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Message no. 1
From: "Thomas Holmes" <Thomas.A.Holmes-1@**.umn.edu>
Subject: Gangers
Date: Tue, 13 Aug 1996 15:17:59
Well, I guess gangers are a matter of opinion, based on the responses I
got. Just to make sure my ideas are clear, here's what I use in detail:
TYPICAL GANG: (derived fron Seattle Sourcebook, pp 155-156)
Numbers: 15-60 combative types
Breakdown: 10% Elite 10,000 /month
20% Veteran 5,000 /month
50% Regulars 1,000 /month
20% Green 500 /month
Source of income: Prostitution, gambling, rackets (protection), drugs/btl
chips
Total income for 20 person gang (average) 52,000/month
Cyberware Breakdown as follows: (all cyberware is cheap, x.5 cost)
Elite ganger: Boosted I/VCR I (7.5k/6k) Dermal Armor II (7.5k)
Smartgun link (1.25k) Razors or Spurs (4.5k/5.75k)
TOTAL WARE: ~21k
Veteran Ganger: Smartgun Link (1.25k) Dermal Armor I (3k)
TOTAL WARE: ~4k
These ganger ware are based off of the ganger and street samurai archtypes,
I personally see street samurai as /gangers gone big-time/. I consider the
figures as fitting in with FASA's representaion, and as reasonable, seeing
as how a gang is a way to make money - to get out of a hopeless situation
to a better one. The more turf a gang can hold, the more money it can make.
Are these gangs serious and nasty? Yup. That's why Lone Star doesn't do the
barrens, and why the Central Government /did/ collapse, now being propped
up by a handful of megacorporations. Obviously peoples opinions and
experiences vary. Hope this helps some people out. People are perfectly
within their rights to adjust street threat to fit their social/economy
situation.

Thomas
Message no. 2
From: rogue@*****.fr (Sebastien Andrivet)
Subject: Re: Gangers
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1996 15:03:49 GMT
Thomas wrote :
[snipped ganger economics]

Makes a lot of sense ; I'm keeping your post for reference puroposes. As
much as I despise high threat environnement for their consequences, you
certainly have a logical and well thought point.
BTW, where has everyone found the 15K figure for wired reflexes 1 ? *My*
copy of Cybertechnology says 55K. Did I miss something ?

>I personally see street samurai as /gangers gone big-time/. I consider the

Which should explain why the love HtH combat and cheesy attitude so much.

>figures as fitting in with FASA's representaion, and as reasonable, seeing
>as how a gang is a way to make money - to get out of a hopeless situation
>to a better one. The more turf a gang can hold, the more money it can make.
>Are these gangs serious and nasty? Yup. That's why Lone Star doesn't do the
>barrens, and why the Central Government /did/ collapse, now being propped
>up by a handful of megacorporations. Obviously peoples opinions and
>experiences vary. Hope this helps some people out. People are perfectly
>within their rights to adjust street threat to fit their social/economy
>situation.

As you demonstrated, the situation in Seattle and elsewhere *should* be
much worse, like a low-intensity civil war (like the L.A. riots of a few
years back, maybe. I wasn't there). If the gangs have such a massive power,
why is Downtown still standing ? Ideas for justifying th existing balance
of power, anyone ?

Sebastien Andrivet
rogue@*****.fr
France / Europe
"I'm not gonna try to hit him. I'm gonna try to hit myself. Since my skill
with a staff is so low, I have a good chance of achieving critical failure
and hitting the wrong target, and there's only me and him around. So I
attack him by trying to hit myself".
- Fred
Message no. 3
From: lobo1@****.com (John E Pederson)
Subject: Re: Gangers
Date: Mon, 19 Aug 1996 17:17:49 PST
On Wed, 14 Aug 1996 15:03:49 GMT rogue@*****.fr (Sebastien Andrivet)
writes:
[snip on threat]
>BTW, where has everyone found the 15K figure for wired reflexes 1 ?
>*My*
>copy of Cybertechnology says 55K. Did I miss something ?
>
I don't have the original message now, but _I_ thought the original
sender was talking about _Boosted_ Reflexes level 1, which, AFAIK, is
only 15,000 nuyen...
[another snip]

>Sebastien Andrivet
>rogue@*****.fr
>France / Europe
>"I'm not gonna try to hit him. I'm gonna try to hit myself. Since my
>skill
>with a staff is so low, I have a good chance of achieving critical
>failure
>and hitting the wrong target, and there's only me and him around. So I
>attack him by trying to hit myself".
> - Fred
>
>
>
John Pederson
Message no. 4
From: "Gurth" <gurth@******.nl>
Subject: Re: Gangers
Date: Tue, 20 Aug 1996 13:38:59 +0100
Sebastien Andrivet said on 15:03/14 Aug 96...

> BTW, where has everyone found the 15K figure for wired reflexes 1 ? *My*
> copy of Cybertechnology says 55K. Did I miss something ?

Aren't you confusing Boosted and Wired Reflexes? The very last entry on
page 98 is boosted refs level 1, 15,000 nuyen. About 2/3rds down page 99,
there's Wired Refs level 1, for 55,000...

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
I get a little bit nervous
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/plastic.html <-

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Message no. 5
From: Robert Watkins <robertdw@*******.net.au>
Subject: Re: Gangers
Date: Tue, 20 Aug 96 21:44:18 +1100
> As you demonstrated, the situation in Seattle and elsewhere *should* be
>much worse, like a low-intensity civil war (like the L.A. riots of a few
>years back, maybe. I wasn't there). If the gangs have such a massive power,
>why is Downtown still standing ? Ideas for justifying th existing balance
>of power, anyone ?

The gangs have massive power because they have the turf they know.
Outside of that turf, they are less effective. In addition, the gangs
aren't really that strong... they aren't all that large (a BIG go-gang
appears to have only a few hundred members), their ordanance isn't all
that impressive, and they aren't all that disciplined. Tough for a police
force to handle, but not for an army, especially if you don't mind
blowing away some buildings.
The corps are willing to do that.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly: The gangs are mature
socio-economic creatures in 2050+. While the lower echelons resemble
gangers of today, the upper echelons are very much into money-making. The
corps are where the money is. (Okay, maybe the modern gangs are like
that, too)


--
* *
/_\ "A friend is someone who likes the same TV programs you do" /_\
{~._.~} "Eternal nothingness is fine if you happen {~._.~}
( Y ) to be dressed for it." -- Woody Allen ( Y )
()~*~() Robert Watkins robertdw@*******.com.au ()~*~()
(_)-(_) (_)-(_)

Further Reading

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