Reading the section on backups, resleeving an Ego Bridges, I am a little unsure whether the default system requires synthmorphs to utilise an Ego Bridge in order to back up the cyberbrain's state.
The relevant passage is:
The ego bridge then builds a digital copy of the person’s brain, which is stored away in the service’s highly secure, off-the-mesh, hardwired data vaults. In the case of pods, the ego bridge scans the biological brain bits and also accesses the cyberbrain to copy the parts of the ego residing there. For synthmorphs, who have no biological brain, the process is much simpler, as it simply requires accessing and making a copy of their cyberbrain.
While the part about cyberbrains is in a paragraph beginning with mention of an ego bridge, it doesn't seem clear to me that one is or should be required in order to back up a cyberbrain.
This is further implied in the Resleeving section, which both allows for instantaneous evacuation of a cyberbrain and for instant uploading of a backup into a cyberbrain, apparently without the need for an Ego Bridge.
Ruling this myself I am inclined to allow backups and resleeving to be made on the fly from synthmorphs without the requirement for an ego bridge, but it would be good to get an official clarification.
well i dont have an official opinion, but the resleeving times for cyberbrains seem to back you up. the fluff suggests that theyre essentially "brain emulators" that run you in software, and that egos can be transfered to and from them directly over the mesh or through whatever data transfer mechanism you like.
i also get the impression that the rules-light nature of EP isnt so much about "official rulings" on every little topic, as much as its about GM interpretation. The Devs often post things along the lines of "this is what we were imagining when we wrote it, but do what you want."
i also get the impression that the rules-light nature of EP isnt so much about "official rulings" on every little topic, as much as its about GM interpretation. The Devs often post things along the lines of "this is what we were imagining when we wrote it, but do what you want."
A decent answer to most questions on this board.
I quite agree that GM interpretation is fine, and as I said I am be inclined to rule it that one can change instantly.
However, this may not be what the designers intended, and it does have implications on game balance and player freedom because it allows synthmorphs a considerably higher degree of freedom when it comes to moving morph etc.
Obviously I haven't playtested the game extensively whilst the designers have and that is why I would value confirmation of whether it was intended for all backup and resleeving operations to require the use of an Ego Bridge.
I can of course try it this way first and change my mind later, but I'd rather have a consistent rule all the way along.
Game balance is a concern, to be sure, but a player is going to argue the realism angle. "Computer brain, just plug it in, no bridge needed." Heck, I'd accept that argument. ;-)
You don't need an ego bridge to back up a synth. The function of an ego bridge is to deploy a specialized swarm of nanobots that can map out a biological brain (for backups), or to actually perform the transfer of consciousness (in the case of resleeving).
The last sentence says everything relevant. Ego bridges are only necessary for when a biological brain is involved, a cyberbrain simply requires a means to access it; a fiberoptic cable and a solid-state drive are all you require to back up your cyberbrain, and you can take out the drive if you're just transferring from morph to morph. It is intended to be this easy.