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Message no. 1
From: Kurt Rauscher <kjrausch@*******.CS.VT.EDU>
Subject: small bioware
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 93 22:19:18 CET
here's and interesting thought that i came up with:

Now, alot of people have a significant amount of bioware, but most
of these people end up with a small amount of 'room' left which is too small to
use for implantation of even the smallest piece of cultured bioware.
The solution: Small bioware!
DON'T SCREAM MUNCHKIN! the only reasonable use of these
small remaining amount would (and should) be merely for adding some further
depth to a character. Some examples:
one shot reflex recorders:
the standard reflex recorder takes up either .25 or .1 body index, for a
general skill or a concentration, respectively. why not allow a
character to get a very specific recorder for .02 or .01 body cost? This could
be for entertaining things, like .02 bc(body cost) for a recorded phone number.
good examples: girl(boy)friend's number, pizza delivery number, a trusted
contact(fixer, streetdoc etc.), docwagon... Now, it would still take the same
amount of time, but when someone asks you for the number you could honestly
say:
"I forgot the number. Just Gimme the fraggin phone and I'll call!!!"
Or you could use them for simple gestures... for .01 bc you could get a
recorder for taking a drag on a cigarette, flipping someone off, blowing a
kiss...
some of these could get you in trouble (blowing a kiss at a troll after
insulting him/her...) but that's half the fun!

Other possibilities:
more permanent or extensive cosmetic modification :
lengthened tongue, real long snake tongue, bunny nose and wiskers, animal
ears and features etc.

Any comments or further ideas will be appreciated... have fun!

BTW: costs for the above will still be high, depending on exaclty what you are
having done. These things would need to be custom made, and therefore, usually
cultured.

->Kurt Rauscher<- aka <*Datatorch*>
Message no. 2
From: "Jason Carter, Nightstalker" <CARTER@***.EDU>
Subject: RE: small bioware
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 93 23:51:37 CET
Kurt,
This is one of the most bizare ideas I have ever heard. Who in their right
mind would pay good money to get a reflex recorder that give people the middle
finger or dials a phone number. Only incompetent people would need them and
Shadowrunners are very competent.

See Ya in Shadows,
Jason J Carter
The Nightstalker
Message no. 3
From: ArkAngel <DUNN@******.BITNET>
Subject: RE:Small Bioware
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 93 17:56:00 EST
>From: Kurt Rauscher <kjrausch@*******.CS.VT.EDU>
> The solution: Small bioware!
> DON'T SCREAM MUNCHKIN! the only reasonable use of these
ALRIGHT, I WON'T! however, instead I'll scream WHY?!?!?!
It seems to me that to remember a phone number a pocket computer is a helluva
lot cheaper than any bioware would be...
> Or you could use them for simple gestures... for .01 bc you could get a
> recorder for taking a drag on a cigarette, flipping someone off, blowing a
> kiss...
Interesting, but I honestly can't think of any reason that somebody in
character would want to sink the 1000s of nuyen into these mods that they would
cost... I mean, these all seem to be mindless things that people pick up as
habits rather than something which they'd waste lotsa nuyen trying to do...
> more permanent or extensive cosmetic modification :
> lengthened tongue, real long snake tongue, bunny nose and wiskers, animal
> ears and features etc.
Now here, I can almost see a rational--gangers all of them having the
same cat whiskers grown on their face, etc... however, I still can't see
anybody shelling out the Nuyen to pay for it...
Overall, I'd hafta say--Neat Idea, but the expense is just too
unjustifiably high...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=Dunn@******.jcu.edu-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
First law of RPG adventure writing:"In any given scenario, there are 4
possible player actions, the three reasonable ones the GM expects, and the one
the players ultimately divise and use."
>>>>>[ArkAngel.Logout]>>>>>
Message no. 4
From: "David Loewenstern, Bell Labs,
Subject: small bioware
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 93 18:41:57 EST
>>>>>[
I like this idea. No, it's silly to use it as an autodialer. But it
would be great for flashy but essentially useless tricks, like a
really impressive card shuffle, or juggling an egg, a bowling ball,
and a chainsaw (and _only_ those three things -- it's a single set of
reflexes, not a skill), or lighting a cigarette with one hand.

For a little more, you could get a whole series of reflexes which
produce a full routine. For example, a decker could get a series of
reflexes which allowed him to go through an elaborate sword-showmanship
routine a la _Raiders of the Lost Ark_. It wouldn't help him actually
_use_ the weapon, of course, and he'd actually only know one routine,
but it would be impressive-looking the first time.


]<<<<< Quincunx <loewenst@****.rutgers.edu> (Wed Feb 10 18:41:24 EST
1993)

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