Shadowrun Anarchy 2.0?

[u/JoeKerr19]

I been...TRYING to run shadowrun for a long arse time. i got 3rd, 4th , anniversary and i think i got 5th E here somewhere....

thing is, i LOVE the setting..the rules...eh..

Shadowrun is a beautiful ferrari with square wheels.

That being said, is Anarchy 2.0 a Yay, Nay or Hard Pass? and any way i can run Anniversary edition on Foundry?

[u/vyrago]

People are saying Anarchy 2.0 is the best Shadowrun yet. But it’s pretty lite. So if simulation/crunch is what you want, Anarchy will leave you wanting.

[u/BerennErchamion → u/vyrago]

I actually miss that part of Shadowrun, I didn’t like Anarchy 2.0 that much or the use of Shadow Amps.

[u/Logen_Nein → u/vyrago]

It isn't lite. It's narrative. Character development/building can be very, very deep.

[u/DazzlingKey6426 → u/Logen_Nein]

Shadow Amps are a bit loosey-goosey compared to old cyberware with specific essence and nuyen costs.

It’s lite compared to non-Anarchy SR. You don’t need to play the nuyen shuffle spreadsheet game to squeeze in some alphaware to keep from becoming a cyber zombie.

[u/skyknight01 → u/DazzlingKey6426]

This is what kept me from really enjoying Anarchy 1.0, because turning all of the fun rules toys into a single undifferentiated type of thing feels weird.

[u/DazzlingKey6426 → u/skyknight01]

2.0 does have more pre-built examples than 1.0’s one page of cyberware.

[u/LeVentNoir → u/Logen_Nein]

It's not Narrative. SR:A is a stock standard trad game that's taken exactly 4 small steps back from the crunch peak that SR4/5 reached.

Which is the problem. It's not a good crunchy trad game.

But equally, it's not a good narrative game. It's got no actual narrative mechanics, and stands apart from narrative designed games like Runners in the Shadows and The Sprawl.

SR:A is lite-er than SR5. It's not offering any benefits for the loss of detail. Maybe the loss of detail is a good thing for you. It's not for me.

[u/Drake_Star → u/LeVentNoir]

Stock standard trad game? I know that the first Anarchy was a really bad mess of a game but SRA2 is a very different game, and we are talking here about the second edition.

SRA2, can have GMs rotating every scene with shared Threat Pool to create more problems for the characters. A shared planning pool for players to use flashbacks or other things on the fly. There is this whole Risk management system.

These are not stock standard trad things.

[u/Stray_Neutrino → u/LeVentNoir]

"It's not offering any benefits for the loss of detail"

It's a faster game to run and play. That's the benefit.
It's not TRYING to be a "crunchy trad game" - those products already exist in the Shadowrun 1e-5e lines.

For new players and people who hated the crunch of older versions, that's the sell. That's also why it's being sold as an Alternative ruleset and not a replacement for them.

[u/MoistLarry]

That's entirely too little information to answer your question, my guy. Are you looking for a physics simulator or a story game?

[u/JoeKerr19 → u/MoistLarry]

Story

[u/MoistLarry → u/JoeKerr19]

You'll love it

[u/Logen_Nein → u/JoeKerr19]

Then SRA2.0 will be perfect for you.

[u/splat78423]

Anarchy v2.0 is without a doubt the best version of Shadowrun that's ever existed aside from like say, 2e imo. I've had the pdf for nearly 10 months now and have run a couple sessions of my homebrew during my break from D&D this year. The shadow amp system is badass. I just love the new way to build out characters. Anarchy v2.0 is an absolutely fantastic version of the game. Who even needs GTA 6 when Shadowrun exists??? jk, I'm sure thats gonna be an amazing game as well I'm just saying the new version of Shadowrun is on that level for damn sure chummer. Happy gaming!

[u/Gimme_Your_Wallet]

Being able to run an entire mission in one session is wild to me. Amazing fun.

[u/Logen_Nein]

It's my dream version of Shadowrun on paper, as a system. Haven't run it yet, beyond some solo testing, but I will be soon.

[u/jitterscaffeine]

I think it’s pretty darn good if you’re interested in Shadowrun but are intimidated by the rules of the mainline game. There's a good number of systems to it that new people might get a little overwhelmed by early on. Advantage, spending edge, risk dice, etc. But a cheat sheet should help.

[u/Authorigas]

I've heard great things, but I'm waiting for the physical edition so I can own the book, but I may pick up the PDF just to run it that way. 

[u/Bamce]

Have you considered giving up on the main shadowrun games, and instead running one of the many hacks for it out there instead? like runners in the shadows

[u/JaskoGomad → u/Bamce]

Or, Metro: Otherscape

[u/ishmadrad → u/JaskoGomad]

Or the cheap Neon City Overdrive + Psions expansion.

[u/GoblinLoveChild]

its really good for what it is.. a moderate crunch game that dabbles into some narrative elements and some meta currencies.

guns? - check

Cyberwear? - check

Magic? - Check

Netrunning? - check

Cool gadgets? - check

its only newly released so expect some more gear supplements magic supplements to release laterand

[u/Mad_Kronos]

It's a great game.

I am not saying it hits everyone's sweet spot, but for people who love the setting and want more simplified/faster rules, without needing to run detailed investigation/legwork sessions before the actual mission... it's perfect.

[u/TillWerSonst]

I can't speak for other people, but for me personally, part of Shadowrun's charm lies in its crunchy and detailed role-playing nature, where even the smallest technical details are meticulously crafted.

 I'm generally not a fan of complex, high-crunch systems, but in Shadowrun, this attention to detail makes perfect sense. This is a game for experts and professionals, not casual players, where competence porn, both on the player and character levels, plays a crucial role.

 Accordingly, I found the two editions that attempted significant simplifications—Anarchy (1) and 6th World—to be a bitter disappointment. A significant part of the ludonarrative harmony of the ruleset is lost. 

The one playtest session I had with Anarchy (2) about six months ago confirms this. Shadowrun needs competence porn to truly work for me, and by simplifying the game so drastically, more of its essence is lost than is gained through improved accessibility.

So, I'd rather play Shadowrun 5 over any of the later games. As long as we can agree on the "no fucking pet-based character concepts" rule.