Build with Us
Hackaday Supercon
2024
Cyberpunk Bounty Hunting
Lightning talk · Technology for Immersive Experiences · Hackaday Supercon 2024
This talk connects hardware hacking to human connection: how Alleycat designs the Portable Data Node so bounty hunters and bounties can jack in, Quickdraw, and get back to role-play without a rulebook referee. The video below starts at Elli Furedy's segment (28:55–38:45) from Hackaday's post-conference lightning-talk compilation.
Our Ethos
How we define success at Neotropolis:
- Engaging, invites exploration and curiosity
- Accessible, usable without a tech background
- Fun, play and ease at the center
The tech should be clear enough to pick up without much instruction. People of all backgrounds should benefit. Every interaction should feel memorable.
How We Got Here
| Generation | Year | Hardware |
|---|---|---|
| Data Crypt | 2022 | Analog laser-cut acrylic, capture-the-flag, heavy staff paperwork. Eight week build window beofore Neo. |
| Proto-PDN | 2023 | Arduino Pro Mini + breakout boards, 3D printed shells. Fixed Hunter/Bounty wiring on 3.5 mm serial, not extendable. |
| PDN MK I | 2024 | Custom PCB, one device configurable for both roles via lighting and firmware. |
Alleycat mandate going into 2024: build something that lasts more than one year. No more reinventing manufacturing from scratch every Neo.
PDN hardware (PDN MK I & II)
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| MCU | ESP32-S3 N8R8 |
| Display | SSD1309 128×64 OLED |
| LEDs | 19× WS2812B |
| Haptics | Vibration motor |
| Serial I/O | Serial over 3.5 mm (TX/RX/GND) |
| Input | 2× buttons |
| Power | USB-C, charging, programming, and JTAG (happy accident) |
| Dev environment | PlatformIO |
Design Failures (Lessons)
First PCB design started in KiCad in January 2024. Boards arrived five days before Neo. Custom PCBs, first-time ordering, and a four-board-in-one-project KiCad mistake all hurt. Other hits from the deck:
- 28 M2 screws, assembly far too complex
- Print geometry errors
- Charging and power LEDs the same color, operators could not read state at a glance
- Cable management
- Timelines, the recurring theme
Despite the crunch, Neo 2024 still landed: ~100+ unique players, top Hunter 115 captures over three days, top Bounty 42 evades. Our historical device count sheet lists 64 PDN MK I units in the field that year.
What's Next
- Open-source expansion: DIY tutorials and assembly manuals
- PDN expansion modules
- PvE and cooperative play modes
- New flavors beyond cyberpunk
Building & Running the Team
The closing half of the talk is about people, not GPIO:
- Curiosity
- Resilience
- Those who show up
Running a volunteer hardware team means honoring people's work and their time. PCBs landing five days before the event and asking the crew to sprint-build is not a sustainable pattern. Invite people to the table instead of expecting them to show up. Match roles to strengths. Build redundancy. Transfer knowledge deliberately.
"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." Write the manual.