Genre Discussion: Cyberpunk

[Ryujin]

I’ve been a deep fan of cyberpunk literature ever since Neuromancer blew my mind as a young teen, and like to think that I’m descently well versed in the literary genre. But I’ve never had fun playing cyberpunk rpgs. I guess that’s because the games never live up to what cyberpunk is to me personally, they’re just a bleak fragment or pastiche. I might have better luck trying it out with a full on narrative game system, but sadly that’s not my gaming groups cup of tea. But then again, I’m pretty content with cyberpunk being a read-only genre to me.

As for visual media, I can watch Altered Carbon etc as ok popcorn entertainment. But the only things I’ve watched that has some measure of real pure cyberpunk to it is Bladerunner, and Johnny Mnemonic. In a wierd way the cheese and the mighty Dolph only adds to the feeling of 1st gen cyberpunk. But I have very high hopes for the upcoming Neuromancer series.

If you've never read the short story that the Keanu movie is (very loosely) based on, you owe it to yourself. Gibson published it online, for free, and it's easily available in HTML or PDF. I will forever say that Dina Meyer was robbed of what could have been the role of her career (Molly Millions).

 

[Pale Violet Light]

As for visual media, I can watch Altered Carbon etc as ok popcorn entertainment. But the only things I’ve watched that has some measure of real pure cyberpunk to it is Bladerunner, and Johnny Mnemonic.

No love for Edgerunners? It’s flashy and stylish and tragic as hell - thought it nailed the vibe pretty well.

 

[Valetudo]

The next cyberpunk videogame needs co op.

 

[Autumnal]

As far back as the 1990s, observers like Gregory Feeley and (IIRC) Joe Haldeman advanced the idea that cyberpunk was being so thoroughly absorbed into the general mass of sf influences that it was crashing to be a distinct category at all. Instead, said they, we were moving into a post-cyberpunk era comparable to, say, this post-Tolkienian era where you don’t really have to say much of anything about his influence on your fantasy unless you’re out to hew extra carefully to him or to reject it root and branch. Cyberpunk elements are there for the use without regard to any overall ethos or style, much like, say, post-WW2 rocketry elements without requiring you compose stories like Campbell’s and Heinlein’s. (See, for instance, Mary Robinette Kowal’s Lady Astronauts of Mars series.)

If we weren’t there in the 1990s, we sure are now.

As for work that does use more of the overall package? Hmm. Have to think about that.

 

[Reynard]

No love for Edgerunners? It’s flashy and stylish and tragic as hell - thought it nailed the vibe pretty well.

The problem with Edgerunners is that it leans so heavily into its anime tropes that it stops being a decent CP2077 story. There is nothing in CP2077 that looks like the latter half of Edgerunners, so while it might be good anime cyberpunk on its own, it isn't good Cybrpunk 2077/.

 

[MGibster]

The problem with Edgerunners is that it leans so heavily into its anime tropes that it stops being a decent CP2077 story. There is nothing in CP2077 that looks like the latter half of Edgerunners, so while it might be good anime cyberpunk on its own, it isn't good Cybrpunk 2077/.

I quite liked Edgerunners despite the anime tropes. Edgerunners did more interesting things with cyberpsychosis than R. Talsorian Games did for more than thirty years.

 

[Scribe]

I quite liked Edgerunners despite the anime tropes. Edgerunners did more interesting things with cyberpsychosis than R. Talsorian Games did for more than thirty years.

Interesting we now have AI driven psychosis (and should have/did have social media psychosis in the 2018-2022 range) another sign we live in the cyberpunk dystopia without the cool implants.

 

[Reynard]

Interesting we now have AI driven psychosis (and should have/did have social media psychosis in the 2018-2022 range) another sign we live in the cyberpunk dystopia without the cool implants.

Yeah. If I have to live in a world ruled by megacorporations, I want chrome, choom!

 

[Ryujin]

Yeah. If I have to live in a world ruled by megacorporations, I want chrome, choom!

The only problem is that the megacorps are the ones developing the chrome. I fully expect there will be subscription fees to use "your own" eyes.

 

[MGibster]

The only problem is that the megacorps are the ones developing the chrome. I fully expect there will be subscription fees to use "your own" eyes.

One of the common tropes of cyberpunk is people making use of technology in new ways that were not thought of by the manufacturer. But we currently live in an era where corporations have deliberately tried to make it difficult for end users to have control over the products they purchased. For a while, John Deer was making it difficult for farmers to do their own repairs on equipment by restricting diagnostic tools and even parts. Imagine if your combine breaks down in the middle of a cornfield while you're harvesting and how much time/money you're going to lose taking it all the way to a John Deer dealership. Or how about Apple bricking your iPhone because you do something to it they don't like?

There's a lot you can do with that in a cyberpunk game. You could have a corporation send their goons after techs who provide software updates for automobiles or other products the company no longer supports. After all, those techs are competition. Or maybe food corporation is wondering why profits aren't as high as projected in a particular area of the city, and after some social media digging they find there's a city garden/farmer's market, so they send some goons to bust up the competition.

Once you have cyberware, the company really has its claws sunk on you. You've got to maintain that cyberware for the rest of your life. Firmware updates, software updates, physical maintenance, are you going to accessorize with this shiny chrome skin or perhaps you prefer neon pink?