Zorbeltuss wrote:Hmmmm. You sort of did a lot of copy-paste from corporate guide (which I have read not too long ago), and then throw up a question about factions which doesn't seem to relate to any of it.
Yes, Guilty as Charged! My main goal was simply to present information about the Renraku Corporation to others in lieu of them having no clue WTF it was. The inquiry after about players wanting to portray members of Renraku or their opposition was an “OSHI-“ afterthought from having posted so damned much information already. I say this because I didn't even ask you WTF you wanted to try and experience. After all, this is "our" game to enjoy.
Overall, I wanted this thread to be one of those sitdown over beer and pizza sessions where we all say “Ok, so we're playing Shadowrun. How do we want to play it and what the heck do we want to do as a group? Standard scum runs? Something “exotic†such as an all Medic/Cop/Corp oriented group? Try something new all together? etc. The first thoughts that popped into my mind were those of something revolving around the Renraku Corporation.
Reading about how long Renraku had been quiet in the corporate world and its essential breakdown intrigued me. I then went on to formulate a basic idea in my head about some kind of internal struggle breaking out within the corporation. Enter my scenario about a secret order dedicated to trying to further “modernize†the Japanese conglomerate by ridding it of a long-term history of racial prejudice. Once again merely a series of ideas. We could very well play the game in some other location of the world. I just wanted to try and see what your thoughts upon the matter were. Sorry if I didn't clarify this sooner.
Zorbeltuss wrote:Anyhow, "hinder and redirect" sounds an awful lot like a scale shadowrun isn't really meant for. Expendable Assets is what runners are, mainly doing stuff to further somebody else's hidden agenda. Now, Renraku is known for liking to have runner teams "on retainer".
True. I got ahead of myself on this one. The basic component of any Shadowrun game are the Shadowrunners themselves. Hired experts to do a job that a company would not want to themselves normally (openly) due to the consequences of doing so. It's even pre-established already that these companies go out of their way to secretly contact their employees through “go-to†personnel known as Mr. Johnsons.
What I was "trying" to do here was hint at and describe the basic core elements of our campaign, long-term, without leaking too many details of what to expect. In summary, should we go through with the Japanese Renraku idea, I could easily see our fellow runners earning the respect of their employers through whatever premable missions that they go through. Once enough respect is earned, they would in turn, be introduced to some top players within Renraku - or at least their Mr. Johnsons. The next series of adventures would be those of trying to uncover evidence of specific events that would (in theory) help to break down the walls of Japanese prejudice against the Awakening and Metahumans. Hopefully this makes more sense now?
Zorbeltuss wrote:Me? I generally need a few bones thrown at me that I can start making the skeleton of the character and then attach meat to it. So it's hard to say exactly what I might come up with, and what sort of storyline would fit. I have been tempted to make a Japanese Racial Supremacist, such a character would probably not work with the second option.
I'm merely eating the chicken my friend. It's up to all of us which bones get thrown around and what type of chicken (campaign story setting) I eat for that matter.
Personal Thoughts? A Japanese Racial Supremacist and Human Mage with resentment towards the way things are in Japan could very well be the beginnings of an awesome sibling combo if you ask me. Torn between honor/duty and family, etc. Then again, this is based on the assumption of us going through with the initial proposal.
We could, just as easily, generalize our starting campaign to that of Pan-Asian Japan. Whatever adventures and mishaps that occur along the way, merely the result of taking one job and refusing another.
We could also just as easily relocate the campaign setting to another part of the globe. Hong Kong is a great place to cheat death on a daily basis as is parts of Africa. I just wanted to try something other than the atypical "I start in Seattle and live on the streets" type of setting. Those have been overplayed in the past three editions of this game.
So if you would be so kind, consider this the true "Start" of our gaming experience and enjoy your proverbial "Beer and Pizza" as we further discuss what we would like to play and where we would like to play it.
I leave the floor open to you all...