Bodily troubles

[thewarsend]

Bodily troubles

I was reading some of my old Cyberpunk books and it mentions a lot about players and NPC's feeling physical and emotional pain, exhaustion and fatigue and similar troubles. But how would that translate into the game? I mean, sure, it could be like in Fallout 3, (Where when you get injured, your character's animation would change accordingly.) But how would it work in a game like Cyberpunk? Since the human weakness (and overcoming that weakness) is a huge part of the game. How do you guys imagine it should be like?

 

[gregski]

If there's anything the character struggles with, it should be dealt with through story and writing. Especially the emotional pain part.

 

[chriswebb2020.736]

If there's anything the character struggles with, it should be dealt with through story and writing. Especially the emotional pain part.

While I agree that emotional pain can only really be portrayed through dialogue, (and maybe some facial expressions,) exhaustion and fatigue, as well as physical pain would be much better portrayed though an audio/visual method. Seeing your character slow down and hearing their laboured breathing. Watching your character walk with a slight limp. Perhaps the limp plays up more in the rain, (I know my knee gives me grief in the wet and the cold.)

The only way to portray these things through story or writing would be to narrate everything.

 

[thewarsend]

If there's anything the character struggles with, it should be dealt with through story and writing. Especially the emotional pain part.

Emotional pain is just an convenient example. (But perhaps i shouldn't have given that example in the first place.) This thread is only about the troubles of the body like the title suggests. I'm not sure how the story would explain physical symptoms like the ones in the CP2020. (I mean, come on, i remember a whole section about how human parts would get tired easily but cybernetic augmentation would never get you tired. It is a strong part of the game.)

While I agree that emotional pain can only really be portrayed through dialogue, (and maybe some facial expressions,) exhaustion and fatigue, as well as physical pain would be much better portrayed though an audio/visual method. Seeing your character slow down and hearing their laboured breathing. Watching your character walk with a slight limp. Perhaps the limp plays up more in the rain, (I know my knee gives me grief in the wet and the cold.)

The only way to portray these things through story or writing would be to narrate everything.

Pretty much this.

 

[Garrison72]

I'm not in favor of developing a long term limp or my character breaking down in tears on occasion. They could take a page out of the Arkham games where batman shows wear and tear at the end of the game. In battle, when things get heated, it would be cool if you could hear your PC breathing faster, swearing to themselves, etc.

 

[Decatonkeil]

Physical and mental weariness could be a perfect excuse to use drugs (let's promote drug use!! yay!!)... IN THE GAME. When tired the screen definition could turn blurry at times, as if we couldn't focus all that well. The reticle and our grip and aim of our gun could take more time to adjust or be easier to disrupt.
Emotional pains could add to addiction problems, however the addiction mechanic works. Maybe the drugs are less effective making us have to double the dose (I know that's more like tolerance... but how else could that work?)... maybe when we try to swallow a pill... we automatically swallow more of them.
I'm also on the side of making this affect dialogue. Maybe have the COOL options not be available, change them to desperate mutters for help... or the inability to speak (our only dialogue option being "1. '....' ").

 

[chriswebb2020.736]

I'm not in favor of developing a long term limp or my character breaking down in tears on occasion.

How about if our character takes severe injuries, crippling injuries with long term effects? This could 'force' us to invest in cyberware to replace the limbs or put up with detrimental effects.

Physical and mental weariness could be a perfect excuse to use drugs (let's promote drug use!! yay!!)... IN THE GAME. When tired the screen definition could turn blurry at times, as if we couldn't focus all that well. The reticle and our grip and aim of our gun could take more time to adjust or be easier to disrupt.
Emotional pains could add to addiction problems, however the addiction mechanic works. Maybe the drugs are less effective making us have to double the dose (I know that's more like tolerance... but how else could that work?)... maybe when we try to swallow a pill... we automatically swallow more of them.
I'm also on the side of making this affect dialogue. Maybe have the COOL options not be available, change them to desperate mutters for help... or the inability to speak (our only dialogue option being "1. '....' ").

I like this perspective.

 

[thewarsend]

How about if our character takes severe injuries, crippling injuries with long term effects? This could 'force' us to invest in cyberware to replace the limbs or put up with detrimental effects.

I like this perspective.

Yeah, i like this idea. It would be a nice way to encourage players getting cybernetic implants. This could also help push the players in the direction of needing more and more cybernetic augmentations.. (Until you become a cyberpsycho.) Like i've said before, Cyberpunk is all about beating the human weakness. The game has to reflect that weakness somehow.

Also, it is common to lose body parts like arms and legs in CP2020. I imagine, if you are not careful, your body could become beyond repair and you may have to go FBC.

If its done right, it could enhance the gameplay nicely.

 

[chriswebb2020.736]

Oh, we better not forget the bodybank. For those who truly dislike the metal, they can always get new meat. And there's vat-grown too if they don't like "second hand"...

 

[thewarsend]

Oh, we better not forget the bodybank. For those who truly dislike the metal, they can always get new meat. And there's vat-grown too if they don't like "second hand"...

Indeed. Also, lets not forget you can get biological upgrades/enhancements to your body as well. You can always get some bioware if you don't want cyberware. It is always good to have options.

 

[Garrison72]

How about if our character takes severe injuries, crippling injuries with long term effects? This could 'force' us to invest in cyberware to replace the limbs or put up with detrimental effects.

That sounds ideal for a hardcore mode.

 

[Sardukhar]

Yeah, we chatted about this months ago and most agreed that would be cool for a hardcore mode.

But even outside hardcore, it would make a nice in-game text option when you are at the ripperdoc: "Would you like to replace your wounded flesh with cloned tissue, Mr. X...or with a Kendachi Cyberarm?"

 

[braindancer12]

How about if our character takes severe injuries, crippling injuries with long term effects? This could 'force' us to invest in cyberware to replace the limbs or put up with detrimental effects.

that would make sense

 

[thewarsend]

that would make sense

Sure it would. What better way is there to make sure players get some of them augmentations. Hell, i wouldn't waste any money on them if they weren't necessary.

 

[blank_redge]

So, ChrisWebb's post over in the "Let's talk Drugs" thread got me thinking. Should there be a fatigue / sleep mechanic, built in to the game as a default?

If the mechanic *is* built in, should it be an optional toggle, or should getting a good night's rest (or the chemically-induced equivalent) be built in to gameplay?

 

[chriswebb2020.736]

That's kind of why I started the "Little Things" thread...

 

[cmdr_silverbolt]

The title of this thread is kinda funny, makes me think of incontinence.

But I'm throwing my vote in for a hardmode, where gameplay does repairable or irreparable long-term damage to your body if (when) you get hurt; the point should be to require the player to hone/utilize skills in not getting hit, or to manipulate situations so as to not be involved directly.

 

[braindancer12]

The title of this thread is kinda funny, makes me think of incontinence.

hahaha

 

[thewarsend]

The title of this thread is kinda funny, makes me think of incontinence.

But I'm throwing my vote in for a hardmode, where gameplay does repairable or irreparable long-term damage to your body if (when) you get hurt; the point should be to require the player to hone/utilize skills in not getting hit, or to manipulate situations so as to not be involved directly.

I was going for funny... But "incontinence"? Flash, you crazy..

Hardmode sounds good. But i would much rather if we had a full on full realism mode.

 

[blank_redge]

That's kind of why I started the "Little Things" thread...

...D'OH!

Hadn't actually popped in to that thread, previously.

Duly noted.