Kenshi
Nov 29 2005, 08:31 AM
Just curious.
Is there anyone running games in locations not covered in Canon™? What cities? What countries? Basically, I'm just curious as to what other people do when they've worn out their copies of Seattle Sourcebook & New Seattle...
BishopMcQ
Nov 29 2005, 08:48 AM
Denver, Seattle and the occasional jaunt to Europe because SoE was a great book that doesn't get enough screen time.
ElFenrir
Nov 29 2005, 08:55 AM
Mod I am working on starts in Amsterdam, heads to Rotterdam and Tilburg, Netherlands. Also heads to Copenhagen, Denmark, Oslo(Norway), Helsinki and Joensuu, and maybe another random city in Finland, and possibly a couple other places(prolly Stockholm, Sweden.)
Right now I have one char running in Denver(from Finland), and one in Seattle(from Norway). I typically play European chars, and they end up in the US.
Drace
Nov 29 2005, 09:00 AM
Ive ran games in Seattle, Vancouver (can't remember the NAN that it is in right now), and Scotland/europe
Dranem
Nov 29 2005, 09:01 AM
A GM of mine once did a quick suppliment for Winnipeg, and a prison complex for the awakened creatures up in Churchill. (Big background count makes it hard for the Awakened to break out) It was sortof interesting.. I've been debating making one up for Halifax...
Fuchs
Nov 29 2005, 09:18 AM
Miami. The runners are working for the Mob in Miami, and the runs often involve the caribbean scene. I wrote my own version of the SR Miami, using travel information and other current stuff from the web, information from SR books like Cyberpirates and my own ideas. F.e. a number of clubs and restaurants detailed in it are just taken from actual clubs all over the world, and spiced up a bit.
Edit: And magic is pretty mysterious and scary due to a main part of the practicioners being houngans, with the bermuda triangle as well as the jungles of central america relatively close for added ancient threats.
Main themes are smuggling, gang/mob wars, piracy, voodoo-trouble and other magical tie-ins.
Gerald Fitzgerald
Nov 29 2005, 09:44 AM
I've always thought that New York would be an awesome place for a campaign or a set of campaigns. Wasn't it torn apart by an earthquake?
I just imagine it as super-seattle. Tons of mafia, tons of gangers. Lots of "import/export" and MUCH closer to Europe. Who knows what's coming in on the next boat?
As for the Earthquake, you could have tons of stuff living down in the hole. Insects? Toxic spirits?
IMHO, I think New York would be more fun than seattle. Of course, I'm FROM New York.
Calvin Hobbes
Nov 29 2005, 10:01 AM
Toronto. A city so covered in highways, "plate cities" and arcologies that you can go your whole life underneath a steel sky. Ghouls infest the lower levels, while the upper ones drop their trash on the poor.
Grinder
Nov 29 2005, 01:02 PM
Seattle, pre-Saito Los Angeles, Miami, Metropole and Rhein-Ruhr.
Miami was by far the coolest setting.
Critias
Nov 29 2005, 01:07 PM
We play in Seattle, but it hasn't got much in common with the official published stuff. What it does have in common is likely more by accident than design. We've got our own clubs, our own NPC-types, that sort of thing.
SL James
Nov 29 2005, 01:28 PM
Well, the canon exists, but in terms of locations it's easier to use more creative player-conceived locations which don't have any likelihood of being retconned out of existence or being blown up in a supplement.
Grinder
Nov 29 2005, 01:32 PM
That's why we chose sprawls where not much canon material existed. Seattle was our first sprawl when we had been new to the system. But one realizes quickly the advanteges of a fresh (=non-canon) setting.
PiXeL01
Nov 29 2005, 02:08 PM
I did boston-Provedence sprawl not too long ago. My US geography sucks though
Valentinew
Nov 29 2005, 03:26 PM
My GM is working on the KC sprawl....
6thDragon
Nov 29 2005, 03:29 PM
We have been playing with the idea of starting a campaign out of Philadelphia. To us it sounds like a perfect place. So close to everything: NYC, Baltimore, DC, CAS boarder, not to mention the possibilities of going rural occasionally into central PA or upstate NY. The possibilities seam endless. In Seattle, I think it should be very hard to travel with all the semi-hostile boarders.
Valentinew
Nov 29 2005, 03:36 PM
In fact, regarding KC, there is a decent Native American population in the area, including Haskell Indian College in nearby Lawrence...yet KC is well within the boundaries of the UCAS. Does anyone have any ideas about a sort of Indian Underground or even just embassies that could be put into play?
So far, we've decided that Lawrence (home of KU) was torn up quite a bit from riots during the whole Ghost War timeframe.
Backgammon
Nov 29 2005, 04:56 PM
I played in New-Orleans, New-York, Morrocco and West Africa.
Jrayjoker
Nov 29 2005, 05:05 PM
Minneapolis/Saint Paul here.
Kyoto Kid
Nov 29 2005, 05:38 PM
For the last year I have been running predominantly in Europe.
I have been relying on the old London Sourcebook (SR II), and of course SoE. Several the cities that I fleshed out more include Vienna, Liverpool, Innsbruck, Belgrade & Zagreb which are where most of the action in the last campaign took place,
For the next campaign I am working on Honolulu, the Big Island of Hawai'i, Paris (FR) Toronto/London (UCAS), Milwaukee, Sydney (Aus). Near Space, Geosynch, L Point, and two Lunar installations
The runners will defininitely earn their "Frequent Smuggler" miles on this one.
John Campbell
Nov 29 2005, 05:50 PM
Anywhere but Fucking Seattle.
My preferred setting is the Boston-Richmond sprawl. My SR world has a much higher population than canon - cyberpunk needs overcrowding, dammit! - so that really is sprawl. None of this trying to pass off a city of half a million people as "sprawl"... we're talking continuous urbanization from Massachussetts to Virginia.
Drinnik
Nov 29 2005, 06:50 PM
I'm planning a campaign based around the London sprawl and the Merseysprawl in Britain and maybe the Paris metroplex, if they go to France. Contemplating Tasmania, though obviously that isn't a sprawl.
A good Alien/Dino Crisis/Jurassic Park type adventure is just waiting to be written for that island.
SL James
Nov 29 2005, 06:53 PM
QUOTE (Grinder @ Nov 29 2005, 07:32 AM) |
That's why we chose sprawls where not much canon material existed. Seattle was our first sprawl when we had been new to the system. But one realizes quickly the advanteges of a fresh (=non-canon) setting. |
Yeah, but some of the time it allows me to make smartass reference to canon locations. Such high regards as "full of posers" (Dante's) and "overrated" (Underworld 93, Penumbra even before it's hazing in SOTA:2063) and "has-been" (Matchstick's) have been uttered not a few time.
I've also set plenty of games in the PCC (Shocking, I'm sure) and one in Washington after I visited because it seemed like the most fucked-up place I could think of to pull off a job. I also have a cross-continental run planned.
QUOTE (6thDragon) |
We have been playing with the idea of starting a campaign out of Philadelphia. To us it sounds like a perfect place. So close to everything: NYC, Baltimore, DC, CAS boarder, not to mention the possibilities of going rural occasionally into central PA or upstate NY. The possibilities seam endless. |
*notes the lack of reference to Pitt*
QUOTE (Valentinew) |
In fact, regarding KC, there is a decent Native American population in the area, including Haskell Indian College in nearby Lawrence...yet KC is well within the boundaries of the UCAS. Does anyone have any ideas about a sort of Indian Underground or even just embassies that could be put into play? |
Sure. You can base them upon Warpath or *gasp* decent, political activists instead of goddamn terrorists. Seems just as reasonable, since there's still trade and other (some outside) factors keeping the UCAS and NAN from not destroying each other.
Gerald Fitzgerald
Nov 29 2005, 09:13 PM
QUOTE (Valentinew) |
In fact, regarding KC, there is a decent Native American population in the area, including Haskell Indian College in nearby Lawrence...yet KC is well within the boundaries of the UCAS. Does anyone have any ideas about a sort of Indian Underground or even just embassies that could be put into play?
So far, we've decided that Lawrence (home of KU) was torn up quite a bit from riots during the whole Ghost War timeframe. |
There's a few hooks you could use in KC. I believe KU has some of their medical mini-campus' in KC, which in the ShadowRun world would translate to a LOT of poor college "street docs" who'd do discount (even experimental) work on the cheap.
There's an opprotunity for a casino explosion if the cities economy collapsed, bringing in the Mafia, Yaks and god-knows what other criminal organizations.
KC's a major train hub for the whole US (and UCAS why not) so, instead of the import/export at the Seatlle docks, you'd have thousands of transport trains coming and going daily.
Me and my group did a campaign in Wichita once. Might seem boringat first, but we added a lot of elements to it. The Boeing production center was closed and turned into a major international airport hub, which left the rest of the city littered with small branches of all the major corps. There wasn't anyone not working for at least one of them.
The idiodic exposed sewage system which ran across the south side of the city was a breeding ground for toxic spirits and shamans. The highway runs right above the sewer system, leanding itself to very action packed car chase scenes.
Kyoto Kid
Nov 29 2005, 09:57 PM
QUOTE (Drinnik) |
I'm planning a campaign based around the London sprawl and the Merseysprawl in Britain and maybe the Paris metroplex, if they go to France. Contemplating Tasmania, though obviously that isn't a sprawl.
A good Alien/Dino Crisis/Jurassic Park type adventure is just waiting to be written for that island. |
If you do not already have it, pick up a copy of the London Sourcebook. It contains a lot of nice detail about London/UK society, laws, & various groups & gangs. It als so has several simplistic but still useful maps that can be used in conjunction with real maps of London.
I believe it is now out of print but you should be able to find ia copy at a used book/game store.
Valentinew
Nov 30 2005, 05:14 AM
QUOTE (SL James) |
Sure. You can base them upon Warpath or *gasp* decent, political activists instead of goddamn terrorists. Seems just as reasonable, since there's still trade and other (some outside) factors keeping the UCAS and NAN from not destroying each other. |
Sorry to show my ignorance here...Warpath?
Mister Juan
Nov 30 2005, 05:48 AM
Personally, I tend to set games in places I'm familiar with... makes the whole thing feel a lot more realistic.
So, I take most of players to four cities: Chicago, New York, Quebec City and Montreal.
Because I base everything on my personal experience, all my representation of those cities tend to differ a lot from canon. Chicago = no bugs. New York = less of a corp enclave.
Quebec City, Montreal, and Quebec in general, altought covered in SoNA, were (I feel) completely butchered. I'm not sure who wrote that section, or all the stuff on Quebec I've ever red in any SR books... but they had probably sniffed way too much glue when they were in kindergarten
![nyahnyah.gif](http://forums.dumpshock.com/html/emoticons/nyahnyah.gif)
The whole "xenophobic/isolationism" is true... if you live in 1930! About 90% of it just doesn't make any sens.
Oh yea; one more thing. "Cross" (last name of Lucien's, CATCo CEO) is pronounced exactly like a particular word in quebec slang... crosse... which is basically translatable as "masturbating with extreme vigor".
Just imagine my players' reaction when they had to deal with the "Masturbating With Extreme Vigor Applied Technology Company" megacorp.
All that to say that if any of you ever need info on Montreal, or running something in Quebec, give me a yell.
Feshy
Nov 30 2005, 08:42 AM
I've been mulling over the idea of doing runs based out of Orlando, Florida as that's where I grew up. (and by "grew up" I mean "Lept fully formed from the head of Zeus.")
It's got the basics: Big club scene (for FL, anyway), major airport, and *huge* corporate influence (Disney, Lockheed). large amounts of smuggling (in present day, a huge amount of drugs come in from either the ports at Cape Canaveral, or through Miami, in 2070's, you've got the Carab league as a neighbor.) You've got major amounts of vice right next door to religious wackos (it isn't unheard of to see the buildings on a single street alternate between churches and strip clubs.) You've got potential for massive space-related .gov and .corp conspiracy, with Kennedy Space Center (where I used to work) right next door, and plenty of nearby swampland and forrest for those times when you need a break form the city. Plus, there's always the weird magic influence from such things as Ponce DeLeon's fountain of youth and other crazy legends. There is even now a strong presence of "mystics" -- palm readers, major wiccan groups, etc. and a lot of just plain "crazies" (people who think they are chaos magicians.) And always, right next door, are extreme right-wing groups, like nazi skinheads and others. Major religious groups also hold a lot of power; the Southern Baptists hold a good deal of land and wealth in that area. Head a bit south, and you find Boca Raton (mouth of the rat!?) which seems to be a major mafia retirement destination. Every serial killer fleeing the law winds up in FL. Seriously... watch "America's Most Wanted" or "Cold Case Files" or any other true crime show, and see if you can go a whole episode without seeing Florida mentioned. FL as a whole, and Orlando in specific, has a very wide mix of people that often associate in ways they don't in other parts of this country -- I've seen 5 million dollar mansions in the same neighborhood as "double wide" trailers. Rich and Poor mix in Florida in ways they just don't in a lot of other places.
All in all, I think it would be a great location -- though it lacks a lot of the tall skyline that you think of with "big city." Tall buildings sink back into the swamp if you're not careful
Recently, though, I've moved to near Richmond, Virginia. I'm not sure what I think of it as a shadowrun destination. If current trends continue, the whole city will be barrens by 2070; heck, a good deal of it is now. On the other hand, it isn't too far from the DC sprawl (which extends along I-95 almost halfway into Virginia, it seems... Even 60 miles from the DC border and you get DC rush-hour traffic. It's another 60 from that to Richmond though.) So all I can see happening here is experiments that are very unethical that you want performed on the "downtrodden" without people noticing; but still being a short commuter flight from DC. To be fair, though, I'm not nearly as familiar with Richmond as I am with Orlando, and there is probably a lot here I'm not seeing.
Grinder
Nov 30 2005, 09:41 AM
Sounds like a perfect setting - and don't forget the nice weather (compared to north germany standards).
But most of it is likely to happen in any other sprawl in 2060/70. The many religious whackos, nazi skins and similar drekheads, corp and gov shadow games, a mixture of different cultures/ethnics.
And i agree that SR-sprawls should have a munch denser population as mentioned in canon. I mean Seattle has what? 4 millions inhanbitants? We doubled it when we played there. Cyberpunk needs overcrowed cites.
SL James
Nov 30 2005, 04:38 PM
You mean like the national border between Richmond and Washington?
MaxHunter
Nov 30 2005, 04:41 PM
I'm running a campaign in Boston, and it's overpopulated in our setting as well. The runs involve mostly corporate activity (Ares, Novatech and MCT, mainly) as well as a little Mafia and Media side stories...
All in all it's been funnier than Seattle so far...
I have also planned lots of "field trips" for single runs, places like Hong Kong, Amazonia, CalFree, Tokio, the North Sea and Northern Europe.
We played a run in Hong Kong in a previous campaign and it was great!
BTW, anybody knows how to say "Nobody saw anything?" in Hong Kong Chinese?
Cheers,
Max
FlakJacket
Nov 30 2005, 06:10 PM
Canton and Zanzibar are the two main ones that spring to mind. At least back when I had a game.
Snow_Fox
Dec 4 2005, 04:01 AM
We're mainly Seattle but we've had a lot of work in the NYC area, but that's because that's where most of the group lives. Our main GM has just ended GM'ing for his move to NM but in the last campaign we pretty much shot up his home town and old high School
Actually, I've always been a little hesitant about using our hometown as a campaign setting. Coupla reasons, but mainly I think players would have a tendancy to picture things as they are now, not as they might be 60 years from now. Having never been to Seattle, it's a clean slate for creating imagery.
I have a lot of notes for my hometown in the sixth world. Don't know what I'm gonna do with them. Anybody want 'em?
SL James
Dec 4 2005, 05:17 AM
Where might that be?
Hell, James. Given the rapport we've had on other threads, I'm not sure I should tell you.
I live in balmy, tropical Winnipeg. Highest urban aboriginal concentration in North America IIRC. Close anyway. Home of RCAF headquarters, Sals' Nips and three weeks straight with a temperature under -30C. Never mind white Christmas, we often got a white Hallowe'en.
In the sixth world, we'd be a border town near the AM council, I'd imagine a major center of conflict in the SAIM war. Biotech industry's big here, including what's probably the counterpart to your CDC. Also got the largest French community in Canada that's not in Quebec. Keepin' it Riel.
Interested in what I've made of this? (Edit: I guess not...
![frown.gif](http://forums.dumpshock.com/html/emoticons/frown.gif)
)
(Isn't there somewhere where we can post this kind of info?)
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