Hrm. Been giving this some thought, ever since I read this post.Which leaves the big issue of how to create a competent random quest generator that does not end up making everything feel like a repeat?
Here's my thoughts on it; events would be randomly rolled on the back-end, off a table.
1. Intial Contact
You're contacted by anonymous call, text, email, etc. Either the job details are given in initial contact, or the potential employer wants to set up a face-to-face.
Face-to-face: random roll to see if it's an ambush / payback for associates (more on that later.)
If you pass the check, random roll to see what kind of job type is offered:
- "fetch" mission, either bringing the fetch item back, or dropping it off at a randomly rolled location
- assasination / wetwork
- bodyguard / escort mission
- delivery mission
and so on. I could keep listing things, but you get the idea.
2. Mission execution
Say you're given an assassination mission. You get to where the target is, random roll to see if they knew you were coming, and have taken appropriate measures. Another random roll to see if they make you a counter-offer, to whack the initial contract giver.
If you accept the counter-offer, you go back to your initial job-giver. You can then:
a. whack 'em, per the counter offer you've accepted, and earn negative rep with that group, or
b. advise your initial job-giver of the counter-offer.
If you advise the initial job-giver of the counter-offer, random roll to see if they get upset at you for not completing the job they gave you. If they don't, it can open up another layer to the initial job.
For a "fetch" mission, there's plenty of opportunity at the pick-up or the drop-off for an ambush, a rival faction trying to swoop in for the item, or a fixer offering you top euro for the item (which would, of course, earn you negative rep with the initial job giver.)
As the game progresses and you accept jobs here and there, your choices on how to accomplish said job will earn you positive or negative rep with various factions throughout Night City, who then respond accordingly (either with praise and cash, or a bullet in your skull.)