From: allens@yang.earlham.edu (Allen Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.games.cyber
Subject: Re:  Cyberspace vs Cyberpunk 2020 vs GURPS cyberp
Date: 1 Oct 92 05:58:26 GMT
	   .COM> <1992Sep28.212350.29729@Veritas.COM> <1992Sep30.192705.4991@Veritas.CO
	  M>
Organization: Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana
Archive-Name: rgc714

In article <1992Sep30.192705.4991@Veritas.COM>, jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu writ
   es:
> allens@yang.earlham.edu (Allen Smith) writes:
>>jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu writes:
>>        Strong Will, however, I can see. If it senses that you're trying
>>to overcome an emotion, for instance, and itself fires impulses that help
>>to inhibit the emotion, then it could do it. The stronger the inhibitory
>>signals, the more will. Now, one might ask why then it's cost per level in
>>cash rather than a flat-out cost for the maximum available. However, this
>>can be explained by that the more powerful the neural stimulation/inhibition,
>>the better the accuracy of firing needs to be for proper functioning.
>>        In other words, one could probably get a strong will chip that
>>cost less, but it'd cause some side effects- such as damping out all
>>emotions in a group instead of just the one that one was trying to
>>overcome. A bit of a problem....
>
>       I would imagine that damping emotions would just make one listless
> and uninspired rather than strong-willed. In my game, I had a tailored
> drug which deadened empathy - it made its users into machines who could
> kill without remorse, because subconciously they did not even recognize
> the targets as human - just moving images. This is a far cry from shelling
> out some bucks to get a higher Will roll, however.

        In my experience (I may be biased), most of the things for which
I'd need Strong Will are dampening emotions (I have what GURPS would call
the Berserk disad, for instance). Interesting idea for the drug, though...
>
>       The point is that the GURPS cyberware was not designed along the
> lines of reasonable technological innovation, but rather just finding
> technological excuses for the existing list of advantages. This is why you
> do not find these sort of side-effects being listed with the Strong Will
> chip, and why there are all sorts of inconsistancies in the rest of the tech.

        I'd agree that there are inconsistencies. However, if they were
simply listing all the mental advantages, they'd've listed a lot more.
>
>       For example, there are a couple of cyberwares which are incredibly
> invasive and altering (like sealing the body against vacuum, and putting
> compressed air cartridges and a motor in the lungs), while some basic ideas
> are missed - like expanding lung capacity for greater activity, filters in
> the throat, etc.

        Yes, those are complicated. However, the first idea you name
wouldn't work and the second is complicated in and of itself. Lung
capacity isn't the limiting factor currently, it's the circulatory system.
I've come up with some ideas for boosting effective fatigue or fatigue
recovery rates; I can dig them up if anyone is interested. The second
(filters in the throat) is made difficult by: 1. cleaning the filters; 2.
mucus. What are you going to do with all the mucus that gets regularly
dumped down the throat (and I'm not meaning just to the stomach)?
        -Allen