Shadowrun in space Options

[tweak]

Whatever happened to the space program in Shadowrun?

[Jhaiisiin]

Nasa is now owned by Ares, though most of the megacorps have launch capabilities, as demonstrated by the space race to get to Haley's comet in Year of the Comet

Beyond that, I understand Evo has a mars base or is in the process of building one. Not sure beyond that though.

[Kerenshara]

Significant outposts on the moon and at the major Lagrange points, IIRC.

[BlackJaw]

Isn't the Corporate Court's main facility on a space station?

Wasn't there also a biolab in space as part of emergence? One with 7 scientist and a crazy AI?

I think the Wiki has a few more details, but it mostly sounds like expensive space labs... maybe a little (still pricey) space tourism.

[nezumi]

You're thinking of the Zurich Orbital. Yes, that hosts major members of the corporate court, their favorite mistresses, and a number of very critical servers.

[Snow_Fox]

the Target Wastelands SB had a whole chapter on space.

I wish there had been a couple of example of the space stations to work with. Though I will say, unless you got a really big can of raid and or a sack of gold dust, say the frag away from La Grange point L3 and the Nerva Beacon there.

[KCKitsune]

the Target Wastelands SB had a whole chapter on space.

I wish there had been a couple of example of the space stations to work with. Though I will say, unless you got a really big can of raid and or a sack of gold dust, say the frag away from La Grange point L3 and the Nerva Beacon there.

What's at the Beacon? I am assuming bug spirits from your post, but in space?

[Giant Catfish]

If I recall correctly, one of the corps built a space station and put enough plants/people on it to get a mana/astral presence, then opened astral rifts to the insect mana planes to take a shot at some hive queens. Dunno how that turned out for them.

[kzt]

Imperial Japan has a whole slew of solar power sats in Geo that provide gigwatts of beamed power each. SPS are typically estimated to mass several ten of thousands of tons each, so there is some sort of monstrous lift capability available to Japan (and the SPS are what created the new empire, so the launch sites are in historic Japanese territory).

As far as I know this capability (which is one or more orders of magnitude more than anyone other then maybe Ares has) is totally ignored by all the other SR material.

The fact that Japan has many orbital platforms that have gigwatts of power available to them is also ignored by the SR material, but there are many things you could do with gigawatts of power from Geo. Really honking huge lasers are one of the obvious ideas....

[kzt]

If I recall correctly, one of the corps built a space station and put enough plants/people on it to get a mana/astral presence, then opened astral rifts to the insect mana planes to take a shot at some hive queens. Dunno how that turned out for them.

Ares. Knight appears to be satisfied with his investment, but I don't think that this program is publicly known. Particularly how it really works. Frank had some interesting posts on it a few years ago.

[Eleint]

Also, Street Magic says that a lot of corps have space stations to research magic, as dangerous as it is up there, there's no chance of cross-contamination or the magic getting out of control in space.

Seems to me there's a lot of toe-dipping into space. Nothing like full-on major colonies, but a research outpost here, Zurich Orbital there, etc.

[Matsci]

Imperial Japan has a whole slew of solar power sats in Geo that provide gigwatts of beamed power each. SPS are typically estimated to mass several ten of thousands of tons each, so there is some sort of monstrous lift capability available to Japan (and the SPS are what created the new empire, so the launch sites are in historic Japanese territory).

As far as I know this capability (which is one or more orders of magnitude more than anyone other then maybe Ares has) is totally ignored by all the other SR material.

The fact that Japan has many orbital platforms that have gigwatts of power available to them is also ignored by the SR material, but there are many things you could do with gigawatts of power from Geo. Really honking huge lasers are one of the obvious ideas....

As of 2070, all but one has been decommissioned, in favor of cold fusion plants. Corprate Enclaves covers the remaining one.

Keep in mind that Ares ate Nasa, Sader-Krupp ate the EU space program, and Evo got what was left of the Russian program. They all have massive lifting capablilty, including SK's Skyforge.

['Sconnie]

Isn't the Corporate Court's main facility on a space station?

Wasn't there also a biolab in space as part of emergence? One with 7 scientist and a crazy AI?

I think the Wiki has a few more details, but it mostly sounds like expensive space labs... maybe a little (still pricey) space tourism.

IIRC, that biolab/bioweapons research platform station was owned by Aztechnology.

[Stahlseele]

And once again i am reaffirmed that we need a "Shadowrun: IIN SPAACEE! ò,Ó" Book ^^

['Sconnie]

And once again i am reaffirmed that we need a "Shadowrun: IIN SPAACEE! ò,Ó" Book ^^

Just so long as one of the new JackPoint users is a pig changeling. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Snow_Fox]

What's at the Beacon? I am assuming bug spirits from your post, but in space?

Bugs aren't bothered by gold dust. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cyber.gif)
The designers put an obscure pop culture reference from the 1970's in the section by using the name of the station - Nerva-

[kzt]

The designers put an obscure pop culture reference from the 1970's in the section by using the name of the station - Nerva-

I don't think so.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NERVA

[eidolon]

And once again i am reaffirmed that we need a "Shadowrun: IIN SPAACEE! ò,Ó" Book ^^

Tell me about it. Target: Wastelands gave me total wood for playing SR in space, and I never really got to do it in a game. There's gear and stuff scattered here and there in the 4e stuff, and it's pretty extensive if you spend a bunch of time putting it all together, but it just doesn't feel the same as a few chapters or a book would. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Stahlseele]

Heck, even Uncle Ani liked the idea, that tells me i am on to something here ^^

[Snow_Fox]

I don't think so.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NERVA

I know so, especially since the writer who did that section confessed when I called him on it when the Target Wastelands came out.

Wikipedia is not the be all and can be wrong or in this case incomplete.

Hey look i often miss some of the pop culture references, I was damn proud I caught this one.

[KCKitsune]

I know so, especially since the writer who did that section confessed when I called him on it when the Target Wastelands came out.

Wikipedia is not the be all and can be wrong or in this case incomplete.

Hey look i often miss some of the pop culture references, I was damn proud I caught this one.

OK... what's the pop culture reference? I have no clue and would like to know.

[Kerenshara]

I know so, especially since the writer who did that section confessed when I called him on it when the Target Wastelands came out.

Wikipedia is not the be all and can be wrong or in this case incomplete.

Hey look i often miss some of the pop culture references, I was damn proud I caught this one.

Were they specifically referring to the nuclear rocket engine? I don't know that I would call that "pop culture" but it's a remarkably good catch in any case.

[Hagga]

Significant outposts on the moon and at the major Lagrange points, IIRC.

And apparently one on the opposite side of the sun.

If I recall correctly, one of the corps built a space station and put enough plants/people on it to get a mana/astral presence, then opened astral rifts to the insect mana planes to take a shot at some hive queens. Dunno how that turned out for them.

Ares. It's mentioned in one of the SR4 books, I think SM. Named "Eden" and modular, designed to be destroyed at a moments notice in case of a bug following them back.

Magic in space would be like magic before the Awakening - verrry powerful, verrry subtle. Powerful in the practitioner, not the spell. Anyone who could cast up there the way a regular mage does on earth would be picking their pay grade.

[Wesley Street]

Target: Wastelands was a hit-and-miss book for me but I did love the section on space (especially the bit about how orbital prostitutes typically have a PhD in physics). Evo has had their Mars base for awhile. More recently hints were dropped in Runner Havens that one of the megacorps is in the process of building a space elevator. There are several labs and manufacturing facilities in orbit but there are some large stations that see major traffic, like Apollo and the Shibanokuji Freefall Resort.

[Cray74]

The fact that Japan has many orbital platforms that have gigwatts of power available to them is also ignored by the SR material,

Personally, I'm glad they're ignored. They're continuity headaches to explain. SPSs are monstrous undertakings (much more difficult than the visionaries of the 1970s hoped) and they were built improbably early in Shadowrun's future history, right at a time when the global economy is tanking and, historically, Japan had crap for its aerospace industry. The result should be enormously expensive electricity that could easily be replaced by a cheap, terrestrial coal plant.

As of 2070, all but one has been decommissioned, in favor of cold fusion plants. Corprate Enclaves covers the remaining one.

...though I'll take a solar power satellite over cold fusion any day.

The designers put an obscure pop culture reference from the 1970's in the section by using the name of the station - Nerva-

I was going to second the nitpicking about calling NERVA a "pop culture" reference but then I found Dr. Who's "Nerva Beacon," and it makes a bit more sense.