Cyberpunk 2020 is getting a new edition

[Korgan0]

http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/6/1 ... letop-game

The decision to turn classic tabletop game Cyberpunk 2020 into a video game comes with a pleasant surprise: A brand new edition of the pen-and-paper game is in development.

Speaking with Polygon during E3 last week, CD Projekt RED co-founder and current CEO Marcin Iwiński said that the tabletop game is getting an update designed by Cyberpunk 2020 creator Mike Pondsmith.

The update will be the first since the third iteration of the game, Cyberpunk V3, hit in 2005.

The goal, Iwiński said, is for Pondsmith to carefully update the game so it doesn't feel like a retro take on a cybepunk future.

Pondsmith is already hard at work on the new ruleset, which will be used to flesh out the video game's storyline, with hopes of releasing the updated tabletop game when the video game hits.

During a nearly hour-long interview at E3, Iwiński talked a bit about how the developer and publisher evolved from distributor to successful game maker and then decided to make the leap from medieval fantasy to William Gibson-inspired cyberpunk.

...

A key part of Pondsmith's involvement in the project is updating the pen-and-paper version of the game, so the video game team can work off that when helping the fiction make the leap from the table to the television, Iwiński said.

And CD Projekt has the rights to the pen-and-paper property now as well, so they're able to make sure it sticks around.

"We want to build something very strong in the gaming world," Iwiński said.

There aren't really any details concerning the new edition in the article itself (most of it is about The Witcher), with the exception being that they don't want the new edition to be but the guy who's developing it (Mike Pondsmith) did a great deal of the previous editions, so it might be decent.

[hogarth]

I've never heard much about Cyberpunk 2020, but the little I heard wasn't very good. Doesn't it have unwieldy math or a bunch of tables to roll on or something?

[OgreBattle]

from the makers of witcher

How many different things in Cyberpunk 2020 can you have sex with?

[crasskris]

I've never heard much about Cyberpunk 2020, but the little I heard wasn't very good. Doesn't it have unwieldy math or a bunch of tables to roll on or something?

It's been some time, but I still remember vividly is that you gained experience for each skill seperately - by using that skill. So the game broke down to more or less flimsy pretenses to train your skills in-game.

[crasskris]

Oh yeah, and one of the classes in the game was Rockstar. Whose main powers were basically being famous and having each of his concerts placed conveniently close to whatever location needed distraction and large crowds/mobs.

[crasskris]

Edith says: double post.

[Seerow]

from the makers of witcher

How many different things in Cyberpunk 2020 can you have sex with?

The shorter list is what things in Cyberpunk 2020 you can't have sex with.

[Username17]

from the makers of witcher

How many different things in Cyberpunk 2020 can you have sex with?

Mr. Stud Sexual Implant MA All night, every night. And she'll never know.

It makes you lose 2d6 humanity and costs as much as the internal "audio/video tape recorder" (with two hours of storage space!).

-Username17

[Voss]

I've never heard much about Cyberpunk 2020, but the little I heard wasn't very good. Doesn't it have unwieldy math or a bunch of tables to roll on or something?

It's been some time, but I still remember vividly is that you gained experience for each skill seperately - by using that skill. So the game broke down to more or less flimsy pretenses to train your skills in-game.

I vaguely remember that, or something like it. The real kicker I remember people talking about was Rolemaster levels of absolute lethality. So, laborious advancement system coupled with sudden death.

The 'not make it feel retro' made me laugh, though. When it first came out, sticking it in 2020 seemed fairly reasonable. Now it seems somewhat ridiculous

[Red_Rob]

CP2020 was a lot of fun. The whole thing was drenched in mid 80's cyber cool from back when wearing mirrorshades made you look like a badass rather than a middle aged loser. I have a lot of fond memories of that game.

Jesus fuck but the rules stank though. Some highlights; Random point buy character generation, some stats being useless whilst others won you the game, stats you could BUY UP WITH MONEY AFTER THE GAME BEGAN in a points buy system, the "Charisma" stat denoting how much 'ware you could handle (so the asshole contract killer always started off as a swell guy you would love to have a drink with), and thats just from the first chapter.

Another thing that stuck in my memory was the fumble system. Skill rolls were D10 + Stat + Skill, however a 1 always fumbled. In combat you got a special fumble chart with listings like "Shoot yourself" or "shoot a friend". With a 10% fumble chance, pretty soon every fight was like the Three Stooges went into battle. I guess it was supposed to make the combat seem confused or "gritty", but watching the ice-cool Solo shoot himself in the leg with a shotgun just always creased us up.

Damage always seemed a bit screwy too. Combat was hit location based, however all damage went to a central "pool". The location was mainly to determine whether a limb was blown off, however hitting the torso didn't have this effect. This lead one of my players to comment that it felt like his body was just a big chunk of meat with spindly arms and legs dangling off like strings of sausages, just waiting to be knocked off.

Despite all this the rulebook was great to read, an object lesson in drawing you into the world. I'm interested to see what they do with the new edition after the barbie infested last version...

[Josh_Kablack]

In Cyberpunk 2020 stats were on a 1-10 scale, and doing stuff was Stat+Skill+1d10 vs target number. In practice this meant that you were a scrub if your Reflex stat was an 8 or lower. If it was a mere 9, you could be an acceptable techie or other non-combat character.

It also had things like a a 20 MM cannon dealing 4d10 damage but the pistol in the first supplement dealt 6d6 Damage.

Mike Pondsmith has done some great work, but I don't count the mechanics of the old version of Cyberpunk 2020 among his hits.

[Prak]

My friends and I tried to play it twice. We couldn't get through character creation because we couldn't figure out how the fuck to determine how many skill points or what ever you start with. (granted, this is because we were skimming, rather than reading cover to cover).

[raben-aas]

Aah, Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0. What a great and truly fun game that is.

Yes, it had its flaws, of course, but it's one of the most entertaining flawed games there is.

[raben-aas]

Any news on the new edition of CP2020?

[Krynos]

http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/6/1 ... letop-game

The decision to turn classic tabletop game Cyberpunk 2020 into a video game comes with a pleasant surprise: A brand new edition of the pen-and-paper game is in development.

Speaking with Polygon during E3 last week, CD Projekt RED co-founder and current CEO Marcin Iwiński said that the tabletop game is getting an update designed by Cyberpunk 2020 creator Mike Pondsmith.

The update will be the first since the third iteration of the game, Cyberpunk V3, hit in 2005.

The goal, Iwiński said, is for Pondsmith to carefully update the game so it doesn't feel like a retro take on a cybepunk future.

Pondsmith is already hard at work on the new ruleset, which will be used to flesh out the video game's storyline, with hopes of releasing the updated tabletop game when the video game hits.

During a nearly hour-long interview at E3, Iwiński talked a bit about how the developer and publisher evolved from distributor to successful game maker and then decided to make the leap from medieval fantasy to William Gibson-inspired cyberpunk.

...

A key part of Pondsmith's involvement in the project is updating the pen-and-paper version of the game, so the video game team can work off that when helping the fiction make the leap from the table to the television, Iwiński said.

And CD Projekt has the rights to the pen-and-paper property now as well, so they're able to make sure it sticks around.

"We want to build something very strong in the gaming world," Iwiński said.

There aren't really any details concerning the new edition in the article itself (most of it is about The Witcher), with the exception being that they don't want the new edition to be but the guy who's developing it (Mike Pondsmith) did a great deal of the previous editions, so it might be decent.

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble here, but there isn't going to be any new edition. At least not according to this...

Quote from interview with Mike Pondsmith located here: http://gamestar.ru/english/cyberpunk_20 ... w_eng.html

"Right now, there isn't a new edition in the works. That was a mistake that Marcin made in an interview at the time. I still tease him a little about it, but he's a great guy and teases me right back that I should do a new edition."

He mentions that there is going to be a "reissue" of Cyberpunk 2020. But as far as I can see, it's just going to be a reprint of the original. Doesn't sound like there will be any updates to the system or setting. Guess that, at least, is some good news for those who have copies that are worn out and want a new one.

[TheFlatline]

I've never heard much about Cyberpunk 2020, but the little I heard wasn't very good. Doesn't it have unwieldy math or a bunch of tables to roll on or something?

It's been some time, but I still remember vividly is that you gained experience for each skill seperately - by using that skill. So the game broke down to more or less flimsy pretenses to train your skills in-game.

I vaguely remember that, or something like it. The real kicker I remember people talking about was Rolemaster levels of absolute lethality. So, laborious advancement system coupled with sudden death.

The 'not make it feel retro' made me laugh, though. When it first came out, sticking it in 2020 seemed fairly reasonable. Now it seems somewhat ridiculous

Ah the infamous Friday Night Fire Fight ruleset. It was actually toned down from the original Cyberpunk RPG- and was still so unbelievably lethal that it wasn't funny.

Okay lethal isn't the right word for it. They looked at FBI shooting statistics and realized that the majority of firefights took place at distances of less than 50 feet (or even 20 feet if memory serves), in the dark, between untrained combatants taking hasty potshots, and the first shot usually took you out of action if it didn't kill you.

So in other words a .22 could easily drop you in one shot if you're not armored up or cybered up. Assuming you hit, which wasn't particularly reliable. Generally in my experience, if a gunfight broke out, or was about to break out, the first words out of your mouth were "I dive for cover".

It also introduced a lifepath system, akin to Traveler. Which was kind of cool. IIRC it was more used for background than stat generation, but I could be wrong there.

It was fun, but the decking thing used the old VR Dungeon paradigm and made it difficult to run a hacker in the group. As always.

[Prak]

I still really want to try out CP2020. Can anyone tell me where in the book to look for all the various core mechanic things, especially skill points for character creation?

[Red_Rob]

Cyberpunk 2020 2nd Edition, Chapter 4: 'Working', Page 43: 'Starting Skills'.

One of the 'interesting' things about CP2020 was it basically walked you through creating a character as you read through the book rather than having a Chargen chapter at the start. So you get told how to set your starting skills in the Skills chapter, and you get told how much money a starting character gets in the Equipment chapter.

Yeah.

[Prak]

ugh. I get that, kind of, but chargen chapters are really, really helpful.

[Username17]

ugh. I get that, kind of, but chargen chapters are really, really helpful.

For that, you have to turn to fans to make summary pdfs. Which of course, they did.

-Username17

[Chamomile]

That's not a terrible idea on its own, since that's a really great way to read through the book the first time, actually. The problem is that it turns the book into a terrible reference for chargen, so...Why not just have your own summary in the book itself?