Combat is an integral part of the Cyberpunk genre, and it's important to get it right. CYBERPUNK's approach to combat is neither sporty nor competitive, but cinematic: fights are an opportunity to create dynamic and engaging scenes. Don't focus on beating the opponent a all costs, but on creating a good scene and consistently depicting your character.
All fights are self-regulated by each player through common sense, care for the well-being and enjoyment of other players and, most importantly, through Safewords.
The more epic, the better. The first concern of the players involved in the fight should not be to "win the duel", but to to make a scene that is believable and fun for everyone.
We trust that everyone will improvise fights in a safe and cooperative way and in compliance with some of the following conventions.
NB: All weapons deal the same type of damage.
Dual wielding To use two weapons that require one-handed use (such as pistols and melee weapons) together, a character must have the appropriate Ronin implant.
Brawling
Unarmed combat is mostly for demonstration purposes - it will rarely have any consequences, other than a brief headache. In a nutshell, the basic principles are:
- Move with your opponent as if it were a dance rather than a sport. Think about how you will be "hit" and how you will react.
- Use common sense and be believable: if you are less trained, worse equipped, or if the other character is a well-known Ronin, your character is likely to "lose" the challenge.
- Physical contact is not allowed. Take the shots slowly, "telegraph" your opponent with your movements, so that he can act accordingly.
If you think your character absolutely has to win this fight (for example because you're a super-implanted Ronin with a slew of murders behind him) you can use the special phrase: "[OVERRIDE ] Prepare to lose ". Then you will show the other player your character's Stamina value with your fingers. If the other character has a higher Stamina value, he will do the same. Otherwise it should give you the victory.
Characters who "lose" an unarmed fight become Defeated for a short time (maximum 20 minutes). Recovery is quicker if basic medical treatment or other similar "treatments" are given (such as take a few sips from the good 'ol bottle at the nearest shop ).
Melee weapons
Accepted melee weapons are only modern-looking latex replicas: batons, metal pipes, wrenches, knives, fire axes, and the like. Antique-looking replicas are strictly prohibited, such as the swords and axes used in medieval fantasy games. Weapons that hark back to cyberpunk imagery, such as single-row katanas, are welcome.
The weapons must be compatible with the safety standards of the event. We reserve the right to exclude firearms if deemed unsafe. If you have any doubts, contact the Staff!
Each character knows how to use a short weapon - albeit with little grace. (something like: "the pointed end goes inside the other person "). Not that anyone in Sprawl cares about subtlety, huh.
Rules aside, be careful when using hand-to-hand weapons : never hit with all your strength (a simple touch is enough), never hit in the face or in the groin, never tip, never wave your gun wildly.
By convention, a character wielding only ranged weapons cannot shoot if there is a character attacking him with melee weapons "within fencing measure" (this term means that the other character is at a distance sufficient to strike by taking a step).
By convention, if you fight in melee a character who is also holding a melee weapon it is possible to "inflict" a wound only about every 3 seconds . So it is useless to keep repeatedly hitting with your weapon. Instead, focus on clever and elaborate moves. Do you want to be the best Ronin out there? Start acting like one, to begin with. You can be lethal and elegant at the same time. Or better.
Long Melee Weapons To use long melee weapons (more than 50cm long, such as single-wire katanas) a character must have the appropriate Ronin implant.
Basic Ranged Weapons
The first type of ranged weapon is the generic Sprawl firearm: cheap, easy to use, widely available. Each player will be able to bring one of his own. Out of the game they are represented by an AlphaPoint Nerf, a toy gun that emits sounds and lights. They can be rented (selecting the option in the sign-up form), or bought by players. Warning: some Ronin implants allow you to reduce / ignore the damage of such weapons completely.
Every basic character knows how to use one. After all, guns have changed the world because even children know how to use them. And no, in Cyberpunk that's no euphemism.
Smart Ranged Weapons
These are special weapons, provided by the Staff, and usable only by the Ronin.
- Pistol: requires the use of one hand. With the specific Ronin aug two can be used at the same time;
- Rifle: requires the use of two hands. Using it with a specific aug, a Ronin can hit behind covers;
- Machine gun: requires the use of two hands, and a specific aug. A Ronin using it can ignore covers;
For each type of weapon, there will be three "grade" levels: basic, advanced, experimental. Each level increases the capacity and the rate of fire. A Smart weapon can be "programmed" to be a specific weapon type by consuming a Firearm Chip (more on this in the items section). To upgrade a weapon to the desired configuration, just bring both the weapon and the chip to Ratz, and he will take care of them. If you need it quickly, consider the possibility of leaving some credit for Ratz as a tip.
NB: It can be difficult to keep track of who is shooting at you in a combat situation. As a convention, remember to name the characters you are targeting so that they know you are shooting at them (for example, "Hey! You, Netzen, you bastard! Get this!").
Cover
In the game there will be; the concept of Cover . If you jump behind a wall or hide behind a low obstacle, you can expect to save yourself from some hits of ranged weapons.
We don't want to have strict rules in place that specify the exact size of the obstacle behind which you have to hide. This mechanic exists only for playing more entertaining combat scenes, avoiding them to end in a few seconds.
The main rule is; that if you are numerically disadvantaged or if the opponent is better equipped than you ... in the end you are expected to lose.
Example: Gene is in the base of his gang, he is relaxing with a partner, when he starts hearing gunfire noises. Without thinking twice, Gene takes cover behind a table. He draws his gun and looks around. Damn! It's the rival gang, come in force. They are two against ten... they have no chance to win.
Gene can now:
- Raise the gun, say "Ok guys, I'm sure that by speaking civilly we can resolve the matter", and he prepares to surrender, giving them what they want to save himself.
- Play a sacrifice scene, telling his partner "Go! Go!" Get the briefcase to safety! I will keep them occupied!", and prepares to die.
- To play a fight scene, in which after an exchange of hits he will fall on the ground defeated.
PLEASE NOTE: It is not possible to use cover to stall a fight. Taking cover behind cover does not ensure that you are well protected. Even behind cover, you will still receive ranged hits, approximately one every 30 seconds.
PLEASE NOTE: The cover only protects against hits from the line of fire. If an opponent is smart and gets around the cover, obviously it won't be valid anymore.
PLEASE NOTE: Specific Ronin implants will allow their wearer to strike even behind cover, using the special phrase: "[OVERRIDE] I caught you! (or equivalent)" . Additionally, a Ronin armed with a machine gun automatically ignores cover protection with each shot, declaring "[OVERRIDE] With this weapon there is no cover to hold! (Or equivalent)"
Armor
The concept of "armor" in this game is replaced by specific Ronin power-ups that give additional Stamina points. There are other mechanics that can grant additional Stamina points. Some of these may not be visible (such as implants, drugs, or something else).
PLEASE NOTE: As a rule, assume the other players is interpreting correctly the hits. They could be secretly a super-implanted Ronin, drugged beyond decency, or be something. else .
Grenades
The event includes "stun" grenades. In the game, they rely on disruptive stimuli (light and sound) to disorient targets without causing damage. Out of game, they are safe toy grenades provided by the staff. They communicate with acoustic signals when they are "activated" and when they "explode".
To launch them you need to have a specific aug installed. They can ONLY be thrown from below, rolling them on the floor, like a bowling ball. It's FORBIDDEN (for obvious security reasons) to launch them in any other way.
The grenade is small and may go unnoticed in the middle of a fight. We, therefore, recommend that you make it clear to other players that you are throwing it. For example by yelling “GRENADE!”, "FIRE IN THE HOLE!", or equivalent.
When they "explode", any character who is in the surrounding area (about 3 meters) and is in clear line of sight, he is affected. When in doubt if you have been hit or not ... yes, they got you . Hitten characters are disoriented for at least 30 seconds and cannot take any relevant actions (such as fighting or running).
Grenades already exploded are useless. They cannot be collected unless you have the specific aug that allows it (so as not to be confused with the active ones) .