How (un)realistic are Street Samurai?

[matrix3]

Ah, but the best selection of gear is in Hsinchu City*, the base for high technology industry in Taiwan. Hsinchu Science and Technology Industrial Park is home to 360 high tech companies including TSMC, Philips, United Microelectronics Corporation, Holtek, AU Optronics and Epistar. As a result, the city has the highest income level in Taiwan.

*Rendered many ways into English, including Xinzhu, or my favorite, Sin-tek.

So the best gear in in Sin-tek, but the best clinics are in Chiba...I don't suppose you can bring your own gear to a clinic in Chiba?

[Old Man]

So the best gear in in Sin-tek, but the best clinics are in Chiba...I don't suppose you can bring your own gear to a clinic in Chiba?

I reckon if you have enough cash you can bring whatever you want.

[Ragitsu]

We're getting there.

[Kaze9999]

Hm..this is a good place for this clip...I know it's just a pellet, but it is very cool, and totally unenhanced!

"Samurai Sword Technique - Cutting BB Gun pellet by Isao Machii"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzhs1Z8Rwnk

[OMEGAop]

Street Samurai
are the urban "professional" soldiers who fight in the unofficial corp wars. I have played a # of them over the years.

and even Shadowrun didn't outfit them with swords, but spurs.
http://webspace.webring.com/people/e...et_Samurai.jpg

They are not professional soldiers, but call them 1 step better then a gang banger.

[Dog Soldier]

If you are unfamiliar with Cyberpunk, before you make any further comments concerning the nature of "street samurai" please read http://project.cyberpunk.ru/lib/johnny_mnemonic/

Molly Millions in this tale is the original archetype of the Street Samurai and her opponent is the archetype of the Corporate Samurai.

[Laundry Knight]

I haven't bother to read every post; so, if I am repeating info, I apologize.

As someone with some martial arts training, I would much prefer to face someone with knife than a sword and sword over gun assuming everything being equal. On the other hand, I would rather take on an unskilled shooter than a skilled knife fighter, and I would be more afraid of someone sneaking up on me with a knife or a pistol than a sword or a rifle. It's kind of hard to hide a long weapon than a short one.

[Ragitsu]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlkgqZPV3V0

[Martin2]

Having run Shadowrun and read a lot of the novels written for it I know the specific definition of a Street Samurai in Shadowrun (there are lots of good novels and quite a few not so good ones. A good one to start with which is a trilogy starting with Never deal with a Dragon by Robert N. Charrette).

As previously stated Street Samurai do not have to go around with swords. They are just a street slang for a chromed mercenry "with a strict code of street honour". So every Street Samurai in shadowrun will carry weapons which they think is the most appropriate for the job in hand.

Looking through my 3rd edition book the "Street Samurai" has in is equipment 3 SMG's, heavy pistol, light pistol, retractible spurs (long blade in a cyber arm), survival knife and a sword. So I think the sword is low down on the list of weapons they use. From the picture with the character I can not see any sign of a sword (why would he need it when he has the SMG's for medium and close range and a spur which can we drawn with a flick of the wrist and someone will not know he is armed with it until it is exposed in their inards).

But most of the "Street Samurai" in the books do not carry swords but if they don't have cyberware spurs or blades will carry a knife.

So this thread has developed into a discussion on the concept of a sword over a gun and in most cases this will not be the weapon of choice of a traditional Street Samurai.

The weapon of choice of the Street Samurai is more likely to be twin Ingram Smartgun (picture a big high tech Uzi).

So we should really be discussing the use of twin Ingram Smartgun over possibly the use of say a heavy pistol or shotgun for its effect in close combat .

Or should we be discussing the concept of why would someone replace their own body parts with high technology just to give them an advantage in combat. Cyberpunk possibly covers this better with a game mechanic of the more cyberware you have the more loopy you go. Whilein Shadowrun (at least up to 3rd I am not sure about after 3rd) it just limits your healing rate and magic use etc.

[Mister E]

The like Remington Roomsweepers.

[Old Man]

That's because Roomsweepers are awfully effective for being single shot.

My own SR2 street samurai's primary weapon was the FN assault rifle, with the usual smartlink and recoil comp accoutrements. Because of the way bullets penetrated armor better if you fired lots of them, he used 10-shot bursts--basically full magdump mode--to output something like 14D2 damage per attack, which was enough to badly mess up anything that wasn't killed outright. Not the most subtle or concealable weapon, though.

[Ragitsu]

Not the most subtle or concealable weapon, though.

Not an issue if everyone and everything is dead.