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Message no. 1
From: "Jason Carter, Nightstalker" <CARTER@***.EDU>
Subject: Cybereyes vs Retinal Mod.
Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1993 11:50:00 -0800
Fahuir asked about cybereyes.

When eyes are replaced with cybereye replacement, the new eyes only have 20/20
normal human vision. Any other type of vision must be installed. The cybereyes
will hold 0.5 Essence worth of visual cyberware at no additional essence cost.

Instead of cybereye replacement, any eye enhancement can be added the existing
eyes as retinal modification. This generally cost more essence if more than one
enhancement is to be placed but has it advantages.

What are the advantages of retinal modification? If your human there are none,
but if your a metahuman you get to keep your natural vision. You might ask why
would they want to pay more essense to do that? Because metahuman low light
and thermographic vision are better than the cyber-versions.

To take Fahnuir's example, if an elf wants to have Low Light, Thermographic,
Flare Comp., and Op. Mag III he could either install cybereyes with those
options (total essence cost 0.4) or have all of them but Low Light added as
retinal modification (total essence cost 0.5). The difference in essence is
0.1, but the difference in effect is below.

Cybereye Retinal Mod
Condition LL TH LL TH
Full Darkness +8 +4 +8 +4
Minimal Light +4 +4 +2 +4
Partial Light +1 +2 +0 +2
Glare +4 +4 +2 +4
Mist +2 +0 +0 +0
Light Smoke/Fog/Rain +4 +0 +2 +0
Heavy Smoke/Fog/Rain +6 +1 +4 +1

See the difference keeping the natural eyes makes?

See Ya in Shadows, "I can count the number of days I've worked
Jason J Carter since graduation on one hand." - ME!
The Nightstalker Carter@***.EDU
Message no. 2
From: Robert Watkins <bob@**.NTU.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Cybereyes vs Retinal Mod.
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 18:13:00 +0930
>When eyes are replaced with cybereye replacement, the new eyes only have 20/20
>normal human vision. Any other type of vision must be installed. The cybereyes
>will hold 0.5 Essence worth of visual cyberware at no additional essence cost.
>
>Instead of cybereye replacement, any eye enhancement can be added the existing
>eyes as retinal modification. This generally cost more essence if more than one
>enhancement is to be placed but has it advantages.
>
>What are the advantages of retinal modification? If your human there are none,
>but if your a metahuman you get to keep your natural vision. You might ask why
>would they want to pay more essense to do that? Because metahuman low light
>and thermographic vision are better than the cyber-versions.
>
[ Example deleted ]
>
>See the difference keeping the natural eyes makes?
>
>See Ya in Shadows, "I can count the number of days I've worked
>Jason J Carter since graduation on one hand." - ME!
>The Nightstalker Carter@***.EDU
>
Yeah, I do. However, IMHO, thermographic vision could not be gained via a
simple retina mod. Admittedly, low-light could.
Why?? Well, the way the eye works is that incoming light is focused by the
retina. As we all know, in bright light, the retina is small, in low light, the
retina is large. So you could get low light via a simple retina mod, to make
the max size bigger.
However, all light is focused by the retina, not just the visibile stuff. The
light is focused onto a bunch of receptors at the back of the eye. It is the
length of the receptors that determines what light you can see. To get
Thermographic vision (optically), you'd have to play with the receptors. And,
IMHO, the way that would be done would be to grow a new eye, and put it in.

For the almighty game balance, I'd then rule that low light would need
replacement as well... But I'm yet to get a player who is a troll, so I've not
really worried about it.


--
Robert Watkins
bob@******.cs.ntu.edu.au
************ It wouldn't be luck if you could get out of life alive. ***********

Further Reading

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Thwap!