What Is Shadowrun?, If you were to describe it to stranger on the street Options

[Lionhearted]

I've been searching the net, and nowhere can I find a short solid version of what shadowrun really is, Are we doomed to read to books to get a grip of the wonderful dystopia of the sixth world?
So my question is, if you are asked to describe what shadowrun is in all is glory and without resorting to the emergency backdoor of "its an RPG", how would it sound?

[ShadowDragon8685]

I find it best to describe Shadowrun as "The Matrix, with elves and trolls and magic".

[bibliophile20]

To steal from TV Tropes, here's a decent short summary:

Shadowrun is a Tabletop RPG that straddles the Cyber Punk and Dungeon Punk genres.

It's set Twenty Minutes Into The Future (first edition in 2050, second edition in 2053, third in 2060, and fourth in 2070), with one major difference; in 2012, on the "zero date" at the end of the Mayan calendar, the planets and the Astral Plane aligned just so, and magic returned to the world. Humans mutated into various other races (elves, dwarves, orks, and trolls), dragons awoke from eons-long slumber, and some people gained the ability to cast spells. The Native Americans were the first to regain magic, and they used their newfound power to re-take most of the North American continent; however, the real movers and shakers are the megacorporations, who have achieved extranational status and are now exempt from most laws. In this world, the players are Shadowrunners, freelance operatives who take jobs that corporations, governments, and other entities can't (or won't) handle themselves.

Mind you, it's not perfect, but it's a good summary--and you did ask for something already on the net.

Now, if you're willing to branch out into movies... Think Blade Runner, but with magic, elves, trolls and dragons.

[Lionhearted]

I find it best to describe Shadowrun as "The Matrix, with elves and trolls and magic".

*shivers* works still, it feels like downvalueing SR (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[ShadowDragon8685]

*shivers* works still, it feels like downvalueing SR (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

Shadowrun should be proud to be compared to The Matrix!

[Lionhearted]

The first movie was pretty good, but still Shadowrun was around long before the wachowiski's even opened a Neuromancer strip (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)
(and yea, we dont want matrix fanboys ruining the entire thing now do we?)

[Jhaiisiin]

Here's a short blurb I use at times. I'm known for my 2-hr dissertations on the history of Shadowrun, but this is a super short "Are you interested now?" kind of spiel.

"It's 60 years from now, and the world has really gone to hell. Plagues have come and gone, wars have tested the resolve , corporations are now their own countries and Magic has returned to the world. Elves, dwarves, orks and trolls walk the land while Dragons move things in the backgrounds. And beneath everything are the cogs of the machine, the quasi-legal inhabitants of the world upon whom everything seems to hinge: The Shadowrunners. You play a person toeing the line of the legal and illegal, accomplishing the jobs that corporations don't want to dirty their hands with. You'll be dodging bullets, spells and luck itself as you make your way through the dystopian world of Shadowrun. Welcome to the Shadows, chummer."

[Daier Mune]

"Futuristic world in which magic has reawakened in. cybernetics, nanotechnology and heavy weapons mixed with mages, elves and orcs." thats usualy the tagline i use when trying to recruit people.

[Lionhearted]

Sounds like right from the book Jhaiisiin (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
Welcome to dumpshock Daier

[Jhaiisiin]

LOL Funny part is that I'm at work and wrote that from the top of my head. If it's right from the book, it's an indication I need to get out more. hehehe

[ShadowDragon8685]

(and yea, we dont want matrix fanboys ruining the entire thing now do we?)

Yes.

I do. That's how I like my Shadowrun.

That, or Fast and Furious. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Lionhearted]

LOL Funny part is that I'm at work and wrote that from the top of my head. If it's right from the book, it's an indication I need to get out more. hehehe

Man you should really cut down on beetle's

[Jhaiisiin]

And to think, I'm considering picking up the SR novels and adding their info to my internal datastores. I may not ever get cool enough to match Ancient History, but it doesn't hurt to try.

[hyzmarca]

It's shooting people in the face for money - with elves.

[ShadowDragon8685]

It's shooting people in the face for money - with elves.

You, Hyz, win the thread.

[Lionhearted]

hahah, seems like not even dumpshockers have a single view of shadowrun ^^

[knasser]

I describe it as "Where Man Meets Magic and Machine."

But then I'm old fashioned.

Hyzmarca - you get the prize for your Zen like summation of the very essence of Shadowrun. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Bibliophile20 - I really like that summary and will be more or less using it next time I need to provide a fast intro.

-K.

[swirler]

Shadowrun should be proud to be compared to The Matrix!

please tell me you were being sarcastic

[BishopMcQ]

hahah, seems like not even dumpshockers have a single view of shadowrun ^^

Of course not, you can lock five dumpshockers in a room together, ask them a question and get seven opinions back.

[Lionhearted]

haha made my day ^^

[Mercer]

I find it best to describe Shadowrun as "The Matrix, with elves and trolls and magic".

My high concept, Hollywood go-to line was always, Its Lord of the Rings meets The Matrix.

[Lionhearted]

People has no movie education anymore, what happened to classics like blade runner?

[imperialus]

I must admit I don't see the matrix connection with Shadowrun or even other cyberpunk. I mean really if you think about it the matrix has no megacorps, no cyberware (other than the funky electrical outlets in their bodies) no Shadowruns, no... well matrix. Unless you consider the entire world to be a crazy UV node. I suppose you could say it has funky physads but really that's about it. It has the transhumanist aspect down pat but really transhumanism is a tiny subgenre within cyberpunk and one that Shadowrun rarely touches on.

[Blade]

If you want to only use cinema references:
In a world like Akira/Ghost In the Shell (when I'm in front of anime fans)/Blade Runner/Minority Report/Renaissance meets The Lord of the Ring, you play the role of some kind of A-Team and pull jobs just like Ocean's Eleven, with the addition of some John Woo action from time to time.

[Drac]

I just tell people it's 30% Lord of the Rings and 70% the Terminator.

Or simply "The Game where Players Shoot people in the Face for Money."