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New Race Variant: Shell


Nik

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what are you on about today?


Simple. A variant on the IPC that isn't so restrictive towards the concept of robotic life forms. Shell's are a robotic bodies designed to resemble a human, meant for both positronic brains and MMI's. They would resemble a human, with either mechanical joints or some other design to give away their lack of being a human, and function exactly to that of a IPC, but allow for variant hairstyles (some human things, Taj Ears, Unathi horns, Skrell Tentacles, so on) to relay some personality to the Shell.


why?


Well, to be frank, I despise the IPC design for it's lack of ability to have any real...human traits or functions. More so, organic's that have lost their body and have been MMI'd may seek a actual humanoid form, which would make these Shell's quite popular (or so I'd imagine)


As well, it would allow for more roleplay potential whilst being a bot, and allow for free-form bots with actual pasts and character beyond being a bunch of code, or allowing AI players to further their own AI into it's attempt to be or seem more human, or for whatever reason they may seek it.


Why not just play a human/IPC then?


Because it's butt. In this realm of Humanoid bots lays some roleplay that could be of some actual worth, and not just be another clanker running about the station.


how would they work?


1:1 to an IPC, they are free form non-organic crew members. You would gain their whitelist and spawn as them, simple as that.


But something something something Just play a human something something


Shhhh.


Shhhh.


But actually, I can forsee some who would argue about this, and I'd like to remind you that the IPC are posi-brain only, and have giant stupid CRT heads that leave little for romanticizing.

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I believe Nikolai is simply suggesting for a "reskin" of IPCs, with a different spriteset. Technically, they would have to be a new race, but they could be linked directly to IPCs both in lore and applications.


It'd just give more cosmetic variety to IPC players. I also believe Nikolai states some pretty good uses for the suggestion, RP-wise.

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I think this is an awesome idea. IPC's are great to play as, but their current appearance leaves a lot to be desired, really. They look bad. Plus, I dislike how they have to chose a Positronic brain due to our lore. After forcing evolution with cybernetic implants and prosthetics, it'd only make sense that people would ditch the remains of their useless organic bodies completely.


This would kinda honestly open up tons of role-play avenues, like Nik said, if we didn't have to be just Positronic anymore.

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As a note to the non-believers, my point is that the itch of playing a android is not ideally scratched by the IPC (as they are so...bizarre looking) and even less so by Borgs (since you become a mechanical dog, in all functionality.)


Even the IPC Body is thin and more like that of a skeletal structure then a body, and it leaves much and more to be desired from artificial untelligence or MMI players. I just want a way for said players to be able to play robotic humanoids that aren't god awfully stiff or designed like a big red phallus/Box head from Persona 4.

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I like this.


Mostly because I am a Ghost in the Shell fan. That said, I think it might be a good idea if we just revised IPCs and folded that into this concept, rather than adding "IPCs but more human-looking."


Although... I think MMI's in full-conversion cyborg bodies would probably be accepted more in positions of authority in our lore than an actual machine would? I'm not certain.

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So, one way of doing this would be to create a new species called “Synthetics.” They would be mechanically identical to IPC’s. When you picked a Synthetic, you’d get two options, your shell and your brain.


Your shell is what your body looks like. There would be the classic mechanical look that IPC’s know and love (with more options for different styles of head), and then some kind of ‘synth skin’ option that makes you look mostly like a squishy human. Maaaybe you could have a ‘synth fur’ or ‘synth scales’ option as well if you wanted to look mostly like a Tajaran and/or Unathi.


I say ‘mostly’ because I think it’s important that you be able to identify them by Examination, so that Doctors don’t load them with chems by accident if they get dropped in medbay, as well as for roleplay reasons.


Then you pick your brain. Your brain could be a posibrain, like existing IPC’s, or an mmi containing a brain from one of the existing sentient species. Picking a non-human sentient brain would require white-listing for that species in addition to Synthetic white-listing.


That means if you wanted to have a tajaran brain in a shell that looked like a unathi, you’d need tajaran and synthetic white-listing, but not unathi (biological unathi would likely think you were intensely weird, unnerving, and probably highly offensive).


Of course, doing this pushes SS13 from it’s current position as chaotic but anachronistic sci-fi, all the way through the neon streets of cyberpunk, into the strange and unknown lands of post-cyberpunk, but that seems to be what people want.


If I were going to fluff this, I’d say that civilian access to this kind of thing would be new (as in, maybe one or two years at most from ‘present day’), highly controversial, rare, and expensive.

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Hmm perhaps black lines to represent the joints and connections. We could also play off of this and give those with prosthetics an option for their limbs, opposed to having clay arms.

 

Indeed, it would be nice. Why prosthesis don't have real-skin stuff on it is beyond me.


Oh, I'd suggest we all remember to make as much noise as possible to rouse the sleeping coders and spriters (we may not have, for all I can recall, at least.)

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Im just going to bump this thread with the declaration that I really, really like the ideas here.


Except for robot lizards and robot cats. I mean, I can probably cobble together a somewhat decent lore related argument as to why those shouldn't be a thing, but Il be honest and say I just don't like robo-furries.

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Even though I love IPCs and your a dirty heretic for ever disgracing the holy form...


I do agree that this is a good idea. In a similar way to how Cyborgs are able to pick their appearance after they choose a module, perhaps the IPC should have their own set of varying appearances (which could include Shells). This could allow for some more variety in IPC backstories beyond just "was robit. sold to nanotrasen. beep beep".

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I absolutely love this idea. This is perfect. This is great.


We can make them identifiable upon examination by... I dunno. Dataports at the back of the neck? Perhaps something functional, but which could possibly be hidden?

 

We don't need more races that are just humanized with a different name. I'm totally against this.

This is logically something that can already be done. It's simply putting into mechanics what has every reason to exist ICly.


 

So, one way of doing this would be to create a new species called “Synthetics.” They would be mechanically identical to IPC’s. When you picked a Synthetic, you’d get two options, your shell and your brain.


Your shell is what your body looks like. There would be the classic mechanical look that IPC’s know and love (with more options for different styles of head), and then some kind of ‘synth skin’ option that makes you look mostly like a squishy human. Maaaybe you could have a ‘synth fur’ or ‘synth scales’ option as well if you wanted to look mostly like a Tajaran and/or Unathi.


I say ‘mostly’ because I think it’s important that you be able to identify them by Examination, so that Doctors don’t load them with chems by accident if they get dropped in medbay, as well as for roleplay reasons.


Then you pick your brain. Your brain could be a posibrain, like existing IPC’s, or an mmi containing a brain from one of the existing sentient species. Picking a non-human sentient brain would require white-listing for that species in addition to Synthetic white-listing.


That means if you wanted to have a tajaran brain in a shell that looked like a unathi, you’d need tajaran and synthetic white-listing, but not unathi (biological unathi would likely think you were intensely weird, unnerving, and probably highly offensive).


Of course, doing this pushes SS13 from it’s current position as chaotic but anachronistic sci-fi, all the way through the neon streets of cyberpunk, into the strange and unknown lands of post-cyberpunk, but that seems to be what people want.

I want post-cyberpunk so fucking bad. Jesus Christ I do. So bad.

If I were going to fluff this, I’d say that civilian access to this kind of thing would be new (as in, maybe one or two years at most from ‘present day’), highly controversial, rare, and expensive.

No need. These would have logically been around since about the time when they made MMI'd cyborgs, and even then, androids would have likely been vaguely human in appearance for quite a while on their own.

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I detest this idea. I might even go as far as to 'abhor' it. I'm not sure why we need a rainbow of different species on the station, and I'm not sure why you'd want something that is essentially a race, but not actually a race because they're robots, but not actually robots because they have real brains from different races. We have enough races at present to create some great racial tension RP - but it doesn't happen because a majority of players seem to like to be politically correct and all that nonsense, so it more or less falls to the odd antagonist's motivator.


It's snowflakey and it adds nothing to the atmosphere. If you want to be an IPC that looks like a crash test dummy, go for it, but let's not usher in a blizzard of snowflakes.

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I detest this idea. I might even go as far as to 'abhor' it. I'm not sure why we need a rainbow of different species on the station, and I'm not sure why you'd want something that is essentially a race, but not actually a race because they're robots, but not actually robots because they have real brains from different races. We have enough races at present to create some great racial tension RP - but it doesn't happen because a majority of players seem to like to be politically correct and all that nonsense, so it more or less falls to the odd antagonist's motivator.


It's snowflakey and it adds nothing to the atmosphere. If you want to be an IPC that looks like a crash test dummy, go for it, but let's not usher in a blizzard of snowflakes.

I fail to see how this is at all snowflakey. This is simply for people who want to play characters with prosthetic bodies or some robot attempting to more easily interact with people. How is it snowflakey?


This is for exploring transhumanist themes. This isn't for racial tension RP. They could realistically create these shells already. ICly these should exist, there is no reason that they would not, they are well within the capability of the tech for these to be centuries old already.


I'm not sure what snowflake is even supposed to mean in this context. I don't want to make it to angst about people who lost their body or whatever. I personally want to play someone who voluntarily gave up their flesh for superior hardware.


I'd say that these shells could add more to the station than Tajara do, or Skrell. I'd rather like to blur the line between organic and synthetic.

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I don't think an argument against this should be "no more races" when it's just a sub-variant for all races being classified as a race due to the limitations of the game, and it being more simple to just click cat ears then add a Shell button.


Besides this, it's something a lot of people want, why stop them? Why would you argue against spmeththing you won't use not being in the game? Because you don't want to deal with it?


Well I don't want to deal with wizards and ninja's and changelings, but they won't be removed if I yell about it.


Oh, I also like the data port idea mixed with black lines to represent joints.

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I don't think an argument against this should be "no more races" when it's just a sub-variant for all races being classified as a race due to the limitations of the game, and it being more simple to just click cat ears then add a Shell button.


Besides this, it's something a lot of people want, why stop them? Why would you argue against spmeththing you won't use not being in the game? Because you don't want to deal with it?


Well I don't want to deal with wizards and ninja's and changelings, but they won't be removed if I yell about it.


Oh, I also like the data port idea mixed with black lines to represent joints.

Notably, though, if someone does scan the person they will just receive something about them being robotic. Examining them, if they're injured, should reveal that they have robotic body parts.


But eeeeh, I'd be too happy about the new shells to be too bothered by the liney limbs. I just personally would prefer if the joints looked normal, and there were some other manner of indicating their roboticity. But like, who knows? Maybe that can be something for the customization options. *shrugs*

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Why not.. have the same IPC sprites.. but have the IPC 'head' parts with different models? I mean, the last thing is i want an IPC with new vegas securitron reference. (big TV on wheels)

Swat they will be like that latest?cb=20110801194945

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I don't think an argument against this should be "no more races" when it's just a sub-variant for all races being classified as a race due to the limitations of the game, and it being more simple to just click cat ears then add a Shell button.

 

IPC's have their specific limits for a reason (mind you, I've always despised the idea of free-will synthetics on the station, but we can't win them all.) That's an avenue of exploration for your RP, but instead you'd prefer to throw that out the window in favor of copying an idea from an anime you saw once because you think it's super cool. So when I want to play as a demon, can I do that too since we have cultists and wizards who could theoretically summon them? How about a zombie? It's super easy, all you'd have to do is apply the "husked" visual! Can I play as a chicken? Can I play as this, that, and the other? "No more races" isn't the argument, it's "let's make the races we do add count before it gets to the ridiculous point where the aforementioned argument is necessary."


Again, if you want to reskin IPC's to look like crash test dummies? Great! Want to add little robotic cat ears because you can't get your fix of kawaii from tajarans and unathi? Wonderful. But my chief concern comes in when you get to the RP cop-out.


Why have a cyborg or AI project at all if everyone would much rather jump right into another body, free will intact? This race essentially makes AI's and cyborgs redundant, and were it not for the set of mechanical powers that come along with them, no one would choose them over the shell because being in a shell is "easier." If you want your fix of transhumanist RP, go for a cyborg or AI and try to embrace restrictions rather than throw them away for the sake of emulating an anime.


tl;dr Why play an AI, cyborg, or IPC when you can just pop in a race that has everything they do and more?

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