This occured to me when I was creating a character for CanRay's latest game.

Essentially it started when selecting equipment for my wizard Martin Miggs. Specifically his ride. Sure a wizard on a motorcycle would have been awesome or I could have saved money and gone abut on a heavily modified Scoot but I figure he would be one of those guys who would rather have the trunk space.

So I asked about what kinds of econo-box cars were on the market and CanRay mentioned the jackrabbit was probably the most common one that used to be on the road. Only now it's out of production. But he mentioned one of his characters drives about a Knock-off called the Jackalope.
I did him one better and came up with what is essentially a knockoff of a Knockoff.
The Burro is produced in Aztlan by Los Motores Baratos (most likely by a subsiduary of Aztechnology) and was named as such by the marketing groups for it's sturdy construction, reliable performance and it's modestly unattractive appearance. The big problem came when it came time to market it across the border, and marketing decided to 'americanize' the name resulting in drivers being introduced to the New 2070 L.M.B. Jackass.

It... didn't sell well.

Martin Miggs has one in what he calls "Boring Brown" and everyone else (politely) refers to as "Diarrhea Brown". He likes it because it's unassuming, low-profile, reliable and most thieves would have to lower their standards conciderably to concider stealing it.


Other than that he possesses a Ruger Super Warhawk knock-off called the Ruben Suped-up Warmonger. (which I kinda imagine looks like this http://www.gunblast.com/images/SHOT2010/Day1/DSC09270.JPG )

Now I'm thinking that much of his gerar happens to be Knock-offs of more popular brands. By no means is the quality lower... it's just second best.


Has anyone else made use of imagined knock-offs in any games simply for the flavor of the thing?

Out of curiosity...why post this in the General Gaming forum and not the Shadowrun forum? That being said, I find knock offs a great idea though I have yet to use em in game myself.

On Darknet, my character mentions Chinese knockoff commlinks - he sometimes buys them for "projects" (like modding them into listening or remote-control devices). Also, it's the nature of knockoffs to look shoddy - a pretty swanky and high-cost Rhino doesn't have that knockoff vibe to it. Go with something that looks like the real deal, but is somehow "off" - odd-colored plastic parts, some things misshapen, etc.

We played a super street level campaign where one character's most treasured possession was a Deawoo Maximum Force (huh? huh?!).
It was a super flimsy excuse for a heavy pistol, but it was like the heaviest piece of ordnance on the block...

Dr.Rockso Posted Yesterday, 01:28 PM
Out of curiosity...why post this in the General Gaming forum and not the Shadowrun forum?


I really wasn't quite sure which section the topic would be best in. So I played it safe and put it here. Besides the Knock-off flavor is applicable to more than just Shadowrun.

Seriously Mike Posted Yesterday, 04:06 PM
Also, it's the nature of knockoffs to look shoddy - a pretty swanky and high-cost Rhino doesn't have that knockoff vibe to it. Go with something that looks like the real deal, but is somehow "off" - odd-colored plastic parts, some things misshapen, etc.

You have a point. I just kinda pictured the Rhino when I imagined a Warhawk.
Hmm... what about the Warmonger being a High-caliber version of this odd revolver? http://matebafan.com/mtr8.html

That's a .357 Magnum at best. A Heavy Revolver, but not Super Warhawk Heavy.

Magnum BFR?




-k

Ah yes... was looking for a good exisiting car as a base to imagine a 2070 L.M.B. Jackass and found two contenders on a list of the 50 worst cars ever built.

The 1961 Corvair
http://images.hemmings.com/wp-content/uplo...961-Corvair.jpg

and (if you can imagine a version of this with four doors) the 1975 Trabant
http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/upl...975-Trabant.jpg

How about a Bricklin?

I think I even found the colour for you.

AUGH! Use the bleeding quote tags! Dark, colored text on a dark background make my eyes bleed!

Be easy on him. He's still working out what all the keys on the keyboard mean.

It took me five years to get him to upgrade from an original Pentium for Ghost's sake.

It's a good option, although iI keep thinking of a car named after a kind of pack animal looking a little more boxy

Kinda like a four-door version of the 1966 Ford Anglia Deluxe 105E sedan http://www.enfostuff.com/images/anglia-rep...rFordAnglia.jpg

oh yes... and no, at this time I have no intention of making it fly.

Moved to the correct forum.

Please do explore the fun of the "Quote" feature.

Thanks. I'll beat him until he learns about it.

One of my old SR3 characters transported himself, his gear, his drones and occasionally group members in what was affectionately referred to as "the Ford POS". It had no armor, no handling, no upgrades, no speed, only two seats, and a stick shift. It was just a beat-up old white van.

I think it ended up torched in a vacant lot eventually to remove evidence. I then went looking for another one.

The Aries Predater

I usually make up new models by adding quirks to gun or vehicle.

Ruger Super Warhawk becomes the Rutger Shortstop with a shortened barrel. Just as good but a little less range and better concealability.

The Jackrabbit becomes the Ares Hare with the similar models rule (+20% acceleration -1 BOD)

As far as looks go, you could use a dacia Logan for somethigna bit more modern looking - it is a basic, no-frills cheap car (gives reasonable value for your money, andthe MCV (break) version as hard to beat in volume to price ratio).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacia_Logan

Core rulebook, the Honda Spirit.

Man, I love that thing. Nitrous Injection, Gridlink Override, Additional Fuel Tank, Life Support 1 and Concealed Armor, then you have one handy little urban pimpmobile for less than 30K!

I mentioned that one, but he wanted something with four wheels and some actual trunk space.

The fact that it's a 3 wheeler bothers me, somehow... Everything else about it fits.

Go with the horseman and a cargo module. You get a walker and a wheelie in the same deal.

I thought the jackrabbit was also a 3-wheeler... and just as "commuter" small.

When he mentioned the car had 3-wheels I immediatly thought of this unfortunate car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSaIv_5-Mho...feature=related

Also immortalised here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2JmHQTRQIw

...And here around the 3:30 mark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrBKzy3b1qs...feature=related

No, it's a four-wheeled "Sporty" subcompact that was the most common car on the streets in the 2050s.

Like seeing a Sunfire in the 2000s.

I suddenly have this image of a troll streetsam squeezing himself into that...reminds me of most chrome players who spends it all on ware and no good travel option.

From my understanding, three-wheeled vehicles are more stable when you have two front wheels and the rear wheel is the single. But I might be wrong.

That said, trikes are damned fine vehicles for trolls. Or a trio of orks, two of which have rocket launchers.

So, a four-door subcompact knockoff? Chery QQ - get some bone lacing, just so in case of crash the car folds around you, not WITH you.

I usually let my big troll have the Monobike with the Assembly Time Improvement and a Sling.

He can just lug that tiny bike on his back like a backpack.

Nah, a troll needs a chopper.

Or a rusty white delivery van. Preferably full of drones. (For some reason, the riggers in my games have a disproportionate chance of being trolls...)


~R~

Why not a troll with a multilaunch drone rack in his arm?

Vehicle Requirement: Body 10 or higher takes up 5 slots. So get that limb body attribute up to 10 and install 10 minidrone hunter killers.

Ok, so the limb is not strictly a vehicle so sue me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IzEncyqfgw

The first twelve seconds of this opening extremely related.

OK. My Wizard Martin Miggs has achieved a new level in his Knock-Off filled life, by actually living IN a Knock-Off neighborhood.

In the 2040's there was a brief resurgence of "English" archetecture. this resulted in certain asthetic aspects being aped and added into already existing projects by Archetects but it was the late land developer Zachary Spencer who grabbed ahold of this trend and used it as an excuse to bulldoze a few slums and erect a Gated Community that was dedicated to the notion of a small English Town in the middle of Seattle. It came complete with stores, restaraunts, theatres, pubs, parkspace, It's own Police force, and of course nice compact but decent housing.

He dubbed it... Blimey Estates.

Yes, it's an English neighborhood as envisioned and named by an American. ((In game it's best described as a cross between Coronation Street and Wallace and Gromit's stomping grounds.))


All streets and business names are 'English-sounding' but obviously chosen by someone who never bothered to be sure what the words meant.
For example, my spell-chucker lives near the corner of Coronation Street and Regicide Avenue. He gets his groceries from Wanker's Grocery, sometimes has breakfast over at the "Honking Good Cafe", and enjoys the occasional pint at "Sixes and Sevens".

As a gated Community it has it's own security who dress in the long overcoats and hats of the classic Peelers or Bobbies.

It originally started off as an Upper-middle class residence in the 40's but has fallen to simple Middle class and as we speak is slowly sliding into Lower-Middle Class.

\

And is stumbling downhill even farther as we type.

So, on the topic of knockoffs and various brands, I'm working on a list of vehicle models produced by different manufacturers. With model names mostly stolen from Saints Row and GTA.
I already mentioned a "Cadillac Cavalcade", "Yongkang Squalo" and "Nissan Landstalker" in my campaign, now I just have to note down differences between different brands' models of the same thing (ie. Landstalker is not as luxurious as the Rover 2068/Land Rover Huntley, but it's a bit tougher and works better off-road).

Who makes the Compensator?

I'd go with a dodge neon. Those were like everywhere, now not so much.

Nobody yet. Aztechnology makes the dirtbike Sanchez, though. I'm also retconning some names mentioned in the books, especially the uncool ones (ie. "Honda 3240" - wtfsrsly. Honda Hayate, now that's a name).
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key...VDIzbEpPLUJ1OVE - oh hell, take a look anyway. I managed to give Aztech a functional line-up of cars.

They need one. Hey, did they start making VW Bugs again?

This is quite possibly some of the funniest shit I have ever read on these forums. Which zone of Seattle is it in? Did they bulldoze this out of the border between Redmond and Belvue/Renton, or Snohomish/Downtown, or Puyallup and Tacoma/Fort Lewis? Do you mind if I borrow this for my game? Do they share in the Metroplex's security details, contract individually to the Star/Knight Errant, or is their own police force actually a force of local people with genuine law enforcement power and authority?

Also, living on the corner of Coronation Street and Regicide Avenue is just hilarious.

It's in Renton, near the Redmond Barrens a poorly guarded gated community. It's got a private security company, but a low-end one. Lots of mall cop-level security.

And, yes, the local bar he goes to is The Winchester.

\/\/

That's a Volkswagen Brasilia!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Brasilia

And this is the color you want: http://autos.culturamix.com/blog/wp-conten...brasilia-10.jpg

I'm guessing that there's a guy in Blimey Estates; a Fixer who can get you anything you need - or at least its off-brand, counterfeit version, as well as pirated copies of any entertainment or practical programs your heart might desire? And I'm sure his name is Nigel.

My guess? Probably they do, with an electric motor, interior barely comfortable for a dwarf and a plastic flower sticking from the middle of the cockpit. And they advertise it as a vehicle for people who take life easy. Not sure if they had the decency to make it affordable, though.

It's AZT. Signs point to "No".

To be honest I see no reason you can't use Blimey Estates for your game ShadowDragon8685.

I can see the local Security really getting into the role, (Having a uniform that lets you wear a stylised greatcoat adds a level of confidence to your ego) and have a policy of resorting to the Heavy Stun-Truncheons first before resorting to any kind of long-range weapon.

And to be honest I think many of the inhabitants get a little much into the "Neo-Engand" feel, doing the accent with the same accuracy as Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_rVzBt20N0

And it's the one area of Seattle where you can carry a 'brolly and not look like a tool, apparently.

You asked about the VW Bug, so I thought more of a VW product (with a lot of references to VW New Beetle - absurd price, plastic flower stuck to the dashboard). I'd hazard a guess that an AZT subcompact would be something like the Chinese knock-off compacts, ie. Chery QQ (clone of Daewoo Matiz) or that Smart rip-off.