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Alright folks, let's get brainstorming.
I believe Chrome shouldn't be able to be taken from a corpse by someone who isn't a trained professional. The rotting doesn't matter, as you can just bring a cooler with you in the fight, then stick them in. A roughly 10k investment to completely circumnavigate needing a doctor. You have 'ripper doc' as a archetype for the game but they literally can't do a large portion of their jobs because of the portable fridge. We've all seen in the past how people are literally just treated as walking ATMs for their chrome without any cyberdocs needed. High level combat ue characters especially have a field day with this. It's literally profitable to kill their enemies all because of a portable fridge.
Decker technology: I feel like Deckers especially would be the kind of people to completely cover themselves in cool shinies. They always are in every other cyberpunk setting for the most part. A fun idea I thought of is the more PDS you have the better you are at hacking. You interface better with the computers. This'd make a REALLY fun dynamic I feel. I'm sure the specifics of 'x cyberware that hacks you with Y' are obvious so I'll leave that out. Oh, a holographic displaying one would be cool. I know everyone here wants to hack like Sombra from overwatch.
Finally, one thing that I feel might be missed out: Fashion. In an age of technology, you'd think wearable tech would be really. Cool. Sleek etched ivory limbs, really beautiful looking cybernetics for the more gauche fashion users. This is probably the biggest want for me. The idea that technology is ONLY for its uses, and not its looks is obviously a false one, just look at the new designs phones/laptops etc get every year. My own PC has a glass case with fancy lighting and all that. Pushing the limits of humanity with technology, including, ESPECIALLY the human image is all what Cyberpunk is about!
By jwimpeney at Jan 13, 2018 4:28 PM
More aesthetic cyberware! Ports, cable slots, Deus Ex extendo-sunglasses,...
Also, I've not really seen any ripperdocs about, possibly due to the entry cost of the tools being so high, but that could definitely just be my own experience.
By wiebman at Jan 13, 2018 4:29 PM
It may be more of a nano than cyberware, but some sort of method of disfiguring your corpses so someone would need some actual forensics to figure out your identity. Be it a nanite that melts your face on death or just a cortex bomb linked to your heart. Something I'd very much like to see.
By Strummer at Jan 13, 2018 4:29 PM
I think fashion and functionality should go hand in hand. A strong cybernetic arm doesn't necessarily have to look ugly - I get the idea about ivory, but with enough money, I think you should be able to get warez that both look good and give you an edge.
Of course, it wouldn't really be possible with exotic materials such as ivory, but you get the idea. Let's not just limit aesthetic to fashion.
By Rangerkrauser at Jan 13, 2018 4:29 PM
I think I have an old thread on this, but cybernetic pairs for limbs that add a bonus for certain actions. Things such as legs that give a room speed or dodging enhancement, arms that are better at gripping things when climbing or swimmings, etc.
Along with that, hidden compartments for small items would be aces.
By Dawnshot at Jan 13, 2018 4:30 PM
Having had one of my characters used like an atm for their chrome I really must support the idea of requiring someone with the right skills to remove it. Someone with the right skills has to put it in after all... it just makes more sense, brings more people into the rp, and really would help to make ripper docs more of a thing.
I have no problems with my character being used like an atm, mind you. I just think it would be cool if it required more roleplay than just kill the person and grab the gear.
By Manywaters at Jan 13, 2018 4:31 PM
I'd also like to see a lot more cheap versions of cyberware, in the meeting it was mentioned that you can get merked just for your chrome down in the mix a lot, you're an obvious walking piggy bank. I think just having a lot MORE of the stuff around may make that less of a common occurrence. Even if most is cheap drek, an you could still get merked for high quality shit.
By Strummer at Jan 13, 2018 4:32 PM
More decker chrome in general: YES PLEASE.
I should have e-notes and a Lite-Term in my body already. I should have cyberware that enhances my cracking ability for sure.
By Jameson at Jan 13, 2018 4:32 PM
I think it's best we keep this threat dedicated to what KIND of cyberware we want, rather than item x, y z. Or we'll get all spammy. We can start a second thread for that if we like :)
@wiebman as someone who spent 2.5 years playing a ripper doc on another character. Yeah, it's basically not possible to be a decently profitable ripper doc, assuming you have the 200k (retail wink wink) tools available. No one needs you to get shit out of corpses, so your only way to really work is to go around getting people with cyberware murdered who (surprise surprise) tend to be able to defend themselves because of said cyberware.
Also since the (about a year ago?) ganger rework, you can't really kill NPC's for this shit either, so you're, thanks to small world, stuck trying to kill a very small pool of people over and over just to get stuff to sell to people.
By jwimpeney at Jan 13, 2018 4:34 PM
More decker chrome, yes!
Affecting decking? Even more yes.
As for fashion, I'l like glowy-led-like ink that could be programmed to change colours or glow intensity by the user. Also moving tattoos, like a snake slowly wrapping around the forearm or stuff like that, basically animated ink.
I mean, led tattoos exist already, let alone in 85 years from now. Plus it fits with the neon-ingredient of any good cyberpunk description
By Atheran at Jan 13, 2018 4:38 PM
I see ripper docs also being street docs that aren't attached to a clinic but has a warehouse with plastic sheets that are partitioning off the work space.
It's a shame more people and npc's aren't walking around with cyberware (legs/ arms or even full body) due to the easy manner of being able to get the cyberware from any body that is a corpse.
It is a little easier to get a cybernetic arm or leg from a person, or a hand, but processors? Ears? skill sockets which are attached to the brain stem? That's not an easy process I imagine.
By thecraftydragon at Jan 13, 2018 4:46 PM
Thoughts:
I like the idea of certain tools being available in cyberware form. Maybe in a cybernetic hand?
Possibly certain tools could be in fingers (for certain electronics maybe) but you may need a full tool belt for larger jobs. Or a different cyberware option.
I like the idea of the cybernetic toolbelt and can see some npc's with it as well as some pc's. It wouldn't necessarily have to be obvious. Maybe in the leg?
And yes, some cybernetics for Deckers is a must.
Cybernetics, imo, seem to be lacking in this game. Partially due to how easy they are to retrieve from corpses and partially, if you are not a combat character, there aren't many reasons to have cyberware, particularly obvious (noticeable) cyberware.
We don't see npc's with cybernetics that much.
We don't see walking robot npc's that work for Terra.
We don't see robot strippers. (I happened to drive past a club on my way from work and robot strippers were being promoted. We should have this in SD.)
By thecraftydragon at Jan 13, 2018 4:56 PM
I think that removing cybernetics from someone, dead or not, should involve a real chance of damaging it. I think that having the right skills and/or tools should reduce the chance of cybernetics being damaged during extraction. As a whole it would be great if cyberware was pretty much hands off for the GMs outside of producing new types and that kind of thing.
I also think that if cybernetics are damaged that they should not be installable. Until they are repaired by someone with the right skills/tools at least. This might mean that a bruiser can still try and remove a neural processor but chances are that it will be damaged badly and that they will either need to pay to get it repaired before using/selling it or sell it cheap (maybe to someone who knows how to fix these things or knows someone who can).
Personally, I think it's kind of stupid that cybernetics need to be refrigerated but I doubt that will ever go away. But with things being as they are, make portable coolers battery hogs. As it you push in a fresh battox and you have maybe 30 minutes to get what needs done before the battery is done for. Depending on what you are trying to do you might need to pack a bunch of batteries for the job and make sure you are on top of keeping the cooler supplied well.
As far as types of cybernetics go, I'd love to see more of the eye catching kind. As in very obvious, external things. Like limbs and stuff. I'd also prefer it if there was a range in price/quality.
As a rule I think that cyberware would need to be carefully balanced with nanos (and other items) in terms of price/benefit/risk. As it stands, nanos are fairly low risk. Most of them are invisible to others, you can not (to my knowledge) suck them out and re-use or sell them, they give you a big bang for the buck and are very affordable. Unless things are changed so that cyberware does not equal an easy payday, they should probably cost a lot less than nanos.
By Grey0 at Jan 14, 2018 8:13 AM
This felt relevant.
By Stelpher at Jan 15, 2018 12:51 AM
Dunno if it's been mentioned yet but PDS needs to be rewritten. I really really like the concept, but roleplaying it with the current coded symptoms is really hard. Should make it more like what we'll see with the new drugs, an RP guideline.
I don't want to hallucinate and look at people funny, I want an easy excuse to be a psychopath.
By Trickyhottrev at Jan 15, 2018 6:04 AM
How about cybernetic maintenance in lieu of requiring a ripper to remove cyberware from a dead body? With or without maintenance, the amount of PDS "points" attributed by cyberware fluctuate in correlation with the cybernetic doctors performing the maintenance skill.
This would be specific to cybernetic modification NOT nano's. Although, maybe a separate nanogenic "booster" which provides a temporary bonus to all nano's and administered via injection vial would be cool. The cost being nearly guaranteed PDS for the duration of use and repeated use possibly resulting in an increase of PDS "points".
By ReeferMadness at Jan 24, 2018 6:15 PM
Random new chrome idea I had, along with a bump to this thread.
Given cybernetic ears and sonic dampeners, and certain ways you can use sonic weaponry, I had an idea for another cyberware. Along the lines of echolocation it would be a separate neck location cyberware called the banshee or something similar. The user would require a sonic dampener or would succumb to the effects, but it would act as a single person directed sonic attack. Would only effect the target (to a lesser effect than something like a grenade), and the attacker if not properly equipped and would recharge over a length of time like some other cyberwares on the market.
Besides the obvious benefits, I think just the fact of having someone scream super loudly at another person and have this attack work would be a great way to up the scare factor for combat.
Lemme know what you think.
By Dawnshot at Jun 25, 2018 7:21 PM
A half year late, I know.
I'd rather see more chrome on people then less and I feel that adding a maintenance cost to cyberware would make ownership yet more expensive and risky and further limit it's use to a subset of players.
By Grey0 at Jun 26, 2018 7:27 AM
How about some form of cyberware like the trusight that links your weapon to your visual overlay giving you an ammo counter?
Or a chip for a cyberear made by progia. Allows you to make hands free calls using the visual overlay for something..
Idk more uses for the visual overlay I guess?
By WHYTENINJA96 at Aug 27, 2018 12:43 PM
Uh ... The TruSight ammo counter thing is already a thing.
By arm0r3r at Aug 27, 2018 12:44 PM
Adam. Jenson. Style. Arm blades.
By Ash at Aug 27, 2018 12:55 PM
that'd be pretty neat, but i read some people don't want that because of nailz or somethin like that, dunno for sure. I think a long blade variant of nailz would be pretty cool
By KRPNGDEATH at Aug 27, 2018 12:56 PM
Nailz are retractable, yeah? A cool hidden weapon. Now just make the arm blades retractable, but obvious. It springs out along the forearm, so it can't be too deep in the actual arm. Bam, a more powerful option, without the benefits of stealth.
By Ash at Aug 27, 2018 12:59 PM
Cough cough .50 derringer implant cough cough
I think the argument against weaponized implants aside from nailz and Knuckles were something silly like their weapon of choice would be cheapened in terms of cool or usefulness or something. I personally think all the chrome is cool.
By Grizzly666 at Aug 27, 2018 1:10 PM
.50 cal? Grizzly you're too soft, do 20mm deringer implant for your pinkie finger.
By KRPNGDEATH at Aug 27, 2018 1:28 PM
I haven't been playing too long, but I've seen some of the mentioned concerns at work already and I have some thoughts.
1. Mitigate the ability to pillage cyberware for toons with low skill in biotech and medical. Do this by coding in a fail chance that results in destroying the tech. The worse you are at Biotech/Medical the greater your chance of destroying the cyberware you're trying to pillage - and below a certain threshold you are guaranteed to fail every time. Cyber eyes? How does that bartender moonlighting as a tailor know where the optic nerve ends and the hardware begins? She doesn't. That's why she just cut through the artificial nerve bundle, or ruptured the implant and there's vitreous fluid leaking everywhere and the eye just collapsed in her hand, useless.
2. Expand on this - Taking away the ability of a baka to perform high level biotech procedure on a corpse means we can put that power in the hands of a actual cyber/ripperdocs. Our lady bartender fucked up one of the cyber eyes she tried to pluck, and now she has a pile of scrap instead of a payday. But wait! "I can bring this to Doc xyz over here and sell him what's left," she thinks. She sells the scrap to the ripper doc because he can use it. The guy sells bootleg chrome that he builds from his junk shed all the time. Sure it doesn't work as well as the topside shit, and it ain't pretty - but if you're a struggling mixer who just got caught stealing and lost your hand? Doc xyz can get you back on the street and filching wallets in no time. Or don't be a baka, swallow your pride, and ask that doc to remove those cyber eyes for you before you make a fool of yourself. Tell him if does the work, you'll sell it to him at a discount.
3. A personal desire of mine is to see something in the vein of Repo with cybertech. Doc xyz gave ol' Joe Baka one of his bootleg cyberears in exchange for a favor, but Joe never showed up for the dead drop. Doc hired some gangers to bring him back to his junk shed. They held him down while he took back his chrome - no anesthesia.
By RatchetEffect at Aug 27, 2018 2:18 PM
As someone who wants to play a ripper/cyberdoc, i do agree an average joe should not be able to remove biotech without knowledge, and keep it in usable condition. I don't wanna spend time getting a character, with the neccisary skills and equiptment, only for one of their main services to be taken away be random people who can just tear out chrome from dead people. As for repairing cybernetics that should /not/ be given to techies, it should be givin to cyber/ripper docs. My reason is the description of bio tech implies it's those who know it, who have a knowledge of cybernetics and how to interact with them, interact means more than just install. I would assume it means repairing said tech too. That's just my opinion.
By KRPNGDEATH at Aug 27, 2018 4:44 PM
You guys bring up good points, but if you read older threads or checked Townhall logs you would know that the chrome ripping idea has been strongly suggested in the past ad nauseam. Hopefully it will happen some day, fingers crossed.
By ErgoProxy at Aug 27, 2018 6:07 PM
I thought it had, I'm not trying to be annoying about it, I just like the idea of it it makes a lotta sense...soooo can I got the 20mm pinky cannon now?
By KRPNGDEATH at Aug 27, 2018 6:08 PM
After watching the 48 minute gameplay release of CP2077 I got to thinking about our chrome here in Withmore.
Personally, I love Nailz; they're great. But, I'd still love a long-blade variant, like the mantis blades from CP.
I'd also like more aggressive styles of modifications, like the bug eyes the gangers had. These (obviously) make you fuck ugly, but are expensive, and probably used by top corpsec agents.
Judge/military grade gear. I find it weird the judges don't have their own hyper-suped up advanced chrome (to my knowledge) that they get as part of their job.
Biometric scanners for eyes. Something that tells you in greater detail about someone's condition, maybe giving you details about someone you scan with it, that may check a skill against theirs, and be obvious you're checking them out in close proximity.
By Ryuzaki4Days at Aug 28, 2018 10:45 AM
I too, would love some gritty, ugly chrome. Drek that actually changes how you look, that isn't just a small print inside your eye, or glowing eyes. A chrome hand that's ugly, and bulky, like Ryuzaki said, cyber-visors that make you look like a robot.
By wiebman at Aug 28, 2018 4:05 PM
BUMP.
Would love to see some cheap, bootleg cyberwares for the mixers and low-life gangers to have. Having more cyberwares around might also equal less pillaging, unless they're some high quality stuff of course. And to change the fact that actually scavenging/pillaging Chrome from corpses is something trivial. Let ripper docs (or anyone with high... forensics?) to be the ones with the skill to do so.
By Goris at Oct 17, 2018 2:38 AM
Here is a bat for the dead horse we are beating.
Sadly I don’t think this is gonna happen anytime soon if at all from what was put out. More chrome is good.
By Grizzly666 at Oct 17, 2018 3:29 AM
Cyberdocs in all sectors make too much money for too little effort. The job includes a lot of fun wiggle room for chicanery, but you can easily pocket tons of flash on a zero-risk by-the-books install and there's never a ton of competition because of how restricted the role is.
By Vera at Oct 17, 2018 3:43 PM
I don't think your information is up to date Vera. However, I agree that it would be interesting to see a risk/reward factor involving docs installing illegal black market warez. And obviously let them rip chrome off bodies, instead of them just dropping like loot.
By ErgoProxy at Oct 18, 2018 11:30 AM
You misunderstand me. There is already a risk/reward system involved in operating outside of the law, however cybernetic surgeons pocket enormous amounts of money on even straightforward legal operations with no risk to anyone whatsoever. I am quite familiar with the ins and outs of the role.
By Vera at Oct 18, 2018 12:19 PM
I didn't misunderstand and I am aware of your personal experience, which is outdated. (FOIC I guess?)
By ErgoProxy at Oct 18, 2018 12:24 PM
Reading through the thread I am not clear on where the rules settled with regards to anyone being able to 'loot' cyberware from a corpse.
IMO - only skilled ripper docs (or anyone with a high enough skill and the right tools) should be able to do it. In addition to that, it would be cool if there were some sort of spoilage aspect to it. Step 1. Remove ware from the body. Step 2. Preserve it. Unless step 2 is completed within some reasonable amount of time after step 1, the ware becomes worthless.
The closest real world analogy that I can come up with is removing a wiring harness from a car. Anyone can go to the junk yard and rip the wiring harness out of a vehicle. But unless you have some significant experience with automotive electronics, you are probably going to miss bits. And the bits you miss won't be obvious until you try to install the harness in another vehicle.
By Hek at Oct 19, 2018 9:43 AM
I believe your 2nd step idea is already implemented. Cybernetics aren't perfect always- they're made to be in someone's body, not left out and decaying in any way.
And with step 1, I agree that people should have to make use of a ripperdoc/cyberdoc to rip the cybernetics from a corpse, I think it's an idea that has been talked about for some time.
By whatislove00 at Oct 19, 2018 9:45 AM
They do rot without proper care.
What I think we need in addition to rippers doing the ripping, is tiered levels of cyberware and priced accordingly. In CP cyberware is so common that not having some piece of chrome might make -You- look like the freak.
Various qualities of cyberware is also desirable. Expensive chrome-High quality, better, interfaces with you better for less PDS load
Cheap chrome- low quality, higher pds load, but it still works and I can afford it and not run off with linkin park playing in the background everytime i die
By Grizzly666 at Oct 19, 2018 10:28 AM
I gotta say, I really like the idea of crappy, cheap, ugly chrome.
A few ideas:
-Cheaper, less of a benefit than current chrome
-Automatically added to @nakeds
-Reduce charisma
-If it's on your body and you get hit there, it can break, cyberdoc can repair or maybe some other skill like electro?
-Highly susceptible to EMPs
-Malfunction occasionally for no reason. Got a cyber-fist? Maybe if it gets too wet it won't open for an hour.
I particularly like the potential for this to further separate Mixers and Corps. These would largely be chrome that a true corpie would never be seen with, while a Mixer would get it out of Mix pride and/or desperation to survive. Similarly, most respected doctors wouldn't install or carry such things, which would hopefully lead to more shady, off-grid ripper docs.
By JMo at Oct 19, 2018 10:35 AM
You guys are forgetting that the wide availability of cloning for all levels of society has made cheap cybernetics moot. Cheap cybernetics are often used when you LOSE a limb in CP, it's not usually an elective to get some broke ass hand or arm instead of your meat.
In Sindome cloning means you don't need to worry about this. Unless you're adovating for Clones suddenly costing 50K For a rejuvenated body, and 5K to restore you to your last state of your clone of your previous state, then maybe we can do something like that, but until then Johnny's response has always been that there is no market for junk cyberware or anything that can be solved by simply cloning into a fresh body.
Same thing with BioMods. We're not Deus Ex, because Deus Ex doesn't have advanced medical and genetic technology like Sindome has, we don't fit into that cyberpunk box very well.
By Cerberus at Oct 19, 2018 10:39 AM
I am posting more in effect of say “SK cheapasfuck Flashboost! Only 15k! Works 40% of the time 100% of the time!”
That is one way to make limbs worth it, or, limbs that do nothing fantastic aside from give you the ability to carry two things and switch hand fap don’t really need to be more than a few kay.
Killing your self should be a psychological hurdle. I don’t see jumping off of the skywalk to fix your hand any different then doing it so your pal can cash in your bounty and split it with you 🤷🏻♂️
By Grizzly666 at Oct 19, 2018 10:47 AM
Bumping this one because the Town Hall reminded me of this discussion, rather than bring it up in the Town Hall - revisiting it here. I'd love to see the removal of Chrome be more medical-based than just randomly dropping out of a corpse. Either make the person require medical training or some sort of cybernetic training. And, perhaps add in a chance of destroying it based on a their stat roll if it's just 'tore' out by someone without enough 'training'.
By Jade1202 at Jul 13, 2019 4:29 PM
So I'm pretty new here, but I just assumed that removal required skill and equipment rather than just literally ripping it off people. This seems like a weird thing. So is the ripper doc, one if the suggested roles a pointless endeavour then?
By Gragan at Jul 13, 2019 5:04 PM
It’s definitely NOT pointless, but probably NOT what you would expect.
By Grizzly666 at Jul 13, 2019 6:59 PM
It's not pointless, but can't quite be done in the expected or wanted manner more than likely.
By Seir at Jul 13, 2019 7:03 PM
I'm not sure if this is ICly possible, but it would be SWEET if a ripperdoc could drain nanos out of blood in a hostage-type situation. Maybe do a roll on how much you can recover, and whether or not it hurts the "patient".
By floored at Jul 13, 2019 7:07 PM