Let's Get Gritty, Low Power Chicago, Survival is Harder than you Think Options

[Belvidere]

So all those interested, I am looking to kick up a game based out of all of our favorite wasteland. Good ol' Chicago. This thread is just an interest check, but the basis for the game would be Chicago, 2072. Most likely 300BP.

So who's up for some fun?

You can find the official OoC thread here

[Seth]

Low power in Chicago sound great, although not very healthy!

I don't know much about Chicago, except that the bugs came / got nuked / noone messes with it. I read the original bug city but that was years ago.

I'm playing with a few ideas about characters. Is this going to be "survive in Chicago", "Escape from Chicago", "Bug hunting in Chicago" or "Missions in Chicago"?

Thanks

[BlackHat]

Same question. From what I remember about SR3 Chicago, it was basically a wasteland. Bugs invaded, Nukes were detonated. Problems got worse, and the powers-that-be decided it was better/easier to just wall it off (with people still inside) and declare the whole city a quarantined area. Runners crossed the border from time to time, but the SR3 games I played in that setting reminded me more of Fallout or some survival horror movie than Shadowrun (which in those cases, was a good thing). I'd be curious to know (if you have even made up your mind, yet) if you had a particular plan for the campaign, like those Seth suggested.

300 BP, for example, is pretty low for Runners trying to smuggle themselves past the quarantine zone, but is probably about right for people who were walled in (who have grown up in the city for the last 20 years). Also, I have no idea if they've written anything up on what has happened to the place in the years since 2055, but I'd be interested in it if you know of any. In theory, in two decades SOMETHING has changed. The advent of the wireless Matrix would at least have created an option for communication past the quarantine zone.

<Summary>Interested</Summary>

[Belvidere]

You're both right in that alot has happened in twenty years in Chicago. If you can get your hands on Feral Cities, its describes all that has gone down in Chicago thus far. I'll go into detail later tonight, but as for right now I am at work. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif) But I'm probably looking to run around a 350BP, or maybe a 600 Karma gen. Depending on how players would prefer to make their characters.

The things that will make it much more "low power" game is that I want characters to be well balanced. Not jo shmoe. But the sammy should be able to talk to someone, and the hacker should be able to squeeze a trigger. And gear will be heavily restricted.. for obvious reasons.

[BlackHat]

I do have feral cities, although I haven't spent a lot of time in it. I guess I never noticed that it had Chicago info.

I imagine a lot of players will prefer Karmagen (since if you're going for well-rounded, you end up better off). And if you're going for well-rounded characters, you might as well. I think there are some unofficial karmagen errata floating around on the boards somewhere, if you're interested.

[Seth]

I'll go with what other people want to go with. I can see I'll need to buy Feral Cities. And Attitude. And Paranormal Critters. And Runners Toolkit. This will be a bad week for my wallet

[Jimson]

I might be interested. Its been awhile since I played in something. I did participate in one Chicago PbP, but it died right before our first encounter. I've never built a PC by karamagen, but I do have Runner's Companion so I should be able to figure it out.

[mister__joshua]

This sounds amazing. I've actually read the feral cities piece on Chicago from start to finish. I couldn't stop reading it! I loved the setting. Made me think of fallout, which I'm also addicted to, and I immediately wanted to set my proper pnprpg missions there. I never did after protests from our groups technomancer. I'd really love to be on this though. Call me a definite (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[sabs]

My 1 problem with the setting is that 1 hacker with a signal 7 commlink breaks the entire setup they have for the 'fake matrix' and the 'no access to the matrix.'

Especially if you include the signal 8/9/10 crap from War!

[BlackHat]

Especially if you include the signal 8/9/10 crap from War!

I think runners with access to availability 24+ signal equipment can probably handle connecting to the matrix despite there being no nearby infrastructure. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Actually, all it takes is a cheap satellite link to connect to basically whatever you want, right?

The idea of Chicago being cut off from the rest of the world made more sense in SR3, but I imagine it is now more a matter of available materials/equipment. When Seattle was being given its shiny new "emerald city" AR makeover, Chicago got nothin. There aren't wireless devices every few feet networking together, etc. Mechanically, a hacker who comes prepared can probably get online, but a hacker who has to cobble together a makeshift radio from junk left over from the 50s would probably have a hard time getting a signal that would reach out of the downtown area.

[Seth]

Don't forget that devices act as network nodes as well. So every piece of wireless equipment spreads the network.

I don't know how important the matrix is in Chicago, but if you look at Africa today with a pringles tin you can send a wifi signal over 30 miles. With a few bits of kit and tall building you can send signals 100 miles or more.

I haven't read Feral Cities yet, so I'll hold of any further matrix comments. For all I know they have it all fully handled in there

[sabs]

But see, he doesn't have to get out of the downtown area.

His signal only has to reach to the next person. Signal 3 gives you a mutual range of 400m. So as long as other people within 400 M of you have a commlink, your signal travels.

Signal 6 goes 10km
Signal 7 goes 40km (40km is the distance to Lansing, which is btw, in UCAS proper, and on the Matrix™.

All you need is 1 Signal 7 just south of downtown, and 1 north of downtown, and voila you basically have full signal access, while those nodes are up. Because matrix traffic takes up no bandwith, causes no issues, and seemlessly gets routed. If some poor sucker opens up a Sat Uplink in Downtown Chicago, that's even better.
Signal 4 is 1km, which gives you plenty of room to spread out. It would not be hard, or that expensive to setup an ad-hoc system to get all of Chicago on the matrix, unless something is blocking the wireless signals.

[Seth]

I'm torn between a cybered generalist and a mystic adept (also a generalist). Both of them would need equipment. What sort of availability limits are you thinking of imposing? and if I take "restricted gear" how would affect the availability?

[Fyndhal]

If there's space, I'd be interested. Probably an Adept or Mage of some sort.

[Belvidere]

Gear Restrictions, will probably run as follows, though it is subject to change. Right now this thread is just and interest check, which there is obviously plenty of, which I'm glad to hear.

No restrictions: 12
Restricted: 8
Forbidden: 6

[Mickle5125]

If there's still an opening, I think I can throw together a street sam.

[Edana]

I'll toss in my interest as well, though I don't have a particular archetype in mind at the moment.

[mister__joshua]

I don't really get the whole matrix argument much to be honest. Even if you have a signal high enough to get you on, what does it benefit you if no-one else has access? It's not like you're going to be hacking matrix security, there isn't the data trail or cctv so its not much use for tracking people down etc. I understand it has limitless uses, but in relation to this game specifically I don't see it.
Besides, won't it be limited also by availability.

On a separate note with regards the availability, personally I think it'd be more interesting if availability was Really limited to the point that cyberware and basic comms were rare. Make it extreme survivalist. That way, when you do get access to some ware or tasty gear its really special

[Seth]

Restricting equipment renames the game. The game becomes "magicrun". All restricting equipment does IMHO is make the cyber characters less attractive and the magic ones more attractive. The game already slightly favours magic characters (again in my opinion) but not too much. If you restrict the gear, then there is no point not playing a mage or an adept

As far as the matrix goes... I am torn. I suspect that there will be corporates running research facilities in bug town. If we want to get out (past checkpoints or stuff) we need hacking. The really good thing of course is that all the old world matrix protection will be worthless: they will not have been maintained or patched, so there will be thousands of exploits easily available for us to hack them

The other use of hacking skills etc is for drones. But again I am not clear on how easy it will be to maintain that sort of stuff.

[mister__joshua]

Restricting equipment renames the game. The game becomes "magicrun". All restricting equipment does IMHO is make the cyber characters less attractive and the magic ones more attractive. The game already slightly favours magic characters (again in my opinion) but not too much. If you restrict the gear, then there is no point not playing a mage or an adept

I kinda understand what you mean, but this is different in Chicago from what I read. This comes down to the gm in a way and how they want to play it, but I wouldn't want to be a mage in Chicago. It can be made really uncomfortable, what with the bug spirits possibly still kicking around and the virus that kills any dual natured creature. I suppose it depends how mean he wants to be, but if everyone made mages I think that's provocation to unleash the nasty (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ork.gif)

[Mickle5125]

if cyberware's not an option, my street sam's existing on longarms and combat drugs. I've got an idea for a k-10 cocktail that provides all of the benefits and none of the eternal berserker problems (IMG:style_emoticons/default/devil.gif)

[sabs]

Chicago has serious toxic background counts.
It also has roaming fog banks/clouds of magic eating stuff

A mage caught in one can burn out REALLY fast. (Losing points of magic very quickly)

Magic Beings in Chicago have to be seriously careful.

[Seth]

Yes but unless magic using being are proscribed then they are going to survive the clouds of magic eating stuff. Most of the time they won't be in them...

I won't push the argument...but if you want the low tech, low magic game with no cyber and no magic, then lets change the rule system to GURPS.

[BlackHat]

Most GURPS games I have played were very high cyber high magic. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Belvidere]

From what I've seen the game interest seems divided between wanting extreme survival vs. standard shadowrun, just on hardmode.

The ideas I'd had for the game were.

-Players are either completely new to the zone, or thats all they know.
-Cyber is restricted to just about that. If you've been here, all you're going to have is cyber. Bio and Nano just aren't in production in the Zone.
-Magic is restricted in the way where, abusing your magic is dangerous, but used when needed nothing (probably) will go wrong.

If anyone has any other ideas, I'm open.