Shoe Endorsements, Rant Options

[DV8]

Yesterday I read the chapter "Life on the Run" in the Sprawl Survival Guide, one of the latest Shadowrun products, written by Elissa Carey, better known as our very own Pistons. While it's probably the best written chapter in the book, it's contents confirmed a fear I have held for a very long time now concerning the direction the Shadowrun developers were taking the game; Shadowrunners turned pop culture icons. I was so angry, and though I had vented about the becoming of this monstrosity before, I finally decided to put my thoughts on how this could never be down in writing thereby gladly defying canon material, something which I'm not quick to do but feel I have to.

.: The Problem
Since when is the concept of a shadowrunner one that is commonly known by the unwashed masses? Since when are there shadowrun simsense movies and television series? How come there are ex-shadowrunners out there that thrive on their reputation as a former shadowrunner and make a wonderful career in the simsense industry? Why is a concept that is unanimously agreed upon by all parties directly involved that it requires the utmost secrecy and discretion in order to be successful turned into an exploit of cheap entertainment?

Shadowrunners exist by virtue of secrecy! Say it with me now; without this secrecy they would be nothing!

.: Discretion and Deniability
Essentially, shadowrunners exist because there are corporations, organisation and individuals who have need for the services of the subversive elements in society to further their own goals. Usually it's the corporations who dip into this pool of resources because they can pay for these relatively expensive services. But oddly enough, corporations are probably one of the few organisations who could reach the same results without attracting independent, outside resources. Why is it that corporations will go through all the trouble of hiring professional outside resources?

Deniability. The first and last line of defense in an all out war to win, and keep, consumer confidence.

Discretion is a shadowrunner's most important tool. It's what he gets paid his money for. If it was just for the sabotage, kidnapping, wetwork or datasteals, the corps would simply hire some streetcreeps to do the job. But the extra money and attention goes towards making sure the actions of the shadowrunners cannot be traced back to their employer and so, at best, their victims have to blame what happens on a bunch of people who don't exist according to the system and seemed to have operated without a clear motivation. That way the employer doesn't have to engage in a campaign to save the corporate image, which could take months, during which time the stock and therefor the profitability of the company would take a huge hit.

.: Silence Is Golden
Mass manipulation through subtle corporate doctrine will be so sophisticated that even if shadowruns would see the light of day and be laid before public scrutiny it would be spun in such a way that recollection won't ever bring memories of a corp-sponsored covert operation. Just like UFO sightings will always be swamp gas, so will a shadowrun always be nothing more than an unfortunate explosion resulting from an imbalance in improperly stored chemicals, a glitch in the security system, or the head of a research department being sent on a much needed vacation only to die in a unfortunate kayaking accident. Shadowrunners are always deluded eco-terrorists, neo-anarchists looking to discredit or even overthrow a corporation, a confused vigilante or something that creates an equal amount of sympathy for the victim corporation.

Admitting to sabotage, theft, murder or kidnapping, by any of the parties involved, would have far too many negative repercussions. Should the truth come out about the instigator, stock and public opinion would plummet, credibility would be shot and possible charges from the Corporate Court or any number of governments could be the results. Admitting to be the victim of sabotage, theft, murder or kidnapping would result in a reduction of shareholder confidence, which in turn could, potentially, lead to a loss in stock value and company liquidity. Thus, it behooves both parties to keep as much of it out of the public eye.

.: Public Awareness
Within corporate enclaves especially, but also among corporate citizens, the thought of anything or anyone trying to undermine the corp is met with painful disbelief and misunderstanding. Years of indoctrine rebuts the very notion of corporations engaging in warfare outside of the Desert Wars; "the corporation takes care of everyone." Nobody doubts it and those that do are quickly silenced and rehabilitated. Even if a corporate peon would suspect something, many of them would gladly forget what the saw or heard in order to go back to believing in a lie. People need stability and are willing to repress a lot to maintain it.

Outside of the corporate enclaves, and on the streets, people are far more skeptical, far less willing to believe in the good and the charity of corporations. But it's that same skepticism that has turned most people into jaded drones. The majority of this group is relatively poor compared to their corporate counterparts and have given up their idealisms for a survivalist mentality. They don't care what happens to corporations, or how they do business. They accept what they get fed through a trid-set and what they read in screamsheets and newsfaxes.

From corporate sponsored schools, and the corporate owned news sources, and the corporate lobbies in governments all over the world, and the meticulously thought out advertisements finally rises an image that's incredibly hard to shatter or undermine.

.: "But What About..."
"...spies and assassins and thieves and Mafiosi and all the films about hackers and other subversive elements in society!? If we know about them, and see them in the news, then why not Shadowrunners!?"

Well, because corporations won't allow a concept like that to thrive, because it would undermine the discretion and deniability that they so value. All the other subversive elements of society that you can think of, none are so rare and important as shadowrunners and anything would be done to allow them to do what they do. And in 2060 there will be the opportunity to do so by media manipulation. Films wouldn't be funded, books wouldn't be published, and television programs would be taken off the air.

The Mafia has never been a secret society, and the Free-Masons, well, though they are supposed to be, they're hardly a secret, now are they? Spies, assassins, thieves? These are all concepts that are as old as humanity but a relatively new concept as that of a shadowrunner can still be protected and maintained as a secret by regulating media, spin-doctoring the results of their exploits and demanding the utmost secrecy from the shadow-community itself.

A shadowrunner in the media...seriously...his body would be cold before the ink on the paper of his simcontract would be dry.

From Why Shadowrunners Will Never Receive Shoe Endorsements

[Kagetenshi]

Amen. Runner trid shows would probably still exist, though, although they would bear as little relation to actual running as The X-Files bears to actual paranormal events (or what they would be if the existed, if your beliefs lie more in that direction).
Though actually, there is one... hm. Runners probably wouldn't have that sort of utmost secrecy because of the ability to blame hirings on a manager involved in a personal feud or somesuch. Obviously the existence as an entire industry would remain hidden, but there could still be people...
Augh. It's too early, and I need to get some sleep before the sun rises. I'll come back with a better-reasoned reply later today.

~J

[Adarael]

Well, my one complaint to that well-thought out essay is just this. In my dictionary of life, there's an entry that goes like this:

Shadowrunner, noun. One who commits criminal activities in the most silent and untracable way possible, in exchange for money. Commonly used by corporations against other corporations, though occasionally by other groups or private individuals.

See, my definition of 'shadowrunner' is pretty broad. A movie like Ronin? Shadowrunners. Mission Impossible? Shadowrunners. Ergo, I don't have a problem with the media having movies or TV shows about Shadowrunners.

[toturi]

Ehhh, wouldn't governments suppress the notion of spies? Since they work on the self same principle of secrecy and deniability and discretion too?

Ergo, why wouldn't Ares accuse Aztech of hiring Shadowrunners to sabotage them if they had the proof? And reap a media windfall?

Shadowrunners ARE assassins, spies and thieves. If one exist, so must the other.

We know that there are spies. But we think our government is too noble/benovolent to use them or that our spies are patriots who sacrifice their lives for their country, but we know that the enemy will use the spies and enemy spies are all evil/malicious people. Same with corps. My corp doesn't hire runners, but I know Novatech and Renraku do. :D

[DV8]

[Quix]

I agree with Adarael on this one. You don't actually expect shadowrunners to exist in your reality, ie not on the trid screen. Just like I don't expect Star Trek to work as well in real life as it does on TV. Movies like Ronin or MI are always happening somewhere else to someone else. They don't happen right in my face, of course I live beyond the edge of the world, about 2 miles past, so that's not saying much. No shadowrunner is going to to live off their reputation because if all went well then the only people who know it happened are the runners and the person who hired them. Any runner who starts running their mouth is liable to get themselves heard on some corps grapevine.
Besides what simsense company wants REAL shadowrunners? They want actors who can go through a script and make it look good. People who look the look on screen. Most shadowrunners are going to be to real for this. Unless you want to do 'Reality TV'. In which case you just took your employability and shot it with an assault cannon.

[DV8]

[The Jopp]

I like shoes, they keep my feet dry and warm.

[Xirces]

The single most important part of what DV8 has said (BRAVO BTW) is that runners DO NOT EXIST.

THIS MEANS NO SIN - EVEN A FAKE.

Mulitple fake IDs do not make sense when they are based on something like DNA/Fingerprints/Iris scans - any sensible system (read: the ones in development IRL) would not allow this corruption.

Any ID will be traced back to the holder.

Runners simply CANNOT exist in any govt. or corp DB. That's it.

Sorry for shouting it's just this really pi$$es me off. Really.

The whole media interaction thing started with the Seattle Sourcebook and unless you're playing a media campaign (Give me back my Rockers and Reporters) it don't sit well as a primary hook. Sure, a runner can have contacts with the media, but no runner will appear on Trid or advertise their profession, even after retirement - what's the limitation on murder, arson, theft etc in the 6th world? Even 20 years after the fact you're gonna get caught.

On the other hand I have no problem with movies about Runners (or Those Who Do Jobs Like Them) existing, simply because everyone knows that movies and TV aren't real. I fully expect that the urban myth of runners would generate media interest to the point where people would claim to be runners to get respect/fear/whatever and the media feed to feed that fantasy. I can fully imagine schools full of runner wannabe kids who know nothing of the true nature of it, but think it's somehow cool and IF they meet Joe Samurai will hero worship him (think Noober and Neeber, Baldur's Gate fans).

[Lilt]

I think that movies with shadowrunners in them would be as close to real shadowrunner activities as things like James Bond are to real spy activities.

I also think that the average Joe Public will not be overly bothered if Ares has been accused of spying by SK in the same way that I don't expect any less of governments these days for having spy satellites or spies.

They are deniable assets. There are no ties to the corp itself. Even the money shadowrunners recieved would be virtually untraceable and Jhonsons are presumably prized on how traceless they keep their links.

[The Jopp]

Well, a runner CAN have a SIN, life on the edge will just be a bit more dangerous with one. And it is entirely possible to create a fake sin that is so watertight that no-one can find out the truth behind it.

Another point, even though you have a maximized fake SIN and tripple security features it is stupid beyound belief to go out in the media and say that you have indeed been a shadowrunner. Ok, so the law can't find anything illegal or wrong with your SIN and neither can they tie you to any of your so called "crimes".

SOMEONE will know who and what you are and might just use the characters celebrity against them (A concealed rifle in a camera for example).

Another little point, how the heck do you PROVE that you were a shadowrunner? Do you brag about in media how you worked for X company doing Y to B company? IF you do that be prepared to get a BIG lawsuit thrown your way for making false accusations or some such thing, you just stepped over the line of professional ethics, never, ever talk about you clients, customers or targets. Big no-no.

Ok, so you PROVED that you are a shadowrunner and company B took back their lawsuit because you proved in court that you actually did Y to B and got paid by X. YAY! You have now become the biggest dumbass on the planet, you just admitted A CRIME. Company B just called the cops and had you arrested or called their own layers to have your ass handed to them on a platter.

[nezumi]

[DV8]

[kevyn668]

IIRC, there were numerous, if minor, references to shadowrunners in pop culture in the SR1 and 2 days. I don't have page numbers for you but there were always shadowtalk postings involving "...it ain't like the trid where Johnny SR takes on [abc]corp with his twin preds..." Remember, back in those days obvious armour and chrome were "cool". Where do you think the population got that notion from??

Also, I believe there are numerous references to the media glorifying runners and the work they do. In the Secrets of Power Trilogy (and any SR novel where non-runners meet runners) there's a section or two about how "...these runners act nothing like the runners you see on the trid".

You have to remember, to some, runners are percieved as gallant Robin Hood types. They stand up to the Man (Corps) and stuff like that. To a downtrodden population that's just the boost they need to get through their miserable lives...AND keep buying stuff from said corps. Which makes both parties happy. So, corps just might promote the idea of SRs and "cool". Its good for moral and profits. I'd imagine that the runners portrayed would do nothing to hurt the sponsoring corp in question though. Kinda like "renegade cops"....

There were and still are often references to "wanna-be" runners. Obviously, someone must've let the cat out of the bag if there are people emmulating the "shadow life".

Then there's the fact that there's a trendy name for "deniable, covet/infiltration/espionage assets". ie. Shadowrunners.

As far as SRs actually becoming stars...well, I dunno. The only actual reference to that I could come up with was the elf sniper from "Run Fast, Die Hard". he had a legit deal for a trid series. I imagine "retired" SRs could make a pretty could living as "consultants". Just where do you think the "Sopranos" gets its snappy dialogue from?

I don't think its that far out of the question for a SR to some entertainment work, especially if he or she is "out of the biz". Therefore, I don't think its out of the question for some runners to cash in on the media explosion.

[Austere Emancipa...]

[Lilt]

Essentially:
Someone has heard that shadowrunners exist
This sounds dangerous and exciting to aforementioned person
The aforementioned person writes a book about it, or makes-up a role-playing game if he's that way inclined,
Someone else reads the book, thinks it sounds dangerous and exciting
The aforementioned someone else is actually a big-shot sim producer, and decides to make a sim of it
People see the sim, and have then heard the term shadowrun.
It means heroically fighting evil (non-real) corporations to save the main character's father and get the girl.
Is this really telling people what shadowrunners are in a way that people would care?

OK: The "I'm an ex-shadowrunner" line is totally BS but unless people knew better they probably wouldn't question it. In-fact if they did know better they wouldn't question it either, they'd just either laugh or get out of range of any possible blast-radius ASAP.

[Siege]

Look at current trends in pop culture: thugs, drug dealers and gangsta rappers who use their street lifestyles as a selling point to the unwashed masses.

Shadowrunners already exist in the news: "Saphyre: Runner for Hire" as a simchip and even a contact (I forget which one) offers opinions on Shadowrunners, meaning the term is reasonably wide-spread among society in general.

Which means some shoe company would cheerfully take advantage of a shadowrunner to hype a product geared towards kids. Frag, I'm suprised they didn't manufacture one like boybands today. (ackspit)

-Siege

Edit: Granted, bragging to the media about being a runner is probably not good for your health, unless you're lying and (or) go out of your way not to mention specifics.

Even so, be prepared to change your appearance if you ever want to work after that interview.

Brag about bagging Fuchi's top secret project last week and yes, you're so dead St. Peter appears and offers you advance booking in the middle of the interview.

Edit: The ex-runner line has gotta be on the most popular pickup lines in a bar, just like "I'm a firefighter" or "I used to be a Navy SEAL" or similar garbage.

[Xirces]

[Siege]

[DV8]

[Austere Emancipa...]

[Siege]

[Xirces]

I don't think that the two are as opposed as you're making out DV8 (hey, imagine that, I'm trying to be a peacemaker). I think the canon references to media interaction are fine. You've just got to remember that just because a someone goes on TV and says he's a runner it doesn't mean that he is and certainly doesn't mean that anyone has to believe him... it's all about disinformation.

How about involving your players in such a run? Some crank IS giving away secrets to the media which may cause problems for your team - do you shut him up, find out his sources, help him avoid the other runners who are gunning for him? There are some nice possibilities without suspending too much disbelief.

[kevyn668]

[DV8]