Cyberpunk?

[GJD]

I'm a biiiiig fan of the cyberpunk genre. Cyberpunk2020 by R Talsorian was a mainstay of my groups games for many, many years.

Would there be any interest in a Traveller: Cyberpunk conversion or mod?

Would people prefer a generic ruleset, like the core book, or a deveolped setting like the Spinward Marches, or both as seperate supplements?

The Cyberpunk genra has mutated since it's "classic" era and now crosses over into sci-fi as well (The Takashi Kovaks triliogy by Richard Morgan, for instance), so how sci-stuff would people like?

Must haves?

Cybertech is covered in the main rulebook and Mercenary, and, I would imagain, in Central Supply as well?

Hacking/gridrunning/netrunning - cinematic/Tron style, or realistic social engineering style?

Drugs - a contentious one. Cyberpunk media has a plethroa of recreational and utility drugs and narcotics, and recreational drug use is common.

G.

 

[AndrewW]

Cybertech is covered in the main rulebook and Mercenary, and, I would imagain, in Central Supply as well?

Oh there just might be something in Central Supply Catalogue.

 

[Golan2072]

This is probably quite easy to do. What you'll need is probably:

1) Near-future setting; TL9, possibly with fission rather than fusion, and probably with no gravitics and higher-sci-fi weapons (except for maybe lasers). The Reaction Drive rules from High Guard might also come in handy.

2) Reduce the TL of all augments, drugs, robots/drones and computer hardware/software to TL9. This way you could have all the chrome, AIs and robotics you want at TL9.

3) A near-earth colonial setting, with corporations rather than nations being the colonial powers.

For point 3, the following might be helpful:

Here is a quadrant map I've made centered on Sol some time ago "flattening" the nearby RL astrography (which is 3D) into a 2D starmap . Note that there is a good chance of still-undetected (as of today) M-type stars or Brown Dwarfs existing nearby so you could very plausibly add more stars to the map to fill any blanks you see fit to fill. Feel free to use this.

By golan2072 at 2009-01-16

The Core would be Earth and possibly a few other systems in 2-Jump-1 range from it; 3-4-Jump-1 parsec range would be an Intermediate zone; beyond that you'll have the frontier with various corporate colonies, and beyond 6-Jump-1s from Earth you'll have a mostly unsettled (and badly explored) area with a few unsanctioned colonies, pirate bases and secret labs.

There should probably be more than one colony per system, not just the mainworld but also other planets, moons and rocks in each system.

 

[Kristovich]

Ah, cyberpunk, lovely!

For me, cyberpunk isn't ovely sci-fi. Think Neuromancer by William Gibson and you're not far off. The way hacking is conducted in said book would be neat as well, not some present-day stuff with the guys sitting in front of screens 8)

Another thing to maybe think about would be governments vs corporations (if you go with the typical evil-allmighty-corporations often futured), subcultures acting in such a totalitarian society (at least, that's cyberpunk for me).

Drugs... should be widepsread maybe? I think, in a world where nothing can be kept secret (1984 plus mind-scanners maybe?) you'd need some ways to get your mind off things. Drugs tend to do that, no? Which would also give way for a thriving black market, so maybe a underworld war against the law?

Just random bits and ends of the top of my head, not sure how helpful it'll be though :lol:

 

[SnowDog]

This would be great! I, too am a great fan of cyberpunk genre and CP2020 has been one of my favorite systems/games for a long time.

Still, I would prefer a newer version of cyberpunk, maybe even transhumanism if you like. Takeshi Kovacs books are a good model of what I would want to see in the game.

Augmentation I would prefer to see a bit more advanced than normal chrome. Drugs are must Net hacking can be cinematic as long as it is balanced with other character types in spot light time.

Another good, although less augmentation-centric example is 'Mirrored Heavens' book.

 

[GypsyComet]

The specific tech will change over time, certainly. The more important component of "cyberpunk" is the attitudes, and those can be done with MGT as it stands. Lawlessness, population pressures (and a related low value set on life), and a high degree of techno-shock, whatever that tech may be. The "metal is better than meat" attitude arises from all of these.

While Gibson popularized and unified the genre, elements of it go back a lot further. Kornbluths "Merchants of Venus" is the genesis of the corporate "punk", and Bester's "The Stars My Destination" is pure "psi-berpunk". Rudy Rucker's early books are all about the metal and the darkening near future, and more than a little of Mike Resnick's stuff is pure punk 'tude.

Even Traveller has had elements for a long time. The general scofflaw approach of most early adventures and the espionage hacker in The Traveller Adventure pre-date Gibson.

VR hacking aside, most of the rules base you need is already in Traveller somewhere.

 

[SnowDog]

If you want cyberpunk then the attitude is definitely needed. Heck, that's half of the whole term and probably more than that in the old school cyberpunk genre.

I have read my Gibson, Sterling and Williams and while I enjoyed them at the time the things are changing. Even in the literature and even in what can be called cyberpunk.

Personally I have not been all that keen on the punk attitude in my CP games. Sure, my PCs have been criminals or at least high tech urban mercenaries. I think a term that I can't take credit for should be street scifi that I like to run.

As much as I like Takeshi Kovacs, as a character and the universe where his stories are set and he really has an attitude I would not run my games like the books. My games would probably reflect more the Mirrored Heavens, a mil scifi book that has been put to the cyberpunk locker (probably because of the importance of the 'net).

The attitude is pretty much a personal preference and if there really are (going to be) all the bells and whistles (read kit) for running CP games then all we really need is a comprehensive setting. Personally I wouldn't mind even if it included FTL travel and extra-solar colonies. Only more work for tek-mercs

 

[Valarian]

Anyone looked at the Corporation game that Mongoose have recently published for Brutal Games under the Flaming Cobra label? It's a cyberpunk genre game where the players are agents for one of the five big world corporations. (http://www.corpgame.com)

 

[GJD]

I have the first edition. It's interesting, but the mechanics (granted, i've only read through it) seemed clunky to me. Some of the background was intersting.

G.

 

[Valarian]

I played a game at the last Mongoose Open Day. It seemed okay to me. I liked the skill mechanic. Maybe it's one of the things fixed for this printing. There's seems to be a catch up sheet in the downloads section on their website. Not looked at the differences as I've only got the newer edition. I'm jealous of your colour print and world map.

 

[Infojunky]

I'm a biiiiig fan of the cyberpunk genre. Cyberpunk2020 by R Talsorian was a mainstay of my groups games for many, many years.

Would there be any interest in a Traveller: Cyberpunk conversion or mod?

As Traveller already has strong 'punk under tones, I assume that you are talking about the gear, yes?

Would people prefer a generic ruleset, like the core book, or a deveolped setting like the Spinward Marches, or both as seperate supplements?

It really depends on what you want to do.

The Cyberpunk genra has mutated since it's "classic" era and now crosses over into sci-fi as well (The Takashi Kovaks triliogy by Richard Morgan, for instance), so how sci-stuff would people like?

Er!?! Cyberpunk is science fiction, where is the confusion?

Must haves?

Cybertech is covered in the main rulebook and Mercenary, and, I would imagain, in Central Supply as well?

Hacking/gridrunning/netrunning - cinematic/Tron style, or realistic social engineering style?

Drugs - a contentious one. Cyberpunk media has a plethroa of recreational and utility drugs and narcotics, and recreational drug use is common.

These are all as you see fit. I for one have found detail netrunning is a game all in its self. Detracting from what the other players are doing.