I was thinking that it would be based off of a ford americar with a bit of armor and a micro turret.
Thanks
Full Version: Z zone taxis
I read something about armored taxis in the sprawl survival guide and I was wondering what those people that have rigger 3 think would be appropriate stats.
I was thinking that it would be based off of a ford americar with a bit of armor and a micro turret.
Thanks
I was thinking that it would be based off of a ford americar with a bit of armor and a micro turret.
Thanks
I don't even understand what the point is. It can't possibly be profitable to operate in a Z zone, and the risks are substantially greater.
If 'plex laws in 206x are anything like laws are now, taxi companies will probably be required by the law to service the city's Barrens. Here in DC, the cab drivers REALLY hate going into Anacostia, and I'm sure it's not profitable, but not doing it would open them up to a lot of legal liabilities for discrimination suits, because such a practice would be discriminating against the poor and minorities (which doesn't go over real well in ANY city). It's probably cheaper for the cab companies to get enough "token" armored cabs than to get sued by metahuman rights groups. They can still skimp and claim that Redmond only needs 3 cabs to be serviced, or pull any number of other legal tricks, though, so this is really more of an "in theory" sort of thing.
The people who live there for the most part don't have SINs so can't legaly do squat.
| QUOTE (Domino) |
| The people who live there for the most part don't have SINs so can't legaly do squat. |
Yes, but that doesn't stop poeple with SINs from making political capital out of them.
That was directed at BoyBlue's post.
| QUOTE (Arethusa) |
| I don't even understand what the point is. It can't possibly be profitable to operate in a Z zone, and the risks are substantially greater. |
[slightly sarcastic tag]Ah c'mon didn't you watch Johnny Mneumonic? Or Tank Girl? Where's your sense of comics in roleplaying games?[/irony]
Where's Ernest Borgnine when Snake Pliskin needs him eh?
| QUOTE (Arethusa) |
| I don't even understand what the point is. It can't possibly be profitable to operate in a Z zone, and the risks are substantially greater. |
The books also state the fee for using a Combat Cab are huge. Like they say, watcha gonna do? Walk?
| QUOTE (Arethusa) |
| I don't even understand what the point is. It can't possibly be profitable to operate in a Z zone, and the risks are substantially greater. |
Didn't you see Heavy Metal?
I always knew there was an urban market for CombatBus™.
Z zones are lawless, it's Mad Max for everyone in the Z zones. I wouldn't think there are any cabs, and if there ARE, then they're some seriously badass cab drivers.
Sunday
Sunday
That's the point. They are bad-ass cab drivers with heavily armored cabs. That's why they cost an arm and a leg to ride in (10 times normal).
From SSG p.17
| QUOTE |
And then there's the niche at the other end of the scale. Despite the dangers of the Barrens and other famous Z-zones, there are armed and dangerous taxi services who are willing to drive anyone anywhere, for the right price. A trip through the Barrens might cost you a thousand times more than a twenty minute drive downtown, but it's a whole lot better than walking. |
We're not talking your typical yellow cab just charging you extra for a trip. We're talking specialised companies who know what they're doing. They WILL charge you a fortune in order to remain profitable. In fact, they can charge way more than what is required to stay profitable.
My group played around with Z zone taxis a lot before.
It is cheaper to rent a cab for a few hours to go to meets and stuff, then it is to buy and customize a personal tank, let alone up keep, like storage and running the risk of the law takeing it. And you get a combat experienced driver. I am talking about hireing the cab for stuff outside the barrens.
They can also make excellent "tour" guides while in the barrens. We picture the barrens as an ever evolving place. You know different gangs running different areas every few minutes. Black markets popping up and disappearing just as quick. Who better to show you around then a cabbie?
It is cheaper to rent a cab for a few hours to go to meets and stuff, then it is to buy and customize a personal tank, let alone up keep, like storage and running the risk of the law takeing it. And you get a combat experienced driver. I am talking about hireing the cab for stuff outside the barrens.
They can also make excellent "tour" guides while in the barrens. We picture the barrens as an ever evolving place. You know different gangs running different areas every few minutes. Black markets popping up and disappearing just as quick. Who better to show you around then a cabbie?
I'm with Domino, the Z zones are lawless occupied by people who don't exist. There's no political capital to be made becasue htese people can't vote and more seriously not politico would want to go into a Z zone for a photo op, remember what it said back in the old Seattle SB, there are parts on the ages of the barren that are for slumminmng tourists but no one in their right mind goes further.
If peopel do drive for hire, they're by gypsie cabs, not yellow cabs, you call they come, rather than prowling around, like a lot of cab/car services in the Bronx now.
If peopel do drive for hire, they're by gypsie cabs, not yellow cabs, you call they come, rather than prowling around, like a lot of cab/car services in the Bronx now.
| QUOTE |
| If peopel do drive for hire, they're by gypsie cabs, not yellow cabs, you call they come, rather than prowling around, like a lot of cab/car services in the Bronx now. |
You should probably familiarize yourself with the concept, such as the description on pages 9-10 of Rigger 3, before chastising the setting or the designers. Because that's exactly what they are.
Enough people brought up yellow cabs I felt they should be addressed, with a modern RL example.
There's absolutely no reason for cabs with drivers to exist anymore.
In 2060, it's much more likely that cab companies will adapt cars for rigger control, totally uninstall any sort of manual controls to make hijacking difficult, and install significant autonav and/or pilots on their cab/drones. Hire a rigger and just have him remote control the cabs. Instead of sitting around in a cab, he's sitting 30 miles away with his top-of-the-line RCD. One rigger could totally handle 10 cabs, maybe more depending on how much they wanted to use autonav and pilot.
In 2060, it's much more likely that cab companies will adapt cars for rigger control, totally uninstall any sort of manual controls to make hijacking difficult, and install significant autonav and/or pilots on their cab/drones. Hire a rigger and just have him remote control the cabs. Instead of sitting around in a cab, he's sitting 30 miles away with his top-of-the-line RCD. One rigger could totally handle 10 cabs, maybe more depending on how much they wanted to use autonav and pilot.
I don't know, that much rigger gear might be worth more to a cab company than a cab driver's life.
But for Snow Fox, political capital isn't just measured in who can vote, or who makes a good photo op. There's plenty of people who CAN vote in nicer parts of the city that either have a heart and care about the plight of the under-class, or are at the very least a little uncomfortable with the idea of a crapload of poor people living next door who are getting more pissed off with each passing day.
Also, some of the politicians DO spend a lot of time getting photo ops in the Barrens. Remember, Puyallup and Redmond DO have their own governments, with mayors and everything. I'm not as familiar with Redmond, but I know Puyallup's mayor is very active in Seattle politics as a whole, and this usually includes trying to convince people that Puyallup isn't a lost cause just yet. One way to do this is to make sure any cab company that doesn't service Puyallup gets its ass sued.
But for Snow Fox, political capital isn't just measured in who can vote, or who makes a good photo op. There's plenty of people who CAN vote in nicer parts of the city that either have a heart and care about the plight of the under-class, or are at the very least a little uncomfortable with the idea of a crapload of poor people living next door who are getting more pissed off with each passing day.
Also, some of the politicians DO spend a lot of time getting photo ops in the Barrens. Remember, Puyallup and Redmond DO have their own governments, with mayors and everything. I'm not as familiar with Redmond, but I know Puyallup's mayor is very active in Seattle politics as a whole, and this usually includes trying to convince people that Puyallup isn't a lost cause just yet. One way to do this is to make sure any cab company that doesn't service Puyallup gets its ass sued.
| QUOTE (Modesitt) |
| There's absolutely no reason for cabs with drivers to exist anymore. In 2060, it's much more likely that cab companies will adapt cars for rigger control, totally uninstall any sort of manual controls to make hijacking difficult, and install significant autonav and/or pilots on their cab/drones. Hire a rigger and just have him remote control the cabs. Instead of sitting around in a cab, he's sitting 30 miles away with his top-of-the-line RCD. One rigger could totally handle 10 cabs, maybe more depending on how much they wanted to use autonav and pilot. |
That also requires a cred stick ffor all passengers. Thta is fine the "normal" part of the city. In our games cash still exsists and that is usually wha tis used for transactions in the barrens aside from bartering.
Also if that cab showed up in th ebarrens I have a funny feelign it would be stripped really quick. A much bigger financial loss to the cab company. Compared to a stock Americar and a low paid driver. If street gangs can hijack the grid link system, then a cab should be no trouble.
Besides, all you need to be a cab driver is a car. If you go into the city today, you will see people holding their hands out pointing to the ground. It is basically hich hiking but, you are supposed to pay instead of bum a ride. Some times while sitting at a red light people will approach your car and ask if you are "hacking," meaning are you willing to take me some where for a fee. Some people do it today as a way to make money with out reporting it to the IRS. Doing that though, you take full responcibility for anything your "customer" does in your car, not to mention picking up a hitch hiker is illeagel. Which liscensed Taxi drivers are usually shielded from. If people in the barrens need to make money they will just drive around looking for people that need a ride.
I don't get what the problem with understanding Combat Cabs is. Most of the stuff brought up in this thread is treated in canon material.
I think the point was that someone didn't think canon was being reasonable because it wouldn't be very profitable to run taxis in z zones. And they're right, it wouldn't be profitable, and canon ISN'T always reasonable. I do, however, think that the cab companies would be forced to pay lip service to city ordinances by having a token number of cabs in the rough parts of town.
In movie references there's two other examples of Barrens style cab drivers. The cab driver in Escape From New York, and the other one in Freejack. I can totally see both armed/armored yellow cabs and gypsie cabs being opperated in the Barrens.
Woah. What a cool day job flaw this would be for a rigger. I'll bet those kind of customers tip well too.
Possibly. Although if you're charging them something like a thousand times the average rate in danger money, maybe they'd figure they paid you enough already.
I guess that depends on how badly they want you to come back and drive them out of those nasty parts of town. 
The established price is ten times normal fair.
| QUOTE (CircuitBoyBlue) |
| I don't know, that much rigger gear might be worth more to a cab company than a cab driver's life. But for Snow Fox, political capital isn't just measured in who can vote, or who makes a good photo op. There's plenty of people who CAN vote in nicer parts of the city that either have a heart and care about the plight of the under-class, or are at the very least a little uncomfortable with the idea of a crapload of poor people living next door who are getting more pissed off with each passing day. Also, some of the politicians DO spend a lot of time getting photo ops in the Barrens. Remember, Puyallup and Redmond DO have their own governments, with mayors and everything. I'm not as familiar with Redmond, but I know Puyallup's mayor is very active in Seattle politics as a whole, and this usually includes trying to convince people that Puyallup isn't a lost cause just yet. One way to do this is to make sure any cab company that doesn't service Puyallup gets its ass sued. |
You live in DC, you should know better. I've lived in New york and Philly and it isn't happening. Sure politicos go to what the nice white bread liberal voters think is bad and looks good on tv but they don't hit the bad areas. For those who don't remember when I was a 'lounge' regular, I did bill collecting in the Bronx. and yes there are areas that are that bad that I've never seen even close of tv. For example: In the south Bronx, the police station known as Fort Apache does not have one structurally complete building within one block around it. You can look at it and the surrounding zone without thinking the cops have cleared a field of fire.
| QUOTE (Catsnightmare) |
| In movie references there's two other examples of Barrens style cab drivers. The cab driver in Escape From New York, and the other one in Freejack. I can totally see both armed/armored yellow cabs and gypsie cabs being opperated in the Barrens. |
Heavy Metal, dude. Heavy Metal.
| QUOTE (Snow_Fox) |
| You live in DC, you should know better. I've lived in New york and Philly and it isn't happening. Sure politicos go to what the nice white bread liberal voters think is bad and looks good on tv but they don't hit the bad areas. For those who don't remember when I was a 'lounge' regular, I did bill collecting in the Bronx. and yes there are areas that are that bad that I've never seen even close of tv. For example: In the south Bronx, the police station known as Fort Apache does not have one structurally complete building within one block around it. You can look at it and the surrounding zone without thinking the cops have cleared a field of fire. |
| QUOTE |
DC's a different situation than the barrens in Seattle, and I don't really know enough about the south Bronx, which is a shame because I live with a girl from there. I was saying that Puyallup has it's own mayor that has to tour his district, and is also one of the primary wheelers and dealers in city politics as well. You're right that you don't often see Anthony Williams at events in Anacostia, but then again, it's not unheard of, especially after Willy Wilson ran against him on the ticket of "Anthony Williams is the mayor of Northwest". And the rich white people in this city are all about finding some way to keep the black middle class from leaving and going to PG county, because they know which neighborhoods would burn in a riot, and which neighborhoods are dangerously close to them.
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.