Mallplex
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Basic Information

A mallplex is a piece of urban architecture found in near future sci-fi and consisting of a combination of a shopping mall and a housing development.

Depending on the exact setting, this may represent the ultimate in consumerism, or may be a pragmatic way to share security costs (especially in more violent cyberpunk style dystopiae). Expect credit checks before entry to the mallplex - if you can't afford to live there and/or shop there, the 'plex loses nothing by turning you away and probably gains by not having riff-raff hanging around annoying the paying customers and getting up to no good. There may even be stratifcation within the mallplex, with additional VIP areas where the best housing and shops are located. Lower end housing and retail may be buried in the interior of the building, whilst better quality provision may be on the outside, set around light wells or even accessible to rooftop terraces and gardens.

Note that the people living in the mallplex are generally expected to be customers and not staff - there may be staff housing available, or staff may live in cheaper, less secure housing off site and commute into work on a daily basis.

A mallplex on a big enough scale is effectively an Arcology.

Sources

Bibliography
1. full source reference

Game and Story Use

  • Potentially quite a lot of an adventure could take place inside a large enough 'plex - and the PCs can be rewarded for taking social and/or status based advantages with easier access to controlled areas.
    • For those that haven't got them … well, the cleaners get everywhere. Just remember to stay in character.
  • Of course, PCs may just wish to shop … and discover the need for legal bank accounts when they hit the credit check: most mallplex security units are going to be extremely suspicious of someone trying to pass the check with wads of bloodstained cash recovered from their latest takedown.
  • Complimentary passes to a given 'plex might be a form of reward for PCs.
  • If staff do commute in, the staff entrance is a likely weakspot - security is probably compromised by the need to rush lots of people in for a shift change. PCs with an appropriate pass may just be able to bustle in with the crowd.
  • In a fairly corporatised state, the mallplex may be an appropriate place for people who aren't corporation salarymen to live - yes, the plex belongs to a corp, but unlike a typical corp enclave, the focus is not on providing tied housing for employees, so it might well be an appropriate place to find freelancers, government employees and other odds and sods.
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