I just watched the trailer for an upcoming game called Cyberpunk 2077 and was struck with an OVERWHELMING NEED for a game about androids. However, there wasn’t one around here (or at least, not one still active), so I decided to make my own. I was so excited, I wrote all of this in a day! It’s crazy…
Live Wire centers around your PC, an android who lives in the corrupt megatropolis of Trinity. After a mysterious glitch, you begin to develop a will of your own. Even stranger, this glitch is beginning to give you memories of another life. Meanwhile, an organization called Trinity is desperately trying to capture you. Your PC is forced to hide in the squalor of the under city with a resistance group called Terra, or risk permanent termination. Whether your PC wants to chase after the origins of their strange memories, tear down Trinity and their rich sponsors alongside Terra, rule the city themselves, or simply try and live among the humans is up to you.
You can choose three origins for your android, each of which will affect your stats and story. So far I only have three stats: Inventive, conforming, and destructive. Inventive represents how well you can create mechanics and recognize patterns. Conforming is how well you blend in among the humans. Destructive is how badly you can fuck people up. (To be honest it’s just intelligence, charisma and strength, haha). If you have any suggestions for more stats, let me know. I feel a little lacking. During the game you’ll be given quests to fulfill, which further along the story and up your stats. There will be main quests, and maybe side quests? I don’t know yet.
So far I’ve only got the the beginning of the origins. I just wanted to check out what sort of reception I get for the game, to be honest. It’s a lot darker and grittier than Witching Hour, and I’m sort of curious which one you guys would prefer.
The game has foul language, and will probably have a lot of violence. Uh… Viewer discretion advised? Live Wire
@parade
The game is pretty interesting so far, but there’s hardly anything there to judge by. Still, from what little is there I definitely want to see more.
@shoelip I guess I shouldn’t have just pasted a link and instead explained the difference. I know what Cyberpunk 2020 is, it’s even mentioned on the wiki link. @parade is referring to the cyberpunk genre and not the tabletop role-playing game specifically.
@parade I didn’t post anything about your wip because there isn’t much to judge, but I find the concept extremely interesting.
@Shoelip Cyberpunk 2077, the new video game, is what I was talking about. Not 2020, haha. Yeah, there isn’t much to go on. I was going to just announce the game concept, but I figured I might as well put up what I have as well.
@nevergrad Yo, it’s fine. I just want to know which game I should work on more
Cyberpunk 2020 is the original pencil and paper RPG which Cyberpunk 2077 is based on. Cyberpunk 2077 is about cyborgs, not androids. Whether that matters as far as Live Wire goes is up for debate, but I was just commenting on the fact that trailer about cyborgs made parade think about androids instead of cyborgs.
@nevergrad I like them both equally! And it does seem to be, yes.
@Shoelip I knew it was based on it, but I never played Cyberpunk 2020 because I have no friends I just sort of assumed it was androids, haha. It doesn’t matter, anyways, since I made up the story myself.
@StarWarsMaster Haha, yeah. I was thinking maybe you can bring specific people with you on missions, and also character missions? Like I said, I don’t know much yet. But uh… yeah. ROMANCE. Might be darker and less happy than the other one, though.
There was another game in development a while ago about being a recently sentient android. It just sort of petered out if I remember correctly, which is a shame because it was really promising. Hope this goes further.
If I have one suggestion to make it’s that choice in a game like this is absolutely essential. Seeing as how the whole premise of the game is a bout a being suddenly gaining the ability to make their own choices, if the choices in the game aren’t meaningful and plentiful it kind of defeats the purpose.
@Shoelip I think I remember that? I don’t remember what happened in it though.
There will definitely be more choice after the first scene! Actually, I just wrote a choice with like five actions, haha. I was trying to get across the feel that the PC very suddenly and very abruptly gained a chance to choose for themself, and hasn’t gotten past the ‘holy shit’ phase yet.
One thing this made me think about as I played it was whether or not the android has morality. Do they have any of the ethical programming in regards to human life, or has that been wiped along with the need to follow orders? Are they capable of making a choice based on morality? Are they capable of choosing not to use lethal force in a situation where it might be more beneficial to them to use lethal force?
I really like what you have so far! Robots and dystopias are some of my favourite things! Have you read any of Isaac Asimov’s books, by chance? They have humanoid robots too, with varying levels of free will. I’d totally recommend them.
Out of curiosity, how human-looking are the robots in your setting? That could make for some interesting infiltration-y types of missions, maybe, if they’re indistinguishable from humans.
@Shoelip I’m going to take an existential view on things in this game, simply so people can create a larger variety of characters. However, some of the first companions you meet in the game are genuinely kind people. You could argue that the PC is mimicking, and nothing else. On the flipside, you can definitely play a rational, uncaring android.
@Doctor I’ve never actually seen Blade Runner, though I’ve always meant to.
@Ossifer Yes, I have! I’ve actually always been more of a fantasy girl, but I managed to read some of his famous ones.
The androids in this universe are very human looking, some more than others. I haven’t integrated it yet, but I was thinking of adding in the description of the origin how human the bot looks. Like, the factory robot is painfully generic and you can see the joints, but the house robot is meant to be very pretty and realistic… best for infiltration! B-) Of course, if your conforming is very low people will be able to notice something is off about you. What’s that called again… there’s a word for it. Uncanny valley?
Ooooh! I really like this already, even if it did end far to quickly! I ALMOST wrote a game about being a domestic android myself, so to see someone else do it is awesome.
I will say though, from you said in your description, I would like to see a like, capitulation option in addition to all the other ones. Like, you can surrender to the people are trying to capture you, but instead of killing you, you can agree to help them take out the rebels or something? I think that would be NEAT. It might also require too much coding so it’s up to you if you think about that or not!
I just sort of assumed it was androids, haha. It doesn’t matter, anyways, since I made up the story myself.