Is Act I the Cyberpunk 2077 game we wanted?

[RebeckaSwe]

Depends. The story is subjective, you might like it or not.

The problem is the out right broken state of the systems in the game. Perks not working, mods not working, bad UI, broken and not working quickhacks, broken police and AI and more...

RDR2 quality my a**

 

[lynxir]

I don't want more T-Bug. I need more T-Bug. I refuse to believe she died. Binch just ran away and lives in luxury now, I'm sure... I'm sure

Well Yoko said they found T-Bug's body in her pad, nervous system fried. And she can't imagine a worse way to go!

 

[Mobster100]

I totally agree with you. Every quest in the game should be as complex as Pick Up. But unfortunately СDPR can't change the structure of the story. Because every story quest in the second act is linear in structure. I wrote more about that here:

What happened to quest design in Cyberpunk 2077?

And what does street kid get? 10 seconds of working in a store. 1612646570 This is really not the aspect of affecting the world people are talking about. I will always go back this part of the game. CP gives you these choices during the VB mission. Spare/or kill the VB's and Placid. As well as...

forums.cdprojektred.com

All hope is that CDPR will admit their mistake and fix it in future story DLC. But it makes me sad that so many people talk about open world problems and so few people bring up the problem of quest design in Cyberpunk.

Speculating a lot here, my guess is that the Maelstrom mission or the E3 gametrailer was how CP was originally going to be, given the amount of focus there was put into talking about player choices, character creation etc. But also when you play this part of the game, there is a huge difference in how this quest is designed compared to the rest.

But if we break it down, the quest itself is really not all that important, in the sense that its a quest that leads up to the main heist, due to the robot.
But you could potentially have cut all this content and just have Dex or T-bug give you the robot. Because let's be honest the whole robot thing is pretty lame, as It's not interesting at all controlling it and I think most people got the impression that it would work a lot different and play a much bigger role. Especially since in the demo, they tell you that it will now follow you around. At least I got the impression that it was a "spy" tool for doing cool things.

But furthermore, you have a huge build up to the quest, with the option of talking to the corpos etc. So a lot of effort was put into, with lots of different outcomes. I have both helped and not helped the Maelstroms doing that mission, you also have the whole help the trapped guy, so to me it's pretty clear that this quest is most likely one of the first they made sort of to get an idea of how to design them, but also given the amount of details put into it. Which is not to be found in any other quest from what I have seen.

Even the main quests are extremely linear, I don't even think there are any options to them at all? There are illusions of options but the outcome seem to be the same regardless. So pretty much all other quests just follow a straight path, where you can sidestep a few times, but nothing which have consequences for the story or your gameworld. Which the Maelstrom quest doesn't really either, even if you shoot all of them, its forgotten 2 minutes later, pretty much.

Maybe and again speculating here

Keanu got hired after this, which kind of screwed up things as they now had to make the quests or the game focus on him rather than V and the player in much higher degree than they might originally have planned to do. Because after this mission pretty much all "choices matter" is gone until the very end of the game, where it just decide the ending anyway, so ultimately it doesn't really matter that much either, as you don't really get to experience your choices.

So ultimately it seems like the idea they originally had, with how player choices would shape and play a role throughout the game got scrapped. And I remembered one of the devs saying how cool he thought it was with the Witcher 3 that people still after so many years would find new content in it. And I think they wanted that same experience in CP, but I highly doubt, given how linear the storylines are, that this will happen. Also remember someone saying that playthroughs would be very different from player to player, based on their choices.

But I have read a lot of posts here on the forum and Im yet to see someone talk about something that I haven't experience throughout my own playthrough. It's mostly the endings, since I didn't bother testing out all of them, as the first one I got, was such a mess and made absolutely no sense at all, that I didn't really cared about the others. And also I made my choices based on what I thought was the right thing to do, so just reloading and choosing something else to get another ending, seemed kind of lame as I originally thought that the stuff I had done throughout the game led to this.
But I did try to reload, but the first time was because the ending was so confusing that I ended up doing the wrong thing. And the other I just chose something else, which was a lot more interesting and made more sense. But I didn't get the impression that any of the choices I had done in the game really made a difference. Except in regards to which romance you can call.

 

[Gorance]

Yes... jackie, V and T-bug seem like an amazing team to get to the top... the third act should have been Dex and ending could have been where Jonny waking us up and telling us that we have a city to burn... In which we get this storyline.. No one can convince me that the jonny silverhand chronicles was not an expansion.. cuz this story is short and feels every bit like an expansion to me. Rushed in every way the story of V was nowhere to be found. You have a huge map to explore with a ton of missions and YET you have only days or weeks to live at most... buying car, be a fist champion and yet you are gonna die in a week??? WTh...you screw up the heist so bad AND YET every fixer calls you and wants to work with you.. WHAT? The only normal fixer was Rogue which if you call her she tells you that NO ONE wants to work with you... This game doesnt make sense at all and i played and tried to connect things.. there is non. They made a super linear story which has a ticking clock attached to it in a huge open world game.... huge mistake.

 

[GVArcian]

act 1 is the best part of the game

Post automatically merged: Feb 8, 2021

also 50 hours of Panam and Aldelcado quests
Panam is the Liara of CP. Pushed down the players throats because the writers favors that character.

What the f are you talking about, 80% of Panam's content is completely optional, after grabbing Hellman you can ghost her completely and finish the game.

 

[ralfetas]

What the f are you talking about, 80% of Panam's content is completely optional, after grabbing Hellman you can ghost her completely and finish the game.

In some way yes, you can ignore her, like you can ignore everything and just do that 3 or 4 missions that take you to the end, but you don´t have real options, like romance for example, if you help River and do his missions, no matter what you do, you will end in the tower with the option to romance or not, should be more options between that so he don´t even invite you to the tower, same goes for Judy, i don´t call her about Evelyn, i killed Maiko, and she still invite me to dive.

 

[Elle-Iza]

I was thinking about it and I can't help but think that the period leading up to the Heist is pretty much the Cyberpunk 2077 game I wanted. Jackie, you, Viktor, T-Bug, Evelyn, Judy, and all the other members of the cast are characters that I feel are more interesting than the rest of the cast (sorry, Panam) but the stakes feel a bit more appropriate. You're trying to do the BIG SCORE and everything is about leading up to that.

You also are doing "small jobs" up until that point that make sense with the Side Gigs.

If they'd stretched this part out and made the Heist the end of the "first" Cyberpunk game, I think I might have liked it more.

What do you think?

I totally agree. I have "finished" the game several times now, tried different backgrounds, different styles of fighting and playing, and after a hick-up with my recent char I just started a new game. But after I left Vik's clinic I found myself stand in front of Misty's backdoor, and I totally didn't want to get in. So I just left Jackie with Misty and started to do side quests.
I know that I won't be able to play very far, because of the Watson lock down, but I don't want to do that stupid heist.

I really enjoy this game, and yes, I will eventually move on in the main plot, but something feels empty after the Heist. Being with Judy or River or Panam is cute and all, but after learning, that no matter what you do, there won't be a real happy end, you won't even be able to fuse Johnny's and your mind, or get him a "new" body from the morgue (...) everything feels a bit pointless.

From a 20 year- tabletop Cyberpunk gamer's perspective this campaign is great when it comes to overall atmosphere, action, missions and theatre of mind, but has a severe kink in its arc of suspense and in their core amazing, but slightly underdeveloped NPCs.

 

[hulkman2456]

Act 1 was the beginning of what many hoped this game would be. GTA set in a Cyberpunk dystopian city.

Why do people keep using this as a argument. Gangs, cars, and friendship are not exclusive to GTA. These are elements apart of the game. What people want is flesh out characters and proper world building. Not: Hi I'm a fixer that somehow got your number. Do some jobs for me. Because you are starting to become really cool in the city. On top of your user never seeing this character building.

Stuff like this is worse than even basic GTA missions from 2003.

Post automatically merged: Feb 8, 2021

Even the main quests are extremely linear, I don't even think there are any options to them at all? There are illusions of options but the outcome seem to be the same regardless. So pretty much all other quests just follow a straight path

The basic rule with the game. If it's a mini mission. Such from a fixer. It has a higher chance of having a alternate ending. If it's a isolated side mission. Like the repenting guy. You have a some options. Although Brendon has no options. If any mission spills into a main character or main quest. Branching doesn't happen. Bar certain set pieces (Takemura/Hellman in Hanako ending), after Act 1. Most is a illusion of choice. Those timed moments of answers. Just simply have the dialog that comes after the line you didn't play, resume. With very few chances even the character comments on you not talking.

 

[batouyukinawa]

If you want to go talk to a fixer nothing's stopping you. In fact, if you do, they will unlock all fixer jobs and you will not get those phone calls. So what you're asking for is in the game.

You expect every little side mission to impact the main narrative? LOL, get real buddy. Fallout Vegas had more of this because, well, look at the damn game. It's ugly. The animations are ugly, the acting his passable, and the overall presentation is a slight step above a static screen with dialog. Also, there are side missions that do impact the main plot. They also have their own ending.

 

[linegenrou]

What the f are you talking about, 80% of Panam's content is completely optional, after grabbing Hellman you can ghost her completely and finish the game.

if only other characters had that much side content

 

[GVArcian]

if only other characters had that much side content

All quests Panam appears in:

1. Ghost Town (Mandatory)
2. Lightning Breaks (Mandatory)
3. Life During Wartime (Mandatory)
4. Riders On The Storm (Optional)
5. With A Little Help From My Friends (Optional)
6. Queen Of The Highway (Optional)
7. Nocturne OP55N1 (Star Ending Route)
8. We Gotta Live Together (Star Ending Route)
9. Forward To Death (Star Ending Route)
10. Belly Of The Beast (Star Ending Route)
11. All Along The Watchtower (Star Ending Epilogue)
12. Path Of Glory (Sun Ending Route, Romanced)
13. Where Is My Mind (Devil Ending Route, Romanced)

All quests Judy appears in:

1. The Information (Mandatory)
2. Automatic Love (Mandatory)
3. The Space Between (Mandatory)
4. Disasterpiece (Mandatory)
5. Both Sides, Now (Optional)
6. Ex-Factor (Optional)
7. Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution (Optional)
8. Pisces (Optional)
9. Pyramid Song (Optional)
10. Nocturne OP55N1 (Romanced)
11. All Along The Watchtower (Star Ending Route, Romanced)
12. Path of Glory (Sun Ending Route, Romanced)
13. Where Is My Mind (Devil Ending Route, Romanced)

All quests Kerry appears in:

1. Holdin' On (Optional)
2. Second Conflict (Optional)
3. A Like Supreme (Optional)
4. Rebel! Rebel! (Optional)
5. I Don't Wanna Hear It (Optional)
6. Off The Least (Optional)
7. Boat Drinks (Optional)
8. Nocturne OP55N1 (Romanced)
9. All Along The Watchtower (Star Ending Route, Romanced)
10. Path of Glory (Sun Ending Route, Romanced)
11. Where Is My Mind (Devil Ending Route, Romanced)

All quests River appears in:

1. I Fought The Law (Optional)
2. The Hunt (Optional)
3. Following the River (Optional)
4. Nocturne OP55N1 (Romanced)
5. All Along The Watchtower (Star Ending Route, Romanced)
6. Path of Glory (Sun Ending Route, Romanced)
7. Where Is My Mind (Devil Ending Route, Romanced)

If you count the endings, Panam has just as much content as Judy. If you disregard the endings, Panam actually has less content than Kerry, and much less content than Judy. If we only count mandatory content, Judy still has more content than her. So, there must be another reason why you hate Panam because it can't be that she has more content than everyone else, since she doesn't.

 

[BabaBooey88]

You expect every little side mission to impact the main narrative? LOL, get real buddy. Fallout Vegas had more of this because, well, look at the damn game. It's ugly. The animations are ugly, the acting his passable, and the overall presentation is a slight step above a static screen with dialog. Also, there are side missions that do impact the main plot. They also have their own ending.

I'll give you this one. You're right about New Vegas.

 

[linegenrou]

All quests Panam appears in:

1. Ghost Town (Mandatory)
2. Lightning Breaks (Mandatory)
3. Life During Wartime (Mandatory)
4. Riders On The Storm (Optional)
5. With A Little Help From My Friends (Optional)
6. Queen Of The Highway (Optional)
7. Nocturne OP55N1 (Star Ending Route)
8. We Gotta Live Together (Star Ending Route)
9. Forward To Death (Star Ending Route)
10. Belly Of The Beast (Star Ending Route)
11. All Along The Watchtower (Star Ending Epilogue)
12. Path Of Glory (Sun Ending Route, Romanced)
13. Where Is My Mind (Devil Ending Route, Romanced)

All quests Judy appears in:

1. The Information (Mandatory)
2. Automatic Love (Mandatory)
3. The Space Between (Mandatory)
4. Disasterpiece (Mandatory)
5. Both Sides, Now (Optional)
6. Ex-Factor (Optional)
7. Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution (Optional)
8. Pisces (Optional)
9. Pyramid Song (Optional)
10. Nocturne OP55N1 (Romanced)
11. All Along The Watchtower (Star Ending Route, Romanced)
12. Path of Glory (Sun Ending Route, Romanced)
13. Where Is My Mind (Devil Ending Route, Romanced)

All quests Kerry appears in:

1. Holdin' On (Optional)
2. Second Conflict (Optional)
3. A Like Supreme (Optional)
4. Rebel! Rebel! (Optional)
5. I Don't Wanna Hear It (Optional)
6. Off The Least (Optional)
7. Boat Drinks (Optional)
8. Nocturne OP55N1 (Romanced)
9. All Along The Watchtower (Star Ending Route, Romanced)
10. Path of Glory (Sun Ending Route, Romanced)
11. Where Is My Mind (Devil Ending Route, Romanced)

All quests River appears in:

1. I Fought The Law (Optional)
2. The Hunt (Optional)
3. Following the River (Optional)
4. Nocturne OP55N1 (Romanced)
5. All Along The Watchtower (Star Ending Route, Romanced)
6. Path of Glory (Sun Ending Route, Romanced)
7. Where Is My Mind (Devil Ending Route, Romanced)

If you count the endings, Panam has just as much content as Judy. If you disregard the endings, Panam actually has less content than Kerry, and much less content than Judy. If we only count mandatory content, Judy still has more content than her. So, there must be another reason why you hate Panam because it can't be that she has more content than everyone else, since she doesn't.

thanks for all this data, now I guess I can conclude her quests seem endless to me maybe because I find the Aldelcados annoying and her character to be kinda bland, or maybe I just don't like her quests

 

[SpookyFX]

Once Johnny is in your head, the chip malfunction is a constant reminder that you should be focusing on the main story instead of "living" in Night City.

LOL! right, no forgetting about your kidnap child in this game! Serendipity or by Design? I really wonder. I never did think to watch the clock. How many GAME weeks did this story take after the relic? A lot has to happen "off screen" that would take a heck of a lot of time.

Fallout 4 felt to me like months while looking for the child, then after many years as I seem to remember seeing the Christmas decorations in the main city go up at many times while I played with mods for many RL years. Heck I am still playing it off and on...


I love the advertisement for the relic right in the middle of this pivotal moment!

 

[Guest 4412420]

If you count the endings, Panam has just as much content as Judy. If you disregard the endings, Panam actually has less content than Kerry, and much less content than Judy. If we only count mandatory content, Judy still has more content than her. So, there must be another reason why you hate Panam because it can't be that she has more content than everyone else, since she doesn't.

If you count mandatory quests, Panam has 3 and Judy has 4. The difference is just one quest and even then she still has much more mandatory content available than Kerry and River which is none.

She's also required for one ending and accompanies you throughout the whole thing, no other character can so much as show up and offer V any kind of assistance like a weapon or eddies, so it's really not hard to feel like Panam is being favored.