I figure that most things we do as humans, we could do in a synthmorph body without any or much trouble and enjoy just as much.
Except sex. It is far from obvious that your preferences change and you're unlikely to find human partners attracted to synthmorphs.
First, what are egos sleeved in synthmorphs attracted to?
A. Same as original. They want (the experience of) warm, soft, human partners.
B. They're attracted to other synthmorphs. Maybe through psychosurgery, a feature of cyberbrains, sexuality is tied to self body image, or some other mechanism.
C. They have no sex drive, but enjoy other types of experience (presumably very few would willingly lose their sex drive unless something else took its place - even though you wouldn't miss it as such it would be a reduction of life quality)
How do they have sex?
1. In simulspace or VR.
2. With AR. Two synthmorphs have sex with appropriate overlays and AR genitalia that provide proper sensory feedback, so to them it looks and feels like "human" sex.
3. Synthmorphs actually have erogenous zones.
The way I see it, most are A1, some A2, with a few extremists who alter their minds and go the B3 or C route.
What is your take on it?
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Synthmorphs and sex
Sun, 2012-09-16 17:44
#1
Smokeskin
Synthmorphs and sex
Sun, 2012-09-16 19:07
#2
Gantolandon
I'd rather assume that, if
I'd rather assume that, if you want sex, sleeving in a syntmorph is not an option. First, human sexual drive is very much much affected by hormones (like testosterone), which an artificial body lacks. Theoretically, this would be possible to be emulated by the cyberbrain, but why would anyone induce a drive which would be very hard to satisfy?
Having sex beyond simulspaces would be an uphill battle. Most synthmorphs are either built for some specific goals or are cheap models designed only to provide the ego a body and nothing more. There is hardly anything hot in them. Some people may have fetishes which could attract them towards a completely artificial body (steel most likely), but, considering social stigma, there won't be many of them.
I don't think many synthmorphs will bother except maybe the wealthier and more eccentric ones. The ones that can afford necessary modification probably already can afford a splicer that lets them do not only that, but also actually taste food, smell things, feel the muscles aching after a training session, and much more.
Of course, there is always simulspace, so A1 is always an option.
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Sun, 2012-09-16 21:33
#3
Decivre
I would say that a synthmorph
I would say that a synthmorph with synthetic masking is likely to be have all the necessary parts for sexual attraction and activity. Otherwise, there are probably limiters in your cyberbrain that keep your simulated hormones from getting kicked up too much. You'll probably feel the same attractions as you did in a biological body, but dulled so that you don't have an excessive urge to do something you can't do (again, unless you have a synthetic mask).
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Mon, 2012-09-17 08:38
#4
Xagroth
Considering there is an
Considering there is an implant around there that lets you control your body responses (it gives bonuses to lying, I think, and it also allows you to activate a +speed bioimplant at will instead of "when in the mood"), control of sexual desires in the physical sense can be applied to all bodies if desired.
Now, if we talk about the pure "breeding instinct", it will be there unless you use some sort of psychosurgery, or we are talking about some sort of crazy person. Or an AGI. and if we talk about the need for comfort and company, there are no need for sexual intercourse to satisfy those.
Anyway, remember it is a matter of minutes to leave or sleeve a synthmorph, and you can always go to a simulspace for a "quick relief", be it with other people or with programs (the muses seems to be a widely present option in that regard for a lot of NPCs, by the way).
And of course, there is the ocasional kinky fetishist who wants "cold steel", but I think sex toys are cheaper than synthmorphs...
Mon, 2012-09-17 08:48
#5
Arenamontanus
There is a difference between
There is a difference between morphs worn out of necessity and choice. The necessity morphs will be just good enough to do what they were intended for, and that likely excludes a lot of the joys of the flesh. Sleeving into them will require overruling some pretty key parts of the midbrain anyway, since you don't want to have them feel like they are asphyxiating or hungry. So turning off the right parts of the hypothalamus makes complete sense. They could of course run simulspace sex, but unless they turn on the drive beforehand they will not want it. (I can see some fun marital dramas based around this)
Note that many people strongly define themselves by their sexual habits, so being forced to change them is going to be resisted. As long as they have to in order to survive, no problem. But as soon as they feel they have been cheated on something - even if they do not really *want* it - grumbling will begin.
Synthmorphs designed to be nice to inhabit will likely have much more choice. Not just in the "fully functional and anatomically correct" aspects, but also in regulation of the hypothalamic drives. I can totally imagine some people deciding that "once you go steel, you never go back" - there are a lot of stuff you can do if your cyberbrain architecture allows you to remap erogenous zones, you add preprocessing or tactile AR features, or you add modular erotic organs. With the right universal adapters anybody and anything is potentially compatible...
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Mon, 2012-09-17 09:17
#6
Smokeskin
Gantolandon wrote:I'd rather
Cyberbrains simulate hormonal effects and such, otherwise they'd be acting very differently from people with biological brains. You can even get emotional dampers for cyberbrains :)
I don't see the sex drive as being hard to satisfy at all, given simulspace. But if it was hard to satisfy your sex drive and sleeving in a synthmorph meant losing it, I don't see people willingly sleeving in synthmorphs at all, except for a relatively short posting or if they could replace it with something else (option C). Sex seems to be a pretty big deal to people, and I don't think people would be willing to give it up, even if they wouldn't miss it. Or am I wrong here, would many people be willing to give up that part of life?
To a lesser extent, what about the experience of eating? Do synthmorphs simulate that too? Do they miss the taste of chocolate and steaks?
Mon, 2012-09-17 12:07
#7
Arenamontanus
Smokeskin wrote:To a lesser
Of course. That is why there is such a huge market for good virtual food, not to mention food pornography XP.
(You thought current food porn TV was bad? Here you get involved in the making of the tastiest, most adventurous meals imaginable, and you get to both cook the food and eat it with the greatest dinner partners of the world!)
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Mon, 2012-09-17 16:16
#8
Gantolandon
It depends a lot of the
It depends a lot of the people who sleeve into synthmorphs. I rather assume that almost every transhuman would prefer a biomorph - it's not only easier to get used to, but also less prone to discrimination. Not to mention that more experiences are available without any special equipment. The only people that would choose something other would be:
1. The clanking masses. They are only sleeved in a syntmorphs because they can't afford a biomorph, so obviously they won't have any fancy toys like artificial erogenous zones. Some of them will probably just turn emulation of libido-related hormones off and abstain from any sexual activity at all. They may sometimes miss it, of course.
Others will just seek cheap ersatzes, like simulspace and XP (basically, cybering and porn). Most probably, they will be the ridiculed post-Fall analogue of basement dwellers.
2. People who need it for specific job. They will choose their morph purely according to the function it has to perform. It's possible they have a cyberbrain-equipped splicer to enjoy the pleasures of flesh, or at least are saving for one.
3. Syntmorph pride groups and other related transhumans. Many of these transhumans will probably be interested in having a satisfying sexual life, experimenting with various equipment and software. Probably they will avoid simulspace or at least use it sparingly, to not reinforce the negative stereotype of a sex-obsessed server dweller.
And there will be the ones who will assert that the whole point of having an artificial morph is being free from urges such as lust or hunger. They won't engage in sexual acts at all, considering it an evolutionary step forward. I see this as one of the main point of contention between various syntmorph groups.
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Mon, 2012-09-17 16:44
#9
Smokeskin
Gantolandon wrote:
No. Just because someone needs a synthmorph for their job, that doesn't mean they only care about their job and don't want a sexlife. And you can't just sleeve back and forth between morphs on a regular basis without accumulating stress and having days with negative modifiers (not to mention crit failure on the integration test).
In the outer system, synthmorphs are quite common and not looked down on, and in the inner system there are so many synthmorphs that sex will play a role. I don't really get your reasoning that can't afford biomorph implies can't afford sex.
Mon, 2012-09-17 17:59
#10
Gantolandon
Quote:No. Just because
Resleeving is not so bad if someone gets used to it ([i]Adaptability[/i] and [i]Right at Home[/i] traits). Cyberbrain makes this process quick. Especially in the outer system, people are used to it - physical travel is painfully slow, so egocasting is the only option. Even if someone doesn't like to resleeve too frequently, it's not hard to imagine he can afford several weeks of holidays inside a biomorph. It's the best option for professionals who are relatively well paid, so they don't need their synth body often. Otherwise, they always have simulspace.
And seriously, if you're a mercenary soldier, stealthy assasin or an ego hunter, you probably won't bother with installing erogenous zone mod in the morph you use for combat and infiltration. Not to mention that for some synths having sex would be most probably impossible. Arachnoid? Flexbot? Swarmanoid? Just... how?
It's not that you can't afford sex at all. It's just that biomorphs have this option already included when you buy one. You need to spend hard cash to have each of these things even a flat has for free, then actually find a partner who won't actually prefer a breathing lover. It will cost you probably more than buying a splicer, which can also drink real wine and feel its effects, taste chocolate and feel how comfortable is the chair it sits on.
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Mon, 2012-09-17 19:13
#11
GreyBrother
Gantolandon wrote:Not to
Love can bloom and will find a way :)
Well, except those that are androgynously built for whatever reason.
Mon, 2012-09-17 19:39
#12
Arenamontanus
GreyBrother wrote:Gantolandon
In fact, it might be worth writing about:
www.lambdaliterary.org/writers/subs/09/11/call-for-submissions-transhuma...
Hmm, maybe I should try my hand at a swarmanoid erotic story... (50 shades of ultraviolet?)
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Tue, 2012-09-18 02:26
#13
MirrorField
GreyBrother wrote:Gantolandon
I'm gonna call Rule 34.
'nuff said.
Tue, 2012-09-18 11:52
#14
GreyBrother
Yeah, that rule is about porn
Yeah, that rule is about porn, so there.
Anyway, i do think that people who have no other option to got synthmorph and can't afford implants or proper synthspace, will find a way to engage in "sex". Even swarmanoids, reapers (just google for those strange plane girls), and flexbots.
Especially flexbots.
Tue, 2012-09-18 12:53
#15
nezumi.hebereke
IMO, synthmorphs are
IMO, synthmorphs are considered second class for a reason. Reading through, the most reasonable reason would seem to be their lack of humanity. Plus, most of the synthmorphs really are designed for the poor, or people stuck doing a particular job for a wage. So with that in mind, I have no problem saying that most synthmorphs are not capable of relations, or if they are, they don't have the full physiological support to make those relations especially enjoyable. Sure, there are some morphs that do support that - but there are also cars equipped with pools. It's expensive and not very common.
Poor schlobs stuck in a synthmorph who want relationships can either save up and splurge for the upgrade, or enjoy the mesh like everyone else.
Tue, 2012-09-18 15:13
#16
Arenamontanus
nezumi.hebereke wrote:Poor
Or start hacking them. There are some upgrades you can get in those shops at the back of the souk that are reputed - among certain people - to be far better than what you get through a legit upgrade. Of course, others warn that they have all sorts of really nasty malware. And who in their right mind buys anything claimed to be a 'authentic Carnival of the Goat' blueprint?
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Wed, 2012-09-19 13:16
#17
nezumi.hebereke
The only thing worse than
The only thing worse than attaching poorly-cobbled electronics to my genitals would be wholly replacing my genitals with said poorly-cobbled electronics.
On further consideration, I will encourage all of my PCs in synthmorphs to get these sorts of after-market mods.