From:	Michael Cugley <michael.cugley@******.NET>
Subject:	Re: 2060 ENHANCED-cyberware - long!
Date:	Fri, 1 May 1998 12:27:39 +0100

It seems to me that it *is* logical that Alpha, Beta etc. cyberware
*should* go down in price as the years roll by. I mean, when they were
first introduced, they were new, experimental things. After a few years it
seems to me some of the improvements introduced first in Alpha and Beta
ware should find their ways into "standard" cyberware. The techniques for
implanting improved 'ware should be more and more widely known, which
should bring the cost of surgery and recovery down. Cheaper and easier
ways of doing alpha and beta improvements should be found. And so forth
and so forth.

Really, overall, there should be some visible improvement in what's
available from 2050 to 2060. Of course, not all these improvements need to
be *game mechanic* improvements, but players should feel the need to
scramble to catch up.

Maybe Josh's particular table isn't the right one, but I think it might be
fun to come up with something that charts the changes in what's available
and what's not over a decade of Shadowrun timeline.

Here's a thought; come up with some catagories. Technology can be
described in terms of how developed it is:

* Obsolete (tried and tested, but old technology; widely known about;
advertised in the "bargain basement" markets; available most places but you
have to look; cheap cost)
* Established (tried and tested technology; widely known about;
advertised on the mass market; available just about anywhere; base cost)
* New (new, just-on-the-market technology; connoisseurs know about it;
advertised in the upmarket publications; only top-of-the-line
shops/surgeries have it; increased cost)
* Experimental (not released to the public; connoisseurs with
connections know about it, ordinary connoisseurs have heard rumours;
occasionally advertised as "coming soon"; only available in the
manufacturing facility or good shadow facilities; much increased cost)
* Vapourware (not even in prototype phase; some papers published; not
available anywhere; cost n/a)

..and also how hard the information about the technology is to get:

* Advertised (information is actively pushed by the owning corporation)
* Public (the information is widely available in known places)
* Semi-secret (the information is in the bare minimum of public places,
but if you know where to look you can find out about it; in the owning
corporation information is essentially "public")
* Secret (no public information about it, "semi-secret" in the owning
corporation)
* Top Secret (no public information, "secret" in the owning corporation)

In theory, someone with more time on their hands than me :) could do a
little table for various bits of technology, showing its status year-by-year.

E.G.

Let's say someone comes up with a new cybereye that allows an extra
"option" slot without costing extra essence. I'll just come up with a
brand-name - the NeuOptic System

NeuOptic
========
Year Status Profile
---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|----------|---------|-----
----|
2050 Vapourware Semi-Secret (papers on the theory being
published)
2051 Vapourware Semi-Secret
2052 Vapourware Secret (beginning R&D, kept from competitors)
2053 Vapourware Top Secret (serious R&D, serious security)
2054 Experimental Secret (First prototype, harder to keep
secret)
2055 Experimental Semi-Secret (Market Research, beta-testing)
2056 New Advertised (Buy the New NeuOptic Eye (TM)!)
2057 Established Advertised (NeuOptic is the best!)
2058 Established Public (Next thing pushes NeuOptic from the
top)
2059 Established Public
2060 Obsolete Public (NeuOptic for sale, one careful
owner)

Comments?


--
Mike Cugley, lunatic at large

http://freespace.virgin.net/michael.cugley/
http://freespace.virgin.net/michael.cugley/Art/