FAQ and Lore

1. Is this a fanfic based on the tabletop game or the video game? Which lore takes priority?

Answer:

The fanfic is based on Cyberpunk 2077, and yes... drumroll... it's the game! So, the game's lore takes priority. I'll use lore from the tabletop game when the game's lore falls short, as long as it doesn't create contradictions.

2. Why can't the MC just buy a legendary Sandevistan in the first chapter and wipe out everyone? Why does the MC have trouble installing cyberware when in the game it seems easy?

Answer:

 - At the start of the fanfic, my V is pre-prologue. In the prologue, the MC doesn't have access to serious combat implants yet. Getting implants requires body conditioning and certain skills. At the beginning, the MC is more of a desk jockey and a part-time runner. Many implants have attribute requirements, and the MC's only well-developed skill at the start is his intellect.

 - Since he's essentially "inhabiting" a new body, his nervous system is a bit more... sensitive, which doesn't help when trying to shove in extra hardware.

 - One of the developers mentioned a theory that the chip and Johnny serve as a sort of lightning rod for cyberpsychosis for V. I agree with this theory.So, while the MC can and will install cyberware, it's not as easy for him as it is for the game's V after acquiring the chip.

3. I read/seen/heard somewhere about a busted OP item that's not in the game but is mentioned in a rulebook/comic/video. Why doesn't the MC use it right away to win everything in the first chapter?

Answer:

I follow the principle that if something isn't widespread, it's probably an experimental, one-of-a-kind item, or it's classified/unavailable to most people. In other words, it would be extremely hard to obtain. It's like telling someone IRL, "Why not just get a Musk's Neuralink chip and control devices remotely?" Sure, it exists, but it's still in testing phases, not fully functional, and definitely not something you can buy off the shelf.

Plus, I don't want to make the MC a super-know-it-all of the lore. He's played through the game a few times in his original life and watched the anime, but he doesn't have a wiki on hand.

4. Some of your additions to the lore, like the MC's abilities, seem unrealistic or hard to believe. How is it possible to kill people or extract memories using cyber interactions?

Answer:

The lore of Cyberpunk 2077 is full of such interactions. For example, there's the Soulkiller, which literally steals memories and kills its target. Songbird lost parts of her memory from interacting with AIs, and the AIs she summoned could easily kill people. There are examples of extracting memories directly from humans, not just data banks. And the ability to upload memories is yet another confirmation of these concepts. The idea of killing through scripts is also pretty standard—it's a key part of the netrunner build.

So, none of my interpretations stray far from canon. They just explore variations of established concepts.

5. How can an AI take over a human body? That's unrealistic.

Answer:

The MC is something between an AI and an engram. It's possible to upload an engram into a body—that's the whole plot of Cyberpunk 2077. Plus, there are well-known theories about the Blue-Eyed guy being an AI in a human body. So, again, I'm not straying far from the source material.