Yeah, it'd be sweet. :) On the other hand, it feels like some of those robotic upgrades are the only advantage synthetics even have. Stupid weak synthetics. :( And some of them are semi-equivalent to bio/cyber options, which would unfairly allow biomorphs to get even more advantages. At least they're all incredibly vulnerable to shock, I guess.

*shrug* Bios can get like 24 hours without too much trouble, depending on how you do that math. That's more of a GM-controlled situation. It's true they have some disadvantages, but the balance is illogically in their favor.

Why would you have a combat-focused PC in EP? The point is that bio's have better Apts (even when it's illogical), if you leave out purpose-built combat monsters (esp. reapers).

I think that's really not the case, though. Things like eating, sleeping, and longevity are (at best) plot-conditional GM-imposed limitations, and a biomorph can get the same huge amounts of armor as any other (roughly humanoid) morph. It's only things like the reaper (which really is more of a military vehicle than a morph) that stand out. I take it, personally, as given that playing as a reaper tank is not fun or good. :) And, obviously, the Remade can just wear a Battlesuit. But this is all by the way. The point is that stealing synthetic-only options in an asymmetric way is probably bad. My mention that the *stats* for synthetics in EP illogically/annoyingly makes them weaker (even in some areas only) was just a personal side note.

Yes, the Steel Morph, the first (finally!) synthetic that's on par with biomorphs (and even then, it's roughly equal). And we had to get it from an expansion, and you can't get the slightly better version without the morphing skin. Synthetics *should* be much better. They should be vastly tougher, stronger, faster, etc., and they're not.

*shrug* You can take the identical advice, then. :) I can't compare your PCs because I can't see them, and I don't accept your assumption that DUR/armor is the main goal anyway. I understand that if you prefer to play EP as combat, it does change the equation, but I think I put that clearly out there. Even then, there's a level of 'tough' beyond which who cares, and the bios can just hop in a Battlesuit, etc. Once again, this is all aside. I think the point that bios shouldn't 'steal' robotic enhancements asymmetrically holds even if you consider them to be significantly inferior to synthetics; in addition, as was mentioned, the GM would have to judge each possible cyberlimb mod pretty carefully to see if they make sense. I do think some form of cyberlimb modding is reasonable for the setting, of course.

OneTrikPony wrote:

ZeroSum wrote:

Plus there's the fact that some of them (the pneumatic limbs for one) [i]would require a fully synthetic body just to handle the stress of using them[/i] without your arm tearing itself off.

[i]emphasis mine[/i] Um. nope. It's a small point but I get kinda tired of the "it'll tear your arms off" argument here's some (kind of equivalent) specs. http://www.equipmentland.com/categories/jackhammers/index.shtml These are the tools I use every day. sometimes all damn day. and I don't have a synthetic body (yet) the book says 1500 lbs of thrust. I don't know what thrust means in reference to a pneumatic tool or why even the transhuman society of EP cant seem to do away with the fucking US Customary Units. However it seems to fit within the realm of what we already know and use by hand today; something that would (almost) double the force of a normal person's punch or double the height a morph of "human size and weight" can jump. Basically this gear = Jackhammer and jackhammers do not rip arms off.

The moving parts of the jackhammer only oscillate back and forth, it doesn't swing a full 50-150cm like a real punch does. That changes things greatly.

Frankly, the first thing I told my players when we were making the characters was "I play using the CP2020 motto: If the players want a fight, the GM has the whole world and tons of reasons to end up using armies if needed." (It sounds better than "if the players get too cocky, kill'em" XD). Translated to "if you go around with heavy weaponry, shooting everything, in a while military-grade units will take action. And let's not mention that, if they want, they can get all your backups". If you played GTA 3+, then it's like going around shooting people. Then cops. Then soldiers. But in EP there is no "safe spots" where the mobs can't reach you while you play "shoot the duck". Translated to: even if my players go around in frigging reapers (specially then!) I have more than enough tools to stop them. Also, I would like to say something that has been said here about synthmorphs: you can vacate a cyberbrain as a free action, NOT egocast. There is no rule that prevents a biomorph from having a cyberbrain. And any morph can install a farcaster for instant-egocast. By the way, there is an NPC in "The stars our destination" book with a bouncer morph with 2 cyberlimb plus installed. There is no extra implants, however. I would, anyway, allow for extra biological arms. I mean, where is the problem with that? Finally, yes, synthmorphs are really underpowered compared to what they needed to be. However, I'd use two or three arguments to explain the situation of synth VS bio: first, intentional design. Biochauvinism is very present among the rulin classes in sunward, so you can assume that synthmorphs are designed to be sub-par with biomorphs. This also serves the purpose of population control (18 months per biomorph Vs a week at most for synthmorphs) and the continous existance of the indentured system (since the demand for morphs is so much higher than the offer). The Steel morph, designed by synth-supportees, seems to prove this point. The second reason would be that EP is TRANShuman, not POSThuman. Exhumans would be more inclined to leave their flesh behind to keep "evolving", but to most humans a synthmorph is not really like being alive (specially if the only thing they had to test it was a cheap case). The third reason, related to the second, would be that human minds in EP are not really ready to handle a synthmorph, ,and that AGIs are desgined to be so like humans that they suffer (to a lesser degree) the same limitations. This would mean that synthmorphs might have better stats, but those stats are lost thanks to "compatibility issues", so to speak. Obviously, Infomorphs would point some questions if that is the case, but it can be explained with the "imagine it, it happens", or something like that... Of course, the Reaper would need a little more explanation. I'd say that it has some LAI programs to help controlling it, explaining all the stuff that morph is so good at.