Okay chooms, let's talk Project Orion! 🤖💥 As a huge Cyberpunk fan who's replayed 2077 more times than I can count, the burning question is: which ending should CDPR build the sequel on? Honestly? "The Star" ending isn't just my favorite – it’s the perfect launchpad for Orion. Picture it: V, finally escaping that chrome-coated hellhole Night City, riding off into the Badlands sunset with Panam and the Aldecaldos. That glimmer of hope against the crushing cyberpunk dystopia? Chef's kiss! 👌 But is it really the right foundation? Let’s break it down.

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Seriously, "The Star" offers something fresh we desperately need:

  • 🌵 Beyond Night City Walls: We’ve done the neon jungle. Orion needs NEW terrain! The Aldecaldos are nomadic legends – imagine exploring their world! Rocky deserts, hidden settlements, corporate outposts poisoning the wastes... way more thrilling than retreading Watson or Heywood.

  • 🚗 The Nomad Life Amplified: Remember those dusty convoy missions? Now imagine that as the core vibe. Surviving the wilds, battling corps trying to control the Badlands, finding forgotten tech... it writes itself!

  • 🧬 V’s Relic Struggle Continues: That bittersweet quest for a cure? Pure narrative gold. It keeps the emotional weight of 2077 alive – the hope, the desperation, the ticking clock. Could it be even more tragic? Absolutely. Think setbacks, moral nightmares, maybe uncovering worse Arasaka horrors.

But wait, what about your ending? What if you romanced Judy, sided with Arasaka, or became a Night City legend? 🤔 Valid point! Ignoring other paths would sting. Here’s how CDPR could nail it:

  • 📱 Messages & Echoes: Imagine V getting shards from old friends – Judy’s holos from Oregon, River checking in, Kerry’s new track inspired by you. Your choices echo, even far from NC.

  • 💾 Flashbacks & Relic Glitches: V’s fragmented mind could replay key moments based on your 2077 ending. Haunting and personal!

  • 🔮 Or... A New Protagonist? Maybe V becomes a whispered myth in Afterlife bars. "The Merc who ghosted NC with the Aldecaldos..." That lets Orion explore NC with fresh eyes while honoring V’s legacy.

Can it stay true cyberpunk with hope though? 💀 Absolutely! The genre’s core is the fight between fleeting optimism and crushing systems. Think about it:

  • ☀️ Hope Isn’t Safety: The Aldecaldos aren’t magically safe. Corps hunt them. Tech scavengers ambush convoys. The Relic still kills V. That hopeful glow? It makes the darkness feel deeper.

  • ⚖️ Bittersweet is Key: Finding a cure might demand terrible sacrifices. Helping nomads could mean betraying others. True cyberpunk moral ambiguity!

  • 🏙️ The System is Everywhere: Escaping NC doesn’t escape Arasaka, Militech, or the ecological collapse. The fight just moves.

CDPR sticking with first-person? Genius! 👁️‍🗨️ It means we’ll feel V’s pain, Panam’s resolve, the Badlands' dust in our throat. Immersive storytelling is their superpower.

So yeah, basing Project Orion on "The Star" just clicks. It offers:

Feature Why It Rocks
New Setting Expands the universe beyond NC 🗺️
Emotional Core Keeps V’s struggle real & personal ❤️‍🩹
Thematic Depth Balances hope vs. dystopia perfectly ⚖️

Sure, weaving in other endings is tricky. But the potential? Massive. New factions, uncharted territories, V’s raw fight for survival... it could make Orion feel like a true evolution, not just a sequel. What do you think, preem choice or total gonk move? Let me know below! 👇 #ProjectOrion #CyberpunkSequel #TheStarEnding #VandPanam #CDProjektRed