Game Discussions Cyberpunk 2077 - official gameplay

[Surefoot]

Melee Playthrough took me a lot discipline not to invest in tech tree. It always sits there accusingly and a whole load of stuff I would never craft.

It's pretty much antagonistic to a melee build yeah. Gotta go max Reflexes (it's a given lol) and max Body (20 each, go Reflexes first) of course and then Cool (should end up around 15) as a dump stat, others stay at 3...

Not that it's needed. Current run is again hacker plus tech rifle. I just try to avoid contagion. Unlocked Burya and had forgotten it needs Body 10. Who invests in body? Also it has 4 round mag now?

If you go ranged weapons build, that's a 15 Body / 20 Reflex / 20 Cool stat distribution... again avoiding tech altogether. Means going the Sandevistan route too (here probably the Militech 'Falcon' one for that longer duration / shorter cooldown, better adapter to a gunslinger).
Oh and that's for maximum difficulty - of course if you play in normal or even hard mode you can compromise your build a bit...

I use Burya, Smart SMG and Nekomata.
No silencer and I refrain from slotting ping, so stealth is just takedowns. When in doubt I rain grenades.

On my hacker (who could use a few guns here and there) I was a big fan of Skippy (just for the idiotic but hilarious banter), and then its "normal" equivalent whose name I forgot entirely. And the D5 Sidewinder (there's a unique one somewhere) - of course these are Smartlink weapons, but for a hacker build that's not an issue.

 

[Surefoot]

Contemplating a no kill playthrough, anyone know if hiding unconscious bodies in containers still kills them?

AFAIK it still does, here's the explanation:
https://www.reddit.com/r/cyberpunkgame/comments/sohzzw Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/cyberpunkgame/comments/sohzzw/did_you_ever_wonder_why_knocked_out_npcs_are/


GL on that no kill playthrough, this game really does make it difficult NOT to kill people lol..

 

[Garix]

AFAIK it still does, here's the explanation:
https://www.reddit.com/r/cyberpunkgame/comments/sohzzw Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/cyberpunkgame/comments/sohzzw/did_you_ever_wonder_why_knocked_out_npcs_are/


GL on that no kill playthrough, this game really does make it difficult NOT to kill people lol..

Thanks for the link.

Always assumed it was a bug, even with their explanation I'm not 100% sure it isn't and they couldn't fix it. Especially when he stated that had to be clear rules. Considering the first time people find out about it is the Badlands quest where you're not supposed to kill any of the Militech guards, I'd hardly call it clear.

Ah well, currently dicing and slicing my way round Night City hiding bits of bodies in containers while their chooms fail to notice the pools of blood and unattached limbs....

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

It's pretty much antagonistic to a melee build yeah. Gotta go max Reflexes (it's a given lol) and max Body (20 each, go Reflexes first) of course and then Cool (should end up around 15) as a dump stat, others stay at 3...


If you go ranged weapons build, that's a 15 Body / 20 Reflex / 20 Cool stat distribution... again avoiding tech altogether. Means going the Sandevistan route too (here probably the Militech 'Falcon' one for that longer duration / shorter cooldown, better adapter to a gunslinger).
Oh and that's for maximum difficulty - of course if you play in normal or even hard mode you can compromise your build a bit...


On my hacker (who could use a few guns here and there) I was a big fan of Skippy (just for the idiotic but hilarious banter), and then its "normal" equivalent whose name I forgot entirely. And the D5 Sidewinder (there's a unique one somewhere) - of course these are Smartlink weapons, but for a hacker build that's not an issue.

God, I hate Skippy. Because of the uncontrolled discharge. And it's a peashooter. Did once try to hit a peep chasing them around a car in limb mode - didnt hit anything.
Ashura is a great gun. Couple versios back smartguns sucked a lot because the projectiles were slow. Esp shotgun.
Divided We Stand is the iconicSidewinder - get it from 6thStreet shooting contest.
I just forgot where to find Comrade Hammer.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

Contemplating a no kill playthrough, anyone know if hiding unconscious bodies in containers still kills them?

Putting a mission NPC in container suggests so, but why not pretens it's not? Game simply deletes them. It's not violating your house rule when you didnt do it.

 

[Morbad]

The longer duration/shorter cooldown Sandevistans are more conducive to most any combat style that doesn't require a cyberdeck. As long as the effect is active, V is functionally invincible, so minimizing cooldown is everything. Even offensively, the more extreme time multipliers aren't worth it, as it's total overkill for melee and makes all but the highest RoF firearms virtually unusable.

As far as kill-free play throughs go, I've never attempted one. It's a leap too far for my immersion, even in a setting as fantastic as this one. Maybe I'll try it if there is a mod where every non-lethal takedown has a small, but significant, chance of killing the target. Otherwise it feels like some absurd G.I. Joe or Luke Cage superhero nonsense where people always recover from every wound that isn't blatantly inconsistent with life. In any plausible setting, real-world included, I don't raise a hand to someone unless I'm ok with them dying on the spot, because that's a very real possibility in almost any serious violent encounter. The therapeutic index of blunt force trauma, shooting someone in the limbs, or doses of tranquilizers (or electricity) large enough to be immediately incapacitating in a combat scenario, are not good and pretending otherwise undermines any ethical or moral compunction against violence my characters might have, usually without adding any particularly meaningful gameplay. I get it from a gamist added challenge perspective, but it's not my preferred way to increase difficulty, especially if the mechanisms around it are lacking. That said, I think everyone always reliably dying (without those obvious wounds inconsistent with life) and the UI always being 100% reliable at informing the player of this is another side of the same coin...not enough ambiguity.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

The longer duration/shorter cooldown Sandevistans are more conducive to most any combat style that doesn't require a cyberdeck. As long as the effect is active, V is functionally invincible, so minimizing cooldown is everything. Even offensively, the more extreme time multipliers aren't worth it, as it's total overkill for melee and makes all but the highest RoF firearms virtually unusable.

As far as kill-free play throughs go, I've never attempted one. It's a leap too far for my immersion, even in a setting as fantastic as this one. Maybe I'll try it if there is a mod where every non-lethal takedown has a small, but significant, chance of killing the target. Otherwise it feels like some absurd G.I. Joe or Luke Cage superhero nonsense where people always recover from every wound that isn't blatantly inconsistent with life. In any plausible setting, real-world included, I don't raise a hand to someone unless I'm ok with them dying on the spot, because that's a very real possibility in almost any serious violent encounter. The therapeutic index of blunt force trauma, shooting someone in the limbs, or doses of tranquilizers (or electricity) large enough to be immediately incapacitating in a combat scenario, are not good and pretending otherwise undermines any ethical or moral compunction against violence my characters might have, usually without adding any particularly meaningful gameplay. I get it from a gamist added challenge perspective, but it's not my preferred way to increase difficulty, especially if the mechanisms around it are lacking. That said, I think everyone always reliably dying (without those obvious wounds inconsistent with life) and the UI always being 100% reliable at informing the player of this is another side of the same coin...not enough ambiguity.

Never considered time dilation for shooting gameplay. It kinda knocks me out of the rhythm. Like ADS for quickscope shot or similar - it just takes ages to execute. Melee I'm fine. though.

 

[Surefoot]

God, I hate Skippy. Because of the uncontrolled discharge.

It's a feature, not a bug I personally thought it was hilarious. "Oh you just wanted to talk to this now headless person ? Oops" - well I got it back eventually to its rightful owner (which was also really fun, and a nice surprise).

Ashura is a great gun.

IIRC that's the one I settled with. TBH with a hacker most of the time I didnt need it, it was for those "no cyber meatsacks" and a one specific boss fight, also for the secret ending.

Divided We Stand is the iconicSidewinder - get it from 6thStreet shooting contest.

Got it for the completionist badge but was not impressed..

I just forgot where to find Comrade Hammer.

I seem to recall that one was found early in the game ?

The longer duration/shorter cooldown Sandevistans are more conducive to most any combat style that doesn't require a cyberdeck. As long as the effect is active, V is functionally invincible, so minimizing cooldown is everything.

If everyone is dead when the effect stops - cooldown is not an issue.

Even offensively, the more extreme time multipliers aren't worth it, as it's total overkill for melee and makes all but the highest RoF firearms virtually unusable.

To my knowledge there's just the one (the Warp Dancer) and it's absolutely made for melee builds in maximum difficulty setting. The only downside is with chained attack waves, but these happen in just two very specific missions (one being the secret ending, the other has enough time spacing between each wave for cooldown to reset). Gotta get some cover between those waves until the cooldown resets. I agree it might be "overkill" in lesser difficulty settings, but what is "overkill" anyway, remember maxim 37: There is no "overkill." There is only "open fire" and "reload."

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

It's a feature, not a bug I personally thought it was hilarious. "Oh you just wanted to talk to this now headless person ? Oops" - well I got it back eventually to its rightful owner (which was also really fun, and a nice surprise).


IIRC that's the one I settled with. TBH with a hacker most of the time I didnt need it, it was for those "no cyber meatsacks" and a one specific boss fight, also for the secret ending.


Got it for the completionist badge but was not impressed..


I seem to recall that one was found early in the game ?


If everyone is dead when the effect stops - cooldown is not an issue.


To my knowledge there's just the one (the Warp Dancer) and it's absolutely made for melee builds in maximum difficulty setting. The only downside is with chained attack waves, but these happen in just two very specific missions (one being the secret ending, the other has enough time spacing between each wave for cooldown to reset). Gotta get some cover between those waves until the cooldown resets. I agree it might be "overkill" in lesser difficulty settings, but what is "overkill" anyway, remember maxim 37: There is no "overkill." There is only "open fire" and "reload."

Sidewinder deals poison dmg with 5 trackers on target. You can make a posion build with it.

Comrade Hammer is Burya unlocked in some gang activity in the east. I thought it was the Megatower construction site but that didn't spawn the BP this time.
You can win explosive round sniper rifle for Beat up the Brat quest, I think. 6th street guy has it. Comrade Hammer is same concept but supposed to be wallhacker on top since it's tech weapon. Earlier version was the most powerful gun I ever saw in game, then it got horribly nerfed and was peashooter that lost all wallhack. But might just be me not meeting Body 10 reqs.

Try running melee throug the Glen - the density of Valentinos is so high you always alert the guy NEXT corner and you can run rampage for a good chain of combat encounters around Glen appartment. That was best use of my Dynalar. I don't use ping anymore, it's too much on screen and trivialises the game too much - so there might be enemies I hadn't scouted or pulled in from next corner. For that short CD is super useful. And it's hard so quite unforgiving.

Well, current PT is normal. And I still find it too spongy, lol. CP2077 doesn't know the balance it is either trivial or annoyingly spongy. Well, there is a balance, but it's a very narrow one.

 

[Surefoot]

Try running melee throug the Glen - the density of Valentinos is so high you always alert the guy NEXT corner and you can run rampage for a good chain of combat encounters around Glen appartment. That was best use of my Dynalar. I don't use ping anymore, it's too much on screen and trivialises the game too much - so there might be enemies I hadn't scouted or pulled in from next corner. For that short CD is super useful. And it's hard so quite unforgiving.

I remember doing that with the Warp Dancer + cooldown mod, the CD becomes short enough that you can reset between each encounter.

As for spongyness: crits are essential - gotta boost crit rate somehow (depending on build). With a Sandevistan build there's a mod that helps (I used that along with the CD mod for my Katana build) - then everything is one hit KO with a melee build. With a gunslinger build you have to boost headshot crits IIRC.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

I remember doing that with the Warp Dancer + cooldown mod, the CD becomes short enough that you can reset between each encounter.

As for spongyness: crits are essential - gotta boost crit rate somehow (depending on build). With a Sandevistan build there's a mod that helps (I used that along with the CD mod for my Katana build) - then everything is one hit KO with a melee build. With a gunslinger build you have to boost headshot crits IIRC.

I cut through enemies like butter on hard with scalpel. The curve is bumpy, but mostly at the start and with guns. Melee I never had real problem. I heard the armour is ignored in melee? The only thing on hard is not getting hit so I used the flashbangs for the first time and corner camped ...

 

[Morbad]

If everyone is dead when the effect stops - cooldown is not an issue.


To my knowledge there's just the one (the Warp Dancer) and it's absolutely made for melee builds in maximum difficulty setting. The only downside is with chained attack waves, but these happen in just two very specific missions (one being the secret ending, the other has enough time spacing between each wave for cooldown to reset). Gotta get some cover between those waves until the cooldown resets. I agree it might be "overkill" in lesser difficulty settings, but what is "overkill" anyway, remember maxim 37: There is no "overkill." There is only "open fire" and "reload."

Overkill is slowing time down to 10% when 30% is more than enough, at any difficulty setting, in any fight.

It's true that Warp Dancer is enough to get though all but a handful of scenarios unscathed, but the longer duration/shorter cooldown versions make even the secret mission on the hardest difficulty a cake walk and allow one to fight MaxTac indefinitely (hours, killing hundreds of them, at four stars of notoriety).

 

[Surefoot]

I heard the armour is ignored in melee? The only thing on hard is not getting hit so I used the flashbangs for the first time and corner camped ...

Yeah I think armor is ignored entirely in melee, as I never had any trouble one-hit killing (just aim at the neck, decapitate => one shot) - didnt really explore if there was any hit location differences say if you hit straight on their chest armor.. And yeah initial ramp up for the intro part of the game is a bit cheesy with that kind of build

The more I talk about it, the more I want to play again, lol, it's like Deus Ex (we used to say everytime someone mentioned that name, someone started a playthrough again). I hope CDPR will put out a real meaty DLC like they did with Witcher 3.

 

[Morbad]

I'd like to play through the game again, but with a more simulationist flavor. So, I've been trying to find a mod that eliminates the inflationary scaling, but all the one's I've looked at have been missing something.

Unmodded it's been enjoyable, but the absurdities of one pistol being twenty times the effectiveness of another of the same model, some enemies needing hundreds of hits from a formerly turret mounted heavy machine gun to kill, or my character being functionally bulletproof while wearing nothing but tights, a glittery vest, and a golded cowboy hat, wore on me.

 

[WhiteHaulerMan]

I've been replaying this while on my current billet in a land of god-awful internet connectivity.

My original playthrough had me playing a streetwise version of V using the Overture pistol for the most part as he navigated the world of Night City.

This time I'm playing through as a net-runner type corpo build and well, I didn't realise how 'easy mode' the game is if you set yourself up with such a build.

 

[Surefoot]

This time I'm playing through as a net-runner type corpo build and well, I didn't realise how 'easy mode' the game is if you set yourself up with such a build.

Yeah one disappointment for me was there was zero opposition to a netrunner player character. You'd expect ICE, firewalls, and corporate netrunners to be there and provide a lot of coverage at least for better equipped locations, but no even Arasaka was a walk in the park, no matter what difficulty setting you play in.

There's one part where that build encounters a difficulty, that's a group of people who have absolutely zero cyberware which means they are 100% meat sacks and no way to blind them / contaminate them etc. only guns or melee will take them down, and that's true for their boss too. But that's it - otherwise it's the "easy mode" build.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

I'd like to play through the game again, but with a more simulationist flavor. So, I've been trying to find a mod that eliminates the inflationary scaling, but all the one's I've looked at have been missing something.

Unmodded it's been enjoyable, but the absurdities of one pistol being twenty times the effectiveness of another of the same model, some enemies needing hundreds of hits from a formerly turret mounted heavy machine gun to kill, or my character being functionally bulletproof while wearing nothing but tights, a glittery vest, and a golded cowboy hat, wore on me.

In general my impression is that armour is kinda useless. If you get hit it doesn't help much. And enemies hit like snipers blind-firing behind barells.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

Yeah one disappointment for me was there was zero opposition to a netrunner player character. You'd expect ICE, firewalls, and corporate netrunners to be there and provide a lot of coverage at least for better equipped locations, but no even Arasaka was a walk in the park, no matter what difficulty setting you play in.

There's one part where that build encounters a difficulty, that's a group of people who have absolutely zero cyberware which means they are 100% meat sacks and no way to blind them / contaminate them etc. only guns or melee will take them down, and that's true for their boss too. But that's it - otherwise it's the "easy mode" build.

It didn't work out so well in the table-top. Netrunning was like a game in game with only the netrunners and the GM. The rest had to twiddle their thumbs. System Shock had a module that fit kinda well into the rest of the gameplay.

 

[Surefoot]

It didn't work out so well in the table-top. Netrunning was like a game in game with only the netrunners and the GM. The rest had to twiddle their thumbs.

Yeah that was the same in Shadowrun. Separate game for them. Still, it was a risky business, ICE were lethal, feedback surges could fry the netrunner brains in one instant.. In CP2077 it's really "magic spell lets me see through walls and fry brains at the snap of a finger"...

System Shock had a module that fit kinda well into the rest of the gameplay.

System Shock series was a really good implementation of it. TBH what was done in the recent Shadowrun games was really nice too. An almost identical implementation was found in the last Deus Ex (Mankind Divided), also quite enjoyable.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

Yeah that was the same in Shadowrun. Separate game for them. Still, it was a risky business, ICE were lethal, feedback surges could fry the netrunner brains in one instant.. In CP2077 it's really "magic spell lets me see through walls and fry brains at the snap of a finger"...


System Shock series was a really good implementation of it. TBH what was done in the recent Shadowrun games was really nice too. An almost identical implementation was found in the last Deus Ex (Mankind Divided), also quite enjoyable.

What CP2077 really did well is visualise concepts from the table top that I only had a fuzzy image of. Like the brain frying ICE. The overall look of the city. My imagination was Night City was just dark, grey, smoke stacks, run down, high rise desert. It does look much more colourful in CP2077. I need not agree with that interpretation but it is good to have a different perspective.

You know, CP2077 actually gets a bit close to the System Shock experience. When you hit the scan overlay and have end game ping - the whole thing does look quite different. Maybe a bit of design and work at that and a smooth transition to this "cyberspace" would be quite a good integration. Needs more netrunning stuff like visible demons attacking and such.