Hudson City: The Urban Abyss

[TheQuestionMan]

What do you want to see in "Hudson City: The Urban Abyss". I know it's earily to start this thread, but I have been working on my own "Dark Champions: Heroes of Vengence" campaign concepts.

One of the things that comes up most often is the need for MAPS. Not just Battle Maps (although they are my favourites), but City Maps, Road Maps, Building Elevations, Organized Crime and Gang Territories), SubWay, Maintenance, and Sewers maps (or mini combat Maps to gain perspective).

Dock Yards, Rail Yards, Slums, etc... It's all well and good to mark it with a dot and label, but the mood of the setting becomes really important in this setting.

Or you could source out the material. Add Web Site Links to such areas, etc...

Thank you DoJ for reviving HERO.

QM

P.S.: I now own all HS5 released books.

[Steve Long]

Obviously there are going to be plenty of maps of the city, its neighborhoods, and so on. The more specific maps you refer to aren't appropriate for HC; that's the sort of thing you'll find in next year's Dark Champions Battlegrounds.

As for the sewers, unless and until I can find a decent book about how they're planned, designed, and function, don't hold your breath. Considering that I've asked a couple of city planners and an engineer or two, and looked at a couple of technical bookstores, and found nada, I'm not holding my breath, either.

[Hermit]

If I recall, there are 666 urban layers....


Pardon, couldn't help it.
This sounds good, it will be DARN hard to top the 4th Ed Hudson City supplement though. One thing I'd like to see, IF there is room, might be a 'sample neighborhood' (Obviously you can't cover them all) complete with a few NPCs (full character sheets nice, but hardly a must) and examples of some of the troubles it faces and where the PCs might fit in (Trickier, now that vigilantes is not the default, but still possible I think).

Mind you, that might be a better idea for the just mentioned "Dark Champions Battleground" but I still think it would add some more atmosphere in the main HC book.

[BobGreenwade]

As for the sewers, unless and until I can find a decent book about how they're planned, designed, and function, don't hold your breath. Considering that I've asked a couple of city planners and an engineer or two, and looked at a couple of technical bookstores, and found nada, I'm not holding my breath, either.

Maybe that's the problem -- when dealing with sewers, you should hold your breath!

[TheQuestionMan]

Here's a few useful links I found after reading Steve's comments.

Underground, Tunnels , and Sewer Maps.

London Underground**
http://www.acclaimposters.com/topic_...-4502-apc.html

Boston Tunnels***
http://members.aol.com/eddanamta/aba.../abanstas.html

New York****
http://www.ursasoft.com/maps/

The Engineering Geology of the New York City Water Supply System
http://www.dukelabs.com/Abstracts%20...rs/CM2000c.htm


Boston Sewers****
http://www.sewerhistory.org/grfx/wh_region/us_mass.htm

Boston AutoCad Civil Engineering Maps****
http://www.pbworld.com/news_events/p...ualization.asp

Boston Survey Maps
http://images.google.ca/images?hl=en...ps&btnG=Search


New York Survey Maps
http://images.google.ca/images?hl=en...rk+Survey+Maps

mapPoster.com****
http://www.mapposter.com/index.html

Office Directory**
http://www.officedirectory.com/Store/bostonmp_1.asp

Axonomertic 3D Maps
http://fla.esf.edu/research/CAVLab/p...campusaxon.htm
http://www.globecorner.com/p/i131.html

Medieval City 3D Maps
http://www.darktheatre.net/dnd/maps/verb_city_fixed.gif
http://mason.gmu.edu/~rtownsen/Hist6...Assignment.htm

Cheers

[Teflon Billy]

As for the sewers, unless and until I can find a decent book about how they're planned, designed, and function, don't hold your breath. Considering that I've asked a couple of city planners and an engineer or two, and looked at a couple of technical bookstores, and found nada, I'm not holding my breath, either.

It may be a little basic but David Macaulay's book "Underground" was pretty cool. You might find it doesn't meet your required level of detail, but it could be a start.

[Metaphysician]

Obviously there are going to be plenty of maps of the city, its neighborhoods, and so on. The more specific maps you refer to aren't appropriate for HC; that's the sort of thing you'll find in next year's Dark Champions Battlegrounds.

As for the sewers, unless and until I can find a decent book about how they're planned, designed, and function, don't hold your breath. Considering that I've asked a couple of city planners and an engineer or two, and looked at a couple of technical bookstores, and found nada, I'm not holding my breath, either.

You mean the city planners and engineers don't know how sewers are planned, designed, and function??

[Steve Long]

No, I expect they do know. It's just that none of them seem to be writing it down in the format that I want. And/or, I just haven't happened to meet a person who can refer me to the materials that I want. Not every city planner or engineer knows everything about how a city works, any more than every lawyer knows everything about the law.

[steriaca]

I would like to see some nice restraunts/nightclubs which "could" be used as theamed hidden headquarters for vareous villians (Like, say, a bondage theamed nightclub named "Penny Dreadfuls", since cheep melodrama novals of the late 19th centery were called that, or, say, Luifer's Landing, King's Club, or even The Magpie's Nest).

A map of a typical abandoned wearhouse is proably in order also, since thugs like to use abandoned wearhouses for, well, lots of things, including receving of aducted people from another country, amoung other things.

And, yes, I KNOW I am a freek.

[assault]

One thing I'd like to see, IF there is room, might be a 'sample neighborhood' (Obviously you can't cover them all) complete with a few NPCs (full character sheets nice, but hardly a must) and examples of some of the troubles it faces and where the PCs might fit in (Trickier, now that vigilantes is not the default, but still possible I think).

Hmm... Let's see... the Red Light District? Skid Row? The waterfront?

Anywhere with sleazy dives, drug dealers, "abandoned" buildings and dark alleys.

Kind of like Gotham City's "East End" as seen in Catwoman and sometimes in Batman. Lots of excuses for

[Peregrine]

Assuming that there is a formal 'red light district'; a lot of cities have tried to eliminate those, resulting in the 'trade' dispersing itself across the city. Still, for flavor, Hudson City could be one of those who tried and failed, or didn't try at all, and still retains one.

[steriaca]

Assuming that there is a formal 'red light district'; a lot of cities have tried to eliminate those, resulting in the 'trade' dispersing itself across the city. Still, for flavor, Hudson City could be one of those who tried and failed, or didn't try at all, and still retains one.

Or, it could be like Eveytown USA, and just pick a cornor to sell yourself from. Or get into your car and drive till you see someone who looks like s/he will sell him/herself. And, yes, sometimes you can't tell which one is which (maked out on a normal disguise roll plus dark corner in the middel of the night equals you don't realy know who your picking up).