Steve Long Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 I just received a book that would have made researching some aspects of Hudson City much easier: The Works: Anatomy Of A City, by Kate Ascher. Looks like it's full of juicy little details about urban infrastructure that would be great for city-based Dark Champions games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilDrPuma Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City Does the book deal with cities in a broad historical sense, or mostly modern cities? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted July 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City AFAICT, modern cities only. There seem to be some tidbits of historical information, but that's it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilDrPuma Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City Now that I look at the Amazon listing, yeah, it is mostly about New York. There'd have to be some consideration of the historical development of infrastructure in a city with an three-hundred-year history, but it may or may not have much to say about earlier foundations like those of most European cities. Still sounds interesting, though, and I suspect the science fiction-minded could use it as an point of extrapolation. (Also a pretty fair price for a hardcover.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wylodmayer Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City I actually got this book for my Champions game after hearing an interview with the author on NPR (sometime last year) and Steve's dead on - it's a helluva resource. Even though it is about New York City, since NYC is the prototype for the average campaign setting, most of the information could be very useful. One of the most trivial uses I got out of it, I'm ashamed to say (grin), comes from running across the descriptions of the kinds of lampposts in NYC, and the fact that some of them are very old, very pretty, and highly prized by the residents of the neighborhoods where they are found. One of my players ripped up a lamppost in one of those neighborhoods, the better to pound a villain with, and later got raked over the coals by the neighborhood association for doing it! It was a great bit of roleplaying, which turned into a real thing for the character as he not only made nice with the group, but also used it as a springboard to develop some real contacts in the area. It was nice. All I can say is, the book is worth the price. Plenty of source material to suggest ideas for villainous plots and interesting scenarios for your players. Remember, as the creators of Law and Order always said, "The city is the other principal character." A campaign setting with real life and vitality can make a game crackle with energy, and this book really helped my campaign out a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vassoom Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City Thanks for the recommendation, Steve and wylodmayer. I think I'll go check it out. Oh, and wylodmayer, I enjoyed your anecdote about the lamppost...good stuff. - Vassoom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdamnhero Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City Ooooo...pretty. Off to my favorite local bookstore! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithcurtis Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City I just saw this today in a bookstore downtown. Very nice. I'd say indispensable if I were running a modern urban campaign. Keith "cool" Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oroborous Posted August 5, 2006 Report Share Posted August 5, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City A book that I own and have found useful in urban campaigns is X-Urbanism. I can't say how it compares, but it offers more settings than just NYC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted August 10, 2006 Report Share Posted August 10, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City While trying to find this book at the library, I found New York Underground: The Anatomy of a City. I really like this, and recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinanju Posted August 10, 2006 Report Share Posted August 10, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City Another book on cities I highly recommend (though it's decades old now) is "The Life and Death of Great American Cities" by Jane Jacobs. It's a discussion of how city planning can destroy healthy, vital neighborhoods if it's done badly. If you're looking for descriptions of what life in a pulp-era city neighborhood was like, this is probably an excellent place to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wylodmayer Posted August 10, 2006 Report Share Posted August 10, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City "The Corner" is a thick but very in-depth look at one particular part of an inner city neighborhood. GMs running Dark Champions games might like it; it gives a lot of insight into the desperation and vividness of urban life, insight that many gamers (who tend to be middle class) might not have. Slightly off the "city" topic, I liked Hunter Thompson's book on the Hell's Angels; it's hardly dry, and it gives a look at what biker gang folk act like. Again, a great resource for GMs who are running seedy NPCs but who have never, you know, been a member of a biker gang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted August 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City Thanx for the recommendations, folx! Definitely have to track some of these books down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City Does that mean we can see The Ultiamte City in the future? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted August 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City Well, not specifically, but The Ultimate Base will have rules for creating and playing kingdoms, cities, nations, planets, etc. as characters (or at least as Base-like entities that have some effect on the game). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wylodmayer Posted August 13, 2006 Report Share Posted August 13, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City I just remembered the OTHER one I was trying to remember so I could recommend. (grin - I knew that Urban Sociology course would come in handy some day) It's called The Code of the Street, and it explores the peculiar morality and social codes that characterize often violent inner-city urban life. It gives a good insight into WHY "thugs" act the way they do. Sorry to add yet ANOTHER book, though. This list is getting pricey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ephelides Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City I am SOOooo getting these! Thanks for telling me about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City Well' date=' not specifically, but [i']The Ultimate Base[/i] will have rules for creating and playing kingdoms, cities, nations, planets, etc. as characters (or at least as Base-like entities that have some effect on the game). OK, you just sold that book to me. When about is it coming out? (Note: I said about. I know you can't give more than a general idea, the RPG publishing industry being as it is. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted August 17, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City UBA isn't on the schedule yet. It'll be under consideration for the 2008 schedule (along with many other prospective titles, of course). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowcat1313 Posted August 29, 2006 Report Share Posted August 29, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City some great book suggestions here.... my favorite book on older cities is still the classic by David Mccaulay, simply called "City" hes done a whole series of books for post apoc.... Motel of the Mysteries is kinda fun http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/davidmacaulay/bio.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ephelides Posted August 29, 2006 Report Share Posted August 29, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City some great book suggestions here.... my favorite book on older cities is still the classic by David Mccaulay, simply called "City" hes done a whole series of books for post apoc.... Motel of the Mysteries is kinda fun http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/davidmacaulay/bio.shtml Is City done like Castle and Cathedral? I loved the drawings in those. Motel of the Mysteries is OK; if you like the basic setting, try and find The Weans. Out of print, so try the library, or used book shops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowcat1313 Posted August 29, 2006 Report Share Posted August 29, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City yes, Castle and Cathedral are by the same author, his most recent book is "Mosque" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdamnhero Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City Pardon the necro-post, but just wanted to say: 1) My wife got me "The Works" for my birthday, and I love it! Thanks again for the recommendation. Also, 2) While looking for The Works, she also found Infrastructure: A Field Guide To The Industrial Landscape by Brian Hayes. Goes into tremendous detail on things like how power plants, grids, waste water plants, mines, etc. actually work. Not as many maps as I've like, tho plenty of diagrams and such. Probably goes into more detail than most gamers need. But if you felt The Works didn't quite get into enough nitty-gritty for your tastes, this is the book for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaft Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 Re: Book Recommendation: Anatomy Of A City UBA isn't on the schedule yet. It'll be under consideration for the 2008 schedule (along with many other prospective titles' date=' of course).[/quote'] This title just made it's way to my "most anticipated" list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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