Shadowrun games: Best start
ShapiroKeatsDarkMage
Member Posts: 2,428
in Off-Topic
I'm gonna get the complete Shadowrun collection on Steam for this Christmas.
What do you think is the best starting build for a newbie like me?
What do you think is the best starting build for a newbie like me?
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(Side note: I highly recommend doing this. It improves the first campaign significantly.)
With Dragonfall and Hong Kong, you might want to try a class that isn't represented in the set team of companions you get. Dragonfall has a Shaman, a Weapons Specialist and a close-combat medic, with an option to recruit a Decker (hacker) later; Hong Kong gives you a Security Expert (ranged weapons), a Shaman, a Decker, a Rigger (drone combat) and a secret fifth I won't spoil but who also deals with close-quarters combat.
This annoyed me a lot since my first playthrough is always with mages. Also, deckers are pretty useless in DMS, this was a big complaint about that campaign.
With dragonfall, DON'T FEEL the need to be a decker just because the other roles are already there, be anyone you want. All the roles will be filled no matter what anyways. Besides you don't really have a mage anyways, we have a shaman but not a mage.
Personally, I don't think a mage can do anything with spells that can't be done better with a big gun.
Of course there is no reason you can't be a decker and still carry a big gun.
I generally use the custom option, and play a character with a combination of decking and tech based combat skills. It's not a good idea to mix decking with spellcasting.
It's also fun to do a totally cyberware'd out street samurai in DMS tho I tell ya whut.
With that said, I usually play a pure shaman/mage hybrid anyways. I love summoning environment spirits kekekeke! ESPECIALLY THE TOXIC SPIRITS!
It's specifically mages (and adepts) which are pointless, since anything they can do technology can do better.
In fact I remember it was actually being said that Shaman was the gimp class.
that the squadmate can't do for you. These things wouldn't make or break anyone's experience with Dragonfall, but that's why that particular suggestion is made so often.
Unlike Hong Kong, where the Decker, like the other NPCs, is probably a bit OP compared to the PC.
But the biggest reasons for a PC decker are:
a) Blitz is an annoying tit;
b) Blitz is only a mediocre Decker;
c) Blitz is hopeless in a firefight;
d) see a).
B. I don't like decking at all in general. Its a neat idea, and more than likely a lot better in pnp, but I don't find it fun in Dragon and deckers are pretty damn useless inSRR.
C. That is any pure decker in general, but when you can run around with the creator totem and do suicide spirit bombs. Deckers just feel boring in comparison.
With that said, I wasn't telling anyone who do like them not to play them, I was just pointing out that pc doesn't have to be one.
I have played a rifleman decker, a cyberclaws decker (in Hong Kong), and a rigger decker. My only warning us the rigger decker was hard to afford the best gear.
I agree that the decking sequences aren't fun, but if you don't do them you miss out on a whole lot of content. Plus the skill, and high INT, are used regularly in dialogues.
So is CHA, but WP, the mage/adept casting stat, is barely used at all.
Decking has a lot more usefulness in Dragonfall, yes because when SRR came out, it was literally none existent and everyone complained about it since this made deckers quite useless. Yet despite all the magical encounters we run into in the game where a shaman or mage should be able to step up with other options besides fighting. No one ever seemed to complain about the lack of alternatives for those so they don't ever come up as much.
I still don't have hong kong so I have no knowledge there. I remember reading that mages are able to travel into astral space on pnp, people complained about the lack of matrix runs, but I never saw one complaint about the lack of the mage's ability to travel into astral space.
But mage spells are woefully limited in the crpg anyway. Very little spell variety and ley lines = suicide because cover is essential. There are some dialogue options that make reference to mage's astral perception though.
In Hong Kong you can use companion skills in dialogue so it matters less what class the protagonist is. And the companions are generally more powerful. Especially the rigger, whose drone is way more powerful than the protagonist can have.
The spells are limited but they are still freaking powerful, Hih AOE High AP damage, and debatably the best CC in the game only class that came close to being cc beastly was the street samurai, and when I played that. I found it more effective to just go killing. They are king of buffs, taking that street samurai and turning them from a killing machine to a death god,
But, I think we've established that we just have two different styles of play. We could possibly do a run together though XD... God, all this has me burning to play Shadowrun again, I wonder if they stopped making mods for dragonfall since hong king has been out for a while.
1) Do you prefer technology or magic?
2) If technology, split your points between Decking and one weapon of your choice. (Don't worry about ESPs).
3) if magic, put at least 3 points in shaman for a totem, and at least 1 for summoning, and distribute the rest based on whichever spells you fancy. Don't bother with weapon skills.
3) if magic, put at least 3 points in shaman for a totem, and at least 1 for summoning (if you're getting the creator totem), and distribute the rest based on whichever spells you fancy. Don't bother with rigging or decking skills.
The only difference between powerbolt and every other weapon besides pistol is the ability to hit more than one target at a time. Beyond that, it is a preference on which you'd like to use. The big thing here if you are going to use spirits, you literally have to dedicate to the tree of spirit control and summoning, if you don't get the creator totem (which I always do, and still dedicate to the spirit control tree, just later than I normally would.)
I assume number two would be similar if you go with technology then you, in the long run, would have to give up magic, but I don't think it is on the same level seeing how I don't remember seeing any penalties to tech for having a large amount of essence like how magic is penalized for losing essence. But yea, I ultimately do agree with your summary with my little edit added in there >.>
The difference between guns and spells like powerbolt is that the spell doesn't benefit from the special abilities unlocked by high skill: aimed shot, head shot, full auto etc.
I find summoning spirits useful even with low levels of control - just send them on kamakazi runs.
That is because powerbolt falls under spell not range weapon, hence its accuracy is governed by willpower and it is also technically not a physical weapon which mechanics can be changed from semi-automatic, to automatic, and so on.
If a hybrid mage is willing to sacrifice a little spell frequency (I know I sure won't), it can be done. I've never tried it so I can't speak on how effective it is on harder settings.
Also, you're preaching to the choir when you're talking about sending spirits on kamikaze runs!
Also, I meant to say this earlier but yeah, I don't know what the dev's were thinking with the placement for some of the leylines.