Storylines

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
Backtrace Bounty	Carnivore Echos	LEGWORK: trace a bounty to learn about Brave Star tracking technology	Identify a Matrix source	Carnivore
Bounty Counter-Hack	Carnivore Echos	Hack a Matrix Host for more Brave Star information	Secret ledger file	Backtrace Bounty
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
Fixture in the VIP Booth	Fixture in the VIP Booth	LEGWORK: Send the Face to impress visitors at a night club	Trust with Club owner and a new Contact	Treaty of '31 Era
Long Night Out	Fixture in the VIP Booth	LEGWORK: 1 or 2 mercs join the Face at a local night club	New Traits	Fixture in the VIP Booth (simultaneous)
Bioweapon Traces	Eleventh Hour	LEGWORK: Locate a young person carrying secret tech for his father	Locate the target	Treaty of '31 Era
Eleventh Hour	Eleventh Hour	Break someone out of a dark site interrogation unit	Scourge recruit	Bioweapon Traces
Heartbreak Rush	Heartbreak Rush	Plant fake evidence on a Matrix host
Heartbreak Fake	Heartbreak Rush	LEGWORK: fabricate a luxurious lifestyle for a target		Heartbreak Rush (simultaneous)