The problem with motorbikes (is their rear seats but not only)

[Fatalist]

Speaking of gameplay... The game has a set of gigs that require V to use his own transport to complete the task. This mainly, but not exclusively, applies to Dakota Smith's quests. So, I noticed that the quests are completed normally if V uses a car. The NPC gets into the car, and they drive away with V.
But what about a motorbike? If V uses a motorcycle, the NPC involved in the quest has to run down the road after the beacon!

With all due respect to the developers, I don't think this is right.
Why not use the back seat of the motorbike?!

 

[mightymatt27]

My guess is that they were unable to, for whatever reason, work it to have a rider on the back of the motor cycle. Like you said, though, would have been nice if they could have pulled dit off. The devs did consider an alternative though. For these missions, as much as I can recall, a car is provided. The two examples you captured with screens provide a vehicle to use. The only one that doesn't provide a car is The Flaming Crotch guy gig, but Vs car is summoned when you talk to Flaming Crotch Guy.

 

[LeKill3rFou]

Why not use the back seat of the motorbike?!

Well... Some bikes doesn't have a back seat

 

[TavenJosephwice]

I feel like they always have the back seats but they remove it because it might be dangerous you can easily fall down and get hit by a car

 

[Fatalist]

Well... Some bikes doesn't have a back seat
View attachment 11432204

So the heroes must share one seat!

For these missions, as much as I can recall, a car is provided. The two examples you captured with screens provide a vehicle to use.

For example, in the quest “Gig: No Fixers,” Iris Tanner's car is provided as part of the mission, but saving the car (which can later be used to leave the scene) is one of the available mission options. Another option is to rescue Tanner, but not her car. In that case, V uses his own car to leave the Ruffen Shiv base. And if he chooses a motorcycle... Iris will have to run after him on the highway.


And anyway, why can't you ride with your friends in the rear seat? With Panam, for example... )
When you're driving in a car, Silverhand periodically appears next to you... but that doesn't happen with a motorcycle.

 

[Tarille]

The only one that doesn't pride a car is The Flaming Crotch guy gig, but Vs car is summoned when you talk to Flaming Crotch Guy.

Interestingly, it is possible for that to not occur. If you don't do the gig until Act 2, when your car gets totalled by a Delamain taxi, then you don't have a car to be summoned (Especially if you haven't bought one. For example, if you went and got Jackie's motorcycle to use as your wheels for the time being)

Then Flaming Crotch Guy will instead yell at you and tell you there's no way he's getting on a bike in his condition and you have to get a car instead.

I haven't tested what happens if you leave the area at this point (When I encountered this scenario, I just "Borrowed" a nearby vehicle from a civilian to use for the mission)

 

[LeKill3rFou]

I haven't tested what happens if you leave the area at this point (When I encountered this scenario, I just "Borrowed" a nearby vehicle from a civilian to use for the mission)

Well :

Spoiler

If you don't have a car, he will just walk and scream around in pain and then after a short while... will literally explode in pieces.
I assume if you leave the area far enough, the quest fail in the same way, except you don't withness him dying.

 

[Fatalist]

Just imagine, chooms:
You're riding a motorcycle, sharing a seat with Panam; Panam's hair is blowing in the wind, getting in your face, making it difficult to drive, etc., etc.
Or, Panam is at the wheel, and you're hugging her from behind...
After all, who said that “I miss you” type missions should take place in V's apartments only?
So if I were a developer, I wouldn't neglect the back seats of motorcycles......

 

[mightymatt27]

Interestingly, it is possible for that to not occur. If you don't do the gig until Act 2, when your car gets totalled by a Delamain taxi, then you don't have a car to be summoned (Especially if you haven't bought one. For example, if you went and got Jackie's motorcycle to use as your wheels for the time being)

Then Flaming Crotch Guy will instead yell at you and tell you there's no way he's getting on a bike in his condition and you have to get a car instead.

I haven't tested what happens if you leave the area at this point (When I encountered this scenario, I just "Borrowed" a nearby vehicle from a civilian to use for the mission)

Interesting. I always have the free car they give you (in addition to the one they show V buying while living with Jacki & Mamma Wells). You get that text that says you won a free car, it's red. That car pulls up when your other one is in the shop. But it's cool to know they thought of something if you avoid the free car.

Since we're on the topic though, my priority ask for Cyberpunk 2 is an optional sidecar for all motor cycles. Because why all this talk about a backseat when you can attach a sidecar!

 

[Tarille]

Interesting. I always have the free car they give you (in addition to the one they show V buying while living with Jacki & Mamma Wells). You get that text that says you won a free car, it's red.

That car is only given for free to people who pre-ordered Phantom Liberty.

Otherwise you have you buy it for $86k after The Heist.

Because why all this talk about a backseat when you can attach a sidecar!

Well... Not all motorcycles are adequetely built to properly function with a sidecar.

It'd also be tricky to properly figure out how and when a sidecar would be attached to your bike... Does it just pop into existence once you get to a point during a gig where you need to ferry a passenger?

 

[Lucis]

The game is actually missing slice-of-life features, not minor tweaks like these. But those take a long time to implement at scale. Instead of improving the photo mode in patches, CD Projekt Red should’ve finally added sorting to the vehicle summon menu or at least introduced a new tab to separate cars and motorcycles. Right now everything is just thrown into one long list, all mixed together, and it’s not convenient at all.

 

[mightymatt27]

That car is only given for free to people who pre-ordered Phantom Liberty.

Otherwise you have you buy it for $86k after The Heist.

Hey, that's right. I forgot about that.

Well... Not all motorcycles are adequetely built to properly function with a sidecar.

It'd also be tricky to properly figure out how and when a sidecar would be attached to your bike... Does it just pop into existence once you get to a point during a gig where you need to ferry a passenger?

But it's the future so maybe they're, like, cyber-sidecars... yeah that makes no sene. Look, I just really dig sidecars

 

[Fatalist]

I would also like to point out the following problem: the very low proportion of motorcycles with the NPC's in Night City traffic. In fact, it seems that no one uses motorcycles in this huge city except V (which is strange). The only exception is traffic police motorcycles, but even they are rarely seen on the streets. The same is with Dogtown.

 

[Fatalist]

All of this unexpectedly sparked the following idea in me, though it most likely pertains to Cyberpunk 2—or whatever you call it:

2077, and beyond... Humanity’s near future...

So, still tires?!
What, no speeder bikes?? No gravicycles. Are you serious?!!

There’s an AVI—a flying car—in the game, but motorcycles are still grounded?
Then what’s the point of the in-game propaganda about “humanity’s new eco-friendly fuel” in the form of CHOOH2?

The Cyberpunk universe is totally dependent on the Soviet Union and its oil production.

Otherwise, what else could be used to make synthetic rubber for millions of car tires? Only oil, since making rubber from alcohol is a bit of a stretch. I’m not even talking about the billions of tons of asphalt resin needed for road paving.

Dubai has been destroyed by a nuclear strike as a result of yet another conflict (LOL), and I think the entire oil-producing Middle East has more or less shared its fate. And who knows what’s going on in Venezuela or Columbia ; the NUSA didn’t win the series of Latin American wars, and the FIA’s covert operations tend to fail in that wonderful countries.

And we gain an unexpected insight into why, in M. Pondsmith’s universe, the Soviet Union was carefully preserved—who else will extract mineral resources for the global economy of the future?

Or maybe the motorcycles just can be improved—in the CP or at least in CP-2? )

 

[Tarille]

To be honest, this is one of my major gripes about the game.

Humans are able to fill themselves up to the gills with all these fancy technologically advanced cyberware.

But vehicles are just plain old regular 20th century vehicles? Oh, wait, they use CHOOH2! Which seems to have absolutely 0 impact on them or their design at all.

No modifications (Besides a few Nomad vehicles with mounted guns... Not like those have been a staple in James Bond for decades...). Not even particularly different design, most of the cars still look like they'd fit with our real life car design (Despite architechture, fashion and advertisement in the game differing drastically to real world variants)

It makes no sense. Especially given that in the real world, we've been stuffing more and more technology into cars with each passing day. To the point that it's actually becoming somewhat of an issue in regards to self-repair capabilities because a computer problem isn't easily fixed in ones own garage.

I don't know whether this was due to development crunch, where it was simply put on the backburner and they just cranked out "Normal" cars because it was quick and easy. Or if the devs just didn't put much attention into such things.

I mean, I can give a pass to a lack of anti-grav vehicles. I'd imagine that's not particularly efficient design (For things like Maxtac and Trauma Team, the verticality control makes sense, as it allows them to deploy at specific locations they are needed. Practicality trumps efficiency for these high priority services).

But the lack of anything just feels odd. Heck, even the way to operate vehicles feels just oddly archaic... Using a steering wheel (Or handlebars in the case of motorcycles) and pedals while relying on a dashboard for controls and information... In a world where even money is directly transfered via wireless uploads from cyberware implanted into people's brains (Even Monks. That one side gig where you meditate with that monk, he transfers money to you using the same method even though cyberware is against their beliefs)... Not to mention the personal jack in people's wrists (Which would make for a far more secure method of control than a key...)