| From: | "Paul J. Adam" <Paul@********.DEMON.CO.UK> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Books |
| Date: | Fri, 28 Apr 1995 20:39:42 GMT |
> Paul wrote:
> >>> The London Sourcebook unfortunately might be useful to an outsider,
> >>> but its
> >>> infuriation factor to British players is enormous... Unfortunately
> >>> FASA didn't do as well as usual in their vision of Britain.
>
> Just as well this thread came up as it was the next book on my list.
> Is it really all that bad? or is it just some areas, I also wanted
> to know if it dealt with mainly London or covered other areas of Britain.
It concentrates on London but most of the country gets outlined.
> Future runs were going to be north england and possibly scotland. While
> I know what these areas are like now and have a fair idea for the
> atmosphere, I have no idea of how 2050's england fits into the general
> scheme of things. Like does availibility of firearms dramatically
> increase or will shadowrunners have to be more careful/subtle than in
> seatle or whatever?
In theory guns are rarer. In practice, the only published run (Imago) in
Britain had you able to get almost anything you were likely to need. Not
something I liked... as a FAC holder I know how hard *decent* guns are to
come by. There are lots of sawn-off shotguns and World War 2 antiques
around, but if you want a Glock automatic, get it legally or forget it.
What would change that in their timeline? Nothing that I saw.
> But it'll be a bit of a shame if the unique flavour totally contradicts
> my idea of what my country both is like now and might become.
If you aren't British, it's probably good material. Just don't assume it
bears any relation to the real United Kingdom :-) After all, I don't expect
to see psychopathic gangs, arcologies et al if I ever visit Seattle, and I
don't know how well 2050s Seattle follows on from today's. If you are, then
you'll probably have real trouble assimilating it credibly into your game.
> >> remind yourself that this is fiction, and not an
>
> It should still be vaguely credible, that can make the difference
> between good fiction and bad fiction.
It didn't seem credible. Too many gaps and mistakes.
> > there's more than enough problems here at
> > the moment that you could easily expand them into a passably *credible*
> > future,
> True, but it also has to offer something for the shadowrun scene as a
> whole (I don't know if it does this).
It didn't in any way that seemed usable to us. I think our perspective on
it was wrong. As a sourcebook it's not bad: as I said, you have to be able
to seperate it from the material it purports to cover.
> Its too late to change it now but
> assuming its not worth while is there any other source material for a
> dark future britain? anything in all the things floating around the net
> that everyone else gets to refer to etc.. i.e. any suggestions for
> alternate material?
Give us time and we'll see ;-)
> > About as accurate as Dick van Dyke's "cockney" accent in "Mary
Poppins":-
> > "Hoh, hit's a jolly 'oliedye wiv yew, mairee Pawpins!"
>
> I guess you _really_ didn't like it if your gonna put them on par :)
> So how do you deal with it? written your own version, or just make it up
> as you go along?
Make it up based on what we know and what *we* think will happen. It's just
sort of evolved... like the Dragon who objects to fox-hunting. She eats the
huntsmen and their horses. "After all, they're noisy vermin, and it's good
sport..."
> > Read The Great William Gibson(tm)'s "Mona Lisa Overdrive" for a more
> > accurate description of our 2050's London. And don't leave Covent
> > Garden out: it's one of our favourite places.
>
> Ah, now theres a point I thought london would have subsided by 2050,
> i.e. its currently sinking at an uncomfortable rate :)
> combined with rising water levels, I thought the doom sayers reckoned
> we'd have to change the capital in about 50 years time :)
> (a bit like the image of london in split second - good film)
I liked that one and we adapted it. Lynch fits Rutger Hauer's character
pretty well in some ways: less edgy, though. Venice lasted a long time, no
reason London couldn't. Just keep baling... :-)
--
When you have shot and killed a man, you have defined your attitude towards
him. You have offered a definite answer to a definite problem. For better
or for worse, you have acted decisively.
In fact, the next move is up to him.
Paul J. Adam paul@********.demon.co.uk
