#interlok

Hey there hypest-nerd!  Thanks for the ask.

Oh man, I feel you.  I have a love/hate relationship with Shadowrun myself.  Between standard combat, matrix actions, and magic users, it’s more like you’re learning 3 different systems rather than just one.  I also find it off-putting that the setting is so enmeshed with fantasy tropes.  I mean sure, playing a jacked-in half-elf combat mage with pheromone enhancements and a neural uplink to your gun sounds awesome and all, but it really isn’t actually cyberpunk, now is it?

So yeah, between the difficulty of learning 3 separate systems, and the fact that I’d really like to play cyberpunk, not “Dungeons and Cybernetic Dragons,” I’m rather bitter that Shadowrun has cornered the market for RPG cyberpunk adventures.  It is the obligatory Cyberpunk setting/system, and if you want to find people to fill out a campaign, it’s what you have to be willing to play.

So sadly, because I’m more interested in finding people to play than I am in finding a system/setting I enjoy, Shadowrun is the only cyberpunk system I’ve ever played.  I’ve tried to get friends interested in Cyberpunk 2020 before, but I’ve never been successful.  I’m not familiar with the nitty-gritty of the system, but what I’ve read appeals to me: skill-based rather than class based, d10+bonus for skill checks.  I’d love to hear what other Cyberpunk systems my followers have tried.

Hello dear Malaysians (dan lain-lain):

Last year, the top 40 richest people in Malaysia increased their fortunes by 18%, to RM186.3bil. Meanwhile, a third of our households survive with under RM2,000 per month. (The Malaysian Insider)

Has your elected rep died? Awesome! This means there'll be a by-election, and the BN ruling coalition will have many gifts for you! Surprising that people aren't purposely causing their reps "accidents". (Free Malaysia Today)

It's cool to hate on Interlok! There National Interlok Action Team (NIAT) claims that Abdullah Hussain's novel is against Islam -- but doesn't explain how. (Malaysiakini)

The 13 countries on the US priority watch list for copyright piracy doesn't include Malaysia, surprisingly. It does have Indonesia and the Philippines, though. (Slashdot)

Introducing Candy Chang, a public installation artist who engages in "crowd-sourced fantasy urban planning"! (Grist)

The continuing adventures of Benedict XVI, Pope of Rome! In this episode, he writes a book exonerating the "Jewish people for the death of Jesus Christ". It's a good thing, really -- might help the fight against anti-Semitism in the Catholic world. (Newser)

Sci-fi writer Peter Watts (Rifters, Blindsight), and his encounter with FLESH-EATING DISEASE! Photos of cute cats, smiling nurses, and gaping wounds. (Rifters)

Meanwhile: oh crap! A Blade Runner sequel/prequel?? (io9)

Vroom vroom! Check out the Valparaiso Cerro Abajo: a motorcross race -- in the middle of the city. Watch out for the dog, wey! (Vimeo)

Discovered via The Star:

PETALING JAYA: The group representing non-Muslims in the country wants the Government to withdraw the controversial Interlok novel from the Form Five syllabus and replace it with another book that is “free of derogatory words and suggestions”.