So we talked it over at my table and we decided on a cyberpunk style game, i'm not sure what system to use atm and it's been giving me a headache because I swear every time i find something to like it has an equal amount of stuff I don't like. My first intention was to use R.Tal's cyberpunk system and I picked up the 2020 set last time it was on humble bundle. I love how combat seems deadly, fast and brutal. The world is a nice grimdark dystopia and really it has a hell of a legacy. Plus I did enjoy 2020. On the other side, I hear the system is broken to all hell, with missing rules, weird equipment but most of all that classes are not only not balanced, but certain roles such as Cop are just so ill defined you're hard pressed to play anything besides a solo or a netrunner.

They apparently fixed all that in Cyberpunk Red, but then made some really weird decisions that I didn't like. AP rounds don't actually pierce armor, shotguns now are pretty much a claymore and hit everything in front of you, and my least favorite part...HIT POINTS. Oh and you cant actually score a head shot on the crit table unless you make a called shot to the head.

Shadowrun 4/5th edition: Kind of a huge departure from cyberpunk but it's worth mentioning because i remember it being fun and I like the world. Not a fan of CGL but I already own the books so who cares.


Otherwise i'm also considering Android shadow of the beanstalk for Genesys, Cyberpunk/interface zero/tales of the sprawl with Savage worlds or using GURPS because i'm hard pressed to think of anything GURPS can't do.

Anyway seeing if there is a perspective I haven't considered yet but I haven't really had that Eureka moment. I would start with one version of cyberpunk and switch to the other if it doesn't work out but their 30 year time jump has made that very difficult, because if I jumped back to 2020 after red, if they wanted to keep the same characters i'd have to update all the gear up to the 2050 timeline.

I'm frustrated because one of my players is about at the point of mutiny if I make him roll up any more characters. He wanted something he can get invested in and ive been doing alot of one shots.

You can use Stars Without Number for cyberpunk.

If you're open to Savage Worlds there is a very slick hack of Shadowrun called Sprawlrunners on drivethrurpg that's really nice and it's under ten bucks.

Shadow of the Beanstalk for Genesys isn't bad, but it doesn't necessarily improve on the things that you see as flaws in CPRed.

Quote from: HappyDaze on February 02, 2022, 08:11:34 PM
Shadow of the Beanstalk for Genesys isn't bad, but it doesn't necessarily improve on the things that you see as flaws in CPRed.

Yeah though, if im gonna go with a narrative system might as well actually embrace it.

If you don't mind the Apocalypse World rules, The Sprawl is pretty good.  I've run it for my group several times and each time we had a blast.  The downside is that it is solely focused on the missions.  If you want to do anything between those it's a lot of just roleplaying and GM fiat as to what goes on.

Alternately, Neon Blood is a little more OSR with some modern design added in.  I haven't gotten to play it yet, but plan to give it a go soon.

Both of these have some supplements to add more supernatural/fantasy elements to them and make them more Shadowrun-like.

If you like the Forged in the Dark system there is a cyberpunk rpg called Hack the Planet.

Zozer Games' Zaibatsu. Same setting as their HOSTILE, covering life on Earth among the masses still there.

Interface Zero 3.0 is a Savage Worlds cyber setting that's pretty good.

Another vote for The Sprawl. We played it both as pure cyberpunk and as a Shadowrun hack and it was a blast in both.

I've got 1 and 2e Shadowrun and if you ditch the magic side of the game. Which is ridiculously easy. Then you have a pretty good Cyberpunk system. Especially its netrunning parts.

One I always thought could use more attention was Torg's old Cyberpapacy setting, especially if combined with the Nippon Tech book and again ditching the mystical aspects. Cyberpapacy is certainly an unusual setting all on its own.

There is Lowlife 2090 - an OSR take on Shadowrun.

Easy enough to go human & tech only if you want.

Depends whether you are going to do your own setting or want something more or less ready to go out of the tin.

There's Cyberspace, if you dig Rolemaster, but it's OOP and probably quite dated. Still, it hasn't been mentioned, and it did have quite a few supplements, so I'm throwing it out there.

My recommendation is LowLife 2090.  It is basically Shadowrun with a way better ruleset and more rules-lite.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/337851/Lowlife-2090

This might do it for yah...  Narrative and Shadow Run
https://www.amazon.com/Shadowrun-Anarchy-Catalyst-Game-Labs/dp/1941582192.

I have played it and it does do a decent job of doing Shadow run, but more narrative but not without crunch

Quote from: darnest on February 04, 2022, 09:10:28 PM
This might do it for yah...  Narrative and Shadow Run
https://www.amazon.com/Shadowrun-Anarchy-Catalyst-Game-Labs/dp/1941582192.

I have played it and it does do a decent job of doing Shadow run, but more narrative but not without crunch

So I've played this before and unless they fixed it i remember it being unplayable. Whole sections of rules were outright missing.

Quote from: Michael Dean on February 03, 2022, 11:26:46 AM
Interface Zero 3.0 is a Savage Worlds cyber setting that's pretty good.

I have it, never got to play it. How does it run? At a glance it looks more my speed than sprawlrunners. Also have savage tales of the sprawl



So far the choice will likely be between CP2020 and CPRed