Today our Community Interview is the amazing Zwei. You probably saw her pics on the Twitter if you peruse the #Cyberpunk2077PhotoMode tag. Let's be honest her Valerie is hot and I'd date her. My tastes aside however, for only getting into this art form less than 2 years ago her images are stunning. And on top of that she also does mods, specifically the pose pack many Virtual Photo folks use as well as clothing. Thanks for her time, enjoy!
First, can you tell us a little about yourself, where you grew up and what attracted or inspired you to get into this art form?
Thank you for the opportunity! I'm just a girl from New York City who currently lives in Los Angeles that likes rock and roll, video games, and black eye makeup. I got inspired to get into virtual photography by seeing amazing shots by other creators and wanting to see what I am capable of. It's currently one of my favorite outlets. As for modding, oh boy... it all started when I wanted more custom appearances for my V and for Johnny and the rest is history. 😂
How did you learn this form of digital art?
Experimentation, trial and error, and with lots of help from amazing people. You know who you are. <3
What drew you to cyberpunk 2077 or/and the cyberpunk genre as a whole?
Blade Runner was always one of my favorite movies and I've always been in love with the dark future aesthetic. Rainy nights, neon lights, and a dystopian world of vast technological advancements where you could do whatever you want and be who you want to be are just what I will always love.
What message, to you, does the cyberpunk genre imply or relay as a viewer, fan of that aesthetic?
What will you choose to be your future and what will you sacrifice to achieve it?
What drew you to the 2077 game specifically? What keeps driving you to keep making content for it?
I enjoyed the gameplay trailers at E3 and originally just wanted to hack things, haha. I started playing Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox Series X and the game resonated with me in ways that are hard for me to describe, but Cyberpunk 2077 is extremely meaningful to me. I developed an attachment to Night City, the characters, all the happenings in the 2077 world, and most importantly, V and her story, and this motivated me to switch to PC to expand what I could do. V will most likely be the most significant media character to me, as silly as it sounds. What motivates me to keep making content is the desire to tell my V's story and experiences, while enjoying the game and its capabilities. The possibilities are endless.
What about the 2077 characters specifically got your interest? All time favorite NPC in 2077 and why?
Cyberpunk 2077 has some of the best character development I've experienced. Every character has their conflicts, faults, and purpose in the storyline. I mean, Johnny comes off as an obnoxious, know-it-all asshole rockstar at first but as you continue in the storyline you start understanding that a majority of his flaws are a defense mechanism and he is truly caring when he wants to be. Johnny's been through a lot of trauma, coped with it to the best of his ability, and is now trying to figure things out after dying once and not being sure what his future is given he's stuck as an engram. I'll save you the dissertation, but in short... yeah, Johnny is my favorite NPC since I can't pick V.
What tools do you use to make your art? How long does it take to go from idea to posting a pic?
Photo Mode Unlocker XL, TweakXL/ArchiveXL, Cyber Engine Tweaks, Appearance Menu Mod, and all the amazing mods by xBaebsae. I use Reshade to get the in-game colors to my preference and I also edit a bit with Photoshop if I need to color balance or fix a few clips. For modding, I live in Blender, 010, Noesis, and WolvenKit. Sometimes I plan ideas in advance, but I'm often inspired by music and random things.
What photo/GFX tools that are not in 2077 would you like to see in the sequel Project Orion?
I wish there was an ability to hide certain environmental lights that are just too bright or create weird effects. Changing the weather in Photo Mode would be phenomenal, as well. Aside from those, I would love more facial expressions and the ability to pose individual arms, legs, etc.
How long have you been doing this art form?
Since December 2020! I started out on Xbox Series X, then switched to PC.
Do you think these are skills you'd like to make a career of on some level or you prefer it as a hobby?
I love virtual photography, but more so as a hobby since I'm still learning. In regard to modding, you never know. ;P
What made you decide to get into the modding side of things?
It all started when I wanted to do more customization for my V and Johnny, haha. I also didn't want to rely on other modders for things that I could do myself. I like challenges and figuring out how things work from the inside, so modding quickly became a way to relax for me.
What mods for 2077 have you done and why did they interest you?
Let's see..
I used to mod for myself, but I started releasing things publicly because why not contribute to someone enjoying their game more. I did a bunch of random stuff like photomode animations and NPC outfit swaps, but most of my stuff is Photo Mode focused in some way. I've done are various addition clothes (as in, new standalone items in the game), I've been dressing like a rocker who shops at Hot Topic my whole life, so if I really want certain clothing items, I'll do my best to make them happen although I could use more experience with refitting. In April of 2022, I started testing Photo Mode Unlocker XL for SilverEzredes and eventually he allowed me
to do pose packs for the mod. I really enjoy doing poses because I live in Photo Mode, and giving the option for more available poses is fun for me along with discovering what's possible. xBaebsae taught me a lot and I will always be grateful to her and I'm excited to do more cool stuff in the future for both FemV and MascV.
And my most controversial question... Which of the following labels would you assign to whom? ;)
Marry, BFF, FWB (friend with benefits), Hate, Kill
This one is going to be tough.
For Johnny... all of the above except hate and kill. It's complicated, okay? 😅
I honestly see Judy, Panam, Kerry, and River as BFFs.
I do hate the Scavengers, Woodman, and the Biotechnica jerks. I said what I said.
And finally what are the socials people can find you, and do you do commissions? Thank you for your time!
Twitter: @r0ckergf
Instagram:
@amendiares
Tumblr:
@rockergirlfriend
I might do commissions or trades in the future. I just need to finish some projects first.
Thank you for having me! <3