Long time lurker, first time poster...

Is there any canon references as to what has become of the Dow Corporation, as far as it being bought out by any mega-corporations, or am I free to assume that it's a ruthless AA corporation with a strangle-hold on the city of Midland (it's HQ city) and surrounding areas?

Any other canon material that might serve as adventure threads or general information involving the parts of Michigan north of Detroit? We don't get much coverage up here.

For the record, it's a low-level game in which the players are part of a small-time detective agency, complete with SINs. Any information would garner much thanks.

You get a fair bit of smuggling out of Thunder Bay in the AMC.

Yikes. Considering that it's you answering with only one sentence, AH, I'm guessing there isn't much canon references other than that at all.

It occurs to me that it isn't a bad setting, however. The population would increase, first with the exile from indian lands and then with exile from Chicago, leaving the tri-cities and Flint and everything in between as a sprawl. You've got the tourist hellhole of Frankenmuth, the massive mall in Birch Run, the hookers, drugs, and strippers of Flint, the chemical corp haven in Midland, bars, bars, and more bars in Bay City, and Saginaw, my home sweet home, is beyond words.

Is there any canon references as to what became of the indian casinos after the internment? Were they kept and repurchased by corps and made legal somehow, or were they closed down? If no canon references, what's your guess?

The Detroit area is homeground for Ares. I'd assume that Ares would have some influence with any corp in the area, even if Ares does not own it outright.

Thank you.

I figured that, while Ares would be the major presence in the area, Horizon would be buying up space in the tourist area of Frankenmuth and Birch Run, in order to use it as a place to advertise their other products, as well as spamming the hell out of the area. I want Shiawasee as a major competitor against Dow Chemical, just because I like Shiawasee. Novatech (or whatever they're called now) would have a minor presence, as well, with Yamatetsu taking up the rear of those megacorps with influence in the area.

However, yes, Ares would be omnipresent.

But the megacorps won't be the stars of this show, as the players will be small-time detectives. The megacorps only provide background and corp culture.

What, Stevens Worldwide Van Lines doesn't own Saginaw in 2070?

i though Ares home base was in denver?....

Nope, Detroit. Ares grew out of GM. Well sort of Nicholas Aurelius's part of GM and a few other things.

I hate to blow my own horn here, but the post I have in the Running in Toronto thread would apply here.

There is a plus to there not being any source material for your area. You can mold it to what you want as a GM. Sure it's more work but it is more rewarding. It gives your game a personal feel. Plus chances are you know more about your own area then someone at FanPro or FASA. Just do a little research and tailor it to what you. For Instance who do you want to own Dow? Does Dow still exist? If it doesn't why? What happened to the area when it went under? What if Dow was pruchased by a foriegn Corp, say S-K? What criminal organizations are in your town.

I mean you don't have to go over every piece of history up to your date, but just the things that would add to your setting.

I hoped that helped.