Edge of Inspiration: Setting and Cyberpunk 2077

I’ve already written of my love for Cyberpunk 2077, then I did a one-page adventure seed inspired by it, so what am I doing now?

Well, Cyberpunk 2077 is a computer game, but it is an RPG. Part of its allure is the hit of advancement, that thrill of improvement, and with the Phantom Liberty expansion, there’s 60 levels of that!

That’s the mechanical part of its RPG-ness. But what can we take from it that isn’t mechanical to help inspire us as we are toiling away on adventures to share with our players?

Two of the three components that I admire in the game, we can try to bring to ours: and exciting, immersive setting and vibrant NPCs. Let’s consider setting.

Setting is important, and it is something you should prepare in advance. Mind you, I am generally a pretty improvisational GM. That’s why I only have one-pagers—everything else is figured out at the table, in the moment. But for me, if I want the setting to be vibrant, I need to put some extra effort into it. That ensures it does not rely on my sharpness or energy in the moment.

For the cyberpunk setting I’m using in my playtest, my desire to replicate the experience of Cyberpunk 2077 led me to actually prep some description. I wrote between one and three paragraphs of description trying to boil down the essence of each neighbourhood in the setting I’m using. I also have more expansive descriptions, but that is more for me. I also have some key aspects that I make sure to include in each description—cues to help the players identify key differences.

When describing the areas, I always make sure to include information about surveillance, energy, and crowds.

Surveillance is about the police presence. A private security corporation provides law enforcement, and they don’t provide it evenly. Some places have plenty of officers and handy kiosks for those looking for assistance. These places also generally have networked CCTV. This is a sign of affluence. Fewer uniforms, increased CCTV, and the presence of surveillance drones suggests the PSC cares less about this particular area—less wealth to serve, less property to protect. Then there are those places with no uniforms, most of the CCTVs are broken or damaged, and there are lots of drones. Those are the places the PSC has abandoned. Surveillance remains as a means of identifying ‘trouble,’ especially if the wealthy who are served seek illicit entertainment in areas that are not welcoming to them.

Energy is about how the residents of an area get their power. A lack of any identifiable means of power supply is again a sign of affluence—the infrastructure is hidden so as not to offend, but it is absolutely there because the supply must not be interrupted. More obvious infrastructure—wires, transformers, meters—and some renewable back-up—smaller wind turbines and solar panels—tells the player this is a place the corporations have not abandoned, but who are not importance. When the infrastructure is unrepaired and the renewable sources are everywhere—ubiquitous to the point of overwhelming—it’s a place the corporations care nothing about . . . well, they care about exploiting the inhabitants, but not providing them services. It’s just not profitable enough.

If these two components don’t make it clear enough, the others with whom the PCs are sharing space in an area are generally much more obvious indicators of the relative wealth and importance of an area. Identifiers like clothing and vehicles, accoutrements and entourages all tell a story. Language is important as well—slang is a dialect that can identify one’s origins or affiliations, but speaking a ‘foreign’ language is even a more clear divider. The reactions of those around them also provides important information to players—is honour and respect a currency, or does the other just expect subservience?

Some of this is evident in Cyberpunk 2077. There are definite flavours to different regions, but those three components are not necessarily the identifiers in Night City that they are in Mercatorpole. The choice of components itself reveals information about the setting. Decide what the setting tells the players about the game they are in and how it can communicate that information. This will hopefully help you provide engaging descriptions that help immerse your players.

And just as a further point possibly idiosyncratic of me: I realize that I need to review and practice those descriptions. Again, I am comfortable improving, but when I have prepared something, my delivery and comfort is hugely affected if I am not familiar with it, so writing a description and then not looking at it until delivery time leads to a poor delivery—and that ruins the entire purpose.