 Creative run environments, Not just another office building |
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 Oct 4 2003, 08:50 PM
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#1
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Shooting Target  Group: Members Posts: 1,677 Joined: 5-June 03 Member No.: 4,689  |
Warehouses. Offices. Safes. Standard security systems. All business as usual for the conclusion of the run, for the runners finally tracking down that item/person/useful blackmail photo.
Been there, ran that. Try an interesting twist on the office-building-as-usual: A trid station. Sound and trideo and splicing and sound stages. Electronics and computer systems and teleprompters and displays and racks of wall monitors. Track and spot lighting. Sound baffle curtains and soundproof rooms. (Lots of shooting and screaming, all fully visible through the glass front wall ... but with the sound "turned off".) Weather radar somewhere in the background. Lots and lots of trippable cables, everywhere. The live trideo soap opera going on - during the run: perhaps even in the middle of the run, when the runners stumble onto the set through the prop door. And of course, large stand cameras and portacams and microphones everywhere ... most of them with camerapersons, many of them on Matrix-independent systems. What interesting and different environments, indoors and out, have you come up with or would you like to try running through in your games? |
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Oct 4 2003, 08:53 PM
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#2
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 142 Joined: 29-November 02 Member No.: 3,660 |
We used a yaht once that was mored in Seatac harbor .
A preaty Hi powered muckity muck was being held against is will on the yaht so the team needed to get up there and get the job done . |
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Oct 4 2003, 09:05 PM
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#3
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,011 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
Trid station is fun. So is radio station. Matrix service provider or other data storage/processing facility can be neat. Shopping mall during business hours is fun sometimes, as is university/college campus (I've had a few meets go down in library conference rooms). Museum, always interesting. Public transportation.
There are lots of possibilities. ~J |
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Oct 4 2003, 09:22 PM
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#4
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King of the Hobos Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,117 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 127 |
Got hired to hit a freighter in the middle of the ocean and take it over one time. Take down the crew - either permanently or temporarily - then sail to a certain set of coordinates, offload the cargo to another ship and split.
My GM at the time had somehow managed to basically track down pretty extensive floor plans for a genera; freighter so we had a real good time playing commandos running round the place. :) |
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Oct 4 2003, 09:22 PM
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#5
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 344 Joined: 28-July 03 Member No.: 5,133 |
Head for the Barrens, oh the joy, oh the adventure ;)
Puyallup has some volcanic flats, mud fields and steam geysers, along with a few abandoned power plants. Redmond has several interesting locations, the most entertaining I believe is tent city, which is, for all intents and purposes, a jungle. There's tons to see in Seattle =) Sunday. |
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Oct 4 2003, 10:51 PM
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#6
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,428 Joined: 9-June 02 Member No.: 2,860 |
Well... There was the Halloween Special where they had a plain vanilla run, a run so completely smooth and quick the players were deeply worried. After that generic, quick run on generic city streets someplace in Asia, they crashed on a Pacific Island on the way home. The Pacific Island, with long-abandoned USAF airbase, was the site of a battle against "zombies" (flesh form insect spirits, the natives). Rather unusual setting - none of the usual mega-firepower gear was available, so they had to make do with M16s and leftover jet fuel. Then there was the Halloween Special set in the Metaplane that was a cross between Beteljeuse (sp), a Nightmare Before Christmas, and Monkeybone. I'm rather proud of that one, very unusual setting. The runners had to chase down a kid that had run off into the plane. |
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Oct 5 2003, 11:26 AM
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#7
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 777 Joined: 18-February 03 Member No.: 4,110 |
Meta-plane? Whassat? Where all your runners magically active? |
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Oct 5 2003, 01:36 PM
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#8
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Technomancer Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,638 Joined: 2-October 02 From: Champaign, IL Member No.: 3,374 |
Let's see ... stadiums, concerts, moving vehicles, hospitals, movie theaters ..... the last two haven't happened yet and the first might happen tonight, but I always try to put the players into a situation when they might be seen by the public. Tends to make them think twice about taking their high-power weapons ;)
Not exactly creative, but also not exactly the norm .... -- Dash -- |
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Oct 5 2003, 02:12 PM
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#9
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,428 Joined: 9-June 02 Member No.: 2,860 |
If you want to use such a plane for a whole group in a canon fashion, I recommend the "astral gateway" power of free spirits, which can let mundanes into astral space. If such a gateway won't let you into a metaplane, invoke artistic license. Which is what I did. I liked the concept so much, I just let all the runners in. Besides, it increased the players' freakiness. "Wait...are we in a metaplane?" "Dude, my samurai's got the essence of a toaster oven. He can't go astral. Can he?" "Did some free spirit gate us in?" "I didn't see a spirit, I just saw [the target] run through a mirror..." And if that's all too non-canon for you, don't use it. It was a bit out on the limb. |
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Oct 5 2003, 03:51 PM
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#10
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Target Group: Members Posts: 28 Joined: 2-July 03 Member No.: 4,844 |
Try a cave system( a massive one) like mamoth caves. Have all of the com gear go down too. Make the runners lost, seperated and scared of every little sound
This works best if they are hunting a real stealthy Npc/vampire/paracritter I like the vampire part the best Ohh yeah the would hear eachothers footsteps echoing all around them. |
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Oct 6 2003, 12:53 AM
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#11
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 348 Joined: 20-June 03 Member No.: 4,782 |
A run at a zoo can become very fun. Ohh the possibilities. What creatures will you encounter in a zoo?!
Museums can be fun because the hallways are usually designed to make it interesting. Hallways at museums can sometimes turn into labyrinths. The characters could get lost in an artificial cave and suddenly find themselves in the middle of an egyption tomb, then walk onto a 1920's street complete with shops and model T-20's (drone controlled of course). Also lighting and sound effects could be triggered accidently during gunfights creating a hilarious atmosphere. Amusement parks are quite amusing. Set up a Mr. Johnson ambush deep inside the park. Have his muscle dressed in big fluffy colorful cartoon suits. Basically, any cultural icon that the players can relate to and most likely enjoy shooting. GM: "Look out! Barney just pulled out an SMG and aims it at you!" Movies to watch with gunfights and such in these particular places: Zoo - Bird on a Wire Museum - The Relic Amusement Park - Beverly Hills Cop 3 |
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Oct 6 2003, 01:05 AM
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#12
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King of the Hobos Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,117 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 127 |
Art galleries are fun, especially for the gratuitous destruction. Gets even more tricky if you're hired to retrieve a package from someone currently touring the museum with bodyguards, who doesn't want to give it up, and the Johnson has specified absolutely no damage to the exhibits - at least from you're side and to minimize any from the others at all costs.
What with the world of the 2060's, I figure that major city art galleries will be like freakin' fortresses. Double reinforced everything, all the scanners you can think of with levels up the yazoo on the doors, gas traps and heavily armoured security squads if anything happens. PC's of mine have spent many a pleasant hour wandering around some of Seattle's finer museums and art galleries talking shop with various Johnsons. Got to the point where Novatech always sent along this one guy that also had an interest so they could pause the shop talk and just enjoy the place every so often. Fine clothing, very decorous, all very polite. Edit: Damn, and that's what you get for only skim-reading at best the other posts. :) |
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Oct 6 2003, 01:10 AM
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#13
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 348 Joined: 20-June 03 Member No.: 4,782 |
Another fun idea. An aquarium simular to the one in Chicago. Entire walls with thick glass holding back millions of gallons of water. Watch where you aim that thing.
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Oct 6 2003, 01:25 AM
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#14
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King of the Hobos Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,117 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 127 |
But it better have vampire penguins, killer whales and a mad marine biologist. Oh and make that you run it at night with minimal firepower so they have to improvise.
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Oct 6 2003, 01:30 AM
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#15
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,065 Joined: 16-January 03 From: Fayetteville, NC Member No.: 3,916 |
"Eraser" with governor hopeful Mr. Schwartzeneggar has a gun battle with some massive alligators.
Definitely food for thought. -Siege |
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Oct 6 2003, 02:12 AM
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#16
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,011 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
The Louvre would be good. Juxtaposition between the basement portions, the newer areas, and the original building...
~J |
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Oct 6 2003, 02:38 AM
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#17
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,065 Joined: 16-January 03 From: Fayetteville, NC Member No.: 3,916 |
This is true -- and a word of warning if you've never been: make sure your shoes are comfortable and broken in.
I do speak from experience. Ouch. -Siege |
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Oct 6 2003, 03:14 AM
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#18
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Target Group: Members Posts: 58 Joined: 4-September 03 Member No.: 5,581 |
Ever considered a Film Noir-esque Astral Quest?
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Oct 6 2003, 03:47 AM
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#19
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,011 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
Siege is very, very right.
~J |
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Oct 6 2003, 04:37 AM
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#20
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,685 Joined: 17-August 02 Member No.: 3,123 |
I've used an abandoned missile silo (with all the old crap left as is, so everything was dusty, dank, and cool), an old saw mill, a humongous crackhouse, and a car dealership. That's as exotic as I can think of right now.
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Oct 6 2003, 08:48 AM
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#21
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Target Group: Members Posts: 8 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Amsterdam, the Netherlands Member No.: 765 |
What about an oil refinery, a cruise ship or inside a human body?
I've always been fan of famous locations that exist this very day, and give it a little twist. |
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Oct 6 2003, 09:06 AM
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#22
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 119 Joined: 15-February 03 From: Europe, Finland, Turku & Åbo Member No.: 4,101 |
geting your hands on a genue palns is not that hard. just ask them from manufacturer or ask a scetch copy from them. i just love the E-mail. ~ most exotic what i have played was desert strike against termite spirit hives middle of desert. it was only me and my buddy and we got no gear for the job, simple recon mission that turned to LOT more. |
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Oct 6 2003, 02:24 PM
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#23
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,428 Joined: 9-June 02 Member No.: 2,860 |
I've found floor plans for those online...they're on sale sometimes, and converted to homes or school. Some people bought themselves a nuclear-proof fortress for $1.00 at the right gov't auctions. What fascinating potential adventure material, too. Go to the Lone Eagle silos where the world was held hostage for a few days at the request of some kids of one of the Delta Force members who stormed the silo and killed the activists in it. Find a skeleton of a DF soldier abandoned in the silo, with a couple of bullet holes in the back of his head. Find recordings on his commgear (just needs new batteries) where he's complaining that his commanders deliberately turned down chances to destroy any fired missiles as they emerged from the silo...almost as if someone in the US gov't was determined to let the missiles be fired. Simple conspiracies to be explored: *Was someone in the US gov't engineering an excuse to villify Native Americans? *Was someone trying to engineer a situation where the current President looked bad (remember the recordings of the President alternating praying and weeping when the missile was fired?) Complicated conspiracy to be explored: *Was some ancient Machiavellian (sp) schemer trying to engineer the persecution of the Native Americans, the follow-up Great Ghost Dance and breakup of the US? Mystery and Violence clarified by the selected conspiracy: *Why the launched missile didn't detonate (it was a dud, perhaps with a damaged heat shield, which would explain the fallout from the missile despite the lack of radiation - the warhead burned up and scattered its fissile material across Russia) *Why all the activists holding the missile silo were killed during the Delta Force assault (dead men tell no tales) And the question for the runners: Okay, you found this information. WTF do you do with it? (My answer: sell it to a tabloid for 10K :nuyen: ) |
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Oct 6 2003, 05:09 PM
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#24
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King of the Hobos Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,117 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 127 |
Train freight yards can be good. Lots of movement, noise and cover which can make for an interesting game.
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Oct 6 2003, 07:22 PM
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#25
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,685 Joined: 17-August 02 Member No.: 3,123 |
Yup, those are exactly what I used for the adventure. Where was that site again, missilesilos.com? I used it as a hideout for a powerful, insane, and weird initiatory group. They were creating zombie mutants and stuff in tanks in between all the reel-to-reel tape machines and 1950's computer consoles. It was an extremely cool setting. |
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