[Rockerboy] How to approach it in a game?

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They will be there definitely, but the only thing I'm not sure is if you can be one.

However, they aren't releasing this game until they deem it THE Cyberpunk RPG so they could be working it all out right now.
 
So, some of the bigger arguments against this role seem to revolve around a few separate issues
1) I HATE THIS STUPID BON JOVI RIPOFF!!!!!
2) I wanna play a FPS and this n00b role cant shoot right!
3) It would just suck playing as someone that cant do anything
4) Its just goofy

Well, I agree with these statements. If Im playing an FPS, I want the best aim, fastest reload time, and all the bonus's I can get to improve my combat abilities. And if its my character, then I would assume that I can customize the look to however I want (meaning no bon jovi unless I make them look like that.) The whole idea is kinda goofy, playing a game as a 'rock star (in training)', and I doubt the appeal of a game where the main character doesn't really DO anything but be in a band.

But, Im not playing an FPS or some kinda Rock Hero thing, im playing cyberpunk.
Now, is my solo gonna tear it up? Spect'd out, hardwired, and ready to get some? oh yeah.
But is my Rockerboy going to end up having to do the same thing? Sure, and so will the fixers and everyone can just mindlessly spray bullets like that lovely shadowrun game that came out a few years back, ( ok, that probably wouldn't happen that way, but you get the idea, and that idea scares me)

Since everyone seems to agree that we don't want this game so just be another FPS game, I propose the following:

If each role was a different style of game, then the solo is very obviously the FPS, the media like a much less lethal version of dead rising, and the netdiver ends up in some kind of VR GTA, but that doesn't mean the rockerboy has to be a knockoff of Prappa the Rappa for a gameplay mechanic. The coding alone involved with the idea of implementing a multi-style game makes the overall idea not feasible.

I would think the rockerboy role idea that could work better if the player had very little to do with the "design" part of the music. Pick your instrument from a preset list, possably choose from a few basic 'styles' (all of which are preset songs) and that's about it. The player could go out and recruit some NPC's (say, 5 arcoss the city that play that instrument, but you could only pick one) to put them in the band, and each NPC would add a different 'style' to the music. The player would have to have some sort of interactive dialog (kinda like L.A Noir) where they would gain the ability to unlock new venues, get more coverage, get a bigger paycheck, all that jazz.
Also, if we include some sort of upgradeable housing system, this could also unlock the ability to hire on assistants (once again, choosing a single NPC from a list of several that could perform the same job, just like the bandmates) and the assistants could offer different options on how to interact with a given issue (the Russian bodyguard has some contacts for weapons, where as the Biker looking guy knows the best mechanic in the city) and some options would not be usable in a given situation (the PR agent with the pulse on Teen Intrests doesn't know jack about Arasaka building layouts)

The player could still interact with the city, but this would enable an entirely different chain of events for the player to progress the story, dependant on what venues worked and who is selected as the band members and assistants.

Now, there is a weak point in this thought, being how the story would actually GET somewhere. This would enable a almost non-violent way of getting the story from beginning to end, but this idea lacks any form of substance as to what the rockerboy would actually DO, other then make money and get various bonus's from the NPC's. Although that is a viable option, I doubt that would work well as a core story. Proper usage of this would almost require a multi PC setup, perhaps one where a custom PC would fill a single role. (sorry, this is not the thread to expand on the multi PC idea)

Overall, I would like to see this role in the system, but I can see several issues with how it would actually play out.

However, what if this was some sort of 'unlockable' role, one that was only gained after beating the storyline the first time, which would enable the player to perform these actions without having to worry about the pressing matters at hand? (those matters being the actual story, not the rockerboy's side story)
 
Is kind of weird that why, if this role does not have much of a purpose, then the only reason basically is to make riots and destruction?...That is how i interpreted.

Here is an idea.. If they're for creating riots and raging the against the machine.. They should be explosive experts... Masters of heavy weapons and weapons of mass destruction to get there message to the main stream media. Maybe with a touch of hacking skills?

I'm sure there are ways to implement this role type.
 
See, it's not what rockerboys -do- it's what they -are- : Style. Style over Substance, kind of a thing in Cyberpunk 2020. Inspiring, definitive and emblematic.

Of course they should include them in the game.Of course. They are Cyberpunk.

Exactly. Style is going to play a important role in cp77, cdprodjektred said themselves they had a cool idea as to how they are going to implement the pnp style/wardrobe skill into the game, though at this point we can only guess what it will be. Just as Netrunners get by by hacking, so will rockerboys simply use style. celebrities are a big part of pondsmiths fiction, being one would definitely have benefits. Also in the pnp game, if you played them as the guidebook outlines, rockerboys had very high cool (health) and bodytype (strength) stats making them tough, nearly equal that of solos.
As for medias, in a world were reputation and corporate stocks are everything is it that hard to see how biased journalism, paparazzi, and blackmail can get a quest done? And let's be honest, everyone will use guns/combat of some kind. And hacking, money, style, healing, repairing and stealth too. Some roles will just be BETTER at it.
Cdpr wants to be as close the the original rpg as possible so as far as I can see speculating about roles being dropped is hogwash.

You can go here to read more about roles and get an idea about how they might be implemented.
http://http://www.salroth.com/cp2020/files/CyberPunk2020.pdf
 
Hey don;t try to change the game just because you want to play a character who is more interested in making sure he has enough hairspray than that he has enough bullets. I mean I am sure your acid washed fashionably ripped jeans and lady blouse on your dude is awesome, if you want teenage girls to write your bands name on their three ring binders, but it's not my fault you went with the role that requires makeup mullets.

But you work on that power ballad while the real men go out there and kick peoples asses since we ran out of bubblegum a half hour ago.


Oh my Wis, your grumpy-old-man angst vs all the teen angst in the world. Once again, the two important points you need to consider are these: 1) No-one but me even wants to try to force you to play a Rockerboy. Sure, I hate Vampire Diaries with an insanely aggressive passion, but so long as I'm out of the house, my babymomma can do what she likes. 2) Just because you never liked one aspect of a roleplaying game, for whatever reasons, that's no reason for those that do like it to lose out. It's also just willfully self-harming behavior to rant on and on about it. It's core stuff Wis. If I spent all day on a DnD forum demanding they disinclude spellcasters because I don't like magic, how would you personally define that kind of behavior? Besides, we live in a world where online petitions and twitter have a huge influence, so why shouldn't celebrity carry weight further into our future?

Finally, a little reality check for you: Just how many real-world solo's do you think operate the way they do in 2020 for longer than a couple of years outside of gaol at a time? All that killing to solve your problems creates more problems. All the lawbreaking inherent in so many of the roles would, irl, get you locked up and violated (or for solos, a long career as "Cellblock Daddy"). Whereas asshats like Bono can raise millions for charities, influence governments and get away with Corp-level tax-dodging while staying popular. Sure he might not be much good in a fight, but back when they were doing the pub circuit and hauling their own gear? Rockerboys trade street level holding-their-own for true wealth and possibly global power as their star rises. Solos trade nunchaku and smartguns for a 30 year braindance stretch.

As a side note, I hate Lady Gaga, I personally think she's a massive tool, but if I said that on twitter I'd be abused regularly by millions. To the point where I'd likely need a new account. If a Nomad (we have bikies here who go by that name) seriously threatened me, I'd go to the cops and make his life as much hell as he made mine. I can't even do that to Lady Gaga!

So yeah, in conclusion, we know you don't like Rockerboys. Good for you. Live in a world without music by all means. However, your arguments against their inclusion have so far all boiled down to "I just don't like them and/or understand them, and I don't like Bon Jovi and mullets, kthxbai", which does very little to advance the debate at all, and skates close to what I would define as trolling. Lots of us do like them, and can argue for them quite well. Yelling "You suck" from the bleachers every now and again is hardly nice.

I recommend you do what I do when people like something I just don't like. Tell them you don't like it, and go on your little rant about how much you don't like it... once. They now know, your point is made. Then sit back, comfortable in the warm glow of knowing that they're tasteless morons when compared to you. It's really the closest you can get to being constructive in such circumstances.
 
Depening on the style of play, they could go about the Rockerbody in any number of ways.

They could be some kind of Buffer/Debuffer
They could get bonuses to specific skills
They could summon mobs (incite riot)

This really depends on how they construct the game. If they ARE going the skills set from the RPG then they can do things similarly to what they did with Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic game.
 
They will be there definitely, but the only thing I'm not sure is if you can be one.

However, they aren't releasing this game until they deem it THE Cyberpunk RPG so they could be working it all out right now.

sure they will be there, but at the moment its really uncear if we will be able to play one......
 
Taken from the blog:

"This is why adapting pen & paper rules to video game is not as easy as it can appear at first glance. The flexibility of an in-person RPG has to be replaced with a strict set of rules. Every skill, attribute and game mechanic has to have a clear definition and place in the game. For example, the Cyberpunk® 2020 “Wardrobe & Style” skill governs the knowledge about the right clothes to wear, when to wear them and how to look cool even in a spacesuit. As you can see, this skill covers quite a big area of lore and can be interpreted differently, depending on the situation and the players. In Cyberpunk 2077 this skill has to be tied to a specific gameplay mechanic. And all of these mechanics have to be clearly defined so they can work well with other elements of the game and, at the same time, be easy to understand for the player. After all, we don’t have a referee or game master to explain or interpret the rules as you go. And, to accommodate your curiosity, yes, we have some really cool ideas on how to present aforementioned skill in the game. Regrettably, we’re not quite yet ready to spill the beans."

Based on this I think it's highly likely rockerboys will be included. I think cdpr will add the elements and mechanics to make every role/play style viable and stay true to the pnp game.
 
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