When this really happens I certainly hope that I wouldn't be stuck with robot dildo fingers for not having enough credits to get a real arm.
How and where does Steele have the option to become a Cyborg?
- Thread starter Kiwirar
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*sigh* you bring up a good point. The world that TiTS resides in is already at the point where most if not all the interesting elements of cybernetics have already been wrapped up with a pretty bow. There are no downsides to them either though. No struggle with the inability to feel- (pretty sure) Burt has a robo dick with complete tactile sensation intact. Hell, this world has strapons made of light with tactile sensation that can be controlled with a dial. No struggle with what it means to be <insert race here>, since this is a world where any identity issue can be solved by jamming an epipen into your arm. In TiTS land, cybers may as well just be another race; if anything I'd say identity would be heavily devalued due to how malleable everything is. The only thing that keeps it from being completely devalued is that shit costs money unless you like rolling the dice on your body.
The only benefit of cybernetics is that they're generally stronger, more resilient, and capable of higher dexterity than their fleshy counterparts. Gene-modding is no doubt capable of that too, but so far it's only been used as a superficial part swap; to change attributes and not enhance them, which brings that into question as well.
All in all, you're right in that TiTS lore has relegated cybernetics to being nothing more than the poor man's medical plan. I just thought cybernetics would be really cool to have a bunch of stuff for, but the more I think about it, the more it feels like trying to jam a circular peg into a square hole.
Maybe this is all just setting the stage for some cybernetic revolution. What if the only reason why cybernetics are being seen as "weaker" than biotics is because that's what the cyborgs have been conditioning everyone to think? TiTs is a universe where people are accustomed to seeing cyborgs daily, but those cyborgs are equipped with parts that purposely limit their power, so as to lull the general populace into a sense of complacency.
Meanwhile, on a distant planet, hidden from the prying eyes of the galactic federation, a hidden society of cyborgs is teeming. They look to recruit disfranchised members of the core worlds, ex-soldiers who were denied proper medical coverage, farmers who were denied insurance after accidents, merchants and ship captains (like a certain red haired puppy...) who were unable to afford their medical bills, into their fold. But while to the ordinary members of the cyborg society, their hidden world with its chrome covered buildings is a utopia, some members of upper echelons of this secret nation are planning an assault onto the rest of the universe. TiTs planet number [REDACTED]: Haceldonga, never coming soon to a holo-terminal near you!
Meanwhile, on a distant planet, hidden from the prying eyes of the galactic federation, a hidden society of cyborgs is teeming. They look to recruit disfranchised members of the core worlds, ex-soldiers who were denied proper medical coverage, farmers who were denied insurance after accidents, merchants and ship captains (like a certain red haired puppy...) who were unable to afford their medical bills, into their fold. But while to the ordinary members of the cyborg society, their hidden world with its chrome covered buildings is a utopia, some members of upper echelons of this secret nation are planning an assault onto the rest of the universe. TiTs planet number [REDACTED]: Haceldonga, never coming soon to a holo-terminal near you!
That's what I was thinking, as opposed to everyone talking about limbs getting chopped off and/or the scene being really gruesome and detailed. I figured it would just gloss over the losing part and go straight to "you're down a limb, to the spess hospital with you!"
I definitely see cybernetics as something the player would do by choice. Generally we only see cybernetics today as a treatment because the technology is very primitive and because transhumanist ideas are not all that politically correct.
Cybernetic augmentation has the potential to be much more dramatic and do a lot more things than biological augmentation. Biological systems have quite a few limitations, for example they only tend to use a very limited subset of materials eg no metals. Engineering a complex gene mod from scratch is also much harder than building a cybernetic components as genetics is a super complicated mess of crazy undesigned interactions. You could get more more complex mods out of cybernetics than would be feasible through genetic modification. Things like a swiss army knife hand with many roles and a micro-rocket built in. That would never evolve, and bio-engineering it would be extraordinarily difficult. It could be done much more easily and effectively through cybernetics.
I powerful cybernetic components would be cool for very expensive late game modifications. I think they would be more rather than less expensive than biological mods (after all manufacturing a custom arm is a lot more expensive than producing a syringe full of genmod). But could potentially grant abilities, have high stats or allow unique looks that are not possible through biology alone.
Cybernetic augmentation has the potential to be much more dramatic and do a lot more things than biological augmentation. Biological systems have quite a few limitations, for example they only tend to use a very limited subset of materials eg no metals. Engineering a complex gene mod from scratch is also much harder than building a cybernetic components as genetics is a super complicated mess of crazy undesigned interactions. You could get more more complex mods out of cybernetics than would be feasible through genetic modification. Things like a swiss army knife hand with many roles and a micro-rocket built in. That would never evolve, and bio-engineering it would be extraordinarily difficult. It could be done much more easily and effectively through cybernetics.
I powerful cybernetic components would be cool for very expensive late game modifications. I think they would be more rather than less expensive than biological mods (after all manufacturing a custom arm is a lot more expensive than producing a syringe full of genmod). But could potentially grant abilities, have high stats or allow unique looks that are not possible through biology alone.
As soon as I read this I envisioned some newly encountered (or accidentally created) race that has the innate ability to regenerate/reattach limbs and hasn't met any race without that ability. You "lose" the fight when it hacks off an arm or leg then totally panics when blood starts gushing and it suddenly realizes your physiology works totally different than they do.
Something like this would have to happen either shortly after landing or right outside an outpost on a newly discovered planet - perhaps manned by robots/Galotians/grey goos to explain their confusion with the way you heal - in order for you to be able to get medical attention early enough to stop the bleeding.
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When I first saw the possibility of this mechanic in this wiki I imagined it as being something that you'd only get in some sort of clinic, like you'd choose the enhancement go under anesthesia and wake up with whatever it is no description of the procedure necessary.
Also a lot of people have been bringing up how cybernetic enhancements are generally a low cost alternative to biological augmentation, but isn't it mentioned in the codex description of the gabilani that they actually made significant advancements in the bio-mechanical fields?
Also a lot of people have been bringing up how cybernetic enhancements are generally a low cost alternative to biological augmentation, but isn't it mentioned in the codex description of the gabilani that they actually made significant advancements in the bio-mechanical fields?