So does anyone have/know of a good document detailing the megas and their relationships with each other as of 2073? Preferably this would include a list of their noteworthy subsidiaries as well. Even just a simple chart with lines labeled "competitors", "blood feud" or "in bed" would work just fine.
I just can't keep breaking away from sessions to browse the 6WW anymore, and don't have the time to fully absorb 20+ years worth of canon. Any help would be appreciated.
~R~
Full Version: Corporate Relations
Corp guide and sixth world almanac?
I have read through the vast majority of SWA, but I didn't actually manage to find the kind of Corps-At-A-Glance table/chart that I was looking for.
I haven't yet bought a copy of the Corporate Guide, but if it has the information I'm looking for it would definitely move higher on my list. Should I consider this a recommendation?
~R~
I haven't yet bought a copy of the Corporate Guide, but if it has the information I'm looking for it would definitely move higher on my list. Should I consider this a recommendation?
~R~
Just assume they all hate each other, but cannot really go to all out war against each other. No friendlies on my games, i say! 
As I recall, 3rd edition had a pretty good one called "Corporate Download" or something similar but it had a lot of good info, especially on divisions within a company and it's stockholders. Shiawise, for exmaple, becomes totally different beast when you find out about the MFID, thier preference for nonviolent takedowns, and that their stock is basically all owned by one family.
And you can play megas all hostile against each other but I do find it more interesting to play a shifting web of alliances. For example, an Ares and Renraku dept in the UCAS might be cooperating against Aztech but while other branches are at war in Japan. Add in the fact that maybe Renraku sees more benefit in an Azzie alliance while Ares is courting MCT as a partner against Aztech, although MCT isn't friendly to Renraku in the UCAS and so Ares might be sponsoring runs against its current ally Renraku in the near future. Lots of fun politics.
And you can play megas all hostile against each other but I do find it more interesting to play a shifting web of alliances. For example, an Ares and Renraku dept in the UCAS might be cooperating against Aztech but while other branches are at war in Japan. Add in the fact that maybe Renraku sees more benefit in an Azzie alliance while Ares is courting MCT as a partner against Aztech, although MCT isn't friendly to Renraku in the UCAS and so Ares might be sponsoring runs against its current ally Renraku in the near future. Lots of fun politics.
They all hate each other, but each AAA is considered "too big to fail". If open war were to break out, then the entire system would collapse, the Nuyen would devaluate, and they all lose.
So most of the time, the only thing they can do is try to undermine and outmaneuver each other.
And of course, they're corporations; the bottom line is usually more important than how they feel about each other.
So most of the time, the only thing they can do is try to undermine and outmaneuver each other.
And of course, they're corporations; the bottom line is usually more important than how they feel about each other.
The bottom line is WHY the feel that way about each other.
QUOTE (Ascalaphus @ Jan 17 2011, 05:51 AM) 
They all hate each other, but each AAA is considered "too big to fail". If open war were to break out, then the entire system would collapse, the Nuyen would devaluate, and they all lose.
So most of the time, the only thing they can do is try to undermine and outmaneuver each other.
So most of the time, the only thing they can do is try to undermine and outmaneuver each other.
Welcome to shadowrun. *Cue theme music*
QUOTE (Ascalaphus @ Jan 17 2011, 05:51 AM)
And of course, they're corporations; the bottom line is usually more important than how they feel about each other.
Of course the bottom line is what's important; That's how they became Megas in the first place. I'm not looking for which CEO is making kissy-faces at whoever else, what I want to know is: Which AAAs are competing for the same defence contracts? Who holds a grudge over a broken contract? Which corporations are currently working together due to mutual interest? Are they allying against a third?
I'm looking for things like the Ares (Damien Knight)/CATco (Lucien Cross) feud of ages past. It's that sort of thing that really drives a great Shadowrun game IMHO. Is there anything comparable in current canon, or should I just proceed to the 'let's make some shit up' phase? I'm hesitant to contradict possible future-canon (since I love the metaplots in SR, it's what makes the game not just a cheap rehash of CP2020) but I'll do what I have to if I can't find anything current.
Thanks again,
~R~
Since the stock market still exists, I have always been under the impression that Megacorporations are actually not as monolithic as they appear to others. Yes, they are powerful. Yes they basically placed themselves above the law. But they are not a monolith. On the contrary actually, they are pretty much like the old feudal states, except they don't really hold land.
AAA Corporation Alfa has a board of directors that represent the majority shareholders of Alfa. It's lead by the CEO appointed by the board of directors.
The same situation is the case with AAA Corporation Beta.
Now, the Seatle based company, Gamma Inc. is owned for about 51% by members of the board of directors of Alfa, and the Company Alfa itself. Making it a straight up subsidiary of Alfa and probably extending full extraterritoriality to Gamma Inc.
Now, its perfectly possible that the other 49% of Gamma Inc are in several ways owned by Corporation Beta. Alfa decides the CEO, but only the slightest dip in the share price has to happen and it can easily happen that Gamma Inc, once more becomes Gamma Inc. No longer part of Alfa, yet .. the CEO is still assigned by Alfa and Beta, as majority shareholders.
In effect, things are much more byzantine than at first glance they may appear.
AAA Corporation Alfa has a board of directors that represent the majority shareholders of Alfa. It's lead by the CEO appointed by the board of directors.
The same situation is the case with AAA Corporation Beta.
Now, the Seatle based company, Gamma Inc. is owned for about 51% by members of the board of directors of Alfa, and the Company Alfa itself. Making it a straight up subsidiary of Alfa and probably extending full extraterritoriality to Gamma Inc.
Now, its perfectly possible that the other 49% of Gamma Inc are in several ways owned by Corporation Beta. Alfa decides the CEO, but only the slightest dip in the share price has to happen and it can easily happen that Gamma Inc, once more becomes Gamma Inc. No longer part of Alfa, yet .. the CEO is still assigned by Alfa and Beta, as majority shareholders.
In effect, things are much more byzantine than at first glance they may appear.
Are you looking for the current canon corporate relations? That's rather a lot of information to write.
QUOTE (Ascalaphus @ Jan 17 2011, 07:54 PM)
Are you looking for the current canon corporate relations? That's rather a lot of information to write.
Yeah, more or less. That's why I was kind of hoping that some enterprising soul had already compiled it (or most of it) somewhere. If no such resource exists I guess I'll just wade through the books and see what I can pick up, otherwise I'll just be winging it.
~R~
It depends on which department you're talking to. Some are on good terms with various corporations and governments by their very nature (Public Relations, for example), while others are full of nothing but hatred (External Corporate Security and Internal Corporate Coffee Fund.). And different departments within each corporation are going to have in-fighting as well.
You could easily be hired by MCT to run against MCT! Knight Errant and Hard Corps are the most infamous of the two groups that fight like blackberry cats and cyberhounds, for example, despite both being under Ares.
You could easily be hired by MCT to run against MCT! Knight Errant and Hard Corps are the most infamous of the two groups that fight like blackberry cats and cyberhounds, for example, despite both being under Ares.
QUOTE (d1ng0d0g @ Jan 18 2011, 03:46 AM)
Since the stock market still exists, I have always been under the impression that Megacorporations are actually not as monolithic as they appear to others. Yes, they are powerful. Yes they basically placed themselves above the law. But they are not a monolith. On the contrary actually, they are pretty much like the old feudal states, except they don't really hold land.
Except they do.
QUOTE (Raiki @ Jan 18 2011, 05:18 AM)
Yeah, more or less. That's why I was kind of hoping that some enterprising soul had already compiled it (or most of it) somewhere. If no such resource exists I guess I'll just wade through the books and see what I can pick up, otherwise I'll just be winging it.
~R~
~R~
The closest you're getting in the fourth edition is Corporate Guide. It's more dedicated to corp descriptions, but has some of the stuff you need, I believe.
The AAA corps are so huge that they have divisions and subsidies covering all the markets you can think so. They all compete for the same contracts (even with themselves) through the varies companies that they own. Some AAA do seem to dominate or be better known in some markets than others; Ares being Weapons & Security, Fuchi Renraku and so forth being better known for information technology and so on. I think it read in one of the older source books that there was a 90% chance that what you would be eating in 2060ish would in some way have been produced by Aztechnology.
These corps are so huge that one hand has no way in hell to known what the other hand is doing, hell even a different joint of a finger. The same would go for AA and A corps really.
The only information that filters between the companies under the same umbrella would more or less be budgets and earnings.
Like written above nothing stops one part of a corp from riping another part off. Its the name of the game really, played in board rooms both over and under the table
These corps are so huge that one hand has no way in hell to known what the other hand is doing, hell even a different joint of a finger. The same would go for AA and A corps really.
The only information that filters between the companies under the same umbrella would more or less be budgets and earnings.
Like written above nothing stops one part of a corp from riping another part off. Its the name of the game really, played in board rooms both over and under the table
How big are the Corporations?
Well, I'll put it this way, Fuchi is still around in 2072... Probably parts of NovaTech, too.
Well, I'll put it this way, Fuchi is still around in 2072... Probably parts of NovaTech, too.
QUOTE (CanRay @ Jan 18 2011, 08:41 AM)
Well, I'll put it this way, Fuchi is still around in 2072... Probably parts of NovaTech, too.
QUOTE (Core 4AE page 34)
After Transys Neuronet and Erika merged, Novatech immediately entered negotiations for a merger as well, wanting to take advantage of the additional influx of money it would bring and having the advantage of being a corporation used to dealing with Matrix-related technology. The new combined corp christened itself NeoNET [...]
I didn't say ALL of NovaTech, but there are probably divisions under NeoNET that still bear the name NovaTech.
And we do know there's at least Fuchi TeleCommunications of Seattle still around, providing Grey MSP services due to contractual obligations. Having had to deal with some of those myself IRL, I can tell you that they get right complicated right quick! "Grandfathered Account" was a swear and a curse at that workplace.
Some of the older Backbone Systems for the Matrix probably still have Fuchi and NovaTech stamped on them (The ones that the Crash 2.0 Worm didn't eat, at least), if anyone cared enough to look in those places. Which, you know, would make great Hardline Jackpoints for when you don't want to go Wireless for whatever reason.
And we do know there's at least Fuchi TeleCommunications of Seattle still around, providing Grey MSP services due to contractual obligations. Having had to deal with some of those myself IRL, I can tell you that they get right complicated right quick! "Grandfathered Account" was a swear and a curse at that workplace.
Some of the older Backbone Systems for the Matrix probably still have Fuchi and NovaTech stamped on them (The ones that the Crash 2.0 Worm didn't eat, at least), if anyone cared enough to look in those places. Which, you know, would make great Hardline Jackpoints for when you don't want to go Wireless for whatever reason.
QUOTE (Corporate Guide p. 122, NeoNET)
Major Divisions and Notable Subsidiaries:
Aurora Design (Matrix/ARE Design), Belle Mead Comm (Matrix/Infrastructure), Bristol Optics (Industrial Electronics), Cavalier Arms Ltd. (Personal Armament), Central Industrial (Heavy Industry), China Cable (Matrix), Commonwealth Enterprises (Financial/Investment), CompuForce (Matrix/Drones), Cyberspace Development Corp. (Matrix/ARE Software), Dorada Genetech (Biotech/Genetech), Emerging Futures (Biotech & Cybernetics R&D), Erika (Consumer Electronics/Hardware), Everyman (Consumer Goods), FTL Technologies (Matrix/Hardware), Fuchi Orbital (Space/Communications), Interscience Inc. (R&D Consultancy), JRJ Industries (Holding/Financial), Matrix Systems (Matrix/Hardware), Mindstrom Neurotechnologies (Cybernetics/Nanotech), Minuteman Security (Security Service Provider), NanoGlobe (Nanotech/Cybernetics), Nightengale’s (Cybernetics/Clinics), Novatech (Matrix/Everything), Pacific Rim Computer Consultants (Financial), Pioneer Cybernetics (Cybernetics), PULSE (Matrix/Consumer Electronics), Silveril Investments Financial/Investment), Simplex Software (Software), Suzhou Biotechnology (Biotech/Genetech), S&S Agricorp (Agribusiness), Transys Neuronet (Cybernetics/Biotech), T99 (Magical Research), Visionary Design Works (Architecture/Industrial Design), Walker Aerodesign (Aerospace), Wolfware (Matrix/Software), Ultra (Consumer Electronics/Cybernetics)
Aurora Design (Matrix/ARE Design), Belle Mead Comm (Matrix/Infrastructure), Bristol Optics (Industrial Electronics), Cavalier Arms Ltd. (Personal Armament), Central Industrial (Heavy Industry), China Cable (Matrix), Commonwealth Enterprises (Financial/Investment), CompuForce (Matrix/Drones), Cyberspace Development Corp. (Matrix/ARE Software), Dorada Genetech (Biotech/Genetech), Emerging Futures (Biotech & Cybernetics R&D), Erika (Consumer Electronics/Hardware), Everyman (Consumer Goods), FTL Technologies (Matrix/Hardware), Fuchi Orbital (Space/Communications), Interscience Inc. (R&D Consultancy), JRJ Industries (Holding/Financial), Matrix Systems (Matrix/Hardware), Mindstrom Neurotechnologies (Cybernetics/Nanotech), Minuteman Security (Security Service Provider), NanoGlobe (Nanotech/Cybernetics), Nightengale’s (Cybernetics/Clinics), Novatech (Matrix/Everything), Pacific Rim Computer Consultants (Financial), Pioneer Cybernetics (Cybernetics), PULSE (Matrix/Consumer Electronics), Silveril Investments Financial/Investment), Simplex Software (Software), Suzhou Biotechnology (Biotech/Genetech), S&S Agricorp (Agribusiness), Transys Neuronet (Cybernetics/Biotech), T99 (Magical Research), Visionary Design Works (Architecture/Industrial Design), Walker Aerodesign (Aerospace), Wolfware (Matrix/Software), Ultra (Consumer Electronics/Cybernetics)
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