Lore Update Regarding Cloning

[Mofo1995]

With the removal of cloning from the Aurora the lore team has been working on a lore update to give us new cloning lore and to clear up confusion regarding cloning. This is what we've decided:

1.) Cloning still exists in our lore. If any of your characters have been cloned before it's still canon. It's a relatively new technology being rolled out by Zheng Hu Pharmaceuticals and the Jargon Federation after a joint research effort. As a commercialized commodity, Zheng Hu has a monopoly on cloning and owns and operates all cloning equipment wherever they may be through contractors. 

2.) Cloning happens at highly specialized medical facilities. For instance, Aurora, Odin, and Upsilon do not have it. But the NT owned hospital ship NSS Canes Venatici. Your typical hospital will not have it but very large hospital complexes with a lot of wealth do.

3.) Cloning is very expensive and takes some time to do. I think this will be one of the most jarring changes since we're used to cloning being an instant process. The new cloning lore will describe vat growing a clone of someone who died for up to a month. People with clout or money can be pre-scanned for cloning so that they can be cloned even if their body is destroyed, but it's very uncommon outside of wealthy people. The pre-scanning process is roughly just as expensive as the cloning itself. If someone is not prescanned and their corpse has to be used, serious damage to their corpse may result in a failed cloning attempt.

4.) Cloning is not widespread. It's ultimately up to a player if they want their character to be cloned or not, but in terms of station jobs, people in command are more likely to be cloned lorewise whereas people in low level jobs are less likely. I want to stress that, except deaths that occur during canon event rounds, players will not be forbidden to have their dead characters cloned. 

5.) Cloning has unsavory side-effects. It's mostly up to the players to determine the extent of what their clone's side effects are, but generally lower life span, injuries that might not be fully healed (in the case of people cloned from a body rather than a pre-scan), fatigue, genetic defects, physical fatigue and general weakness, and memory loss are some that might be common. Mutations, such as making yourself something physically horrid in your flavor text, are not a side effect. A clone will not be a hulk, werewolf, three-armed man, etc.

I hope this covers the basics. Full-fledged cloning lore will be coming to the wiki soon, so feel free to begin letting us know what you think and what questions you have so that we can start the work of sorting out any confusion!

[Sytic]

2 minutes ago, Mofo1995 said:

4.) Cloning is not widespread. It's ultimately up to a player if they want their character to be cloned or not, but in terms of station jobs, people in command are more likely to be cloned lorewise whereas people in low level jobs are less likely. I want to stress that, except deaths that occur during canon event rounds, players will not be forbidden to have their dead characters cloned. 

If this is the case, does this mean it's impossible to clone individuals who died during canonical event rounds, as opposed to an Extended round? Or that it can just be refused by the Staff Team as has always been the case?

[John_Bigless]

> People who die in Cannon rounds cannot be cloned no matter what.

This is worrying.

[Faris]

It means that the cloning process for these deaths are subject to lore approval, just canon events, not regular rounds.

If you try to gun down Dorn during a visit and you die thanks to their protective detail, it's unlikely that you'll be allowed to be cloned and return to work.

 

[abda123]

2 hours ago, Mofo1995 said:

5.) Cloning has unsavory side-effects. It's mostly up to the players to determine the extent of what their clone's side effects are, but generally lower life span, injuries that might not be fully healed (in the case of people cloned from a body rather than a pre-scan), fatigue, genetic defects, physical fatigue and general weakness, and memory loss are some that might be common. Mutations, such as making yourself something physically horrid in your flavor text, are not a side effect. A clone will not be a hulk, werewolf, three-armed man, etc.

Does this mean I can give my characters a disability after they die during a round?

[Sharkatk]

I have a question regarding the genetic defects. Is there the possibility on slowly working to fix those defects with gene therapy afterwards?

[Zundy]

Can we add this now that we've taken cloning off station:

It'd make for some good character concepts imo.

[Doxxmedearly]

Overall excellent changes, really cool. Lot of thought clearly went into it and I really do enjoy what you've done with it. Having it be monopolized by Jargon and Zeng-Hu is probably my favorite part and I love that it takes time and money. Because I know it'll come up, I assume basic NT health insurance does NOT cover cloning costs?

[Carver]

Impactful death is finally a proper thing in the setting? I'm pleasantly surprised.

[BRAINOS]

this is very well done; my only question is: what was the cloning department there for on the aurora, in the first place- and why is it gone now, ICly?

NT decided to try out cloning and got a cease and desist from ZH? NT was helping advance a particularly tricky part of research in exchange for stocks in ZH? there was a gas leak and we all had a bizarre mass hallucination, there never was any cloning done on the aurora?

[GreenBoi]

For the why cloning was removed from Aurora icly thing, I personally just headcanon that it's a lot easier and less dangerous to clone and tend to clones on a dedicated hospital/cloning center than in a random-ass medbay.

[Carver]

Implying that Medical ever tended to clones in the first place.

[Faris]

1 hour ago, BRAINOS said:

this is very well done; my only question is: what was the cloning department there for on the aurora, in the first place- and why is it gone now, ICly?

NT decided to try out cloning and got a cease and desist from ZH? NT was helping advance a particularly tricky part of research in exchange for stocks in ZH? there was a gas leak and we all had a bizarre mass hallucination, there never was any cloning done on the aurora?

It is a research station. DNC's meant it's an opt-out thing. Cloning was being researched. Just like there are trials for medicine and such, there was one for cloning. 

[Mofo1995]

Just woke up and got into this thread, Abo gave out the answers I was gonna give, which is fitting since he really took the lead on this update. 

[Mofo1995]

I want to reiterate something that I stressed in point number 4, in response to some PMs I have received. Under no circumstances, except possibly during a canon event round depending on context, will you be forbidden from having your character cloned. Despite wealthier people being more likely to be cloned in the background lore, if your janitor/cargo tech/assistant dies, you can still have them cloned if you would like. Maybe your character invested in some good insurance, or maybe they took out a hefty loan to afford it, or maybe they had to spend their life savings on it. Feel free to get creative with it!

[QuestioningMark]

Honestly speaking, I think if you have your character cloned you should have to apply for it - and then gain access to a race of clones which are statistically weaker than baseline, representing you literally being a vat-made human. Some people will simply not respect their weaknesses, and we know this.

But I understand that has the double edged sword of being dev work.

[Carver]

5 hours ago, QuestioningMark said:

Honestly speaking, I think if you have your character cloned you should have to apply for it - and then gain access to a race of clones which are statistically weaker than baseline, representing you literally being a vat-made human. Some people will simply not respect their weaknesses, and we know this.

But I understand that has the double edged sword of being dev work.

Bigger issue is the assload of bloat that'd entail as one would need a clone variant for every organic, non-Aut'akh species and sub-species. Instead of several races of clones, it'd be easier to have it be handled by the disability system that players can currently use.

[Mofo1995]

Well, I want the new system to mesh as seamlessly as possible with the cloning of yore. In other words, for players to have as much freedom as possible when exploring the morals and traumas of knowing they have died and been cloned. Some players might prefer to express it emotionally and others might want physical issues as proof and reminder of their struggle. I'm sure the common joe player might explore less and just say "I was cloned lmao" but for those who want to get immersed in their character and explore the depths of the experience, I feel its important to validate them and give them something to work with.