My Big Fat Cyberpunk 2077 Wishlist

I've played an absolutely insane amount of Cyberpunk 2077 and it's eating up all my thoughts.  My thought train derailed onto features I think would improve the game.  

Wish #1: Fix lingering bugs and issues.

(*I'm going to call this a wish, but quite frankly, I think CDPR has a duty to fans to fix its mistakes and try to restore some confidence in their products.) Since release there have been numerous badly needed patches which (unfortunately) are mostly targeted toward fixing the unholy mountain o' bugs and glitches that have plagued the game.  I am happy to report that I didn't encounter too many and that none of them were progress blocking or game breaking, but it's still not quite up to snuff.  There are minor annoyances like floating cigarettes or other objects, there are enemies who sometimes disappear below the ground or into objects, and often there are lootable items that you can't loot.  One bug that is silly happens during one of the endings (no spoilers!) when your character is all of a sudden naked (during a scene where they are in front of a large group of people...I mean, the game is in first person so you don't get to fully experience it, but it's still awkward).

Word on the street is that another (large--I think I read 38 GB) patch is in the works sometime in the next few weeks.  CDPR's roadmap for future content includes a desire to include free DLC (like what was added to The Witcher 3), but this patch will likely be more fixes and tweaks.

The Badlands offer a beautiful break from the concrete jungle.

Wish #2: A deeper system for street cred/side gigs that could include more rare/iconic items.

For me, the sloggiest part of the game (and, one that's totally optional) is trying to finish up the side gigs, activities, and scanner jobs.  There are so many and they get repetitive quickly.  I've been trying to puzzle out how doing them could be better or how they could be improved to give players more incentive to want to do them.  Sure, you get paid for completing them and your street cred improves which unlocks more jobs and does technically give you the ability to buy more items...but I want some better motivation.

Here's what I envision--more and better rewards tied to each district.  Each district already has multiple clothing and weapon vendors--how about as your rep increases in the district you can unlock specific themed rare/iconic items?  For example, say you're completing jobs in Japantown (Tyger Claws territory)--your Japantown rep increases and you can visit a clothing store and purchase Tyger Claw themed gear (if that's your jam).  Same deal with weapons--specially skinned for each district/gang and specific weapon types (i.e. Tyger Claws have katanas; 6th Street have baseball bats...like that).  I also think it would be cool if rather than purchasing vehicles, you could earn some as rewards (you do already get a few that way).  Maybe vehicles are the max rep reward?  Imagine rolling in a Valentino's style low-rider or on a Mox themed motorcycle!

There are very few rare/iconic clothing items and one of the aspects of personalization that I found a bit frustrating (and, maybe it's just frustrating in my head because you could hypothetically just keep upgrading items you really like...but the material cost of that is kind of bonkers) was clothing.  You'll often loot item upgrades and you have to choose between stats and looks.  With my hypothetical item reward system, it would offer more of a variety for V.  Your Watson rep increases, you want your V to have a punk inspired look--you head to the Maelstrom clothing store.  I really dig the nomads and would love to be able to deck my V out in sweet racing jackets.  I'm talking special items--more than what's just sold in the stores that already exist.

Maybe tie reward items to each fixer?  All of the fixers introduce themselves and tell V to come by, but visiting them is mostly pointless unless you just want to chat with them and learn about their background.

Windmill madness in the Badlands.

Wish #3: More depth for lifepath choices.

The lifepath you choose for V has very little impact on the story--basically the very beginning of the game is slightly different and you occasionally get special dialogue options.  I wish that there was more--maybe some side missions with ties to V's past (street kid V does sort of get one).  I think it would be great to see more of V's story or have it tie into encounters throughout the game.  I didn't follow the hype, but I think this was one area where people thought there would be more or that it would have more of an impact.  

Wish #4: More background or info about netrunning.

Netrunners are individuals who have specific skills and who can use specialized equipment to navigate cyberspace (which is a complicated affair in the world of Cyberpunk 2077).  They play a unique role as specialists who are adept at manipulating the myriad electronically linked systems that make the world run.  I found myself with many questions about netrunning (and I did actually read many of the info shards)--what exactly do they do in cyberspace?  How does it work?  You meet several netrunners and one of the main storylines has you dealing with the Voodoo Boys--a gang who is focused on cyberspace-related activities--but you don't really get a chance to find out what it's all about.

In one gig you rescue 8ug8ear who seems like one of the better known netrunners in Night City (you can pick up a shard written by her about the fall of the Net).  It would be fun to have some missions tied to the netrunners.

Wish #5: To chrome or not to chrome, that is the question.

Something that I found lacking in the story and interactions with the denizens of Night City was more discussion around the entire concept of adding technology into the human body.  The basic premise is that it's widely acceptable, mostly/semi-safe, and if you want V to be the combat badass that they were meant to be, you'll deck him/her out with an arsenal of chrome.  However, there's also the issue of cyberpsychosis--people with implants who seem to go crazy for unknown reasons.  Heck, there's a major side mission that involves tracking down the many incidences in the area.  There's only one character who really brings up the issue of getting implants--Claire, the bartender from Afterlife (whose story is complicated), who tells V that she doesn't want to be a machine.  I felt like that particular part of the world was lacking and could use more exposition.

Where the weirdos at?

Wish #6: More interaction with the colorful characters of Night City.

While it's true that throughout the story, V gets to meet many of the top players in Night City, I've found myself wanting some unusual encounters or some slightly more eccentric denizens of the city.  Take Lizzy Wizzy--she's one of the more colorful characters--a chromed out "artist" who is extremely popular in NC.  It would be fun if her mission chain was longer and involved even more weirdos from the art world.  If you watch the opening sequence (the one that plays every time you boot up the game) there are some interesting people portrayed in it...I wish you could encounter them in the game. (*You do get to encounter a few--like Ozob Bozo or poor Flaming Crotch Man, but I'm thinking something with a bit more depth like a short mission chain)

I also wish there was a bit more interaction with groups like Trauma Team and MaxTac.  The game makes a big deal about both of them, but your opportunities to interact with them are limited.  In my male V playthrough I stumbled across a random side mission where a cyberpsycho attacks the Jinguji store (while V is inside shopping).  V helps to stop the attack and MaxTac gets called in.  You finally get the chance to rub elbows with the NCPD's elite unit!  Then, you learn why you don't really want to be rubbing elbows with them--their leader calls V over for a little chat about the incident and she's way too weirdly excited by the details about the killing--freakily so.  The store owner calls V later (to say thanks and offer a discount) and reveals that he learned that she is a reformed cyberpsycho herself and that MaxTac is likely filled with others like her.  Best to steer clear of them (buuut, it does lend credence to Regina's mission that there's hope to reform cyberpsychos).

Wish #7: Simply put, more Cyberpunk.

I've fallen in love with Night City and know that CDPR planned to put out some free DLC.  Recently, many people have been pointing out the fact that according to the published "roadmap" for continuing development, the timeline when CDPR said they were hoping to deliver this DLC has passed.  It's my sincere hope that they don't decide to give up on Cyberpunk and move on to whatever the next project might be.  Some interesting recent news was that many digital storefronts which had taken down the last gen console versions of the game just started re-listing it...and, it was sitting at the top of many sales charts (this, despite the fact that there are still warnings about performance and issues on last gen consoles).  To me, this is a good sign that there's still interest and that could be a factor in any continuing development.  If there's still milk in that cow...I see them milking it for all its worth.