Genre Discussion: Cyberpunk

[Reynard]

So it irritates me a bit when people comment on groups playing Cyberpunk and saying that it's not Cyberpunk for whatever reasons.

People should certainly be polite, but words also have meaning.

 

[Ryujin]

What novel was that?

"Sakuku." I'm admittedly biased, though, as I know the author and like his style.

 

[MGibster]

So it irritates me a bit when people comment on groups playing Cyberpunk and saying that it's not Cyberpunk for whatever reasons.

Cyberpunk 2020 had Protect & Serve which was a book dedicated to running campaigns with the PCs as law enforcement officers. There are a lot of different cyberpunk stories to tell and corporate employees, cops, street rats, hackers, gangers, hire killers, organized criminals, etc., etc. all fit in. Though sometimes it's not so easy trying to force them all into a single campaign.

So, workshopping this - does anyone have any ideas what touchstones for traits you could use in cyberpunk? I'm actually going with more transhuman cyberpunk, but it should be pretty similar.

The Bladerunner RPG has a mechanic were the PCs can earn either Promotion points or Humanity based on their actions during the game. If the bladerunner does the job their hired to do, retire replicants, solve cases, etc., etc., their chances of getting a promotion increases giving them better access to perks. Humanity is gained by demonstrating empathy, often times in direct contradiction of what your boss wants you to do. Maybe you let that replicant go because you know they mean no harm instead of retiring them. You can use Humanity points to increase your skills.

I toyed around with the idea of how Humanity might be used in CP2020. For the most part, in CP2020 Humanity is just a way to keep track of how much cyberware you can slap on your PC without going cyberpsycho, but I think it could be so much more. But what if you could gain Humanity by showing a bit more empathy. Maybe your character takes a job helping the local garden club fight off a gang who is trying to muscle in? It doesn't earn them much money, but instead they get a little Humanity and maybe gain a new contact.

 

[Ryujin]

Cyberpunk 2020 had Protect & Serve which was a book dedicated to running campaigns with the PCs as law enforcement officers. There are a lot of different cyberpunk stories to tell and corporate employees, cops, street rats, hackers, gangers, hire killers, organized criminals, etc., etc. all fit in. Though sometimes it's not so easy trying to force them all into a single campaign.


The Bladerunner RPG has a mechanic were the PCs can earn either Promotion points or Humanity based on their actions during the game. If the bladerunner does the job their hired to do, retire replicants, solve cases, etc., etc., their chances of getting a promotion increases giving them better access to perks. Humanity is gained by demonstrating empathy, often times in direct contradiction of what your boss wants you to do. Maybe you let that replicant go because you know they mean no harm instead of retiring them. You can use Humanity points to increase your skills.

I toyed around with the idea of how Humanity might be used in CP2020. For the most part, in CP2020 Humanity is just a way to keep track of how much cyberware you can slap on your PC without going cyberpsycho, but I think it could be so much more. But what if you could gain Humanity by showing a bit more empathy. Maybe your character takes a job helping the local garden club fight off a gang who is trying to muscle in? It doesn't earn them much money, but instead they get a little Humanity and maybe gain a new contact.

I can tell you, from experience, that playing a Fixer doesn't land as well as it should in a campaign where you're working for corps.

Our Retired Cop character's player didn't understand that a plasterboard wall doesn't stop a shotgun blast nearly as well as a reinforced door. He also was 100% meat and didn't wear armour. If "Gone in 60 Seconds" was a Cyberpunk story...