[Reaver]

I imagine there is some "law" enforcement in the barrens. They just don't wear a uniform and a badge

Street gangs would patrol their turf, looking for people causing trouble. (Hard to shake down people if they are getting robbed all the time).
Neighbourhood watch groups looking out for trouble. and what not.


When you are effectively cut off from the services of the city, you tend to provide these things for your selves.


If you want some real world examples, look at Jamaica and their slums, or the barrios of Rio.


In one campaign, the players skipped town and tried to set up shop in CalFree... but choose a immigrant barrens neighbourhood. Within 24 hours of moving in they where met by an very polite East Indian fellow that let them know that "they" would not tolerate violence in the community, but if the Runners where willing to play nice and respect the traditions of the community, they would be welcomed. If they choose not to respect the community... bad things happen all the time. The Players got the message and didn't make waves... and where even able to score a few (low) paying jobs with a few benefits.

[All4BigGuns]

It's kind of a pity there was no attempt to make a GOD score equivalent for the meat-world; a "Street Overwatch Division" if you will.

Wearing/carrying Restricted or Forbidden gear would accrue points, whether you have a permit or not. Minor "suspicious behaviors" like stealth and shadowing rolls, to non-violent  spellcasting, to matrix activity, as well as gunshots, or explosions (including magical ones) will likewise increase one's score, but respectively more significantly. This is contingent upon how observed the character is; if there's no one there to make a concerned comm-call,  the rate would be reduced to what's picked up and flagged by traffic/security cameras, or watcher spirits and patrols.

No it isn't a pity. It would be complete crap if they had have done such a thing because that is basically forcing a play style onto everyone.

[ZeConster]

True, something like that would be ruinous to any gameplay that even remotely smells of Pink Mohawk. And the bookkeeping would be horrendous.

[Davidvs]

It's kind of a pity there was no attempt to make a GOD score equivalent for the meat-world; a "Street Overwatch Division" if you will.

Wearing/carrying Restricted or Forbidden gear would accrue points, whether you have a permit or not. Minor "suspicious behaviors" like stealth and shadowing rolls, to non-violent  spellcasting, to matrix activity, as well as gunshots, or explosions (including magical ones) will likewise increase one's score, but respectively more significantly. This is contingent upon how observed the character is; if there's no one there to make a concerned comm-call,  the rate would be reduced to what's picked up and flagged by traffic/security cameras, or watcher spirits and patrols.

This doesn't quite make it safe to play "Urrrban Renool" in the Barrens with your trusty Krime Kannon, though... it just determines who responds. Even the block after block of unstacked bricks is someone's turf, whether a sprawlgang or some scavenging paracritter.

At some threshhold, you'll start getting a KE drone watching from a distance, or a car's worth of gangers doing a slow cruise past trying to determine who's stuff they can have for free, and how much work is involved in getting everyone else's stuff. Of course, they'll start accruing SOD score as well, attracting unwanted attention of their own.

Thus a group of PC's testing the theory of slitting a thousand throats in a night may leave a trail of gang violence and KE crackdowns in their wake that escalates to a thing of dark legend that contacts may not want to be even remotely associated with. Or maybe they would, depending on who wins and who loses. [Cutting PC's off from their contacts will eventually stifle the game. Don't go nuclear unless they do.]

I think this idea is very interesting in some respects.

Thinking about all the different groups/powers and areas of control: wouldn't it make it a nightmare for the GM to keep separate lists/ratings in each area? I can't see lumping it all into one rating because, unlike the matrix, one can opt to stay completely out of Evo's territory (for example) and corps don't share info. Which is one of the things that makes Shadowrunning possible, correct?

Also, isn't there a Public Awareness (may have the name incorrect) stat that kind of does this already?

[Reaver]

public awareness was how much your antics in the shadows reached the ears of the "common man"...

Like:
Ted Bundy
Seal Team 6
Billy the kidd


it is NOT the thing you want to grow, but as you gain karma, your gain a rep, and that rep eventually shines out of the shadows making you and your exploits (in)famous.