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tagz
So, I've been putting together a run. It's been going fine, figured out objectives, the NPCs, the floor plan of the facility to run at, the security presence and response procedures... the only thing I forgot was... what the dang facility DOES. And I'm STUMPED. Maybe writer's block or something like that.

Anyhow, I need a factory type setting that produces large scale liquid sewage. I've tried the google and wiki route but I'm not coming up with any good examples. I thought of food manufacturing, but does that make large amounts of liquid waste?

Anyhow, all I really need is a PURPOSE for the place... other then the runners running on it. So what are some Shadowrun-type industries that would fit the bill?
gorramfrakker
Soy processing plant.
Backgammon
Ore refinery? I do like Soy though. Or krill. They would need to constantly cycle the water.
Caadium
Medical production facility. You know, a factory that makes the goo used for clones, etc.
tagz
QUOTE (Backgammon @ May 24 2010, 11:09 PM) *
Ore refinery? I do like Soy though. Or krill. They would need to constantly cycle the water.

Krill... I do kinda like that. Need it to be somewhat toxic though. Maybe if they are disinfecting or bleaching as part of the process...

The whole idea I have is that they're hired by an Eco-Activist group. They have a sense of irony so they want to have the runners basically sabatage the waste evacuation system to have it dump back out into the facility instead of the ocean.
Brazilian_Shinobi
How about pharmaceuticals?
They need tons of water and they byproducts are usually toxic.
Karoline
QUOTE (tagz @ May 24 2010, 07:13 PM) *
Krill... I do kinda like that. Need it to be somewhat toxic though. Maybe if they are disinfecting or bleaching as part of the process...

The whole idea I have is that they're hired by an Eco-Activist group. They have a sense of irony so they want to have the runners basically sabatage the waste evacuation system to have it dump back out into the facility instead of the ocean.


Go with the ore refinery. They toss in all kinds of chemicals and acids and junk to help slurry out the not metal and dissolve the stone and use water to wash it all away. Perhaps the bigger problem with something like this is that it is likely to be closer to the mine than the city (So they don't have to haul all the dirt and rock and other non-profit stuff very far).

A chemical plant or bioware/medical facility would be definite options, as they would both have all kinds of nasty waste. Power plants likely do as well.

Krill works particularly well if they are next to the ocean, but I don't imagine it generating a ton of waste.

Could be a nuclear power plant (close to water for quick coolage if needed) but that would likely have way better protection than you want.
Yerameyahu
Paper mill. Battery manufacturer. Plastics molder. Brewery. *Anything* produces toxic waste these days, and we're talking 2070. smile.gif
Mesh
Why would the runners want to go to your facility if you haven't even decided what it does yet? That seems like an integral part of the story upon which your action is built. Before you started this thread, how did you envision getting them to go there in the first place?

I'm curious not critical.

Mesh
Propaganda
Another possibly alternative to krill is a fish-farm..they'd be cycling the water there to remove all the fish crap and undigested food, I imagine.

I think your best bet is the ore refinery concept, though...the sheer amount of crap they was through those things is scary. In terms of why it's in that particular location, it could just be a security issue. Or, if the mine is in an arid area, the availability of a local water source like a river.

For extra fun, maybe they've got it here because it's refining something expensive?

Oh, the other option is, of course, sewage processing.

Edit:

QUOTE (Mesh @ May 25 2010, 01:22 AM) *
Why would the runners want to go to your facility if you haven't even decided what it does yet? That seems like an integral part of the story upon which your action is built. Before you started this thread, how did you envision getting them to go there in the first place?

I'm curious not critical.

Mesh



Well, it could be that the purpose of the facility is incidental if they're being hired to sabotage it, for example. Or they could be after someone/thing that's in the facility, with the purpose of the facility itself being fairly irrelevant in that scenario. (beyond potential enviromental hazards, I mean)
Mesh
I believe the Why is the most important part of an adventure. That's what I'm trying to get at here. Why is someone paying them money to go there? What do they have to gain from it? What will the repercussions be? Will the runners (should they find out the truth or some of it) want to continue the run or change directions (it's an eco-farm, frag that, let's screw the corp that wanted to burn it!)? Or even more basic run related questions like what will the resistance be? But really, what is the run? What has been written so far that "is going fine"? If you don't know what your run setting (the facility in this case) does, have you really laid down a cool foundation for a run? You don't want the D&D version of a run, right? smile.gif => Hack your way through everything, loot the corpses, and sell it all back in town. You want twists and turns! This is Shadowrun after all.

I've always got ideas to share, and I'd like to help so what's the scenario?

Mesh
tagz
QUOTE (Mesh @ May 25 2010, 12:22 AM) *
Why would the runners want to go to your facility if you haven't even decided what it does yet? That seems like an integral part of the story upon which your action is built. Before you started this thread, how did you envision getting them to go there in the first place?

I'm curious not critical.

Mesh

Fair question. It's a part of a side story. I've been doing a bit of background story for each player (that actually bothered to write a back story) before I begin Ghost Cartels.

A member of the team is looking for info on his previous runner group, as from his back story. He's done some social rolls, bribed some people, etc, but now he's found someone with a direct link to them. But this guy doesn't want nuyen.gif , he wants a run and he isn't going to spill otherwise. This fits the backstory as the character's old team was a team with anti-corp and ecological values, so makes sense they would have used a fixer in that field of work. That's what I decided.

The actual run is fairly inconsequential plot wise, it's just a formality to get by to get the info he wants. Then there is more plot when he reunites with that group. My real goal here is to see him work along lines of convincing the rest of the team to help him as he roleplays someone who isn't much of a real team player and for him to use his skill set since each player's personal piece tries to play to their strengths, and he's an infiltration specialist so sneaking into a facility is a good match-up.


As for the facility, I think I'll go with ore. It will be located in the southern part of the Tacoma docks, so the ore will be shipped from another location and refined here. I'll make it a AA rated corp, making one up unless someone knows an existing AA corp that does a good deal of refining.

Thanks input everyone. Big help.
Mesh
I like consequences of runs even if it only sets the stage for conflict later and never comes to fruition. How about the sabotage they do to this ore processing facility contaminates the water off the docks causing serious but localized ecological damage? They can hear about it all over the news. I can imagine this would piss off eco-polis as well as any players with an eco-bend. Who knows what that might lead to in the future? Ideally, it adds reality and believability to the world. The players' actions have real effects other than meaningless plot devices.

Mesh
Backgammon
Well, you can push it to work, but like Karoline said Ore Refineries are close to the mines - out in the sticks, way the fuck out of the city. It's basically accepted they spill shitload of bad mojo into the water, and even in Shadowrun, you can't do that in the city, you'd kill everyone. They use tons of cyanide. Computer chips are nasty to make too. Hmm, what about a organized crime group - Triads, Seoulpa or even Mafia - running a factory making chips or something like that, something legit, except they "bend" the enviromental standards (i.e. use none and bribe officials to keep it going). Skimping on standards is an organized crime favourite for making money.
phillosopherp
There is an Ore refinery in Tacoma I just can't remember the who's and what's but I am sure that there is a cannon one. (I could be wrong but I don't think I am and I do believe that it is a AA corp too!) Read the back parts of Seattle 2072 I pretty sure it was in there.
Banaticus
I would go with something that increases the amount of pollution, waste material that's going out into the world, like an ore refinery plant. A sewage treatment plant cleans things, we need more of them, not less. Destroying that will only make the environment worse. For instance, take the recent large oil spill out on the coast of Louisiana. You want to destroy the company headquarters, or something that will harm the deep money pockets of the company. Destroying the well and sabotaging the blowback valve will only end up releasing tousands of tons of oil and poisoning beaches and killing fish and things. Find a way to hurt the company, find a way to remove toxins and such, don't do something that'll release more toxins and destroy more ecosystems.
tagz
QUOTE (Mesh @ May 25 2010, 01:22 AM) *
I like consequences of runs even if it only sets the stage for conflict later and never comes to fruition. How about the sabotage they do to this ore processing facility contaminates the water off the docks causing serious but localized ecological damage? They can hear about it all over the news. I can imagine this would piss off eco-polis as well as any players with an eco-bend. Who knows what that might lead to in the future? Ideally, it adds reality and believability to the world. The players' actions have real effects other than meaningless plot devices.

Mesh

Well, yes, obviously consequences could and may arise from this. I'm just saying that as a GM I have not intentionally injected any into it this time, since it's sub-plot. Besides, I prefer to let the player's actions dictate my consequence decisions if I can.

Though I have started thinking of something, a hook or twist if you will, but cannot say as my players read DS sometimes.

phillosopherp THANK YOU!
Found it, Federated Boieing Metalworks. Looks like it would work well... The more secure areas could be avoided, and provide HTR... AA rated corp...
Kanada Ten
Residential housing for a waste disposal corp; the corp is currently embroiled in a messy public relations scandal for dumping garbage on tribal lands (legally, oddly enough, but very against their image as a clean tech corp). Even sewage from their housing is dumped untreated in a Cascade Crow sludge fen. The eco-terrorists think it'd be fitting to dump more bad press on the corp by having their toilets backup in the most extreme manner possible. Drek, it might even teach them a lesson...
tagz
QUOTE (Kanada Ten @ May 25 2010, 02:48 AM) *
Residential housing for a waste disposal corp; the corp is currently embroiled in a messy public relations scandal for dumping garbage on tribal lands (legally, oddly enough, but very against their image as a clean tech corp). Even sewage from their housing is dumped untreated in a Cascade Crow sludge fen. The eco-terrorists think it'd be fitting to dump more bad press on the corp by having their toilets backup in the most extreme manner possible. Drek, it might even teach them a lesson...

That's a great idea and I love it, but may save it for another time as my floorplan is more of a factory then a office setting, and I don't have the free time this week to write up another. But I do love it.
The Mighty Sherpa
Perhaps a better-than-life manufacturing plant?
Paul
The nice thing about waste processing is all kinds of things get tied up in it. The trash all ends up in the heap right? Organized crime get's their fingers-great way to dispose of evidence and launder money right? Squatters and random strangers galore, if they can access it. If it has any open air elements-sorting mounds for reprocessing, etc...you get scavengers of all types. Then add in some metacritters...and I like it!
Banaticus
QUOTE (Kanada Ten @ May 24 2010, 07:48 PM) *
The eco-terrorists think it'd be fitting to dump more bad press on the corp by having their toilets backup in the most extreme manner possible. Drek, it might even teach them a lesson...

So hurt the wageslaves who're just trying to get by? That's only going to make them hate the runners and side more strongly with the company. Now, if you backed up the toilets in the Board of Director's houses or the CEO's house... entirely appropriate, in my opinion. wink.gif Of course, it'll only make the company more staunchly committed to dumping waste, in an attempt to "get back" at the people who caused the problem, so the plan is pretty much going to backfire, but at least it gives a laugh, right?

When someone plays a practical joke on you, is your first inclination to prank them back or to embrace them with open arms? Yeah, CEO's aren't really the embracing kind -- pranking them doesn't usually cause them to make an about face, publicly admit that they were wrong, etc.

If you have a problem with Saddam Hussein, don't go after Joe Schmo on the corner of Bagdad (even if he is a janitor in the palace for Saddam), that's just wrong -- he's just trying to make a living. Go after Saddam freaking Hussein.
Kanada Ten
QUOTE (Banaticus @ May 25 2010, 12:22 PM) *
If you have a problem with Saddam Hussein, don't go after Joe Schmo on the corner of Bagdad (even if he is a janitor in the palace for Saddam), that's just wrong -- he's just trying to make a living. Go after Saddam freaking Hussein.

This kind of thinking a good example of why you're not a terrorist.
Yerameyahu
Indeed. The point is to influence public opinion; terror.
KarmaInferno
You could just not explain it and leave it as a mystery.

Barrels and barrels of highly explosive toxic waste everywhere. Tons of heavy machinery and lots of pipes going all over. Cryptic readouts and valves aplenty. Just no finished products anywhere to be found.

It might even become a plot for later on in your campaign. "You know that facility with the toxic waste we hit last month? What the hell did they make there? I can't remember."

Ooo. Have the lights go out at one point in the adventure, and come back on again. The runners will assume the power just had a blackout for a second. Only after the run is over, they realize that it's six hours later than they remember it being. And they still can't remember what was being manufactured there.



-karma
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