New York

[LostOne]

Where all can I find info about New York, both the state and the city, as it stands in Rifts Earth? I'm assuming NYC is a horrible ruin full of undead or demons or something but was hoping for details. Is it in the Rifter or one of the world books? I am not remembering ever reading about it. Was curious what has happened with major landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Empire State Building, WTC Memorial, etc.

If it isn't details in the books, or even if it is, has anyone taken their own game there? If so, what was it like in your game?

[Warshield73]

Where all can I find info about New York, both the state and the city, as it stands in Rifts Earth? I'm assuming NYC is a horrible ruin full of undead or demons or something but was hoping for details. Is it in the Rifter or one of the world books? I am not remembering ever reading about it. Was curious what has happened with major landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Empire State Building, WTC Memorial, etc.

If it isn't details in the books, or even if it is, has anyone taken their own game there? If so, what was it like in your game?

World Book 29: Madhaven

[LostOne]

Thanks! I don't know why but I had Madhaven in my head as somewhere closer to Chi-Town than NYC. But I also don't own that one so haven't had a chance to read it.

[Blackwater Sniper]

I've started to write up a sister compendium for Pittsburg and of course it's called The Pitt.

I think it would be interesting for each of the major cities, ones that may still have have a notable population, have a compendium/sourcebook regarding how they are faring.

Chaos Earth stated that most of the coastal cities were reduced to nothing, but there are plenty of locations over 100 miles inland and/or above 500 ft above new sea level.

[taalismn]

I've started to write up a sister compendium for Pittsburg and of course it's called The Pitt.

I think it would be interesting for each of the major cities, ones that may still have have a notable population, have a compendium/sourcebook regarding how they are faring. .

Ideally written by people familiar with those cities, because of local knowledge, and because of the fun, as H.G. Wells learned, while writing 'War of the Worlds', of going around his neighborhood and designating various landmarks and neighbors' homes for destruction by his fictional invaders.

[Blackwater Sniper]

I've started to write up a sister compendium for Pittsburg and of course it's called The Pitt.

I think it would be interesting for each of the major cities, ones that may still have have a notable population, have a compendium/sourcebook regarding how they are faring. .

Ideally written by people familiar with those cities, because of local knowledge, and because of the fun, as H.G. Wells learned, while writing 'War of the Worlds', of going around his neighborhood and designating various landmarks and neighbors' homes for destruction by his fictional invaders.

Local knowledge, having a person familiar with the city today, doesn't have much impact on writing something that happened after a world altering event 250 years in the future.

Two-hundred fifty years ago the Persian empire was strong, Japan was under the Feudal rule of an Emperor. How effective would a "local guide" from their era be in writing about current events today?

Now we're writing of events two centuries in the future: there are no streets, no infrastructure, and the technology is literally alien.

[guardiandashi]

I've started to write up a sister compendium for Pittsburg and of course it's called The Pitt.

I think it would be interesting for each of the major cities, ones that may still have have a notable population, have a compendium/sourcebook regarding how they are faring. .

Ideally written by people familiar with those cities, because of local knowledge, and because of the fun, as H.G. Wells learned, while writing 'War of the Worlds', of going around his neighborhood and designating various landmarks and neighbors' homes for destruction by his fictional invaders.

Local knowledge, having a person familiar with the city today, doesn't have much impact on writing something that happened after a world altering event 250 years in the future.

Two-hundred fifty years ago the Persian empire was strong, Japan was under the Feudal rule of an Emperor. How effective would a "local guide" from their era be in writing about current events today?

Now we're writing of events two centuries in the future: there are no streets, no infrastructure, and the technology is literally alien.

there are a number of things that likely wouldn't change a lot mostly terrain, and distances
for example the downtown cores of portland oregon and seattle wa are about 160 miles apart, and salem oregon is about 50 miles south of portland.
these things won't change, also that downtown portland is in a valley, and has a river flowing through it, and there are hills west of downtown portland. etc.
now things like the fact that a lot of downtown is around 25-50 ft above sea level is problematic, as that means quite a bit of it likely would be underwater and or damaged/destroyed by earthquakes even though its around 100 miles inland.... still a resident knows stuff you wouldn't know about just looking at maps.

[Blackwater Sniper]

there are a number of things that likely wouldn't change a lot mostly terrain, and distances
for example the downtown cores of portland oregon and seattle wa are about 160 miles apart, and salem oregon is about 50 miles south of portland.
these things won't change, also that downtown portland is in a valley, and has a river flowing through it, and there are hills west of downtown portland. etc.
now things like the fact that a lot of downtown is around 25-50 ft above sea level is problematic, as that means quite a bit of it likely would be underwater and or damaged/destroyed by earthquakes even though its around 100 miles inland.... still a resident knows stuff you wouldn't know about just looking at maps.

How many of the book's authors have been to Antarctica, Russia, England, South America, or Atlantis? The point of science fantasy is to engage a persons creative side along with a tinge of realism.

I have spent time in Pittsburgh, not as a resident, but enough to know what areas would possibly be rebuilt versus left dormant to the environment.

There's also a pattern of social and environmental breakdown after a widespread disaster where people, without boundaries, turn to their basest instincts to supply Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

[Warshield73]

there are a number of things that likely wouldn't change a lot mostly terrain, and distances
for example the downtown cores of portland oregon and seattle wa are about 160 miles apart, and salem oregon is about 50 miles south of portland.
these things won't change, also that downtown portland is in a valley, and has a river flowing through it, and there are hills west of downtown portland. etc.
now things like the fact that a lot of downtown is around 25-50 ft above sea level is problematic, as that means quite a bit of it likely would be underwater and or damaged/destroyed by earthquakes even though its around 100 miles inland.... still a resident knows stuff you wouldn't know about just looking at maps.

How many of the book's authors have been to Antarctica, Russia, England, South America, or Atlantis? The point of science fantasy is to engage a persons creative side along with a tinge of realism.

This is enormously disingenuous and I was largely with you in your earlier post. There is a big difference between a fanciful location location like Atlantis, locations that just require a knowledge of geography and climate like Antarctica and a location that has real human history and local lore.

I do believe that local knowledge would be cool. Cities, especially old cities, have a lot of local character and local lore so while it may not be terribly realistic to have these things survive into Rifts it can make them a little more fun and like some of the stuff in Madhaven kind of cool for people who know the city. But I do agree that it isn't essential to writing these areas as you can get most of it online anymore.

I have spent time in Pittsburgh, not as a resident, but enough to know what areas would possibly be rebuilt versus left dormant to the environment.

There's also a pattern of social and environmental breakdown after a widespread disaster where people, without boundaries, turn to their basest instincts to supply Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

This can be the case but we see plenty of the opposite in human history as well. This would have more impact on a Chaos Earth book and less on a Rifts Madhaven style book for another city.

[Library Ogre]

I think local knowledge would definitely help in writing a book about post-Apocalyptic settings, for a few reasons.

1) Familiarity with geography. They know the lay of the land, and are very familiar with things that might affect any apocalypse. In writing Rifts: Houstown, I knew that flooding was going to be an issue. How that flooding would fall out, and what the resulting landscape would be like, comes easier with local knowledge. It also prevents things like "I'm putting a ******* huge CS Naval base in Beaumont, which will surely have no impact on the city in farting distance of Beaumont."

2) Familiarity with human geography. Landmarks, ethnic groups, and the like. Again, pointing to Houstown, I knew that there needed to be Asian elements in the city, that were overlooked in the Lone Star write-up, possibly because the writers didn't live in Houston and know that some streets are labelled in Chinese. It doesn't mention the healthcare industry, which even after the apocalypse, there's going to be salvage that can be done in the Medical Center. It doesn't mention the energy industry, or Herman Park, or other places that might have survived an apocalypse.

3) Conveying the feel of a city. This is a bit trickier, because, obviously, the city will have changed even up to the CoR, much less in the few hundred years after. But if you're not conveying the feel of the city, you're either writing stereotypes, or you're writing something generic, both of which can make the place feel bland or inauthentic.

This isn't to say you can't write a good book about a place you've never been, but when you're trying to convey a place your readers might know, local knowledge is going to be important.

[taalismn]

[

Local knowledge, having a person familiar with the city today, doesn't have much impact on writing something that happened after a world altering event 250 years in the future.

Two-hundred fifty years ago the Persian empire was strong, Japan was under the Feudal rule of an Emperor. How effective would a "local guide" from their era be in writing about current events today?

Now we're writing of events two centuries in the future: there are no streets, no infrastructure, and the technology is literally alien.

I speak of local legends, landmarks that aren't likely to be changed, even bits of lore that, even if forgotten in the Golden Age, might still come back in the Age of Rifts(powered by Magic) to bite folks in the arse(a collection of artifacts once known to have been stored(and lost) at a local museum, an icon given the status of legend, etc.).