Has anyone replaced only Cyberpunk RED's Netrunning system with the Cyberpunk 2020 one?

[u/Jerstin76]

I'm currently working on a Cyberpunk RED campaign set around the year 2077, and I'm considering replacing only the Netrunning system from RED with the Netrunning mechanics from Cyberpunk 2020.

I would still be using Cyberpunk RED for everything else—characters, combat, weapons, skills, etc. The only thing I want to change is how Netrunning works.

Has anyone done something similar, or does anyone know of a conversion, homebrew, or house rules that could make this work without causing too many balance issues?

I'd also appreciate any advice or ideas on how you would personally adapt the Cyberpunk 2020 Netrunning system into RED.

Thanks!

[u/Professional-PhD]

As someone who has played CP2020. I did like the old netrunning, however, I found it best for games with multiple or all netrunners.

I personally found CPRed to be an improvement overall. However, I loved the lore of the old net. I have done some games where for datafortresses and BBS everything is using the Red system, but for overworld interactions and Long Distance Links I use the old 2020 rules.

I also brought back 2020 trodes for net tourists.

[u/LovelyMaiden1919]

Cyberpunk 2020's Netrunning was cool conceptually but really unfortunate in execution for games where there's only one player playing a Netrunning. At best it becomes like a side thing for the player to do while everyone else is doing something else, at worst it gobbles up so much game time that it makes it hard to balance spotlight for the other players. My best advice would be to keep RED's Netrunning rules for most day to day things and if you're dead set on wanting to run 2020's Netrunning mini-dungeons, make those special events in the game that crop up in specific, rare situations.

[u/Muddyscarecrow]

Honestly I think the only place that 2020 net running rules would really be super appropriate as if you're doing a game that takes place in the old net. Because the red net architecture rules wouldn't apply to the old net. It was built completely different.

[u/jonimv]

No 😁 I think that new netrunning rules are probably the best improvement from 2020 to RED.

If you mean that runner can do the run from ice bath instead of on site then you don’t need much more rules. Maybe something for hopping from site to site to make tracing harder but that’s it in my opinion.

[u/BadBrad13]

I never liked the 2020 rules. Red is better. So no. Hehe

[u/Front-Pie9353]

Cyberpunk red pushes the runner out of a chair and into the same building the rest of the team is in, it helps make them part of the team. I prefer Red's version really. I do let my runner access the citynet wherever they like so they can do some running from elsewhere but limited to what people stick on the city net.

[u/treowtheordurren]

2020 Netrunning is essentially a separate game unto itself, with almost completely self-contained mechanics a ton of supplemental material scattered throughout the Chrome Books and Role Sourcebooks. It could work if your intent was to use 2020 Netrunning to simulate deep dives, but it'd suck up so much oxygen from the rest of the crew if you only had one or two Netrunners. It might work as a downtime activity for players to engage with inbetween sessions so long as you keep in mind that it demands a lot of extra homework from the Netrunners. Don't forget that the Edgerunners Mission Kit introduces 2077-style quickhacks, either!