Can anyone think of any errors made in Shadowrun books that directly contradict facts knwon about the real world? I'm not talking about "the rules don't reflect reality" because they're supposed to be an abstraction of real life anyway. I mean errors in the fictional world of Shadowrun.
For example, in Dunkelzahn's will, he left someone a Chivas Regal bag full of gold coins. Being a consumate drunk, I know my scotch. Chivas is without a doubt my favorate blended scotch (with single malt (at least) 12 year old being my favorite, esp. Glenlivet). However, Chivas doesn't come in a bag. Crown Royal comes in a bag.
Can anyone else think of anything?
The Abstruse One
Full Version: Factual Errors
Well, I guess the most obvious is anything in the history that happened before August 17, 2003... Some fairly big ones too! The Shiawase Decision for one...
Century Ferret
What about... The whole damn world?
I mean... Seriosly. It's a roleplaying universe, which ties in with another roleplaying universe, in which deagons lie dormant throught our age.
Magic and Immortal Elves.
That contradicts the known world quite a bit.
I mean... Seriosly. It's a roleplaying universe, which ties in with another roleplaying universe, in which deagons lie dormant throught our age.
Magic and Immortal Elves.
That contradicts the known world quite a bit.
I don't mean things like the Awakening not happening on cue, the Shaiwase decision, VITAS, stuff like that...I mean the little things...all that stuff comes from the fact that the books were originally written in 1989 when a Shaiwase decision-like event wasn't that farfetched until we got to the point where we reached 2001 and didn't have our megacorp victory in the Supreme Court...
What about the things that contract known facts other than stuff that didn't happen the way it was written when it was (at the time) in the future?
The Abstruse One
What about the things that contract known facts other than stuff that didn't happen the way it was written when it was (at the time) in the future?
The Abstruse One
Most electronics is several times larger and more expensive than it should be for 50 years of advancement. For example, PDAs and smartphones are getting very close to the "pocket secretary" concept, and are a lot cheaper, even now.
They also really could have used a gunhead on staff when they wrote some parts of the book.
They also really could have used a gunhead on staff when they wrote some parts of the book.
Gun weights. Heck, the weights in general. Someone apparently didn't understand the American/Metric conversions.
Are you so sure that the Shiawase decision didn't happen? Although it wasn't the Supremes that decided it, I think the Justice Department's decision to give Microsoft in essence a slap on the wrist after a finding that Microsoft was an illegal monopoly comes pretty close.
IIRC, Corporate Download and Year of the Comet say that Saeder-Krupp owns the Tyuratam Space Centre whilst Man & Machine says Yamatetsu owns the Baikonur launch centre. The only slight problem is that Baikonur and Tyuratam are both the same place.
Baikonur is the official name, but it's also known as Tyurtum. Seems back in the 50's the Soviets said they were going to be doing their launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. So eveyone assumes it's next to the city of Baikonur in Kazakhstan when in fact it's located 400 km to the southwest near the railhead at Tyuratam. Honest mistake of Soviet dissinformation, you pick.
Baikonur is the official name, but it's also known as Tyurtum. Seems back in the 50's the Soviets said they were going to be doing their launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. So eveyone assumes it's next to the city of Baikonur in Kazakhstan when in fact it's located 400 km to the southwest near the railhead at Tyuratam. Honest mistake of Soviet dissinformation, you pick.
| QUOTE (SCLariat @ Aug 17 2003, 07:27 PM) |
| Are you so sure that the Shiawase decision didn't happen? Although it wasn't the Supremes that decided it, I think the Justice Department's decision to give Microsoft in essence a slap on the wrist after a finding that Microsoft was an illegal monopoly comes pretty close. |
How about that executive order Bush signed? The one that puts oil companies above the law and all that? Sounds like extraterritoriality to me...
Random relevant site from a Google search
| QUOTE (Abstruse) |
| For example, in Dunkelzahn's will, he left someone a Chivas Regal bag full of gold coins. Being a consumate drunk, I know my scotch. Chivas is without a doubt my favorate blended scotch (with single malt (at least) 12 year old being my favorite, esp. Glenlivet). However, Chivas doesn't come in a bag. Crown Royal comes in a bag. Can anyone else think of anything? The Abstruse One |
That's funny because I used to use one for carrying my Magic cards around in. (Chivas brothers, Royal Salute. 21 yr old blended) In fact it, and the (empty
)bottle, are sitting beside me now
Why can't people accept that the SR timeline diverged circa 1989?
This seems like a pretty open ended question, Abstruse. The number of contradictions between reality and information in the SR sourcebooks is tremendous. I can think of a few dozen just within the Tir Tairngire book alone. Just as an example, if you've read the book you will probably recall reading about a place called Royal Hill. Sounds like a lovely place. However, there is no hill in the location they've specified.
A BTL has nothing on a BLT. I find that an egrecious error and drastic oversight on the part of the game developers. Skip sexual fantasies, hero scenarios and stardom; I just want my sandwich with some bacon, lettuce and tomato.
| QUOTE (Rain) |
| This seems like a pretty open ended question, Abstruse. The number of contradictions between reality and information in the SR sourcebooks is tremendous. I can think of a few dozen just within the Tir Tairngire book alone. Just as an example, if you've read the book you will probably recall reading about a place called Royal Hill. Sounds like a lovely place. However, there is no hill in the location they've specified. |
They did mention something about it in the TT book, IIRC. I don't have a copy anymore, but I seem to recall someone in the shadowtalk making a big deal about it.
| QUOTE (Ed_209a) |
| Most electronics is several times larger and more expensive than it should be for 50 years of advancement. For example, PDAs and smartphones are getting very close to the "pocket secretary" concept, and are a lot cheaper, even now. |
I believe this is why the writers created the crash of '29. IIRC the description says something about much technology being lost.
Regarding the Chivas Regal bag: Perhaps it was intentional. A few Stephen King novels feature or mention chocolate-covered Payday bars. This non-existant candy is a deliberate "error" meant to indicate that the setting is an alternate universe.
| QUOTE (annachie) | ||
That's funny because I used to use one for carrying my Magic cards around in. (Chivas brothers, Royal Salute. 21 yr old blended) In fact it, and the (empty )bottle, are sitting beside me now |
I used to use a Chivas bag for my dice for about 10 years.
| QUOTE (Ed_209a) |
| Most electronics is several times larger and more expensive than it should be for 50 years of advancement. For example, PDAs and smartphones are getting very close to the "pocket secretary" concept, and are a lot cheaper, even now. |
well, prices are one thing but hte consealability of the items just got errated down to something closer to the present day norm
just go check the latest errata for sr3 main...
There's those who might say that you aren't a real roleplayer (or other dice-game player) until you've given up on store storage varieties and gone to the "real" dice storage bag, Fortune 
That executive order Bush signed won't matter in another 40 years, because the oil companies will all be out of business then.
But I'm hoping the first thing the next Democratic President does is repeal that order. It should have been deemed illegal in the first place.
As for any descrepancies, they're no big deal, since SR is obviously meant to be set on an alternate Earth, not our own.
But I'm hoping the first thing the next Democratic President does is repeal that order. It should have been deemed illegal in the first place.
As for any descrepancies, they're no big deal, since SR is obviously meant to be set on an alternate Earth, not our own.
| QUOTE (The Surgeon) |
| That executive order Bush signed won't matter in another 40 years, because the oil companies will all be out of business then. |
Surgeon is right that the supply of oil will decline in this century. However, as the barrell price increases, two things will happen.
First, the big oil companies will diversify into non-petroleum-based fuels, because they would have to. I don't think the big oil companies care what you put in your car, as long as you buy it from them. Cyberpunk 2020 has CHOOH2 for example.
Second, more and more of the remaining oil will be going to companies making plastics.
How about the Seattle Kingdome? According to several sourcebooks, it's still the home of most of Seattle's professional sports teams in 2063. Pretty remarkable seeing as how it was imploded in 2000 .
.
Oh, that was the _first_ Kingdome. 
Well I remember this one comment in Cybertechnology, its a small one though.
It was where a runner advised that every good team should have a decent commlink setup. And that using an old fasioned wire headset would be too cumbersome, and would also give the sec guards something to yank on.
Well my cell uses bluetooth technology, so my handsfree earpiece doesn't even need any wires. I'd figure the tech would be way better in 2060.
It was where a runner advised that every good team should have a decent commlink setup. And that using an old fasioned wire headset would be too cumbersome, and would also give the sec guards something to yank on.
Well my cell uses bluetooth technology, so my handsfree earpiece doesn't even need any wires. I'd figure the tech would be way better in 2060.
| QUOTE (Warmaster Lah) |
| Well my cell uses bluetooth technology, so my handsfree earpiece doesn't even need any wires. I'd figure the tech would be way better in 2060. |
And can probably be detected by a somewhat advanced ELINT setup. Perhaps not so good. IIRC, the US Armed Services use cable setups for that very reason.
| QUOTE (Warmaster Lah) |
| Well I remember this one comment in Cybertechnology, its a small one though. It was where a runner advised that every good team should have a decent commlink setup. And that using an old fasioned wire headset would be too cumbersome, and would also give the sec guards something to yank on. Well my cell uses bluetooth technology, so my handsfree earpiece doesn't even need any wires. I'd figure the tech would be way better in 2060. |
from what i recall you have a entire cellphone the size of a bluetooth handsfree in sr so...
I would imagine that RF sniffers would be more common in the 2050s, so anything unnecessarialy wireless would be dangerous.
I see those commlinks being wired to the headset, and the wire being taped to the runner's body.
Nothing to grab, and it explains some of the shaved-down style some runners have.
Those comlinks could also be 1000 nuyen per rating pt because they are really encrypted burst transmitters.
I see those commlinks being wired to the headset, and the wire being taped to the runner's body.
Nothing to grab, and it explains some of the shaved-down style some runners have.
Those comlinks could also be 1000 nuyen per rating pt because they are really encrypted burst transmitters.
| QUOTE (Rain) |
| This seems like a pretty open ended question, Abstruse. The number of contradictions between reality and information in the SR sourcebooks is tremendous. I can think of a few dozen just within the Tir Tairngire book alone. Just as an example, if you've read the book you will probably recall reading about a place called Royal Hill. Sounds like a lovely place. However, there is no hill in the location they've specified. |
Waittasec. I specifically noted this problem and even had a bit of shadowtalk in the SONA draft noting it's "actual" location. Did it not make it into the book (dont have it in front of me).
| QUOTE (Tzeentch) |
| Waittasec. I specifically noted this problem and even had a bit of shadowtalk in the SONA draft noting it's "actual" location. Did it not make it into the book (don't have it in front of me). |
AFAIK, there wsn't any real mention about Royal Hill except a general passing comment that that's where the princes lived.
Well, the Council of Princes meets at a facility located on Council Crest (that, at least, is a real location).
Royal Hill is a loose term for the rich area west of Portland. One of the hills there was simply renamed "Royal Hill" proper.
Royal Hill is a loose term for the rich area west of Portland. One of the hills there was simply renamed "Royal Hill" proper.
Mr. Man thus wrotith
| QUOTE |
| Stephen King novels feature or mention chocolate-covered Payday bars. This non-existant candy is a deliberate "error" meant to indicate that the setting is an alternate universe. |
Actually, back in my youth there were TWO types of Payday bars. One wraped in white, the other in black.
My guess, being that I was just a child with a mother and no means of seperate income for myself, nor the inclination to have chocolate in my diet at the time (my how I've changed), is that this is the fabled "Chocolate covered Payday" that Mr. King writes about. But alas, we'll never know as I've not seen one since I was but a child.
Eeep!
Timekeeper, I just read your sig...
I can guess your workspace wasn't very quiet shortly thereafter.
Timekeeper, I just read your sig...
I can guess your workspace wasn't very quiet shortly thereafter.
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.