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Missions and general SR timeline

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MisterJohnson

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« on: <01-06-12/1610:48> »
Hoi.

Color me confused, chummers, but I am a little fuzzy on the current timeline.  There has been a long-standing understanding (in my mind) that 'Shadowrun' takes place 60 years from today.  That changed to 65 with Catalyst somehow.

However, SoA: 2073 was just released.  So, does that mean we are now at 61 years in the future.  If so, I am fine with it ...but a little confused as to Catalysts' note that SR is 65 years into the future.  Is that a hard-encoded number based on them getting the license to SR in 2007, and placing events in 2072?  Perhaps, but if that's the case - then their publishing timeline slowed down and it's really only 61 now - which means it's 2073 in the game world.

Also, the reason I am posting this issue here is that I am trying to make a complete timeline of all the 'official' adventures -- including the Missions.  I would have presumed that Season 4 started in late 2071 and is currently in early 2072.  However, I reference the release of SoA 2073 - and wonder if we suddenly skipped a year somewhere.

To that end, do Mission seasons take place...

Season 1 = 2069
Season 2 = 2070
Season 3 = 2071
Season 4 = 2072

...or perhaps Missions 4 is in 2073, and we really are now 66 years in the future ??  If so, when do the other missions take place?

I can understand some time slip because of the change-over between Wizkids and Catalyst - but, it would be cool to find out some sort official timeline.  I might be getting way too technical, but I'd like to know.

Thanks for clarification.
« Last Edit: <01-06-12/1745:14> by MisterJohnson »
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Ryushiroi

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« Reply #1 on: <01-06-12/1645:18> »
While the Seasons do pair up somewhat like that, there are a few kinks.

Not least of which that episode 4 of Season 2 (a 25-26 episode season) is set in April.

Really hard to keep the timeline running during those incidents.

MisterJohnson

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« Reply #2 on: <01-06-12/1806:37> »
Interesting.

I have dug a little deeper and find the following publishing dates, then forward them +60 years.

Season 1:  Printed in 2004 (Wizkids)   ...   so that's 2064
Season 2:  Printed in 2006 (Wizkids)   ...   so that's 2066
Season 3:  Printed in 2009 (Catalyst)   ...   so that's 2069
Season 4:  Printed in 2011 (Catalyst)   ...   so that's 2071 (which is spilling into 2072)

That all makes perfect sense, using the "+60" rule.  What still drek's me up is the SoA 2073 - which new feels to be a year early.

Looking forward to more chatter on this.
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Bull

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« Reply #3 on: <01-06-12/1902:51> »
Unfortunately SR 4 had a period (both during teh FanPro days and later during the earlier CGL days) when they hit a few production snags.  Shadowrun 4 has been in print for over 6 years now (6 1/2 next month), but the Storyline has only progressed 4 years this far.  The most recent release, Corporate intrigue, has an "in game" date of December 2073, so we're just now entering 2074.

Missions, on the other hand, is in a wierder place.

Season 1 and 2 were done as fan-produced projects.  Season 1 was still 3rd edition, so it falls into 2064 at the latest.  There are no exact dates for it.  Season 2 is 4th edition, which starts in 2070 and runs through 2071 (It was 26 or so Missions). 

Season 3 was loosely 2071-2 (There were a number of production delays with Season 3, partly related to the delays with the main line)

Season 4 is assumed to start at the end of 2071.  December to be exact.  The first two Missions that really start nailing the Seattle Missions timeline into place are actually two Convention Missions, CMP 2010-02 Copycat Killer and CMP 2010-03 Ashes.  (CMP 2010-02 is available as a free bonus when you buy SRM 04-05: on a Silver Platter.  Ashes will be out soonish.)  Both of these specifically take place after Knight Errant takes over the city contract for Seattle, and they lay the groundwork for some of what we decided to do with Season 4.  A handout included in CMP 2010-02 is dated February of 2072, and is at least 3 months old when the players receive it.

For storyline purposes, I assume that 2010-02 takes place in May, and 2010-03 takes place in June.

SRM 04-00: Back in Business starts in December 2072, though tehre's nothing in the book to really date it, other than a reference to the events of 2010-02 and 2010-03 as being "last summer". 

From tehre, I'm assuming one month per Mission, for teh purposes of story.  Anytime the Missions refer back to earlier events, they sill say "It happened 2 months ago" if it was 2 Missions ago.  The final Mission in the Buried underground plotline, which deals with some city politics and a vote regarding teh fate of the Underground happens in November 2073, and will happen in SRM 04-11.  So I'm adhering to that timeline, even though we're currently behind the main gameline a little bit.

Due to production snafus (Mainly, we have too few people and too many products came out this year, and Missions often got pushed back), we have not been able to maintain the 1 Mission per Month schedule I wanted to maintain for the main SRM line (We did also produce 8 Convention Missions this year), and ended up averaging 1 Mission every 2 months.  I'm hoping to force the schedule back on track this year.  04-06 is on deck, just awaiting some final approvals, and 04-07 is approaching the finish line, for example.

Anyway, probably more info than you were looking for :)  I do taht when i talk Missions. :)

Short answer:

Season 1 - 2064
Season 2 - 2070-2071
Season 3 - 2071-2072
Season 4 - 2073-2074*

(There are more Season 4 Missions planned after 04-12, and they will roll into 2074 then)

Bull


MisterJohnson

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« Reply #4 on: <01-06-12/2011:13> »
This is good feedback.  So, can we unofficially say that we are officially now 62 years in the future for SR?   If so, then this would make sense now why SoA 2073 just came out, as it's a 'wrap-up' of the past years technical advancements.  So, as of me writing this post - we would be in 6 Jan 2074 in the game.  Do I have that right?

I am fine with being 62 years out.  This makes a lot of logistical sense for other plot points and such.  It's what I will use until the drek hits the rotor-blades and some slummer files a complaint with Lone Star.

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Bull

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« Reply #5 on: <01-06-12/2032:38> »
>>>>>[Over in the Virtual Underworld 93 play by post forums, we use the classic Shadowland posting style with the Time/Date stamp.  And we generally assume any post tehre is exactly 62 years in the future :) ]<<<<<
     -- Bull (20:31:22/01-06-74)

Ryushiroi

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« Reply #6 on: <01-07-12/1744:19> »
Well, based on what happens in the second-to-last mission of Season 2 being stated as happening in canon in later 2070...

My gamemaster can't stop talking about that mission when he went through it...

Though I'm still wondering if HIS GM was a bastard for having him piss off Ghostwalker that much...

MisterJohnson

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« Reply #7 on: <01-26-12/2121:05> »
>>>>>[Over in the Virtual Underworld 93 play by post forums, we use the classic Shadowland posting style with the Time/Date stamp.  And we generally assume any post tehre is exactly 62 years in the future :) ]<<<<<
     -- Bull (20:31:22/01-06-74)

Resurrecting this horse...  I was just reading through the main book and my happened upon this line int the main SR4A rulebook, page 18, it starts...

"Shadowrun is set only sixty-three years in the future..."

Oh my.  Well, everything that has been printed to date, and the discussion we've had on this thread indicates that actually, it's 62 years in the future.  Setting 4E in 2072, and printing the 20A book in 1989, mathematically works out to 63, but for whatever reason - the follow-up to that initial line has lagged by a year in the products printed since.  62 makes sense, and so it should be noted.

Could someone from Catalyst put this on their (no doubt) lengthy list of errata for the next update to the SR4A Rulebook?  Make that first line on page 18 read, "sixty-two years"?

Humbly, I request.  Thanks!
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Bull

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« Reply #8 on: <01-27-12/0153:56> »
The problem is that number has varied seevral times in the past.  When Shadowrun launched, it was 61 years in the future (1989 to 2050).  When SR3 launched in 1998, FASA decided to launch at a flat, even year, so they bumped the timeline to 2060, making it 62 years in teh future.

The final 3rd edition book took place in 2064/2065.  SR4 starts off with a 5 year time jump, in 2070, and was launched in 2005.  So suddenly we're at a 65 year gap.

Since then, then there have been several publishing "gaps" due to various events (Wizkids getting sold to Topps, FanPro closing down and CGL taking over, etc), so the publishing schedule has been uneven at times.

When the Anniversary Edition was published, it was back to 63 years. 

At this point, we're just chugging along.  We've been on a pretty regular publishing schedule for the last year and a half, and we're getting things out when tehy need to be, most of the time (Missions being an exception, which is totally my fault).  But it's possible that things will change again in teh future.  So trying to eratta a book every time it changes doesn't really make much sense. 

Your best bet to follow the official timeline is simply check the Jackpoint Login page at the front of new products.  The date tehre gives you an indication of where the book falls in the timeline, and is the best way to judge what the current "in game date" actually is, because 2/63 years isn't a rpecise number, it's simply an approximation.

(For VU93, I set it to correspond with the Todays Date +62 Years, simply to make life simple and to maintain a certain "Real time" feel to the VU93 boards.  Keep in mind though that VU93 is just a Play By Post forum for fun :))

Bull

CanRay

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« Reply #9 on: <01-27-12/1203:25> »
Hey, Bull, work harder!  Beat those Freelancers until they get things done ahead of time and you get back on track!!!  ;D

Nah man, we know you work hard, and understand.
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MisterJohnson

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« Reply #10 on: <01-27-12/1328:40> »
All that said, I am personally going to stick with 62, because it makes the most sense in *my* view.  The most striking evidence is that if we use 63, then the *just published* SoA: 2073 is old tech by over a year.  However, if 2074 just started, and it was 'printed' at the end of 2073 - then that makes sense as a wrap-up the previous years tech.  Other evidence is VU93.

Sorry to be too specific, but it's my nature to need clear focus.  Some things I can handle being loosy-goosy, but timeline specifics drive me crazy if I can't pin them down.

Anyways, 62.

Peace, chummer.  Thanks!
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CanRay

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« Reply #11 on: <01-27-12/1643:45> »
I thought the answer was 42?

...

Oh, right, wrong series, sorry.
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Black

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« Reply #12 on: <01-28-12/0010:03> »
I thought the answer was 42?

...

Oh, right, wrong series, sorry.

The answer is 42... we just don't know what the question is... (number of Jackpointers?  Number of runners who ended their careers as Lowfyr snacks?  Age that CanRay reaches before getting a chance to play shadowrun?)

Hey CanRay,  I can hook you up with a game... if you can make it down to Australia...
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