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Cyborgs should remain, but not as a seperate playable Species


Orlogg

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In the character creation interface, it seems to me that the co-called Cyborg species simply consists of Humans with some enhancements. I find this odd, for these reasons:

  • Don't any Chiss, Twi'lek Rattataki ever decide to enhance themselves with cyborg technology?
  • I don't think that any >lvl20 player of any species leaves his or her implant slots empty — which technically means they are all cyborgs.

 

 

It is especially weird Cyborgs are considered a seperate race, because I think ALL >lvl20 players will have their implant slots equipped, which technically makes them a cyborg.

 

Conclusions:

  • Cyborgs are okay and potentially cool; they definitely belong in this game.
  • Yet, Cyborgs should not be a distinct playable race; instead several (maybe all?) playable species should have cyborg options.

 

My suggestion to BioWare:

  1. Give players of Cyborg characters an option (and a deadline) to turn into Humans (default), Chiss or any other truly biologically defined playable Species, and give them a free Cyborg enhancement (or even a bunch of such enhancements) as compensation. They remain Cyborgs, but now they're Human, Chiss, Twi'lek cyborgs etc.
  2. Add a Cyborg customization slot to all players (in the same tab where you can 'unify colors' and 'hide head slot item') and add a bunch of Cyborg customizations to the game, for sale and maybe as quest rewards.
  3. Add another playable race as compensation (preferably the Togruta because of popular demand; the lower tentacle things are no excuse: these can just be treated as long hair that falls over a character's shoulders).

Edited by Orlogg
corrected odd phrase
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I've had the same thought myself. Cyborgs are a cop-out of a species and I honestly think they should be removed and all current cyborgs should be re-classed as Humans. In addition, cosmetic Cybernetics that players customize their characters with should be unlockable for all current species, not only Humans.

 

Either that, or allow players who choose the cyborg species to be able to select their origin species when customizing their character. So, they'd select Cyborg as their species, then for an origin species they could choose Twi'lek or Ratattaki or whatever. After that they would be able to outfit them with cybernetics.

 

I just find it stupid that all cyborgs are Humans. And I find it even more stupid that they are considered their own species.

Edited by Soul_of_Flames
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I've had the same thought myself. Cyborgs are a cop-out of a species and I honestly think they should be removed and all current cyborgs should be re-classed as Humans. In addition, cosmetic Cybernetics that players customize their characters with should be unlockable for all current species, not only Humans.

 

Either that, or allow players who choose the cyborg species to be able to select their origin species when customizing their character. So, they'd select Cyborg as their species, then for an origin species they could choose Twi'lek or Ratattaki or whatever. After that they would be able to outfit them with cybernetics.

 

I just find it stupid that all cyborgs are Humans. And I find it even more stupid that they are considered their own species.

 

You run into twilek and chiss cybrogs in the course of the game, maybe more.

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No, Cyborgs should remain as they are. They are machines with bio exteriors so that they look human. If they change anything, it should be to specify what race they appear as.

 

Cyborgs are people with a number of mechanical add-ons or have had body parts replaced with cybernetics. A Machine with a bio exterior is known as a HRD, a Human Replica Droid. Those don't exist in this time line.

 

All in all i like the ideas of getting rid of the "race" of cyborgs and giving all races a slot or select bar to make their toons look like cyborgs and/or allowing them to pick their base race, ( like twi'lek, chiss and what have you.)

 

The only thing I'd like to add is i want to see cybernetics not just on the face but on arms, chest and legs. There is so much armor that doesn't cover these areas, and it doesn't seem right that the cybernetics are only on the character's face.

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Cyborgs are people with a number of mechanical add-ons or have had body parts replaced with cybernetics. A Machine with a bio exterior is known as a HRD, a Human Replica Droid. Those don't exist in this time line.

 

The first definition at http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cyborg:

 

cy·borg (sbôrg)

n.

A human who has certain physiological processes aided or controlled by mechanical or electronic devices.

 

Based on that, no other race can be a cyborg. :)

 

Actually, I think of the Terminator as the definition of Cyborg: Living tissue over a mechanical body. I guess it really depends on your definition of "Cyborg".

 

From a logistics point of view, I suspect that removing an entire race (Cyborg), converting them all to Human, then adding implants to all races would be a significant task. You would also piss off a lot of people that like playing a Cyborg. And the benefit would be trivial; a few winey crybabies would be stop their stupid belly aching, but in exchange for a lot of legitimately pissed off people up in arms at the loss of their favorite race? I don't think BW will be stupid enough to do this.

Edited by Glowrod
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The first definition at http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cyborg:

 

cy·borg (sbôrg)

n.

A human who has certain physiological processes aided or controlled by mechanical or electronic devices.

 

Based on that, no other race can be a cyborg. :)

That free dictionary is written in a known universe — our known universe — where humans are the only sentient species. In a known universe with other sentient species, especially with sentient species so close to humans that they are best considered another race within mankind (e.g. Chiss) it is way too narrowminded to consider (normal) humans the only ones capable to become cyborgs.

 

 

From a logistics point of view, I suspect that removing an entire race (Cyborg), converting them all to Human, then adding implants to all races would be a significant task. .

True. But that is no reason to not even suggest it. Btw I am *not* suggesting they all should be converted to humans, but to any other of the existing (and possibly newly added) races, and on top of that get free customizations to essentially remain the cyborgs they were.

 

You would also piss off a lot of people that like playing a Cyborg.

That is true, and that is why those people should be compensated with free customizations.

 

And the benefit would be trivial

That is also true. The playable races are kind of shallow even wthout the cyborgs: they're all near-human, and actually one of the weaker features of this otherwise great game (I'd rather see playable Rodian, Aqualish etc.). Yet, to present cyborgs, while these are cool as a phenomenon, as a 'race' or 'species' stretches the limits of credibility to such a degree that might turn off people.

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The playable races are kind of shallow even wthout the cyborgs: they're all near-human, and actually one of the weaker features of this otherwise great game (I'd rather see playable Rodian, Aqualish etc.). Yet, to present cyborgs, while these are cool as a phenomenon, as a 'race' or 'species' stretches the limits of credibility to such a degree that might turn off people.

 

On the other hand, I really like all the cinematics and voice acting. Maybe that would get hugely complicated with playable species that are more exotic?

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So.... what racial classification would Anakin and Luke Skywalker fall under? Human or Cyborg?

 

I would think Cybernetics could be something unlocked with level/legacy level/cartel market. For all races. One extra augment slot, or a bonus to secondary stats like absorption, or something. I find it strange that cyborgs are limited to humans with facial trinkets attached. I was really hoping for a mechanical limb(s), or possibility to switch out power sources in said limbs as augment boosts.. on a Chiss or some other race.

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That free dictionary is written in a known universe — our known universe — where humans are the only sentient species. In a known universe with other sentient species, especially with sentient species so close to humans that they are best considered another race within mankind (e.g. Chiss) it is way too narrowminded to consider (normal) humans the only ones capable to become cyborgs.

 

True, but the ONLY language us earthlings know is earth languages, and as such, any definition the movie uses that is intended to be viewed by earthlings must fit our lingual definitions.

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I'd be totally on board with this idea if it wouldn't result in an incredible amount of backlash like everyone else mentioned.

What I think would be a reasonable compromise (and something EA would be interested in because it means more profit) is if you could purchase a cosmetic unlock to use the cyborg impants on other species as a customization option.

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True, but the ONLY language us earthlings know is earth languages, and as such, any definition the movie uses that is intended to be viewed by earthlings must fit our lingual definitions.

This is not a semantic issue. In the SW Universe there are other races/species, some of which are even thought of as being near-human. It is unlikely they wouldn't be use cyborg tech without an explanation.

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This is 2014 now not 2009-2011. This was debated back and forth for most of beta, and Bioware decided to go with the cyborgs as a species choice. The ship has entered hyperspace.

 

Personally I always thought it was kinda silly, BUT now you can get the cybernetic armors so you can be as much or as little cyborg as you want and cyborgs as a species still get the cybernetic eye social ability (much cooler than the dumb 'rally' thing humans get). So, now really there is no reason to change it. If you want a twi'lek cyborg, get the cyborg parts on the GTN. Problem solved.

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True, but the ONLY language us earthlings know is earth languages, and as such, any definition the movie uses that is intended to be viewed by earthlings must fit our lingual definitions.

 

Consider this...

 

per·son

ˈpərsən/

noun

noun: person; plural noun: people; plural noun: persons; noun: first person; noun: second person; noun: third person

 

1. a human being regarded as an individual.

 

So.. then why isn't an elf in Dungeons and Dragons immune to Charm Person? By real world definition where only humans exist, only a human is a person. So, by that respect, an elf cannot be a person nor can a dwarf, half-orc, halfling, hobbit, or any of the other "humanoid" species of the D&D world that Charm Person affects. They are not human, therefore by the strictest definition of person they should not be affected by Charm Person.

Edited by AbsolutGrndZero
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While I like the idea of cybernetics being an add-on to every race, I believe it would be too large (and costly) of a task considering the small benefit. To fill my desire for a more cyborg feeling, I outfitted my Juggernaut with the CM armor that gives a mechanical hand and leg while having normal armor everywhere else. It's something.
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While I like the idea of cybernetics being an add-on to every race, I believe it would be too large (and costly) of a task considering the small benefit. To fill my desire for a more cyborg feeling, I outfitted my Juggernaut with the CM armor that gives a mechanical hand and leg while having normal armor everywhere else. It's something.

 

This.

 

The issue is ROI. How many man-hours will it take to make this change (cybernetics for all races) and how likely is it to draw in new revenue? A good measure of that would be the cathar race and added hairstyles and hair colors:

 

- How many new accounts were created and/or old disabled accounts reactivated, AND unlocked those CM features when they were released?

- How many existing accounts paid (actual dollars/euros not complimentary CCs) to have those features unlocked?

 

Only BioWare knows the numbers.

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