Other books that never made it, No SoLA allowed Options

[Prime Mover]

Once again I see Shadows of Latin America dredged up. Now theres nothing wrong with people who don't know what happened wanting to know but thats not the purpose of this post.

I was wondering if any freelancers or past writers out there that might like to share what other projects may have seen early development but never made it to the final stages? Or they'd like to put on the table again.

[Ancient History]

That we can tell you about? Heh.

We rarely start projects with no intent to finish them, and those that we do tend to get folded back in somewhere along the line. (Cannibalism being an accepted writing practice, so long as it is done well and in moderation.) Some of the things that we wanted to develop earlier will be released in e-books and the like.

One book that never really made it past the concept stage (the title was actually suggested by Frank Trollman) was The Monomolecular Edge, which was supposed to be the Weird Science! book for SR4 - two-headed cyberzombies, space orichalcum, cyborg heads whose spine pops centipede legs and crawls from body to body, zombie switches, that sort of thing.

There was a proposal for an April Fools mini-game I would dearly love to write - Shadowrun: Bug World. Alternate reality scenario where the hives "won" and humanity is relegated to corporate-run megasprawls, while the wilderness is ruled over by warring bug tribes. Shadowrunners, in addition to their usual jobs, can go bug-hunting - and it would have introduced a new character type based on the hybrid baby in Missing Blood - sort of like Ulk-men but with insect spirits.

I suppose I would have liked to write a better (and more player-friendly) version of Zero Sum Gain, and get it in canon. There's some fun to be had with some of those characters yet, I think.

[Prime Mover]

Appreciate the reply AH always curious what sort of stuff hits the table when your brainstorming...what makes the cut and what doesn't and why. Seem to recall a mention of the Monomolecular Edge in one of Franks posts...but I don't think it was ever explained what was gonna be in it...sounds like it would have a fun one to toss ideas into.

Looking forward to more e-book stuff, a great chance for stuff to see print that probably wouldn't have otherwise.

Bug World shiver.

Have a copy of Zero Sum Gain in my SR folder but haven't had opportunity to run it yet. Somthing about the language in the writing that really makes it feel gritty and street level.

Great lines like.

A couple weeks ago the Greek added
Jackson’s loverboy to his stable of whores and
addicted him to BTLs

and

Kill the Pig and you
can collect the rentboy with the rest of your
payment. It’s done.�

[Starmage21]

there was that one sourcebook that was supposed to have dragons as pcs in it

[Prime Mover]

Had to dig out Missing Blood to look up the Hybrid....haha forgot about Cat Troll, great pic too.

Edit: The whole baby thing with the pic....yep disturbing. Now I remember why the bug stuff creeped us out so bad back in the day.

[Larsine]

There are several books that have been announced over the years, but either have been shelved og changed so dramatically that it is no longer the same book. Many of the informations are from old FASA flyers, catalogues, faxes or simpley from rumors on the internet in various formats:

Sprawl Sites One was announced in 1989, but published as Sprawl Sites. (1989 flyer from FASA)

Shadows of the Twilight was announed, but published as Total Eclipse. (Fax from FASA)

Anarchist's Guide to North America was announced in 1990, but published as Neo-Anarchist's Gide to North America. (1990 flyer from FASA, FASA catalog 1991)

Corporate Security Guidebook/Corporate Security Sourcebook was announced in 1993, but published as Corporate Security Handbook in 1995. (1993 flyer from FASA)

Ares Security Catalog 2054 was announced in 1993, but never published. (1993 flyer from FASA)

City of Angels was announced, but published as California Free State Sourcebook in 1996. (FASA catalog 1992 update)

Running Short was announced in 1993, and again for march 1995, but was never published. (1993 flyer from FASA)

Techno-Shaman was announced for august 1995, but published as Virtual Realities 2.0.

Neo-Anarchist's Guide to Magic/Neo-Anarchist's Guide to the Awakened World was announced for october 1995, but published as Awakenings: New Magic in 2056. (TSS#1)

Rigger Redux was announced, but published as Rigger 3. (TSS#12)

Africa Sourcebook by Nigel Findley was announced but never published.

Neo-Anarchist's Guide to Europe was announced but published as Shadows of Europe.

Shadowrun Anthology was announced in 1989, but published as Into the Shadows. (1989 flyer from FASA)

One State Before (probably just a spelling mistake) was announced, but published as One Stage Before. (KA*GE#5)

North America Sourcebook was announced at Origins 2000, but published as Shadows of North America.

SOTA 2061 was announced at Origins 2000, but published as SOTA 2063.

6th World.org was announced at Origins 2000, but never published.

Boo Scary Book of the Shadowrun Night was annouced at Origins 2000, later changed to Lurking in the Shadows, but never published.

Private Agenda was announced at Origins 2000, but never published.

The Awakening: The first 50 years was announced at Origins 2000, but never published.

Shadowrun.org was announced at Origins 2000, but never published.

Organized Crime was announced but published as Underworld Sourcebook.

Australia Sourcebook was announced, but published as Target: Awakened Lands.

Lars

[AngelisStorm]

Right Starmage, I think I recall hearing about that.

[hermit]

Africa Sourcebook by Nigel Findley was announced but never published.

Shit. One more reason to be sorry for his untimely death.

6th World.org was announced at Origins 2000, but never published.
Boo Scary Book of the Shadowrun Night was annouced at Origins 2000, later changed to Lurking in the Shadows, but never published.
Private Agenda was announced at Origins 2000, but never published.
The Awakening: The first 50 years was announced at Origins 2000, but never published.
Shadowrun.org was announced at Origins 2000, but never published.

Anyone who knows what these were supposed to be still around?

[wusselpompf]

There are several books that have been announced over the years, but either have been shelved og changed so dramatically that it is no longer the same book. Many of the informations are from old FASA flyers, catalogues, faxes or simpley from rumors on the internet in various formats:

wow, they only one of these I knew before this post was running short (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

but a lot of them just seem to be working titles of an early production stage that later got the final publishing title

[hermit]

Oh, I know one more:

Gypsy Magic was announced, but never puiblished (I read somewhere it's evolved into Street Magic, can anyone confirm this?).

[BIG BAD BEESTE]

Yeah, Running Short was about the only one that I remember being advertised and not actually making it - even under a different name/title. I expected it to be a revision of the random encounter charts from Sprawl Sites with a random run generator thrown in.

With regard to the Ares Security Catalog 2054, well that actually did get published. It was incorporated into the back of the Corporate Security Handbook. As for the last load of announcements listed there at Origins 2000 - well that would be about the time that FASA bought the big one, so no surprises there on why they didn't get released.

But as Ancient has already said, with writers you never really throw any ideas away - just put them aside whilst the next project takes shape then possibly dig out all those weird and wonderful shards of freelancer-crack inspired madness at a future date. (Usually when the next relevant project pops up for you to plug it on). Aside from that, most of the ideas for sourcebooks that did not make it and stuff are still covered under the original writer's Non-Disclosure Agreement, and thus can't really be spoken of without express permission from the Big Guys Upstairs as they involve plotline and other top secret stuff.

I'm still waiting to see what happens with Shadows of Latin America/Holostreets deal as mentioned some years back. Although, if you've got your hands on Ghost Cartels there's quite a bit of intel to be gleaned therein. Still wondering and hoping that an Awakened Atlas will ever get the go ahead one day though.

[Demonseed Elite]

I believe 6thworld.org is Loose Alliances. I remember the original book spec being about organizations in the Sixth World and that was what Loose Alliances covered, so I think it just changed titles.

The Boo Scary Book of Shadowrun Night (that was the original concept name, but was never going to be the release title) is still an awesome idea that many of the writers would love to return to. No idea when something like that might fit into the product schedule, though.

[hermit]

And Private Agenda? Also, can you give any hint to booscary's nature?

[Prime Mover]

One of Franks post awhile back made mention of boo scary, monomolecular edge and some other things...even went on to explain what was in them....can't recall under which topic it was though.

[hermit]

since the search function is unwilling to search posts and present them, could you please try to even vaguely remember the topic? that'd at lest narrow down where i have to look. thanks.

[Prime Mover]

Looking myself...it's been awhile.

Edit: Can't find the post but did find a reference in the May chat transcript were I asked about Monofiliment edge,War Zone and killing news. So the post has to be from somewhere back near May.

[Demonseed Elite]

I'm really not sure what Private Agenda was. I don't even recall a book spec for anything titled that, though maybe it wasn't titled at the time. I dunno.

The Boo Scary book was basically going to cover what it sounds like it was going to cover: scary things that go bump in the night. Sort of a horror (little "h") themed book for Shadowrun. It never got too far into development, so that's about all the detail there is on what it was going to cover.

The Awakening: the First 50 Years and Shadowrun.org were sort of collection books to catch players up on the backstory of Shadowrun. A lot of what would have been in these books will likely be the Sixth World Almanac or similar anniversary-style material. If I'm remembering them correctly.

Stuff like The Monofiliment Edge, War Zones, Killing News, etc. are always discussed among the freelancers and devs, but you probably won't see books like those until it makes sense to work them in. Usually they try to coordinate theme books like that with plot lines or setting books. For instance, Vice coming on the heels of Ghost Cartels (which itself tied to Runner Havens and Corporate Enclaves). See what they're doing here? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[hermit]

Gypsy Magic?

[kzt]

since the search function is unwilling to search posts and present them, could you please try to even vaguely remember the topic? that'd at lest narrow down where i have to look. thanks.

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=21822

Franks post start at #77. #89 is the crunchy one.

[hermit]

Thank you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

All except destroying news sound awesome. Destroying news would propably also be awesome if it wasn't more mary-sue, inc. worship. Like the setting needed more.

[Fix-it]

Mmm. I want me some War Zones. not so hot about Monomolecular Edge though. I think Deus' "experiments" were scary enough.

btw AH, "Zero Sum Gain" is fantastic, how have I not seen that until now?

[Adam]

I'm really not sure what Private Agenda was. I don't even recall a book spec for anything titled that, though maybe it wasn't titled at the time. I dunno.

Mike Mulvihill novel dealing with Tir Tairngire.

Running Short, btw, was supposed to be an adventure/series of adventures designed for use when your gaming group was missing people, and only had 2-3 characters.

[GreyBrother]

Warzones would be something that thrills me. And i agree with hermit on the Africa book.

[Grinder]

All except destroying news sound awesome. Destroying news would propably also be awesome if it wasn't more mary-sue, inc. worship. Like the setting needed more.

One day it will be revealed that Horizon is run by a cabal of Immortal Elves and Dragons - you'll suffer a heart attack then, I'm afraid. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[hermit]

*Right*. On both accounts.