Storylines
Storylines, or Stories, are the various plots and subplots that take place during the game. Storylines advance through Dialog, Legwork, and Missions. Storylines can be big or small, affecting individual characters or changing the environment of the entire New Boston Zone. Storyline Missions are different from Proc-Gen Missions in that Story Missions are hand-crafted. They may use unique map levels and may offer unique rewards. Storylines and Storyline Missions have tags which the Casting Director can use, selecting whether a Storyline can proceed. Some Storylines allow the Casting Director to select an appropriate character to link to the story.
Some Storylines are brief, encompassing Dialog and a single Legwork. Others can take years and define the career of the Cyber Knight and their team. Players can usually choose to ignore Storylines, but there may be consequences. Large Storylines can be quite complex. The stories can branch, dead-end, remerge, and spin off independent stories. Decisions made during Dialog and Missions will lead the player through these branches. A player cannot experience all of the branches in a single playthrough. This is an important feature allowing each game playthrough to be different.
Origin Stories
Origin Stories center around the circumstances which gave the Cyber Knight their Quantum Rider implant. The rarity of the implant means that obtaining one always involves high-stakes negotiations, politics, and gambles. A new Cyber Knight attracts the attention of powerful forces looking to use, destroy, or ally with the team. Where did the implant come from? How did you pay for it? Who installed it? Who do you owe? The Origin Story explores these questions and the consequences.
When starting a new game, the player selects their Origin Story. Origin Stories are the most complex Storylines in the game. The player may have the opportunity to take a shortcut to close the Storyline before it develops very far, but following the branches of the Origin Story will give the player allies and enemies, opportunities, and a deeper interaction with the New Boston Zone.
List of Storylines
| Storyline Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Boosted Scientist | New Contact | A researcher comes to the squad for a corporate escape |
| Brother Dearest | Merc Story | A squad member guides the squad on an operation for private motives |
| Carnivore | New Contact | The squad needs a good connection to Brave Star |
| Child of the Belly | Special Request | A contact asks the squad to locate an errant child |
| Clinic Expansion | Special Offer | A doctor looks for investment in a new clinic |
| Dead Drop Hit | Special Request | A gun runner needs a shipment retrieved |
| New in Town | New Contact | The squad needs a connection to the new Megacorp coming to town |
| Ride Along | Special Request | A gun runner needs some protection on one of their routes |
| Runner Shakedown | Special Request | A gun runner wants help setting up a source for foreign weaponry |
| Sibling Breakout | Merc Story | A squad member wants to break a sibling out of prison |
| Snitch Out Snuff | Obligation Call | A contact calls in an Obligation asking for an assassination |
| Syndicate Debts | Origin Story | The squad borrowed $2000k from a Syndicate Financier to get a Quantum Rider |
List of Storyline Missions
| MISSION | STORYLINE | DESCRIPTION | POTENTIAL REWARDS | PREREQUISITES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan B | Syndicate Debts | Escape the Aug-Clinic after the Cyber Knight's surgery | ||
| Clinic Snitch | Syndicate Debts | LEGWORK: track the origin of the UltraTek hit squad at the Aug-Clinic | Plan B | |
| Thumb on Snitch | Syndicate Debts | LEGWORK: put the Biotech Researcher snitch under our thumb | Biotech Researcher Contact | Clinic Snitch |
| Forward Op | Syndicate Debts | steal as much as you can | loot only | Plan B |
| Haven Smokeout | Syndicate Debts | recover Q-Endpoint; optionally kill the Wireghost | cash fee; Trust; +2 Favor | Plan B |
| Competition Matrix | Syndicate Debts | LEGWORK: investigate Octane's precarious position within D-Cartel | new story branch (currently locked) | accept Haven Smokeout; cannot accept Zombie Origins |
| Zombie Origins | Syndicate Debts | LEGWORK: seek the Quantum Rider's origins | new story branch (currently locked) | accept Haven Smokeout; cannot accept Competition Matrix |
| Loophole Heist | Syndicate Debts | install Q-Endpoint in target system | pay off $2000K debt | Haven Smokeout |
| Smokescreen | Syndicate Debts | LEGWORK: run interferrence to throw the Head Hunters off-track | reduce Head Hunters by 1 | Loophole Heist |
| Cube Run | Brother Dearest | steal as much as you can; collect research secrets | loot only | merc with Ex-Matsumoto background |
| Carnivore Search | Carnivore | LEGWORK: hunt for a corrupt cop to get on the payroll | Brave Star Contact | Power Level 2 |
| Carnivore | Carnivore | hack the heavily guarded containment core to steal the Sigma 6 trainer | 1 Favor; Wireghost Contact | Carnivore Search |
| Chem-Fac Depths | Carnivore | LEGWORK: sneak through the waste tunnels under the old chemical-factory | alternative entrance to Carnivore mission | accept Carnivore |
| Sigma Sploits | Carnivore | LEGWORK: create sploitkits from Sigma 6 trainer | Sigma 6 sploiitkits | Carnivore |
| Sibling Breakout | Sibling Breakout | break a teammate's sibling out of jail | Hacker recruit | Power Level 1 |
| Dead Drop Hit | Dead Drop Hit | pick up a package, defend against waves of gangers | E-rifle | Power Level 2+; Gun Runner Contact with a registered Faction enemy |
| Biochip Fry | Dead Drop Hit | LEGWORK: unlock e-rifle | E-rifle | Dead Drop Hit; refuse to turn over e-rifle |
| Ride Along | Ride Along | LEGWORK: spelunk with and protect weapon smugglerrs | 1 Favor | |
| Clinic Expansion | Clinic Expansion | NO MISSION; invest in a dedicated clinic | access to a dedicated clinic | Treaty of '31 Era |
| Dock Connections | Clinic Expansion | LEGWORK: work the docks to find some cheap Warner-Braun biomedical imports | 20% off price of Clinic Expansion | Clinic Expansion offered |
| New in Town | New in Town | LEGWORK: make a contact in Warner-Braun Global | Warner-Braun Contact | Treaty of '31 Era |
| Runner Shakedown | Runner Shakedown | LEGWORK: bodyguard a gun runner during a stressful organization shakedown | Treaty of '31 Era; Power Level 2+ | |
| Slagga Smash | Runner Shakedown | take out the slagga gang attacking the Gun Runner's teams | cash fee; level 3 weapons and mods | Runner Shakedown |
| Southie Slagga | Runner Shakedown | LEGWORK: connect with the Free Streets Compact to arrange a meet | accept Slagga Smash; merc raised on the streets or involved with Free Streets Compact | |
| Southie Strut | Runner Shakedown | Live-Wire Negotiation with Free Street Compact | cash fee; level 3 weapons and mods | Southie Slagga |
| Truck Job | Boosted Scientist | Load a virus payload to a server aboard a truck | cash fee | Power Level 3+ |
| 404-X Spike | Boosted Scientist | CPU Spike job | unlock Leverage for Truck Job | accept Truck Job |
| Snitch Snuff Out | Snitch Snuff Out | Obligation Call, assassinate target | resolve 1 Obligation | Power Level 2+; owe Obligation to a Contact |
| Child of the Belly | Child of the Belly | LEGWORK: Locate someone in the Belly | Favors, drug dealer Contact |