Cybercop 2077: Police related side content - thoughts and discussions

[Secretz]

Corps has never been done in game industry especially as MP. Sabotage enemy Corps, assassinate leaders, blackmail their people, kidnap kids etc.

Play a GTA game long enough and you'll probably eventually get to most, if not all, of those type of missions in some fashion or another...the only thing missing is a corporate brand. On the other hand, open-world games where you play as law enforcement and have to solve missions where arresting is the preferred outcome and killing is the last resort is a rare, rare thing and is overdue to be focused on in a game.

 

[CyberBobber]

Play a GTA game long enough and you'll probably eventually get to most, if not all, of those type of missions in some fashion or another...the only thing missing is a corporate brand. On the other hand, open-world games where you play as law enforcement and have to solve missions where arresting is the preferred outcome and killing is the last resort is a rare, rare thing and is overdue to be focused on in a game.

Theres tons of paths they could take with MP. My vote goes for Corp style MP with PVE. You could be part of Corp Wars, whats more fun than that, not many series/worlds can offer that.

 

[Metropolice]

I'd argue that law enforcement aspects or seeing things from that side are very under-represented in most AA+ (or Tripple A) games. While there's always X "sims" or "RPG games" in development who supposedly focus on police sim games, they're either scams or simply need more time so they're in essence not a reality right now.

Other police focused games might have a more stricter narrative, for example the SWAT games where you in essence have to clear a limited map.

In simpler terms, open world (and RPG) games lack law enforcement related sides or aspects in general. So far to get that you likely have to look for online games or communities in other existing games, for example those Armed Assault life servers where people can (and have to) play police. Or you play singleplayer mods, like GTA 5 "LSPD:FR" mod.

Long story short, portraying some sort of cop role (even if just MAX-TAC, corpo, net cop, deputized, authorized agent, whatever, but more than just a self-proclaimed vigilante in some ... costume) would likely fit into the CP narrative and world well. It can still be flexible enough so you're not a beat cop who has to watch traffic or run around the district. Even with Vs current concept I believe you can somehow tie in V (optionally) into law enforcement by having NCPD, corpos or Netwatch become mission givers where you can build a certain level of trust and be considered "like a member", and get "certain perks".

This would please all players who look for this and likely don't require much twisting on the game's plot or narrative. You can still be V but actively help them and get rewards or trust for this, letting you take missions and perhaps have them turn a blind eye on certain outfits or tech you might put into your body as reward for doing shitty jobs or dirty work.

We just don't know how deep we can go with the game once it's released. But as long as CDPR does not outright deny the possibility, I think it's worth fighting for a compromise. Yep, classic joinable factions were ruled out but there is still a lot of leeway and compromise

And remember, if the base game can't cover it, they could incorporate this idea into a later DLC when more work is off the table, and more worries or pressing matters are gone. And if that won't help, if all else fails, maybe modding can do the trick

 

[3DMaster]

Actually, I hope you can JOIN the NCPD, I hope it is possible to be FORCED into joining the NCPD.

This goes back to the first awesome teaser trailer; where you get to see a woman getting taken down by the special squad super augmented cops who are there to deal with similarly super augmented folks who have lost control, this woman is now part of those very same squad of super augmented cops.

This cause back to the table top game, where if you augmented yourself beyond a certain level you could lose control, and the more illegal, cheap augmentation with much less security, and protection against this sort of thing, the more likely you will lose control.

These level of augmented folks can, without using truly destructive methods like tanks and anti-tank grenades, can only be taken down by similarly augmented folks. An issue: even legal augmentation can cause the losing control, so creating such cops, might create a squad that is ticking time bomb; not to mention that it is EXTREMELY expensive. But here's the thing, a person repaired and upgraded with buffers and protections is much less likely to lose control again, and it is much cheaper than it is to building one from scratch.

So, if you lose control and are alive, usually dismantled, to judge will give you an option; you will remain dismantled and depending on your augments that means you will either live as essentially a disembodied head or you are dead, OR, they will repair you, but you must join the squad. Unsurprisingly, most choose the latter; and considering the guilt on the face of the woman in the trailer, not removing the damage on her cheek, she didn't do it just to avoid death or being disembodied, she had genuine remorse for her irresponsibility and actually had gratitude for the person who shut her down (without killing her.)

I hope that this is an actual mechanic in the game; not a scripted event, but that ever augment you take above a certain threshold, there is a hidden dice being rolled and that you might lose control; and then you get to make that choice. Don't accept and it's game over, or load a previous, or accept; the game continues with your main story line and goals intact, but you also have to be a cope, with your person story line, you have to do in your off hours.

 

[Metropolice]

TL;DR: Joining or being forced into NCPD seems unlikely, given prior dev statements, so we aim for compromises or toned down limited versions of "joinable" (sub-)factions. Or "soft-joining".

Actually, I hope you can JOIN the NCPD, I hope it is possible to be FORCED into joining the NCPD.

This goes back to the first awesome teaser trailer; where you get to see a woman getting taken down by the special squad super augmented cops who are there to deal with similarly super augmented folks who have lost control, this woman is now part of those very same squad of super augmented cops.

While I like your ideas and gave you beans (oh, this isn't DayZ) a Red Point, I feel the need to suggest that you lower your expectations there, at least if they're rather strong. While this quote is good example how people viewed the first trailer and assumed things from it (I did the same), with the information we have at this time, it's unlikely you can join NCPD or any known faction in the classic sense, but only really work with them. This was stressed or underlined by developers, V is supposed to remain largely "independent" or at least formally detached from factions.

With that in mind I doubt they will force you into any faction (unless it is a plot reason), lest NCPD.

I mean don't get me wrong, if it was possible to join formally, I would not say no, but yes. That's the (original) idea of this thread, to add such gameplay or options. But as those joinable factions were ruled out, the idea is to encourage options in the "compromise region".

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This means that for the base game, we don't even try to advocate V being able to join NCPD as some sort of faction with its own ranks and progression and sub-quests. Later DLCs or mods are a different thing, anything or at least more goes in those two areas.

Instead - this could be more realistic or perhaps even be covered by the game by release - V working with NCPD closely or certain parts of NCPD (coughMAX-TACcough) seems more attainable, still fit the rough narrative of the protagonist CPDR described or implied it so far, and still basically allow for what this thread intends to encourage or promote.

As for how this could work, I still need to get up my non-cyber bum and edit the OP with the various possibilities within the given frame we have at this time. I always like to compare to Fallout New Vegas who more or less let you closely work with existing factions and pick sides, without you becoming a rank n' file soldier of said factions. Yet with enough rep you got perks and were treated like one of their own.

If we can attain this for not just NCPD but some other key players in Night City, I will be very happy and I think others will be, too. All within the established plot and frame of course.

Simplified: V doesn't become a cop, but some reliable contact doing dirty work, a licensed agent of sorts, or alternatively can join the MAX-TAC unit in a more special detached role like being deputized or some kind of volunteer, reservist, etc. For dangerous tasks. Doesn't need to change the main narrative much, doesn't make you a beat cop looking for cats or writing tickets and offers a meaningful way of "radiant" quests or content on the side. And caters to a sub-set of consumers or the community.

Win/win in my eyes.

But time will tell.

 

[Metropolice]

Now this one makes the thread title part with "Cybercop" actually fitting:

While we saw NCPD beat cops, their cars and MAX-TAC (in hologram / Dex's briefnig) and perhaps in a wider sense "corpo cops", in the recent demos, Netwatch takes the stage.

Fancy badge, eh?​

As part of the re-organization of this little "project" or encouragement thread, we'll go wider and look at law enforcement in Night City in general, including corporate or semi-public forces and projects. Like Netwatch. Technically we're already on a good way with the demo itself, meaning "vanilla" (base game, unmodded) gameplay already lets you assist a law enforcement organization like Netwatch! A perhaps small but good sign! Hey, it's okay to cheer up. You may do so now! Hooray!

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Now we hope that those choices won't just be a "one-timer" for specific plot missions but that the consequences of your actions - who you support, in that case Netwatch for example - will allow you some sort of good standing with the respective organization and unlock perks or gameplay opportunities further. Of course not everything needs instant or regular 'gratification', and I personally don't know how deep or extensive the Netrunning aspects of the game will be. Will it be like it's parallel world you can often enter or are those aspects as seen in the demo reserved for special parts?

Time will tell, but doing 'Cybercop' work surely sounds interesting! Now let's hope we get similar choices for NCPD (or its specific units or members) where we can chose to fight or assist them and get something good or perhaps "lasting" out of it if we decide to help them. The idea is to cater to players who are into this type of roleplay, immersion or gameplay and who look at a more "vigilante oriented" role or vibe.

And if nothing can't help it by now (the game is 3/4 of a year away, can hardly invent the wheel anew, as in, radically alter or perhaps introduce such quests from scratch now if they were not planned I assume), there's hope for DLCs or, perhaps, modding.

 

[xuzyii]

police arrest people and police will hit people, with the dystopian reality.

 

[Metropolice]

Woops. It's been a while.

Sorry for the absence (if anyone was wondering or waiting for the informational updates), had a relative CP absence. What I initially wanted to tackle (overhaul OP and add a little information on the types of Law Enforcement in CP as ongoing project) will be done next year in January, if all goes well.

Since this topic is largely about police (and maybe some corpo sprinkled on top) both in terms of potential modding and information, here's another info snippet I just saw:

Summary of polish Dev Q&S

- police won’t intervene when they see you commiting some smaller crimes, like for example beating up some random dude on the street, because they treat it as just an everyday occurence in Night City, but if they see you commiting more extreme crimes, like pulling a gun out and shooting bystanders or driving through them with your car, they will absolutely try to fry your ass

Feel free to beat people up and have fist fights, I suppose, even with cops watching

 

[OneWingedHawk]

i am curious if vehicles are going to be involved in these scenarios. Is it just going to be on foot fights like in W3 and guards, or are they going to pursue us something like GTA games. We saw a part in the 2018 where police aerodyne is searching for V but that looked to be part of a cutscene.

 

[Metropolice]

i am curious if vehicles are going to be involved in these scenarios. Is it just going to be on foot fights like in W3 and guards, or are they going to pursue us something like GTA games. We saw a part in the 2018 where police aerodyne is searching for V but that looked to be part of a cutscene.

I'd say you can bet your augmented butt on it that they will involve vehicles. Of course, I don't really know. But it seems highly plausible given we'll see some sort of traffic system and that we already saw a) moving and parked vehicles somewhere that likely won't be there forever and b) stationary police vehicles. So chances are we get to see moving police vehicles, too.

Or c) you could simply ask if the theory of foot-only pursuit becomes feasible when the player is in a car

The core thing I look forward to is seeing just that in action. Or maybe eventually being able to do this instead of being the hunted, as possible "cop" or "corpo guy", whether in the base game, a DLC or via mods. Wink wink, thread.

 

[Metropolice]

Hi,

first off, if you're new, welcome to the community and (or) regardless of that, if you're new to the thread, there is somewhat of a summary in the OP. The short recap is: This is the thread to pitch any gameplay options bringing the main protagonist closer to law enforcement (or bounty hunting) elements of gameplay, if not letting them step in the shoes, even in quasi-fashion. Yes, both literally and figuratively

Granted, the thread started under different assumptions and partially when certain now known gameplay aspects were yet unclear. It has since shifted from trying to propagate a classic joinable NCPD/MAX-TAC (or corpo security) faction to ideally incorporating elements of this into side activities, side quests or other tertiary content and interactions without that necessarily impacting the main quest. Or implementing them as minor "quasi-joinable" side factions. At best, maybe something like a 'reservist'. A compromise of sorts. Sure, the time to influence the main game development in our favor with ideas like this is now likely (long) gone, so here's hoping it was perhaps on the development radar once and maybe considered. But the thread can always shift and what cannot be 'advertised' for the main game feasibly any longer, we advertise for DLCs or mods.

Now, I wanted to actually add sort of "info-wiki" style overview of law enforcement agencies earlier the year but due to delays and a certain virus this was delayed. From the current perspective it seems best to finish this until the game is released and then complement it with any additional info gained from the game. So sorry for the delay, but better late than never. I'll tackle it over time with bits and pieces or maybe in one huge go.



TL;DR: Hi, thread was supposed to be overhauled earlier, this will now happen slowly until and past release and we will continue to advertise certain ideas for later content additions for the game (whether as patch, DLC, whatever) or possible user mods.

 

[rapij42882]

interesting topic, i agree it seems the old cop and robber formula is completely biased towards the robber side in most triple a gaming. i don't know if it's because the gta series made it a kind of standard or maybe people just don't think it'll work. it's worthy to note the open world game mafia by daniel vavra originally was meant to be played from the perspective of a police officer but vavra changed it to be from the perspective of a mobster citing better narrative potential. perhaps from a storytelling perspective it is just more interesting. although la noire did make a very impressive attempt at a story driven police open world game. but like other games focused on police work, it seems you're either a detective, contractor(like in the sherlock holmes games or red dead redemption) or in a completely different genre as a swat officer in tactical sims.

now that the game has released i do notice the player can operate as a contractor/bounty hunter for the police, however these moments are isolated to side missions and random encounters. it would have been better if the player could apply for some kind of certificate with the ncpd and be officially recognized by the police as an ally instead of them chasing you down because you were fighting gangsters too close to their patrol cars. one thing missing from the police ai in this game is dynamic response to disturbances. if a fight breaks out between your character and some gangsters, the police will stand 5 feet away perfectly still until you fire your gun at the gangster, at which point the police kill you.

i don't know if the original cyberpunk trailer featuring maxtac was a situation like with mafia, where they started off the concept with the character being police but ended up going with a mercenary/ronin because of the greater freedom it offered in terms of storytelling.

i think it's a shame because this genre, this game, is a perfect candidate for more in depth police related gameplay.

imagine you begin responding to some ncdp dispatches, you handle some of the stopping crime random encounters, and this triggers ncpd dispatcher to call you and request you to come down to the precinct for negotiation as a licensed contractor. if the player accepts this, the police npcs will begin treating the player as friendly and won't engage you in combat. and you will be given access to more complex jobs where you might need to go to the scene of a crime and piece together clues and track down witnesses or suspects(many of the other missions have this component and imo they're some of the best moments in the game).

once the story is over, i think there is still a great deal more potential for engaging gameplay in night city. so i propose that cpdr consider for their next dlc or expansion, more ncpd related mechanics and quests. thank you

 

[Metropolice]

@rapij42882

I think there is always a huge potential.

We can see how gameplay can become interesting or more riveting if a dedicated approach is picked. Less cryptic: Look at the standalone cop mods for GTA 4 and GTA 5 as example. By utilizing many engine and game assets and additional functions, you get a mod-friendly customizable "modding suite" to tailor your law enforcement experience. You can be a beat cop or a more specialized role and patrol or respond to callouts. You can stop pedestrians, ask them for ID, frisk them, fine them, arrest them. Anyone. Roughly the same for cars. Stop them. Inspect them. Check the license plates.

While I don't expect a full life cop life sim here, by all means, I post these examples to show that there is potential for "off-shoots" even in Cyberpunk, even if your character in this game is largely declared to be a "Merc" trying to survive and / or rise to the top. For me, dabbing in such copper roles is often kind of thrilling and interesting. I currently do it in DayZ on a server with some RP elements so it's not just random shootouts but a story unfolding. Played one through an apocalypse setting start to finish. When things were largely normal, military and police around, to downfall, to pure survival.

To get more back to the Cyberpunk topic, the same interesting scenario I find in a sci-fi cop (or quasi-cop, ally, etc) approach. Seeing this dystopian gritty urban world from the eyes of someone trying to bring some sort of order to it, by profession, not just ideals. Or to end up horribly twisted or adapting, maybe corrupted, just to get by or lose oneself. All very interesting topics.

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Before this becomes a (too) huge wall of text in this post, on a closing note for now I must commend that CDPR already did something I did not expect. Whether one wants to argue about what may have been planned but cut, there is ample evidence of scenarios where you can be pro NCPD my mopping up crime or working with some of these people, and partially, against them. I didn't know it but apparently there is some (rare?) MAX-TAC quest where you help a team of them somewhere more actively, and you see the team interact with each other. Just saw a brief snippet in a video and want to find it myself.

In addition you are a possible "NCPD subcon". I imagine this stands for subcontractor. While it doesn't give you notable official powers or privileges or access to gear by them, it seems you are the recipient of any outsourcing of work NCPD cannot or doesn't want to do. So you get at least "cred" and money for mopping up.

Long story short, a step in a direction I like, but it could be somewhat more - without breaking the main plot.

I heavily hope that (if not for modding) DLCs and such will expand into this area. I don't expect a full cop sim that is its own full game, by all means, but I think that you could allow "V" to pick specialized / exotic roles and add more gameplay possibilities. If not for some beat cop, maybe some kind of 'Detective' or SWAT role.

What I can imagine very well is becoming a quasi part of MAX-TAC in a deeper and reoccurring fashion. The wiki article of the older CP2020 lore already implies MAX-TAC isn't your average beat cops or detectives - they can be quite the personalities and "cyber punks" themselves. Dare devils that you need given the work they do. It would make sense to me they would try to recruit someone like V as some kind of "deputized merc" or "reservist". Much like the first trailer indicates the cyberpsycho was recruited into MAX-TAC. Imagine adding this and going back to the roots, of sorts. I'd clap my hands together physically.

Instead of just hiring you as merc for special occasions like "subcon mop-ups", resulting in basically some average gig where you run somewhere, help and bugger off, they want you as a more integrated part of the team. The approach is still the same (you respond to a situation and go somewhere) but you'll be treated differently and it's more engaging. You could see backup and get more like a pat on the back or no trouble from law enforcement as you fight the troublemakers like Cyberpsychos.

I think allowing V to "join" MAX-TAC and maybe Trauma Team in some kind of "sub faction sense" would still perfectly work, fit the game narrative and allow new ways of adding (radiant?) content through more jobs that allow you to do things. It would be heavily satisfying for me to roll with MAX-TAC and their gear, or TT and have some perks during active missions and have people like pedestrians react if you are part of them and wear their gear. Add some unique side missions and 'radiant quests' with some new dialogue and you got yourself unique side content that would please many players. Doesn't have to be a huge part of the game, just a little extra and bonus.

MAX-TAC and Trauma Team are among the best examples I can think of because they seem just so non-intrusive to the plot and other quests opposed to maybe becoming a beat cop or being able to join a known corporation. Too much additional work. Wouldn't say no, but MT/TT are just easier to implement in side quest fashion.

Long story short, would heavily dig a "job DLC" that fleshes out on some jobs in the city including TT/MT.

So far, I can mostly wear the clothing of some groups. Why not let us "join" them and feel like part of them, do specialized missions (radiant?) and earn money. And just feel at home somewhere. For me, it would also add not just fun but replayability, rather than feeling like a cosplayer (no offense) in some of the favorite outfits. Instead, it'll be like: "Damn, I'm not just wearing this, I'm actually part of this, I respond to callouts alone or with a team sometimes and feel like part of the city or some group".

I leave you all, dear readers, this perhaps "motivational picture" of what once could be your character in the moderate future due to mods or DLC.

 

[Metropolice]

Some video comments, most notably, seem to also theorize that the inclusion of this currently normally unattainable armor hints at either temporarily cut content or something planned for the future. Some refer to Judy's apartment, some to the quest where you inadvertently end up in a cyberpsycho assault at a certain commercial place and where you get to interact with MAX-TAC.

I neither saw both in-game occurrences or references myself yet, but the comments just indicate to me there's a growing number of people who'd really like or be up for a MAX-TAC (or Trauma Team) membership. Partially because they assume the inclusion of the base MAX-TAC armor (granted, decals and details are missing if you compare to the NPCs and some of their versions) and its flavor text ultimately mean something deeper to come. Why add it otherwise?

Before I throw a long post at you, let's keep it simple!

Hey CDPR! There seem to be many fans with a growing interest in exploring some job opportunities, including MAX-TAC or Trauma Team! But fear not, I ultimately think that allowing this won't disrupt any main plot at all!

V could be seamlessly integrated into some sub-factions that don't intrude too much on the main plot and vice-versa if done right! Another post (still thinking about summarizing that all via a list) will show some rough ideas in summarized fashion as to how it could be tackled. The rest, should you find those ideas suitable for DLC implementation, can surely be ironed out by you. This is to give the core inspiration and ideas in how to tackle this so it still fits.

Will try to post this in the next few days as less convoluted as possible. I do feel there is great potential behind exploring those ideas without being yet becoming incompatible with the main game.

Stay tuned.

 

[papplaus]

The vast majority of map filler material (blue marks: organized crime/assault in progress) are just that, already?!

 

[CTPhipps]

99% of the game if you're a completitionist is you doing the NCPD's job for them. I definitely want some more police jobs but I distinctly want ANTI-Police jobs.

Remove RL politics from it and sticking just to the setting, the NCPD are a spectacular bunch of shitbags.

I would very much like some jobs taking out corrupt members. You get a little of this from River but I'm all for, "Take out this dirty cop who has killed a bunch of innocent kids because they looked at him funny" or "Max Tac is hired to kill someone, you have to defend them."

Maybe impersonate a cop and plant a bug for the media mission. That sort of thing.

 

[Metropolice]

The vast majority of map filler material (blue marks: organized crime/assault in progress) are just that, already?!

We'd like to go a bit "deeper" than being a mop-up contractor that gets paid after clearing a location. Even if it turns into being a glorified quasi-/pseudo-cop mop-up contractor - with some new mini-perks. At the same time, the idea with going deeper is expanding some of these "crime events" into something at least slightly bigger, that possibly incorporates a larger area or slightly bigger scope including NCPD / MAX-TAC team mates or deploying with a small team to hunt Cyberpsychos. MAX-TAC as niché seems to be the most fitting or implementable opposed to being a regular beat cop, might be too much work by now and perhaps not fit the narrative or story frame. So that is unrealistic, an optional niché job however isn't as unrealistic. Trauma Team would be another comparable, possibly fitting example.

Ultimately, the idea would be that you get something like "endless" radiant quests on occasion or simply optional by "going on duty" to receive regular mission updates (quests) to pursue or ignore as you do other things. Bonus if they make an actual mini-DLC centered around those jobs with both side content or radiant quests and also actual side or "main" quests and a plot to go through.

All of this would be optional and not forced on the player, but in turn allow those who want it a more things to do, immersion and fun.

99% of the game if you're a completitionist is you doing the NCPD's job for them. I definitely want some more police jobs but I distinctly want ANTI-Police jobs.

Remove RL politics from it and sticking just to the setting, the NCPD are a spectacular bunch of shitbags.

I would very much like some jobs taking out corrupt members. You get a little of this from River but I'm all for, "Take out this dirty cop who has killed a bunch of innocent kids because they looked at him funny" or "Max Tac is hired to kill someone, you have to defend them."

Maybe impersonate a cop and plant a bug for the media mission. That sort of thing.

I wouldn't say there is notable RL politics at play regarding NCPD. Perhaps people are more used to GTA where you are automatically forced to be at odds with cops and view it from that perspective? At the same time, the games does (in my eyes) solid job of underlining the problems of NCPD, the corrupt, but also the good idealistic people at odds with them.

If CDPR has additional "anti-police" content in mind like working for gangs against NCPD or corpos and other gangs, I wouldn't say no.

I get what you mean though. However, personally, I'd rather like to see content expanded in the direction of factions like NCPD (MAX-TAC), Trauma Team or any other fitting sub or mini-faction.

 

[sommojames]

I would not mind if one of the DLC would focus on joining maxtac

 

[Ofdimaelr]

I hope they will make more content.

 

[Metropolice]

We'll, uh ... just leave this here.

Carry on citizens.