The Harbinger of Ferocity

Printed guns, melded metal - An experimental GM-less Cyberpunk RP

Considering the divergence technology took in the genre, androids seem only appropriate at large, just in that tier outside of reach for the majority. As I noted before, I could easily see compromised models existing in the criminal underground, either salvaged and pieced together out of others in the vein of Frankenstein by some particularly talented deckers and techies for their gang ventures, while on the other side the wealthy elite have some here and there. Related to this, given the majority of it is focused on the people and their cybernetic enhancements that turn them from effective meat into cyborgs, I suspect most robots are primitive and simple minded. Say, vending devices more advanced than what we see today in our own, but far more crude and block-like.

Post a random fact about yourself.

There are a number of things I cannot compel myself to eat as something about them is unnatural or, to expressly it aptly, effectively vile. The majority of it is vegetable and fruit, both in taste and texture, to the point I prefer supplementation in place of attempting to eat any of those things. I generally stay toward lean meats or leaner red meat, buffalo and elk to beef, alongside chicken. While not intentional, not by any stretch of the imagination or design, I am an obligate carnivore. Going without it for even a day begins to inflict obsession over it, where all I wish to do is get a hold of more of it.

Printed guns, melded metal - An experimental GM-less Cyberpunk RP

That is the sort of environment I pictured in the environment of the mind's eye, where the idea and execution was not out of the realm of possibility, just significantly less common, @Hekazu. It might be surprising to come across one, but not unheard of depending where one goes and who they associate with. Not so much the reality of seeing them everywhere alongside people as some other works of fiction have portrayed.

Printed guns, melded metal - An experimental GM-less Cyberpunk RP

So on a related note, actual androids are a consistent thing of this universe? That I could see, though to what extent I ask are we comfortable with it. I imagine they vary from being frames, essentially just humanoid machines with little to no overt human qualities, to the premiere pseudohuman kinds that can pass for a person, but generally being rare. The sort of technology you only see in the highest echelons of corporate life or wealth at all, then of course the stolen and hacked versions that operate in the underground, perhaps literal and metaphorical.

Printed guns, melded metal - An experimental GM-less Cyberpunk RP

Since there is no official, shared canon or lore associated with the game as of yet, the introduction of some background and insight is, at least to my perception, essential. In large because I wish for us to conglomerate all of it and distill it into one piece of reference where we can all work from and within, essentially a paragraph at most for each thing, be it a term, location, person, corporation, and all the rest. Leaving too much ambiguous in this case with so little background I see being more of a tripping hazard than a novel plot element; my advice would be to just leave aside anything that would play one's hand and hint at any number of things instead without outright saying it.

Post a random fact about yourself.

The username I have adopted for myself here and elsewhere is not so much a name or nickname, but a title. It represents in part the identity of what a great cat should be, something fierce and untamed, worthy of fear and respect simultaneously, while being something always just out of reach but encroaching right back. Interestingly, this was the first place I adopted it as my mantle as I found no better alternative in the moment. It did not change any aspect of my character or demeanor however, it just simply arrived to me as an epiphany of what one could call them. The other, alternative title was adopting the station of Aspect of the Ferine, which has since been below it.

Printed guns, melded metal - An experimental GM-less Cyberpunk RP

The suggestions for the character creation all seem reasonable enough, but personality and background have their places in the sort of gives precedence for who they are; a guide to follow as to their demeanor. It comes across as, "This person is generally like this." and then of course background is obvious, in that everyone has a story, some just do not share it. Granted it could be intentionally part of the design to leave those things out, I am not one for doing so. They add more to the meta, which is especially important in this game.

Granted we should have no one near suffering from cyberpsychosis, but a rehabilitating teched out fiend might be a good example for this exercise. Having had all of their kit pulled out and off them, alongside some psychiatric treatment, might make them a bit more interesting to know about than say, never mentioning any of that. Of course this is not an elaborate, detailed explanation, but enough that we know sort of the who, what, when, where, why, and how of characters in the greater plot. Relevant to this in the same vein, I believe we should include it so we can draw from all the sheets to create a list of locations, non-characters, corporations, technology, and the like which we can move into one post; a reference source so we all have a living, breathing understanding of the world.

As far as my character goes, I was intending to have a bioware and genemodded solo, essentially a soldier for hire, but take another twist on it. Rather than be a pure combatant, someone who is a hunter; their role is to find people and track them down, either killing them or taking them. Somewhere between bandit and bounty hunter, though obviously corporate in nature and more low-level, low in profile. No less one who can slip generally unnoticed and undetected because of their modifications, rather than the five gun-toting wired reflexes killer, drugged up cyber maniac.

Printed guns, melded metal - An experimental GM-less Cyberpunk RP

Seeing that the idea has progressed to the point some of our characters knew Davison before his disappearance and have motives personal to those who were hired to seek him out, that should settle the issue as much as it can. I imagine it is one of those scenarios where he vanishes from life in every sense, with his corporation the first to note his disappearance given he has vanished from his work. Of course that spurs them to launch their own, possibly second, investigation while some others closer to him are curious where he eloped to, and those outside them are now a tad bit paranoid where their source went off to. I agree that can be worked with.

As far as the start date I would say whenever we really have no more major questions and once we do get some sort of template together, @Terminal. That in mind as a next order of business, what sort of template are we all interested in? I believe the only portion that really needs any blatant detail would be any cyberware or enhancements the individual has and a general description of just what those do.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

The paladin will oppose the Strength (Athletics) check with a 16, @Hekazu. A decent roll, but we shall see in due time if that is equal to success.

Printed guns, melded metal - An experimental GM-less Cyberpunk RP

@Terminal, @Sierra

I am afraid no matter what your opinion might be I will not concede I am equally suspicious of anyone at a base level and some more than others, particularly in the matter of assuming people will begin to intentionally, knowingly, and deliberately jump one another in power. If by all means you are willing to place so much faith in people then please do so, although I will certainly abstain from that; I have been burned all too many times by trusting prospects that they will not go to the fullest lengths to create "the best" character in every capacity and category. This is not my first attempt at throwing myself in with anything freeform and trust based, be it on the Roleplayer Guild or otherwise.

Continued, I am entirely against allowing players to elope with what amounts to absolute power at a fundamental level; some sort of mechanism needs be in place. This is why I prefer weeding them out by adhering to a sense of level applied to most everyone from the start and setting an ambiguous yet clear intent of tone. If that is insufficient count me out of this project because the last thing I wish to do is waste my time writing another character. Specifically I mean yet another game where it is going to be instantly outdone due to natural power creep or powergaming at large all because a select few players will feel the need to play mastermind or their version of a chosen one. I cannot see in any capacity any joy or pleasure to be derived for myself from that.

No less speaking to a design level of this endeavor, I disagree just anyone should be able to wedge whatever they want into the universe without large agreement. I admit I am not going to sit down and read a three page essay about "Corporation X" and why they are suddenly relevant than players already being, in some minor sense, associated by proxy. If we intend the system to mostly be freeform and eschewing template, sanctioned elements by a storyteller, that so too means it needs to be vetted and efficiently.

I'll add nothing beyond that to this conversation, but this far consider me turned off to the idea if we are suddenly changing major things which had been generally agreed upon before as the idea and direction. Granted some were not in the Discord for it, though I am not backing down from my stance or what I was looking to do when I tossed my lot in here originally.