At the bare minimum (for me to even take reinstalling 2.x into consideration):
1) removal of mandatory level-scaling and instead making it optional
2) removal of the current tracing mechanic (where everyone can trace you) and reverting it to pre-2.0 (where only other hackers can trace you)
3) returning Short Circuit from "combat" to "covert" quickacks
Obviously, I'm under no illusion of this ever happening, so this is more about me hoping that people working on the next game don't make the same nonsensical decisions people who worked on 2.0 did. To understand that making stealth a truly viable option requires giving stealth players significantly more potent and fun tools to use from the very start of the game.
Honestly, those changes you propose here are very minor. 2 and 3 can be very easily implemented by tutorial-level mods - ABC of how to mod CP. And I view them as positive too.
2) Tracing mechanics - we get one netrunner for every 10 fights or so, this proposition would almost remove it. I think the way it works now is good. CP isn't a stealth game but this system at least gives an illusion of danger while stealth hacking. And now it's easily bypassed - you can either upload a memory wipe which reduces the progress (or sonic shock that isolates an enemy in a way that they can't initiate a trace), there are other hacks that can do it too, and there is a cyberdeck that revolves around that too.
This brings us to 3), we have 2 extra slots for quickhacks now and the queue system as well so we don't have to sacrifice anything compared to 1.0 - only keep in mind to upload the memory wipe/sonic shock before the short circuit.
1) suggestion, I agree but I think 2.0 brought us closer to that. And stealth in 2.0 is an approach where numerical scaling is less noticeable to stealth characters compared to combat-focused ones. After all. breaking the neck has no requirements I think.
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With 1) I agree and I'd like to expand on it.
I think there should be no looter shooter-style level-scaling. But I'd argue 2.0 brought us closer to that. We don't have numerous perks that just increase numbers but we have trees that often give us more options - like an ability to dodge in the air and cover more distance with it.
My opinion would be that at lvl 1 one has 100hp, tier 1 weapon, no perks. At level 60 I'd say just increase total hp to 130 (0.5 hp per level) but now we should have many options in the form of various skills - bolt shots, adrenaline, focus (time slow) for guns, maybe an indirect number boost here and there as a side effect - like slightly increased critical chance. In my opinion, both at level 1 and 60 V should be likely to die in very few shots - maybe not very realistic die in one shot but in 3-4. He wouldn't have any upgrades but he would make up for low health by having much more options.
In the beginning, you'd fight scavengers with no augmentations, baseball bats as a main weapon, with an occasional pistol and AK-47 for a boss.
At the end levels, you'd fight Arasaka soldiers with armour, augmentations, coordinated communication and decent AI.
The brunt of "numerical progression" would fall on upgrading weapons (but T1 pistol would deal 15 damage per shot while T5 would deal 25),
upgrading cyberware - with a titanium skeleton, pain reducers, improved lungs, second heart and armored skin with hardened muscles even a shot that goes through a lung and a heart could be a wound that wouldn't leave much impression on V. And you'd get extra capacity with levels, and maybe shards - just like it is now,
wearing armor - I see it still sees use in CP world, it would make sense for V to also have access to that if he wants to survive. It could use again, a system more similar to 1.0 but with appearance editing. Maybe an option to buy temporary armour in the form of temporary health like is the case of body armour in GTA series? But add some option to customise the worn "equipment". Maybe an option to occasionally pick up heavy armour temporarily. Similar to what Maelstrom uses in the boss fight when you fight them with Jackie.
Cyberware improvements - like a cyberdeck with 38 RAM and 10 hacking slots with tier 5 quickhacks instead of one with 8 RAM, 4 slots and T1 quickhacks.
But I agree that levelling shouldn't scale enemies. And it shouldn't scale V either.
It would just give money for equipment, more cyberware capacity, skills to be used on things that unlock new approaches, moves and attacks rather than offering simple numerical increases. Also, access to new equipment, like was the case with 1.0 street renown (reputation) system. Maybe even big augmentations, like sandevistan and netdeck shouldn't be exclusive. But you would have a choice between having T1 deck with T5 sandevistan or T5 deck with T1 sandevistan. Or T3 of both if that's what you fancy.
While 2.0 introduced scaling and you can take almost any encounter at almost any level, It now brings us closer to the system I'd like to see.
But I agree that there should be enemies that are just too beefy for a character who doesn't have good enough equipment and cyberware. One would still stand a chance against them but one should feel a difference between fighting an Arasaka commando squad and unorganised scavengers.
