Weekly Poll - 5/28/2019 - Lifepath (Backstory)

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What do you most want from the “Lifepath” system in the character creator?


  • Total voters
    102
"Lifepath" is a system used in character generation within the role-playing games. It is a method for figuring out a character's background and personal history. In Cyberpunk 2020, it works like a set of flowcharts, each numbered for randomly-generated results. This serves as a list of "plot complications" that helps round out a character so players are not left playing a nameless generic archetype, who is nothing more than a collection of stats and equipment with as much character and personal history as a fresh blank disc. The topics in Cyberpunk 2020 deal with personal style, ethnic origins, family background, personal motivations, major life events, and finding/losing friends, enemies and lovers. See - https://cyberpunk.fandom.com/wiki/Lifepath

The lifepath system in Cyberpunk 2077 is described as being fluid, and by selecting different options for your backstory, you shape your character's personality. The options you select in the lifepath directly influences how the story unfolds, and can unlock or modify certain things in game depending on which choices you pick. See - https://cyberpunk2077.gamepedia.com/Lifepath Here is what the options looked like in the 48 minute demo released last year.


So what do we want from the demo? ... assuming what we have seen/learned so far is still accurate.
 
2, 5, & 8.

I know how difficult it would be to implement meaningful lifepath choices that have an effect in-game. That doesn't mean I'd not love to see it.
 
I decided to go with 2, 4, and 9. This is one of the more intriguing aspects of the game and I am quite curious to see how it all plays out. I want to make sure that the decisions are meaningful and that they play a strong role in character development. If I'm in town because of an ex-lover I want to see at least a small series of quests trying to track them down and I want it to be mentioned to characters and feel like it's relevant. This will really make each play unique and add some personal flavor to it.
 

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2, 8 and 9, last one being of highest importance to me. 6 would be very neat if it means emulating what they've accomplished with "historical romance" in TW3.
 
1, 5, 8.

I also endose 4, 7 and 9.


I'd want there to be... let's say the 9 (that they had a year ago) "major" lifepath choices, and on top of that a slew of lesser choices that don't present their usefulness as often, but make a difference at times. A selection of smaller, more characteristical choices like "Had a cat that died", "Had a sibling that stole all the heritage", "Had violent parents" and stuff like that, that might affect the availability of some events and choices here and there.
 
4/9/10:

4 => Because for example I don't think someone who idolize corporates should sound the same as someone who idolize Rockerboys.

9 => Because it's the easier way for a game to do something meaninful with your background.

10 => There is one thing that, from what we saw of the subject to changes demo that I found really underwelming about those lifepath: Only three possibility for each choice? Really?
Actually I still don't know what to choose for "Key life event" and "Why Night City", because of the lack of choice.
 
All of the but/bar 2.

I mean in this day and age, I want a game with a special system that is bigger than others, I don't actually care how long the game goes for, as long as it has replayability until the Expansions/DLC.
 
2, 4, & 8, in that I think the life path choices should be deeply significant and alter V and V's place in the world. I was going to go for 2, 5, & 9, but I feel like 5/9 seem more like products of having 4/8 as a design philosophy.
 
2 (which includes 9)
4 (which includes 5 and 8 to some extent)
9 because I can choose three options

Dragon Age origins is one of the best examples I've seen (if not the best).
P.S. they should add a brief explaination for each choice, so we know what happened in order to role-play properly.
 
Oh those limitations - that was a hard one for me.

1, 6 & 9

with 6 beeing the most important. If we are able to chose our sexual identity (gay, straight & all the beautiful others) with another option during char gen then i do not need this option and would choose 1, 4 & 9

Id like to have some more options to choose from but i understand that having branches from these options that are meaningful ingame (questlines, people reakt to you and lore known by you / known about you) gets exponetiall more brutal the more options there are - meaningful is more important then the quantiy there of but i would hope that we have 5-7 to choose from in each row. that be rad - hello replay here i come!
 
Oh those limitations - that was a hard one for me.

1, 6 & 9

with 6 beeing the most important. If we are able to chose our sexual identity (gay, straight & all the beautiful others) with another option during char gen then i do not need this option and would choose 1, 4 & 9

Id like to have some more options to choose from but i understand that having branches from these options that are meaningful ingame (questlines, people reakt to you and lore known by you / known about you) gets exponetiall more brutal the more options there are - meaningful is more important then the quantiy there of but i would hope that we have 5-7 to choose from in each row. that be rad - hello replay here i come!
Out of curiosity, what would be the purpose in choosing your sexual identity at CC? The game will already support all manner of sexualities (though NPCs are not "playersexual" and have their own preferences, of course).
 
Out of curiosity, what would be the purpose in choosing your sexual identity at CC? The game will already support all manner of sexualities (though NPCs are not "playersexual" and have their own preferences, of course).
Simple.
You get to check the political correctness box.
Outside that it has no bearing whatsoever.
 
Hard to say how they have made this game, even the liftpath doesnt give anything, it still quite nice excitement boost for first hours of the game, kinda placebo-effect.
 
1, 5, 9.

I like to err on the side of more options = better, plus, one of the main points of RPG is Role Play, and the choices made in character generation should effect, or influence game play in some way.

Let's say, for instance, you can choose a blood type for V. If you choose a really rare blood type, because you want to feel special like that, it could quite plausibly increase the cost of medical services in the game, but, there very well could be a time sensitive quest requiring you to find that specific rare blood type to save an important NPC where you can skip some maze running by saying "oh, here, that's me", and ch-ching it's payday, or whatever.

There could be the old Western movie "you shot muh Pa" revenge quest string as a personal history driver to add some extra oomph or significance to a quest line that might be otherwise less significant if that option wasn't selected.

Certain options could open select contacts/rivalries ... or perhaps, even the existence of a bounty on your head to add some spice to game play.

Whatever the case, choices should be meaningful, and influence at least to some degree a bit of game play.
:)
 
I mean in this day and age, I want a game with a special system that is bigger than others, I don't actually care how long the game goes for, as long as it has replayability until the Expansions/DLC.


Cyberpunk IP definitely has enough lore/books to bring multiple chars what Ive said, for replayability. Seems kinda waste to try to put it all in one character.
 
2 and 9 are easy picks for me but the last pick is so hard with many good options to choose from, because i think i will pick Ex lover in town i`ll throw in 6 .
 
1, 5, 8.

I also endose 4, 7 and 9.


I'd want there to be... let's say the 9 (that they had a year ago) "major" lifepath choices, and on top of that a slew of lesser choices that don't present their usefulness as often, but make a difference at times. A selection of smaller, more characteristical choices like "Had a cat that died", "Had a sibling that stole all the heritage", "Had violent parents" and stuff like that, that might affect the availability of some events and choices here and there.
I am in the same boat with kofeiiniturpa.

I also want a lifepath in which you are born in the city. From the demo, the character creation implies that you can only come to Night City.

'Childhood hero' to be replaced with 'What did you want to be when you were little?', so you can chose options like cop, fireman, doctor, thief, drunk like my parents etc.

For key life event it will be nice to be able to chose 'born with/having health problems'.

These lifepaths choices, major and smaller, plus your in game actions to determine the game villain, or end goal.
Maybe we became the villain and fight of others that are after us.
 
Out of curiosity, what would be the purpose in choosing your sexual identity at CC? The game will already support all manner of sexualities (though NPCs are not "playersexual" and have their own preferences, of course).

id be highly uncomfortable with having relationships in backstory or through random events that diviate from the sexuall identey what i choose to be. i.e. having a past lover that i am after / trying to rescue but it does not fit with that discriptor.

Then of course if the game knows your a furry, a lesbian, good old bear or transsexuell ect. it can refer to that. does not need to be nice about it (the real world isn´t, and in cyberpunk things have not exactly gotten better) but i like that very much.

viewing it as a political correctness option? id say thats the empathy-less opinion of someone unaffacted.


no need to not stay classy - hence the edit
 
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Simple.
You get to check the political correctness box.

If they’d dare do it right, NPC’s would also treat you differently based on that choice and the NPC’s stance on the subject matter. And doing that realistically (and ”right”) might just uncheck that PC tickbox.

Other than that kind of treatment, I see no inherent value in getting to choose an orientation as that comes clear through gameplay behavior.
 
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