General Suggestions (Feel free to add)
General suggestions for Gameplay, Cyberpunk universe/World feel, RPG system, character interaction system, etc:
1. This is a futuristic setting. Makes it possible for human beings to live far LONGER LIFESPANS. Easy to incorporate that theme as CDPR did with TW witcher mutations = extraordinary long lifespan.
2. World theme for the future: big divide between lower and upper classes of people.
3. A.I. in the world. Good potential plot twists with some "people" actually being A.I. "cyborg" beings instead of human beings.
4. Take a more hardline approach to player's STANDING with VARIOUS FACTIONS. For example, if you make decisions that are friendly/helpful to one faction, then it's rival faction should be less friendly to you.
5. A TEAM DYNAMIC for RECRUITING certain CHARACTERS to your squad. Think Mass Effect 2. Gain information on various characters in different ways and decide if you really want someone on your team or not. Some characters can't get along with others. Some you can't recruit because of past decisions or you simply antagonized their faction too much. CDPR does this in a very basic way in TW3 for the Kaer Morhen battle but they should expand on that A LOT more. The choices/speech decisions are too obvious in terms of which one will allow you to recruit the character (i.e. Keira Metz). Don't simply make 3-4 must-recruit characters and 2-3 more optionals. Have 2-4 must-recruits and then dozens more that you CAN run into or seek out and figure out another 3-5 more that you want to recruit from them. It should be a mistake to recruit a bunch of different characters with the same strengths/weaknesses/talents because they won't perform so well when the team goes into action. Perhaps have some mercenary style characters you can contract (but make it expensive). Set up a LOYALTY SYSTEM for those characters.. the more loyal, the more prone they are to help you (or help you without wanting something in return).
6. Expand on the ITEMS/WEAPONS dynamic set in TW3. The most disappointing thing to me in TW3 is that I never used any non-witcher gear. Even though I would have loved to, the witcher swords added experience points which you can't pass up. CP should not have a clear weapon choice to use. Have a lot of weapons... MODIFIABLE, some CRAFTABLE. Various AMMUNITIONS... regular rounds rounds, explosive rounds, armor piercing, lasers, various grenades and rockets, electro-magnetic pulse (EMP good against characters/units that are heavily cybernetic). Various WEAPON CLASSES... rifles, heavy machine guns, pistols, machine pistols, RPG/rocket launchers, bows (explosive tipped arrows for example), shotguns, non-lethal etc. Be able to SWAP weapons/equipment with your team/squad members. Have misc mods for weapons... scopes, laser sights, flashlights, extended clips/magz, etc.
7. Maybe implement ASSASINATION TECHNIQUES... possibly with #8 below. Should be an option to develop via tech tree.
8. Don't forgo MELEE COMBAT. Have melee weapons. For example: katana style swords. Various knives. Electrified staffs. Electrified whips. Maybe even a bayonet option as a mod for a gun.
9. Keep the quick art+explanation RESULTS OF DECISIONS made like TW series had. Or if not, maybe have cutscenes of our character thinking back on the decisions made that led up to that particular outcome. This way the player can note it and know what to play differently if they want a different outcome in the next play-through.
10. Expand a little bit on the TECH TREES. They felt a little too simplistic in TW3. I believe the CDPR team felt the same way because they expanded it in-game with the mutagen evolution in the expansion. It should be easy with the various weapon types in CP... a character may want to spend experience points on certain weapon specializations to customize how they want to play the game.
11. Similar to weapons, tech trees should be spent on ability to obtain certain types of CYBERNETIC IMPLANTS. Implants should not be abundant. They should be rare and very expensive to buy and perform implant surgery. The more implants you get, the more prone you should be to EMP style weapons. If you have a lot of implants and you are stuck facing a ton of EMP style weapons and you can't get past it.... you should have to either A) spend a ton of money to remove the implants or B) hopefully you have recruited some good team members who are less cybernetic who can help you get through.
12. Implement a HACK SYSTEM. Being able to hack computers, doors, cameras, security systems, robots, even certain cybernetic characters/units and weapons. This shouldn't be a default ability. This should be an optional ability that can be developed via tech tree. Give the player a chance to try to hack anything (maybe via mini-game.. think Mass Effect door hacking). However, undeveloped hack ability equates to extreme difficulty in the minigame hacks.
13. Player "HOME BASE" to rest, store items, leave teammates that are not being used. Maybe have a dynamic where upgrading the home base (or getting more home bases) allows for recruitment of more team members.
14. CDPR does an excellent job with LOVE INTERESTS. Keep it up. Maybe a dynamic to include would be certain characters don't really want to be involved with someone who has too many cybernetic implants/parts. So there are ups/downs across the whole game for everything you do regarding implants. Another dynamic is pursuing a love interest (or purely sexual relationship) to open or mend ties with certain factions/groups.
15. SOUNDTRACK should be cool, edgy, futuristic with some rock element. But CDPR always does a great job with soundtracking.
16. MULTIPLAYER aspect could be tied back to the team dynamic. If you have open slots on your team/squad... you can have a friend(s) join in on your game. Or you can join in on theirs. This is especially good for those that need help in certain parts. Maybe you don't have the right squad to get through a certain area of a game for whatever reason.... but your friend is well equipped for it.... instead of spending a ton of money to add/remove implants, buy different gear, try to recruit other characters.... just have your friend(s) hop in the game and help you get through that area.
17. VEHICLES system. TW3 had boats and horses (which worked well). Similar should be implemented in CP. Think futuristic motorbikes, cars, some sort of flying vehicles or jet packs.
18. Gwent style MINI GAMES. Maybe a gambling dynamic in casinos. I would not be against a CP version of GWENT. Maybe a credits investment dynamic in a futuristic stock market where, sometimes, your actions effect that stock market.
19. Less variety FOOD/DRINKS. Spend time on other aspects of the game. Have a couple different chows, some water, some alcohols, and some med packs. Don't need more than that.
20. DISASSEMBLING items for PARTS. cdpr was already doing this in TW3. It's a good reason to venture out and scavenge for items.
General suggestions for Gameplay, Cyberpunk universe/World feel, RPG system, character interaction system, etc:
1. This is a futuristic setting. Makes it possible for human beings to live far LONGER LIFESPANS. Easy to incorporate that theme as CDPR did with TW witcher mutations = extraordinary long lifespan.
2. World theme for the future: big divide between lower and upper classes of people.
3. A.I. in the world. Good potential plot twists with some "people" actually being A.I. "cyborg" beings instead of human beings.
4. Take a more hardline approach to player's STANDING with VARIOUS FACTIONS. For example, if you make decisions that are friendly/helpful to one faction, then it's rival faction should be less friendly to you.
5. A TEAM DYNAMIC for RECRUITING certain CHARACTERS to your squad. Think Mass Effect 2. Gain information on various characters in different ways and decide if you really want someone on your team or not. Some characters can't get along with others. Some you can't recruit because of past decisions or you simply antagonized their faction too much. CDPR does this in a very basic way in TW3 for the Kaer Morhen battle but they should expand on that A LOT more. The choices/speech decisions are too obvious in terms of which one will allow you to recruit the character (i.e. Keira Metz). Don't simply make 3-4 must-recruit characters and 2-3 more optionals. Have 2-4 must-recruits and then dozens more that you CAN run into or seek out and figure out another 3-5 more that you want to recruit from them. It should be a mistake to recruit a bunch of different characters with the same strengths/weaknesses/talents because they won't perform so well when the team goes into action. Perhaps have some mercenary style characters you can contract (but make it expensive). Set up a LOYALTY SYSTEM for those characters.. the more loyal, the more prone they are to help you (or help you without wanting something in return).
6. Expand on the ITEMS/WEAPONS dynamic set in TW3. The most disappointing thing to me in TW3 is that I never used any non-witcher gear. Even though I would have loved to, the witcher swords added experience points which you can't pass up. CP should not have a clear weapon choice to use. Have a lot of weapons... MODIFIABLE, some CRAFTABLE. Various AMMUNITIONS... regular rounds rounds, explosive rounds, armor piercing, lasers, various grenades and rockets, electro-magnetic pulse (EMP good against characters/units that are heavily cybernetic). Various WEAPON CLASSES... rifles, heavy machine guns, pistols, machine pistols, RPG/rocket launchers, bows (explosive tipped arrows for example), shotguns, non-lethal etc. Be able to SWAP weapons/equipment with your team/squad members. Have misc mods for weapons... scopes, laser sights, flashlights, extended clips/magz, etc.
7. Maybe implement ASSASINATION TECHNIQUES... possibly with #8 below. Should be an option to develop via tech tree.
8. Don't forgo MELEE COMBAT. Have melee weapons. For example: katana style swords. Various knives. Electrified staffs. Electrified whips. Maybe even a bayonet option as a mod for a gun.
9. Keep the quick art+explanation RESULTS OF DECISIONS made like TW series had. Or if not, maybe have cutscenes of our character thinking back on the decisions made that led up to that particular outcome. This way the player can note it and know what to play differently if they want a different outcome in the next play-through.
10. Expand a little bit on the TECH TREES. They felt a little too simplistic in TW3. I believe the CDPR team felt the same way because they expanded it in-game with the mutagen evolution in the expansion. It should be easy with the various weapon types in CP... a character may want to spend experience points on certain weapon specializations to customize how they want to play the game.
11. Similar to weapons, tech trees should be spent on ability to obtain certain types of CYBERNETIC IMPLANTS. Implants should not be abundant. They should be rare and very expensive to buy and perform implant surgery. The more implants you get, the more prone you should be to EMP style weapons. If you have a lot of implants and you are stuck facing a ton of EMP style weapons and you can't get past it.... you should have to either A) spend a ton of money to remove the implants or B) hopefully you have recruited some good team members who are less cybernetic who can help you get through.
12. Implement a HACK SYSTEM. Being able to hack computers, doors, cameras, security systems, robots, even certain cybernetic characters/units and weapons. This shouldn't be a default ability. This should be an optional ability that can be developed via tech tree. Give the player a chance to try to hack anything (maybe via mini-game.. think Mass Effect door hacking). However, undeveloped hack ability equates to extreme difficulty in the minigame hacks.
13. Player "HOME BASE" to rest, store items, leave teammates that are not being used. Maybe have a dynamic where upgrading the home base (or getting more home bases) allows for recruitment of more team members.
14. CDPR does an excellent job with LOVE INTERESTS. Keep it up. Maybe a dynamic to include would be certain characters don't really want to be involved with someone who has too many cybernetic implants/parts. So there are ups/downs across the whole game for everything you do regarding implants. Another dynamic is pursuing a love interest (or purely sexual relationship) to open or mend ties with certain factions/groups.
15. SOUNDTRACK should be cool, edgy, futuristic with some rock element. But CDPR always does a great job with soundtracking.
16. MULTIPLAYER aspect could be tied back to the team dynamic. If you have open slots on your team/squad... you can have a friend(s) join in on your game. Or you can join in on theirs. This is especially good for those that need help in certain parts. Maybe you don't have the right squad to get through a certain area of a game for whatever reason.... but your friend is well equipped for it.... instead of spending a ton of money to add/remove implants, buy different gear, try to recruit other characters.... just have your friend(s) hop in the game and help you get through that area.
17. VEHICLES system. TW3 had boats and horses (which worked well). Similar should be implemented in CP. Think futuristic motorbikes, cars, some sort of flying vehicles or jet packs.
18. Gwent style MINI GAMES. Maybe a gambling dynamic in casinos. I would not be against a CP version of GWENT. Maybe a credits investment dynamic in a futuristic stock market where, sometimes, your actions effect that stock market.
19. Less variety FOOD/DRINKS. Spend time on other aspects of the game. Have a couple different chows, some water, some alcohols, and some med packs. Don't need more than that.
20. DISASSEMBLING items for PARTS. cdpr was already doing this in TW3. It's a good reason to venture out and scavenge for items.
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