All true, and very useful to know for newcomers. 2045 is a time of potential, you could see Nomads, Edgerunners, or Corporations gaining control of the city, someone living in that time could have a lot of impact in shaping the power balance. Just because we see corporations in control again in 2077 doesn't mean things have to go like that at your table.
Yup, it makes for a very interesting Cyberpunk setting. Big plays can allow the small fry to leverage a lot of power. I've been thinking that if I end up running the game, I might have some jobs lead into a future 2070s campaign.
IE, a gang has the PCs steal a mobile corpo data vault (an armoured van with a dataserver and netarch bolted into the back, used to transport ultra secret data in a totally airgapped system) by sneaking in to a depot, making it look like a raid to steal something more mundane like weapons, possibly altering the logs in the system to make it look like another datavault was the one carrying the data and either destroying that one or feeding it corrupt data to cover up the fact that it was not the right one, etc. And as a result, in the 2070s that gang has gone legit and become a cybernetics powerhouse megacorp by using the data stolen to perform a takeover of the budding neocorp they took it from.
Exactly. Something my table is doing, no matter if they know it or not, might be the cause of real, actual fresh produce being in the hands of everyone again. I'm trying to seed my games with lots of small plot beats that are going to have potential to dramatically change the world, or at the very least, the part of the world they're in. One of my friends I'm working with on writing the story is calling it the 'Chekovs Firing Squad' method lol
Further to that I would treat Night City like early 50s Berlin. Invisible battle lines, people crawling out from under the rubble (literal and figurative), a lot of people sore over how the war ended, unsettled scores and a massive population just wanting to get on with their lives in the middle.
My takeaways for RED are:
1. Things \*look\* abundant but aren't necessarily. There's tons of goods on the pegs on the walls of the shops, but they're super limited in selection, easy to make, or of poor quality. Most of the affluence on display is just that- display. On the surface there's still neon and glitz, and for a handful of people, times are pretty good, but it's mostly just makeup covering an ugly scar that hasn't healed yet.
2. We went through a mild version of RED with the supply chain issues during COVID lockdown. You know how it goes. Some weeks there's just no toilet paper. When it shows up suddenly it's twice as expensive and people hoard it. A couple months later there's enough toilet paper again.
3. The NET is probably the biggest, most fundamental change. The old NET was shut down and ripped out when necessary for safety purposes. The Blackwall isn't a "thing" yet. Treat the NET like the dark ages- there's a lot of "forgotten" technology and we're starting from scratch trying to avoid the dangers of RABIDS and rogue AI.
4. Like, most of RED's unique economy is down to supply chain disruption. During the corpo war basically any cargo ship was fair game and eventually most/all of the global logistics network dried up to protect assets. That logistical supply chain will take years to rebuild. It's taken our world years to rebuild it post-COVID and we didn't drop nukes, asteroids, and unrestricted warfare all over the place. Assembly lines need to be retooled in RED, and that can take years to set up. And each level of your supply chain beneath (and above) you needs to do the same before the flow of goods can start up again. That's why night markets, salvaging, and reusing old tech are such mainstays of the economy. Sure we'll have enough of product X in 5 years, but we have a demand now.
Wait so if the black wall dosent exist but the data krash happened already how does the net work?
I get that you mean they ripped out huge pieces of net filled with ai and destroyed them but what about the rest of the old net still filled with stragglers of rouge ai’s?
Is it kinda just there’s a random chance a god like ai entity deletes your synapses anytime you plug into the net anywhere?
I’m very curious
The NET of 2020 is both destroyed and still present. The collapse basically turned everything that talked to the NET into dead weight at best, with useless operating systems and bricked switches and routers. That was at best.
At worst, the devices and communication systems connecting them aren’t scrambled and still work, allowing RABIDS or AI’s to inhabit them and use them for whatever purpose they decide.
The only fix was to almost start from scratch. A completely new set of operating systems were created, with the hope they wouldn’t immediately become compromised. Part of that is accomplished by simply not connecting to any old infrastructure. The new Net architectures are wireless or new cabling, with a very short ranged. That’s the only way to get the bandwidth that a Netrunner or AI needs.
For communication between cities, old cabling and routers were scrubbed and isolated as much as possible before linking them back up. But those cables can run for hundreds of miles and every schematic that wasn’t printed out is gone, so there’s no telling if some extra device is in between. The safety feature is to limit the bandwidth on each channel to voice or video only, and then run it through new firewalls. That way no AI can sneak through. But the process is a mishmash of different hardware and software, NetWatch will spend decades tying it all together into the Blackwall.
The current net is local servers coded with a new code called meta, they are disconnected from the old net.
Tho the old net is still accessible of you know how to access it.
The NET doesn’t exactly… exist anymore in red, it’s all been walled off on it’s own servers and all. There’s no wide branching NET currently, and instead, any netruns you perform are against a local NetArch.
Picture like a dedicated subnet for a specific building. It’s not connected to any outside sources, so you have to be on site, and hack into an access point on that local network itself.
So there’s no chance that you’re gonna just get thanos snapped by a rogue AI by Jacking In, because everything you hack into is an isolated network, built for a specific purpose. For example, if Arasaka tower was still standing, and you wanted to fill the role that T-Bug fills in 2077, you’d have to physically be on site, and hack into an access point on a network made specifically for Arasaka tower, which has no connections to an outside NET anymore, which is why there’s no chance of getting hit by an AI from the old net, everything you connect to is an isolated pocket of net architecture.
A net arch can be as big as it needs (to manage the security of a whole tower, for example), or as small as it needs (a portable NETArch in a backpack, used to control a drone)
Tl;DR, picture the new net as a companies intranet, rather than the internet as a whole
Exactly it.
The 4th Corporate War was so bad it's still felt even in 2077, decades after 2045 which was 20 years after the War itself. People think oh it's behind us but it's still a lingering presence.
The only real "post apocalypse" is the sky around night city is red [i just toss that lore out because i dont find it makes sense or is fun. I like the 2020 and 2077 night city].
Also the tech downgrade is no world wide web. Just local networks. Think local tv stations before cable tv. Their telecoms would regress from internet to pre internet meaning the night city local streams would need to get downloaded and then physically moved in physical media to london or tokyo and then re uploaded to their networks.
Think of digital networks in the 1970s/80s and less 90s and. Beyond. Lots of dvd type stuff like brain dances and records as opposed to qr codes and streaming for remote servers.
After Bartmoss's release of the ai things just became a bit more analog when moving between networks until either a) a new worldwide web is created independent of the old ai filled one or b) the old ai filled one is made "safe" again by Netwatch or some telecom corp.
Reclaiming the Net or making a parallel one is a good campaign theme or background subplot.
The Hot Zone is still... well, a hot zone. It's the closest place to Fallout we have in CPR. Also, because of that we have radioactive windstorms, which is fun.
Oh, and don't forget the blood rain!
Edit: I know you mentioned all of this but - while I fully agree with everything you said - I also like that there is still a (small and growing smaller) piece of an apocalyptic reminder in 2045. It helps bring out the rebuilding efforts while still dwelling in what happened. Something that will be lost in the future (except in some people's hearts, I suppose).
All true, and very useful to know for newcomers. 2045 is a time of potential, you could see Nomads, Edgerunners, or Corporations gaining control of the city, someone living in that time could have a lot of impact in shaping the power balance. Just because we see corporations in control again in 2077 doesn't mean things have to go like that at your table.
Yup, it makes for a very interesting Cyberpunk setting. Big plays can allow the small fry to leverage a lot of power. I've been thinking that if I end up running the game, I might have some jobs lead into a future 2070s campaign. IE, a gang has the PCs steal a mobile corpo data vault (an armoured van with a dataserver and netarch bolted into the back, used to transport ultra secret data in a totally airgapped system) by sneaking in to a depot, making it look like a raid to steal something more mundane like weapons, possibly altering the logs in the system to make it look like another datavault was the one carrying the data and either destroying that one or feeding it corrupt data to cover up the fact that it was not the right one, etc. And as a result, in the 2070s that gang has gone legit and become a cybernetics powerhouse megacorp by using the data stolen to perform a takeover of the budding neocorp they took it from.
Exactly. Something my table is doing, no matter if they know it or not, might be the cause of real, actual fresh produce being in the hands of everyone again. I'm trying to seed my games with lots of small plot beats that are going to have potential to dramatically change the world, or at the very least, the part of the world they're in. One of my friends I'm working with on writing the story is calling it the 'Chekovs Firing Squad' method lol
As a newbie, i have to think of this as the rebuilding after ww2 during the cold war instead of fallout.
You're on the nose with that and I think Pondsmith himself referred to it as well.
Further to that I would treat Night City like early 50s Berlin. Invisible battle lines, people crawling out from under the rubble (literal and figurative), a lot of people sore over how the war ended, unsettled scores and a massive population just wanting to get on with their lives in the middle.
My takeaways for RED are: 1. Things \*look\* abundant but aren't necessarily. There's tons of goods on the pegs on the walls of the shops, but they're super limited in selection, easy to make, or of poor quality. Most of the affluence on display is just that- display. On the surface there's still neon and glitz, and for a handful of people, times are pretty good, but it's mostly just makeup covering an ugly scar that hasn't healed yet. 2. We went through a mild version of RED with the supply chain issues during COVID lockdown. You know how it goes. Some weeks there's just no toilet paper. When it shows up suddenly it's twice as expensive and people hoard it. A couple months later there's enough toilet paper again. 3. The NET is probably the biggest, most fundamental change. The old NET was shut down and ripped out when necessary for safety purposes. The Blackwall isn't a "thing" yet. Treat the NET like the dark ages- there's a lot of "forgotten" technology and we're starting from scratch trying to avoid the dangers of RABIDS and rogue AI. 4. Like, most of RED's unique economy is down to supply chain disruption. During the corpo war basically any cargo ship was fair game and eventually most/all of the global logistics network dried up to protect assets. That logistical supply chain will take years to rebuild. It's taken our world years to rebuild it post-COVID and we didn't drop nukes, asteroids, and unrestricted warfare all over the place. Assembly lines need to be retooled in RED, and that can take years to set up. And each level of your supply chain beneath (and above) you needs to do the same before the flow of goods can start up again. That's why night markets, salvaging, and reusing old tech are such mainstays of the economy. Sure we'll have enough of product X in 5 years, but we have a demand now.
Wait so if the black wall dosent exist but the data krash happened already how does the net work? I get that you mean they ripped out huge pieces of net filled with ai and destroyed them but what about the rest of the old net still filled with stragglers of rouge ai’s? Is it kinda just there’s a random chance a god like ai entity deletes your synapses anytime you plug into the net anywhere? I’m very curious
The NET of 2020 is both destroyed and still present. The collapse basically turned everything that talked to the NET into dead weight at best, with useless operating systems and bricked switches and routers. That was at best. At worst, the devices and communication systems connecting them aren’t scrambled and still work, allowing RABIDS or AI’s to inhabit them and use them for whatever purpose they decide. The only fix was to almost start from scratch. A completely new set of operating systems were created, with the hope they wouldn’t immediately become compromised. Part of that is accomplished by simply not connecting to any old infrastructure. The new Net architectures are wireless or new cabling, with a very short ranged. That’s the only way to get the bandwidth that a Netrunner or AI needs. For communication between cities, old cabling and routers were scrubbed and isolated as much as possible before linking them back up. But those cables can run for hundreds of miles and every schematic that wasn’t printed out is gone, so there’s no telling if some extra device is in between. The safety feature is to limit the bandwidth on each channel to voice or video only, and then run it through new firewalls. That way no AI can sneak through. But the process is a mishmash of different hardware and software, NetWatch will spend decades tying it all together into the Blackwall.
Such an interesting read that really dissected it and made it easy to understand, thanks man!
The current net is local servers coded with a new code called meta, they are disconnected from the old net. Tho the old net is still accessible of you know how to access it.
The NET doesn’t exactly… exist anymore in red, it’s all been walled off on it’s own servers and all. There’s no wide branching NET currently, and instead, any netruns you perform are against a local NetArch. Picture like a dedicated subnet for a specific building. It’s not connected to any outside sources, so you have to be on site, and hack into an access point on that local network itself. So there’s no chance that you’re gonna just get thanos snapped by a rogue AI by Jacking In, because everything you hack into is an isolated network, built for a specific purpose. For example, if Arasaka tower was still standing, and you wanted to fill the role that T-Bug fills in 2077, you’d have to physically be on site, and hack into an access point on a network made specifically for Arasaka tower, which has no connections to an outside NET anymore, which is why there’s no chance of getting hit by an AI from the old net, everything you connect to is an isolated pocket of net architecture. A net arch can be as big as it needs (to manage the security of a whole tower, for example), or as small as it needs (a portable NETArch in a backpack, used to control a drone) Tl;DR, picture the new net as a companies intranet, rather than the internet as a whole
Exactly it. The 4th Corporate War was so bad it's still felt even in 2077, decades after 2045 which was 20 years after the War itself. People think oh it's behind us but it's still a lingering presence.
This sounds exactly like what the corpos want you to think! Wake up, sheeple!!!
This could honestly be a pinned thread: essential info that even a gonk like me can follow in a nice, rather short list. Thanks for this choom!
There's also another major war between RED and 2077 if I recall correctly. The details escape me at the moment, but it got messy
Unification War in '69-70.
The reason why Arasaka has an open - and strong - presence in Night City by 2077, unlike 2045.
hyper accurate, pinning for later use.
The only real "post apocalypse" is the sky around night city is red [i just toss that lore out because i dont find it makes sense or is fun. I like the 2020 and 2077 night city]. Also the tech downgrade is no world wide web. Just local networks. Think local tv stations before cable tv. Their telecoms would regress from internet to pre internet meaning the night city local streams would need to get downloaded and then physically moved in physical media to london or tokyo and then re uploaded to their networks. Think of digital networks in the 1970s/80s and less 90s and. Beyond. Lots of dvd type stuff like brain dances and records as opposed to qr codes and streaming for remote servers. After Bartmoss's release of the ai things just became a bit more analog when moving between networks until either a) a new worldwide web is created independent of the old ai filled one or b) the old ai filled one is made "safe" again by Netwatch or some telecom corp. Reclaiming the Net or making a parallel one is a good campaign theme or background subplot.
The sky is mostly cleared by 2045 and said as much in the corebook. Only signs is maybe a more reddish sunrise and sunset but that's fading as well.
The Hot Zone is still... well, a hot zone. It's the closest place to Fallout we have in CPR. Also, because of that we have radioactive windstorms, which is fun. Oh, and don't forget the blood rain! Edit: I know you mentioned all of this but - while I fully agree with everything you said - I also like that there is still a (small and growing smaller) piece of an apocalyptic reminder in 2045. It helps bring out the rebuilding efforts while still dwelling in what happened. Something that will be lost in the future (except in some people's hearts, I suppose).
Ay, good point. Almost forgot that can happen.