Emulating the rules, but which system?
One of the best things about the Cyberpunk tabletop game was its rules system.
When the original Cyberpunk (2013) was released, it used a system called Interlock, though in its infancy, continuing the mechanic originally set for in R.Talsorians first game, Teenagers From Outer Space. This first iteration of Interlock was crude but simple.
When Cyberpunk 2020 was released, it featured a new version of Interlock. More thought out, better researched, it was nearly perfect. This was the beloved system that kept the game going. It was one of the very first skill based systems, and its lack of escalating hit points and its specific hit locations as standard, with resultant effects, method of resolving damage set it worlds apart from other games where level based hit point progression was the standard, and you could go on fighting till you ran out with lack of any discernible effect. At this point Interlock was already being shared with R.Talsorians other lines, Mekton and Castle Falkenstien. Unfortunately even Interlock, as close to perfection as it was, still had some problems. The Role system was too rigidly enforced, and it was mechanically abstract. The netrunning rules were confusing and bore no resemblance to real world computing. Some of the skills were either redundant or poorly defined. And the combat mechanics were excellent, but lacked fluidity. In short, the rules desperately needed updating.
In effort to appease the fans, as well as form an alliance with Hero Games, Fuzion was developed, which was 90% Interlock and ten percent Hero. The first official product to come out using Fuzion was Bublegum Crisis, and it's OGL spawned massive online support. Fuzion was the rules system used in Cyberpunk V3, and while some people liked it, it pretty much ignored the major Flaws of Interlock, either throwing out the problems entirely, such as Roles and netrunning, or just glossing over them. In addition, it made all attack actions opposed rolls, instead of situation difficulty. Which in effect meant in combat you could dodge bullets. Overall Fuzion was rejected, almost as much as V3 was by Cyberpunk Fanbase.
And then came Interlock Unlimited. A few years ago, on the Cyberpunk 2020 forum Views From The Edge, I began working on a re-write of the Interlock system with the help of collaborators there. Interlock was examined from every angle, house rules from all over were looked at, and the combined experience of over 60 years of playing cyberpunk (including that f long timer R.Talsorian writer Ross Wynn) was consulted. The final product, was Interlock Unlimited. The Roles and their special abilities were fixed, removing the abstract qualities and giving them all defined parameters, and a simple mechanic allowing for a character to take as many Roles as they qualify for. The skill list was retooled to avoid redundancy and cover gaps. The combat mechanics were streamlined, and new optional rules were implemented. Netrunning was simplified, and operates off the same mechanic everything else does, making the whole game very intuitive. Broken rules were repaired, new rules were added, and the whole thing was streamlined. Fan response to Interlock Unlimited has been tremendous, it operates with the full blessing of Mike Pondsmith himself, and judging from the e-mail I get and the number of people I see suggesting it on forums, R.Tal would do worse if they officially adopted it.
Of course there are other versions of the rules out there. R. Tal published too sourcebooks based on novels in the genre. When Gravity Fails by Effigner and Hardwired by Walter John Williams... both of these used slightly altered versions of Interlock. There are also numerous other rules variations created by fans.
The question is this... which rules version do you think would best serve Cyberpunk 2077... both the video game and the upcoming PNP products?
Which set of rules do you believe best represent the freedom, hard core combat with consequences, and dynamic fluidity of the Cyberpunk world, and its visions?
One of the best things about the Cyberpunk tabletop game was its rules system.
When the original Cyberpunk (2013) was released, it used a system called Interlock, though in its infancy, continuing the mechanic originally set for in R.Talsorians first game, Teenagers From Outer Space. This first iteration of Interlock was crude but simple.
When Cyberpunk 2020 was released, it featured a new version of Interlock. More thought out, better researched, it was nearly perfect. This was the beloved system that kept the game going. It was one of the very first skill based systems, and its lack of escalating hit points and its specific hit locations as standard, with resultant effects, method of resolving damage set it worlds apart from other games where level based hit point progression was the standard, and you could go on fighting till you ran out with lack of any discernible effect. At this point Interlock was already being shared with R.Talsorians other lines, Mekton and Castle Falkenstien. Unfortunately even Interlock, as close to perfection as it was, still had some problems. The Role system was too rigidly enforced, and it was mechanically abstract. The netrunning rules were confusing and bore no resemblance to real world computing. Some of the skills were either redundant or poorly defined. And the combat mechanics were excellent, but lacked fluidity. In short, the rules desperately needed updating.
In effort to appease the fans, as well as form an alliance with Hero Games, Fuzion was developed, which was 90% Interlock and ten percent Hero. The first official product to come out using Fuzion was Bublegum Crisis, and it's OGL spawned massive online support. Fuzion was the rules system used in Cyberpunk V3, and while some people liked it, it pretty much ignored the major Flaws of Interlock, either throwing out the problems entirely, such as Roles and netrunning, or just glossing over them. In addition, it made all attack actions opposed rolls, instead of situation difficulty. Which in effect meant in combat you could dodge bullets. Overall Fuzion was rejected, almost as much as V3 was by Cyberpunk Fanbase.
And then came Interlock Unlimited. A few years ago, on the Cyberpunk 2020 forum Views From The Edge, I began working on a re-write of the Interlock system with the help of collaborators there. Interlock was examined from every angle, house rules from all over were looked at, and the combined experience of over 60 years of playing cyberpunk (including that f long timer R.Talsorian writer Ross Wynn) was consulted. The final product, was Interlock Unlimited. The Roles and their special abilities were fixed, removing the abstract qualities and giving them all defined parameters, and a simple mechanic allowing for a character to take as many Roles as they qualify for. The skill list was retooled to avoid redundancy and cover gaps. The combat mechanics were streamlined, and new optional rules were implemented. Netrunning was simplified, and operates off the same mechanic everything else does, making the whole game very intuitive. Broken rules were repaired, new rules were added, and the whole thing was streamlined. Fan response to Interlock Unlimited has been tremendous, it operates with the full blessing of Mike Pondsmith himself, and judging from the e-mail I get and the number of people I see suggesting it on forums, R.Tal would do worse if they officially adopted it.
Of course there are other versions of the rules out there. R. Tal published too sourcebooks based on novels in the genre. When Gravity Fails by Effigner and Hardwired by Walter John Williams... both of these used slightly altered versions of Interlock. There are also numerous other rules variations created by fans.
The question is this... which rules version do you think would best serve Cyberpunk 2077... both the video game and the upcoming PNP products?
Which set of rules do you believe best represent the freedom, hard core combat with consequences, and dynamic fluidity of the Cyberpunk world, and its visions?
