(This follows Axvils post about “THE CITY, GANGS, COPS AND CORPS” – which I think is different enough to be re-posted in its own right as a new suggestion)
How about FACTIONS ingame - joining and working up (and down) in these through missions and by certain actions and choices?
Become able to join different STREET GANGS and do missions to ascend their tanks and unlock special weapons and items and even new gang hideouts?
Different gangs could offer different perks and benefits:
MAELSTROM – unique cyberwear and implants – access to their own Cyberdoc
VALENTINOS - become very attractive to ladies and quickly gain more ‘Street Cred’
6TH STREET – Rare and unique weapons and armour (ex military gear).
THE VOODOO BOYS – new Quickhacks and hacking access points automatically
THE ANIMALS – new melee weapons and body implant upgrades
TYGER CLAWS – new swords and knives, unlock new types of tattoo
MOXES – discounts with Joytoys, quirky weapons (like Sir John Phallustiff )
SCAVENGERS –drugs and black market goods, new illegal AMMO (dum-dums)
ALDECALDOS – new vehicles and ways to improve any owned vehicles
WRAITHS – new less tasteful abilities such as CANNIBALISM (eat dead enemies to regain health) and TORTURE (to find hidden loot)
Gangs have alliances and rivalries, so if you’re high-ranking in one gang you are automatically disliked by certain others (eg The Moxes and Tygers are allied and both hate the 6th Street and the Maelstrom gangs).
The ‘Street Kid’ origin choice could help boost your faction rating gain with street gangs – as could your ‘street cred’.
As a friend of Jackie The VALENTINOS may be an easier first gang you can join - depending perhaps if you have attended Jackies wake and have not 'lost' Jackies body by sending it to Vic!
New options in missions (such as go and speak to a gang member) may offer new ways to complete a mission and assist you – and you’d need to avoid action that will harm or hinder your affiliated gang or risk being cast-out or killed. 'Fixers' may be affiliated to, or enemies of certain gangs too - gangs could have their own fixers offering gang missions.
If you help your chosen faction they could become the dominant gang they take over areas from rivals. When your gang becomes more powerful and you become like a Mafia boss and get various perks and boosts – but become a bigger target of rivals. As a powerful gang member perhaps you could run your own CLUB or be a pimp and have people working for you directly – making you lots of eddies. Ultimately your gang could take over the whole city, with you vying for power at the top!
And how THE POLICE as a faction?
If you’re a senior gang member the cops should hate you – but if you do quests for the cops your police rating improves. A high rank with the Police will mean you become hated by most street gangs. (A Corpo background helps Police rating gain perhaps?).
If you clear ALL the crime sightings in a district (and commit no crimes yourself) you could become something like an ‘honouree deputy’ and meet the Police Chief for a reward. You could be given a police radio to call for police backup and a few friendly Police NPC’s will come to your aid. Police may offer access to special body armour and weapons – and turn a blind eye to your lesser crimes like car-jacking or running-over a pedestrian.
Other factions could be some of the big corps themselves… :-
MILITECH – do a few ‘black ops’ jobs for them (perhaps starting through Meredith Stout) and become a private contractor of Militech, getting access to new armour and weapons …. As long as you avoid quests that annoy them or which involve harming their employees. Get ‘trauma team cover’ through Militech – a team of NPCs that will come and help you or revive you if your health gets low! And a ‘Corpo’ background may help impress Militech and help progression?
KANG TAO – experts in ‘smart tech’ – complete missions for them and work your way up as a Kang Tao Agent and gain access to new experimental ‘smart weapons’ and meet glamorous Chinese operatives who you can start a romance with.
I think having joinable factions with new missions relating to these would add a huge amount of game depth and allow for a lot of new content.
