Hey, as a quest designer I can talk a bit about point 1:
I absolutely agree with your idea, and that's something we already use as part of our quest design (and have also used in The Witcher before). The one thing we never want is people to already know what they can expect from a quest.
Usually, when we pitch a new quest idea or story, we always look for an interesting theme, character moments, unexpected twists and choices and consequences for the player. The nitty-gritty of a quest comes later, once we have a good base idea.
So you can definitely expect that a character might die based on one of your decisions (even if at some point you thought you were doing the right thing - as in real life, sometimes things spiral out of control), or start to resent you based on your behavior. But on the other hand, sometimes things might even go better than you expected. As long as it's interesting all the way through, we did our job well.
If a quest has none of these interesting moments of choice and consequence, than as quest designers and writers we always look to improve it.
One of our newer quest designers actually used this in a side quest he sent in as part of his application. You were supposed to find and bring back two brothers in the middle of a forest. At the same time, your main story had you hunt a dangerous monster in the same forest, so it made sense to look for the brothers as well.
Once you found them, they didn't immediately want to return, so you had to convince them. You could use words, beat them up, or use "Axii", which you'd expect to work fine. And it does, they both start walking home.
However, later you found out that the monster you were hunting in the main quest tracked them both down and killed them on their way home. Since they were still under the influence of Axii, they just walked home without consideration for their surroundings, which made them an easy target. Maybe without Axii, they would have had a chance to run away.
That was a really nice example of how to use the player's expectations against him, because in retrospect this tragedy could have maybe been averted. So that part of the quest was actually a big plus for us!
I absolutely agree with your idea, and that's something we already use as part of our quest design (and have also used in The Witcher before). The one thing we never want is people to already know what they can expect from a quest.
Usually, when we pitch a new quest idea or story, we always look for an interesting theme, character moments, unexpected twists and choices and consequences for the player. The nitty-gritty of a quest comes later, once we have a good base idea.
So you can definitely expect that a character might die based on one of your decisions (even if at some point you thought you were doing the right thing - as in real life, sometimes things spiral out of control), or start to resent you based on your behavior. But on the other hand, sometimes things might even go better than you expected. As long as it's interesting all the way through, we did our job well.
If a quest has none of these interesting moments of choice and consequence, than as quest designers and writers we always look to improve it.
We actually tried to do that sometimes. As an example if you use Axii against a group of thugs in White Orchard, the ones that are not affected can immediately tell that you're trying to manipulate their buddies with magic and will attack.
One of our newer quest designers actually used this in a side quest he sent in as part of his application. You were supposed to find and bring back two brothers in the middle of a forest. At the same time, your main story had you hunt a dangerous monster in the same forest, so it made sense to look for the brothers as well.
Once you found them, they didn't immediately want to return, so you had to convince them. You could use words, beat them up, or use "Axii", which you'd expect to work fine. And it does, they both start walking home.
However, later you found out that the monster you were hunting in the main quest tracked them both down and killed them on their way home. Since they were still under the influence of Axii, they just walked home without consideration for their surroundings, which made them an easy target. Maybe without Axii, they would have had a chance to run away.
That was a really nice example of how to use the player's expectations against him, because in retrospect this tragedy could have maybe been averted. So that part of the quest was actually a big plus for us!
We always want all elements of Cyberpunk 2077 to make sense in the context of the rules of the world. That begins with little details like insect topping on pizza telling you more about how society and culture have changed, and an actual background for your cyberware and skills.
So without going into technical detail, a double jump isn't just something that characters in Night City do by themselves, but actual cyberware with some logic behind it, manufactured by one of the corporations in the world. I can't talk a lot about the actual technical details of how the propulsion works, but for worldbuilding, thinking about the logic of each piece of tech and where it came from always makes more sense than just relying on "cybermagic" and just saying that it works "somehow". So rest assured that we're thinking about these things.
So without going into technical detail, a double jump isn't just something that characters in Night City do by themselves, but actual cyberware with some logic behind it, manufactured by one of the corporations in the world. I can't talk a lot about the actual technical details of how the propulsion works, but for worldbuilding, thinking about the logic of each piece of tech and where it came from always makes more sense than just relying on "cybermagic" and just saying that it works "somehow". So rest assured that we're thinking about these things.
I can reveal one little detail. The song they heard in V's apartment is the legendary "Chippin' In" by Johnny Silverhand and Samurai.
Now and then, a journalist actually recognized the song and asked us about it after the demo, so there's certainly some real fans out there who remember it. I'm really looking forward to everyone being able to hear it, it's awesome!
Now and then, a journalist actually recognized the song and asked us about it after the demo, so there's certainly some real fans out there who remember it. I'm really looking forward to everyone being able to hear it, it's awesome!
Any last words?
Outnumbered but not outgunned
Shoot through walls
Your chakra's off, babe
Outnumbered but not outgunned
Shoot through walls
Your chakra's off, babe
This is a daily weather forecast for Night Ci...
<Unauthorized access detected, dispatching security>
> Choombattas! Console cowboy here! I don’t have long, but I found something cool for you.
> gc18schedule_day1.txt
> 3PM CEST – IGN Live
> Need to run now. See you soon!
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We apologize for the technical difficulties. The weather forecast for today is: Sunny, 95F, with little to no wind.
New system update available: gamescom version 2.18
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Welcome to gamescom v. 2.18!
Next update scheduled for Tuesday, August 21st.
Speed is a major theme in Cyberpunk 2077. For many, it’s just a way of life. The city moves fast, so keep up or get blown back. Any edgerunner will tell you: If you stop, you die — Night City waits for no one.
Our protagonist’s well-worn bomber jacket oozes style, but that’s not it’s only purpose. Like most fashion choices in Night City, the jacket is also designed to be functional, offering the ability to connect the character to different forms of tech.
Hey!
Politics will have a huge impact on story in Cyberpunk, but right now can't really say anything more about such topics.
Mike Pondsmith’s world of Cyberpunk can be a very brutal place and we’re aiming to recreate that to an extent. The game is also mature because of the whole spectrum of social problems it covers — war, poverty, social inequality. Our characters are brutal, both men and women, but not because we want to emanate with it — it’s because that’s part of this world.
Yeah, that might not be the smartest idea EVER!I'm looking forward to hearing people bitch when someone decides robbing TT for their weaponry and gear sounds like a good idea
The Trauma Team is composed of paramedics expertly trained in combat, who will go to any length to deliver their clients from harm. Those wealthy enough to afford a Trauma Team medical plan receive a card and biochip implant. When the chip recognizes a medical problem in a client’s system, it immediately informs the Trauma Team who rush to the scene to stabilize and extract the patient — rain or shine, war zone or picnic.
I would, you know, because of reasons!
Currently, we are not planning to add user "tiers". Everyone is equal and I agree that having such feature wouldn't bring anything good.
Sorry to hear that!
If you feel like sharing your feedback with me on DM that would be appreciated.
Night City is a global center for megacorporation operations and home to regional branches of corporate giants such as Arasaka and Militech. In Night City, Arasaka specializes in protective services and the distribution of their Japanese-made products throughout North America. Over the years, it has developed a dark reputation as a corporation that is to be feared and one which covers its tracks using cyberassassins, an army of lawyers as well as an alleged connection to the yakuza. Militech, on the other hand, is an arms dealer based out of the eastern US. Working closely with police and military forces, it has substantially contributed to civilian security systems. It’s a powerhouse manufacturer of high-grade military technology — from simple firearms to heavily armored combat vehicles.
Night City is home to many shops, restaurants, and decor that draw inspiration from Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and Indian culture, among others. These include Kiroshi Optics, Kabayan Foods, Fuyutsuki Electronics, and Masala Studios as well as maneki-neko figurines and tengu imagery that enrich the world.
My pleasure
For most, despite pervasive violence and poverty, leaving Night City is not an option. Everyone is a lone wanderer in their own right and Night City presents an undying hope for fame and success where failure is the ultimate fear. Self-preservation and self-promotion—not money—are the driving forces behind societal advancement. In order to be someone, you have to be more than yourself. To become immortal, you have to become a brand, an ideal.