Should You Pay the Stranger for the Braindance in Cyberpunk 2077? An In-Depth Guide
The neon-drenched streets of Night City are overflowing with opportunities, both legitimate and shady. One encounter that might leave you scratching your head is the braindance offer from a stranger. Should you fork over your hard-earned eddies, or is it just another Night City scam?
The short answer is no, it doesn’t matter whether you pay the stranger or not. Regardless of your choice, the quest plays out the same way, with no discernible consequences, good or bad. Consider your eddies safe, especially in the early game!
Decoding the Cyberpunk Conundrum: Payment and Consequences
Cyberpunk 2077 throws moral choices and resource management at you constantly. This particular encounter highlights a recurring theme in the game: not every choice has a significant impact. While the world feels reactive, some interactions are designed purely to immerse you in the setting and test your instincts.
Here’s why paying (or not paying) doesn’t matter in this specific scenario:
- Identical Quest Progression: Whether you hand over the eddies or refuse, the next step in the quest chain remains the same. There are no alternate paths unlocked by paying.
- No Positive or Negative Reputation Changes: This interaction doesn’t affect your standing with any factions or characters in Night City.
- No Unique Rewards: You don’t receive any special items, information, or advantages by paying. The outcome is the same regardless.
- Escalating Costs for No Reason: Strangely, the amount requested by the stranger increases as you progress through the questline, despite there being no tangible benefit to paying at any point. This only reinforces the notion that this is more of an environmental interaction than a meaningful choice.
Essentially, the encounter exists to add flavor and realism to Night City. It mirrors real-world scenarios where you encounter individuals trying to hustle you, and sometimes, the game’s designers allow those attempts to play out without punishing or rewarding you for your decision.
Maximizing Your Eddies in Night City
Since you don’t need to waste your money on this particular transaction, it’s crucial to focus on efficient ways to earn money. One of the best methods in Cyberpunk 2077 is crafting and selling items.
Crafting for Profit
- Invest in Crafting Perks: Focus on leveling your Technical Ability attribute and unlocking perks in the Crafting tree. The Scrapper perk, which automatically dismantles junk, is crucial for gathering crafting components.
- Target Profitable Items: Experiment with crafting different items to identify which yield the highest profit margins based on their crafting cost and selling price. Common and uncommon items are usually a safe bet.
- Regularly Sell Your Inventory: Visit vendors and ripperdocs to sell your crafted goods. Over time, this can become a substantial source of income.
Other Money-Making Strategies
- Completing Side Missions: Don’t neglect side gigs and NCPD scanner hustles. They provide a steady stream of eddies, experience, and street cred.
- Loot Everything: Thoroughly explore your surroundings and loot everything that isn’t nailed down. Even seemingly useless items can be dismantled into valuable crafting components.
- Cyberware Investment: Invest in cyberware that enhances your hacking abilities. Successfully completing access point hacks offers significant rewards.
Night City is a tough place, and every Eddie counts. Understanding which interactions are genuine opportunities and which are simply distractions is key to surviving and thriving.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Cyberpunk 2077
Here are 15 frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Cyberpunk 2077, covering various aspects of the game:
1. Does paying the monk matter?
No, whether you pay the monk or not, the quest plays out the same way. There are no consequences, good or bad, to spending the cash.
2. Should I take the bribe in Cyberpunk 2077?
If you take the bribe, the side job ends immediately. If you’re a Corpo, you can demand more money for triple the payout. Ignoring the bribe allows the side job to continue.
3. How much do I pay for the braindance outside Cherry Blossom Market?
Stefan offers an “insane” braindance for €$16,000, with an additional €$4,000 required for a compatible wreath.
4. Can you save the monk without killing anyone?
Yes, if you incapacitate all gang members instead of killing them, the saved monk will offer different dialogue.
5. Should I save the monk or the husband in Ghost of Tsushima?
Saving Togo (the husband) pleases Hotoke and her family, while saving Doshun (the monk) results in being scorned by them. It’s impossible to save both.
6. What pays the most money in Cyberpunk 2077?
Crafting items and selling them is one of the most profitable methods.
7. Can I use braindance whenever I want in Cyberpunk 2077?
Braindance usage is limited to specific main story missions and a couple of side quests.
8. Can I get a braindance at Lizzie’s Bar?
Yes, Lizzie’s Bar offers high-quality braindances in specialized booths.
9. How do I get 70% relationship with Johnny Silverhand?
Increasing your relationship with Johnny involves making specific dialogue choices during key story missions like Automatic Love, Transmission, Life During Wartime, Tapeworm, Search and Destroy, Blistering Love, Holdin’ On, and A Like Supreme.
10. Should I pay the Ripperdoc back?
There is no significant story impact for not paying the ripperdoc back. There are other ripperdocs available.
11. Should I sell all my junk in Cyberpunk 2077?
Junk should always be dismantled to gather crafting components, especially with the Scrapper perk.
12. When should I pay off my debt in “Paid In Full”?
It’s best to wait until the €$21,000 debt is less significant to your finances before paying Viktor back.
13. Is there any benefit to not killing in Cyberpunk 2077?
While non-lethal takedowns may align with a desired playstyle, they generally do not significantly impact the story, with the exception of slight changes in reward money during certain gigs.
14. Can you skip braindance sequences in Cyberpunk 2077?
Yes, the option to skip the braindance tutorial and combat tutorials shows how far the game has come since launch.
15. Can you save Evelyn Parker in Cyberpunk 2077?
Unfortunately, Evelyn Parker cannot be saved. Her fate is fixed in the game’s narrative.
Exploring Deeper into the Game: Ghost of Tsushima Comparisons
The text also references Ghost of Tsushima, another critically acclaimed game with a strong emphasis on player choice and moral dilemmas. While Cyberpunk 2077 focuses on the transhumanist future, Ghost of Tsushima immerses players in feudal Japan, where honor and duty reign supreme.
Honor vs. Dishonor in Ghost of Tsushima
The choices you make in combat (fighting honorably or dishonorably) can affect the game world, influencing the weather patterns in Ghost of Tsushima. This subtle yet impactful mechanic adds depth to the gameplay experience.
The Shimura Dilemma
The choice to spare or kill Lord Shimura at the end of Ghost of Tsushima is a poignant one, with different rewards associated with each decision. These choices impact the look of Jin’s armor sets and also gives insight into his conflicting feelings toward his Uncle.
By drawing parallels to Ghost of Tsushima, we can see how different games approach the concept of player choice and its impact on the narrative. Cyberpunk 2077 often presents choices that are more cosmetic than consequential, while Ghost of Tsushima strives to make choices that have a tangible effect on the world and the story.
The Importance of Critical Thinking in Gaming
Ultimately, deciding whether or not to pay the stranger for the braindance is a microcosm of the larger experience of playing Cyberpunk 2077. The game challenges you to be discerning, to weigh your options, and to make informed decisions based on the limited information available.
Not every interaction is a high-stakes moral quandary, and not every financial opportunity is worth pursuing. Learning to recognize the difference is key to navigating the treacherous landscape of Night City.
To further your understanding of gaming and its educational potential, explore the resources available at the Games Learning Society, a research organization dedicated to understanding how games can be used to enhance learning and engagement. Find out more at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Ultimately, the choice is yours. But now you’re armed with the information you need to make an informed decision – and maybe save a few eddies along the way. Good luck, choomba!