The Missed Opportunities in the Story thread

[Didacgomez]

Mmm yea...bloodlines did it very well. But why in character creation? Wouldn't it be better/more natural if your decisions led you to the more aggressive dialogue?

Its directly from tabletop, you have intelligence,strength etc and humanity as attributes in 2 (I think) to 10 scale. So you can have a cold inhuman killer or somebody that feels the pain of somebody burning its lips while sipping tea (just pure empathic).

I will say maybe a nonsense, but I think that would be a "base" choice of your V.
You don't get empathy/humanity based on your actions/responses during the game (could be developped as things progress, but you have to choose it at the start), you either have it or not (well I think).

Strictly speaking should be a one way ticket, easy to loose humanity almost impossible to recover... but balancing for funny gameplay (its a game at the end) would probably be a good idea.

I agree, I even had a whole long concept on representing empathy through a "human perception" stat if they didn't to limit dialogue with humanity cost ... but this thread was about missed stories not mechanics. I'd take psychosis impacting a borged out V however I can get it.

I see one issue with a questline that makes V a cyberpsycho (or at the edge) that is that you already have somehow divided opinions about the Relic and Johnny; not sure how something that "forces" the player to do some actions or so will be received.
Maybe an approach would be the Max-Tac with Melissa but not in "SWAT" mode. I was thinking about old A.D. Police OVA where you have the "grunts" and the detective side. Taking into account that many people wanted more Max-Tac,NCPD work and in general River questlines are appreaciated could be a way to put cyberpsychosis, and since its more or less stated that Max-Tac themselves are almost full psychos then maybe you can put V in some psycho situation.

 

[Bartinga2077]

Like in your first item the ability to hunt down Dex and his bodyguard. If not Dex then just the bodyguard would okay. It always just annoys me that the lackey contributes so much to you getting shot and gets to walk away.

Always wondered what happened to Dex's bodyguard. Probably flatlined too by Goro. Wished that was shown as well, even if it was only to make players feel better.

 

[Maranares]

For me, in view of her cry, that's sound like really letal. Death by the Soulkiller... That could happen when you are connected to Arasaka network

Dunno, her cry does indeed sound painful, but as an experienced netrunner, she could have took the measures to survive one way or another. After all, people get "resurrected" from a narrative standpoint all the time in works of fiction. Anyway that's just a feeling i have, nothing else.

 

[NUSAPilgrim]

I'd of liked for your actions in the Dream On quest to have consequences. In my first playthrough I took a long time deliberating over that final choice, of whether to tell Jefferson that he's being mind controlled, as I thought something bad would happen to them if you told him the truth. So i was really disappointed when I found out that all it changes is the message you get at the end. I thought that you'd see a news clip revealing that they were found dead in their apartment and maybe that would spark a further quest to hunt down their killers...

P.S I am aware that this will most likely be addressed in DLC but I would of liked it to of had an effect in the base game.

 

[wright1978]

1. Dex gets away

2. Adam Smasher killing Jackie

3. A conversation with Yorinobu

4. Consequences for Netwatch/Voodoo Boys

5. T-Bug is alive

6. Saving Evelyn

7. Cyberpsycho Plot goes somewhere

8. Meredith Stout favor in the Nomad Ending

1) I agree very much with the Dex thing. Felt so bizarre to yank away that betrayal arc 5 seconds after it happened
2) Equally with Jackie, while i find his loss powerful the lack of someone to pin it on seemed an odd choice.
3) while i get the idea behind a Yorinibu conversation i think it would feel very artificial
4) More consequence of Netwatch/Voodoo choice would be very welcome.
5) I liked T-bug, so yeah would have welcomed that, at the moment she's sort of lost in the bigger screen death of jackie.
6) I would have appreciated different outcomes for Evelyn. Maybe a timed element where rehab is possible if you complete in time.
7) Not something i was that bothered about but wouldn't have minded more development in the quest
8) Yeah , I think the more choice to get some slightly different consequences would be good.

 

[Guest 3847602]

(1) I definitely think the montage with Jackie right after the prologue would have been better as a playable story of coming up in Night City. Would have allowed for more side questing without "you're about to die - but first side quest help this rando-dude become a braindance stand in for Jesus" cognitive dissonance too before the Heist mission.

Honestly, I'd rather see those 6 months as some animated short film or a comic book than a playable story.
Yes, it would have alleviated ludonarrative dissonance, but it would make the pacing and structure really awkward.
Act 1 is about the heist gone horribly wrong, not so much about merc's life or V's and Jackie's friendship. The real story kicks off with Act 2, that's when Cyberpunk 2077 title drops on screen. I don't see how it's a good idea to wait for 5-6 more hours before you introduce the players to the central conflict.

 

[Rawls]

Honestly, I'd rather see those 6 months as some animated short film or a comic book than a playable story.
Yes, it would have alleviated ludonarrative dissonance, but it would make the pacing and structure really awkward.
Act 1 is about the heist gone horribly wrong, not so much about merc's life or V's and Jackie's friendship. The real story kicks off with Act 2, that's when Cyberpunk 2077 title drops on screen. I don't see how it's a good idea to wait for 5-6 more hours before you introduce the players to the central conflict.

But Act 1 could be focused more on what the setting is (a strength of the game), and build up the idea of making a name for yourself and becoming a legend (a form of immortality). The end of Act 1 then ends in a disaster (the Heist) cause in part by a person literally striving to achieve a form of immortality. The rest of the game could play out mostly the same as far as main quest is concerned.

This would allow for the free play style at the beginning, with the old "stuff's about to change - you may want to wrap up side stuff" warning right before starting the Heist. This would put the end of Act one closer to 1/3 of the way through the main quest (which makes sense given the game's three-act structure). Also I don't think it would necessarily pull away from any of the overall themes of the game. It's still all about the dangers of hubris, immortality, a cynical take on transhumanism and the social decay that comes from power being so concentrated in the hands of the corps.

EDIT: It's similar to how TW3 is structured if you think about it. The open world exploration part of the game that encourages side questing is mostly in Act 1. Once you get to Act II (especially when Isle of the Mists starts) the game becomes more driven and linear. While it's still possible to side quest after Isle of the Mists, I usually don't do much of it by choice. [END EDIT]

I think it would work. I'm also frequently so so very wrong.

 

[Guest 3847602]

But Act 1 could be focused more on what the setting is (a strength of the game), and build up the idea of making an name for yourself and becoming a legend (a form of immortality). The end of Act 1 then ends in a disaster (the Heist) cause in part by a person literally striving to achieve a form of immortality. The rest of the game could play out mostly the same as far as main quest is concerned.

This would allow for the free play style at the beginning, with the old "stuff's about to change - you may want to wrap up side stuff" warning right before starting the Heist. This would put the end of Act one closer to 1/3 of the way through the main quest (which makes sense given the game's three-act structure). Also I don't think it would necessarily pull away from any of the overall themes of the game. It's still all about the dangers of hubris, immortality, a cynical take on transhumanism and the social decay that comes from power being so concentrated in the hands of the corps.

I think it would work. I'm also frequently so so very wrong.

Well, it makes more sense when you put it that way.
Tying the themes of striving for immortality figuratively and literally would make the hypothetical Act 1 reasonably consistent with Act 2.

 

[LeKill3rFou]

Honestly, I'd rather see those 6 months as some animated short film or a comic book than a playable story.
Yes, it would have alleviated ludonarrative dissonance, but it would make the pacing and structure really awkward.
Act 1 is about the heist gone horribly wrong, not so much about merc's life or V's and Jackie's friendship. The real story kicks off with Act 2, that's when Cyberpunk 2077 title drops on screen. I don't see how it's a good idea to wait for 5-6 more hours before you introduce the players to the central conflict.

I'm going to say another stupidity, but maybe the missed opportunity here, is in reality to have named "act 1" instead of "Prologue" and act 3 instead of "epilogue".
Ok, I'm out...

 

[GogRelvas]

(1) I definitely think the montage with Jackie right after the prologue would have been better as a playable story of coming up in Night City. Would have allowed for more side questing without "you're about to die - but first side quest help this rando-dude become a braindance stand in for Jesus" cognitive dissonance too before the Heist mission.

(2) Customizing apartment a more and ultimately inviting love interest back to the pad to hang out. I think symbolically letting the love interest into V's "world" could have been a nice small moment of intimacy that would have stood as serious contrast to all the glitz of the city.

(3) A more serious look at cyberpsychosis in a questline. Maybe even have V experience some ill-effects of the machine with the prerequist being that she has mods in every possible location. V then has a number of social situations where she comes off as super awkward, ultimately leading to a fight she doesn't really intend to start but does, and victor ends up taking her back to his place for treatment. Something like that would be cool ...

Love these. Specially the first one.

 

[CTPhipps]

Dunno, her cry does indeed sound painful, but as an experienced netrunner, she could have took the measures to survive one way or another. After all, people get "resurrected" from a narrative standpoint all the time in works of fiction. Anyway that's just a feeling i have, nothing else.

Even if she is killed by Soulkiller, that just means you could end up hunted by T-Bug and have the choice of either mercy-killing her program or trying to free her or just accepting she's now a slave of Arasaka.

 

[OtakuBurrito]

the first two are kind of personal you can skip them.

1. Not being able to romance Takemura
He honestly had some of the best chemistry and most natural dialogue where if it clicked it clicked and if not him turning you down wouldn't be completely gender based like the other options. It's not like it's not plausible since he's only 10 years older than V I believe.

2. River's romance being so cut and dry
More missions with River could have honestly expanded out his sub-story / had an influence on how V took care of things.

3. The routes affecting more than just dialogue choice
Things such as getting jigs, buying cars/clothes/upgrades at certain prices would make more sense. For example being corpo would make other believe you have deep pockets and the price of things go up; street kid creed makes you good at haggling getting more insight, and charming your way out of things; being a nomad means you able to trade for goods based on what's in your inventory and people are more likely to trust you meaning you skip the more tedious parts of certain missions.

4. Not expanding on the Brendan The Vending Machine Lore
Out of all the things in the game, he is what I remember the most fondly. I wish there was an actual mission with him rather than a cute interaction.

*EDIT*

(Mild spoiler because I don't think many people did this mission)
5. No closure for Gary. I have to mentally bury this so far down deep in my psyche because it hurt like hell to me. I think I stopped playing the game for a solid week after his disappearance.

 

[CTPhipps]

I mean, I'm pretty Gary is dead.

dun dun dun

 

[WDStudios]

- If you choose the Corpo life path, you should have the option of betraying your boss and warning your intended target of the assassination plot. You'd still end up fired from the company, but as a result of very different plot developments.

- You should have the chance to accept Evelyn Parker's offer to betray Dex. If you do, however, then she's the one who shoots you in the head and takes you to a landfill instead of Dex.

- We should have the ability to romance all of the named characters. ALL of them. Even Dum-Dum.

 

[OtakuBurrito]

- We should have the ability to romance all of the named characters. ALL of them. Even Dum-Dum.

Please. I need this.

 

[CTPhipps]

- If you choose the Corpo life path, you should have the option of betraying your boss and warning your intended target of the assassination plot. You'd still end up fired from the company, but as a result of very different plot developments.

- You should have the chance to accept Evelyn Parker's offer to betray Dex. If you do, however, then she's the one who shoots you in the head and takes you to a landfill instead of Dex.

- We should have the ability to romance all of the named characters. ALL of them. Even Dum-Dum.

Eh, I'd stick with Dex shooting you in the head--just for betraying him now. Judy and rescuing Evelyn is something I'd hate to lose if I wanted to side with Evelyn over that scumbag.

My V was Team Evelyn the entire time, long after she was dead.

 

[lyin321]

- If you choose the Corpo life path, you should have the option of betraying your boss and warning your intended target of the assassination plot. You'd still end up fired from the company, but as a result of very different plot developments.

If the lifepaths were longer - sure.. As it is there is no point - who cares what you are able to do when you don't reach her

- You should have the chance to accept Evelyn Parker's offer to betray Dex. If you do, however, then she's the one who shoots you in the head and takes you to a landfill instead of Dex.

....you already can? Again the problem was that it doesn't go far enough to matter. (apart from in small ways...if you betray her to Dex you get more money (promised) ).

- We should have the ability to romance all of the named characters. ALL of them. Even Dum-Dum.

....I suspect that was CDPR's intend, but then stuff happened and....yea

Post automatically merged: Jul 21, 2021

Things such as getting jigs, buying cars/clothes/upgrades at certain prices would make more sense. For example being corpo would make other believe you have deep pockets and the price of things go up; street kid creed makes you good at haggling getting more insight, and charming your way out of things; being a nomad means you able to trade for goods based on what's in your inventory and people are more likely to trust you meaning you skip the more tedious parts of certain missions.

But why? For those who have the expensive equipment needed to tell that V was a corpo it wouldn't really matter that much (fixers). And high end stores (again expensive equipment) would sell high priced clothes anyway

 

[CTPhipps]

Well my Corpo dresses in second hand jeans and jackets from the men he's killed.

 

[CTPhipps]

The Aircraft Carrier

I was really assuming this would be one of the final levels and I'm hoping that's it's in one of the Expansions. Arasaka is said to have an Aircraft carrier outside of Night City as a deterrent against the possibility of US invasion. However, we never get any levels involved here despite the fact this seems like something that would be greatly entertaining to infiltrate or explore. There's a reason why it's a level in Fallout 3 and blowing up one is one of the funner missions of Saints Row 3.

The NASA facility

Well, not NASA but the island that launches shuttles into space. That would have been another very cool level to enjoy.

The Country Club

We have art for this level and seeing something green and pointless contrasting to the enormous povery of Night City would have been extremely cool.

 

[kofeiiniturpa]

How about a storyline where V says No to Dexter and so declines the heist.

No more lethal chip in head, no more Johnny. Just a lot of something very different and less forcing.