So, I've been with the same group of gamers for about 4 years now, and we've been playing Shadowrun for about three. When I first learned of Shadowrun I fell in love with the system and the balance of machine versus magic, but I and a couple of other players never really fell in love with the official setting. Now, over the years we've had a lot of characters come and go and been on a diverse array of missions in and around Seattle, Ute, CalFree, France, the Canton Confederation, hell, even in orbit. Even this got a little old, so a few years ago a fellow player-turned GM and I began writing our own settings using Shadowrun rules, a few of which have become regular settings for campaigns, and a lot of fun has been had in the process. I'm just wondering if anyone else does this, because it's become something so standard in our group, and we have enough rotating GMs (Four of us out of a group of 7 GM on a regular or semi-regular basis), yet I've asked around and I get the feeling that doing such a thing is tantamount to heresy in defiance of the official lore. So I'll ask, has anyone ever tried applying the Shadowrun rules to a completely different universe? And if so, could you share your experiences?

What would you change?, Making the most of your reality
SR as a generic system, Anyone use it as such?
Shadowrun -> Sci-Fi, Conversions, anyone?
There's a Pimps in Space thread around here somewhere too.

"Medieval" Shadowrun, Bending the rules to fit the setting

Our group once ran a Space Opera-esque campaign using Shadowrun rules.

Elves were genetically engineered humans, Dwarfs the same (made to mine in hostile environs, dwarves and mining...how cliche). Orks and Trolls were 'mutants'.

We didn't have mages and adepts, but Kinetic and Somatic Telepaths.

It was all just wierd, but was nonetheless a lot of fun.

Yeah I do a post-apocalyptic shadowrun campaign where nothing but a wasteland exist after all the Megas and remaining powerful governments duked it out over control of the world using force with nukes and huge armies. Of course we all know that ushered in the apocalypse. For the most part cyberware and modern technology are non-existant. Magic is rare on account of the massively high background count. And the metahumans exist along with some new races but are deemed mutants by the remaining humans. Over the years this setting with my group has evolved and now is on a definent track to becoming a more cohesive and collected work.

Paranoia with shadowrun rules is fun, but only because half my group loathed d20, and I have no Idea why.

Well, our group does a lot of space-opera using shadowrun and it works really well for us. See:
The Pimps in Space Thread
The Pimps in Space website

We tried adjusting shadowrun for use a medieval level fantasy world, but despite some fun parts it didn't work out so great. The melee system isn't... well, good enough for that kind of work. We kept up ending in ridiculous scenarios where giants that stopped defending themselves wouldn't die, or where master swordsmen (8+ die) were generating "A Puff of Dust!?!?!!" and not much more. Plus, without the cyber half of the system, magic became overbearing.

One of my friends is wanting to try running a near-future setting without cyber or magic, but using SR mechanics (mostly because we know them so well.) We're having some trouble figuring out to make it work out. No magic, cyber or racial bonuses? Very, very lethal. Hopefully we can get something sorted out and working, but I'm not feeling so hopeful about it working out well.

I run a space based game called 'Awakened Worlds' for a while now. Elves, orks, trolls etc are all alien races (although each went through SURGE - see year of the comet), magic works in space (kinda like the force out of star wars) and the number of planets to explore is limitless. I've thrown in the Aliens from the movies of the same name, thats about all that needed special rules.
Its realy upto you and your group as to what will work for you.

You could borrow another setting:

+ GURPS Cyberworld + An artikle in "Best of Pyramid" for "Mages in Cyberworld"

- A dictatorial US government (including conquered Mexico)
- No exteritorrial cons
- Strong Japanese-Russian Alliance
- Up and comming SouthAm Nations


+ Talsorians Cyberpunk

- Classical punk, lot's of worldbooks (Europe, Asia, USA)
- Nations can be powerful but mostly are "bought"
- Strong USA<->Europe<->Russia conflict


+ Kenneth Bulmer <Ryder Hook>

- Megacorporations in Space
- Rebells without implanted SIN/credit cards

+ Efflinger <When gravity fails>

- After a collapse of a "classical punk" world
- Lot's of turmoil
- Plays in an arabian city
- Sourcebook for Cyberpunk exists

+ Williams <Hardwired> and/or <Voice of the Whirlwind>

- Hardwired is "Coorporations in Orbit dominate the world"
- Scattered earth nations
- Smugglers in Hovertanks (The orignal rigger)

- Whirlwind is "Coorporations settling the solar system with aliens added in"
- Cyberware is subtle

+ With a lot of work: Transhuman Space

- Settled solar systems
- Massiv genetic engineering


Birdy

Q: What is the good thing on a half-elf?
A: The other half is also dead!