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Message no. 1
From: Faux Pas <thomas@*******.COM>
Subject: Corporations, Policlubs, and PR
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 11:34:23 -0600
Previously, on ShadowRN:
>>Because Aztlan is made out as the "bad corporation" (and Ares
>>Macrotechnology is the "good corporation").
>
>...and neither perception is really true.

and:
>Hmmm.... Here's a thought.... Would TSR be considered a Corp? If so, are
>they an Evil Corp, like Aztech?? :):):)

and:
>> How bout a silent war between the UCAS and CAS? I started one in my
>> campaign and it's been pretty cool. I mean why does everyone always pick
>> on Atzlan?
>
>Because they're one of the Bad Guys(tm) :)

and:
> Because the Azzies Suck!!!!!!! Buy American!! Buy Ares!!

Interesting, eh? Everyone sides with Ares as the only good MegaCorp in
Shadowrun, and against Aztechnology. Just like how every PC has a buddy in
the ORC policlub or MOM and undertakes runs against Humanis Policlub.

During character creation, three of the initial six members of my gaming
group had contacts or buddies in either ORC or some other pro-meta group.
Not a single one thought about having a Humanis contact, or that the
pro-meta groups could be just as dirty as Humanis.

And in recent sourcebooks (Cali Free State, The Dunkiebook), if anyone
spoke out in favor of Humanis, they'd be called "race hater apologists", or
even Captain Chaos wouldn't talk about them. Of course, the Humanis
presence on the Shadowland boards usually contain misspellings and are
written in the stereotypical southern redneck tone.

Has anyone played a campaign where Humanis is good? Well, at least as
dirty as the other policlubs?

For that matter, let's look at the Aztechnology/Ares thing. For our last
run, some of the runners didn't want to go on a snatch and grab into Aztlan
- because they were afraid to go up against a ruthless, evil corporation.
They don't like Aztechnology - why? Just because it's Aztechnology. Not
because of the whole blood magic/horror connection (the run happened
game-time-wise a few days after the Aztlan sourcebook was uploaded to
Shadowland, so the Azzie use of blood magic was just being documented).
Not because Aztechnology owns Aztlan. But because they've heard
Aztechnology is just evil.

But Ares, the ones who saved us from the bugs, hey - they're golden, right?
They can't do anything bad.

Yeah right.

In my gaming group, we've already come up with a run based on these
preconceived notions - one of my gamers wanted to GM an adventure and I
wanted to play - the bare bones of it had Tir na nOg as the clearcut good
guys (elfs! AD&D prejudice here), Aztechnology as the clearcut bad guys.
And the Tir elfs were working with dwarfs. (But it was a pretty cool run,
aside from the TSR-influenced stereotype of how Shadowrun's elfs and dwarfs
acted, one of the things retconned after the adventure).

Any other groups out there that think Ares is above reproach?


-Thomas Deeny
telltale.hart.org

"Oo. Ninjas."
-The Tick, "Night of a Billion Zillion Ninjas"
Message no. 2
From: Michael Broadwater <mbroadwa@*******.GLENAYRE.COM>
Subject: Re: Corporations, Policlubs, and PR
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 12:05:19 -0600
There are no good or bad corps. There are only three kinds:

1). Corps that want to screw you.
2). Corps that don't know about you, but would try to screw you if they did.
3). Corps that want to give you money and then screw you.

Mike Broadwater
"Good. Bad. I'm the one with the gun." -Ash
Message no. 3
From: Charles Baker <karolusb@**.NETCOM.COM>
Subject: Re: Corporations, Policlubs, and PR
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 10:36:28 -0800
Michael Broadwater wrote:
>
> There are no good or bad corps.

Right.
>There are only three kinds:
>
> 1). Corps that want to screw you.
> 2). Corps that don't know about you, but would try to screw you if they did.
> 3). Corps that want to give you money and then screw you.

Wrong. There is only one type of corp- the one that makes money, if
screwing you will show significant profit sure, but lets face it most
shadowrunners aren't worth screwing. (not that I don't enjoy inflicting
extra paranoia on the self important types)

>
> Mike Broadwater
> "Good. Bad. I'm the one with the gun." -Ash
First cool sig I have seen in my entire life (there was a TMBG quote
that was good once but it was too long.)
Message no. 4
From: MC23 <mc23@****.NET>
Subject: Re: Corporations, Policlubs, and PR
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 13:48:05 -0500
Faux Pas wrote,
>
>Interesting, eh? Everyone sides with Ares as the only good MegaCorp in
>Shadowrun, and against Aztechnology. Just like how every PC has a buddy in
>the ORC policlub or MOM and undertakes runs against Humanis Policlub.
>
>During character creation, three of the initial six members of my gaming
>group had contacts or buddies in either ORC or some other pro-meta group.
>Not a single one thought about having a Humanis contact, or that the
>pro-meta groups could be just as dirty as Humanis.

My first Shadowrun character, the late Cavalier hated Elves (but not
quite as much as magic). His younger sister was born an Elf and died
during the Nights of Rage. Watching the Elven nations come to power he
recognized that they already had a power base then so he blamed them for
not protecting his sister then. This was a personal hatred and one born
out of misplaced guilt.

>Has anyone played a campaign where Humanis is good? Well, at least as
>dirty as the other policlubs?

Nah, but we have had characters with different prejudices. Humanis
and Alamos 20k have been more of a good ol' boy network in these parts.
The Human Nation's increasing involvement will change that.

As far as Ares Macrotechnology, yes by _comparison_ they seem to be
the cleanest of the big 8. That doesn't mean every division is up to
such standards. One must still take his chances.






Ancient cultures believed that names held great power, personal
names more so and they were guarded very closely. To protect themselves,
they answered to another name, because if another discovered their real
name, it could be used against them.
History repeats itself.
Welcome to the Digital Age.
I am MC23
Message no. 5
From: Charles Baker <karolusb@**.NETCOM.COM>
Subject: Re: Corporations, Policlubs, and PR
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 11:10:30 -0800
MC23 wrote:
>
> Faux Pas wrote,
> >
> >Interesting, eh? Everyone sides with Ares as the only good MegaCorp in
> >Shadowrun, and against Aztechnology. Just like how every PC has a buddy in
> >the ORC policlub or MOM and undertakes runs against Humanis Policlub.
> >
> >During character creation, three of the initial six members of my gaming
> >group had contacts or buddies in either ORC or some other pro-meta group.
> >Not a single one thought about having a Humanis contact, or that the
> >pro-meta groups could be just as dirty as Humanis.

Thats wierd I've played a couple of Huamnis characters (one guy had a
gang, that orc gives me any excuse...). My last character didn't much
like indians, and my current character has taken to the term "slimy
yellow bastards" (he's kinda self important and paranoid and everywhere
he looks there is some yakuza guy or another steppin on his toes)

>
> My first Shadowrun character, the late Cavalier hated Elves (but not
> quite as much as magic). His younger sister was born an Elf and died
> during the Nights of Rage. Watching the Elven nations come to power he
> recognized that they already had a power base then so he blamed them for
> not protecting his sister then. This was a personal hatred and one born
> out of misplaced guilt.
>
> >Has anyone played a campaign where Humanis is good? Well, at least as
> >dirty as the other policlubs?

No to the first, but when I GM most policlubs are dirty, it's their
nature, and humanis is generally no worse (I like my characters to
realize that your average humanis member has a wife and kids, got laid
off when some orc or troll took his job of unskilled labor etc. Nothings
black and white.)

>
> As far as Ares Macrotechnology, yes by _comparison_ they seem to be
> the cleanest of the big 8. That doesn't mean every division is up to
> such standards. One must still take his chances.

I would generally agree, course my current character just did the big A
a big favor (he loves favors), he met an exec (actually saved his hand
after another character shot it off, then returned his ebony credstick)
while running against them they have gotten to be friends. Course he's
not really a very nice person (His day job is ritually hunting down guys
in the WPP for the Mob).
Message no. 6
From: "Steven A. Tinner" <bluewizard@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: Corporations, Policlubs, and PR
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 14:56:35 -0500
> During character creation, three of the initial six members of my gaming
> group had contacts or buddies in either ORC or some other pro-meta group.
> Not a single one thought about having a Humanis contact, or that the
> pro-meta groups could be just as dirty as Humanis.

In our game, there are NO good corps, policlubs, etc.
They are all equally bad.

Steven A. Tinner
bluewizard@*****.com
http://www.ncweb.com./users/bluewizard
"Not in the face! Not in the face!"

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