I'm sure we've had this discussion before, but the ressurgence of "losing limbs and replacing them with robot arms" lately means this has become relevant once more. From my perspective: 1. Losing a limb is a great deal. Disorientation, shift in body mass, trauma, phantom limb. One can certainly get used to it over time, and I'm not saying you should spend months weeping for your lost toe, but this is a big deal. 2. Common, non-robotic prosthetics. Cheap, relatively speaking, but they by no means substitute a limb. You have limited control over one (especially a hand prosthetic), you cannot feel one, and your movements become very sluggish (especially with a prosthetic leg). On the plus side, they can be cleaned easily, can be easily replaced and are cheap enough that losing one is not a big deal. The poor man's alternative, especially for legs. 3. Robotic prosthetics. As this is the biggest deal here are my thoughts on it: a) Very hard to obtain. Very. Even if you find someone, it will take very precise measurements to make a robotic limb just for you. This isn't something you go for a supermarket, look down a list and say "yeah give me the G-sized arm". b) EXPENSIVE. I can't stress this enough. Expensive to buy and to maintain. It should need monthly check-ups like a car. Something like having to replace a single piece might take days to manufacture and send. This would require a significant investment that not everyone might have. c) Delicate, like any piece of machinery that is compact and full of small pieces. No, maybe not laptop levels of "falls down you're fucked", but using your arm to block something like a sword should be a last resort. d) There should still be a period of getting used to. I recall one character who got hydraulic legs who needed slow, baby steps until he was finally able to even go down stairs, and that is after weeks of post-surgery rehab. I'm not expecting the same treatment, but spending a few days using your bad left hand instead of your newly-acquired robo right arm would be an interesting quirk. --------------------------------------------------------- "But Tallen, why do you care?" Because losing limbs should not just be just "cool, now I get a new arm that is even better than the previous one!" It might just alter the character's psyche on a fundamental level. Because there is untapped RP potential that seems under-used. And, especially, because losing a limb and replacing it with a better robotic arm and never again worry about it undermines the dramatic potential and elminates the negatives of a lost limb in the first place.
Keep all limbs and other appendages armoured at all times, this prevents loss of limbs and other appendages.
"Well, I lost my arm in his fight, so I don't always win." Except when you replace it nearly instantly with something better. Loss of limbs are waaay too common, it's like a thing people use to be badass or seem like they don't get everythng they want all the time. Also, how are people losing their limbs so much? Unless you're using shotguns on eachother point blank or super tank-destroying rifles, it shouldn't be thay common.
Cullen lost his arm during the siege of Darkwood during the initial shelling. Probably could have RPed the wound itself better, as well as recovery. To get to the point, the prosthetic I use provides no bonuses. It's just an arm for manipulating objects. If anything, it is a downgrade, since it cannot build mass or get any stronger than what it is.
As someone with a character who's mostly cybernetic at this point, I agree with p much all points made.
I based my characters prosthetic hand on the Bebionic hands that are available nowadays, it's provides a fine balance between practical and reasonable
>Prosthetic arms Nah man. Prosthetic everything is the way to do it. Be so hyper advanced that you can't be treated by doctors in the sector.
"H-HELP, SOMEONE GET THIS MAN A DOCTOR!!" *Cough cough, spits up oil* "A doctor, are you kidding me?!" *Cough* "Get me a goddamn engineer!"
I remember when Dustclaw first got her Robotic limb, She spent the first month having 'Phantom Pains' Where she would feel like her arm was being ripped off, and would scream and freak out, much like a PTSD fit, it was a hard thing for her to go through, plus when it was damaged i had it removed all together for weeks. Them cybernetic arms ain't a joke, if you wanna be more robotic play a glitch.
Miniknog are the only ones I have seen use cybernetic limbs in the default game lore, but you only see these cybernetics on insane test patients who try to murder you on sight and are treated as monsters in game. Take that for what you will. Edit: And maybe the glitch brain in jar heads count as cybernetics? Although it might be more appropriate to call it organetics at that point.
cyber-psychosis rip your arm off and die edit: okay that wasn't useful. Seriously though yeah uh cybernetics are fancy and sci-fi, stop ruining them by fulfilling a near erotic power fantasy.
A comparison I drew last time this debate happened was with the automail of the Fullmetal Alchemist anime, and I've posted an excerpt from the wiki below. Spoiler Linked directly to the nervous system, an automail prosthesis does not usually require an external energy source, and can be moved at will like a natural appendage, taking electrical pulses from the nerves to power and regulate the various electric motors and pneumatic actuators inside. Automail limbs are generally made with a full steel skeletal frame layered with steel armor-plating to protect the various wires and intricate machinery inside; however, contemporary technological advancements have allowed certain automails to be comprised of other materials such as carbon fiber, fiberglass, chrome, copper-nickel and aluminum alloys, so as to be less cumbersome and more durable than steel in abnormal conditions. Though arguably useful, the set of drawbacks unique to automotive prostheses is enough that many are loath to undergo the upgrade from standard prosthetic attachments. The installation process, which requires a specialist in bio-mechanical engineering (that is to say, both advanced mechanical engineering and surgical medicine), is understandably expensive and notably painful, as certain body parts must often be further amputated in order to accommodate new automails properly and the sensitive nervous system registers all types of over-stimulation involved as intense pain. Those receiving automail for the first time must also have each nerve painfully connected to a permanent housing system on the body, as well as have all the nerves connected simultaneously when the limb is later attached to the housing system. The recovery from surgery, including the period of time necessary to fully master the use of automail limbs, is noted to take roughly three years on average (though full recoveries lasting as short as one year have been documented, and a recovery period as short as six months was stated as a possibility but was not confirmed) and even after such time, automail prostheses must be meticulously maintained with regular oiling and frequent overhauls which necessitate that the automotive parts be disconnected from and then painfully reconnected to the nervous system in order to remain in proper working order. While this is obviously not wholly applicable, it provides at least a comparison for our current state of affairs. I think some good points have been made, especially about the blasé treatment of mechanical prosthetics. The average "recovery time" is, quite frankly, a joke. Replacing a limb isn't really something that you can treat like buying a new pair of shoes, or getting repairs on your car. Like everyone always says in these; healing takes time.
As soon as I saw the title, I chuckled in anticipation of what I might find. It's pretty well-thought out and justified, comments and OP. I haven't really had a char lose a limb since they've never really been in a situation for that to occur, but this'll be good for if and when it happens.
I as was talking with someone in chat the other day. Take Mispi for example. It is agreed the florans are one of the more physically stronger races, however. Server rules state that the cyber-prosthetic limbs have no more strength than that of a human. So in Mispi case, her prosthetic arm is actually a weak point for her as it is not as strong as her regular arm. This also really goes of Apex as well, exspecially if it is a leg as they will not be able to jump as high. Than an Apex with normal legs. But I agree with Tallen for the most part. Also from what I have heard from people with lost limbs the phantom pains never go away and it is worse in the rain.
My previous point was more of just a statement about the irony of my character, time for some actual input. I think it's a good idea to have cybernetics as a less viable solution to missing limbs, honestly. As I said before, Greg is mostly cybernetic, but this happened over a long period of time and back before there were any real rules or regulation about cybernetics. So he's actually pretty overpowered right now, and I can't do much to change it without retcon (which no-one likes). Due to this, I'm planning to have him lose his currently against-the-rules cybernetic arm in an upcoming event so it can either be replaced with a less powerful one or not replaced at all. Gotta get that balance right, yo.
Many situations don't even require amputation. If one can reach a well equipped doctor, they can be treated with tissue engineering and skin grafting. The process in that situation would be longer but one would still have their organic parts. They'd basically undergo tests and time would pass for the cells to actually form the needed tissue. In fact, this kind of thing is a lot more easy to roleplay realistically because the science behind tissue printing is available. Because cybernetics has the problem of what its specifications are. But as for the robot limb thing itself, I agree. Smoke was very lucky to be skilled around machinery, with things like body work and electricity, and very lucky to have made the money to afford the limb. However he only had the robotic limb because his right arm was nearly dissolved up by the shoulder due to corrosive rounds. Smoke had no choice but to either live with only left arm function or get a prosthetic/robotic limb. I don't tend to RP phantom pain after the first month. I'm not that diligent and I would never expect myself to be that diligent. However, the fact that Smoke had a robotic limb just blended into his character and it mainly added interesting bits of RP to him when I only used its negative qualities. These included the following: when his arm shorted and it was jammed; when it's been hit by plasma and destroyed the arm's function; when he can't get through security clearance without TSA flagging him.
Smoke and Greg had a really great fight once, and it was super intense because of their cybernetics. Almost killed eachother. I guess this is a note that cybernetics can be good for RP???
Cybernetics adding 'Cool Factor' to a fight, pushing it into near-lethal territory, is not a good example for putting cybernetics in positive light.
