Cyberware Stat Randomization Has To Be Replaced With A Better System

[Crimsomrider]

The current cyberware stat randomization is unfortunately a terrible repetition of the game's history regarding itemization from early release days, reincarnated in an even worse form than ever before because not only is cyberware now pure RNG, but the RNG ends up contradicting the very logic of the cyberware mechanics you've reworked.

Instead of this RNG itemization slot machine, the stats offered on cyberware should either exclusively be based on the [STAT ATTUNED] to the cyberware or the player should be able to pick freely which 3 stats they want on their cyberware.

For example;

• BODY attuned cyberware should give HP, HP regen, resistances etc...
• INTELLIGENCE attuned cyberware should give Quickhack damage, Electrical Damage, Poison Damage, Fire Damage, RAM Recovery
• TECHNICAL attuned cyberware should give ARMOR and decrease damage for various elemental types
• COOL cyberware should offer stealth damage, reduced enemy vision and so on...

But definitely not the current system where stats are so randomized that the offered stats are in direct conflict to the playstyle the cyberware is supposed to play into. You've already made this mistake at launch with item randomization (players fighting Adam Smasher in legendary pink shorts, weapons coming with all kinds of lore-breaking stat bonuses) and then thankfully abandoned it with a rework which massively improved it by making items more in line with what their types are, only to now abandon the improvement and insert the worst imaginable itemization again... except this time it's the most horrid iteration of a stat slot machine. Can't believe we waited 12 months only to get a repeat of history in an even worse form, a Diablo3-esque itemization from its release days that even Blizzard abandoned a long time ago.

Lets take a look at a few examples;

Here we have 2 Ex-Disks both fresh from the shop, an Intelligence based cyberware clearly intended for Netrunners. It has RAM and Upload Speed and it's attuned to Intelligence... clearly intended for hacking, right? Not according to this mess of a stat randomization;

• Health Regen or Headshot Damage
• Decreased Vision or Health
• Damage Over Time or Reload Speed

What in the world is this monstrosity? Where is quickhack damage, where is RAM recovery? You know, the stats that actually play into the Intelligence attribute which is all about Netrunning and smart weapons?

Upgrading the cyberware to T5+ and choosing the rolls is no better. What am I supposed to do with this? Am I an assault class or a tank or a mule? No I'm a NETRUNNER! So what even is this?

Here we have another INT based cyberware. But why is an Intelligence based Cyberware giving me ricochet damage when the whole point of INT attribute is either Netrunning or smart weapons or both. Netrunners can't even ricochet because they require SMART LINK cyberware to auto-lock on with smart weapons.

Kiroshi Sentry optics. The ONLY intelligence attuned eye cyberware which is also not providing any RAM recovery, instead what even is this mess. Are we supposed to be playing an assault role here or a tank? Why isn't there any enemy vision reduction or RAM recovery for a Netrunner?

It is unfortunately depressing how terrible this system is. Zero soul, zero definition, zero depth... just a shallow slot machine that literally contradicts itself by going against the cyberware's purpose. 2.0 provides a ton of fantastic new things and reworks, but this RNG slot machine is the complete opposite of what should've been a part of the game. It needs to go and be replaced with something better.

Please do better and don't have this happen where something like ricochet damage is being given to Netrunners on an Intelligence attuned cyberware when their entire talent tree is either quickhacks or smart weapons. Personally I consider linking cyberware to specific attributes a massive mistake because the whole point was to make it more meaningful, so it should be up to the player to decide which stats go onto them. But if not, then at least make stats based on attribute attunement instead.

 

[Stinkyremy]

I fully agree I have stated similar to your suggestions as a fix on other threads I have posted.

I think what they should do (when they fix the downgrading bug) is allow us to upgrade each cyberware after 5++ again, either once or once per stat then choose what stat we want, but each cyberware can only have 1 of each stat. So You cant just put 3 +armour on every cyberware, but you could put 1 +armour on each if you liked. Or even just allow us to choose the 3 stats as we purchase/install it and we upgrade from there.

There is obviously a stat pool.
I was speccing into explosion damage and managed to get a lot with explosion damage, resistance and grenade charge come together using jank ways of upgrading trash cyberware until the stats I wanted rolled then using that stat on the cyberware I actually wanted the rolled stats on.
Now every time I seem to reroll using the same jank it basically only ever offers me health and health item recharge rate buff stats.
Seems to me maybe there is a limit on what it will roll.

Either way the entire system is completely broken, as too is the end game crafting and weapon purchasing system, that I just cannot fathom who would ever purposely choose this trash stuff to be implemented in the game.
Like have they never played a video game before!

 

[manoj_k30]

I fully agree, they need to be straighforward upgrades.

They are trying to pad game time by making you ugrade same item multiple times to get what you want.

 

[Felipe_Catalan]

I agree

 

[Orikon25]

Fully agreed. While they're at it, can they buff the numbers so that the stats are actually meaningful? You will never feel those +5.8% during gameplay.

Unfortunately I highly doubt anybody from the dev team is reading these forums, and I guarantee you community managers aren't relaying feedback either. We're talking to the wind over here.

 

[LeKill3rFou]

Fully agreed. While they're at it, can they buff the numbers so that the stats are actually meaningful? You will never feel those +5.8% during gameplay.

Well, +5.8% alone and on one cyberware, sure. But in my current playthrough, I have between 3 and 6% melee damages almost on each cyberware (so I think, a total around +50% minimum), so at the end, I'm sure I can feel the difference

Unfortunately I highly doubt anybody from the dev team is reading these forums, and I guarantee you community managers aren't relaying feedback either. We're talking to the wind over here.

How can you "guarantee" that?
I mean, the fact Reds don't answer doesn't mean they never read the forum

 

[exploiteddna]

anyone seen/found a solution to this yet? I just realized the RNG nature of this and it's quite frustrating. Im trying to dig into the relevant parts of tweakdb to see how its all set up, but so far i havent found it. Was hoping there was already a mod that addressed this but if there is, I havent found it yet. If I manage to unravel it myself and write a mod for it, I'll be sure to share it here

 

[Crimsomrider]

I've only found a way to manipulate it so that a single desired stat can be installed on all cyberware pieces, for example I have +60% quickhack damage just from cyberware alone because all the pieces have that bonus.

How to manipulate the stat modifiers I've covered here; PSA - Cyberware Stat Modifiers

Other than that there's not much a player can officially do. I can't believe CDPR thought a stat slot machine with contradicting bonuses is a good thing to implement in a story-driven RPG as gear progression. Completely out of touch design decision unfortunately.

 

[boristhedork]

heavily agreed

 

[Netaxus]

I understand your point, agree with it, and see that someone has to name it, but the game is done, there are only interests in further imploring it, maybe with the functions added or develop for Cyberpunk 2 which are maybe redundant and can traverse to the old CP too.

I think this system is a placeholder, as they intent to do some more in depth and waiting to do so was impossible as such a system is far more interconnect with other stuff as to make fastly or in time.

 

[Tarille]

I get the overall idea behind the complaint and the pure RNG stats (Even with Tech's ability to reselect stats each upgrade)

Some of the arguments presented are flawed due to the nature of build variety:

INTELLIGENCE attuned cyberware should give Quickhack damage, Electrical Damage, Poison Damage, Fire Damage, RAM Recovery

Firstly, this would be stupid.

Tech builds do Electrical and Fire damage with their Bolts. They can also do Electrical, Chemical and Fire damage with their grenades. They also have EMP for Electrical damage.

Not to mention, the Cool attuned Cyberarms deal Chemical damage and Body attuned ones deal Fire damage. To say nothing about things like the shotgun (Body related) mod that makes them deal Fire damage. Or various iconics like Psalm 11:6 which is an AR (Reflex related) that deals Fire damage the Laika (Tech/Cool related) and Taigan (Cool related) also deal Fire damage. Or Fenrir (Reflex related) and Order (Tech/Body related) that deal Electrical damage.

Tying elemental damage to specifically Intelligence would mean you have to pick off-stat cyberware to get the stat buffs for these things.

• Health Regen or Headshot Damage
• Decreased Vision or Health
• Damage Over Time or Reload Speed

I don't see the problem.

Besides health regen, all of those can be utilized very well by a netrunner (With health regen being not awful)

Smart weapons can (And likely will) headshot so more headshot damage is more damage for Smart weapon users (Such as those utilizing the Rippler deck)

Decreased vision helps with netrunners that are trying to be sneaky and hack people (There's even a deck explicitly around sneak'n'hack gameplay, the Arasaka deck)

Health is useful for any of the combat focused netrunners (Rippler, Biotech, Paraline deck users) since Int doesn't come with natural survivability like Body (Health + Regen), Reflex (Evasion), Cool (Mitigation) and Tech (Armor)

Damage over time is like the major thing for netrunners using combat quickhacks. Overheat, Short Circuit, Contagion and Cyberware Malfuction all apply damage over time.

Reload speed is again, useful for Smart weapon users.

Netrunners can't even ricochet because they require SMART LINK cyberware to auto-lock on with smart weapons.

Actually, they can. Since:

1) Not all netrunners NEED to be using Smart weapons especially by the time you're looking at T5 cyberware you can easily be 20 points deep into a secondary stat and be using their associated weapons in addition to your Int based Quickhack nonsense.

2) Some weapons can still lock on/ricochet even without hand cyberware. Things like Skippy and Kongou don't require cyberware to function.

3) You can equip both Smart Link/Tyger Tattoo and Ballistic Coprocessor if you have invested into Tech enough to get that ability for a second hand cyberware slot.

But if not, then at least make stats based on attribute attunement instead.

Honestly, with their current system, the only thing that would need changing would be making groups of stats more coherent with each other.

Too many times I've seen 3 stats that are at odds with each other. Like Explosive Damage + Quickhack Damage + Stealth Damage... Which while yes, you can have a stealthy netrunner blowing stuff up, Quickhack and Stealth damage doesn't apply to blowing up containers with Quickhacks or the Grenade Detonation ultimate. With Stealth damage not being applied to Quickhacks either.

With things linked more closely, it should be easier to attempt to get a somewhat decent result as opposed to fishing and only finding 2 stats you want if you're lucky...

But yeah, overall the whole gear system could do with an overhaul. Though at this point it's probably for Orion to sort out. The whole "Attunement" thing is silly, as is random stats on cyberware (I get it makes up for the removal of the random stats on clothing but still...).

I figure the most appropriate system would be based on mods. Allowing a player to slot in the mods that give the stat bonuses THEY want for THEIR build on the cyberware THEY want to use. Which could still retain the whole "Fishing for lewt" aspect as you'd look for items with the mods on you want and take those mods and put them on your equipment.

 

[Netrunner2go]

Uhm well my Netrunner doesn’t use any weapon next to Monowire tho all weapon boni are just waste… you can’t generalize what’s stupid or needful…

i, like crimson, would be glad if Int-cyberware would provide elements, recover, uploadtime or QH-dmg only leaving weapon boni in the dust

 

[Tarille]

i, like crimson, would be glad if Int-cyberware would provide elements, recover, uploadtime or QH-dmg only leaving weapon boni in the dust

Which is generalizing what's "Stupid and needful"

There are a variety of options available. Including netrunners whom use guns (The INT tree has an entire section dedicated to smart weapons. Also, with the level 50/60 cap hybrid builds are possible further facilitating INT builds with guns)

So locking people out of gun bonuses with INT cyberware harms those that DO want to mix netrunning and guns.

Which is one of the major flaws in the notion of locking stats behind specific attunements.

The game facilitates too many build variations and playstyles to shoehorn people into specific stats. What one person might find to be "Wasted stats" another person might find to be an ideal distribution.

 

[Nixilos]

I still would rather see a return to a mod system so that stat upgrades are something that can be found in the world, crafted, and upgraded. Iconic mods for cyberware could also be a thing. It would give hidden/special loot containers a purpose again and also allow a player to curate and tailor their stats for purpose without needing to spend hours on a ripperdoc screen.

The mod types could be divided up by which body slot they take up or which attribute governs them etc or even just be one size fits all and it would still be a much better system than what we currently have. This would bring back some much needed depth to the itemization.

I find myself taking several days off from the game when it comes time to roll my stats, my desire to play evaporates quickly as it becomes a chore. Since the replay value of this game is dependent on starting over from scratch for players like me, it's a real let down. The old progression flowed much more smoothly and the time sinks were broken up into smaller chunks. The only mitigation to how unenjoyable it currently is, is to limit your engagement with it and settle for less. It's not a feel good mechanic.