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Message no. 1
From: MC23 <mc23@**********.COM>
Subject: [SR3] Runners and World Interaction
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 01:42:59 -0400
With Shadowrun 3rd edition there should be a change in focus on =
the haunts of the Shadowrunners. Everything up till now has focused =
on runners only specializing in their home town. Basically this focus =
on where to run is all wrong! The 3rd edition can set the stage for a =
change. A move away from the city state mentality needs to be made. =
Campaigns shouldn¹t be city centric when the "global village" of =
the future is a collision of cultures.
Runners are too specialized in just one city right now even when =
the concept of lying low in the same town after a dangerous run is =
realistically near suicidal. With that in mind why would a runner =
even want to undertake a run in his backyard unless he was planning =
on moving. Shadowrunners are freelancers and as such always needs to =
go where the money is. Even if a patron is found, their interest will =
often be found in other localities. Part of what being a shadowrunner =
is after all is being on the move.
This is also the inherit Achilles heel in Shadowrun location =
source books. World events only touch the players if it does happen =
to be in their town that the news takes place. This kind of setup is =
slicing one¹s wrist on ever venturing forth into new territories. =
Changing this focus is really rather easy, especially if the =
foundation for it was in SR3. The new short story in the beginning =
(if indeed there is one) while it should be set in Seattle (a good =
starting point after all) could make it a subtle point to mention =
that after running in Chiba, Chicago, and New York that is was good =
to be back at home. A slight influence like this can easily adjust =
how players now view the Shadowrun world and that is about all it =
really takes.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><=
>

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. 2
From: "Wendy Wanders, Subject 117" <KGGEWEHR@******.ACS.MUOHIO.EDU>
Subject: Re: [SR3] Runners and World Interaction
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 17:36:53 -0500
You wrote:
> With Shadowrun 3rd edition there should be a change in focus on the haunts of
the Shadowrunners. Everything up till now has focused on runners only specializing in
their home town. Basically this focus on where to run is all wrong! The 3rd edition can
set the stage for a change. A move away from the city state mentality needs to be made.
Campaigns shouldn¹t be city centric when the "global village" of the future
is a collision of cultures.
> Runners are too specialized in just one city right now even when the concept of
lying low in the same town after a dangerous run is realistically near suicidal. With that
in mind why would a runner even want to undertake a run in his backyard unless he was
planning on moving. Shadowrunners are freelancers and as such always needs to go where the
money is. Even if a patron is found, their interest will often be found in other
localities. Part of what being a shadowrunner is after all is being on the move.
> This is also the inherit Achilles heel in Shadowrun location source books. World
events only touch the players if it does happen to be in their town that the news takes
place. This kind of setup is slicing one¹s wrist on ever venturing forth into new
territories. Changing this focus is really rather easy, especially if the foundation for
it was in SR3. The new short story in the beginning (if indeed there is one) while it
should be set in Seattle (a good starting point after all) could make it a subtle point to
mention that after running in Chiba, Chicago, and New York that is was good to be back at
home. A slight influence like this can easily adjust how players now view the Shadowrun
world and that is about all it really takes.
The problem here is that most runners are SINless, and travel is thus very
expensive (faked IDs and the like, or being 'smuggled' out and into the next
city. And if you have a SIN, it's a big disadvantage as a runner, as info on
you is available to those willing to spend enough time looking.

losthalo
Message no. 3
From: MC23 <mc23@**********.COM>
Subject: Re: [SR3] Runners and World Interaction
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 1997 23:30:05 -0400
Wendy Wanders, Subject 117 once dared to write,

>The problem here is that most runners are SINless, and travel is thus very
>expensive (faked IDs and the like, or being 'smuggled' out and into the next
>city. And if you have a SIN, it's a big disadvantage as a runner, as info on
>you is available to those willing to spend enough time looking.

It's all in the cost of doing business. Who said being a
Shadowrunner is an easy one.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

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. 4
From: David Hinkley <dhinkley@***.ORG>
Subject: Re: [SR3] Runners and World Interaction
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 1997 01:45:52 +0000
On 19 Aug 97 at 1:42, MC23 wrote:

> With Shadowrun 3rd edition there should be a change in focus on
> the haunts of the Shadowrunners. Everything up till now has
> focused on runners only specializing in their home town.
> Basically this focus on where to run is all wrong!

I am not so sure that this is the case. The runners bring three
things to the bargining table, their skills, their equipment and
their knowledge of the prospective operating area. In most cases this
local knowledge is of thier hometown.

As soon as the team begins to operate world wide they begin to run
up against factors that limit what they can bring to the table.
Import resrictions place limits on the types and amount of equipment
they can bring with them. Yes, there are ways (i.e. basing off a
ship) to get around these. And they are limited in local knowledge,
and most contacts are of the freind of a friend varitey.

Yes there is a danger working in your own backyard. I do belive that
most runners would be regional in scope. Further some regions are
more suitable then others for this type of operation. Europe and the
east coast of North America offer severalseveral large cities in
close proximity, making it easier to have good local familarity and
not have to run in your own backyard. Seattle on the otherhand is
one of four isolated cities on the West Coast. Movement is not easy
between Seattle, Portland or San Francisco. The number of runners
who could operate easily in more then one of these cities is very
limited.

This not to say that there are no runners with the skills, contacts
and rep to work world wide, only that they are not common. The
common runner works in a limited local area that he is very familure
with, in many cases it is just part of a city.

By the way it is possible to hide in a large city, the same city that
you run in provided you are careful. If you are not careful the
entire world can be to small to hide in.



David Hinkley
dhinkley@***.org

====================================================
Those who are too intelligent to engage in politics
are punished by being governed by those who are not
--Plato

Further Reading

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