I wrote something on gangs before reading one of the Solo of Fortunes where it had the same idea as me. This would really make the game dope imho. After all Night City is a city of gangs.
Joining a gang in Night City means commitment and remaining loyal is the key to success. Gangs means family, security, and an unlimited resource of guns, drugs, and synthetic prostitutes. Joining has special requirements for each gang depending on their philosophy. Say for instance, you're a Solo that joins the Slaughterhouse, you would have to kill someone to get in. Depending on which gang you choose (Only one) and whose fates you decide to end means different endings that are directly effected by this decision. Choose your gang wisely, pass all the requirements to become an initiate. If you choose to leave the gang then blood must be spilled, either yours or theirs. Each gang will have their own missions and agendas, rivals and allies, territories and resources.
As the gang gets stronger, so does your respect and fear among other gangs. Unless the gang is already feared such as the Slaughterhouse. The higher the rank you receive in the gang the bigger your group of companions/followers are able to follow you throughout Night City. I say about up to 1-6 or so followers (if at all possible), you can use tactical formations on the streets, carefully plan an all out ambush assault, or just violently attack one person relentlessly like a pack of wolves.
Radiant missions for gangs:
Killing for no reason (a killing spree massacre), setting buildings on fire, armed robbery, professional assassination, murder-for-hire, tagging, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, racketeering, human trafficking, prostitution, black market cybernetics, hired netrunning, fly-by murders, old fashioned drive-by murders, extortion, black market braindance, illegal raves, home invasions, murderous car jackings, kidnapping, bank robberies, & terrorism. Gangs run this city, crime makes this city go around. If not you, then who? Sure the cops have their own side of the story, but so do the criminals that live in this city and truly control the streets.
Crossing out rival gang tags on walls will be declarations of war. If you catch other gangs doing so, immediately kill them on the spot and leave their body as a message to your rivals. Don't forget to cross them out and tag your gang back up on the wall to send a clear and concise message. Leaving them running for their lives. Some run away and some test their luck against you, some are more fierce than others like the Maelstrom and Sacred Blades.
Gang Politics
Advancement in the gang leads to leadership from the bottom up. Once the highest rank is attained, the power politics begin. Rising up the ranks depending on your philosophy should be easy, however the leadership role should be hard to earn. Once you become leader you gain the absolute authority to sanction murders, run the gang however you choose. Decide to unify certain or all gangs, decide which gangs survive by offering peace treaties, and which gangs are greenlit to be massacred. Gang Eliminations completely rid the city of that certain gang as long as there are no survivors left of that gang. It takes a special kind of genius to organize a gang in the business of crime. As the leader of the gang, other duties can include various community services to clean up your image with the people. Depends on if you want to be loved or feared. You may also choose whether or not to legitimize the business by investing in various types of businesses or to continue the brazen illegal activities.
You decide who to associate with for control of Night City, the mob, the corporations, or your own gang along with the streetscum. The streetscum are hungry to rise out of their poverty. Personally, I would give my services to Arasaka for their power and through association gain access to their training as well their armory. Giving you the player, what you truly want. Power.
Choose which crimes the gang gets involved with, what drugs to control, which streets are yours. Reinforce the gangs safehouse with top of the line security, make it possible to live with the gang and/or near their safehouse, have a mistress or two around at hand. Bribe corrupt policemen in the NCPD and politicians to look the other way when your gang makes its presence known. A gang that is finally yours to control and expand. Being a leader, means a seat in the underground delegate. More power on the streets means more power at the negotiation table with other gang leaders. Even intimidating them before another war is incited, happily handing over there gang's assets.
New initiation followers are put to the test, whether they succeed or fail, you ultimately decide their fate. Initiations include brutal outnumbered beatings to killing rivals or armed robbery. For some gangs the only way to get in is to kill someone, anyone. Blood in, blood out. Only the best of the new recruits advance in rank, and you alone can choose to give them that new rank. As well as improve their stats or advanced implants. Enabling you to be able to build your gang. Travel together on the streets and inside the rapid transit trains or other various transportations. You also will get to name who will be your lieutenants, enforcers, as well as name your second in command.
Order hits on people, complete the contracts yourself or hand it to a trusted subordinate. They can range from low profile to high profile. Low profile means the hit will not raise any alarms, high profile hits send messages to rivals and the public. You decide which and how many members carry out the hit. Who you choose determines the success rate of the hit. If your members fail, you can kill them to set an example. Don't worry, you'll have new and more promising prospects prove their worth and loyalty. Be wary of ranking the more ambitious ones as well as volatile registered cyberpsychos and undercover cops. Hits can also be ordered on the airwaves of pirate radio stations, a reward that should be substantial to those that carry it out. If that fails, maybe its time to get the job done yourself. Hits ordered from prisons use sophisticated codes in their letters needing cypher keys to read, or writing in urine. Every assassination must be approved by you if you are the leader of course.
Gang Tattoos
Should be an integral part of the process, tattooed like real criminals infused with cybernetic implants. A cyberpunk gangbanger just sounds crazy. From intricate art on the head to the hands, there are visible and non-visible implants with tattoos over them representing who you are and what you represent, down to what part of the city you are from. Some even represent Night City in tattooed form, claiming the city is theirs. Tattoos and implants represent things that THEY cannot take away from you, much like your soul. Losing your Earthly possessions if you are sent to jail or in a survival situation, you will never lose your implants or tattoos. There should be a shitload of gang symbols to choose from that can cover any part of the body or ones specially made for certain gangs that cover 70% of the upper body. Tattoos tell the story of a criminal, including rank. Tattoos raise the intimidation stat, upgrading to a black light touch up on the outlines raises the cool stat or even advanced nano ink tattoos that move and glow.
Jail in Night City is an even more dangerous place. Murders happen during breakfast, basically its a gladiator school. The jail itself should be a little big village, with different gangs segregated and the tension is incredibly high. Serving time itself should be a story, if you even get caught alive. Maximum security for the highest threat level criminals is available, making it harder to escape. Vibrant as the city itself, with unwritten rules in place where you can die if you're not careful. Killing guards will be hard, but not impossible. In jail, you learn how to make shanks and plot an elaborate escape. Sharp cutting implants would come in handy.
Notes on my favorite Cyberpunk gang, the Slaughterhouse:
>Slaughterhouse should be influenced heavily by prison culture and should adopt tactics by the likes of the Serbian Black Hand, the Aryan Brotherhood (without the racism), and a futuristic version of Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York. Sending messages with their murders that no one is untouchable, give us the chance to become the most ruthless gang legend in the history of Night City running on the edge of cyberpsychosis. If the NCPD are uncooperative with your rise to power, go to war with the police, send them messages that they can be killed anywhere, anytime, even inside jail. Slaughterhouse should very much be styled after Prison gangs in Night City with a hyper brutality unseen. Their signature murders leave blood all over the crime scene, some done in silence, some bodies are never found. They should be a brotherhood, that watch and take care of their own. A true booster gang claiming murder as their number one product.
Gang Attire
Uniform code, there should be different styles of clothing within each gang. The more styles the better. Styles that distinguish rank as well as look cool which in cyberpunk is pretty important. Other pieces of apparel are more subtle, but still show others you are part of a gang. Wearing the colors or signature of a certain gang should be able to easily intimidate up to all NPC's lower than AA, A, or B threat level.
Humans are the ultimate predator on the Planet, a mere animal, the smartest animal. Evolving with cybernetics is natural. It is natural for humans to form gangs for survival in a violent environment, much like the wolves. Adopting animalistic instinct tendencies and getting the augmentations to match will only further our evolution.
Break down the walls of the Combat Zone, bring on the cybered-up violence.
