Lifepath Puns

Hey,

Just starting out with Burning Wheel, and finding it really hard to figure out possible lifepath combinations.

I thought probably there would be an interactive network diagram online somewhere so I could for example put in "Knight" and have it highlight the possible lifepath combinations that would get me there.

Is there anything like that? I've been using charred-black but it only seems to go forwards and also leaves out some lifepath switches that the book seems to think are valid.

Hey everyone!

So I'm really curious about the different lifepaths we military brats end up on post-grad (high school). I think it would be cool to see how each other are doing and sort of create a baseline of our "norm".

I'll go first! Feel free to switch it up and add more detail.

Age: 31

Current Location: South (US)

Last Relocation: 2013 (sigh). But I've moved within my city multiple times. I'm ready for a bigger move. I'd love to go back to Europe.

College: Yes

Industry/Career: Finance/Technology. I randomly decided to go to law school but ended up working in finance after graduating. I started craving the nomadic lifestyle in 2018. I saw that was possible with remote work (even more so now post-pandemic). Tech happens to have a lot of remote jobs so my goal is to transition into a full-time remote role. Location independence FTW!

Relationship/Family Status: Single without kids. I've been called "flighty". I have a low tolerance for relationship turbulence so I chuck the deuces pretty easily. I sometimes think I'm a lone wolf and I see people as "baggage" or deadweight (sounds so bad).

Is homeownership a goal? I've been thinking about this recently and realizing I'm in the minority in that this has never been a big goal of mine. It's such a large undertaking and would essentially be me putting down roots. And roots make it hard to move. Anyone else?

Pets: 1 kitty

I am in a dilemma now deciding between 2 life paths now

I got offered the WSO(ftr) vocation in then Rsaf but I am skeptical to whether I should sign on or not because its a 10 year bond (More than 10 years if you account for all the training). But if I don't sign that means I'll work in the private sector after uni. But for my course which is MAE engineering in NTU, I don't think I can earn as much given the future prospect of engineering in Singapore. So now I am in a conflict as signing on will give me monetary benefits while being bonded till I am in my mid 30s.

Since I came across this subreddit and u/foxderfuchs' Lifepath Google Doc (thanks for your efforts!) a while back, I have been working on an English update for it.

Let me know what you think: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vuWHhJ5Sal0fXxdNM8HYGfrNeRUZtI9iQw8yqmG8Rb0/edit?usp=sharing

Changelog

• The content is mostly the same, I reworked some entries to sound more native English, but tried my best to keep their original feel
• Shuffled the order so that you should be able to step through each section sequentially, limiting any back and forth you might need to do
• Tried to streamlime some dice rolls so that there's fewer gaps or filler results
• Cosmetic changes
  • A cover page with a free use sci-fi backdrop (link to Google Drawing)
  • Switched to typefaces that are as close to the Coriolis sourcebooks that Google has in their library

All lifepath stories converge in less than half an hour. Are we okay with this?

Aside from a meaningless dialogue option every 2 hours and some minor quest differences, lifepaths feel completely meaningless.

Honestly I feel lied too, CDPR hyped lifepaths up to be game changing, but they just aren't.

Am I the only one who feels this way?

First things first, hello you there my dear reader! Hope you're having a good day.

TL;DR What do you think of mixing trad lifepath character creation with a light game with only an implied setting?

A small bit of nomenclature so that all designers, regardless of the experience and 'know-how', can be brought up to speed in this matter.

• “Implied setting” refers to games pretty light on lore expositions but have their settings details defined within the rules of the game, where the table and the GMs come up with the rest. It's the best version of "show don't tell" applied to game design in ttrpgs. By using Implied Settings, a small team of designers can write a game faster, just because they need to 'evoke an idea' in the players, instead of writing down a history/geography book.
• Lifepaths (or Pathways) are a way to create characters by 'simulating' their life, dealing with character creation as if it was a mini-game on its own, sort of a small gamebook on its own. Lifepaths are usually setting specific and the most known ones are OG Traveller, Burning Wheel (the one I've run the most) and Cortex Plus, but nowadays are commonly automated online like Conan 2d20 and Mouseguard.

Now, usually implied settings are employed the most in light games and provided through random table elements, character options and equipment tables, for example. On the other hand, Lifepaths are usually used in crunchier games with long setting expositions to give context to the player choices while creating their character.

I'm considering using Lifepaths in my current project, because I've found that is sometimes difficult for playtesters to create characters in my system due to blank page syndrome and to interject setting elements while following the Lifepath creation, but I've never seen a light lifepath system. The game is meant to be short, so I don't want to tackle a long "traditional Lifepath" in a game that is as long as a Lifepath chapter in another trad game.

My questions are the following.

• Do you think that Lifepaths can be a good tool to provide details of an Implied Setting?
• Do you think that Lifepaths can be used well in lighter games?
• What is the best and briefest structured Lifepath system you've read? Do you think that this could be distilled down in a single a4 page?

That's all! Thank for reading, I'd love to hear your thougths!

Me and some friends were talking last night, comparing game experiences, and they were both shocked to hear that the corpo lifepath plays exactly the same as the nomad and street kid. We ended up talking about how little sense being a corpo makes with the overarching story. Even the description for being a corpo makes it seem like you’re gonna be playing as some badass mole, working with or against the corporations from the inside... nope, you get to be a true corpo for 20 minutes before you’re forced to be a street kid who likes to pretend to be corpo. Like why would corpo V so willingly give up a life as a high ranking Arasaka counterintelligence agent, to just go be a lowlife street merc. The same issue shows up for the nomad lifepath, which advertises itself as being able to play as a foreigner to the city who works mostly in the outskirts... nope, you are as familiar with the city as anyone, and the aldecaldos don’t even acknowledge your prior history beyond the city limits.

Even the lifepath trailer was clearly designed to give the illusion of your choice mattering. You can see the nomad roaming the highways, and getting in shootouts in the desert, which you do no matter what path you choose. The corpo section shows you exploring corporate areas, and having a crazy shootout in a corporate building, which you do regardless.

It’s upsetting that the only lifepath that actually makes sense is streetkid. It genuinely frustrates me that the other two are in the game, if you don’t ever really see your choice make a difference, outside of the occasional dialogue option that as far as I can tell changes nothing.

I’ve been driving my parents insane talking about the game so I decided to come here instead. I’d feel like an ass playing Corpo so obviously not playing that but I CANNOT decide between Streetkid or Nomad. What’s everyone else’s top choice and why? Maybe it’ll help me decide too.

💙 Question in the title. Thanks!

I enjoy the lifepath, and while I wish they added more depth and backstory, it's pretty cool to have path specific dialogue.

What I thought might have been a good idea, is to rather go with a class system based on the gangs, whereas you play as an outcast tygerclaw, mox, animal, maelstrom, valentino, voodoo boy or 6th street, all with their own unique clothing, strength and weakness.

Since you start in the desert in little towns of a few people, the feeling you get when you first arrive in the city must be such a cool experience, going from an almost empty desert to a crazy city with thousands of people, giant building, an insane atmosphere.. Nomad is my last favorite class in term of ambiance but just the fact of starting in the desert and then go to the city instead of starting directly in the city really makes me hesitate about first playing the game as a Nomad

I get that having a complete different story for each lifepath is maybe too much, but was kinda hoping for a more sophisticated lifepath difference leveling up.

Not even a new game+ option... :/

Has to be corpo for me personally, can’t even play more than half the game as anything else for some reason.

View Poll

Having played almost 200 hours I've imagined almost as many ways the game could be improved with what features. Right now, one of the bigger disappointments I had playing was the Lifepath system. Specifically how it only provides unique dialogue choices only and gives you starter clothes based on which path.

Wouldn't it be nice if each Lifepath had a smidge more depth. In the sense that you can customize them based on real world (NUSA not real real world) groups and gangs?

For example: • Nomad lifepath that allows you to choose between the Bakkers and Aldecaldo's families. From there, you're given small backstory on why you left/got kicked out/etc. And then start the prologue.

• Streetkid Lifepath that allows you to choose between the various gangs from the Valentino's to Tyger Claws as your background. Queue prologue.

• Corpo Lifepath that let's you pick what megacorp you kiss ass for. Queue prologue.

Even if it adds like, an extra 10 mins to character creation, I feel like the dialogue choices that would come from these would be a lot more interesting. Then having the ending bring that backstory back to V as a moment to use their roots to storm Arasaka or go through the other tarot endings.

Thoughts?

Title. If you ever need inspirations, come take a look. There should be plenty for you to choose/be inspired from.

Final edit: Thank you all for your questions! I tried my best to answer every single comment asking me for suggestion (hope I didn't miss anyone), and I think I got everyone covered. May the products of my imagination serve you well on your very first journey to Night City.

Sadly I cannot continue my work further because I will pursue my second degree in Social Work soon, and I really need to rest. I apologize for this. It has been truly exciting, but exhausting trying not to leave anyone hanging. But fret not! The game will release very soon, and by the time it does, guides will swarm this place (that or posts about Judy). You will not need help for long.

Good luck, and enjoy the game choombas!

Do please come back here and tell me the result if you like it!

Below are my most proud creations for those who need help quickly.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral good, Idealistic Solo Nomad V

"It's always been the damn books. Dusty old tomes you found stashed in the middle of nowhere during one of your strolls. Relics of an age past that you grew up with, where decency is still expected of people. Life happens, and you learned just how dark it is, and how to survive in it. But somehow, those stupid stories still get to you in an endearing way. You're now an adult. You don't want to get stuck in this life, moving from places to places and scraping to live by. It's just not enough for you. You want a BIGGER gig. You think people in that glowing city is going to need you. Guess what? "I'm coming."

New life. Lots of stuffs to take in. You gotta build everything up from a big fat zero: connections, eddies, arms. You can't trust anyone here - a knife in the back is all the same, Badlands or city, and you learnt that lesson in the desert. You know you can't just straight up join a random rebellion - they don't know what they're doing. Gotta know the enemy to fight them after all. You detest the anarchists too: a happy ending in those books doesn't include a nuke going off and killing everyone.

"Let's do this".

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stealthy Techie Street Kid V. Good at heart but not a pushover.

"You grew up with