User avatar
9littlebees
Topic Author
Posts: 604
Joined: Sat 18 Feb 2017, 14:22
Contact:

Cyberpunk in the Third Horizon

Mon 20 Aug 2018, 09:41

I'm in the beginning stages of planning a Coriolis mini-campaign and I've been thinking of doing something cyberpunk-flavoured in the setting.

To facilitate my style of GMing (low-prep, sandboxy) I need 2 or 3 big plots that can run in the background, with the initial mini-campaign running for about six 3-hour sessions.

Ideally, the PCs won't start with a ship, though obtaining one could be a good finale for the campaign. If it's popular, I'd like to pick up where we left off.

Has anyone done something like this, or have any tips? I'm kind of new to the cyberpunk genre, so I'm not making this easy on myself!

Oh yeah, full disclosure - it will be recorded as an Actual Play series for our podcast, Mud & Blood (http://mbcast.co).
I make YZE games (https://drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matt%20Kay) and produce predominately Free League content on my YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@3skulls)
 
User avatar
The1TrueFredrix
Posts: 357
Joined: Fri 12 Aug 2016, 16:36
Contact:

Re: Cyberpunk in the Third Horizon

Wed 22 Aug 2018, 12:07

OK, I am NOT the expert on Cyberpunk but let me throw these thoughts into your brain box.

First of all what is “cyberpunk” to you ?
For me:
Cyberpunk is urban
Cyberpunk is noir
Cyberpunk is (weirdly) about people being the network, rather than the network
Cyberpunk is transgressionary

So, my two main influences for a possible Coriolis Cyberpunk are: The Madrid Audan series (When Gravity Falls), and Kathryn Bigelows Stange Days, these and the first ed Coriolis Novella all have something like the Proxy technology. So something about that trade feels like an obvious plot 1

For plot two, Coriolis is about the space being the desert right? So an urban Coriolis adventure should chose a “city” that isn’t at the centre of civilisation, like Coriolis Station is. That “civilised” city is a place that characters are running from or desperate to get a ride to. What feels right for this is Casablanca. So, for plot two: an Occupation, your city is under control of a Faction, the local police ostesensibly work for them, but there is an Underground Resistance, and little acts of defiance.

Finally plot three is about AIs. We need some more cyber in our punk, and they seem remarkably functional in the game. Space effectively limits every network to a global scale, but no AI has tried to take over a planet ... yet

The characters that populate this city should demonstrate transgression. What that means changes all the time, but gender fluid and pansexual are obvious basics now. You know your players but you want to push it as far as will make them think that some of the people they meet and love and want to protect are also “icky”
Effekt - A fan podcast celebrating Swedish RPGs including, but not limited to: Alien; Coriolis; Forbidden Lands; Symbaroum; and Tales from the Loop. Featuring discussion magazine episodes and Actual Play recordings. https://effektpodcast.org/
 
User avatar
9littlebees
Topic Author
Posts: 604
Joined: Sat 18 Feb 2017, 14:22
Contact:

Re: Cyberpunk in the Third Horizon

Thu 23 Aug 2018, 11:06

OK, I am NOT the expert on Cyberpunk but let me throw these thoughts into your brain box.

First of all what is “cyberpunk” to you ?
For me:
Cyberpunk is urban
Cyberpunk is noir
Cyberpunk is (weirdly) about people being the network, rather than the network
Cyberpunk is transgressionary

So, my two main influences for a possible Coriolis Cyberpunk are: The Madrid Audan series (When Gravity Falls), and Kathryn Bigelows Stange Days, these and the first ed Coriolis Novella all have something like the Proxy technology. So something about that trade feels like an obvious plot 1

For plot two, Coriolis is about the space being the desert right? So an urban Coriolis adventure should chose a “city” that isn’t at the centre of civilisation, like Coriolis Station is. That “civilised” city is a place that characters are running from or desperate to get a ride to.  What feels right for this is Casablanca. So, for plot two: an Occupation, your city is under control of a Faction, the local police ostesensibly work for them, but there is an Underground Resistance, and little acts of defiance.

Finally plot three is about AIs. We need some more cyber in our punk, and they seem remarkably functional in the game. Space effectively limits every network to a global scale, but no AI has tried to take over a planet ... yet

The characters that populate this city should demonstrate transgression. What that means changes all the time, but gender fluid and pansexual are obvious basics now. You know your players but you want to push it as far as will make them think that some of the people they meet and love and want to protect are also “icky”
Thanks for the reply, and the great thoughts! I'm not familiar with those books, but if you are referring to The Dark Between the Stars by Mattias Lilja, I have that loaded on my eReader, ready to be read.
I make YZE games (https://drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matt%20Kay) and produce predominately Free League content on my YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@3skulls)
 
User avatar
The1TrueFredrix
Posts: 357
Joined: Fri 12 Aug 2016, 16:36
Contact:

Re: Cyberpunk in the Third Horizon

Sat 25 Aug 2018, 13:01

I'm not familiar with those books, but if you are referring to The Dark Between the Stars by Mattias Lilja, I have that loaded on my eReader, ready to be read.
I was indeed. :)
And just to make sure, though I am sure you know, Strange Days is a film.
Effekt - A fan podcast celebrating Swedish RPGs including, but not limited to: Alien; Coriolis; Forbidden Lands; Symbaroum; and Tales from the Loop. Featuring discussion magazine episodes and Actual Play recordings. https://effektpodcast.org/

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 2 guests