Newbie to the world wanting to understand the original game more.

[Vincentdante]

Newbie to the world wanting to understand the original game more.

Hey guys despite the topic title I do have experience playing various other pnp games, even GM'ing plenty of my own. However I brought it up in the past and recently again with the announcement of 2077, but I just can't convince my friends to play Cyberpunk. So I have had no reason to get the books needless to say.

Basically this thread exists because I want to know a bit about the setting. It seems clear cut in the wiki. Dystopian future, cybernetic enhancements, mega corporations. Alot of people oppressed and miserable, the net is like tron/that episode of futurama.

With 2077 the reason admittedly why I am excited for this game is;

1. CD Projekt Red have an amazing track record and I have become a bit of a fan.

2. Video games that successfully follow pnp rules and stay faithful (like 2077 promises and see point 1 on why I think this will happen), tend to end up being awesome (see Buldurs Gate, Neverwinter etc...).

I was hoping some kind people can give me a bit of a crash course on the necessary things to know before I at least hop into 2077 since it's increasingly unlikely I will be playing the original source anytime.

 

[Sardukhar]

Oh, you never know - we're thinking of running some online games.

The Online Resources links in this forum have nearly everything we can think of - what specifically were you looking for? Keep in mind it's unknown what shape the game will take, but the forums talk about Roles, Gear, Weapons, etc.

 

[Vincentdante]

Hi thanks for the reply.

Yeah I was reading about those games people were planning after I posted this. I wouldn't mind joining one but right now I might be starting a new job soon (assuming today's interview was successful, I will find out tomorrow), plus I live in Britain which I assume is a different time zone to most people here. So it's uncertain atm how much time I can commit to one but I will consider all options.

I checked out the online resources links as well and they are fascinating, I still need to read all of them though (the map of night city over on datafortress was fun to examine). I was really more interested in finding out if there was any "canon" backstory to this world which would be important to know (especially 57 years in the future to the pnp). I may just be acting blind here but I can't really see anything like that. Although it's also likely there isn't one. I know not a lot of pnp games do that. I was very interested so I thought I would ask though. I'm a bit of a lore junkie with any rpg I take interest in.

I guess what I'm asking for is something easy to start reading without being overwhelmed. I have played a lot of games with ridiculous amounts of lore before which gave me a headache (TES series for example) and certain pnp games I still don't really have the hang off thanks to books the size of an ecyclopedia (DnD say's hi, and when I GM that I always learn as much of the setting I'm basing my adventure in for my players as well as for me). Sorry if I'm asking for something that seems odd.

 

[Sardukhar]

No you're not. Canon is often unwieldy, it's true.

Canon in CP2020 is pretty light. There is a Timeline for the setting, lemme see if I can find it..

Ah.

http://www.metafuzion.com/index.php/Cyberpunk_Timeline

Check that out. YOU WILL NOTICE the dates are HILARIOUSLY early. Yes, giggle with us. This was written in the mid 80s though, and some things were well predicted. I still await the Lawyer Purge though.

Since the end of the timeline, things have chunked along pretty slowly. A few developments like Johnny Silverhand assaulting Arasaka Tower in Night City, etc.

Then came the Fourth Corporate War, which many of us spit at, because much of it was Dumb. Including how it ended. ANY way, I'll let you Google that one yourself.

The game is set in 2077 of course, giving CDPR much leeway for play.

 

[Vincentdante]

Wow this is perfect *bookmarked* Thank you very much for your help

 

[wisdom000]

No you're not. Canon is often unwieldy, it's true.

Canon in CP2020 is pretty light. There is a Timeline for the setting, lemme see if I can find it..

Ah.

http://www.metafuzion.com/index.php/Cyberpunk_Timeline

Check that out. YOU WILL NOTICE the dates are HILARIOUSLY early. Yes, giggle with us. This was written in the mid 80s though, and some things were well predicted. I still await the Lawyer Purge though.

Since the end of the timeline, things have chunked along pretty slowly. A few developments like Johnny Silverhand assaulting Arasaka Tower in Night City, etc.

Then came the Fourth Corporate War, which many of us spit at, because much of it was Dumb. Including how it ended. ANY way, I'll let you Google that one yourself.

The game is set in 2077 of course, giving CDPR much leeway for play.

I am disappointed Sardi.... if you are giving him a timeline, give him Mark Cook's FULL timeline...

http://www.shoestring-graphics.com/CP2020/timeline/

As for canon, in the core book there is a chapter dealing with it, and then more of it is scattered across a dozen books or so, the most improtant being Home Of The Brave, which details Cyberpunk 2020 America... Rough Guide to the Pack Rim and Eurosource Plus are also good. For more local flavor, the Night City Sourcebook can't be beat. Deep Space handles everythign off-earth pretty well. And the Guide to the net covers the digital realm.

The original Eurosource, Near Orbit, and Rough Guide to the UK are to be avoided... the first two were made useless by Eurosource Plus and Deep Space, and UK is just all kinds of weird and wonky, not really fitting in with the rest of canon...

And if you are interested in Unofficial sources, I have Lost Angeles, Conflict: The Guide to Africa, and Conflict II: The Guide to Central and South America on my site.

 

[Sardukhar]

Ye-ah..that's a lot to swallow. The from-the-book outline was a good starter. Also, OHMYGODMYEYES. For real fun, rapidly scroll down and up again. then get off the floor, it's dirty down there.

 

[videopete]

You can get the books off of drivethrurpg.com, also remember if your the gm you can pull out the I'm the gm and we are trying this game for a bit.

 

[Vincentdante]

thanks wisdom, it's true I would prefer an easier time to understanding the timeline so I'll keep reading sardi's one and read yours after I digested that thanks.

EDIT: @videopete thanks as well. As for your suggestion I have a hard enough time to get them to play anything tbh. They rather do other things these days. But when we do play it's always great fun and I can tell they enjoy my campaigns. Hmm I'll try it anyway

 

[Nagisawa]

Here's what the author wants(ed) to do with the setting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xYxt7cwDk4E

This is likely been posted elsewhere, and I apologize for a reposting of this.

 

[saice]

Then came the Fourth Corporate War, which many of us spit at, because much of it was Dumb. Including how it ended. ANY way, I'll let you Google that one yourself.

I just lock my self in a dark room and tell myself after the 2nd stormfront book everyone made nice nice and he world was a better place.

 

[goopit]

Where do we read about the NPCs like Morgan Blackhand and Alt? Is it in the rule book or is there some supplement book out there?

 

[Sardukhar]

http://cyberpunk.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Iconic_characters

And more to come, once one of us oldsters unasses ourselves and adds people like Santiago, Kei Arasaka, Edger, etc.

 

[wisdom000]

Where do we read about the NPCs like Morgan Blackhand and Alt? Is it in the rule book or is there some supplement book out there?

Here is a list of all printed material for Cyberpunk 2013/2020/Cybergen/and V3

The information is found scattered across pretty much all of it... enjoy...