If they want to have a custom model of morph, it's quite easy, frankly, they just need to make the design, test it a lot, make one grown and then test it more. And congratulations, they now have, after 3-4 years of game, the prototype of a new morph model. Sadly, they have to travel a lot, meaning that morph will be quite useless, at least until they manage to make it widespread. Which would mean anybody with the resources/rep could sleeve into one, balancing the situation again. All this would be like nearly 10 years... Or if we are talking about a synthmorph, then things are much easier: desing, test, get a big enough Cornucopia Machine, assemble, test: about 1 month (if you have all the needed resources, that is); selling the design to widespread avaiability: about 1-2 years (if it's a model as expensive as a Steel Morph. For a case-level one, maybe some months). Of course, if we are talking about a settlement in an exoplanet, then having an overpowered morph in exclusive might be easier and more practical. So, welcome to the island of Dr. Moureau. Don't you love how any idea the PC's have can be turned against them? ^^

In that case, no. The listed morphs are certainly not the only ones in the setting. They are the only ones in the *game*, until you (GM) decide to change that. :) In the EP *setting*, more or less everything imaginable exists, if it's not impossible (so far).

I agree with Arenamontanous, add to that the wide array of customizations any morph can have (sex, appearance... and, well, the stat modifcations). I'd describe a wider array of morphs around the players, specially when they are out of corporative space (and we better don't start talking about scum barges, or the Carnival of the Goat XD), the fartest you go from the sun, the more likely that exotic morphs are around. Of course, you can handwave the player's request to try those morphs by making them not avaiable for egocasters for any number of reasons, the most common being that those are customized morphs, not mass produced models. As for the adding of morphs, it can be explained as "those morphs entered the mass production phase recently" and the first widely distributed units are reaching now the market. Remember, the first thing you have to keep in your mind when playing a game with Cornucopia Machines is time. In other games, gold, credits, etc... determine what you can get; here is how much time can you invest fabbing items.

The other consideration is that morphs with specific equipment/traits may actually [i]be[/i] bone-stock standard 'Company X' models rather than 'a modified Fury'. So that sylph with low pain tolerance isn't a 'dysfunctional standard sylph', it's a series redesign run off by Skinaesthesia to Experia's specifications that was designed to have exceptional neurotransmitter sensitivity and throughput for use by XP stars. This particular sylph-like morph is generally more sensitive, but the pain sensitivity is the only element significant enough to be noteworthy in game play. The Experia Sensynth line is overall a great way to go through life, enjoying to the fullest every sensory experience you're a part of...Which is all kinds of fun until someone puts an eye out. <_<

I feel like that's asking how many types of Linux are there :) Sure, there's maybe 8 'big names', with a hundred lesser flavors, and multiple versions of all of them. But then if I take my Mint linux box and spend a few months modifying it, is it still Mint or something else? I generally just settle that there's 'a lot' of morphs. However, I don't generally let the PCs mess around with the crunch (unless they're genehackers or something). There are plenty of options out there already.

jackgraham wrote:

So there's a lot of room in the setting for more morph types, with the understanding that the vast majority of humans prefer a Splicer, Bouncer, Hazer, Ruster, Flat, or one of the other common types.

It may be because I'm sleep-deprived and don't have my books nearby, but what's a Hazer morph? Colin

Hazers are mentioned in passing in Core. They'll appear fully fleshed out in Rimward.

In the interest of preparing a game that caters to my group I will generally accept "what about" or "hey can we" requests at the outset of a new batch of characters. That is if the player is within the "learning curve" of a new system. Once they've been going for four or five sessions (months for us) I lock down the special requests for subsequent new batches of PC's because these requests tend to come from a less honest place in the creative center of my players' brains and begin to devolve into (somewhat inocently at first) "turning five guns into one gun" or the more tropist "powergaming." This pretty much holds true for any of the game systems I own/play/run. In addressing the OP, it is entirely up to you how many morph choices there are. I just started my first EP campaign and my boys are rolling in Flats in the Jovian Republic. Lack of morph selection in the published books is limited only by the lack of omniscience of the writers (*attempt at tongue-in-cheek*curse them and their inability to give us every concievable mass-produced morph in the far future concisely written in the core rulebook!). You have to gauge whether or not your players are attempting to bolt a [Rules Loophole] to their [In-Game Rules Construct]. If they are doing it to fit a character concept I'd pat you on the back for providing a new morph choice. However, if their "character concept" is simply cross-pollinating advantages in order to cheese the game in some way then I'd recommend that they need to be checked at the door because it will not make their character "more fun," and will have unforseen consequences at some [Game Mechanics Scenario]. In my experience these are players that are affraid of having their cake and not also getting to eat it. If (after deciding that a custom morph choice is out at char-gen) they feel like you are lobotomizing their frontal fun-lobe then simply set their desire for a new custom gene-tailored morph as a goal or motivation for the character. Then they can work toward the ultimate pinnacle of biomorphology, which could be much more entertaining to GM for and play with (ie. Okay Ted Yao's prototype is finally done and...dude Ted you realize that that thing has purple scales right?...damn Carnival of the Goat hackers!).

Personnaly, as a rule of thumb, I would say that what morph is available at resleeving time depends on two things: -your insurrance (I think it's in the Gear chapter somewhere) your broker might not have the license for this special morph you're so fond of. So either your premium fee goes up (he gotta acquire the license and the morph or at least its blue prints), or you go without and pick one of the model he offers -your MoS on your Networking roll or Research roll. It's not all to know what Morph is available, you have to know WHERE and to WHOM you need to talk to in order to get it. And if it's SAFE. Suuuure, you got that nice Sylph for a sweet price range. But did you know that this one Sylph that you got for a [HIGH] price range instead of [EXPENSIVE] had been so (ab)used on Locus that the only things that didn't get on that poor thing are the shuttles? Or were they? Such thing would do weird thing to your rep, in those places, if you're not careful! Now, if your GM is a bit of a prankster he or she could always say "okay, sure, take it." then writes in his/her notes: "I just found the RRRIIIIGHT target for that adventure next week! This is gonna be so much fun!"