A key aspect of cyberpunk is the idea that the main character is just one minor player in a very large setting. There are lots of other people around and every one of them has a story, even if you don’t necessarily ever learn it.

One of our design goals for Signal Nine is to create this feeling that everyone, not just you, has a part to play in the world. Also, in terms of game mechanics, certain systems will benefit from involving non-player characters with knowable and consistent identities.

In other words, our goal is to simulate an entire city. At the same time, we want to avoid the overhead and bloat that could result from an overcomplicated system. So we’ve built our city out of basic building blocks — each simple by itself, but creating complexity when combined. Continue reading »