Aside from Seattle ... Options

[Khairn]

I'm planning on running an SR4 game, but want a location other than Seattle, which my players know all too well. I plan to include my own creations and changes to the place, but I'm hoping to find a city that already has a good amount of detail written about it. (edition really isn't that important to me)

So IYHO what is the best official (Canon?)or fan written setting book and why?

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

I'm planning on running an SR4 game, but want a location other than Seattle, which my players know all too well. I plan to include my own creations and changes to the place, but I'm hoping to find a city that already has a good amount of detail written about it. (edition really isn't that important to me)

So IYHO what is the best official (Canon?)or fan written setting book and why?

I absolutely LOVE Hong Kong... we have beeen playing Hong Kong for over 3 years now, and it is just amazing... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smokin.gif)

[Fatum]

There's a bunch of setting books in the earlier editions, so you should just pick the sprawl you like best - they're all quite different. You can use 6WA to get the general idea of what each of them is like.

[Brazilian_Shinob...]

Denver is a nice option. Specially with the Shadowrun missions with plenty of information about the city.
Los Angeles if you want a completely pink-mowhawk campaign.

[sabs]

London is pretty freaking cool.
I hear good things about Berlin, but I think you need the German edition stuff, to really make it shine.

if you're an American.. i recommend thinking about what city you live in. or the Largest serious city near you.

I love Quebec, but honestly, to make it work you need to change the official stuff pretty dramatically so.
Denver has potential.. but the problem with it is Ghostwalker. Officially he's just a big Godzilla, and it would be cooler if he was more.. subtle.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

For the years prior to Hong Kong, we used the GM's custom-created Detroit Metroplex, which was also a lot of fun...

[Fatum]

Denver has potential.. but the problem with it is Ghostwalker. Officially he's just a big Godzilla, and it would be cooler if he was more.. subtle.

Eh, what. Yeah, he grabbed the reins of government through a direct attack - but nowhere do the books say he hasn't been a subtle politician since then.
Minding the general state of Denver, yeah.

[Acme]

This may sound like an odd idea, but if you want to make your campaign a little different, you could try Portland. Hear me out.

If you remember, Portland was generally where the Tir housed its non-elven folk so it doesn't have to be all-elven, and the city itself is dealing with the fallout of the Ra Nelle revolution as it transitions (theoretically) to a post-autocratic society, and the political shenanigans since the Star Chamber becoming a major force now means that the Tir has essentially split its capital into two (like Paraguay or South Africa). Combine that with the lifting of Seattle being the Tir's major port of call (which would still have to handle a lot of its business unless they either retrofit Astoria to be a major port of call or heavily dredged out the Columbia to accept larger boats). This means that PDX is a hotspot with the unrest still fermenting in the country as well as the intrigue of Mega interests trying to wheedle more into the country as they meet resistance from home grown corps such as Telestrian. You can still have your bleed into Seattle or access into the intrigue of what the changes in the Tir and the constant upheaval in Cal Free mean for the Northern Crescent region.

You could also use Portland as a transition city, to wean them off of Seattle before you move things to another city.


Of course, that suggestion might be totally because I'm an Oregonian and a little biased. Maybe.


Other than that- I'd also recommend DeeCee.

[CanRay]

My group has gone to LA a few times, but don't like the idea of the Overt Commercialization of Shadowrunning there. Even if they did get a bonus in the "Kidnapping Goofy" job for having a kick-ass chance scene.

They hated San Diego, but that's because they were in Aztlan, and were expected to be used as blood sacrifices at any time due to reading far too many ShadowPosts.

There's been talk of going to Denver, and I had been playing with the idea of doing a write-up on Winnipeg... But, well, I have many ideas and stuff in my head which won't bloody well come out. (I'm honestly thinking of trepanning some day.).

[J. Packer]

It really does depend on what you want and your players want. I mean, for the right campaign, drop them into Chicago. Feral Cities lays out some of the more up to date information.

Hong Kong is well defined in Runner Havens as well, and Lagos in Feral Cities again, if you want international.

Me, I live in Denver, so that's where I'm currently GMing. But I grew up in Oregon, so Seattle works out well for me too.

I'd be tempted to put a game on the east coast, but there's not much info in any of the books that I have - certainly not to the level that there is for Seattle or Hong Kong.

[FooBot]

Manhattan can be cool if you dont mind the whole corp run police state thing

[pbangarth]

Our group is playing in LA right now, and that is working out well. We are in the outskirts (San Fernando Valley) so the commercialization of runs is not noticeable. Corporate Enclaves has some good material on it.

Seeing where you live, I would suggest trying Toronto. It already is bigger than Seattle is statted to be in SR times, and is only likely to grow bigger, particularly with immigration of Canadians from NAN territory. According to Shadows of North America (p. 175-6), its entertainment industry will be the biggest in the UCAS with LA gone, and is a major industrial and banking centre. It is a major port and transportation hub, is close to a couple of borders and doesn't have LA's pollution.

And of course, any Canadian who doesn't live in Toronto would love the chance to blow up a few things in "the centre of the universe".

[sabs]

Manhattan can be cool if you dont mind the whole corp run police state thing

Manhattan is NOT for the low end pink mohawk set. It's effectively super black trenchcoat.

[Khairn]

And of course, any Canadian who doesn't live in Toronto would love the chance to blow up a few things in "the centre of the universe".

Quite true. As everyone knows ... the entire universe revolves around Toronto ... nothing ever actually happens there, but it is the center of the universe. If you don't believe me, just ask anyone from Toronto. Since art imitates life so much, I've turned Toronto into a magical black hole that is sucking everything in. Once you get to the outskirts you can feel the pull, and by the time you reach the city itself, the urge to impale yourself on the worlds largest phallic symbol becomes overwhelming. Imagine the CN Tower decorated by Reavers from Serenity and you get an idea of what I'm talking about. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/eek.gif)

Now getting back on topic ...of the setting books that have already been published (aside from Seattle) which is the best? Ther Germany book looks good, but I haven't read too many positive reviews.

[Fatum]

Once you get to the outskirts you can feel the pull, and by the time you reach the city itself, the urge to impale yourself on the worlds largest phallic symbol becomes overwhelming.

But...but...but both Canton Tower and Burj Khalifa are larger phallic symbols!

[Khairn]

But...but...but both Canton Tower and Burj Khalifa are larger phallic symbols!

aaahhh ... I understand your confusion now. You see, if you lived in Toronto (or within its range of insanity) you'd understand that actual "facts" are never used when describing the greatness of the "city at the center of the universe". Hence the worlds "tallest phallic symbol" is correct ... from a certain point of view. Their misguided reliance on outdated or fabricated "facts" or data" is a hold over to when they were an actual thriving part of the country, which is about the same time they used to have an actual hockey team. so don't worry about it. As long as you stay away from the city or have a layover at Pearson Airport for no more than 30 mins ... you should be fine. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[CanRay]

Toronto is where all the evil and rudeness and greed in Canada is sucked away so that the rest of us get the reputation of being nice and polite and helpful. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

In fairness... Wait, I'm from Northern Ontario, I don't have to be fair to Toronto!

[Cain]

I absolutely LOVE Hong Kong... we have beeen playing Hong Kong for over 3 years now, and it is just amazing... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smokin.gif)

I agree with TJ. Hong Kong is amazing. It's probably the best non-Seattle writeup there is.

[Khairn]

Toronto is where all the evil and rudeness and greed in Canada is sucked away so that the rest of us get the reputation of being nice and polite and helpful. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

In fairness... Wait, I'm from Northern Ontario, I don't have to be fair to Toronto!

Very good point CanRay. We must always remember, even though those who live "in the city in the center of the universe" often forget, that the borders of Toronto don't extend beyond either those of Ontario or of Canada. They extend just to the edges of the black hole.

And Cain, thanks for yet another vote for Hong Kong. I think I'll take a look at it first.

Are there any good SR novels set in HK?

[pbangarth]

I don't think Americans have a city of their own they love to hate the way Canadians do Toronto. I wonder if this is a uniquely Canadian thing. Do Brazilians hate, I don't know, Sao Paulo? I'll get to SR stuff again in a moment, but just one more digression.

I was firmly on the 'hate Toronto' bandwagon until my wife dragged me kicking and screaming to live in the city. For me, too, the former experiences were coloured mostly by the airport and traffic through on the highways. Bloody awful. Within two weeks of living there I came to love the city, and for some of the reasons that would make it a great SR city. The 'centre of the universe' label comes in part, I think, because the city grew so fast from its parochial roots that citizens didn't believe in what their eyes were telling them. They scrambled to blow their own horn when all they had to do was what other great cities do... tell the rest to go to hell if they don't like us. That's the kind of attitude that gets people to take a second look, not the "We're a world class city!" shouting. That's the kind of attitude New York has, which is the only other city in the world that is like Toronto. Bigger, wealthier, more of everything, for sure. But the same magnet for the world's cultures, languages, foods, art, hatreds, blood feuds... bunging them all together in ways guaranteed to create and destroy. The difference is, while America celebrates the 'melting pot', Canada celebrates the 'mosaic'.

In another part, the label comes because Toronto does wield economic and political power in Canada, and others are jealous. Give Calgary and Edmonton another generation or two of resource wealth, and they will bask in some of the envy, too.

So this is where SR comes in. Pick out of a hat any opportunity, entertainment, vice, evil, racial-gang, urban structure, heart-string story or corporate stereotype you want and you will find it in Toronto. In 119 languages. Any shadowrun you can do in Seattle in 2070, or LA (Except for the Deep Lacuna), or New York, you can do in Toronto.

And because there is precious little fluff (which I completely understand is a negative for the OP), you can make it up as you go.

Having said all that, I'm having a great time playing a Free Spirit in LA. The opportunities for screwing with the metahumans are innumerable. Including my teammates.

[Brazilian_Shinob...]

Brazil is a big place, and I don't know if people from the other states like to talk bad about São Paulo ou Rio de Janeiro.
I can tell you for sure, though, that people from the Northeast region (where i live), like to talk bad about paulistas (the people from São Paulo), mostly because they talk bad about us.
The closes thing I can see about Canadians and Toronto is how we like to make fun of argentinans and portuguese.

[Fatum]

Are there any good SR novels set in HK?

First ask yourself a question: are there any good SR novels at all? Thus, the answer to both questions becomes apparent.

I don't think Americans have a city of their own they love to hate the way Canadians do Toronto. I wonder if this is a uniquely Canadian thing. Do Brazilians hate, I don't know, Sao Paulo? I'll get to SR stuff again in a moment, but just one more digression.

Russia absolutely hates Moscow and Muscovites. We're supposed to be getting a sweeter deal in life - no work, all play, money for nothing and chicks for free.

[pbangarth]

Sounds like a universal thing, then.

[CanRay]

In another part, the label comes because Toronto does wield economic and political power in Canada, and others are jealous.

No, it's more like Toronto wields it the same way Neil the Ork Barbarian wields his axe, and makes sure that he gets his way no matter what happens to the rest of everyone, period.

After getting stomped on by Toronto just because you can be stomped on a few times... It's not so much jealousy as it is... Well... Irritation? Outrage? Annoyance?

[CanRay]

First ask yourself a question: are there any good SR novels at all? Thus, the answer to both questions becomes apparent.

Nigel Findley's stuff.

2XS, Shadowplay, Lone Wolf, House of the Sun...