The situation - Long time gamer, old time fan of Shadowrun. Now I have not run a game in Shadowrun for quite some time (ending of 3rd edition in fact), and after playing a 4th edition one-shot with some friends (and trying to remember WHY we haven't played shadowrun in some time....stupid "other" RPG's ) I've decided to dive straight back into the Storytelling of the Shadowrun world (Buying many of the books and supporting my local Catalyst). In deciding that (although I have a fantastically epically awesome campaign idea I've opted out until A.) I learn the rules better via trial by fire B.) finish fleshing out/note taking said campaign, and so on and so forth) I have opted to get my friends together and follow the NYC ::Missions:: Catalyst approved campaign, and in so doing will offer whatever wisdoms I can to the growth and development of all things Shadowrun here. That being said I have what I feel to be some...noobish questions.

For starters A.) Does Catalyst care, and want my gaming group (despite being played at home with friends more casually) to still fill out the paperwork of what happened and discuss results with catalyst, or is them filling out the paperwork just a way for them to go to conventions and have proof of what happened to their character for the next Storyteller to pick up?

(and now for a story related question)

Is there a place in Manhattan that is the equivalent to the Seattle "barrens" (like would "The Pit" be that equivalent") I am trying to find a "base of operations" if you will for the team, a hang out and the place they are most likely to live in the start of their Shadowrunner careers (and likely to run into the occasional ganger, or beetle dealer). I am well versed in (the Shadowrun worlds) Seattle fluff and geography, not as so with Manhattan or New york (although the "Rotten Apple" book is very well written and filled with fantastic detail). Or would living on the outskirts of the city (like the Bronx if it so still exists) and traveling to Manhattan for the missions be better?

I am looking forward to to the challenge of GMing Shadowrun in 4th ED, and in a completely new (to me) part of the shadowrun universe. I'm sure I will thus have more questions as I read through the ::Missions:: and note take, and what have you not, so I will post more as they come to me, thank you in advanced for answering my questions!! ;-p

-Cronolynx

Can't really comment on the first bit, but as for the second, Manhattan does have the lovely section known as Terminal, which is, as far as I can tell, just an expansion of the Port Authority bus terminal out to a multiblock nightmare that appears to stretch all the way down to the Javitts Center. It's really the only "bad part" of Manhattan. I'd imagine that the legendary bad neighborhoods of the rest of New York are still around, so the South Bronx, Jamaica Queens, Flatbush, East New York, and Stapleton should all be viable options.

Cool, welcome to Missions



THe primary reasons to fill out the log sheets for your Missions character is to track your progress and to be able to show a GM what you've done so far in Missions (Affiliations, objectives achieved, etc). THe campaign is designed around the idea of being able to take your character into any Missions game.

That said, though, if you're just using Missions as a home campaign and don't plan to ever take the characters into any other Missions games, you do not need to fill out anything. It's your game, go nuts.

By the same token, the chargen guidelines restricting certain optional rules and the more unwieldy RP/Background intensive Qualities also wouldn't apply to characers being used strictly for a home game.



As DWC mentions, Terminal is one option, though it's not huge. THe other options are the Burroughs, which do still exist. There is a second book, Rotten Apple 2, that is slated to come out sometime in the near future (Not sure what it's status is, hopefully Bishop can update that when he get back from GTS), and that will cover the outlying areas of New York City.

Bull

Thank you very much for the information guys, if my dive into 4ed is a raging success, and once I become more familiarized with the rules perhaps I'll work on trying to become an "agent" and run some games at my local gaming store.

Also i'll keep an eye out for Rotten apple 2