:28:29


Post by: Bromsy


Update #70

Jan 28, 2014
Dragonfall Trailer, Screenshots & Release Date
38 comments
60 likes

We are excited to announce that the first Shadowrun Returns expansion, Shadowrun: Dragonfall, will be released on February 27, 2014 at 10am PST. Tomorrow, we’ll release the official trailer and screenshots to the general public, but we want to share them here with our Backers before the rest of the world gets them.



(Fullscreen it in HD for the full effect!)






For many more screenshots and more product information, please visit the official Shadowrun: Dragonfall page: http://harebrained-schemes.com/shadowrun/dragonfall/

The Dragonfall development team pushed incredibly hard to hit our original January release window and our playtests have been a lot of fun! However, a few rough edges still remain, and we’ve decided to extend our polish and bugfixing time to ensure that we deliver a great Shadowrun experience. We know you’re excited to play the game and we’re confident this will allow us to ship the best campaign we can!

Shadowrun: Dragonfall will be FREE to Backers and you will receive the same number of keys you received for Shadowrun Returns. For everyone else, Dragonfall will launch at $14.99 - in fact, it’s now available for pre-order on Steam at http://store.steampowered.com/app/272030. Please help us spread the word!

In other Shadowrun Returns news...
Shadowrun Returns Beta Version 1.2 is LIVE

We want to make sure you all know that the Beta for Version 1.2 of Shadowrun Returns is now LIVE on Steam. This version includes the new and improved Save Game functionality, including the ability to save in the middle of scenes, and a variety of fixes and improvements to the core game. If you’re interested in looking under the hood at those changes, be sure to read the Release Notes located on the Shadowrun Returns forum here: http://bit.ly/1jYXfrE. And feel free to jump into the Beta to help us test it! Here’s the best place to report any bugs you find. http://bit.ly/LZqteB

The update will be released to the public alongside the Dragonfall expansion, but v1.2 does not require the purchase of Dragonfall to use.
Localization Update

The German translation of Shadowrun Returns is still in process but has been delayed due to some production hiccups. We are working with our localization partner to ensure a high quality translation, and look forward to releasing it in an update that will coincide with the release of Dragonfall. As an added bonus, we are happy to announce we will also release a Russian and Chinese translation at the same time, February 27th, 2014!

As always, thanks for the opportunity to make this happen. We’re excited to get all of our hard work on Dragonfall into your hands next month!

- HBS



Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/02/04 02:21:57


Post by: Lynata


Well, I for one am looking forward to a new campaign with new goodies and runners and missions. Not sure about Berlin as a setting - ironically, I think I like Seattle more specifically because I'm from Germany, so that location is just more exotic to me, just like I would've enjoyed a game in Hong Kong, Tokyo or Tenochtitlan - but I suppose there's something positive about any change of scenery-...

... wait, wait, wait. Hold the comms, chummer.

We want to make sure you all know that the Beta for Version 1.2 of Shadowrun Returns is now LIVE on Steam. This version includes the new and improved Save Game functionality, including the ability to save in the middle of scenes, and a variety of fixes and improvements to the core game.
new and improved Save Game functionality, including the ability to save in the middle of scenes
save in the middle of scenes


... did they FINALLY fix this most glaring issue that just about anyone had with the core game?


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/02/04 07:23:19


Post by: Bromsy


Yeah, that jumped out at me.



Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/02/04 21:43:55


Post by: Melissia


I'm looking forward to it, but I probably won't get it immediately. Money is tight :/


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/02/05 00:03:50


Post by: carlos13th


 Melissia wrote:
I'm looking forward to it, but I probably won't get it immediately. Money is tight :/


Much the same as me.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/03/04 07:40:16


Post by: Bromsy


I am about two hours in, and Dragonfall is awesome. Luckily my chosen build of decker/rigger seems to be in high demand... so yeah!


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/03/04 18:18:45


Post by: The Dark Apostle


anyone know the release date for shadowruns online?


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/03/04 22:43:05


Post by: Lynata


The Dark Apostle wrote:anyone know the release date for shadowruns online?
There isn't one, yet. I am eagerly waiting for it as well, but so far there haven't even been any real news concerning the beta.
They're still alive and kicking, though - the last updates were about map layouts and art direction. Looks pretty good so far. Can't wait to run the shadows with a bunch of real life chummers.

Bromsy wrote:I am about two hours in, and Dragonfall is awesome.
This! I already enjoyed Dead Man's Switch a lot, but Dragonfall really takes it to the next level. The other runners of your team all have their own personalities and backgrounds, and there's a whole lot more interaction within your team going on. Everyone has their opinions, and some of them have dark and/or tragic pasts. Such is life in the Sixth World, I guess, at least for a lot of Shadowrunners.
The plot is cool as well - has a nice twist and an epic ending. Following a last six-hour marathon session (the pace picks up fast towards the end, really keeps you glued to the seat), I finally finished the DLC. With one word: "whoah".

Also, there's some cool new toys to play around with, from sniper rifles and taser guns to cybereyes with a built-in flash to disorient enemies and autoinjector-implants. Berlin also turned out to be a much more interesting setting than I had first assumed.

Word of warning, though - you'll need a new character, as Dragonfall is a standalone story running parallel to DMS (I actually caught a reference to the main campaign in some rumours about "a killer in Seattle" from the Shadowland BBS). If you want, however, you can of course still recreate your character from the first campaign, and treat Dragonfall like a prequel or something like that.

Either way, it's great. Go get it!

PS: Did I mention the team is awesome?

Spoiler:


Addendum: At first I was actually worried that a focus on a few deeply fleshed out companions a la Dragon Age or Mass Effect would take team customisation away from you, but as it turns out you still have the option to hire a ton of nameless NPCs if you want.

You probably won't, though, because if you are like me, you'll quickly warm up to the default team once you get to know them, and then you won't want to run with anyone else.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/03/04 22:55:11


Post by: Madcat87


Lynata wrote:Addendum: At first I was actually worried that a focus on a few deeply fleshed out companions a la Dragon Age or Mass Effect would take team customisation away from you, but as it turns out you still have the option to hire a ton of nameless NPCs if you want.

You probably won't, though, because if you are like me, you'll quickly warm up to the default team once you get to know them, and then you won't want to run with anyone else.


This I like, sure I haven't actually done it yet as I like the commentary my team gives me on the missions but the fact that the option is there is good.

Surprisingly I haven't beaten this all in just one session like I did for Dead Man's Switch. It's probably because I'm still at the begining part of rasing the 50k. It is a bit slow and main plot light but I enjoy jumping on after work, doing a single run and calling it a night. Dragonfall I feel works really well in bit sized chunks.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/03/05 00:35:36


Post by: Tannhauser42


I'm close to the end, and so far, my favorite line has got to be from Dietrich:

Spoiler:
After he tells you he was in a band, and you respond with something like "I didn't know you could sing," he replies.
"I was the front man for a punk rock band.
Feth no, I can't sing."


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/03/06 09:39:39


Post by: Bromsy


Yeah, really good writing all around. I played through as basically the same character I had in DMS - a decker/rigger; although I swapped pistols for AR. Because of this I never really used Blitz - there weren't any runs that needed multiple deckers. I basically played through as a good guy who was hesitant to betray the mission, but not ironclad on it.

I really dug getting to know all the characters and thought they were really well done. I liked how a lot of the 'nice' or 'obvious' dialogue choices usually just netted you scorn; and even the side characters were complex and interesting.

Every once in a while on missions I thought would be really combat intensive I switched out Glory for Lucky Strike - her AR, Aim and Heal Spells came in handy over a whole bunch of mediocre attacks.

On one hand I wish you could customize the gear of the rest of your team, but on the other hand it made them feel like teammates and not subordinates... "You don't tell me which shotgun I bring on a run, drekhead!"

Now I am playing through as a completely self serving jerk shaman/mage, so I am looking forward to seeing how things turn out. No memorial civic center on this playthrough.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/03/21 00:40:52


Post by: Lynata


The Dark Apostle wrote:anyone know the release date for shadowruns online?
A small update on this one:

Shadowrun Online will be on Early Access in about 10 days from now

Short Q&A:



Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/03/21 05:42:26


Post by: Bromsy


Hmm, can't say as I was paying super close attention, sounds like a rough road. I am eager for the early access even though I won't be able to play a hacker right away.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/03/21 15:04:06


Post by: Lynata


Bromsy wrote:Hmm, can't say as I was paying super close attention, sounds like a rough road. I am eager for the early access even though I won't be able to play a hacker right away.
I followed it closely for quite some time, but as the months passed it slipped from my mind as well. I'm actually hyped a bit right now, as early access is being tossed at me when I did not expect it.

Let's see what features will actually be available. At least we'll be able to get a feel for the gunplay, I reckon - and it sounds like it will be multiplayer from day 1, too!


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/03/22 01:15:34


Post by: flamingkillamajig


Anything I should know about this series? It interests me but sadly I haven't even played the base game much less expansions.

If somebody game me a quick run-down of the game I'd be happy. It seems to be one of the more popular games I'm hearing about other than the 'wargame' series (European escalation, air land battle and now red dragon).


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/03/22 02:46:03


Post by: Lynata


Well, I suppose it depends on if you know Shadowrun. Like Battletech, which was created by the same designers, it is a very venerable IP which has been around for decades by now. Primarily a pen&paper roleplaying game, which recently made it into its 5th edition, it has also seen a number of novels and a few videogames - though Microsoft had the franchise burn hard when they released a really, really crappy Counterstrike-style shooter a few years back. Well, perhaps it's not that the game itself was bad, it just had very little in common with Shadowrun. Anyways, that pretty much marked the end of Shadowrun's presence in videogames for about a decade, until the kickstarter-ed Shadowrun Returns literally Returned Shadowrun onto our screens.

The setting itself is a mix of sci-fi, cyberpunk and fantasy - the latter bit being what sets it apart from most similar franchises and gives it a fairly unique place. Aside from man and machine you also have magic, and various fantasy races to boot. The explanation for all of that is that the world is periodically going through phases where magic ebbs and flows, and in the year 21st century, magic returned, beginning with a portion of human children suddenly being born with elven ears and so on. About simultaneously, corporations begin to amass ever more influence and power, with the most important change being the granting of extraterritoriality to some larger companies, essentially transforming them into enclaves with their own laws, security and military. Fast forward a few decades of racial riots, magic-induced paranoia and utter chaos at the appearance of actual dragons, and you arrive in the game's "current" era, where the human majority must share its world with elves, dwarves, orks and trolls, and everything is controlled by a dozen megacorps. Everything, that is, apart from the fringes of society, which is where the Shadowrunners thrive. Part mercenary, part spy, the Shadowrunners act as "deniable assets", hiring out their services to corporations and private persons alike, taking jobs ranging from kidnapping to industrial sabotage to outright assassination.

It's an interesting world specifically because it is very dystopian, though unlike 40k it contrasts the gakky life in the streets with the shining power of the corporations, whose wageslaves live comfortable if dull and exploited lives in their towers of glass and steel. Think the world of Robocop on steroids and you get the idea. That you also have magic and fantasy races in there only adds to the exotic feeling of an otherwise average cyberpunk scenario. Shadowrun is about the worst trends of humanity - unbridled corporate greed and devaluing of human life (organlegging is a thing in Shadowrun .. as is brainwashing via digital drugs; there's a reason bunraku prostitutes are called "meat puppets") - and mixes it up with thrilling gunfights and magic. Whether the player characters are heroes running against the system, or just sell themselves out to the highest bidder, is up to the players alone.

Spoiler:








Now, Shadowrun Returns in particular is nothing but an old-school RPG set in specifically this setting, with classy turn-based combat and an active modding scene that uses the editor that comes with the game to publish new modules to play. Also, I daresay it has excellent writing, which more than makes up for its lack of cutscenes.

Shadowrun Online on the other hand will also be turn-based, but instead of singleplayer campaigns you'll get an online world where you'll run with other human players. Since it is using the Unity engine, I expect it to be played via browsers (similar to Jagged Alliance Online, another game of the studio developing this title) rather than its own client like SRR.

But ... there should be more than enough reviews and previews for both. I for one loved Shadowrun Returns, and am very much looking forward to SRO.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/03/22 06:27:28


Post by: flamingkillamajig


That looks pretty awesome. Sheesh your overview of the game seems kind of like you copy/pasted a Wikipedia entry. I was never really aware of the original but it all sounds pretty cool.

I've never heard of this as a pen & paper game. I think I'd be interested in playing it if somebody would be up to the task of inviting a newbie some time.

I never knew that picture on the top that you showed before somewhere was 'shadowrun'. I've kind of lost track of all the dystopian and cyberpunk (which is pretty much dystopian by default) settings you like. I'm kind of surprised I've never heard you talk about judge dredd though maybe that was less cyberpunk and more dystopian post-post-apocalyptic if ever there was such a thing (which is part of what attracts me to its universe)


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/03/28 14:07:21


Post by: Lynata


So I just got my Steam key for early access. Can't wait for Monday!

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/03/28/shadowrun-online-infilitrates-steam-early-access-next-week/

flamingkillamajig wrote:I'm kind of surprised I've never heard you talk about judge dredd though maybe that was less cyberpunk and more dystopian post-post-apocalyptic if ever there was such a thing (which is part of what attracts me to its universe)
I did, but only once or twice to criticise the new Dredd movie...

Said criticism was based on the pictures they released, which showed a uniform very different from what I was used to (from the comics and the Stallone movie) as well as a rather cheap-looking urban environment that didn't look like Mega City 1 at all. Combined with other recent remakes of movies and games having seriously disappointed me, thus giving rise to a strong prejudice, that killed off my interest in the movie early.
Having actually seen the entire movie by now, however, all I can say is ... boy, was I wrong.
Everything worked out fine in the end, I got used to the new style fairly quick, and the acting and pacing was almost perfect, keeping me hooked throughout the entire movie. Staging most of the movie inside a single building was also a clever move to evoke the cramped environments associated with the original Mega City, largely avoiding the limitations that came with the (probably budget-based) unspectacular outdoor visuals.
Goes to show how important (and dangerous) first impressions are. Here's hoping for a sequel.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/03/28 14:17:45


Post by: purplefood


The new Dredd movie was awesome.
Karl Urban is also awesome.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/03/28 16:31:47


Post by: carlos13th


I really enjoyed the new Dredd movie too. The outfit was different to the comics but I think it worked better for film than an exact copy would have.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/03/28 17:41:00


Post by: Wyrmalla


Here's just hoping that 2000AD manages to gain enough support through their campaign to raise interest in the next movie then. America was a great arc in the comics. I'd love to see it and the whole democracy element of the series in film. ...That and if it does well the third film would be including the Dark Judges.

But on Shadowrun Returns. I've only just reinstalled the game after my computer tanking just after completed Dead Man's Switch. I'm playing Dragonfall right now and its fun to be back in the game. Anyone have any recommended mods out there? I'm on the GoG version of the game (my stand in computer's so crap it blue screens when downloading the Steam version), so I'd be downloading them from the Shadowrun Returns Nexus. I've seen a few campaigns which have been rated well, like Shadowrun Unlimited, but preferably I'm looking for ones which are actually complete. =/


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/04/08 20:10:04


Post by: Manchu


I finally got around to starting Dragonfall. It is so much better than Dead Man's Switch and I am just beginning.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/04/08 21:54:32


Post by: Wyrmalla


@Manchu (who's comment's displaying oddly. Weird)

Something to think about with Dragonfall. In Dead Man's Switch playing the nice guy all the time seemed to always make a situation work out for you (well barring the odd bit where you'd wind up with more cash if you were a git and extorted people). In Dragonfall people will call you out for being such a goodie two shoes. Rather being snarky, or at least not being a complete butt kisser will win people's opinion over a few times. Overall though I don't think what you say in the long term relationships you develop (ie with companions rather than mission only NPCs) actually matters however. Though that's only based on my single playthrough. Maybe if I'd not been so nice to people they'd have given me different dialogue at the end, but I have a feeling that it wouldn't.

Bah, there isn't enough Mass Effect style character progression. Hey that one guy I told to go shove it at the start of the game. Yeah I want someone to comment about it ten runs later and for him to come back and call me an ass in the epilogue.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/04/09 16:18:46


Post by: Manchu


Certain aspects of Shadowrun Returns feel too cheap. The complete lack of voice acting is one example, albeit a superficial one. After all, I'd rather read good a story than listen to a bad one. More problematic is the structure of NPC interaction. I strongly suspect there are only two real options: hear more or shut them up. I've created saves to re-navigate various instances of party dialog only to find the results are nearly identical. The net result feels more like collecting audio diaries than having companions.

It makes me wonder whether HBS and similar KS-fueled studios have any real ideas; you know, besides recycling decade(s?) old gameplay in slicker (but hardly that slick) wrapping.

That said, Dragonfall's story has really entertained me so far. I also like the story structure, collecting enough cash to move forward with the main plot, even if that also feels a bit old-fashioned. I just wish that this had the glitz of a BioWare game. OTOH, the stories coming out of BioWare since ME1 have been trash.



Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/04/09 19:48:50


Post by: carlos13th


I would agree that Shadowrun Returns is a little on the cheap side, it is more or less an indie title.

I would love a AAA title set in the shadow run world.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/04/10 05:31:49


Post by: Bromsy


 Manchu wrote:
Certain aspects of Shadowrun Returns feel too cheap. The complete lack of voice acting is one example, albeit a superficial one. After all, I'd rather read good a story than listen to a bad one. More problematic is the structure of NPC interaction. I strongly suspect there are only two real options: hear more or shut them up. I've created saves to re-navigate various instances of party dialog only to find the results are nearly identical. The net result feels more like collecting audio diaries than having companions.

It makes me wonder whether HBS and similar KS-fueled studios have any real ideas; you know, besides recycling decade(s?) old gameplay in slicker (but hardly that slick) wrapping.

That said, Dragonfall's story has really entertained me so far. I also like the story structure, collecting enough cash to move forward with the main plot, even if that also feels a bit old-fashioned. I just wish that this had the glitz of a BioWare game. OTOH, the stories coming out of BioWare since ME1 have been trash.



I actually love the not having voiced actors thing, but I do agree that it'd be cool if the dialogue choices had more bearing. I feel like Dragonfall was a pretty good step forward over DMS in that some of your choices actually got different responses - and I loved that being overly nice or sappy generally gets sarcasm back from your teammates. It was really just a huge step forward across the board.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/04/10 14:03:24


Post by: Redeemer31


Sorry if this has been mentioned over and over again but have they ever addressed the whole "save at any point" thing? I find that with a toddler, I really need the ability to save games at any time and pick it up again when things are less hectic.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/04/10 16:52:13


Post by: warboss


Has anyone gotten the game to work by sideloading it onto a kindle fire of any kind? I haven't seen the game on the kindle marketplace and unfortunately don't have access to google play without rooting the tablet (not interested) so sideloading would be the only option.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/04/10 17:44:32


Post by: carlos13th


Redeemer31 wrote:
Sorry if this has been mentioned over and over again but have they ever addressed the whole "save at any point" thing? I find that with a toddler, I really need the ability to save games at any time and pick it up again when things are less hectic.


I dont think they patched it into the original game but you can save anywhere in dragonfall.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/04/10 18:16:25


Post by: Bromsy


 carlos13th wrote:
Redeemer31 wrote:
Sorry if this has been mentioned over and over again but have they ever addressed the whole "save at any point" thing? I find that with a toddler, I really need the ability to save games at any time and pick it up again when things are less hectic.


I dont think they patched it into the original game but you can save anywhere in dragonfall.


No, it's been patched to the original. It's an across the board change that you get even if you didn't buy Dragonfall.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/04/10 19:27:49


Post by: Wyrmalla


Yes, though some older mods have found that it misses with their scripts a tad. It has improved the gameplay experience a lot though.

I agree that it would have been better if your choices really effected what was going on in the story, not just a boolean "you did the good thing and receive a reward"/ "you did the bad thing and received the reward plus some cookies". That and I feel as though the game was too combat orientated. I thought Shadowrunners were supposed to cause as little collateral damage as possible. The way you go about in the game blasting hordes of mooks would surely piss off the megacorps who have to hire those guys. Sure when roleplaying the game its up to the GM how you play it, but I would have at least liked it if you had the option of being a sneaky git. ...That or have the possibility of just blowing the whole building down and sifting through the rubble for the item you were sent for (or is that too much like a session of Paranoia instead. Hmn, there should be a video game made of Paranoia). =P


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/04/14 17:16:10


Post by: marv335


I'm working my way through Dragonfall at the moment, It's good.
Of course, my introduction to Shadowrun was the SNES game, and this is a seriously good homage to it.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/04/25 15:14:05


Post by: squidhills


 marv335 wrote:
Of course, my introduction to Shadowrun was the SNES game, and this is a seriously good homage to it.


Not gonna lie; when Jake Armitage showed up in SR, I 'squeeeed' like a fangirl.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/04/28 12:35:44


Post by: Wyrmalla


Something odd I noticed when replaying Dead Man's Switch there. In the last level you fight against a load of cultists. However those enemies are using the wrong model. They look like the regular Brotherhood members. However, there's actually a seperate cultist model (red robes with a hood) which is used briefly should the player chose to enter the Brotherhood basement through the front door (rather than the hidden one behind the fridge). I wonder why they didn't use that unique model, it seems more appropriate than generic guys in white uniforms. Still a lot of enemies only appear for one encounter in that campaign, and I suppose the dev's intetion was to give modders as many models to use in their own campaigns as they could (or just to provide variaty, good on them in either case).


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/05/09 20:25:46


Post by: flamingkillamajig


So I finally got this game and the expansion during the steam sale and bought both a 2nd time to gift to a friend. We're both enjoying the game and I just finished up the main game with 'dead man's switch'. The story is great but the bugs in the story are pretty camp. Would be nice if there was a screen rotating option. I played as a decker with lots of rifle firepower. Sometimes it was great being a decker but sometimes it sucked since in actual combat you only have one decker ability and then have to rely on other skills. Still it was a fun as hell game. I love the mix of fantasy and cyberpunk and I have to say the fight music is fantastic and catchy.

I'm not sure what i'll try next for classes in the expansion. Considering I heard it's better than the first I'm excited to see it. I can't wait.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/05/09 21:15:45


Post by: Eumerin


 purplefood wrote:
Karl Urban is also awesome.


Yes, he is.

I was very disappointed when Almost Human was announced as cancelled just the other day.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/05/09 21:42:25


Post by: carlos13th


As was I eumerin


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/05/21 18:39:40


Post by: Wyrmalla


Is there any future DLC planned for the game beyond Dragonfall? I had a look at the company's website, but its a bit sparse with information. I'd hope that with how good Dragonfall was they released something else of similar quality.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/05/21 19:49:11


Post by: Melissia


Right now I think they're working on Shadowrun Online, dunno after that.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/05/21 23:16:41


Post by: Lynata


Shadowrun Online is a different studio (Cliffhanger Productions).
I have no idea what Harebrained Schemes is up to in terms of SRR - but I know they had plans for multiple expansions, given that comment about "only the first one" being free for Kickstarter backers. I seem to recall them considering which city they would do next, but there has been nothing in terms of more definite rumours as far as I'm aware.

I would so jump at the next DLC, too ...


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/05/21 23:38:51


Post by: Wyrmalla


I'd like to see something involving the ork underground, though anything really will do. The DLC include loads of new content that's just there to be rodder for mods, so no matter what they turn out it'll be useful. They seem to be targeting major events in the Shadowrun timeline, though both the current game and Dragonfall take place around the same time, so the next one may well be something significant around that period. Hmn, something that had a segment taking place outside the sprawls would be cool (though its the question of what's the more deadlier). Ah, and its a pity that the player couldn't turn themselves into a cyber zombie, though that'd change gameplay quite a bit (and probably lead to a non standard game over if they annoyed the mage that was keeping their essence in check too much).


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/05/22 00:52:06


Post by: flamingkillamajig


Both stories are pretty good. I'm probably only halfway through on Dragonfall and for some reason I just got kind of bored of shadowrun returns. It's a great game and I spent a lot of hours playing it. I just am not as into it as I was before.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/05/24 04:26:47


Post by: Bromsy


I keep meaning to do another playthrough as some kind of magical character - maybe a melee based adept for added difficulty... I just fragging love deckers too much, and always go back to that. Maybe I'll do a Shadowrun Unlimited game as an adept.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/05/24 15:22:40


Post by: Melissia


I like cybernetics too much, myself, heh.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/05/25 16:47:52


Post by: Lynata


Heh. I remember years ago when I first discovered Shadowrun I thought cybernetics were ugly, and tried my best to build streetsams that relied more on non-implanted technical equipment.

Nowadays? Cybereyes and datajack are a given. Arms with built-in recoil compensation and a hidden cavity for spare SMG mags? Yes please! Wired reflexes? Now we're talkin'!


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/05/25 18:11:52


Post by: Melissia


In the pen and paper game I once had someone with titanium bone implants, advanced bulletproof skin-weave, special symbiotes that made her heal faster, extra platelet production, datajack, and cybereyes.

She looked completely normal aside from her cybereyes. But she packed a punch that could stop a moving truck-- considering she had the strength of a troll in spite of being a human. And not strength-augmented even! It was all natural strength and BONES OF TITANIUM.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/05/25 18:40:23


Post by: flamingkillamajig


 Lynata wrote:
Heh. I remember years ago when I first discovered Shadowrun I thought cybernetics were ugly, and tried my best to build streetsams that relied more on non-implanted technical equipment.

Nowadays? Cybereyes and datajack are a given. Arms with built-in recoil compensation and a hidden cavity for spare SMG mags? Yes please! Wired reflexes? Now we're talkin'!


I'm actually curious about using the more spirit based melee attacks.

Neo: "I know kung-fu."


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/07/02 03:52:19


Post by: Bromsy



Project Update #50: A little Summer Update & Dev-Diaries
Posted by Cliffhanger Productions

Hoi Chummers,

The temperatures are rising but here at Cliffhanger Productions we’re staying cool and working the shadows to create more Shadowrun Online features.

Right now we’re finalizing the first, basic version of the Character Creation system. That means that you won’t have to play with the predefined party any more which we created for you, but instead you can build your own avatar, select looks, weapons and companions for the run. This becomes even more important as we’re also working on getting an early version of Coop ready, so you can play the missions with other runners, making Shadowrun Online a true multiplayer experience.

As we know a lot of you have been looking forward to both Character Creation and Coop we’re working hard on getting those features to you as soon as possible. We can’t provide you with a fixed ETA yet, however we can tell you that while both features won't make it into the next update, they will be in the one after that.

Speaking of next update: On July 8th we will release a new update that contains a new gameplay feature everyone has been asking for ever since we released Shadowrun Online into Early Access: the Free Initiative Selection. Gone are the times when you had to move Payday before Takshak could cast his shield. Now you can move your characters in any order during your team’s turn which increases your tactical options a lot. This is just the tip of the iceberg though, as we add several other features (hint: Border Scrolling!), introduce Daily Missions and fix a lot of issues.



For those of you who'd like to get more insights into our development we started a new Dev-Diary Series on www.shadowrun.com. Here are excerpts from the first two installments:

#1 Dress-up!

Hi! This is Tom – you might know me from one of the dev Q&A sessions. In our first installment of our dev blog I’m going to give you a couple of insights into how our technical item system works for the long awaited character customisation. We always knew that creating and customising your Shadowrunner is the big thing, but the details were vague up to a few weeks ago. As with all systems that we want to do the deciding factor is effort – can we implement the system initially, and can we support it with enough content in the long run? (Read more)

#2 Tuning the AI

“Organ Farm”, just after our team has cleaned out a hallway full of gangers. The next door opens and who comes running? Our new not-quite-buddy, Bert. One of my jobs on the team is to make sure Bert the ganger behaves somewhat believable. So let’s start with what we think is “believable” with a guy like Bert. (Read more)

So prepare to enter the Shadows again on July 8th and if you can't be there due to a well deserved vacation, start thinking about what your Character shall be like once you can create him later this summer.

See you in the shadows, Chummers!



Starting to bear some resemblance to a real game.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/07/02 04:02:50


Post by: Corpsesarefun


Played this the other day, it's a fun little game and was a steal at £2.74 in the sale but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was playing a fan made shadowrun mod of something else.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/07/05 02:48:17


Post by: Bromsy


 Corpsesarefun wrote:
Played this the other day, it's a fun little game and was a steal at £2.74 in the sale but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was playing a fan made shadowrun mod of something else.



Yeah, I could see that. It just hearkens back to the good old days for me - all of those games I used to love look a damn sight worse than this so I barely even noticed.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/08/03 15:14:05


Post by: Wyrmalla


Oh sweet, so work continues on Shadowrun Returns, not just online. I intended to give Dragonfall another playthrough, but I'll be definitely putting it off to wait for this. I just wonder if there'll be new mechanics involved, or it'll just be additional runs, alternative paths, art, etc. In any case cool.

A Special One-Year Anniversary Update For Our Backers




As Jordan discusses in the video above, exactly one year ago today we released Shadowrun Returns on Steam. It was a pivotal moment for our little studio here. In 14 months, we’d gone from a dozen developers working out of a storage closet to being a full-fledged indie RPG developer. And the last year has been just as important for Harebrained Schemes - in the weeks and months following launch, Shadowrun Returns received a bunch of great reviews and kind words, from old and new fans alike. We even made several Game of the Year lists for 2013.

But most importantly, we got YOUR feedback. We learned what was working and what wasn’t about the game we’d worked so hard to create. Even better, we were able to take a lot of this feedback and channel it directly into Shadowrun: Dragonfall. Save-anywhere. A more open story with more compelling choices and locations to explore. A fully-realized team of runners to command and grow with over the course of the campaign.

And when Dragonfall launched, we were incredibly happy with the response it received. Reviewers praised the story, characters, and writing as some of the best in the business. For an indie studio like ours, that’s a huge deal! Still, as with Shadowrun Returns, we heard feedback about some things that folks wanted to see improved or simply wanted more of. We also heard many requests for a standalone version of the game - since it’s narratively independent of the Shadowrun Returns campaign, players wanted to be able to dive directly into Dragonfall.

So we thought: Why not just… make Dragonfall better?

We’re excited to announce Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director’s Cut. Inspired by other passionate, community-focused developers like CD Projekt RED (who continued to improve and add to their Witcher titles post-launch), we decided to make an even bigger & better Dragonfall for you guys. The Shadowrun team has been hard at work taking the existing Dragonfall campaign and making it even better - adding new features, missions, art, and more.

And we’ll be releasing it as a standalone title on Steam, GOG and the Humble Store.


What’s more, as a continued “thank you” for your support, the Director’s Cut will be FREE to all Backers and to all owners of the expansion version of Dragonfall. If you’ve played Dragonfall already, this should be a great opportunity to return to the streets of Berlin and enjoy the improved campaign all over again - to try a new archetype and make different decisions. And if you haven’t played Dragonfall yet, this will be the definitive version of the game to dive into.

We’ll be talking more about the specifics later next month - but we wanted you, our Backers, to be the first to know what we’re working on. The Director’s Cut will be released sometime in September.

Stay tuned for a full announcement in August. Until then - from the entire Shadowrun team - thank you again for your continued support, and for your help making Shadowrun Returns and Dragonfall a reality.

Mike McCainGame Director, Dragonfall


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/08/03 16:06:45


Post by: ZebioLizard2


It also helps that the characters in Dragonfall weren't so horrifically weak.

That and their characters were pretty interesting to speak with, though I had hoped for more missions.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/08/04 01:21:08


Post by: Lynata


Damn. Nice move, though personally I don't tend to play campaigns more than once. It's why I'm such a big fan of randomised content.
Still cool, especially if its nets them a couple more sales, and manages to bring SRR to a few more players.

Meanwhile, SRO has posted this sneak peek of early access character creation, announced to go live with an upcoming patch (ETA 3 days) together with co-op gameplay:

Spoiler:


Customisation and Co-op are two of the biggest things I'm waiting for in SRO, and I'm really curious as to what kind of Runners we're allowed to build.

"As this is an early version of Character Customization (we've actually added it earlier than we had originally planned as so many of you told us they wanted this feature NOW) it will be limited. So no, there won't be all metatypes planned for the game from the start. Item Selection and available weapons will be limited. But I think having already played around with the new system I think it gives you a good impression on what to expect."

For reference, earlier announcements on what customisation will eventually allow:
http://www.shadowrun.com/shadowrun-online/2013/04/06/dressed-to-kill-and-concepts/
http://www.shadowrun.com/shadowrun-online/2013/05/02/more-character-customization-goodness/


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/08/05 16:49:52


Post by: Melissia


Oh that's neat. I'm looking forward to that.


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/08/05 17:15:40


Post by: ZebioLizard2


Will they be insuring that Adepts aren't as bad as they were in early shadowrun returns?


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/08/06 11:01:32


Post by: Formosa


Screw a directors cut, where the hell is my tablet version! Or mod support for tablets !


Shadowrun (Online or Returns (or whatever else ya got)) @ 2014/09/04 18:53:17


Post by: Bromsy


Project Update #54: The new update is coming tomorrow!
Posted by Cliffhanger Productions ♥ Like

Hoi Chummers,

With August gone and September already among us, it’s time for a new update for Shadowrun Online. We’re proud to announce that the new version will be out tomorrow, September 3rd. The servers will go down at 10am CEST and should be up again with the new version half an hour later.

What can you expect from the next update? Here are the patch notes:
New features:

Rent-a-hench: Choose your henchman for the next mission from a list of other player-generated characters
New Metatype: Elves have been added as playable characters into the Character Creation
New Missions: Three new runs round out our prequel campaign about the missing girl Alisi
New Outfit: The Tribal Shaman outfit has been added to the Character Customization
In-Mission-Chat: When playing Coop or PvP, players now switch to a dedicated chat-channel, allowing easier in-mission communication.
Character name as nick name: The name of your character is now used as your name in the chat
Action Counter: A new indicator shows you how many actions each character has left in this turn.
Know who you run with: The name of the character you're playing with is now shown in Coop missions.
Know what your partner does: Floating texts above a character now show which skill is used, allowing you to see what your Coop-Partner is doing.
What comes next? The name of the next mission is now shown in the main menu.
Quick switch: The animation for switching weapons doesn't delay the gameplay anymore.
Longer Names: The number of allowed characters for the player name has been increased to 18 up from 12
3D-Sound: Sound effects are now played on the corresponding speaker, depending on the camera position.
Improved Effects: Visual weapon effects have been reworked:
new Shield effect
Machete's "Stimulants" now increases character animation speed
new Mana Bolt and Spark effects
new bullet streaks for Rifle, Pistols, Shotgut
blood splatter now look more voluminous
Updated info screens: Credits, Options and Help screen have been reworked.

Fixes

Fixed a lot of clipping issues in character customization
If matchmaking gets aborted by a matched opponent an appropriate error message is shown.
Options menu can now be opened and closed using the ESC key
Credits have been updated
It's not possible anymore to press any hidden buttons while the news screen is shown.
Players don't see the opponent’s chance to hit display during PvP- and Coop-matches anymore.
Fixed an issue that made the UI of the mission visible in the debriefing

A new update of course also means we will hold a new LIVE Q&A with the Devs! We’d like to invite you to sit down with us, discuss the new update, hear what we are working on and bombard us with your questions!

The 6th Q&A Session will be held on September 8th at 9:01pm CEST / 12:01pm PST on Google Hangouts here.



Since it’s been a while since our last update, we have also posted several Dev-Diaries on Shadowrun.com in the meantime. Here’s what you have missed:
#7: Thank you!

You might have heard some developers say you shouldn’t get too close to your prospective players while you’re working on a game as this might taint your vision. Others will tell you that working with your community provides a very unique experience and opportunity. As always the truth might be somewhere in-between, but ever since we started this journey to make Shadowrun Online, we were leaning towards the latter side. The last weeks proved to us that this was the right choice. Case in point? Your Graffiti. (Read more)
#8: Making a Pair of Pants

It seems many of you have already taken a liking to find a cool, crazy or even gender-bending outfit, so it’s only fitting that in today’s dev-diary Stefan, who worked (and still works) on the various pieces of clothing, talks about what it takes to make a pair of pants. (Read more)
#9: Convention Season

It’s that time of the year again, Chummers: As summer starts to draw to a close (at least in some countries, Austria alas included), everywhere conventions try to attract the big crowds. And we Cliffhanger People are right among them at two special events. (Read more)
#10: Convention Season (Part 2)

Hoi Chummers! Those of you who follow us on Twitter, Facebook and/or Google+ may have heard a lot about our ventures to Cologne, Indianapolis and Boston this week. But those who haven’t – or can’t get enough – here’s our follow up to last week’s diary and our tales of convention season. (Read more)
#11: Some Nostalgia

In this week’s Dev-Diary our lead programmer Tom Kment looks back at what Shadowrun Online looked like waaaaaay back – and he’s even got us some pictures so everyone can see how far we’ve come since we started on this journey! (Read more)

We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who came to visit us at gamescom and Gen Con – it was nice meeting so many of our Backers in person!

See you in the game soon, Chummers!


Anyone try it yet?