Flickr Photopool?, Gather flavour imagery for Shadowrun? Options

[Juno]

Would anyone be interested in an ongoing collaboration to tag Shadowrun flavored images? Everything from concept art for futuristic looking pizza boy uniforms ( and other disguises) to shots of actual drones & UAVs, magic stores, state of the art prosthetics & cybernetics and an awful, awful lot of trenchcoats & leather jackets?

I like having images of what my character is wearing, and I think I'm not alone. I don't think it would be a difficult to start and maintain project either: since Flickr already allows users to create groups and pools it wouldn't require any coding, and since no images are being copied or hosted there's no ongoing cost for hosting or infringing the photographers'/artists' copyright either.

As for tagging images and inspiration outside of Flickr any social bookmarking site like Diigo should do it.

There's already a Shadowrun group on Flickr, but since its inactive for 20 months at the time of writing it may be worth starting from scratch, plus basing it on Flickr would rule out tagging other sites like deviantArt & ConceptArt.

Anyone think this project is a go-er? Got an opinion on which way it should be done?

(I searched for photopool and flickr to see if this was done before but got nothing, but if its been attempted before or you know of something similar elsewhere please leave a comment)

[Method]

Awesome idea. I have an archive of images I could contribute, depending on what form this takes.

[Juno]

Awesome idea. I have an archive of images I could contribute, depending on what form this takes.

Thanks for the quick reply Method.

I'm eager to get a big collection quickly since I want this project to be worthwhile, but I'm wary of actually hosting images unless they're contributed by their original creators. This is just to avoid a situation where the contributors could be accused of hypocrisy for respecting Catalyst's intellectual property but playing fast and loose with the copyright of photographers & artists. deviantArt has more than a few of posts about art theft for example.

I'm going to do a bit of experimentation with this to see which way will work best, both for contributors to the group and for people looking for an image of something in particular, but in the meantime anyone posting links to gallerys of good inspirational imagery would be a help too.

[Juno]

Just thought I'd add an update to let anyone know this project isn't dead.

I tried using Diigo as a meta-gallery tool, but its really not a great fit. Accidental tagging is easy, moderation of the pool is hard, spam is a problem IMO.

I've been on Flickr and while I'm not writing it off, I do think the one site only approach is limiting.

Currently I'm experimenting with using StumbleUpon;

The upside is the tool feels like a good fit for the project, with a lot of existing suitable content already in the system.
The downside is SU is a huge timesink, so anyone with any procrastination bad habits will get distracted in 1000 different directions away from Shadowrun image / media hunting.

Again, anyone with any thoughts on this are welcome to contribute, but expect updates on this to be a bit erratic.

Other unexplored alternatives:
Shared drop.io / dropbox accounts? (Haven't tried drop.io, some experience dropbox)
Evernote public notebooks.

QUICKEDIT - anyone wishing to try and use StumbleUpon with me? My username there is MonofilamentJuno, and if you could send me a message on Dumpshock confirming you're a runner it'd be a real help too.

Another thing just popped into my head too. A similar project for recommended books & novels as inspiration/fuel for other runs.

I'd favour Goodread.com for this, as they've a big community, good qualitative and quantitative review tools, and ddition by ISBN too.
I used to use librarything.com a long time ago but gave up on it for reasons I can't remember.

(thanks for reading!)

[Neraph]

I myself am a sometimes artist for SR, as is CanRay. I'll see about getting him to look at this thread.

[CanRay]

Hello, I got poked.

I have a bunch of Shadowrun Art listed as favorites in my dA site, but none of it is organized in any way. I start trying to, then either get bored, distracted, or have to crawl back into my corner because something reminds me of Tech Support.

So, what exactly are we looking for me to do?

[Juno]

I myself am a sometimes artist for SR, as is CanRay. I'll see about getting him to look at this thread.

Hello, I got poked.

I have a bunch of Shadowrun Art listed as favorites in my dA site, but none of it is organized in any way. I start trying to, then either get bored, distracted, or have to crawl back into my corner because something reminds me of Tech Support.

So, what exactly are we looking for me to do?

Hey! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Well, at the moment, if you could just post to your dA pages, that would be a help; tagging/organising on your part won't be necessary.

The overall goal here is to make something for the (big) part of community that likes having images of their runners' stuff.

• one resource in this thread to just about every kind of Shadowrun styled image
• site agnostic (ie, it doesn't matter if its on dA, Flickr or any other site, it will work equally well; contrast this with say Flickr's pool tools or dA favourites.)
• does not host the images (leaving the original hosts and authors in control of their work, preventing any "art theft" drama)
• publicly viewable
• fast and easy to contribute to by registered contributors
• fast and easy to search
• easy to remove spam or junk.

I think I may need to add to the list, since this is all off the top of my head stuff - a quality rating to prevent anyone deliberately adding a ton of total crap stickmen images, and a way of making it so only Shadowrun players can add to it (perhaps by sending a PM to me on dumpshock before they become an approved contributor to the group).

Currently, my goal is to find a pre existing tool/service that will handle all this, since I can't programme, so it may be a social bookmarking tool like delicious or Diigo OR a site recommenation tool like StumbleUpon, which for now is looking to be the fastest and least painful.

[CanRay]

Um, that'd be a big post.

Like, a really big one. Huge.

[CanRay]

All right, here's my "Being Worked On Sorting" Cyberpunk picture collection on dA.

I particularly have to point out this pic, however.

[CanRay]

OK, ow, went through all my favorites and moved 'em into the same place for everyone to see.

[Juno]

Um, that'd be a big post.

Like, a really big one. Huge.

All right, here's my "Being Worked On Sorting" Cyberpunk picture collection on dA.

I particularly have to point out this pic, however.

OK, ow, went through all my favorites and moved 'em into the same place for everyone to see.

Big, big, big thank you for this CanRay. Great stuff.

And your Danny Trejo as Mr. Johnson piece?
Masterful.

[CanRay]

None of these are mine! I don't draw!

They're stuff I've found over the years that I've been a dA member. I never claimed they were my work, and pointed out they were favorites in my account. Period. Please don't get the idea that I made these, or even claim that I did. I am no art thief.

I'm a wordsmith. My Shadowrun stories (that I did write) are linked in my sig.

[ravensmuse]

Thanks for that collection Can. Went through it this morning, snagged a few for NPCs for the campaign I'm working on.

[CanRay]

Thanks for that collection Can. Went through it this morning, snagged a few for NPCs for the campaign I'm working on.

Welcome folks.

The stuff that doesn't look particularly cyberpunk are things that make me think of Barrens or Feral Cities (The Post Apoc cities), and the really weird stuff is intended for Matrix examples.

[SleepMethod]

How's the Flickr group going Juno my crazy friend?

[Juno]

How's the Flickr group going Juno my crazy friend?

I dunno. I'm starting to see both upsides and a downsides to doing it "my way".

I'm thinking it'd be more beneficial for a simpler "post images/links to image gallerys in this thread" approach, since it'd be a lot faster and more Dumpshock based. The meta-tagging approach adds another layer of complication, for only questionable benefits, and using StumbleUpon as a base is less than ideal since the stuff already tagged Shadowrun is of hit and miss quality.

I think for the time being this thread would be better if it stuck to a show and tell format, with posters contributing at whatever rate they feel like. Also, I think broadening the criteria from purely Runner's Gear to now include places runs happen and who wouldn't love to loot on of these? would benefit GMs trying to get ideas for where to make a run happen.

Couple of suggested rules:
- images only (a separate thread for videos, films, music might be worth the go ahead in the future, but I think images would have the most demand)
- scale references are a bonus, but not manditory
- themes optional (I did a pick and mix), but descriptions are definitely required

So, to start:

1 - 1953 raygun (black & white patent drawing)

2 & 3- Aeroscraft (500' airship)
alternative image

4 - Megalithic Art from Newgrange, Ireland

5 - MV Seabourn Spirit and 6 - MSC Melody (2 cruise ships that were attacked by pirates)

7 - "A number of 1.25lb M112 Demolition Charges, consisting of a C-4 compound, sit atop degraded weaponry scheduled for destruction"

8 - Concept Chainsaw (because there are no images of monofilament chainsaws, anywhere, ever...)

9 - The Top Gear Toyota Hilux (The indestructable truck)

10 - Derelect hangar and 11 - destroyed British base at Deception Island.

"Deception Island is an island in South Shetland off the Antarctic Peninsula, which has one of the safest harbours in Antarctica. The island is the caldera of an active volcano..."

[CanRay]

That Toyota Hilux scares me. It's like Christine!

[Seriously Mike]

Black clinic. Courtesy of DX Human Revolution.

[CanRay]

Coming to a magazine near you.

[Juno]

"Oxford researchers show off autonomous Wildcat vehicle, no GPS required"
(or - MK.1 drone - coming very soon!)

LED Lights Make Augmented Vision a Reality
(Contact lens with HUD and image link - any colours you like so long as they're red, blue, or purple)

Yacht shaped like giant shark attacking passengers on deck
(Perfect for Bond-villains sick and tired of volcano insurance and the paperwork of caring for marine predators)

Giant blimp shaped like giant sky whale
1500 passengers travelling at nearly 1000 Kph.

Brain-computer implant has passed 1000-day milestone (back in March)
"The electrode array is part of the team's BrainGate system, which includes a combination of hardware and software that directly senses the electrical signals produced by neurons in the brain which control the planning of movement." So one step closer to direct neural interface and move by wire (YAY!)

World's Most Simple Phone
(or: what I think disposable commlinks look a lot like.)

Future Materials
Sort of a mixed bag here:
1 - blowtorch resistent, high strength-to-weight ratio frozen smoke (Aerogel) - Probably used in flame resistence in everything, from actioneer business suits to panic rooms.

2 - Japanese consumer lever stealth clothing prototype! (the pervert suit!) (Meta materials pic)

3 - T1000 disguising itself as soft cheese and peanut M&Ms. Badly (amorphous metal pic)

AND FINALLY...

The year 2000 as envisioned in the year 1910

French artist (read: prophet) illustrated these. Of particular noteworthiness:

- Jetpack equipped firemen for high rise buildings (64 years before The Towering Inferno was released)
(Note that the broader details are accurate to London a few decades back - the uniform colours, issued fire axe design, the gender and human & elf metatype dominance)
(Note also that if it is London, the seven people shown on a train - remarkable considering the failed and panicked escape attempt by 7 runners who hijacked a train to escape after an act of arson in the capital)

- Tir Na Noige adopting the former Republic of Ireland's tricolour for its dirigible airships.
(A closer inspection reveals the ratios of propellor size, balloon volume, and window placement are accurate, the carriage however is upside down!)

- The murder (& identity theft) of a Humanis politiclub member (via sniper's bullet) at a fashion show - during the brief window of legal usage of rocket propelled roller blades after The Big D's death.

Note the treeline and compare it to the Botanic Park in Denver.
Where that exact hit happened.

Presumably this Frenchman has some pre-awakening magical of item. I wonder how much someone would pay for something like that...

[ravensmuse]

Thought I'd contribute a little -

This is my Shadowrun inspiration folder on dA. I've been doing a lot of digging around for reference pictures lately to inspire me when I create NPCs. My hard work, your ease of use (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)