CyberPunk 2077

[Terronium-12]

Colors








There's very much going to be a second part as I really enjoyed doing this. I figured I'll swap clothes for each shot to better offset (or even emphasize) the colors.​

"Very much a "crazy woman takes a break and actually has fun" vibes to it." Exactly what I was going for. 👍 Also wanted to show her overall confidence.

4 is growing on me I think. I just found the yellow tones/sunlight on her skin and the wall to be a bit unnatural compared to the blue sky, but maybe her cheerfulness is unnatural.

There will be photo spam.

So the internet issues didn't last nearly as long as I thought it would which is great, but do keep the spam going. Mods orders.

What's Affinity? I see that it's free, which is great as I'm on an older build of Photoshop (CS6 ) and I'd love to start using something that's more updated. Is the workflow similar? I'm absolutely unopposed to a learning curve, especially if it's worth the time.

 

[Grand Prix]

Colors








There's very much going to be a second part as I really enjoyed doing this. I figured I'll swap clothes for each shot to better offset (or even emphasize) the colors.​

So the internet issues didn't last nearly as long as I thought it would which is great, but do keep the spam going. Mods orders.

What's Affinity? I see that it's free, which is great as I'm on an older build of Photoshop (CS6 ) and I'd love to start using something that's more updated. Is the workflow similar? I'm absolutely unopposed to a learning curve, especially if it's worth the time.

Interesting set, I like the idea. 👍

It is pretty much like Photoshop as I remember it, the last version I used was CS3 I think on my old Mac before it died 10 years ago. But it has adjustment layers, blend modes, selective colour etc. It also uses PSDs. Until the last set I made, I was actually using the built-in Windows photo editor for Cyberpunk photos. 🤣 🤣 It had its... limitations, to put it mildly.

I will try to see if I can get a couple more photos to accompany a composite image I made, so probably tomorrow or something.

 

[Grand Prix]

I need to go back to Act I to finish this set, but have a teaser in the meantime:

 

[Grand Prix]

BLOOD WARNING



Trauma































Click to Enlarge

Jackie Welles was the best friend Vanessa could ever ask for. He helped put Vanessa back on her feet after the horrendous manner in which she was fired by Arasaka, and cared for her to the end. However, as a traumatized sociopath like herself, Johnny Silverhand, construct or not, is one who can truly understand her. Vanessa doesn't yet realize that.

Would also like to add, it's pretty messed up to imagine reliving your own death and the loss of your best friend every time you see a trash pile.​

 

[Terronium-12]

I found all of my old PS Actions that I collected throughout GT5 and 6 and I've been relearning what does what, so I edited a few (two completely new, one previously unused) shots.






This is either the second or third time we've posted picture(s) that convey a similar idea. I promise it's unintentional and not planned in any way.
I had to do a bit more to this one as the bottom of the jacket clipped through her right arm and I had to use content-aware blending and clone stamping to get it most unnoticeable.​

BLOOD WARNING



Trauma































Click to Enlarge

Jackie Welles was the best friend Vanessa could ever ask for. He helped put Vanessa back on her feet after the horrendous manner in which she was fired by Arasaka, and cared for her to the end. However, as a traumatized sociopath like herself, Johnny Silverhand, construct or not, is one who can truly understand her. Vanessa doesn't yet realize that.

Would also like to add, it's pretty messed up to imagine reliving your own death and the loss of your best friend every time you see a trash pile.​

This might be your best set yet. Favorite is undoubtedly the shattered mirror. It's quite literally the world's loudest (and most obvious) metaphor and it's brilliant here. Second is the very Planet of the Apes-esque falling to the knees (at a beach, no less) and realizing the truth of it all.​

 

[Grand Prix]

I found all of my old PS Actions that I collected throughout GT5 and 6 and I've been relearning what does what, so I edited a few (two completely new, one previously unused) shots.






This is either the second or third time we've posted picture(s) that convey a similar idea. I promise it's unintentional and not planned in any way.
I had to do a bit more to this one as the bottom of the jacket clipped through her right arm and I had to use content-aware blending and clone stamping to get it most unnoticeable.


This might be your best set yet. Favorite is undoubtedly the shattered mirror. It's quite literally the world's loudest (and most obvious) metaphor and it's brilliant here. Second is the very Planet of the Apes-esque falling to the knees (at a beach, no less) and realizing the truth of it all.​

Yep these three are nice. 👍 Your third shot is short and to the point though. I love that pose.

I'm glad you liked that set, thank you. I put a lot of passion into that one since her trauma (and desire for vengeance) is the core of her character.

The ones that show Vanessa with her hair down seem to be getting the most views. 🤣 She did indeed look very good that way and I might go back to that hairstyle soon.

There wasn't much I could do with the POV shots that people hadn't seen before, so that is nice to read. I liked how menacing her eyes looked in that one. I didn't have Planet of the Apes in mind when shooting your 2nd favourite, but I suppose subconsciously I might have. My idea was that she was being overwhelmed by the PTSD induced memories she was seeing.

My personal favourite is the B&W side profile one, I'm leaning more towards surrealist and abstract images these days and I'm not totally sure why. Also the two with Jackie fist pumping ("Afterlife, here we come, baby!"), she looks happier here somehow. Could be the context and the relaxed hairstyle.

 

[Terronium-12]

A bunch of test shots for something I have in mind for after I finish the second 'Colors' set.








They kind of tell a goofy story.

Bonus Shots






Of course, Violet's signature look. It's been a while since I've used it and it works perfectly with the pose I felt, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity.​

Yep these three are nice. 👍 Your third shot is short and to the point though. I love that pose.

I'm glad you liked that set, thank you. I put a lot of passion into that one since her trauma (and desire for vengeance) is the core of her character.

The ones that show Vanessa with her hair down seem to be getting the most views. 🤣 She did indeed look very good that way and I might go back to that hairstyle soon.

There wasn't much I could do with the POV shots that people hadn't seen before, so that is nice to read. I liked how menacing her eyes looked in that one. I didn't have Planet of the Apes in mind when shooting your 2nd favourite, but I suppose subconsciously I might have. My idea was that she was being overwhelmed by the PTSD induced memories she was seeing.

My personal favourite is the B&W side profile one, I'm leaning more towards surrealist and abstract images these days and I'm not totally sure why. Also the two with Jackie fist pumping ("Afterlife, here we come, baby!"), she looks happier here somehow. Could be the context and the relaxed hairstyle.

If Violet is one thing, it's blunt and to the point. It's no coincidence that both of our characters' drastic personality shifts are rooted in losing Jackie.

I think where our two psychopaths differ is Johnny. Sure, Violet gets along with him partly because she has to and by the end of it all, Johnny turns out to be a pretty honest and fairly reliable guy. Mostly. But at the end of the day, he's a direct reminder that Jackie is gone — a painstaking machination that she wasn't able to protect (and even save) her closest personal friend; she couldn't even avenge his death as Takemura robbed her of that.

 

[Grand Prix]

A bunch of test shots for something I have in mind for after I finish the second 'Colors' set.








They kind of tell a goofy story.

Bonus Shots






Of course, Violet's signature look. It's been a while since I've used it and it works perfectly with the pose I felt, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity.​

If Violet is one thing, it's blunt and to the point. It's no coincidence that both of our characters' drastic personality shifts are rooted in losing Jackie.

I think where our two psychopaths differ is Johnny. Sure, Violet gets along with him partly because she has to and by the end of it all, Johnny turns out to be a pretty honest and fairly reliable guy. Mostly. But at the end of the day, he's a direct reminder that Jackie is gone — a painstaking machination that she wasn't able to protect (and even save) her closest personal friend; she couldn't even avenge his death as Takemura robbed her of that.

I love this little car scene. 👍 Where did you find those in-car poses?

Something I have to say though, Vanessa is definitely a sociopath and not a psychopath.

I found this to be a very enlightening read a while ago:

https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-secondary-psychopath-Is-it-someone-with-mild-psychopathy-semi-psychopath

Secondary psychopathy is another term for sociopath. That is not to say that sociopathy is psychopathy. It isn’t. At all.


Athena Walker's answer to What’s the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath?

This is complex, and it requires a root understanding of both conditions. That is;


psychopaths=born


sociopaths=made, but likely it is genetically rooted.


Why is that important? It is because how our brains operate differently. For a psychopath we have specific changes in our brains that limit what we feel and how deeply we feel what we do experience. We also process chemistry differently, this also changes our emotional experience, or in this case, lack thereof. For a detailed understanding of how our brains are different, please see here;


Athena Walker's answer to Does something cause a person to become a psychopath, or are they just born that way?


As for things that we cannot feel;


Psychopaths are lacking specific emotions.


Things we cannot feel:

• Bonding—Any bonding. To a friend, a husband or wife, to children, to pets, etc. We have our own version of love, and it involves no emotional connection of any kind.
• Depression—Not even a little; we don’t feel it.
• Anxiety—The same as depression.
• Suicidal ideations—Psychopaths don’t kill themselves.
• Fear—We can feel adrenaline, but not fear. A lot of people like to think that we can; I invite them to live in our heads so they can see how wrong they are.
• Chemical love—Right back to bonding. That high most people chase—the “Woo hoo, I’m in love intoxication”—we don’t get that. Our love is very intentional. It is a conscious act. This means when we want to be around a person, we actually want to be around them. It also means that we don’t get frustrated that our feelings changed, meaning we aren’t on the chemical high any more and resent our partner for it.
• Sadness—Nope.
• Self-doubt—Failure is never a problem. It doesn’t bother us, we don’t fear it, and we never dwell on it; it simply isn’t there. We either accomplish something or we don’t. If we don’t, we go about it a different way. If it’s unobtainable, we move on.
• Low self-esteem—I still can’t figure out the evolutionary reason for this one. We don’t think we’re amazing by default. Sure, some psychopaths do and have high narcissism traits, but as this is simply a trait of personality that everyone has on some level, some psychopaths, just like some neurotypicals, have it quite high. Narcissism as a trait is very different than diagnosable narcissistic personality disorder. This is something else we cannot have. Goes against the wiring. For the last time, there is no such thing as a psychopath with NPD. Every time I read that, it tells me that the person writing knows nothing about either condition.
• Empathy—We have cognitive empathy, not emotional empathy. We have never had it. We didn’t feel it when we were young and lost it; it’s not hidden under the bed. We don’t have it.
• Jealousy- No idea what the purpose is.
• Resentment- We simply don’t care what other people are doing, or what they have.
• Remorse—Yup, we don’t feel bad when we do things that hurt people. The reverse of this is that we don’t care about the many small trespasses that happen all the time that most people lose their minds over. We just aren’t bothered by pretty much anything on a normal realm. There are certainly things that will, but they are pretty specific and normally have to do with a violation of trust or loyalty. Remorse is not something we understand. We can cognitively see why something upset a person and can make apologies based on that, but it is because we can logically work it out, not because we feel any way about it.
• Stress—Nope. Not even a little. We are incredibly adaptable. We just flow from one thing to the next. Circumstances changing doesn’t trip us up; we will adjust.

I may be missing a couple, but those are things we don’t experience.


The rest of the emotional experience we have. HOWEVER, we have it in a very diminished way. If you think about it like volume, neurotypicals are at a seven out of ten for volume on their emotions, and psychopaths are at zero to two or three. Most emotional cues pass by us like background noise. They are never loud enough to influence actions; they are just there as a side effect. This includes things like anger. Anger never fuels behavior for me. Emotions are in no way—nor are they ever—the main show.


So on to sociopaths. They have a different situation. Sociopathy very likely has a genetic predisposition, but requires a causative agent to manifest, whereas psychopathy is innate. No matter what it will always present. The inciting events that predispose sociopathy seem to be severe abuse, neglect, and/or prolonged trauma. This changes how they interact with the world, and it likely changes their synapses.


The environment that sociopathy spawns in is one of significant horror. A person that develops it has something in their history that is so significantly damaging that they begin to shut off their access to certain emotional aspects of themselves and how they relate to others. So, let’s go through this a bit.


The person is usually fairly young—often before the age of five, but that’s not set in stone. There is something that occurs, such as severe abuse, neglect, or prolonged trauma. The person learns that interacting with other people and allowing themselves things like attachment, need, and dependence is causing them significant pain. The response to this in a sociopathic mind appears to be limiting the access to these things. They shut them off so they can protect themselves. They also learn to depend on no one but themselves.


These actions have profound effects on a forming brain. When a child is young, their brains are rapidly forming and pruning away connections. Much of this is influenced by what they are exposed to. They learn what is important and what is not. This can be seen quite well in the example of the learning of language. When a child is read to, spoken to, and interacted with, the neurons associated with language are reinforced. Word association, vocabulary, all of these things are strengthened during this time through these actions.


However, if you take a child and do not speak to them—there have been cases of just this happening—the neurons for learning language are pruned away as being unnecessary. What occurs when this happens is either that the child now will have a terrible time learning language in any meaningful way or that what they learn cannot be retained over time without extensive therapy to assist them. Oftentimes, it is both.


So, turning back to the sociopath and their pruning. They have learned that bonding, empathy, attachment, and trust are all weapons to be used against them. So, they don’t pay attention to those things, and the neurons are discarded. They also have learned that no one else is going to protect them, that they are their only best friend, and that people are either victims or victors; they have been victims, and that doesn’t work for them. So, aggressiveness, exceptionally high thresholds to reach before giving trust, and the inability to bond or attach are the neurons that are nurtured. They become self-interested in all things first.


This also explains how sometimes, they are capable of bonding to a single person or love even to the point of obsession. How they can have flashes of empathy, yet it’s not consistent. The brain of a sociopath is fully formed. That is to say that all the structures formed completely. However it’s in the finer details where it is going to be lacking: those pesky neurons. The brain’s structures are sound; however, the pathways are in massive disrepair. Where a neurotypical has an eight lane, two-direction superhighway, the sociopath has a single-car, unpaved mountain pass that those same impulses have to travel to get to the other side.


Sociopaths don’t have structural differences in the brain, but their probable difference is in the synaptic connections. Where we have an absolute inability to feel things at a deeper level, or a complete lack of other emotions due to the structure of our brain, sociopaths have the available structure, but a weak synaptic map.


They can feel all of those emotions. The operative word here is can, meaning that they are theoretically capable of it. That doesn’t mean that they will feel them all, or that they have any control over feeling them. It means that there is a skeletal structure that can possibly carry those communications to them. Often this does not happen however. You can thank their miserable upbringing for this result.

To summarize, psychopaths are born. Sociopaths are formed, either by the environment or traumatic events. In Vanessa's case, it was both that made her a sociopath.

CDPR also left several clues that corpo agent V is a sociopath. We know that she wore cloven hooves to work. There's also the scene in the AV where she tells the AV to land anywhere and "**** procedures", (🤣) a very sociopathic thing to say, also she was clearly tired of the corpo life at this point. This is optional, but Vanessa also decided to attack the basketball players with her cybernetic enhancements when they complained about the AV landing in the basketball court, knocking out two cold and leaving the third petrified with fear. Again, optional, but clearly lacking in empathy here. There's also the fact that corpo agent V has survived years of a cyberpunk corporate work environment where everyone is out to get you. So she didn't make many friends, but sociopaths form very strong attachments to people that they do trust, and her friendship with Jackie is a good example here.

Now, with all of this in mind, sociopaths and psychopaths are not necessarily 'bad' people. I suspect some of the greatest racing drivers who ever lived were psychopaths, Nuvolari and Fangio come to mind here. With their fearlessness, and inability to have depression and NPD, psychopaths can be amazing people. Sociopaths can be amazing as well; they tend to be quite defiant, self-reliant, and courageous. It is inherently courageous to go against society and form your own path in life. Like Johnny Silverhand.

Many of the greatest fictional characters ever created are sociopaths, it would take an eternity to list all of them. Much of Vanessa's personality is based on one particularly famous example from Britain. He's not the only one though, there are other fictional sociopaths she is based on as well.

Vanessa actually found it kind of hilarious to see Dexter get his comeuppance by Takemura, because she has been in a situation where Arasaka agents have come after her before, but she was concerned about the Arasaka body guard standing in front of her. Basically, she just wanted Dex dead, it didn't matter by whose hand. Arasaka contributed to Jackie's death however, so that just fueled her hatred of that company even more. Also a bit difficult to tell how much of that is actually coming from Johnny.

 

[Terronium-12]

I love this little car scene. 👍 Where did you find those in-car poses?

Something I have to say though, Vanessa is definitely a sociopath and not a psychopath.

I found this to be a very enlightening read a while ago:

https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-secondary-psychopath-Is-it-someone-with-mild-psychopathy-semi-psychopath

To summarize, psychopaths are born. Sociopaths are formed, either by the environment or traumatic events. In Vanessa's case, it was both that made her a sociopath.

CDPR also left several clues that corpo agent V is a sociopath. We know that she wore cloven hooves to work. There's also the scene in the AV where she tells the AV to land anywhere and "**** procedures", (🤣) a very sociopathic thing to say, also she was clearly tired of the corpo life at this point. This is optional, but Vanessa also decided to attack the basketball players with her cybernetic enhancements when they complained about the AV landing in the basketball court, knocking out two cold and leaving the third petrified with fear. Again, optional, but clearly lacking in empathy here. There's also the fact that corpo agent V has survived years of a cyberpunk corporate work environment where everyone is out to get you. So she didn't make many friends, but sociopaths form very strong attachments to people that they do trust, and her friendship with Jackie is a good example here.

Now, with all of this in mind, sociopaths and psychopaths are not necessarily 'bad' people. I suspect some of the greatest racing drivers who ever lived were psychopaths, Nuvolari and Fangio come to mind here. With their fearlessness, and inability to have depression and NPD, psychopaths can be amazing people. Sociopaths can be amazing as well; they tend to be quite defiant, self-reliant, and courageous. It is inherently courageous to go against society and form your own path in life. Like Johnny Silverhand.

Many of the greatest fictional characters ever created are sociopaths, it would take an eternity to list all of them. Much of Vanessa's personality is based on one particularly famous example from Britain. He's not the only one though, there are other fictional sociopaths she is based on as well.

Vanessa actually found it kind of hilarious to see Dexter get his comeuppance by Takemura, because she has been in a situation where Arasaka agents have come after her before, but she was concerned about the Arasaka body guard standing in front of her. Basically, she just wanted Dex dead, it didn't matter by whose hand. Arasaka contributed to Jackie's death however, so that just fueled her hatred of that company even more. Also a bit difficult to tell how much of that is actually coming from Johnny.

Thank you. I had a blast doing it and as a proof of concept it served its purpose well enough that I know exactly where I'm going with it next.

And the in-car poses are here.

And very interesting read, that. Definitely changes my dubbing of Violet being a high-functioning psycopath to sociopath though. She was brought up the Nomad way and you'd think losing loved ones wouldn't be that traumatic to someone with her life experience, but Jackie wasn't like everyone else; Jackie was the closest thing she ever had to a brother. He protected her and she protected him, but when it really mattered she feels like she failed him in the worst possible way.

Her not being able to control the factors that contributed to his death are immaterial, she failed him and it's something that haunts her every single day. She stays in close contact with Mama Welles as it's the only connection to Jack she has left, and even Lupe insists Violet is being far too hard on herself — Jackie chose this life and knew what he was getting into and where it could possibly lead. If it weren't for Judy and Panam, Violet wouldn't be walking the streets of Night City anymore, or any other street for that matter.