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Message no. 1
From: Carmen Anthony J carmen.aj@******.com
Subject: Ultra-newbie with background question
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 10:05:51 -0500
I'm *very* new to SR (I haven't even finished slogging through the basic
book yet), but I love the game concept. Anyway, near the beginning of the
book, a timeline is given from now until 2060 (this is SR3). While reading
it, several names popped out at me: Richard Villiers, Miles Lanier, and
Damien Knight. Just the way they were presented implied that they have had
a huge impact on the SR world (like in the previous editions). Aside from
the few dry facts given (so-and-so started this company, so-and-so runs that
company, etc.), the book seems to assume that you know their "shadow"
history.

So, I was just hoping someone with more SR experience could fill me in. Am
I right? Are these guys *the* major movers and shakers in the world? Have
they always been an integral part of SR? What sort of sinister "shadow"
agendas do they have? What have they tried to pull off in the past?

Any info at all would be greatly appreciated. I just like to have an idea
of who's pulling the strings in a game world before putting my PC's in the
middle of it.

Oh, yeah: Long live insect spirits!

Thanks in advance,
Tony

"Outside of a dog, a book is Man's best friend. And inside of a dog, it's
too dark to read."
--Groucho Marx

"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or
numbered! My life is my own."
--No. 6; Arrival
Message no. 2
From: Sebastian Wiers m0ng005e@*********.com
Subject: Ultra-newbie with background question
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 11:20:42 -0600
-----Original Message-----
From: Carmen Anthony J <carmen.aj@******.com>
:I'm *very* new to SR (I haven't even finished slogging through the basic
:book yet), but I love the game concept. Anyway, near the beginning of the
:book, a timeline is given from now until 2060 (this is SR3). While reading
:it, several names popped out at me: Richard Villiers, Miles Lanier, and
:Damien Knight.
:So, I was just hoping someone with more SR experience could fill me in. Am
:I right? Are these guys *the* major movers and shakers in the world? Have
:they always been an integral part of SR? What sort of sinister "shadow"
:agendas do they have? What have they tried to pull off in the past?

Maybe not "the" big shakers, but yeah, they are all major kahuna- each
is a major stockholder (and I think president) of thier own megacorp!
For more info on each, and thier companies histories, "Corp Download"
would be a good place to start, but those corps are involved in a fair
number of other sourcebooks and novles.
I don;t think those 3 particularly have "sinester" agendas, more than
any other magecorporate CEO. Again, Corp download would give you a look at
what their corporations are up to in the shadows, I think.

:Oh, yeah: Long live insect spirits!


Heh, not if Damien Knight has anything to say about it. In past books
("Burning Bright / Bug City / Target UCAS) he's used nuclear bombs and
bio-engeneered bacteria to fight them, and it seems that weapons development
and distribution is more to him than just a shrewd (if heartless) business
strategy.

Mongoose

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Message no. 3
From: Glenn Sprott wasntka44@*********.net
Subject: Ultra-newbie with background question
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 18:24:35 -0500
Carmen Anthony J wrote on 22 Mar 2000....
>So, I was just hoping someone with more SR experience could fill me
in. Am
>I right? Are these guys *the* major movers and shakers in the world?
Have
>they always been an integral part of SR? What sort of sinister
"shadow"
>agendas do they have? What have they tried to pull off in the past?
>
>Any info at all would be greatly appreciated. I just like to have an
idea
>of who's pulling the strings in a game world before putting my PC's
in the
>middle of it.

The great thing about Shadowrun is that there are so many different
"movers and shakers" that they are almost too many to mention. Just
like today, it seems a new guy pops up in the news who has some major
influence on our lives. All the people you mentioned are major
players, but they are only a few of the many who will screw with your
players' lives.

The corporations are what make Shadowrun fun. Huge multi-national
corporations, with more money than God, control virtually everything.
And it is these faceless entities that will screw with your
characters' heads. Soon, you'll hear your players muttering, "I hate
Aztechnology. We have to find out more about them. I think they have
some dark agenda..." and so on. This is the beauty of it. There are
no "stats" for the corps... no real faces (except for the leaders)...
no limit to their influence (Some have control over entire
nations...[Aztechnology]. However this is debatable)... and they
will never go away, or so they think. They give so much to the
economy and the community (if they didn't create it), but they also
take so much more from the people... robbing people of identity and
personality... creating wage-slaves at an alarming rate. If you
think about this, it is happening today. I have brochures on
corporate owned and controlled communities that are set up to be
self-sufficient for the corporation's employees. (and they are
beautiful neighborhoods. I wish I could live in these places that I
have seen advertised.) This is happening TODAY!

The wonderful thing about Shadowrun is that the world is incredibly
detailed and filled with so many different people and cultures and
organizations and ethics... and yet at the same time, the game is
very abstract and open for ideas and very, very vague. That oxymoron
is the whole point of the game mechanics. YOU make up the movers and
shakers... YOU create the corporate agenda... YOU show the
characters however much you want to show them of what is going on
behind the scenes. Shadowrun will give you a few major players (like
Dunkelzahn, Lofwyr, Damian Knight, Harlequin, Ehran the Scribe....),
but it is doubtful that your players will ever meet these people and
if they do, it is unlikely they will have much chance for interaction.
The characters are pawns for these people... and the masters never
let the pawns know they are being played. Only YOU know the truth of
every run and the consequences of the characters' actions.

Corporate Download is a great book to pick up as well as New Seattle
for more "down to earth" information. However, if you also like the
magical and mystery side of the game too, pick up Awakenings and Magic
in the Shadows. Also, the Harlequin adventures are very good too.
Gives you a very good idea of how powerful the immortal elves are.
(Scary)

It's a lot of fun to GM Shadowrun... if you put in the effort. Trust
me, the players will greatly appreciate it... as well as look up to
you. Just take a lot of liberty with anything you want. Shape the
world to fit your campaign. If you want, pick up Shadowrun Companion.
It will give you ideas about adventures, campaigns, plot ideas, and a
lot of other things that will make your life a lot easier as a GM.

Wasntka (Wolf)
...Never allow your family to get hurt...
...Never allow your friends to stand alone...
...Never betray your loved one...
...Never betray yourself...
Message no. 4
From: Lurch lurch@****.net
Subject: Ultra-newbie with background question
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 23:22:46 -0600
Glenn Sprott wrote:
If you
> think about this, it is happening today. I have brochures on
> corporate owned and controlled communities that are set up to be
> self-sufficient for the corporation's employees. (and they are
> beautiful neighborhoods. I wish I could live in these places that I
> have seen advertised.) This is happening TODAY!

That reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Homer goes to work for
supervillian Hank Scorpio; I want to work for a guy like that! No, I
take it back -- I want to BE a guy like that! ;)

--
Lurch ("proudly serving my corporate masters")
http://yourang.freeservers.com
"Sic gorgiamus allo subjectatus nunc"
Message no. 5
From: Rand Ratinac docwagon101@*****.com
Subject: Ultra-newbie with background question
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 23:21:16 -0800 (PST)
> That reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Homer
> goes to work for
> supervillian Hank Scorpio; I want to work for a guy
> like that! No, I
> take it back -- I want to BE a guy like that! ;)
> Lurch ("proudly serving my corporate masters")

Master!!!

*Doc' grovels and kisses Lurch's feet in a fashion
that makes him decidedly uncomfortable, especially
when Doc' starts to put the tongue in...*

====Doc'
(aka Mr. Freaky Big, Super-Dynamic Troll of Tomorrow, aka Doc'-booner)

S.S. f. P.S.C. & D.J.

.sig Sauer

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Message no. 6
From: Lurch lurch@****.net
Subject: Ultra-newbie with background question
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2000 18:00:19 -0600
Rand Ratinac wrote:
>
> Master!!!
>
> *Doc' grovels and kisses Lurch's feet in a fashion
> that makes him decidedly uncomfortable, especially
> when Doc' starts to put the tongue in...*
>

Okay Doc, settle down or I'll have to sic the Mrs. on you (not as much
fun as it sounds)... :)

--
Lurch
http://yourang.freeservers.com
"Sic gorgiamus allo subjectatus nunc"
Message no. 7
From: Rand Ratinac docwagon101@*****.com
Subject: Ultra-newbie with background question
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2000 23:41:07 -0800 (PST)
> > Master!!!
> >
> > *Doc' grovels and kisses Lurch's feet in a fashion
> > that makes him decidedly uncomfortable, especially
> > when Doc' starts to put the tongue in...*
> >
>
> Okay Doc, settle down or I'll have to sic the Mrs.
> on you (not as much
> fun as it sounds)... :)
> Lurch

Who, me?

Hey, ask anyone.

This IS settled. ;)

====Doc'
(aka Mr. Freaky Big, Super-Dynamic Troll of Tomorrow, aka Doc'-booner)

S.S. f. P.S.C. & D.J.

.sig Sauer

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