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[Empiricist]

That's a balance thing. If there were no downsides to synthflesh, there would never be a reason to not get it if you could afford it.

Other than it's ugly. And hard to find clothes proper size. You should know.

You say that like it's actually important.

It's important for Ulrich.

Who?

His character. Someone currently involved in black operations where being completely mechanical, or worse, synthflesh is going to draw a lot of attention and possibly blow his cover.

Or maybe some better genemods that only humans can take.

Let me handle that department.

Some people enjoy having mostly safe treatments. 

Considering that genetic manipulation spawned the Altered, I wouldn't call it mostly safe either. It's just a different way of becoming less human.

[Execute/Dumbo.exe]

I am now totally set on never having any genetic or mechanical body modifications.

That includes something like an avatar where you get needles inserted into you to control it.
Or is that the Avatar of War?

[Empiricist]

Yep, it's the Avatar of War where you get nerve nodes drilled in and your legs get amputated.

[Execute/Dumbo.exe]

Yep, it's the Avatar of War where you get nerve nodes drilled in and your legs get amputated.

I can imagine how someone buying that would say it:
"Yes, I want to get my legs amputated and to get Nerve nodes drilled into my flesh to control a nearly unstoppable Avatar of war, sacrificing my humanity for the purpose of battle and to become only useless meat whenever there is peace."

[Empiricist]

You aren't really sacrificing your humanity, just aspects of your human form.

You speak of humanity as a commodity which can easily be discarded, a bauble you can cast aside of your own volition. A rather egotistical idea, to be honest. Humanity is not something that can be done away with voluntarily anymore then it may be gained voluntarily.

Unless the mental blocks get disengaged. Then all bets are off.

[sambojin]

@Dumbo. You can try all you want. Then you wake up with robotic bits anyway. That's ER for you.....

On the subject of new systems. Yeah, go for your life PW. It's your game. However much re-statting and remechanicing you want to do is up to you. I will say something for the current system though. It works, and it works pretty well. RPing and basic actions don't need rolls, other ones do, but we don't know the modifiers in play anyway, so from a player perspective it's fine. Post action, see result of action. It's a great system.

On dynamic bonuses, I'd prefer them to be the same as they are, but the player has to be specific on use. Prepare Con bonus by readying my rifle and looking for any targets on the horizon is fine. Imma charging my Exo bonus isn't. Imma charging my Exo bonus to heat an area/use against the Eater/prepare for incoming enemies from the north is (one of those three, not all). A bit of specifity to explain the action gives both a reason for the bonus, and explains what a character is doing.

For amps/manips, it shows that you're pre-calcing an effect/area/target/type of amp to be used. For con weapons, it gives a stance or area or target. Even for ephemeral things like Will bonuses, it should be specified (I'm charging my will bonus to ward off possession is fine, but you won't get the bonus if you have to do a Will roll for something else). Readying an Uncon bonus could be "Ready my Uncon bonus as I prepare to slice his head off with my mono-razor", you're not going to get it if you decide to use explosives or a manip next turn. Maybe being really specific with your readying of bonus could give a better bonus, while fairly general readying gives imperfect decompensator levels of help. If target, or use, or weapon, or area is specified, then a decent (current) bonus could be given. But regardless, it should be posted as a part of an action. Readying a bonus isn't an action in of itself, you just can't do much else while you're doing it. Give a reason for getting the bonus and it's fine. Imma walking, talking and chargin my Con bonus is a pretty shitty reason for getting the bonus (that's all we do half the time anyway. Walk and talk). That'd give you the worst decomp bonus, because it's a shitty action and explains nothing.

Take a run-up, flex your muscles, prepare your mind, put on your most shit-eating grin, but do it for a specific purpose. Then these bonuses are fine. It'll also make it a lot better to read, the action more fluid, a heap easier on PW for success/fail states, and we can work out what the fuck other people's character are actually doing (or attempting to do).

Sambo's got three Con weapons. He probably should give a vague indication of what one he's aiming, and maybe a general idea of where, why or how before he gets any sort of dynamic bonus for it. Otherwise he'll just charge away. It's even worse with multi manip or amp users. So levels of bonus, depending on specifity of the readying/charging action seems a good way to do it.

[Empiricist]

Yeah, it's easy to retain your humanity but very difficult to remain human.

For what it's worth, there is speculation that perhaps there is some hidden advantage in doing so, yet we have see any. Biological and mechanical enhancements both seem to provide numerous advantages with minimal side-effects. Perhaps, there is no benefit in remaining fully human, perhaps we are just clinging onto archaic, arbitrary ideals that do nothing but expose us more to various threats within a largely hostile and uncaring universe.

After all, it doesn't even have that cyberpunk idea that enhancements erode away at humanity and there's nothing (bar token costs) to prevent anyone from just buying a vat grown body should it turn out later there is something that requires a fully human form to harness. Plus as long as you aren't overly inhuman in visage, a layer of Xanflesh could still let you pass off as an ordinary, though fat human being should it be necessary.

[Execute/Dumbo.exe]

Yeah, it's easy to retain your humanity but very difficult to remain human.

For what it's worth, there is speculation that perhaps there is some hidden advantage in doing so, yet we have see any. Biological and mechanical enhancements both seem to provide numerous advantages with minimal side-effects. Perhaps, there is no benefit in remaining fully human, perhaps we are just clinging onto archaic, arbitrary ideals that do nothing but expose us more to various threats within a largely hostile and uncaring universe.

After all, it doesn't even have that cyberpunk idea that enhancements erode away at humanity and there's nothing (bar token costs) to prevent anyone from just buying a vat grown body should it turn out later there is something that requires a fully human form to harness.

Yhea, my idea of keeping my human body In the game is mostly just for fun, to see how long I can survive.

[kj1225]

Yeah, it's easy to retain your humanity but very difficult to remain human.

For what it's worth, there is speculation that perhaps there is some hidden advantage in doing so, yet we have see any. Biological and mechanical enhancements both seem to provide numerous advantages with minimal side-effects. Perhaps, there is no benefit in remaining fully human, perhaps we are just clinging onto archaic, arbitrary ideals that do nothing but expose us more to various threats within a largely hostile and uncaring universe.

After all, it doesn't even have that cyberpunk idea that enhancements erode away at humanity and there's nothing (bar token costs) to prevent anyone from just buying a vat grown body should it turn out later there is something that requires a fully human form to harness.

Yhea, my idea of keeping my human body In the game is mostly just for fun, to see how long I can survive.

Yeah, basically the same for me.

Although the most obvious thing I can think of is that mechanical bodies would be more supcepitble to things electronics are. Like EMPs. Or hacking. Of course, it's unlikely for that to happen but still...

[sambojin]

Biggish edit to above post. What are people's thoughts on similar, but specific dynamic bonuses to what we have now?

[Execute/Dumbo.exe]

Yeah, it's easy to retain your humanity but very difficult to remain human.

For what it's worth, there is speculation that perhaps there is some hidden advantage in doing so, yet we have see any. Biological and mechanical enhancements both seem to provide numerous advantages with minimal side-effects. Perhaps, there is no benefit in remaining fully human, perhaps we are just clinging onto archaic, arbitrary ideals that do nothing but expose us more to various threats within a largely hostile and uncaring universe.

After all, it doesn't even have that cyberpunk idea that enhancements erode away at humanity and there's nothing (bar token costs) to prevent anyone from just buying a vat grown body should it turn out later there is something that requires a fully human form to harness.

Yhea, my idea of keeping my human body In the game is mostly just for fun, to see how long I can survive.

Yeah, basically the same for me.

Although the most obvious thing I can think of is that mechanical bodies would be more supcepitble to things electronics are. Like EMPs. Or hacking. Of course, it's unlikely for that to happen but still...

Plus, you can actually get EMP shielding, 5 tokens for more vital functions, 6 for a complete job.

[Empiricist]

I'd recommend getting something like a Battlesuit or Protectorate Suit (or Protectorate Suit inside and linked to a Battlesuit) and keeping the hell away from space magic. Especially when it's wielded by teammates
As for dynamic bonuses, I personally prefer Kriellya's idea of being able to trade power and security in lieu of charging those bonuses. Since that allows for more varied options and doesn't hamper the flow of the game by having something gained by effectively being inactive.

[Unholy_Pariah]

wtb magic stone of keeps away space magicians

also using the automorphica to get pill machine ideas. starting with greater demon was a terrible idea if rather epic in result.

[Empiricist]

What does the doppelganger effect do anyway in automorphica? Does it people mistake a giant skull-faced lemon tree with a crippling fear aura controlled by the passage of the spheres for Bob from accounting? Or does it make people mistake a giant skull-faced lemon tree with a crippling fear aura controlled by the passage of the spheres for a different giant skull-faced lemon tree with a crippling fear aura controlled by the passage of the spheres somewhere else in the universe?

[Unholy_Pariah]

i think doppelganger means it can imitate bob from accounting, or steve from management, or anyone else to trick you.

but yeah, i rolled a gliding pyromaniac allosaurus god with its own fortress and demon retinue that could only be killed by having an angry god bitch slap it out of existence.