Full Body Phrostetics

[abda123]

Over in the Baystation 12 server they've got full body prosthesis; where a character's body parts and organs are almost entirely replaced by robotic bits, with the only arguable exception being their brain, which is housed in an MMI. (Buckle in because this is a long one)

So that got me thinking; why don't we do something similar, but with a few twists to differentiate the one we've got from the one over in Bay?

Long story short; a character in a FBP is only a step or two removed from a cyborg and that's the core of this idea.

 

For starters a FBP can be part of the Limbs and Parts option chosen at the character creator and choosing it replaces your every part of your character (including their head and torso) with a mechanical one. This option should be available to any organic species that can be borged. The other way for a character to get a FBP is to simply stick their brain into one during the round, this can either be consensual or done out of necessity (like if a character gets gibbed and only their brain remains intact).

Parts for a FBP can be built in the exosuit fab and should use some preexisting robot/IRC parts , the other option would be to stick it's components in an EVA suit or engineering hardsuit (no need to make the limbs, head or torso, just the internals). The process should be similar to assembling an IRC, but with more parts involved. The final step is to simply implant a brain mounted in an MMI inside the torso.

As is to be expected, a character in a FBP should share a large number of traits with cyborgs in terms of what they are immune and weak to. Ions would severely damage them and their internals, EMPs will outright kill/disable them, flashes can stun them and so on (Is it possible to make them more difficult to repair than IPCs? Maybe you have to open them up via surgery to repair even moderate damage?).

They rely on electrical charge to function and can get it from a cyborg recharger or a wall mounted APC (however, the power demands of the prosthesis means that APCs only charge a FBP’s power cell at half the rate it would for an IPC) and will enter a state of dormancy if they run low and must be brought over to a Cyborg recharging station to recover.

Another aspect of FBPs I think would fit the theme is to make them move at the speed of a station-bound cyborg when unencumbered (they will move slower if they’ve got a backpack or duffel bag, making them slower than cyborgs most of the time) but unlike a cyborg, they cannot get Vtech modules. Their weight means that their footsteps are quite loud, with each step making a sound similar to that of a jackboot so sneaking is not an option for them.

Like a cyborg, any character in a FBP will show up on the Robotics cyborg control console (if they build it) and just like a cyborg can be locked down at any time by a roboticist (the roboticist should also be able to lock themselves down if they are in a FBP)

 

Another thing I think would be interesting would be their relation to actual cyborgs and the AI; at the round start, they should be fully unlawed and are capable of self-determination. However if there are cults, revolutionaries or shadowlings on the station they are vulnerable to subversion. To circumvent this the captain may order all crews with FBPs to submit to mandatory connection to the AI which will give them the AI’s lawset (how the characters would react to this order would make for some interesting roleplay potential, will they comply, rebel or hide?). Or alternatively, the captan could order it anyway just to have more loyal crew even without any active threats.

A lawed FBP character must obey all of the AI’s laws but is still expected to do their regular job (a doctor must work the medbay, a scientist must research stuff and the chef is expected to cook as normal, etc) and only has the access to areas they previously had access to before their connection to the AI. Though the AI can order them around as though they were a cyborg. Connecting an antag to the AI will immediately reveal them and a more permanent connection can be made to essentially make no different from a cyborg that just so happens to have the versatility of a humanoid character.

After the danger has passed, the captain is expected to allow them to be unlawed again, but this step should be optional and would make for some interesting situations if the captain decides that they really need more obedient workers.

This would be a great time for the NT rep and the captain to clash with the magistrate over whether or not lawed individuals in FBPs are still considered people or if they can be considered station property like cyborgs (Remember; NanoTrasen would love the idea of having more workers that they no longer have to pay).

Any character in a FBP can also be e-magged with relative ease (more so than regular cyborgs), all it takes is two clicks (the first click causes the maintenance cover to snap open and the second emags them) with the emag equipped and they will immediately be bonded to the one who emagged them no different from what happens with cyborgs.

 

In terms of appearance, I think it’d be nice to have FBPs look like the hardsuits used by the organic version of said characters; for example a Vox FBP would look like a Vox in a recoloured hardsuit or something like that. The only difference is that they can be customised further, like with hair, hats, clothes or stuff like that.

 

What do you all think of this? anything I missed or anything to add?

I’m studying CompSci and I really need to brush up on my coding and contributing to this server seems like a good place to gain experience, anyone know where I can get started?

 

edit; deleted a repeated sentence

Edited November 7, 2019 by abda123
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[Veterankyl]

I'm curious what the primary differences are with the FBP and an IPC or an IRC. Reading through this, the only major difference I'm seeing is that they can be linked to the AI (Which is an issue of it's own, because why make borgs when a FBP is more versatile.)

 

[BeanOS]

We already have body augmentation, you can augment every main body part, including head and chest, replace organs with cyber ones.

The main bonus of being fully augmented, is the increased resistance to damage, but you lose the ability to be injected, and surgeries require you to start them with a scalpel, but continue with a screwdriver and crowbar.

[Spacemanspark]

We basically already have FBPs minus the ability to start with a human brain MMI inside an IPC. 

Hell, we even have more customization and other features than Bat's FBP.

While their concept is neat on Bay, I feel it'd be a downgrade if applied here.