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Shadowrun
''Shadowrun'' is a science fantasy tabletop role-playing game set in an alternate future in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy, horror and detective fiction. From its inception in 1989, ''Shadowrun'' has remained among the most popular role-playing games. It has spawned a vast franchise that includes a series of novels, a collectible card game, two miniature-based tabletop wargames, and multiple video games. The title is taken from the game's main premise – a near-future world damaged by a massive magical event, where industrial espionage and corporate warfare runs rampant. A ''shadowrun'' – a successful data theft or physical break-in at a rival corporation or organization – is one of the main tools employed by both corporate rivals and underworld figures. Deckers (futuristic hackers) who can tap into an immersive, three-dimensional cyberspace are o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fantasy Productions
Fantasy Productions Medienvertriebsgesellschaft GmbH (a.k.a. FanPro) is a German publishing company based in Erkrath. History The company was founded in 1983 by Ulrich Kiesow, Werner Fuchs and Hans Joachim Alpers to produce small metal miniature figures. When the Droemer Knaur Verlag and the Schmidt Spiel & Freizeit GmbH published Kiesow's role playing game "Das Schwarze Auge", Kiesow organised the editorial work at FanPro. After the bankruptcy of the ''Schmidt Spiel & Freizeit GmbH'' in 1997, FanPro published ''Das Schwarze Auge'' by itself. FanPro LLC Fantasy Productions translated FASA products into German for years. When FASA closed in 2001, WizKids licensed some of FASA's old tabletop rights went to the principals of Fantasy Productions. Rob Boyle considered making a bid to license ''Shadowrun'', but before he could, Fantasy Productions expressed interest in Shadowrun themselves. Fantasy Productions founder Werner Fuchs invited Boyle to visit him in Germany, and Boy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Earthdawn
''Earthdawn'' is a fantasy role-playing game, originally produced by FASA in 1993. In 1999 it was licensed to Living Room Games, which produced the ''Second Edition''. It was licensed to RedBrick in 2003, who released the Classic Edition in 2005 and the game's Third Edition in 2009 (the latter through Mongoose Publishing's Flaming Cobra imprint). The license is now held by FASA Games, Inc. (from FASA), who have released the Fourth Edition, with updated mechanics and an advanced metaplot timeline. Vagrant Workshop released the ''Age of Legend'' edition in 2016 using alternative rules-lite mechanics. The game is similar to fantasy games like ''Dungeons & Dragons'', but draws more inspiration from games like ''RuneQuest''. The rules of the game are tightly bound to the underlying magical metaphysics, with the goal of creating a rich, logical fantasy world. Like many role-playing games from the nineties, ''Earthdawn'' focuses much of its detail on its setting, a province called Ba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Catalyst Game Labs
Catalyst Game Labs (CGL) was created in May 2007 by InMediaRes Productions, LLC for the purpose of publishing print ''Shadowrun'' and ''Classic BattleTech'' sourcebooks.InMediaRes Productions, LLC forms imprint Catalyst Game Labs (BattleCorps.com, May 15, 2007) In June 2007, WizKids transferred the licenses for both ''Shadowrun'' and ''Classic BattleTech'' from 's United States subsidiary, FanPro LLC, to Catalyst, and in June 2008, Catalyst announced new novels for ''Shadowrun'' and ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Hume (game Designer)
Paul Hume has been designing role-playing games since the mid 1970s. He co-wrote, with Bob Charrette, ''Bushido'', ''Aftermath!'', and '' Daredevils'' for Fantasy Games Unlimited. He is also a co-author of ''Shadowrun'', among other games. Career Paul Hume and George Nyhen designed the role-playing game ''Space Quest'', which was published in 1977 by Tyr Gamemakers. Hume and Bob Charrette designed the game ''Bushido'', which was first published in limited distribution by Hume through his small press company Tyr Games. ''Bushido'' was republished by Phoenix Games in 1980; Phoenix Games was also preparing to publish ''Aftermath!'' (1981) also by Hume and Charrette, but as the company went defunct, Fantasy Games Unlimited reprinted ''Bushido'' in 1981, and stickered their logo over the Phoenix Games logo on the cover of ''Aftermath!''. Hume and Charrette also collaborated on '' Daredevils'', published by FGU in 1982. Hume and Charette designed the ''Shadowrun'' role-playing game, fir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cybernetics, juxtaposed with societal collapse, dystopia or decay. Much of cyberpunk is rooted in the New Wave science fiction movement of the 1960s and 1970s, when writers like Philip K. Dick, Michael Moorcock, Roger Zelazny, John Brunner, J. G. Ballard, Philip José Farmer and Harlan Ellison examined the impact of drug culture, technology, and the sexual revolution while avoiding the utopian tendencies of earlier science fiction. Comics exploring cyberpunk themes began appearing as early as Judge Dredd, first published in 1977. Released in 1984, William Gibson's influential debut novel ''Neuromancer'' helped solidify cyberpunk as a genre, drawing influence from punk subculture and early hacker culture. Other influential cyberpunk ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cybernetics, juxtaposed with societal collapse, dystopia or decay. Much of cyberpunk is rooted in the New Wave science fiction movement of the 1960s and 1970s, when writers like Philip K. Dick, Michael Moorcock, Roger Zelazny, John Brunner, J. G. Ballard, Philip José Farmer and Harlan Ellison examined the impact of drug culture, technology, and the sexual revolution while avoiding the utopian tendencies of earlier science fiction. Comics exploring cyberpunk themes began appearing as early as Judge Dredd, first published in 1977. Released in 1984, William Gibson's influential debut novel ''Neuromancer'' helped solidify cyberpunk as a genre, drawing influence from punk subculture and early hacker culture. Other influential cyberpunk ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tom Dowd (game Designer)
Thomas A. Dowd is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games. Career Thomas Dowd was one of the writers who supported Fantasy Games Unlimited's role-playing game, ''Villains and Vigilantes''. The ''Shadowrun'' 2nd Edition rules from FASA, by Dowd with Paul Hume and Bob Charrette, won the Origins Award for Best Roleplaying Rules of 1992. In 1990, Dowd met Peter Adkison, who was trying to figure out how the gaming industry worked, and Dowd told Adkison to go to the Gama Trade Show. After Jonathan Tweet left White Wolf Publishing for Lion Rampant, Mark Rein-Hagen Mark Rein-Hagen, stylized as Mark Rein•Hagen (born 1964), is an American role-playing, card, video and board game designer best known as the creator of '' Vampire: The Masquerade'' and its associated ''World of Darkness'' games. Along with ... turned to Dowd for his new game about vampires. Dowd refined the dice pool system from ''Shadowrun'' for White Wolf's '' Vampire: The Masquerade'' (1991 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Urban Fantasy
Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy which places imaginary and unreal elements in an approximation of a contemporary urban setting. The combination provides the writer with quixotic plot-drivers, unusual character traits, and a platform for classic fantasy tropes, without demanding the creation of an entirely-imagined world. Although precursors of urban fantasy date back to the 19th century, the term dates back to the 1970s. The current popularity began in the 1980s, with writers encouraged by the success of Stephen King and Anne Rice. Characteristics Urban fantasy combines selected imaginary/unrealistic elements of plot, character, theme, or setting with a largely-familiar world—combining the familiar and the strange. Such elements may exist secretly in the world or may occur openly. Fantastic components may be magic, paranormal beings, recognizable mythic or folk-tale plots, or thematic tropes (a quest, battle of good/evil, &c.). Authors may use current ''urban myths'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sam Lewis (game Designer)
Sam Lewis is an American designer of board games and former line developer of the ''Renegade Legion'' line in FASA Corporation. He was also president of FASA for a time. Background He holds an MBA in economics from Northwestern University, which he obtained in 1983. In 1983, he was credited as the designers of Mayfair Games' ''Dragonriders of Pern'' licensed game after a novel by Anne McCaffrey. After Jordan Weisman founded the company which would become Virtual World Entertainment, Sam Lewis became president of FASA. By 1994, ''Renegade Legion'' had been dropped from production, and when Paul Lidberg - president of Crunchy Frog Enterprises - sought a full ''Battletech'' license from FASA, Lewis convinced Lidberg to license ''Renegade Legion'' instead. For FASA, he created the individual combat game '' Battletroops'' in their ''Battletech'' game universe, and is credited for the adaption thereof under the name ''DMZ'' in the ''Shadowrun'' universe. Apart from that, he was res ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics
Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics (ICE) is a term used in cyberpunk literature to refer to security programs which protect computerized data from being accessed by hackers. Origin of term The term was popularized by William Gibson in his short story "Burning Chrome", which also introduced the term '' cyberspace'', and in his subsequent novel ''Neuromancer''. According to the Jargon File, as well as Gibson's own acknowledgements, the term ICE was originally coined by Tom Maddox. Description of ICE When viewed in a cyberspace virtual reality environment, these constructs are often represented by actual walls of ice, stone, or metal. Black ICE refers to ICE that are capable of killing the intruder if deemed necessary or appropriate; some forms of black ICE may be artificially intelligent. Real-world usage Though real-life firewalls, anti-virus software and similar programs fall under this classification, the term has little real world significance and remains primarily a s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tabletop Role-playing Game
A tabletop role-playing game (typically abbreviated as TRPG or TTRPG), also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a form of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a set formal system of rules and guidelines. Within the rules, players have the freedom to improvise; their choices shape the direction and outcome of the game. The terms ''pen-and-paper'' and ''tabletop'' are generally only used to distinguish this format of RPG from other formats, since neither pen and paper nor a table are strictly necessary. Gameplay Overview In most games, a specially designated player typically called the game master (GM) purchases or prepares a set of rules and a fictional setting in which each player acts out the role of a single character. The GM describes the game world and its inhabit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Magic (paranormal)
Magic, sometimes spelled magick, is an ancient praxis rooted in sacred rituals, spiritual divinations, and/or cultural lineage—with an intention to invoke, manipulate, or otherwise manifest supernatural forces, beings, or entities in the natural, incarnate world. It is a categorical yet often ambiguous term which has been used to refer to a wide variety of beliefs and practices, frequently considered separate from both religion and science. Although connotations have varied from positive to negative at times throughout history, magic continues to have an important religious and medicinal role in many cultures today. Within Western culture, magic has been linked to ideas of the Other, foreignness, and primitivism; indicating that it is "a powerful marker of cultural difference" and likewise, a non-modern phenomenon. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Western intellectuals perceived the practice of magic to be a sign of a primitive mentality and also commo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
