Man & Machine: Cyberware (Shadowrun)

Rating:
Summary: Cyber City
Review: (Dito my review of Cannon Companion) Crammed full of info, new gear, and clarifying/expansive rules this sourcebook is a must have for those interested in cyberware, bioware, all new nanoware, what is does for you, how it works in you, and how to fix it when it breaks (and with the new rules, it breaks a lot). All of the above plus extensive sections on Cybermancy, Chemistry, Damage, Healing, and Surgery. Following other recent trends in SR products, M&M has misspelled words, and misaligned columns, has broken away from good old Shadowland postings, and refrences you heavily to other books forcing you to fork out the Y and own four different sourcebooks in order to understand a certain game mechanic to its completion. While those not gifted with photographic memory will possibility find the huge amounts of new rule varitations and expansions cumbersome, it is always a pleasure to figure out what it takes to build a friggin' ambulance in the Shadowrun future.

Rating:
Summary: Essential for anybody who doesn't play a mage...
Review: ...and some that do.

Man & Machine is the "tech" book for Shadowrun, Third Edition (SR3). It replaces Shadowtech and Cybertechnology, and collects all the myriad bits of cyberware, bioware, and chemicals into one easy-to-use volume. There is no Shadowtalk, as this is, primarily, a rulebook.

What's in? There are extensive discussions on cyberware and bioware, including a revised way of combining the two that reduces the interaction considerably. While I'm not entirely happy with that, I can see the reasoning behind it. An entire new category of equipment, nanoware, is included. It's not the all-powerful nanotech of transhuman science fiction, but it's at an appropriate usefulness for a technology still in its infancy.

We also have chapters on chemistry and pharmaceuticals, from thermite and fuel-air explosives to new cocaine derivatives. There are also rules for cybermancy, and a brand-new section on medicine, surgery, and healing for the game.

What's good? Actually, the single best thing about the book is the chart detailing EVERY SINGLE PIECE of personal enhancement in the game. It's almost like the nigh-deity-like chart from Fields of Fire. The contents are uniformly of fairly high quality, and it's very useful. It re-introduces bioware (which skipped SR2 entirely, save from using Shadowtech), and adds decent other material and rules, which are always good if they're filling a hole (as they are here).

What's bad? Not much, really. Just little individual bits...like the fact that cyberlimbs are, by and large, useless. I have to agree with a previous reviewer that having a lot of marginally useful cyberware isn't very good. The major part is revealed in the designers' notes...where they discuss what they decided caused Essence loss...and then proceeded to ignore it for a lot of items. Their definition was nervous system interaction...which is all well and good, but bone lacing and peg legs have no nervous interaction whatsoever, and therefore should not cost Essence...at all. And, I'm still a tad peeved that almost all of my SR2 characters would go into massive system shock and die upon conversion.

All in all, though, it's still a good book, and nigh-essential for anybody playing a Shadowrun game.

Rating:
Summary: Essential for anybody who doesn't play a mage...
Review: ...and some that do.

Man & Machine is the "tech" book for Shadowrun, Third Edition (SR3). It replaces Shadowtech and Cybertechnology, and collects all the myriad bits of cyberware, bioware, and chemicals into one easy-to-use volume. There is no Shadowtalk, as this is, primarily, a rulebook.

What's in? There are extensive discussions on cyberware and bioware, including a revised way of combining the two that reduces the interaction considerably. While I'm not entirely happy with that, I can see the reasoning behind it. An entire new category of equipment, nanoware, is included. It's not the all-powerful nanotech of transhuman science fiction, but it's at an appropriate usefulness for a technology still in its infancy.

We also have chapters on chemistry and pharmaceuticals, from thermite and fuel-air explosives to new cocaine derivatives. There are also rules for cybermancy, and a brand-new section on medicine, surgery, and healing for the game.

What's good? Actually, the single best thing about the book is the chart detailing EVERY SINGLE PIECE of personal enhancement in the game. It's almost like the nigh-deity-like chart from Fields of Fire. The contents are uniformly of fairly high quality, and it's very useful. It re-introduces bioware (which skipped SR2 entirely, save from using Shadowtech), and adds decent other material and rules, which are always good if they're filling a hole (as they are here).

What's bad? Not much, really. Just little individual bits...like the fact that cyberlimbs are, by and large, useless. I have to agree with a previous reviewer that having a lot of marginally useful cyberware isn't very good. The major part is revealed in the designers' notes...where they discuss what they decided caused Essence loss...and then proceeded to ignore it for a lot of items. Their definition was nervous system interaction...which is all well and good, but bone lacing and peg legs have no nervous interaction whatsoever, and therefore should not cost Essence...at all. And, I'm still a tad peeved that almost all of my SR2 characters would go into massive system shock and die upon conversion.

All in all, though, it's still a good book, and nigh-essential for anybody playing a Shadowrun game.

Rating:
Summary: Essential for anybody who doesn't play a mage...
Review: ...and some that do.

Man & Machine is the "tech" book for Shadowrun, Third Edition (SR3). It replaces Shadowtech and Cybertechnology, and collects all the myriad bits of cyberware, bioware, and chemicals into one easy-to-use volume. There is no Shadowtalk, as this is, primarily, a rulebook.

What's in? There are extensive discussions on cyberware and bioware, including a revised way of combining the two that reduces the interaction considerably. While I'm not entirely happy with that, I can see the reasoning behind it. An entire new category of equipment, nanoware, is included. It's not the all-powerful nanotech of transhuman science fiction, but it's at an appropriate usefulness for a technology still in its infancy.

We also have chapters on chemistry and pharmaceuticals, from thermite and fuel-air explosives to new cocaine derivatives. There are also rules for cybermancy, and a brand-new section on medicine, surgery, and healing for the game.

What's good? Actually, the single best thing about the book is the chart detailing EVERY SINGLE PIECE of personal enhancement in the game. It's almost like the nigh-deity-like chart from Fields of Fire. The contents are uniformly of fairly high quality, and it's very useful. It re-introduces bioware (which skipped SR2 entirely, save from using Shadowtech), and adds decent other material and rules, which are always good if they're filling a hole (as they are here).

What's bad? Not much, really. Just little individual bits...like the fact that cyberlimbs are, by and large, useless. I have to agree with a previous reviewer that having a lot of marginally useful cyberware isn't very good. The major part is revealed in the designers' notes...where they discuss what they decided caused Essence loss...and then proceeded to ignore it for a lot of items. Their definition was nervous system interaction...which is all well and good, but bone lacing and peg legs have no nervous interaction whatsoever, and therefore should not cost Essence...at all. And, I'm still a tad peeved that almost all of my SR2 characters would go into massive system shock and die upon conversion.

All in all, though, it's still a good book, and nigh-essential for anybody playing a Shadowrun game.

Rating:
Summary: More Gear - Less Filling!
Review: Although packed with all sorts of useful information, nifty 'ware, and cool equipment, Man & Machine continues the latest FASA trend of fairly flavorless material. As a reference book, this is excellent... well cross-referenced, covering a great deal of information previously availiable only after searching through multiple volumes, and well clarified and thought-out. For the toymonger or the street sam in the group, this is a must-see. However, don't expect any shadowtalk here, folks, it's strictly rules and equipment.

Rating:
Summary: Not Bad, but lacks the Visuals
Review: Although packed with all sorts of useful information, nifty 'ware, and cool equipment, Man & Machine continues the latest FASA trend of fairly flavorless material. As a reference book, this is excellent... well cross-referenced, covering a great deal of information previously availiable only after searching through multiple volumes, and well clarified and thought-out. For the toymonger or the street sam in the group, this is a must-see. However, don't expect any shadowtalk here, folks, it's strictly rules and equipment.

Rating:
Summary: More Gear - Less Filling!
Review: Although packed with all sorts of useful information, nifty 'ware, and cool equipment, Man & Machine continues the latest FASA trend of fairly flavorless material. As a reference book, this is excellent... well cross-referenced, covering a great deal of information previously availiable only after searching through multiple volumes, and well clarified and thought-out. For the toymonger or the street sam in the group, this is a must-see. However, don't expect any shadowtalk here, folks, it's strictly rules and equipment.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad at all...
Review: I really like this book and since I've read both the english an the german version I must say I prefer the german one. This is mostly because the german translators included shadowtalk in it (and real fun stuff by the way). What I don't like is the shock rules. I think it's overpowered. This book is definately worth a buy for all those cyber- and bioware junkies out there. Quite some new stuff and mostly really cool.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Additon to 3rd Edition
Review: Shadowrun 3rd Edition has been very well thought out, in my opinion the best game balanced edition to date. This book adds a very needed overhaul to the implant technology for SR. The authors went through great detail to cover all areas of 'cybertechnology' which had been previously covered in SHADOWTECH and CYBERTECHNOLOGY and made them better balanced and playable. In addition to updating the previously published 'technology', it adds many new systems as well as explains some of the most debated and controversial game rules. The book is very well laid out and most references made to other SR books are very well cross-referenced. A must for any Gamer that wants to keep up with the SOTA. It surpassed many of my expectations.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Additon to 3rd Edition
Review: Shadowrun 3rd Edition has been very well thought out, in my opinion the best game balanced edition to date. This book adds a very needed overhaul to the implant technology for SR. The authors went through great detail to cover all areas of 'cybertechnology' which had been previously covered in SHADOWTECH and CYBERTECHNOLOGY and made them better balanced and playable. In addition to updating the previously published 'technology', it adds many new systems as well as explains some of the most debated and controversial game rules. The book is very well laid out and most references made to other SR books are very well cross-referenced. A must for any Gamer that wants to keep up with the SOTA. It surpassed many of my expectations.