So you think you are Punking?
written by David KNIGHTHAWK Simpson <dsknighthawk@yahoo.com>

    So, you think you are really punking?  You think that you have got the whole feel down with you just showing up with your Hard copy, a few dice and your pencil?  Without the feel you aren't even a weefle-runner Choomba.  You need to have the attitude to accompany your chrome.  If you are gonna play Cyberpunk, you need to BE Cyberpunk, am I making myself crystal clear CHOOH head?  Here are a few things that have helped me survive this long, both as a GM and as a player.  So, are you scoper, or are you just waiting to become an official Bodybank donor?  Saddle up you juves, cuz here comes the future, hard, fast, and in your face.

Music
Lighting
Clothing
Accessories

MUSIC
    Music is different from campaign to campaign.  It all depends on the theme of the game.  It's pretty obvious that if you are having a very romantic game or session, blaring Metallica isn't going to do the trick.  The following is a list of the music I've used to set the mood in my Campaigns:
KMFDM - Perfect to energize a fire fight,
Underworld - Their faster stuff is also great for combat, slower selections work well to get your players paranoid
Prodigy - Nice for the same reasons above
Orbital - Nice for dance club scenes and sometimes romantic scenes
New Order - DEFINITELY for romantic scenes...also for scenes of leisure
HACKERS soundtrack(both) - Great way to go for music
Dire Straits - great for role playing during traveling scenes
Louis Armstrong - good for a jazz theme campaign
The AKIRA soundtrack - tracks: 1,2, and 9 really helped me out
The ROBOTECH soundtrack-great for a variety of things,especially with all the instrumentals
Of this list, I favor the KMFDM, HACKERS, and ROBOTECH soundtracks the most.  KMFDM is great for the angst, violence, and revolutionary messages...the essence of Cyberpunk.  HACKERS and the bands/groups on the HACKERS soundtracks are great for a lot of things.  Especially for someone who has the music and seen the movie, playing COWGIRL(by Underworld) in the bg during a netrun really enhances the experience...well...for some of us it does.  AKIRA, for those who have seen the movie...the music will mean something, otherwise it isn't worth using too much, I think.
    ROBOTECH, now, before you bust a gut laughing, realize something, the music done by LANCER(the songs from Look Up The Sky Is Falling  -  We Will Win) is VERY REVOLUTIONARY.  A little background for those who have never seen ROBOTECH, or have no idea what I am talking about.  Lancer is a soldier who went into an underground war against an alien race called the INVID.  He assumed an alternate ID, Yellow Dancer, and from this he went from town to town singing for the masses.  His music, though softly sung, spoke loudly about war, and oppression...it became REBEL ROUSER music...in my opinion, Lancer is up there in what a ROCKERBOY should be.  Now getting back to the point, the instrumental music is great for almost any situation.  Combat, romance, mystery, solitary paranoia, realizations, chase scenes, arguments, folly scenes(nicely done by: THE ROBOTECH FOLLIES), you name it, it's in there somewhere.
As displayed, music plays MANY roles in a campaign.  This is where being an inventive GM helps.Qued tapes, multiple CD players, or an assistant to quickly switch CD's, Records, or tapes helps a lot.  The music helps to give the game a cinematic feel, a film noire if you will.  The key is, not to blast the music, also, don't over do the music usage.  Usage of music is not a reason to slack off with your story.  Remember, the music is a tool...use it, don't abuse it.

LIGHTING

    Lighting can help a lot, but it isn't as big a thing as MUSIC.  Also, lighting can be SO tricky to do.  In most cases you are gonna be tempted to turn out all the lights, or at least dim them heavily, and then break out with the black lamps.  This is not always the best way to go.  Sometimes a little more effort should be put into lighting.  Get some orange ceran-wrap...cut some oddly shaped holes in it, then spread it over and upturned lamp, so it spreads over the ceiling.  Newbies will most likely be the first to point out, "Your lamp in broken" or "What the hell?  ARGH! My eyes!".  The rest of us will probably just nod our approval.  If pinned for an explanation, tell them it is either a) Sunset/sunrise  or b) It's all the damn pollution hanging over the area.  Also, take into consideration, that if the lighting is too dark or messed up, you won't be able to read your notes, and your players, their characters.  The light MUST be playable in.  Things to take into consideration.

CLOTHING
Clothing, pretty simple to start, a bit more is done by the TRUELY elite.  Newbies and munchkins will come dressed up in a trenchcoat and/or mirrorshades.  (Personal Note: I started out this way.  If the player is new to the game, or new to getting into character, this is acceptable.  However, I personally have no tolerance for munchkins....of any sort.)  A good role-player will go beyond that.  For example, I'll give you an idea of how I dress for a live gaming session:  All black, black Longcoat, mirror shades (usually wrap arounds), black mid-shin paratrooper boots, fingerless black leather gloves, my hair is occassionally dyed a medium blue, I also use my improvised "interface plugs" (basically some old wires jammed into a small aluminum plate, set in fake skin, placed on the back of my neck, and then a small thin washer fixed to the side of my temples.  This can also help a lot to put a player into character.  Change this accordingly for sex, age, personal style, and character role.
ACCESSORIES
This are is a bit more general than the others.  Accessories can be anything from a 3D map, to drawings and diagrams.  Remember, the more you help your players visualize what is going on, the easier the game will flow.  And you don't need to be an artist to get a drawing, picture or diagram...why else would stores send us catalogs?  Cut some pictures out of magazines, newspapers(also a great place to grab game plots), books (watch out what books you cut them from though...I don't want any nasty letters from schools complaining about their books), flyers, anything really.  If you got photoshop, and are any good, you can draw company logos, and edit some pictures.  If you are really good, here is a nice little project: grab a Victorias secret catalog, cut out a full body shot, and scan it in.  put some clothing on her (if you believe in that kind of thing).  Here comes the cool part, select the bent arm (what do you mean there isn't a bent arm?  THERE IS ALWAYS A BENT ARM! ), select it and chrome that bad girl up.  Congrats, you've just made your own punktress.  I've seen many people do this, and do it WELL.  Now I know what you are saying, what if I don't have time to do all of this?  Simple, you had enough time to find this article, now surf the rest of the internet.  EVERYWHERE there are pictures that would fit in great to your character or campaign.  Anime sites are great sources of artwork.  Also, if you are really big on anime, they are a great source for putting a little meat on your character.