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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: "David L. Hoff" <DLHOFF@****.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Merc opponents and missions?
Date: Sat, 3 Dec 1994 08:35:00 CDT
Greetings!

My gaming group has been frothing at the mouth ever since Fields of Fire came
out. "When are you gonna let us play with the new toys?", that sort of thing.
Well, I have decided to give them their shot at the new stuff by starting a
Merc campaign. The players will be members of an elite strike team (something
of a cross between a military special forces group, and an anti-terrorist
team), and will be sent on many different missions in different parts of the
world.

In order to pull this off, I need some suggestions/ideas from all of you on
several different topics:

FoF mentions some "hot spots", and gives a _very_ vague idea of what sort of
things are going on there. I am wondering if anyone has read in any of the
SR novels anything which gives more details about Aztlan, South America,
the Middle East, etc and the current political situation.

Secondly, what do you think the military forces of some of the countries will
be like? Will there be much cyber/tech toys floating around? I can see Aztlan
having a lot on both sides, but what about someplace like the Middle East?

Finally, does anyone know what the UN and NATO are like in Shadowrun? I can't
seem to find any info about them, although I seem to remember reading
something somewhere about the UN being relocated.

Thnaks in advance for your time. Any info/ideas would be appreciated.

--David L. Hoff
dlhoff@****.wisc.edu

p.s.- does anyone know if FASA is planning on releasing any info like what I
described? I am still surprised that FASA created a "merc"


supplement but
didn't provide enough info to actually _run_ any merc missions.
Message no. 2
From: "Thomas W. Craig" <Craigtw1@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Merc opponents and missions?
Date: Sat, 3 Dec 1994 13:24:18 -0500
Well, I would think that Amazonia and Peru(probably controlled by the Incan
Indians) would be have A LOT of skirmishes, at the least. The UN and NATO
are pretty much powerless, just like they are in today's world. (Bosnia)
<GRIN> As for Aztlan, well maybe a few fights with the Yucatan, common
skirmishes with Cal-Free and CAS. With maybe a few with NAN, only with the
Pueblo Corporate Council. As for Africa, I have no idea.
Tom Craig
Message no. 3
From: Lucifer <MFISHER@*****.VINU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Merc opponents and missions?
Date: Sat, 3 Dec 1994 14:41:23 EST
David L. Hoff said:
> Greetings!
>
> My gaming group has been frothing at the mouth ever since Fields
of Fire came
> out. "When are you gonna let us play with the new toys?", that sort
of thing.
> Well, I have decided to give them their shot at the new stuff by
starting a
> Merc campaign. The players will be members of an elite strike team
(something
> of a cross between a military special forces group, and an
anti-terrorist
> team), and will be sent on many different missions in different parts
of the
> world.

How about government hired mercs trying to bring down mega-corps
and restore more power to the government?:-)

> In order to pull this off, I need some suggestions/ideas from all of
you on
> several different topics:
>
> FoF mentions some "hot spots", and gives a _very_ vague idea of
what sort of
> things are going on there. I am wondering if anyone has read in any
of the
> SR novels anything which gives more details about Aztlan, South
America,
> the Middle East, etc and the current political situation.
>
> Secondly, what do you think the military forces of some of the
countries will
> be like? Will there be much cyber/tech toys floating around? I can
see Aztlan
> having a lot on both sides, but what about someplace like the
Middle East?

Try reading "Nights Pawn." It gives a vague(very vague)idea about
the Aztlan military. It also gives some idea of Eastern Europe.
Nothing about the Mid-East though.
Message no. 4
From: Jeff Norrell <norrell@*******.ME.UTEXAS.EDU>
Subject: Re: Merc opponents and missions?
Date: Sat, 3 Dec 1994 17:38:22 +0600
Someone once mentioned a run the GMed with the players trooping through
a jungle... What about having the runners hired to overthrow a dictator
or quell an uprising in some small banana republic (no offense to the
store of the same name)? I don't know if small countries will still
exist in the 2050s but remember, it's fiction, so whatever you want
is bound to be good enough. Unless you're like me, one of your players
likes improvisation, just as long as its his improvisation. Any surprise
I spring is me 'playing loose' with the rules in his interpretation.

Sorry about that last rambling bit. Let me know if you use these ideas and
how they went. I'm thinking of doing something with them myself.

Jeff
Message no. 5
From: Gurth <gurth@***.NL>
Subject: Re: Merc opponents and missions?
Date: Sun, 4 Dec 1994 15:40:48 +0100
[boel gelul]

> Secondly, what do you think the military forces of some of the countries will
> be like? Will there be much cyber/tech toys floating around? I can see Aztlan
> having a lot on both sides, but what about someplace like the Middle East?

Going by the RBB, the CAS at least fields main battle tanks (MBTs), but I
believe Fields of Fire somewhere mentions that most military operations
are mostly small-unit actions in godforsaken places. Concerning
cyber/bioware, it appears like mercs go for the stuff that gives them a
higher chance of coming out alive (don't we all? :), and it also looks
like just about everybody has some. Magic isn't too common according to FoF.

> Finally, does anyone know what the UN and NATO are like in Shadowrun? I can't
> seem to find any info about them, although I seem to remember reading
> something somewhere about the UN being relocated.

The UN relocated because of the New York earthquake at the end of the
1990s or the early 2000s, but I don't think How It Came To Pass says what
happened afterward. Still, if I'm right SR2 also mentions somewhere that
the UN has recognized certain species as sentient, so they must still be
around. Anyone's guess what power they have, though...corps all but rule
the world, right? And the name "United NATIONS" if you ask me implies
that corps don't fall under it...

> described? I am still surprised that FASA created a "merc"
> supplement but
> didn't provide enough info to actually _run_ any merc missions.

Hey! I remember reading in a FASA flyer (early 1993) that there was
supposed to be an "Ares Security Catalog" or something. Could it be that
they simply renamed it Fields of Fire ?

Gurth@***.nl | GEEK CODE (v2.1): GS/AT/! -d+ H s:- !g P?(3) !au
21st century digital boy | !a>? w+(+++) v*(---) C+(++) U P? !L !3 E? N++ K-
I don't know how to live | W+ -po+(po) Y+ t(+) 5 !j R+(++)>+++$ tv+(++) b+@
But I got a lot of toys | D+(++) B? e+ u+@ h! f--(?) !r(--)(*) n---->!n y?
Message no. 6
From: "Thomas W. Craig" <Craigtw1@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Merc opponents and missions?
Date: Sun, 4 Dec 1994 10:16:15 -0500
The Ares Security Catalog was the Street Samurai Catalog I and II, namely the
second third of the book.
Tom Craig
Message no. 7
From: Gurth <gurth@***.NL>
Subject: Re: Merc opponents and missions?
Date: Mon, 5 Dec 1994 18:38:50 +0100
> The Ares Security Catalog was the Street Samurai Catalog I and II, namely the
> second third of the book.

I know, but in that flyer it says something about an "Ares Security
Catalog 2053", which leades me to believe it was meant to be a separate
(and new) book.

Gurth@***.nl | GEEK CODE (v2.1): GS/AT/! -d+ H s:- !g P?(3) !au
21st century digital boy | !a>? w+(+++) v*(---) C+(++) U P? !L !3 E? N++ K-
I don't know how to live | W+ -po+(po) Y+ t(+) 5 !j R+(++)>+++$ tv+(++) b+@
But I got a lot of toys | D+(++) B? e+ u+@ h! f--(?) !r(--)(*) n---->!n y?
Message no. 8
From: Stainless Steel Rat <ratinox@***.NEU.EDU>
Subject: Merc opponents and missions?
Date: Mon, 5 Dec 1994 13:33:19 -0500
>>>>> "Gurth" == Gurth <gurth@***.NL> writes:

Gurth> I know, but in that flyer it says something about an "Ares Security
Gurth> Catalog 2053", which leades me to believe it was meant to be a
Gurth> separate (and new) book.

Most likely that's the revised Street Samurai Catalog, the one with second
edition tables in it.

--
Rat <ratinox@***.neu.edu> |Ingredients of Happy Fun Ball include an
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/ratinox|unknown glowing substance which fell to
PGP Public Key: Ask for one today! |Earth, presumably from outer space.

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