Heya! I've been thinking about The Sprawl, and while the rules are deliberately vague enough to cover most eventualities, it left me with some questions:

A) The hacking rules seem designed in mind with attacking static targets (namely system networks and their ICE expert system defenses) in cyberspace as opposed to trying to hack other hackers. I was watching Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex the other day and was wondering how doing something like hacking someone's cybereyes to feed them false data of your position would work. Also, I'm guessing that a character suddenly having THEIR cyberware hacked could be an activatiable downside of cybernetics lacking the +encrypted tag.

B) Since wireless hacking would work probably more like Ghost in the Shell than sitting in place in a chair, slumped over, like Neuromancer, I'm guessing the characters would be able to move around while hacking. Any special considerations for that? They'd presumably be able to do things like carry on firefights while hacking (and do things like directly tampering with cybernetics as seen in A).

C) How would full-bodied cyborgs work? Granted, if a character has dermal plating, synthetic nerves, and muscle grafts at the start, I suppose you could fluff them as being a full-conversion robot, since all the important pieces are included in those three items.


Thanks again for this hack!

Hi! I found Sprawl through the Apocalypse World thread on SomethingAwful's trad games subforum, and I'm thinking of running a game there. That much said, some questions/nitpicks (fair warning, some of these are largely my opinions, but others are error sightings):

-Blend In from the Tech playbook seems more like a move suited for the Infiltrator, and on that note the Infiltrator seems a bit lacking in moves compared to the other playbooks. Switching Blend In to the Infiltrator would benefit both playbooks as Tech already has a bunch of moves and is not lacking for utility.
-It's not 100% clear what one can do with the Pusher's associates from the Believers move (no explanation of what gangs can *do* in The Sprawl, like how their Harm moves and whatnot were defined in base ApocWorld), and furthermore I think the Pusher's capabilities/modus operandi aren't as clearly defined as the other playbooks. It seems like a midway of the Fixer and the Reporter, but I can't 100% tell.
-The heavy revolver in the Hunter's 1st loadout choice doesn't have +reload for unknown reasons. (Also various other tag-related bugaboos in the book, I'll report them here as I find them.) I just figure consistency's a good thing to have.
-I think it would make more sense for the Infiltrator's CQC loadout to have the chameleon suit than for the sniper to have one, as the sniper's already got the advantage of long distance on his/her side in order to remain hidden. (Also, lack of silenced weapons for the sniper loadout seems odd.)
-Is the Mil Specs move for the Killer even necessary given how many cybernetics already let a character use +Synth for their Mix It Up move?
-Maybe I'm too used to at minimum some number or another being attached to a move, but it's *slightly* unclear what the Reporter's Live And On The Air move accomplishes from a mechanical perspective.
-Would make sense for the cyberarm implant weaponry list to also include the monowhip and assassination implant. Currently it doesn't.
-Targeting Suite adds your +Synth to the Harm inflicted with firearms, but Muscle Grafts doesn't do the same with melee attacks. Having the two have equivalent capabilities within their specialties would make more sense and also satisfy those of us who want to put the 'samurai' back in street samurai. :P
-Does the define-area-of-effect feature for the targeting suite include rifle grenades/rockets/assault cannon rounds? Or vehicle weapons?
-Skillwires description mentions an Acquire Cyberware move, but no such move is listed elsewhere in the PDF.
-LMG should either be +area or +autofire/-reload as the whole thing about beltfed weapons is having to reload less often. :P Otherwise it doesn't seem that much different from an assault rifle.
-Would airburst rounds have any effect on already +area weapons?

That's it for now! I hope I didn't come across as unduly critical because I do love this hack and even in its current state it's cool as ice. Furthermore, I compliment your taste in music. :P

Dammit, you beat me to doing this. :P

This looks good. I always thought the gang combat system would translate well to the Horde-fighting mechanics from Deathwatch.