My thoughts on why the 'Nomad' ending is more positive than I initially thought

[stndn]

Intro
A frequent complaint about this game is that there aren't any truly happy endings and that V is doomed no matter what. Initially when I did the Panam ending I thought so too. But then a few days later I reloaded my save and decided to re-experience the ending to see if I could detect any glimmer of hope to an otherwise bittersweet ending. And boy did I find hope.

Now I'll spare you the details of the Tarot cards since you're probably familiar with them already and it's been discussed to death, but the TLDR is that Misty says you have a good life ahead of you. I personally believe Misty and her cards since they've been bang on accurate about the other endings and about Jackie.

But what I really want to explore is what happens at the tent where the Basilisk is stored (final mission of Nomad ending). This is the part of the end where you say your final words with Mitch and cross the border with Panam. If you head to the desk just before you board the Basilisk you'll find a data shard - "The Iliad".

I want to stress that these are just my personal interpretations. Others may look at it differently or discard it entirely. But I believe the developers have intentionally placed this data-shard here for a reason.

The Iliad
Here's what the shard says and I've added my interpretation:

• "If I abide here and war about the city of Trojans [Night City], then lost is my home [mother nature with the Aldecaldos], but my renown shall be imperishable [maintain a strong reputation in Night City - this is basically the Johnny ending where you return as V].
• "But if I return home [mother nature] to my dear native land [the great outdoors] then lost is my glorious renown [Night City reputation], yet shall my life long endure, neither shall the doom of death come soon upon me [hinting at a cure to the relic]."

The Aldecaldos are one of the few people that have truly treated V like family which is why I regard them as 'home' and native land to me implies the great outdoors. I genuinely believe this poem suggests that the Aldecaldos ending is "positive" and that V will probably find a solution to his problem in an expansion. Especially as this corroborates with Misty's tarot cards (which I trust for reasons provided earlier).

Thoughts on Soulkiller
This is a bit of a tossup and there isn't really a consensus I've seen.

• In my opinion the game downplays Soulkiller so hard to the point where I find it hard to consider it, which is probably why I regard the Aldecaldos ending in such a positive light (Misty's tarots, foreshadowing, AZ contacts etc).
• I feel like there's a cognitive dissonance between what Alt says and what actually happens. From the players POV barely anything actually changes. V's interactions stay the same. He even reminisces about Jackie as you're driving off. That's the V I knew and that's good enough for me...

Ultimately though this is where your own personal opinion comes in. Personally there is enough in-game evidence to convince me that V's future is positive, despite Soulkiller. Others may interpret it differently but there doesn't seem to be a concrete consensus. My closing thoughts? Pick the interpretation that lets you sleep at night and roll with it. We won't know for sure until the first expansion pack rolls around in late 2021 and it's not worth stressing until then.

Closing
Anyway the point I'm making is that just because an ending isn't happy at face value doesn't inherently make it negative. Sometimes the little details is all it takes to change the entire vibe. I'm glad I replayed this ending because now my impression of this ending is a bit more hopeful after looking at the little things.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Subenu]

Thanks for your opinion and welcome to the bright side

 

[onurceyhan]

The issue is the failure after all you have done when you get to the end. You spent hours for a game. And in all of endings we learn we are gonna die. And our character emphasizes ''Expected to be happier ending.'' This makes them people empty if they finish the game first time. That is why the game should have had a clear good ending. Riddles or tarot cards can't satisfy it.

 

[o0TapeDeck0o]

IMO this ending is canon for Nomad V.
It fits the Nomad lifepath the best and it just feels satisfying to see it come full circle.​

 

[Sunnie2]

I knew from the minute I finished the main story line that it wasn't the end for V in 6 months. I Went Streetkid, and finished Nomad with Panam, and taking Judy with as my soon to be wife. There are so many small indicators that V's little problem will be addressed again in either DLC or a sequel, was pretty clear to me right away. Not sure why anyone would say that the Nomad ending with GF in tow and flipping Night City the bird is also a bad ending, I didnt see it that way at all.

I'm pretty confident that V will have a long and happier life!

 

[stndn]

I knew from the minute I finished the main story line that it wasn't the end for V in 6 months. I Went Streetkid, and finished Nomad with Panam, and taking Judy with as my soon to be wife. There are so many small indicators that V's little problem will be addressed again in either DLC or a sequel, was pretty clear to me right away. Not sure why anyone would say that the Nomad ending with GF in tow and flipping Night City the bird is also a bad ending, I didnt see it that way at all.

I'm pretty confident that V will have a long and happier life!

Same here man same here.

 

[Krul2k]

"multiple endings" is misleading, for me.

I've got other outcomes i can experience if i dont make the proper choice that has been basically hitting me over the head the entire time.

Right or wrong i just view the main quest/s as a linear path regardless that i've got a great city to explore and can interact/treat ppl differently depending on my V, taking down Arasaka is Johnny's wish, not V's, V just wants to survive, belong and not be alone while doing so. Taking the other "options" you learn crucial details i'll not go into but taking the nomad path basically can give V all they wanted and more, then you got things like Misty in the credits with her last reading and the games proven that she never wrong.

Can/could things have been better? absolutely, case in point the very last scene if nomad chosen, replace Panam with whoever the player is romantically involved with, small detail but important, wee get a few new "apartments" yet cant do anything, let us sleep on the beds an sit on the chairs, again small details.

It's the small details thats currently missing for me from not just these examples but the entire game and they amount considerably to form a gapping black void but it's small details that can get patched or updated an i have hope.

Hope the world will be fleshed out and hope dlc will add to V story, during and after the Main quest.

All in all im enjoying my time tbh

 

[stndn]

Lets wait for that roadmap.

 

[Reymjard]

This game as so many little hints that V survives that I just can't see them not making a least one post ending DLC (this is off topic, but I just don't see DLCs that takes place in between the moment Johnny gets into V's head and the end, since V's needs to take care of his condition ASAP, putting some quest in between would be pretty stupid, I mean, he's fighting for his life he doesn't have time to take care of some other stuff). For exemple, you can see the nanobots on TV to treat Tumor that cost 700k per month. There's also Mr Blue Eyes that seem to be able to play with brain matter (as he seems to have link to the Peralez quest line) maybe when V tells him to keep his end of the bargain it's because Blue Eyes actually can save him.

In my opinion, I just think that there is a solution for V, but the only person that could treat him didn't want to tell him. Arasaka because they wanted him to sign a contract in order to get a new enforcer (V would be a perfect candidate since he killed Smasher). As for Alt, I just think she might have some part of her code which still cared about Johnny so she tried to pressurised V into giving his body to him and I just felt that her character was pretty shaddy in a bad way.

 

[Kenzou84]

I believe the bird means something maybe hopes, they said birds extinct.

And I believe there's a more advanced technology to prolong human life out there, outside NC and Arasaka tech, they hinted Crystal palace has the best tech on medication.

 

[CTPhipps]

Right or wrong i just view the main quest/s as a linear path regardless that i've got a great city to explore and can interact/treat ppl differently depending on my V, taking down Arasaka is Johnny's wish, not V's, V just wants to survive, belong and not be alone while doing so.

Your V doesn't hate Arasaka. My V wants to burn it to the ground.

Sadly, their stock price only falls 17% and that's less than Cyberpunk 2077 did to CDPR.

 

[CitizenMigraine]

Your V doesn't hate Arasaka. My V wants to burn it to the ground.

Sadly, their stock price only falls 17% and that's less than Cyberpunk 2077 did to CDPR.

And that's YOUR V. Mine wants nothing to do with corporations and their hijacking of humanity. Mine wants to be free roaming with my nomad family, unburdened by the shackles of society.

 

[Rudo_]

dissonance between what Alt says and what actually happens

Thats something i've always thought: some AI soulkilled with her own alpha version of the relic says you are gonna die fir sure.
Well, fuck her. Who knows what saka did with the relic in the 50 years she spent as a cyberghost behind the wall...
I just choose not to believe her, so i got myself the happy ending everyone craves for.

Post automatically merged: Jan 5, 2021

Your V doesn't hate Arasaka. My V wants to burn it to the ground.

So did mine. And all other corps.
Honestly, who wouldn't?

 

[Unixguy55]

I still need to do this ending. I like your take on it. I also want a way for Johnny to continue as well. Ugh. I totally want my cake and to eat it too! For as bleak as the overall tone has been through the game, even a hopeful ending is better than some of the versions that you get.

 

[CTPhipps]

I think the issue is really irrelevant at the time that Soulkiller is used. By the time you link up, you had seconds left to live, then you hook up and "die."

So the V who chooses to live or not is one that has either existed for minutes as their life or is functionally identical to V with a few minutes of interruption in their consciousness.

 

[Krul2k]

And that's YOUR V. Mine wants nothing to do with corporations and their hijacking of humanity. Mine wants to be free roaming with my nomad family, unburdened by the shackles of society.

Some do hate, some dislike, some just dont care and see it as a losing battle, all, so far, distrust Johnny though some pity him.

I've never got a "canon" PC in these games, i, me, the guy typing this, has a view on whats and ifs and buts about the game but majority of my characters dont view it the same as me. The game, regardless what ppl think, allows for diverse characters across multiple playthroughs, each approaching missions, dialogue, trust and endings differently, though ultimately the same.

I can pick the nomad ending 10 times yet each of they playthroughs feels different because of basic things like gender, sexual orientation, clothes etc but then add in how you approach a mission, what missions you do, what dialogue you choose etc and each character becomes unique.

If i could solo Arasaka tower, burn it to the ground but not have a "johnny" ending i'd do it, unfortunately i cant hence i said i liked the other endings basically for exploration purposes on the consequence of V being present and hence why after that the story became linear to a degree for me because i'd always end up picking nomad.

One thing everyone of my characters so far have in common is that there V and its there story so they make the decisions best for them, i'll play ones further down the line that are corporate lap dogs or believe in Johnny or just loose all hope but right now i still got alot of dialogue/missions to approach from the plain an simple angle of V wanting nothing but to survive.

Turhed into a rant do apologize

 

[CitizenMigraine]

Some do hate, some dislike, some just dont care and see it as a losing battle, all, so far, distrust Johnny though some pity him.

I've never got a "canon" PC in these games, i, me, the guy typing this, has a view on whats and ifs and buts about the game but majority of my characters dont view it the same as me. The game, regardless what ppl think, allows for diverse characters across multiple playthroughs, each approaching missions, dialogue, trust and endings differently, though ultimately the same.

I can pick the nomad ending 10 times yet each of they playthroughs feels different because of basic things like gender, sexual orientation, clothes etc but then add in how you approach a mission, what missions you do, what dialogue you choose etc and each character becomes unique.

If i could solo Arasaka tower, burn it to the ground but not have a "johnny" ending i'd do it, unfortunately i cant hence i said i liked the other endings basically for exploration purposes on the consequence of V being present and hence why after that the story became linear to a degree for me because i'd always end up picking nomad.

One thing everyone of my characters so far have in common is that there V and its there story so they make the decisions best for them, i'll play ones further down the line that are corporate lap dogs or believe in Johnny or just loose all hope but right now i still got alot of dialogue/missions to approach from the plain an simple angle of V wanting nothing but to survive.

Turhed into a rant do apologize

Oh no, I respect that. That's the beauty of RPGs. Play how you want. I played through the other endings, as well, just the nomad ending resonated with me the most. It's all good

 

[casbyness]

The V that begins the final mission dies when Soulkiller is used. Alt warns you this is going to happen, admits that she did it after it happens, and the fact the new V engram has the choice of whether to return to V's corpse or follow Alt into cyberspace proves it has actually happened, regardless of anything Alt says.

The V who wakes up in the epilogue to leave with Panam is not the same person who began the final mission. All you need to consider to understand this is that if Soulkiller was a copy/paste program instead of a cut/paste program, there would be two copies of V (the original and the engram) after it is used. Sadly, it's a cut/paste program, so the original V is dead.

Alt even mentions that due to the damage already done to V's brain before Soulkiller is used, she could barely piece together a fully coherent and functional engram. Not only is the replacement V not the same person as the original, it's significantly different and Alt has used parts of Johnny's engram plus other random patches to create a stable artificial copy.

In fact, the ending is potentially even darker than that, since there's no way for V to determine whether Alt was actually telling the truth when she implants the V engram back into V's body. For all V knows, Alt could have kept a copy of the V engram and forcibly took it with her into cyberspace, regardless of V's final choice.

 

[3lmu3rt0]

• In my opinion the game downplays Soulkiller so hard to the point where I find it hard to consider it, which is probably why I regard the Aldecaldos ending in such a positive light (Misty's tarots, foreshadowing, AZ contacts etc).
• I feel like there's a cognitive dissonance between what Alt says and what actually happens. From the players POV barely anything actually changes. V's interactions stay the same. He even reminisces about Jackie as you're driving off. That's the V I knew and that's good enough for me...

I just wanna say here that I believe what Alt says about Soulkiller, not just because...well, she experienced it herself, but also because of a belief I had before I even played this game. Digitizing the human consciousness is a discussion we're starting to have even IRL, but it has always struck me as a little dumb; I can guarantee you're not going to 'wake up' on the other side once it's done. Even when you 'move' files in a normal computer you're not actually moving anything, you're just copying and then deleting.
Anyway my point is; That person at the end may sound like V, talk like V and act like V, hell, I'm sure they wholeheartedly believe they're V, but they're not, they're a copy. A perfect copy if you like, but a copy nonetheless, the original V died inside Mikoshi and that's a fact. Really, it's like good ol' Kaiki says; "Between the original and a perfect copy, which is the real one?" If you think like Kaiki then the copy is even more real because it deliberately tries to be like the original, but if you think like me then the copy will never be anything close to the original no matter how hard it tries.

 

[CTPhipps]

I just wanna say here that I believe what Alt says about Soulkiller, not just because...well, she experienced it herself, but also because of a belief I had before I even played this game. Digitizing the human consciousness is a discussion we're starting to have even IRL, but it has always struck me as a little dumb; I can guarantee you're not going to 'wake up' on the other side once it's done. Even when you 'move' files in a normal computer you're not actually moving anything, you're just copying and then deleting.
Anyway my point is; That person at the end may sound like V, talk like V and act like V, hell, I'm sure they wholeheartedly believe they're V, but they're not, they're a copy. A perfect copy if you like, but a copy nonetheless, the original V died inside Mikoshi and that's a fact. Really, it's like good ol' Kaiki says; "Between the original and a perfect copy, which is the real one?" If you think like Kaiki then the copy is even more real because it deliberately tries to be like the original, but if you think like me then the copy will never be anything close to the original no matter how hard it tries.

My view is a bit different. V has literally MINUTES if not SECONDS left to live by the time they plug in and are on their last hour at the very best. They plug in and Soulkiller immediately kills them before putting a copy of their brain back in their body. They've died but have been resurrected. Now you may argue that's not what happened but I actually have been brain dead in real life and revived.

Not long obviously but I had seizures where my mind shut off for a time.

So obviously I've experienced interrupted consciousness.

You know what I think? I'm still me.