Let me preface this by saying that I like Runner Havens, and while this post could be read as criticism in places, it is certainly not meant as indictment. Yes, I like Runner Havens as a collection of writing, though I am not achingly keen on the way that it is organised as a reference document. (This goes for some earlier setting sourcebooks as well).

In particular I'd prefer to see some standardisation of section headers, so that you can see at a glance what you're getting and where to look for particular kinds of information. I also think the artwork, while generally beautiful, feels kind of bolted on rather than an integral part of conveying the mood of a place.

It's very very hot over here in the UK at the moment, and it's not turning into the most productive work-day ever, so I've been contemplating how I would organise a setting sourcebook given the choice. And I'm interested in hearing how other Dumpshockers would do it too.

Disclaimer: I recognise that it's not an easy task doing a book like this and nearly impossible to please everybody in every respect (and I dare say many will disagree with my own suggestions, which should just go to show). Nevertheless I figured I'd throw my thoughts to the ether, in the hope that they are viewed as constructive. I think various sourcebooks do various of these things, and do them well, but I've tried to craft an overall strategy in my suggestions, so my inclusion of a particular thought is not saying that any given sourcebook has failed in that regard. I could absolutely litter what follows with qualifiers like 'IMHO', but I've left them out. Take it as read that this is all 'in my humble opinion' and not 'it must be done thus!'

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ORGANISING A LOCATION CHAPTER.

Montage.
Each location write-up should be prefaced by a full-page montage of images carefully chosen to portray the city in the most effective manner possible. This montage should include a general cityscape, images of the streets, a significant landmark or two, and images that portray the city's 'high-life'. Distinctiveness of local architecture, fashion and population make-up should all be shown within these images, but care should be taken to focus on the *city* as a character rather than fill up the space with images of people. There is little need to show shadowrunners in action, except perhaps as incidental background detail.

Introduction.
Likewise the very beginning of the text introduction to the chapter should focus on quickly and concisely conveying the overall atmosphere and distinctiveness of the locale. This introduction needs to sell the place to the reader- giving them a reason to want to visit, live or work in the city, and a good feel for what the place is like when you're there. Quick mention of a small number of key locations (that also embody plot points) can do wonders for conveying the contrast between the high-life that many people aspire to and the low-life that most runners will actually experience. Climate is an important characteristic of any city and shouldn't be overlooked when setting the mood.

Shadow Summary.
A sidebar at the beginning of the chapter, perhaps following a standardised format, should summarise in bullet-point fashion the things that a Shadowrunner is most interested in. This includes main languages, the nature and level of law enforcement and general security, key corporate presences, legal / cultural no-nos, and short phrases to summarise the governmental structure, population density and any demographic distinctiveness, climate, and cost of living (compared to some standard, perhaps, e.g. 'cheaper than Hong Kong but more expensive than Seattle' or 'downtown apartments seriously overpriced'). Hard and detailed statistics are not necessary, although official and unofficial population estimates are worth including.

History.
This section has to concisely explain how the city developed to its current state (with dates picked out in bold, perhaps) while at the same time delivering plot hooks that suggest how the city might develop in the future.

Culture.
This section must attempt to convey the overall cultural scene in the city, focussing in particular on whatever makes its culture unique. A sidebar of sports and entertainment headlines would convey a lot of information in minimal space, and could be read out verbatim by the GM. Shopping, leisure and nightlife information should contrast both ends of the social spectrum, although details on individual characters and establishments can be relegated to later sections as long as page references are given here.

Map(s).
A high resolution well-designed and detailed map (in multiple parts with different scales if necessary) should convey the layout of the city. Main districts should be named, major landmarks and borders indicated, and major transport routes shown, but written labels obscure detail and should be kept to a minimum. An intuitive (and standardised) shading schema should be developed that instantly indicates major topography, building density, tree/plant density, and security levels. Different combinations of these shadings would thereby make it simple to distinguish financial high-rise development zones, suburbs, barrens and parks, for example. If done well, the map may not even need a legend. Locations described elsewhere in the text should be labelled with a small unobtrusive number or symbol that is referred to in the main text. A subtle grid system on the margins might aid location-finding. The map should be placed in the book with a view to easy reference while flipping through later sections- i.e. ideally on the left-hand page. Maps are important conveyors of information and it is worth devoting an entire page to them for every location.

District By District.
Each part of this section should summarise the distinctive character of a major district, before then detailing the main players and locations therein (with page numbers for related material in other sections). This section should also include mention of any unusual issues or prospects for moving around within and between those districts (for example a train route that connects certain districts, freeway checkpoints, bridges that are permanently jammed with traffic, or secret underground tunnels). As much as possible, the write-up for each district should be self-contained (and could perhaps be split into particular subheadings) and tell you pretty much all that you need to know about the neighbourhood you're in. The bulk of the location write-up would be organised in this way, along geographic lines. The local Matrix LTG might merit its own section within this one.

Shadow Dossier.
This section should take the different players and locations detailed in the earlier sections and tie them together with extra detail to flesh out the relationships, the power plays and the opportunities for shadowrunning. This is very much the 'GM section' of the location write-up, designed to combine characters and locations into stories and plot devices. By organising the chapter in this fashion, earlier sections can safely be revealed to players, while the ins and outs of different plots and how they mesh together can be more easily digested by keeping them together in one place. The section should conclude with a concise summary which encapsulates the main plots and players, serves as a swift reminder, and hints at possible resolutions and their potential impact on the city.

Additional sidebars.
Sidebars are an ideal way of distinguishing quick-reference material from the main body text. They can then be used by GMs, on the fly, as a source of small details to add flavour to a gaming session, and might additionally provide inspiration for game plots. For example:
'In The Headlines'- moderately generic local headlines that might be thrown into any game set in the city.
'Man On The Street'- a collection of phrases that you might overhear while walking around the city. Meant to convey local concerns, interests, tensions, idioms and slang.
'On The Shelves'- a collection of product names and/or advertising slogans that you might see in the shops or on your way about. Some may seem like global brands, but others may be more local in flavor.
'Sounds and Smells'- a mish-mash of incidental details that combine to create the city's unique atmosphere.

Other sections
Add as necessary.

Shadowtalk.
Shadowtalk should be present throughout a location write-up but must be limited and to-the-point. In order to free up space while at the same time making Shadowtalk stand out from the rest of the text, a smaller font could be used, and the name of the poster should be included in brackets at the beginning of the post itself, and not on a separate line. One-line quips and banter need to be kept to a minimum, again for reasons of space.



Over to you.

This looks pretty good to me. I might include a bit more data on things like weather patterns, geology, Organized Crime, and politcs. The first because it is very helpful to use weather to describe setting. The second because it is an important part of the setting in many cases, for example how many of you knew that some of the high class neighborhoods in Seattle are also frequently the sites of damaging mudslides? Organized Crime and Politics deserve their own setions as well, Business probably should get one too, as these tend to be the 3 big sources of shadow employment.

Yeah I agree climate is important. If the seasonal weather variations are particularly interesting and relevent they'd merit a sidebar I reckon.
I see Politics and Organised Crime (and Business- as far as corporate interactions go) as subsections of the Shadow Dossier section, myself, but meh.

I'd do a location book pretty much like Shadows of North America, Shadows of Asia, Shadows of...

I haven't seen RH yet. I do like the OP's layout though.

Speaking of RH, would it be useful in a SR3 game at all? I know it's bound to have stuff that won't work (since I not only intend to avoid the SR4 rules, but also a lot of the world setting changes), but I'm hoping that the new books will have some good info on locations never covered before the changeover.

Well, I've only read the Seattle section so far, but I'm 99% certain that RH is pretty much all flavor text.

Runner Havens is entirely fluff and hence should be useable with either SR3 or SR4. However, it is most definitely set in 2070 and many of the elements of the setting reflect the events of the past 5 years.

For instance, the Renraku Arcology is now the ACHE (after the government, backed by the Corp Council, slapped Renraku with the reclamation bill, it handed over the Arc and it's been redeveloped as a means to finally reclaim the Barrens and at the same get the Barrens population under some sort of law and order). Significant changes to the setting and political landscape manifest in new players and a different status quo. Depending on how flexible you are this may or may not be a problem.

Thanks much for that tidbit, Synner. I can definitely see myself using that kind of thing.

In fact, I'd say the biggest things that I want to avoid in my games is too much wireless world and the various sundry details accompanying it. In short, I want my SR3 flavor updates without any nasty SR4 mechanics getting in the way.

(And don't get your knickers in a knot, anybody. I'm only joking around.)

It looks like I'll be able to continue buying and using fluff books, and that's a major plus.

I'm curious, SL James. Do you have your own ideas about what they should have done with the SCIRE?

I like the Shadows approach. Give a statistical representation of the place, give a brief history, throw in some current events, show relevance to Shadowrun world, and top off with other relevant data. I thought Shadows of Noth America was the best at this. It gave me everything I wanted to know about the different countries and told me who Shadowrunning in those countries would be like. I also liked the flags.

I'm not terribly fond of the chapter organisation in SoNA either, to be honest. And again the art seemed tacked on rather than integral to conveying the character of the places.

For a city I would show vital data about the city, show key locations in the city. Shadowrun hotspots, megacorps, etc. Very similar to showing a country.