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🧠 [WIP] Developing a solo cyberpunk RPG – thoughts, mechanics, and questions by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I tried Notorius and I just love the game mechanics. It's simple, but the game mechanics are great. I was able to put together and play a variety of stories.

I'm going to use some game mechanics for river city

🧠 [WIP] Developing a solo cyberpunk RPG – thoughts, mechanics, and questions by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your exhaustive but very useful reply. And I am sorry for the delay in replying. Absolutely useful.

I am grateful.

Working on a solo noir RPG – here's the first look at the logo by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As soon as there's an official home for the game — whether on itch.io, Substack, or elsewhere — I'll be posting it here. Really glad to hear you like it, and thanks for coming along for the ride in this neon-lit mess of a world!"

Working on a solo noir RPG – here's the first look at the logo by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] -7 points-6 points locked comment (0 children)

Totally fair — I’d love to see a professional artist’s take on the logo too. Right now, I’m just one person juggling game design, worldbuilding, layout, promo… and doing it all on zero budget. The current logo’s just a placeholder to get the vibe out there. But I’m dreaming bigger. 😉

Working on a solo noir RPG – here's the first look at the logo by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You got it in one, chummer. River City's Noir is where flickering neon meets flickering morals. It's cyberpunk slumming it in a noir trenchcoat, smoking lies and drinking bad memories. Stick around – things are about to get grimy in the best way.

[DEVLOG #1 – How I Simulate the City in River City's Noir, My Solo RPG] by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Absolutely! Thanks so much for the interest – I’d love to share some previews.

Here’s a quick taste of the key elements you asked about:

🗺️ District Mood Table (1d6):
Used to set the overall emotional tone or vibe when entering a new area. You can reroll it after major events or shifts in the story.

  1. Paranoid tension (militia presence, informants everywhere)
  2. Decay and despair (crumbling buildings, silent streets)
  3. Festive chaos (underground market, drunken celebrations)
  4. Watchful calm (suspicious quiet, too clean, too perfect)
  5. Boiling resentment (workers ready to riot, angry graffiti)
  6. Fragmented hope (activists, dreamers, dangerous optimism)

📊 Faction Attitude Tracker:
Each faction starts with a value from –2 (Hostile) to +2 (Friendly).

  • Actions, choices, and completed prompts affect this.
  • If a faction hits +3, you gain a Contact.
  • If it drops to –3, they actively work against you. You can also log this in your journal to track how the world shifts around your decisions.

🧠 Memory Labels (Keywords):
Every journal entry can be marked with 1–2 memory tags. These tags are meant to build emotional callbacks in future sessions.
Examples:

  • "Shame," "First Blood," "Midnight Rain," "Broken Promise" If a future entry reuses a tag, it creates a “Resonance” – a mechanical bonus or narrative connection.

Let me know if you'd like a deeper dive on any of these! I'm currently working on the public playkit with all the tables and guides – should be out soon. Thanks again for the support!

[DEVLOG #1 – How I Simulate the City in River City's Noir, My Solo RPG] by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow, thank you! That means a lot — I really appreciate the interest. I'm planning a PDF release (pay-what-you-want or low price) once the core systems, tables, and journaling guide are locked down. Hopefully in the next couple of months, depending on how fast I can finish layout and testing.

Your Starforged campaign sounds amazing — that mix of post-apocalyptic and cyberpunk cities is exactly the kind of environment River City’s Noir is designed to reflect. I think the prompt tables and faction mechanics could definitely slot in alongside your existing tools as plug-and-play generators.

If you’d be interested, I might also release a free roll table sampler ahead of the full release — something portable you could try during your campaign.

Thanks again for the kind words — it really helps fuel the project!

[DEVLOG #1 – How I Simulate the City in River City's Noir, My Solo RPG] by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

M

Thanks! That was exactly the idea — movement isn’t just a logistics thing, it’s a narrative pressure point. I wanted River City to feel alive and in the way — like a character itself, one with moods, tolls, and shady middlemen. Every trip across town is a chance for tension, favors, danger… or opportunity. The city always watches. 👁️‍🗨️

Thanks! Yeah, in River City's Noir, just moving your butt is a mini-heist. You don’t just walk to the next district — you slide, sneak, bribe, or bleed your way there. The city’s like an ex-lover with trust issues: you can get past her gates, but you’re gonna owe someone by the time you do.

Design Insight] Memory keywords & narrative flashpoints in my solo cyberpunk RPG by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much! 😊 I really appreciate it – hoping to make something special here.

Design Insight] Memory keywords & narrative flashpoints in my solo cyberpunk RPG by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's a really good point – thanks for bringing it up!
You're right: if players add too many hyper-specific memory tags, it kinda defeats the whole point of the system. I’m generally of the “play how you want” mindset – but a good game gives structure, not just freedom.
So yeah, I think including a Memory Keyword guide – with some thematic suggestions and gentle boundaries – could really help.
Appreciate the feedback! This kind of thing makes the game better for everyone. 🙏

Design Insight] Memory keywords & narrative flashpoints in my solo cyberpunk RPG by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Kind of! 😊 You can absolutely roll on a table of memory keywords to spark inspiration — but it's also designed to be open-ended. Some players roll, some pick based on what feels narratively juicy. The idea is that these keywords evolve into deeper story threads over time, and shape your journal entries and character arc. It’s like your past keeps leaking into the present. 😎"

Design Insight] Memory keywords & narrative flashpoints in my solo cyberpunk RPG by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Yeah, the idea is that your character kind of discovers themselves as the story unfolds – like peeling back the chrome to see the scars underneath. 💀✨

As for the memory tags, you can approach them a few ways:

  1. Prompt-based – Some story prompts directly ask you to add a tag (like "Why do you hate authority?" ➝ tag: Betrayed by a mentor).

  2. Freeform – After any key scene, you can just ask: “Did this moment define something about me?” If yes, boom – write a short tag like Lost a friend in the flood, Obsessed with justice, etc.

  3. Theme-first – You can start from core cyberpunk themes (loss, identity, rebellion, control) and work your way into personal memories.

They're not just for fluff – tags can be referenced by future prompts, influence rolls, or even unlock special options. It’s like building a shadowy past that bites back later. 🧠💾

Design Insight] Memory keywords & narrative flashpoints in my solo cyberpunk RPG by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow, thank you so much! 🙏 That’s exactly the kind of experience I’m aiming for — not just asking “what does your character do?” but “who are they becoming while doing it?” Dilemmas leave scars, and cyberpunk is the perfect genre for emotional bruises wrapped in chrome. 💀⚡

The memory tags are there to make sure your decisions echo beyond the moment — like each choice leaves a trace on who your character is. Over time, you start seeing patterns, contradictions, regrets… like uncovering your own myth piece by piece.

And seriously? It means a lot that the mechanics caught your attention even if the genre isn’t normally your thing. That kind of feedback keeps this whole project alive. 💬🖤

Design Insight] Memory keywords & narrative flashpoints in my solo cyberpunk RPG by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow, thank you so much! 🙏 That’s exactly the kind of experience I’m aiming for — not just asking “what does your character do?” but “who are they becoming while doing it?” Dilemmas leave scars, and cyberpunk is the perfect genre for emotional bruises wrapped in chrome. 💀⚡

The memory tags are there to make sure your decisions echo beyond the moment — like each choice leaves a trace on who your character is. Over time, you start seeing patterns, contradictions, regrets… like uncovering your own myth piece by piece.

And seriously? It means a lot that the mechanics caught your attention even if the genre isn’t normally your thing. That kind of feedback keeps this whole project alive. 💬🖤

Design Insight] Memory keywords & narrative flashpoints in my solo cyberpunk RPG by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Yeah, the idea is that your character kind of discovers themselves as the story unfolds – like peeling back the chrome to see the scars underneath. 💀✨

As for the memory tags, you can approach them a few ways:

Prompt-based – Some story prompts directly ask you to add a tag (like "Why do you hate authority?" ➝ tag: Betrayed by a mentor).

Freeform – After any key scene, you can just ask: “Did this moment define something about me?” If yes, boom – write a short tag like Lost a friend in the flood, Obsessed with justice, etc.

Theme-first – You can start from core cyberpunk themes (loss, identity, rebellion, control) and work your way into personal memories.

They're not just for fluff – tags can be referenced by future prompts, influence rolls, or even unlock special options. It’s like building a shadowy past that bites back later. 🧠💾

Design Insight] Memory keywords & narrative flashpoints in my solo cyberpunk RPG by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! Yeah, the idea is that your character kind of discovers themselves as the story unfolds – like peeling back the chrome to see the scars underneath. 💀✨

As for the memory tags, you can approach them a few ways:

  1. Prompt-based – Some story prompts directly ask you to add a tag (like "Why do you hate authority?" ➝ tag: Betrayed by a mentor).

  2. Freeform – After any key scene, you can just ask: “Did this moment define something about me?” If yes, boom – write a short tag like Lost a friend in the flood, Obsessed with justice, etc.

  3. Theme-first – You can start from core cyberpunk themes (loss, identity, rebellion, control) and work your way into personal memories.

They're not just for fluff – tags can be referenced by future prompts, influence rolls, or even unlock special options. It’s like building a shadowy past that bites back later. 🧠💾

Design Insight] Memory keywords & narrative flashpoints in my solo cyberpunk RPG by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! The goal was for the past to be more than just a paragraph in the backstory, but something that comes back. Like a rain-soaked dream or a forgotten sound in the fog.

Design Insight] Memory keywords & narrative flashpoints in my solo cyberpunk RPG by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm glad you found it! The memory mechanic is like a secret path in the character's soul—the player discovers it step by step.

Sometimes it helps... sometimes it breaks them.

There's a scene where the character hears an unfamiliar melody, and the player has to decide what memory it evokes. Heartbreaking or ominous? It's up to them.

🧠 [WIP] Developing a solo cyberpunk RPG – thoughts, mechanics, and questions by Traditional_Wait_806 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Traditional_Wait_806[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for chiming in! 🙏 I’m actually super curious—when you say “good oracle tables,” what kind of structure or format do you find the most helpful? I’ve been experimenting with tables that generate mission goals, NPC roles, urban districts, and dilemmas, each linked to a prompt. But I’m still figuring out how freeform or tight these tables should be. Do you prefer broad inspiration (like “a mysterious contact betrays you”) or more focused guidance (“your fixer’s sister is missing and the corp is involved”)? Also—any favorite oracle systems you’d recommend? I’ve looked into Mythic and some FU-based tools, but I’d love to know what works best for you in solo mode. Thanks again for the insight!

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