IPB

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

14 Pages V   1 2 3 > »   
Reply to this topicStart new topic
CloneAdam
post May 22 2005, 12:39 AM
Post #1


Target
*

Group: Members
Posts: 42
Joined: 26-February 02
Member No.: 1,356



Hey hey,

Loose Alliances is currently in the printing/shipping process, and should be in stores late this month.

A pre-release version is currently available at the two ebook venues that offer our products:

* Loose Alliances at BattleCorps
* Loose Alliances at DriveThruRPG

If you haven't checked it out yet, you can read a 16 page preview of the book here.

Loose Alliances

Product ID: 25006 | Print Price: 24.99 | Pages: 164
Authors: Elissa Carey, Dan Grendel, Robyn King-Nitschke, Christian Lonsing, and others
Cover Artist: Marc Sasso

Corps don't give a drek about the runners they hire. That's why they call us expendable assets. And forget working for the Mob or the Yakuza -- once you're in, you're part of their family for the rest of your life. Lucky for us, there are swarms of other factions looking to claim their piece of sprawl -- and who are willing to bypass the law to do it. Policlubs, magic groups, religious factions, black marketeers -- and those are just the ones on my block. Hooking up with an organization has its advantages -- resources, steady employment, backup -- but pick the wrong group to run with and you'll regret it when they kick you to the curb. So what's it going to be chummer? You can't roll solo forever."

Loose Alliances is a sourcebook for organizations and third party groups that operate by their own set of rules in the Shadowrun world. From political factions and religious groups to relic hunters and Tamanous organleggers, it provides a wealth of information on the more obscure parties in the shadows and the benefits and drawbacks that comes with them.



Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Guest_Crimsondude 2.0_*
post May 22 2005, 04:29 AM
Post #2





Guests






The UN has a military now. That's hilarious. So is, "The UN prefers efficiency..." (63). Made my day. So did the reference to UNATCO, and JC Denton, and how familiar it will probably seem to many readers.

The tone of the Neo-Communism subchapter is infuriatingly annoying though.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Trax
post May 22 2005, 05:03 AM
Post #3


Moving Target
**

Group: Members
Posts: 470
Joined: 2-January 05
From: Quebec
Member No.: 6,924



What the...UNATCO and JC Denton is in there?
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Guest_Crimsondude 2.0_*
post May 22 2005, 05:17 AM
Post #4





Guests






Yes.

UNATCO is a component of the UN. There is a shadowposter with the nick "JC Denton" talking about taking shadowrunning jobs for the UN using diplomatic cover as part of a megacorporate observer team.

BTW, Dunk was the President, not the President-Elect. Kind of annoying.

I'm also curious as to, oh, I don't know, what's going down in North America.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Zen Shooter01
post May 22 2005, 07:40 AM
Post #5


Moving Target
**

Group: Members
Posts: 932
Joined: 26-February 02
From: Orlando, Florida
Member No.: 1,042



A very cool book, at first look. A very intelligent book, too, handling its complicated political and social material with elegance and without treating the reader like a semiliterate - hooray for SR, aiming at something higher than the lowest common denominator!

This raises my hopes for 4th edition.

I've got mixed feelings about PDF. I get the book two weeks sooner and eight bucks cheaper, no trees had to die...but what about my local retailer? (I know...I'll go and buy eight bucks worth of comics tomorrow.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
JongWK
post May 22 2005, 07:44 AM
Post #6


Shooting Target
****

Group: Validating
Posts: 1,618
Joined: 29-January 03
From: Montevideo, Uruguay.
Member No.: 3,992



QUOTE (Crimsondude 2.0)
The tone of the Neo-Communism subchapter is infuriatingly annoying though.

Oh, come on. Ted's so kewl and lovable! :rotfl:
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Guest_Crimsondude 2.0_*
post May 22 2005, 08:00 AM
Post #7





Guests






My annoyance is beyond the capacity for sarcasm.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
JongWK
post May 22 2005, 09:07 AM
Post #8


Shooting Target
****

Group: Validating
Posts: 1,618
Joined: 29-January 03
From: Montevideo, Uruguay.
Member No.: 3,992



Heh, ok.

Will you post a review later on?
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Synner
post May 22 2005, 10:41 AM
Post #9


Runner
******

Group: Members
Posts: 3,314
Joined: 26-February 02
From: Lisbon, Cidade do Pecado
Member No.: 185



QUOTE (Zen Shooter01 @ May 22 2005, 07:40 AM)
A very cool book, at first look. A very intelligent book, too, handling its complicated political and social material with elegance and without treating the reader like a semiliterate  - hooray for SR, aiming at something higher than the lowest common denominator!

For what its worth, Loose Alliances has become one of my favorite SR books ever, because of the way it does address some pretty deep issues from environmentalism and religious fundamentalism through to fascism and communism without ever getting bogged down or preachy. It also represents the first time I've seen something like this addressed in a roleplaying game with this depth and relevance. The 3-dimensional Islamic material in particular, despite its SR slant, might prove an eye-openner for some used to a much more 2-dimensional portrayal - of course we're probably getting into trouble with some for crossing the line again on religion.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Starglyte
post May 22 2005, 01:26 PM
Post #10


Moving Target
**

Group: Members
Posts: 144
Joined: 11-April 05
From: San Antonio, USA
Member No.: 7,317



QUOTE (Crimsondude 2.0)
The tone of the Neo-Communism subchapter is infuriatingly annoying though.

How so? I don't have the book yet, but I was looking forward to seeing how they
did the Neo-Communist.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Critias
post May 22 2005, 02:09 PM
Post #11


Freelance Elf
*********

Group: Dumpshocked
Posts: 7,324
Joined: 30-September 04
From: Texas
Member No.: 6,714



QUOTE (Starglyte)
QUOTE (Crimsondude 2.0 @ May 21 2005, 11:29 PM)
The tone of the Neo-Communism subchapter is infuriatingly annoying though.

How so? I don't have the book yet, but I was looking forward to seeing how they
did the Neo-Communist.

They "did" it from the point of view of an ADHD suffering 12 year old riding a sugar high, apparently.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
FlakJacket
post May 22 2005, 02:12 PM
Post #12


King of the Hobos
*****

Group: Dumpshocked
Posts: 2,117
Joined: 26-February 02
Member No.: 127



QUOTE (Starglyte)
How so? I don't have the book yet, but I was looking forward to seeing how they did the Neo-Communist.

It's written from the point of view of an otaku kid that likes to refer to themself in the third person. Personally I found it rather amusing, but then humour is a rather subjective thing. :)
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Snoof
post May 22 2005, 02:37 PM
Post #13


Target
*

Group: Members
Posts: 17
Joined: 17-January 05
Member No.: 6,993



QUOTE (FlakJacket)
QUOTE (Starglyte @ May 22 2005, 01:26 PM)
How so? I don't have the book yet, but I was looking forward to seeing how they did the Neo-Communist.

It's written from the point of view of an otaku kid that likes to refer to themself in the third person. Personally I found it rather amusing, but then humour is a rather subjective thing. :)

Radical Edward, anyone?

Snoof
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
mfb
post May 22 2005, 05:37 PM
Post #14


Immortal Elf
**********

Group: Members
Posts: 11,410
Joined: 1-October 03
From: Pittsburgh
Member No.: 5,670



ed's not capable of maintaining interest in a single subject for that long. ein would have had to compose it from ed's scrambled notes.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Guest_Crimsondude 2.0_*
post May 22 2005, 07:48 PM
Post #15





Guests






QUOTE (JongWK @ May 22 2005, 03:07 AM)
Heh, ok.

Will you post a review later on?

Like I said before, maybe, but SL will get it first. I just finished the book last night.

And the quickie review I did yesterday afternoon of the first two chapters... You don't want to see that.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Guest_Crimsondude 2.0_*
post May 22 2005, 09:48 PM
Post #16





Guests






This, you have to see. These are the first two sentences of the Neo-Communism subchapter after Cap's intro.
QUOTE (LA @ 25)
Hey, all you runners!!! Ted is going to beam you all you need to know about the spoooky neo-commies out there. So much to do, so little time--hang on tiiight!

I don't like paying good money, especially $22 for a PDF, to have to read a bad ripoff of Ed from Cowboy Bebop, which is exactly who Ted is.

This isn't funny. It's pathetic.

You want my review on SL from yesterday? Here it is
QUOTE
I've finished the first chapter and a half of LA on the political groups in T6W and the idle rich and their toys (i.e., the UN, Aegis Cognito) as well as the section on tresaure hunters.

First off, this book is damned European. I guess you could probably guess as much just by looking at the writing credits. However, it's especially annoying--No, let me rephrase that-- It's annoying as fuck that these fringe policlubbers and their assorted types are described without regard in any way to any of the more uniquely American political activist groups. Maybe it's because this books supposed to be for possible clients, and not opfor or targets, but I think it's bullshit that all runners are left-wingers like this book portrays. I can't believe there's not one goddamn Republican shadowrunner in Seattle (well... in the UCAS). But we get no think-tanks, religious organizations and advocacy groups, legal or single-issue organizations of a considerable size larger than some organizations in the book (yeah, like the NRA's going to vanish between now and 2064).

But hey, now we know there is a paramilitary special operations group of Anarchist runners called Black Star, so it's all good, right?

BTW, the section on the Neo-Communists is painful to read. it's supposed to be written by a 12 year-old Otaku (Strike 1/2), who is somewhat interested in politics but not actually because she blows off even a superficial overview of the types of communism, plus she actually writes like an overly-caffeinated and sugar-fed 12 year-old boy. It has its moments, and it sets up some information about what's coming up in SoA and SoLA (describing some of the countries which are communist, "fascist" or "other).

The UN subchapter is interesting. I stopped buying it when there was a line about how the UN preferred efficiency. I almost started laughing. Apparently the UN now has it's own military of about 30,000 from mostly Awakened "Green" countries like Amazonia. Oh, and Jerusalem has been "settled" in what seems like the same way as Clancy did it in The Sum of All Fears, overseen by an Ecumenical Council and secured by UN peacekeepers and out of any country's jurisdiction. Aegis is a little hard to believe due to how they work for everyone AND spy on everyone (because you know there has to be overlap). There is also a section on the network of Euro-aristocracy which is interesting in that there are even more people with a little power and their own internicine conflicts and agendas.

The treasure seekers are great. We get the Atlantean Foundation; Apep, which is run by amongst others, a Swiss law firm that represents vampires and was counsel for the German UB; DIMR; independents like a 16 year-old Indian (dot, not feather) treasure hunter who has special magical gifts even though she's not even an Initiate. I think they're trying to telegraph something about SR4 magic. Or I'm paranoid. Oh, and remember Thais? Aina's half-Horror son from Worlds Without End. He's in there, and no one really seems to mind that much that they've dealt with some half-snake thing. Anyway, more to come.


This came later when I finished the Vigilia Evagelica subchapter
QUOTE
Wait, it gets better. Apparently there are shadowy elements in the Catholic Church fighting Chulthu worshippers or something.

The Verjigorm worshippers or something, perhaps, because we really needed a shadow war between the RCC and the Horror followers.

This book is, without a doubt in my mind, the most derivative and unoriginal SR book ever published.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
hermit
post May 22 2005, 10:17 PM
Post #17


The King In Yellow
*********

Group: Dumpshocked
Posts: 6,922
Joined: 26-February 05
From: JWD
Member No.: 7,121



QUOTE
First off, this book is damned European.

Okay, I got LA marked for immediate purchase.

QUOTE
Maybe it's because this books supposed to be for possible clients, and not opfor or targets, but I think it's bullshit that all runners are left-wingers like this book portrays.Maybe it's because this books supposed to be for possible clients, and not opfor or targets, but I think it's bullshit that all runners are left-wingers like this book portrays. I can't believe there's not one goddamn Republican shadowrunner in Seattle (well... in the UCAS). But we get no think-tanks, religious organizations and advocacy groups, legal or single-issue organizations of a considerable size larger than some organizations in the book (yeah, like the NRA's going to vanish between now and 2064).

And maybe they actually wanted to avoid being drawn into the dirty, filthy business that is US interior politics.

Besides, I always just assumed there still is an NRA in my gaming group. Comes in pretty handy when you try to locate arms fixers in UCAS towns (unless you happen to be meta, japanese or black). These people are fun to deal with both from a GM and a player perspective. I also play a militiaman sammy who is decidedly what you could call a right-wing republican (basically, part Al Bundee, part pre-politics Bush and part that guy from 'Falling Down').

QUOTE
I stopped buying it when there was a line about how the UN preferred efficiency. I almost started laughing

Wow. Talk about knee-jerk reflexes.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Guest_Crimsondude 2.0_*
post May 22 2005, 10:20 PM
Post #18





Guests






Yeah, well studying the UN for six months back in HS for Academic Decathlon didn't exactly leave me with a great deal of admiration in the first place.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
hermit
post May 22 2005, 10:28 PM
Post #19


The King In Yellow
*********

Group: Dumpshocked
Posts: 6,922
Joined: 26-February 05
From: JWD
Member No.: 7,121



1. Just because it prefers efficiency doesn't mean it is efficient. GM or DaimlerChrysler would prefer to build quality cars, too, for instance; doesn't make their cars any more high quality.

2. Just because it is inefficient today, doesn't mean it, as an organisation, wouldn't prefer more efficiency. All it'd really need is a good kick in the arse, and for all I know from SR lore, the corps made sure it got it's kicking. And the greenie states donating troops to the UN isn't so far off. If more would do it, the scandinavians and Germany (under a leftie government) would propably do that.

3. US High school is hardly the place to look for accurate information on anything remotely related to politics or the world outside US borders.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Guest_Crimsondude 2.0_*
post May 22 2005, 10:29 PM
Post #20





Guests






Great. I'm not about to debate the UN or American HS education (nice trolling, though) here, and so as far as I'm concerned this conversation is over.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Synner
post May 22 2005, 10:48 PM
Post #21


Runner
******

Group: Members
Posts: 3,314
Joined: 26-February 02
From: Lisbon, Cidade do Pecado
Member No.: 185



Aegis (and Infolio and CIS and Argus previously featured in SoTA64) doesn't work for everyone they were for the select few who don't have their own intelligence resources but have the money to afford to outsource them. Whether you "buy it" or not it is in fact based on a a couple of existing companies that do much the same business today (one American and one French).
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
FrostyNSO
post May 23 2005, 12:16 AM
Post #22


Resident Legionnaire
*****

Group: Dumpshocked
Posts: 2,136
Joined: 8-August 04
From: Usually Work
Member No.: 6,550



QUOTE (hermit)
Besides, I always just assumed there still is an NRA in my gaming group. Comes in pretty handy when you try to locate arms fixers in UCAS towns (unless you happen to be meta, japanese or black). These people are fun to deal with both from a GM and a player perspective. I also play a militiaman sammy who is decidedly what you could call a right-wing republican (basically, part Al Bundee, part pre-politics Bush and part that guy from 'Falling Down').


What the hell? So everyone who's in the NRA doesn't like metas, japanese or blacks?

QUOTE (Synner)
Aegis (and Infolio and CIS and Argus previously featured in SoTA64) doesn't work for everyone they were for the select few who don't have their own intelligence resources but have the money to afford to outsource them. Whether you "buy it" or not it is in fact based on a a couple of existing companies that do much the same business today (one American and one French).


I don't know how much you looked into these companies, but their intel is often suspect at best. Not to mention, some intelligence is a lot more useful when you can be sure you're the only one who knows it. These companies should be used more for "fact-checking" leads you already have. They could never hold a candle to the CIA or any comparable intelligence service.

Also, is there any reference to the Foreign Legion in the U.N. chapter? IRL the Foreign Legion is the UN's dirty workhorse. Still, I find the idea of the U.N. troops and their "greenie" contributors to be somewhat floofy. Could the UN accomplish anything without the United States (or UCAS) providing the lion's share of military contribution?
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Zen Shooter01
post May 23 2005, 12:47 AM
Post #23


Moving Target
**

Group: Members
Posts: 932
Joined: 26-February 02
From: Orlando, Florida
Member No.: 1,042



Crimsondude:

It's the 6th World, not the 6th North America. And you may have heard that FanPro has their headquarters in Germany. You may also have noticed that a lot of Dumpshockers, representing SR players as a whole, are from places like France and the UK.

The information on the factions in 6th World Islam applies also, one might suppose, to the millions of Muslims in North America.

Likewise for the information on global Catholicism.

Likewise for the politics of metahuman rights.

There are also women in North America, so we can suppose that women's rights groups probably have a toehold there.

The information on fascism and antifascism specifically mentions Tir Tairngire, Aztlan, CAS right-wingers, and the Illuminates of the New Dawn.

And it's a little ridiculous to rant so venomously about just one section in the book, just because you don't like the tone.

Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Starglyte
post May 23 2005, 12:59 AM
Post #24


Moving Target
**

Group: Members
Posts: 144
Joined: 11-April 05
From: San Antonio, USA
Member No.: 7,317



Thanks for giving me your opinion on the Neo-Communist section Crimsondude.
That was the part of the book I was looking forward to the most. Any ties mentioned to the People's University in San Franisco?
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Guest_Crimsondude 2.0_*
post May 23 2005, 01:40 AM
Post #25





Guests






QUOTE (Synner @ May 22 2005, 04:48 PM)
Aegis (and Infolio and CIS and Argus previously featured in SoTA64) doesn't work for everyone they were for the select few who don't have their own intelligence resources but have the money to afford to outsource them. Whether you "buy it" or not it is in fact based on a a couple of existing companies that do much the same business today (one American and one French).

Yes, and yet they don't include a noncompetition clause in their standard contracts.

QUOTE (Starglyte)
Thanks for giving me your opinion on the Neo-Communist section Crimsondude.
That was the part of the book I was looking forward to the most. Any ties mentioned to the People's University in San Franisco?

No

QUOTE (FrostyNSO)
Also, is there any reference to the Foreign Legion in the U.N. chapter?

No
QUOTE

Could the UN accomplish anything without the United States (or UCAS) providing the lion's share of military contribution?

Apparently so. I was half-surprised the UCAS was a Permanent Member of the Security Council

Oh, and I haven't even gotten to the Islamic groups. What annoys me is that there is no real reference to any effect on the Western Hemisphere. I find this especially interesting since the largest Persian community in the world outside of Iran is in Los Angeles, and that there are several cities (namely, Detroit) with large Iraqi and Arab communities, or their influence (monetary or otherwise) should still be felt in NA. But what do we get? The hang out of some IUM members in Seattle. Wow.

Now, perhaps this is just initial disappointment of expecting the same quality as SOTA64, which rocked my socks, but it's just not there. And maybe when I do a full review of the book things will be more clear and less tinged with that disappointment.

There's so much potential ...
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post

14 Pages V   1 2 3 > » 
Reply to this topicStart new topic

 

RSS Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 26th July 2025 - 07:22 PM

Topps, Inc has sole ownership of the names, logo, artwork, marks, photographs, sounds, audio, video and/or any proprietary material used in connection with the game Shadowrun. Topps, Inc has granted permission to the Dumpshock Forums to use such names, logos, artwork, marks and/or any proprietary materials for promotional and informational purposes on its website but does not endorse, and is not affiliated with the Dumpshock Forums in any official capacity whatsoever.