,
20 tweets,
5 min read
Read on Twitter
I admit, I was really surprised to hear the CP2077 game is leaning so hard into the humanity concept. It’s always been a clunky idea and a crude balancing mechanic, and while there are ways to make it work, “the unaltered body is sacred” is not a great one.
Honestly, I had expected the publisher to just breeze past this one on the strength of their Witcher 3 writing chops.
I mean, that’s double edged. I love W3, but I will not pretend it’s flawless. But I’m kind of hoping for about the same level of flawed.
I mean, that’s double edged. I love W3, but I will not pretend it’s flawless. But I’m kind of hoping for about the same level of flawed.
It’s an interesting illustration of the power of words.
So, if you’re unfamiliar, the idea from the RPG is that every piece of cyberware costs you a certain amount of “humanity” and if you take too much, you get “Cyber-psychosis” or things otherwise go very bad.
So, if you’re unfamiliar, the idea from the RPG is that every piece of cyberware costs you a certain amount of “humanity” and if you take too much, you get “Cyber-psychosis” or things otherwise go very bad.
Functionally, it’s an inventory system. It caps capacity, offers incentive for more deluxe gear (with reduced humanity cost). It even hits a few genuine thematic notes (the alienation of technology and the creation of Robocop, for example).
The thing is, calling it “Humanity” makes a statement.
If it were, say, called “Load”, with the idea being that the brain can only handle so many new things plugged in? That conveys a VERY different idea.
If it were, say, called “Load”, with the idea being that the brain can only handle so many new things plugged in? That conveys a VERY different idea.
Even in the days when we were all a little bit less aware of identity issues, it was kind of strange and off-putting to consider that someone who lost an arm in an accident and got a replacement was somehow “less human”.
But it was the nineties. Moderate discomfort was the norm
But it was the nineties. Moderate discomfort was the norm
If you have no idea why this has come up, there was some conversation about the topic from the studio and it’s a bit weird.
polygon.com/e3/2018/6/15/1…
polygon.com/e3/2018/6/15/1…
Anyway, this idea ended up spilling into other cyberpunk games in various forms. Shadowrun put the tech in contrast to magic, which is probably a bit more thematically defensible, but took them a while to sort out.
Incidentally, Logan has put his finger on one of the things that has always made the punk part a little funny.
To underscore: There *is* source material driving this idea. And there’s even some real meat to it. But the idea suffers greatly when reduced to a single number.
Oh, god, I am also reminded that even the Star Wars RPG did this!
And here’s the thing.
They did this because it really and truly works as a mechanic. In a pure pen and paper sense, it solves the VERY REAL problem of how you offer a ton of cyberware without your game breaking horribly.
They did this because it really and truly works as a mechanic. In a pure pen and paper sense, it solves the VERY REAL problem of how you offer a ton of cyberware without your game breaking horribly.
This is a fair point, and while I still need to crack open the 6th ed Starter Set, I feel ok saying that while I don’t think Shadowrun will ever not be flawed, they have genuinely made the effort to move the ball forward with each iteration.
Though, actually, of all thing Shadowrun also got me thinking about ways to make this work.
I can kind of get the idea that magic is tied to your physical body, and physical things can mess with it. it works. But that’s also kind of dull.
I can kind of get the idea that magic is tied to your physical body, and physical things can mess with it. it works. But that’s also kind of dull.
What if, instead, it leaned a bit *more* on all the things that make the identity angle hard. That is, what if routes to power included moving *toward* or *away from* yourself?
(This is a thought exercise. I would NEVER write this game, because I should not).
(This is a thought exercise. I would NEVER write this game, because I should not).
It is, I fully admit, a different approach to magic than suits shadowrun. Drawing power from essential conflicts is more magick-with-a-k stuff.
Might not be doable. But I float it to say we can engage these ideas without just charging towards the lazy.
Might not be doable. But I float it to say we can engage these ideas without just charging towards the lazy.
Thinking about it, I think @AntarianRanger has also put a finger on why this idea of humanity is so sticky - Risk. or, more specifically, the *appearance* of risk with no actual uncertainty.
@AntarianRanger Initially (and this has changed in places) if you had 10 points of humanity and 9.9 points of cyberware, YOU WERE FINE (unless you wanted to use it as an excuse not to be).
Players, by and large, are a lot more comfortable with this than they would be with unreliable tech.
Players, by and large, are a lot more comfortable with this than they would be with unreliable tech.
@AntarianRanger No good fix for that though. It’s a good hook for mixed results, but people really do not like unreliable body parts, and I can’t entirely blame them.
@AntarianRanger Anyway, to tie it all back: Not really thinking about identity while doing cyberpunk is a lot like not thinking at all about class, race or economics.
Which is to say, predictably on brand :(
Which is to say, predictably on brand :(
