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kenshin138
I am getting ready to start up my first SR campaign ever using the 4th edition rules. I am an experienced GM, just not with SR. Anyway, I have decided to use Kansas City as the setting since the players are new RP'ers and alrady familiar with the basic layout of the city. I also like the fact that little to nothing is detailed about it, giving me lots of freedom.

Anyway, here is the document I have worked up over the last week. Some area's are still a bit rough on the wording, but its mostly done.

What I am asking is that more experienced people give it a look-over and tell me if I am totally going against canon with items, or if it "fits" OK. I realize its "my" world, but I try to keep it as official as I can.

Also, if anybody has any ideas/input/etc. feel free to throw them my way. There will be at least a few more revisions before its "done" and I will post it up again once thats done in case anybody wants to use it for...something.

File is a 3.5meg PDF thats been zipped. Just an FYI.

http://www.deathguard.org/downloads/shadowsofkc.zip

Cheers.
John_Wicker
QUOTE (kenshin138)
What I am asking is that more experienced people give it a look-over and tell me if I am totally going against canon with items, or if it "fits" OK. I realize its "my" world, but I try to keep it as official as I can.

Also, if anybody has any ideas/input/etc. feel free to throw them my way. There will be at least a few more revisions before its "done" and I will post it up again once thats done in case anybody wants to use it for...something.

Very interesting read, Kenshin.

I've driven through KC several times and stayed overnight there more than once, so I'm no expert on the neighborhoods. So all of that stuff I can't comment on, aside from general stuff.

It looked to me like there where only small pockets of relatively calm areas outside of the downtown core. With a sizeable population, there should be more middle ground areas, in my mind. My reasoning is that the people living in the worst areas will largely SINless and therefore not official citizens. That's a small thing, though.

I also wondered about the construction of the NeoNET arcology AFTER the 2.0 crash. The Renraku Arcology took over 20 years to complete, and the scale might be totally different, but maybe it should still be under construction? The arcology was inhabited for most of the construction period, IIRC, with the higher ups moving up into the building as it was built.

Otherwise, I'd like to see some specific locations detailed. What happened to that amusement park (Worlds of Fun?) And doesn't KC have legalized gambling? It might be interesting of KC took over the role of Las Vegas for the UCAS.

Also, given the geography and closeness of the NAN, I would think that there would be a some sort of UCAS military presence nearby as well as some fair amount of distribution infrastructure to enable trade and commerce between the NAN and UCAS. What about a large airforce base that serves as the new Strategic Air Command for the UCAS?

Cool, though. It looks good to me, bro! biggrin.gif
kenshin138
QUOTE
It looked to me like there where only small pockets of relatively calm areas outside of the downtown core. With a sizeable population, there should be more middle ground areas, in my mind. My reasoning is that the people living in the worst areas will largely SINless and therefore not official citizens. That's a small thing, though.


Hmm...perhaps you are right. Actually I just need to detail it more, as most all of KCMO, Shawnee Mission, and KCK are all "middle ground" for the most part. Maybe I have too many "Z" rated zones.....I will give it more thought.

QUOTE
Otherwise, I'd like to see some specific locations detailed. What happened to that amusement park (Worlds of Fun?) And doesn't KC have legalized gambling? It might be interesting of KC took over the role of Las Vegas for the UCAS.


Both good ideas! Yes, KC we have gambling here, maybe I should hype that up some more, I totally forgot about it. Hmm..maybe I could add a Yakuza or Triad-ran casino as a means to get them into the city.

QUOTE
Also, given the geography and closeness of the NAN, I would think that there would be a some sort of UCAS military presence nearby as well as some fair amount of distribution infrastructure to enable trade and commerce between the NAN and UCAS. What about a large airforce base that serves as the new Strategic Air Command for the UCAS?


Fort Leavenworth is a military base, maybe I will just have them control the entire town and step up the military presence.

What do you mean by distribution infrastructure excatly?

Thanks for the input!
Valentinew
That was really well thought out. Good job!

Thanks for including the few things that I had mentioned to you!

I did have a couple of things. There is a VERY small Native American presence in KC, mostly as an outreach thing, specifically The American Indian Council, on Armour, & the Heart of America Indian Center, on 39th. (This is only important to me 'cause my character is Native American. biggrin.gif )

Also, I was not entirely accurate with the Z rated zone south of the Grandview Triangle. My gm has not shared with me about the rest of Grandview, but the entire Hickman Mills area IN Grandview is Z rated and called, simply, "The Mill."

I do know that, in our game, Renraku has a definite presence downtown. Also, another character in my group belongs to a troll go-gang called the Hawgz. I like the Overlords thing, maybe he'll want the Hawgz to be affiliated to the Overlords....hmmmm....

Overall, I thought your document was REALLY well thought out & well presented.

I'm going to guess your based near Leawood, right? rotfl.gif Anyway, excellent job!

I've forwarded your doc to my gm, just fyi, to get his input as well. I hope that's okay.
kenshin138
QUOTE
Thanks for including the few things that I had mentioned to you!

I did have a couple of things. There is a VERY small Native American presence in KC, mostly as an outreach thing, specifically The American Indian Council, on Armour, & the Heart of America Indian Center, on 39th. (This is only important to me 'cause my character is Native American. biggrin.gif )


Interesting...I has assumed that there was no Amerindian presence in the city.

QUOTE
Also, I was not entirely accurate with the Z rated zone south of the Grandview Triangle. My gm has not shared with me about the rest of Grandview, but the entire Hickman Mills area IN Grandview is Z rated and called, simply, "The Mill."


Oooh, I like that.

QUOTE
I do know that, in our game, Renraku has a definite presence downtown. Also, another character in my group belongs to a troll go-gang called the Hawgz. I like the Overlords thing, maybe he'll want the Hawgz to be affiliated to the Overlords....hmmmm....


Renraku eh? I would be interested to see how your GM is using them in the city, I could easily make mine fit that though...as nothing has started on our end yet.

As far as the Hawgz, how big are they? I was only detailing the "larger" gangs, so it could easily exist in my setting as a smaller one.

QUOTE
Overall, I thought your document was REALLY well thought out & well presented.

I'm going to guess your based near Leawood, right? rotfl.gif Anyway, excellent job!

I've forwarded your doc to my gm, just fyi, to get his input as well. I hope that's okay.


Sure, I would love to know what he has setup for the area. I am actually in Overland Park. I ran into one of your gaming group at TableTop the other day, small world.
coolgrafix
QUOTE (kenshin138)
Hmm...perhaps you are right. Actually I just need to detail it more, as most all of KCMO, Shawnee Mission, and KCK are all "middle ground" for the most part. Maybe I have too many "Z" rated zones.....I will give it more thought.

Both good ideas! Yes, KC we have gambling here, maybe I should hype that up some more, I totally forgot about it. Hmm..maybe I could add a Yakuza or Triad-ran casino as a means to get them into the city.

Fort Leavenworth is a military base, maybe I will just have them control the entire town and step up the military presence.

Thoughts without having read your piece yet...

Regarding military: Don't forget Whiteman Airforce base just an hour east of town. All the stealth bombers in the world are based there. Fort Leavenworth won't even be around for another 10 years given the trend to close old bases. Whiteman... that's the shit, dude. Also consider the trend of growth in Eastern Jackson county... the city is growing east.

Regarding gambling: Yes. In the SR dystopian future I think you should strongly consider the influence of Native Americans on this topic. Native American gambling plays an increasing role in gambling nationwide and is a great way for low-income tribes to make money with little effort. But it also brings with it graft and corruption.... exactly what drives the SR future. Screw the Yaks and Triads, KC is too far inland and middle America will always be middle America (you can't get good sushi, what Japanese population would stand that for very long?)

Regarding zones of the city: SR typically takes an affluent part of a town and turns it upside down (witness Redmond). Continuing that trend would lay waste to Overland Park and the current affluent SW portion of the city. Just some ideas.
coolgrafix
Kudos for using Ghost in the Shell imagery for downtown! Correct me if I'm mistaken. =)
kenshin138
QUOTE
Regarding military: Don't forget Whiteman Airforce base just an hour east of town. All the stealth bombers in the world are based there. Fort Leavenworth won't even be around for another 10 years given the trend to close old bases. Whiteman... that's the shit, dude. Also consider the trend of growth in Eastern Jackson county... the city is growing east.


And yet another good point. Maybe I will just have Leavenworth kind of fall apart after the closing of the base. I had somehow forgotten Whiteman, so thats great. Thanks.

One major issue I had was to come up with something that was both "realistic" (well, as realistic as elves and dragons I guess) but still managed to get the SR feel. For starters, I had to sort of force the city inward. Its not a huge city by any means, partly because its so spread out. As such, currently its expanding south via Johnson County, and East by areas like Lee's Summit. I could keep one, but not the other. Having decided from the start that the Spring HQ would be important meant I had to keep at least part of JoCo so I had to end the trend east-ward (via the Crash of '29 and a tornado). I also basically figure any expansion past about 135th would degrade as people shifted back to where the jobs were going (ie: downtown).

QUOTE
Regarding gambling: Yes. In the SR dystopian future I think you should strongly consider the influence of Native Americans on this topic. Native American gambling plays an increasing role in gambling nationwide and is a great way for low-income tribes to make money with little effort. But it also brings with it graft and corruption.... exactly what drives the SR future. Screw the Yaks and Triads, KC is too far inland and middle America will always be middle America (you can't get good sushi, what Japanese population would stand that for very long?)


I can't believe I totally missed gamblings...heh. I guess as a non-gambler myself I dont think about it too often. I will definately add something about that.

Yea, KC is a "mafia town" completely, I would like to include the others, but just couldn't. Either way, gambling needs some detail.

QUOTE
Regarding zones of the city: SR typically takes an affluent part of a town and turns it upside down (witness Redmond). Continuing that trend would lay waste to Overland Park and the current affluent SW portion of the city. Just some ideas.


Is this a trend for just Seattle or in general? Again, I had planned from the start to have something big happen with the Sprint HQ (as the largest company in KC I figure I had to), so I couldn't just lay waste to it completely.

Are you part of Valentinew's group by chance?
kenshin138
QUOTE
Kudos for using Ghost in the Shell imagery for downtown! Correct me if I'm mistaken. =)


Having no artistic skill at all I used what was at hand. Odd how the picture has a river in it as well, it almost COULD be KC....its perfect. smile.gif
Dranem
QUOTE (John_Wicker)
I also wondered about the construction of the NeoNET arcology AFTER the 2.0 crash. The Renraku Arcology took over 20 years to complete, and the scale might be totally different, but maybe it should still be under construction? The arcology was inhabited for most of the construction period, IIRC, with the higher ups moving up into the building as it was built.

Not every arcology took 15+ years to build.. the Mitsuhama and Aztechnology towers only took about 5 or so to build...

It all depends on the size of the building and what it features.
Nikoli
Yeah, the base of Renraku pyramid is what 10 square city blocks, houses one hundred thousand people, and is basically an island in a sea of urban decay.
kenshin138
QUOTE (Nikoli)
Yeah, the base of Renraku pyramid is what 10 square city blocks, houses one hundred thousand people, and is basically an island in a sea of urban decay.

Hmm, with the "trend" of taking affluent sections and turning them upside down, perhaps I will somewhat copy this setup. I could easily have NeoNET gobble up land and basically shut everything around itself down. Leaving the arcology to dominate while the rest of JoCo falls into decay. Hmmmm.......

Maybe expand the Northland and KCK a bit to add more people and actually make Downtown the true "heart" of the city.

I should have posted my thoughts up earlier, as all of this is good for the brain thus far.
coolgrafix
QUOTE (kenshin138)
Are you part of Valentinew's group by chance?

No, I dont' think anyone else in my SR realm reads Dumpshock. We don't play often anymore, just the logistics of family.

After reading the piece it's quite nice, though I'd love to see more detail. The portions on the areas of town seem like not much has changed from today... the Plaza was still the Plaza, Westport was still Westport, Crown Center was still just Crown Center.

Speaking of Crown Center, I don't know if you get up to that area often but Crown Center is one of the closest things to an existing arcology that currently exists. It's not only ENORMOUS (concealed by its lack of great height) but it's also terribly diverse... professional offices, shopping, dining, medical, residential, etc. Hell, the underground parking garage is a city by itself with a carwash, auto repair facility, and other amenities for residents. It's really something. In my world it's called the Crown Arcology.

In stark contrast I see the Sprint Campus becoming vacant when Nextel finally lays out the law. wink.gif
kenshin138
QUOTE
After reading the piece it's quite nice, though I'd love to see more detail. The portions on the areas of town seem like not much has changed from today... the Plaza was still the Plaza, Westport was still Westport, Crown Center was still just Crown Center.


Its really setup to be a brief overview, sort of a primer for the area so I can get my game going. Good point on some of the area's....I think I tend to think of current trends and just modernize them.

QUOTE
Speaking of Crown Center, I don't know if you get up to that area often but Crown Center is one of the closest things to an existing arcology that currently exists. It's not only ENORMOUS (concealed by its lack of great height) but it's also terribly diverse... professional offices, shopping, dining, medical, residential, etc. Hell, the underground parking garage is a city by itself with a carwash, auto repair facility, and other amenities for residents. It's really something. In my world it's called the Crown Arcology.


Does this Arcology in your world fall under one corporation? I honestly dont get to crown center too often, but now that you mention it....the area would be PERFECT for an arcology, moreso than even what I went with. Plus it puts it closer to Downtown.

QUOTE
In stark contrast I see the Sprint Campus becoming vacant when Nextel finally lays out the law.


Interesting.....
PBTHHHHT
QUOTE (kenshin138)
What do you mean by distribution infrastructure excatly?

What he means I think is a place that would enable for processing and aid in the commerce such as a rail depot, warehouse facilities, trucking facilities. If KC is now the closest city for UCAS to the NAN lands, then it would be a stopping point for trade between the UCAS and NAN. Rail and trucking would still be the major transportation tool for goods and if KC is the hub, then naturally major facilities would develop to help allow the goods after entering into the UCAS to be distributed on to other trucks/trains/aircraft, etc for distribution to the rest of the UCAS. Also there's customs and inspections for goods flowing over the borders and facilities may be needed for that too.
kenshin138
QUOTE (PBTHHHHT)
QUOTE (kenshin138 @ Mar 30 2006, 01:48 PM)
What do you mean by distribution infrastructure excatly?

What he means I think is a place that would enable for processing and aid in the commerce such as a rail depot, warehouse facilities, trucking facilities. If KC is now the closest city for UCAS to the NAN lands, then it would be a stopping point for trade between the UCAS and NAN. Rail and trucking would still be the major transportation tool for goods and if KC is the hub, then naturally major facilities would develop to help allow the goods after entering into the UCAS to be distributed on to other trucks/trains/aircraft, etc for distribution to the rest of the UCAS. Also there's customs and inspections for goods flowing over the borders and facilities may be needed for that too.

Actually, KC sits right on I70 which appears to be the major highway from the denver area into the UCAS. It also sits on I35, which would be the major route north from Dallas (CAS). KCK also has a large rail yard.

As such, perhaps Bonner Springs (west of KCK and on I70) would be good for a distrobution center handling NAN and Denver; with maybe Shawnee Mission as a spot for distrobution from the CAS (I35)....

coolgrafix
QUOTE (kenshin138)
Actually, KC sits right on I70 which appears to be the major highway from the denver area into the UCAS. It also sits on I35, which would be the major route north from Dallas (CAS). KCK also has a large rail yard.

As such, perhaps Bonner Springs (west of KCK and on I70) would be good for a distrobution center handling NAN and Denver; with maybe Shawnee Mission as a spot for distrobution from the CAS (I35)....

Don't forget the new multi-modal transportation hub established south of town. That's an enormous area and has seen dramatic investment over the last 10 years. It's designed to be the gateway for distribution coming and going between Mexico, Canada, and both coasts. THAT would be the reason for the boom in population size. I was a little stunned to see you projected 6M people in the metro. =)

Speaking of the route from Mexico, you should consider touching on the presence of Aztechnology. I don't remember seeing this in my reading. Such an important trade hub would most likely have some significant corporate and diplomatic presence from the Azzies. Add to that KC's exploding Hispanic population and voila. =)
coolgrafix
QUOTE (kenshin138)
Does this Arcology in your world fall under one corporation? I honestly dont get to crown center too often, but now that you mention it....the area would be PERFECT for an arcology, moreso than even what I went with. Plus it puts it closer to Downtown.

The Hall Corporation, naturally. A world-wide media and services congolmerate still based in KC. The Hall family's holdings today include Hallmark (cards and retail stores), Hall's (department stores), The Hallmark Channel, Hallmark.com, and other financial services. The sky is the limit.

Don't forget that H&R Block is another giant corporation based here in town, with their new corporate HQ currently being built downtown. Perhaps the future would bring a Block-Hall merger: Block-Hall, Hall-Block, H&B, no idea what form that name would take. Thoughts to consider.
kenshin138
QUOTE (coolgrafix)
Don't forget the new multi-modal transportation hub established south of town. That's an enormous area and has seen dramatic investment over the last 10 years. It's designed to be the gateway for distribution coming and going between Mexico, Canada, and both coasts. THAT would be the reason for the boom in population size. I was a little stunned to see you projected 6M people in the metro. =)

Speaking of the route from Mexico, you should consider touching on the presence of Aztechnology. I don't remember seeing this in my reading. Such an important trade hub would most likely have some significant corporate and diplomatic presence from the Azzies. Add to that KC's exploding Hispanic population and voila. =)

OK now to be honest I dont know excatly what your talking about with the multi-model hub, I will have to look into that.

6m seems low or high? I was using the unofficial stats on the 6th World Wiki for the population number..... smile.gif

As usual, thanks for the input....I am already forming idea's for change, for the better I think.
Waltermandias
Wow, there are a lot more folks from Kansas then I would have thought.

Definately more a Mafia town than anything else, but that can always change in 70+ years. You could always use Jenny's, that tiny Italian place that was downtown and there was talk of it being a front for the Mafia.

About American Indians, there is Haskell University down in Lawrence, I could imagine that being something important. Frankly I see it as having been an internment camp, and perhaps it could be a monument or some such now.
kenshin138
QUOTE (coolgrafix)
The Hall Corporation, naturally. A world-wide media and services congolmerate still based in KC. The Hall family's holdings today include Hallmark (cards and retail stores), Hall's (department stores), The Hallmark Channel, Hallmark.com, and other financial services. The sky is the limit.

Don't forget that H&R Block is another giant corporation based here in town, with their new corporate HQ currently being built downtown. Perhaps the future would bring a Block-Hall merger: Block-Hall, Hall-Block, H&B, no idea what form that name would take. Thoughts to consider.

Heh, I was trying to stick to established corporations for the larger items.

I actually had Hallmark get absorbed by Horizon, being that they are so big in advertisement and marketing.

Actually, with 4th edition and Horizon being the "new big thing" in the corporate world, maybe I could build on that for the arcology in/on Crown Center for my setting.

Currently my proposed change for the setting:

1. Move the arcology to Crown Center. Its too perfect to not do.
2. Add in more detail about the trade and gambling. This is important and something I missed from the original concept.
3. More detail on KCMO and KCK itself, right now its a little light.
4. Maybe change the "tornado"/Crash thing to affect JoCo instead of the East. Turning it into a haven for go-gangs (lots of large, wide streets) and perfect for gangs to stage hijackings for I35.
5. Add in some detail about Sports. Any ideas for a basketball team we could have?
PBTHHHHT
QUOTE (kenshin138)
5. Add in some detail about Sports. Any ideas for a basketball team we could have?

Hmmm... is there any bball team in the NAN lands that you can see them moving their franchise during the time of troubles over to KC? Or do you think a new one would be established?
coolgrafix
QUOTE (kenshin138)
OK now to be honest I dont know excatly what your talking about with the multi-model hub, I will have to look into that.

6m seems low or high? I was using the unofficial stats on the 6th World Wiki for the population number..... smile.gif

The old airfield is the Richards-Gebaur field south of Grandview.

Check this out: article here

Key point from article: "Kansas City is the only U.S. city the Mexican government has agreed to negotiate with for a customs operation on U.S. soil."

Apparently the Mexican customs port will be in the west bottoms near what is now Kemper but in years to come will not be Kemper. =)

6M just seems kinda high. If the Wiki says it, then it must be true! =)
Valentinew
QUOTE (coolgrafix)
Add to that KC's exploding Hispanic population and voila. =)

As an afterthought (& this has nothing to do with my group) KC has a pretty good size Irish population (Celtic Fringe, Hibernians, Irish Northern Aid, etc)...that might ratchet up the elven population some....

QUOTE (coolgrafix)
QUOTE (kenshin138)

Are you part of Valentinew's group by chance?



No, I dont' think anyone else in my SR realm reads Dumpshock. We don't play often anymore, just the logistics of family.


Naw, my gm checks this place out on occasion, but I'm the only ds'er in the group. Where are you based out of, CoolG?


QUOTE (kenshin138)
I ran into one of your gaming group at TableTop the other day, small world.

He just told me. He's very excited about reading your document. Said the guy at the game store was telling you about some book on the history of KC? We're kinda interested in that title 'cause we just finished a run that involved the steam tunnels downtown....

QUOTE (kenshin138)
As far as the Hawgz, how big are they? I was only detailing the "larger" gangs, so it could easily exist in my setting as a smaller one.

I don't think it's very big. They occupy part of an apartment complex where my team is based, just south of Bannister (I think). I know they're ALL trolls, & they're a go-gang. I'll try to find out more, if you like.

If we come up with anything else, I'll let you know...
Valentinew
QUOTE (Waltermandias)
Wow, there are a lot more folks from Kansas then I would have thought.

Definately more a Mafia town than anything else, but that can always change in 70+ years.  You could always use Jenny's, that tiny Italian place that was downtown and there was talk of it being a front for the Mafia.

About American Indians, there is Haskell University down in Lawrence, I could imagine that being something important.  Frankly I see it as having been an internment camp, and perhaps it could be a monument or some such now.

Not Kansas here. Missouri. Same City, different state. grinbig.gif

Cascone's & Garrozzo's are big mafia places, too. I've never been to Cascone's, but I've heard some things. I HAVE been to Garrozzo's, & the number of guys there in suits & dark glasses was too funny!

In our game, Lawrence is the big AmerInd area near KC. There's really only a token population in KC, mostly outreach & those who don't really want to affiliate with the NAN.

And now, my lights just flickered, so I'm going offline for a bit. There's more I want to comment on, but it'll have to wait till the storm goes by.

Later, all!
coolgrafix
QUOTE (Valentinew)
Naw, my gm checks this place out on occasion, but I'm the only ds'er in the group. Where are you based out of, CoolG?

Independence, a mile north of the sports complex, which if it doesn't get that roof will probably be just a giant rock-strewn field in 2070. wink.gif No group or store affiliation, though I spend my brick and mortor dollars at Monty's if at all possible.
kenshin138
QUOTE (coolgrafix)
The old airfield is the Richards-Gebaur field south of Grandview.

Check this out: article here

Key point from article: "Kansas City is the only U.S. city the Mexican government has agreed to negotiate with for a customs operation on U.S. soil."

Apparently the Mexican customs port will be in the west bottoms near what is now Kemper but in years to come will not be Kemper. =)

6M just seems kinda high. If the Wiki says it, then it must be true! =)

Very interesting. I read that as a perfect opportunity to use Aztechnology then. With something like that setup both ways, they would have a HUGE vested interest in KC since it would be their primary distrobution center for the entire UCAS.
Waltermandias
QUOTE
Sure, I would love to know what he has setup for the area. I am actually in Overland Park. I ran into one of your gaming group at TableTop the other day, small world.


Craziness! I'm at Tabletop all the time*, that's where I fill all my gaming needs.

*By all the time, I mean, like, twice a week. Which really isn't all the time at all. But I love hyperbole. Hyperbole is the greatest achievement of mankind, ever.
kenshin138
QUOTE (Waltermandias)
Craziness! I'm at Tabletop all the time*, that's where I fill all my gaming needs.

Now this is just creepy, whats with all the KC'ers on this forum?! smile.gif

Anyway, I am up there all the time as well. Name's Ryan Powell. I mainly play miniatures games (Warhammer, 40k, Bloodbowl etc.). I am friends with Phill and most of the regulars.
Waltermandias
Cool, I'm Walter Stewart, I play Warhammer up there on Friday's mostly, but I hang out with friends there alot, I'm pretty sure I've seen you around there. Admittedly I am terrible with names/faces.
Valentinew
This is just getting weird....
Valentinew
QUOTE (PBTHHHHT)
QUOTE (kenshin138 @ Mar 30 2006, 04:05 PM)
5. Add in some detail about Sports. Any ideas for a basketball team we could have?

Hmmm... is there any bball team in the NAN lands that you can see them moving their franchise during the time of troubles over to KC? Or do you think a new one would be established?

I don't know about basketball, but I would guess that the Chiefs would still be in the area. They may not be the "Chiefs" anymore, but....

In our game, my gm told me that the area around Kemper has been converted into an Urban Brawl arena.

Plus, there's the new Arena Football League team, the Brigade. Would they still be around?

I think if the Royals still exist, it would have to be in one of those leagues that allow enhancements, just to give them an even shot. nyahnyah.gif

Maybe we should wait until after the vote to include the roof, or determine the fate of the Truman Sports Complex....
Valentinew
QUOTE (kenshin138)
Maybe expand the Northland and KCK a bit to add more people and actually make Downtown the true "heart" of the city.

Well, the trendy place to move now is North of the River, at least on the Missouri side.

Where's the growing trend headed west of State Line?

There's Parkville, Riverside, Liberty, Platte City...how far has the sprawl spread?

Personally, I think Gladstone should have declined to at least a B-C zone, but that's just me....
SL James
There are no Kansas City Chiefs in Shadowbeat, but then again there's no Cardinals team either, and yet they won the Superbowl in SoNA (although it didn't say where they are, I guess going home to Chicago's out, so maybe they went back to St. Louis or even *gasp* stayed in Phoenix).

The Royals are still around, in the Central Division.

There's nothing about any KC basketball, combat biking or urban brawl teams.

Oh, doesn't KC have MLS soccer and hockey? They'd still be around, I imagine.
Valentinew
QUOTE (kenshin138)
QUOTE
Regarding military: Don't forget Whiteman Airforce base just an hour east of town. All the stealth bombers in the world are based there. Fort Leavenworth won't even be around for another 10 years given the trend to close old bases. Whiteman... that's the shit, dude. Also consider the trend of growth in Eastern Jackson county... the city is growing east.


And yet another good point. Maybe I will just have Leavenworth kind of fall apart after the closing of the base. I had somehow forgotten Whiteman, so thats great. Thanks.

Whiteman is a good idea, but I don't know about letting Leavenworth fall apart.

QUOTE (Wikipedia)
Fort Leavenworth, the oldest active United States Army post west of the Mississippi River, has devoted more than 170 years of service to the nation. During the country's westward expansion, Fort Leavenworth was a forward destination for thousands of soldiers, surveyors, emigrants, American Indians, preachers and settlers who passed through. Fort Leavenworth is currently the home of the Command and General Staff College, the National Simulation Center, and the United States Disciplinary Barracks. Just north of the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Fort Leavenworth is located in the upper northeast corner of Kansas.


The US Disciplinary Barracks thing would be hard to move, I think....
SL James
Plus there's also the matter of, you know, the Sioux Nation breathing down your neck.

CAS, too.
John_Wicker
QUOTE (PBTHHHHT)
What he means I think is a place that would enable for processing and aid in the commerce such as a rail depot, warehouse facilities, trucking facilities.  If KC is now the closest city for UCAS to the NAN lands, then it would be a stopping point for trade between the UCAS and NAN.  Rail and trucking would still be the major transportation tool for goods


Exactly. Over the road and railway handles something like 99% of the flow of goods today, and I don't see that changing drastically just because the airplanes can go higher now. Fuel is too expensive and so on... smile.gif

So you could have areas with lots of warehouses, trucking depots, heavy rail lines and depots, and so on. Also, you might see a large number of shipping and transport companies. FedEx might have a major UCAS headquarters there (in addition to Memphis for the CAS) and Union Pacific might have relocated to KC from Omaha, which gives you air and rail traffic. Add a trucking company (or hell, Werner Trucking from Omaha again) and you've got more corporate players added to the mix.

The only other thing I would add is that having more than one organized crime group in town provides for some built in conflict, and shadowrunners just love a good conflict. If you add Mitsuhama into the mix, you have a Yak presence right there. Or maybe there was a major influx of Chinese immigrants during one of the refugee periods. The Chinese might well bring triads along with them.

They don't have to be big in order to create an opportunity for work. And alternatively, if the Mafia is all alone in town, they could get complacent pretty quickly. Maybe one of the largest gangs can grow to a size that causes the pinstriped set a few issues.

My 2 nuyen, omae. It looks fun either way!
kenshin138
Taking some of the input I re-worded a few things. I am waiting to hear back from another GM before I go further with the south-land. More than likely I will have a tornado ravage parts of JoCo (I removed that from the MO side) eventually leading to its demise.

Areas of the Metro:

Aztechnology Distribution Center: This massive complex serves as the primary distribution center and inland-port for Aztechnology. Located in the West Bottoms it is used for customs inspection, storage, packaging and shipping via both truck and rail. The center is a combination of high-rise office buildings, corporate warehouses, docking garages, and industrial grade machinery. Obviously the highest level of security is maintained at all times, both physical and magical.

Suburbs:

Independence, Missouri (A-D Rated Zone): Littered with warehouses, trucking depots, and vast tracks of apartment housing, Independence makes up a large portion of the east-side of town. Some of the largest BTL and drug production in all of the UCAS also occurs in this suburban sprawl. It is rumored that roughly 25% of all Cram originates from here. Its location along I70 makes it a perfect place for smuggling goods to and from St. Louis and the CAS.

Kansas City, Kansas (B-D Rated Zone): With both I70 and I35 bordering the city; goods coming from both the NAN and the CAS are usually dropped, inspected, and subsequently shipped from one of the many warehouse facilities and rail yards that make up the southern portion of Kansas City Kansas. Residential apartment housing, small business zones and isolated single-family homes make up the rest of the city.

Leavenworth, Kansas (AAA Rated Zone): Lone Star moved into this area in 2027 shortly after the closing of Fort Leavenworth. Combining prisons and forming the Leavenworth Security Complex; this private penitentiary serves the entire state of Kansas in addition to the Kansas City metro area.

Raytown, Missouri (B-C Rated Zone): Known for its strong anti-metahuman feelings, extreme racial violence is common, with the Humanis Policlub having a strong foothold. Several racist gangs exist, although they are largely tolerated by the population as they see them as "protectors" and "warriors" against the actions of meta-humans. A sizeable percentage of households still live in single-family homes, with apartment housing making up the rest.

Blue Springs, Missouri (E Rated Zone): Located at the far east of Kansas City along I70, this decaying suburb is known as a haven for smugglers, drug-runners, chipheads, and gangs.

Northland, Missouri (A-C Rated Zone): Framed by I435, I29, and I35 this suburb consists of what was once North Kansas City and Gladstone. Due to its proximity to Downtown it saw an influx of residents following the Crash of ’29. Blocks upon blocks of apartment housing was constructed to compensate.

Entertainment – Gambling:

Gambling has been legal in the state of Missouri since 1991, with Kansas following suit in 2013. Today is no different, as the casino’s play a huge part in the economy of the city. Officially anything outside of blood sports is legal, although as usual the UCAS places restrictions on wagers, odds, etc.

Several large-scale casinos exist within the Metro. Most of these establishments are controlled or influenced by the local Mafia in one way or another. While there are a few privately-owned ones not under the thumb of the Mafia, it has been rumored that their profits belong to the Comanche Mafia. No official link has been found between them and the NAN to date however.

I really need to expand on this more, but I would like to make the casino names a bit more 2070 and not just hold-overs from current day. Thoughts?

Entertainment - Nightlife

Café Echelon (Crossroads): An unusual combination of cafe and nightclub; the Café Echelon is a single-story building surrounded by a small park. Ran by an Irish-elf named Somhairle, this establishment is quite popular with awakened, elves, and young successful corporate drones (mainly for bragging rights).
Valentinew
QUOTE (kenshin138)
Entertainment – Gambling:

I really need to expand on this more, but I would like to make the casino names a bit more 2070 and not just hold-overs from current day. Thoughts?

I would guess that Harrah's might stay the same, but according to SoNA, the Mirage is still around in Las Vegas(run by the Wynne conglomerate), as well as the Flamingo gaming group. I'd say bring the Flamingo back to KC. Then you can decide exactly how many casinos you want, where they're located, and name 'em.
(Or have a Dumpshock poll of some sort to name 'em.)
kenshin138
Excellent, I haven't picked up a copy of SoNA yet, so maybe I should. All I have to work from currently is the SR4 book, Underground, and Sprawl Survival Guide.

Thanks for the input, will grab a PDF copy of SoNA and see what it has, I forgot that Vegas was detailed in it, so that will be a big help.
coolgrafix
So, how is this progressing? Please post your updated doc when it's available. Looking forward to it. =)
stevebugge
On distribution Infrastructure:

http://www.morgansoutherninc.com/kansascity.html

Is a trucking company I hire when I need to move Steamship Containers to and from the Rail Yards and Container Yards in KC. More shipping companies than you would expect keep a stock of 20's and 40's in the area. The address will probably help you get an idea of where to locate the infrastructure, rail yards are pretty hard to move and trucking companies, warehouses, and container yards tend to cluster around them.
kenshin138
QUOTE (coolgrafix)
So, how is this progressing? Please post your updated doc when it's available. Looking forward to it. =)

I have been working with a local GM (Valentinew's actually) on a more detailed, and better document. Its 7-8 pages now and is a lot better IMHO.

Currently I just need to finish up the Sports section, revise the Gambling section a bit, and I should be able to post another version for review.

I was considering offering this as a website as well as a printable PDF, would people find that more useful than just the document?

I also really need to get my game going! So after this, I will probably only do minor revisions so I can start fleshing out my games NPC's and the like.
coolgrafix
Depends on what form the site takes, I guess. =) For my own part, a PDF is just fine. The original source file would be even better, though, to customize and build upon. You should consider a Creative Commons license. =)

Once again, great work. =)
SL James
I don't trust any PDF that has to be zipped.
mfb
QUOTE (Waltermandias)
Hyperbole is the greatest achievement of mankind, ever.

two karma for making everyone at the table laugh.
Valentinew
QUOTE (kenshin138)
I have been working with a local GM (Valentinew's actually) on a more detailed, and better document. Its 7-8 pages now and is a lot better IMHO.

So THAT'S why we haven't received our latest karma award yet!

rotfl.gif
kenshin138
QUOTE (SL James)
I don't trust any PDF that has to be zipped.

Good point. For some reason the version that I put up gave an error if you tried to view it with IE/Firefox instead of downloading it and looking with Reader (or full if you have it), as such I zipped it to avoid the rash of "it gives me an error" posts. smile.gif

I wanted feedback so didn't worry so much about figuring out what object was causing the error.
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