Animal Morphs - Mental Effects
Wed, 2010-02-24 03:02
Nine Lives puts stolen (or obtained from shady backup companies) backups into all sorts of bodies for the evulz, including animals.
How does that work? I presume that given the usual rules for morphs, animals have low mental aptitude caps, so the poor sod stuck in one is as dumb as an animal for the duration... But that makes me wonder: Wouldn't being stuck in a brain stupider than you're used to have lasting negative effects on your ego (if you ever get rescued and backed up out of it, anyway)? I mean with something like an animal is their brain really able to even _hold_ your ego at full complexity, so if you get backed up out of it you're back to normal (except for some traumatic memories, anyway) or is the result like a partial fork? Does this apply to a lesser degree when you sleeve into a morph that's not quite as smart as you're used to (say your personal morph is mentally enhanced, or you're a super-smart infomorph, and you egocast into a standard splicer)?
Mon, 2010-03-01 20:34
#2
Re: Animal Morphs - Mental Effects
Similar question but with some of the Menton morphs or even with just a splicer.
If the morph is limited in capacity how can it take the entireity of your ego?
Does craming a math genius into a worker pod mean that when you take him back out he's going to be missing a chunk of his brain and will have to revert to a stored backup to regain his faculties?
Tue, 2010-03-02 01:40
#3
Re: Animal Morphs - Mental Effects
Similar question but with some of the Menton morphs or even with just a splicer.
If the morph is limited in capacity how can it take the entireity of your ego?
Does craming a math genius into a worker pod mean that when you take him back out he's going to be missing a chunk of his brain and will have to revert to a stored backup to regain his faculties?
Basically, the remainder of your ego is inert within the brain. Think of it like running software on a computer with lower specs... in some cases, the software will run, but it will run poorly and will not be as effective (my dad's computer at his house is like that... it doesn't meet the system requirements for his antivirus, so it moves as fast as molasses). This is what happens to your ego in an inferior morph brain.
__________________
"Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be one, he must more approve the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear." - Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Peter Carr, 1787
"That sounds like heresy. We're going to wipe you from the history books for that crap!" - Texas Board of Education, Ruling on March 12th, 2010
Tue, 2010-03-02 11:04
#4
Re: Animal Morphs - Mental Effects
Hmm, I kind of like Decivre's second interpretation since it offers the possibility of rescuing someone from being stuck in an animal... Or the potential plot of someone who needs to hide hiding in a pet with plans for later retrieval... Of course, there'd probably be some mental stress from being less intelligent than a flat for so long, but at least there's hope of recovery.
On the other hand, his first interpretation is good if you want to play up the horror angle ('Nothing left of him, the poor bastard...')... I guess it's up to the GM and the needs of the plot.
Tue, 2010-03-02 23:51
#5
Re: Animal Morphs - Mental Effects
Hmm, I kind of like Decivre's second interpretation since it offers the possibility of rescuing someone from being stuck in an animal... Or the potential plot of someone who needs to hide hiding in a pet with plans for later retrieval... Of course, there'd probably be some mental stress from being less intelligent than a flat for so long, but at least there's hope of recovery.
On the other hand, his first interpretation is good if you want to play up the horror angle ('Nothing left of him, the poor bastard...')... I guess it's up to the GM and the needs of the plot.
Well, I gave two different interpretations for a reason: the former is a sicko who plugs minds into animals for funsies, while the latter is someone safely transferring an ego from one body to another body, both of which are designed to house full egos. I doubt that Nine Lives goes through the steps to make sure that the animal mind is prepared, or that safe retrieval and transfer is possible. As a friend once put it about something totally different (but equally apt), "this guy's mind has hopped into the ROFLcopter, and he's dragging you around in a pair of LOLlerskates whether you want him to or not". Permanent ego damage (if not straight vapor production) is all but guaranteed.
__________________
"Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be one, he must more approve the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear." - Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Peter Carr, 1787
"That sounds like heresy. We're going to wipe you from the history books for that crap!" - Texas Board of Education, Ruling on March 12th, 2010
Sat, 2010-03-06 22:00
#6
Re: Animal Morphs - Mental Effects
Hmm, I kind of like Decivre's second interpretation since it offers the possibility of rescuing someone from being stuck in an animal... Or the potential plot of someone who needs to hide hiding in a pet with plans for later retrieval...
..or wreaking havoc. Take, for example, the Brown Jenkin.
__________________
I am everywhere.
How does that work? I presume that given the usual rules for morphs, animals have low mental aptitude caps, so the poor sod stuck in one is as dumb as an animal for the duration... But that makes me wonder: Wouldn't being stuck in a brain stupider than you're used to have lasting negative effects on your ego (if you ever get rescued and backed up out of it, anyway)? I mean with something like an animal is their brain really able to even _hold_ your ego at full complexity, so if you get backed up out of it you're back to normal (except for some traumatic memories, anyway) or is the result like a partial fork? Does this apply to a lesser degree when you sleeve into a morph that's not quite as smart as you're used to (say your personal morph is mentally enhanced, or you're a super-smart infomorph, and you egocast into a standard splicer)?
It's likely that the end result is either a vapor, or a person with heavily-reduced aptitude maximums (well, maybe not SOM). But yeah, you're not looking at a good result.
"Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be one, he must more approve the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear." - Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Peter Carr, 1787
"That sounds like heresy. We're going to wipe you from the history books for that crap!" - Texas Board of Education, Ruling on March 12th, 2010