Universal Genetic Upgrade [Bio-Tech]

[RedMattis]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

Competing designs, one distributed by a company that wants to sell the upgrade itself, one by others who just want more people to sell stuff to (perhaps licensed from the biotech firm that developed both)... The NIC model can't be pretty and smell good on its own, cosmetics is huge business! ;)

They are gullible, you can just convince them that they need to smell like Lavender or everyone will think they are lame. :D

[Black Leviathan]

Given that we're cusping into TL 9 now and we haven't even really figured out CRSPR these kind of Genetic templates might be a bit ambitious. I think things like the Fit Advantage or 1 level attribute gains would be within the scope of realistic changes. The sort of little things we're biohacking now like Low levels of Nightvision or Less Sleep or Temperature Resistance would also be in the reach of that technology.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by RedMattis

They are gullible, you can just convince them that they need to smell like Lavender or everyone will think they are lame. :D

Why smell like lavender forever when lavender could be out next season? Try our new Grace Body Spray, and the guys/girls/gender-neutrals/furry bioroids/whatever will drool!
(if excessive salivation becomes problematic, click here for a cure for that too - side effects include nausea, vomiting, loose bowels, and spontaneous combustion. Do not use Drool-B-Gone if you are allergic to Drool-B-Gone. Ask your Biochemist if Drool-B-Gone is right for you!)

[ericthered]

Yes... babies and teenagers that stay up late with no ill effects ... this is exactly what parents want...

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Yes... babies and teenagers that stay up late with no ill effects ... this is exactly what parents want...

No, parents want the Deep Sleeper Perk for their babies and after those babies are grown up they appreciate having it for themselves.

If you want the 1 pt expenditure that might result in the most happiness Deep Sleeper is probably it. :)

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Yes... babies and teenagers that stay up late with no ill effects ... this is exactly what parents want...

Hmmm... perhaps design the Less Sleep feature so it goes into effect once they are 18-20 (I assume the intent is to allow them to more readily work longer hours as part of their Workaholic Quirk)? It would be easier if we could link it to puberty, but that would have the teenager problem. A Disadvantage that requires more sleep prior to puberty might be a good idea to gengineer in (but wouldn't influence the template, unless the campaign involves pre-teen characters). Deep Sleeper would also be worthwhile, particularly for babies and young children (less being woken up - or interrupted in your nightly activities - due to monsters in closets/under beds/etc).

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

S
Eve [100]

Attribute Modifiers: ST+2 [20]; DX+1 [20]; IQ+1 [20]; HT+1 [10]

Advantages: Absolute Timing [2]; Appearance (Attractice) [4]; Fit [5]; Longevity [2]; Night Vision 2 [2]; Resistance to Disease (+8) [5]; Voice [10]

Availability: $125,000; LC 4

I tend to assume something like this but as a more incremental process.

First you spend the $25,000 for the Taboo Traits. Genetic Defects and Mental Instability are both full of serious probelsm with no upside. Unnatractiveness is full of minor-ish problems with no upside and aggressiveness is full of things that will get you sent to prison or be put on psych meds your whole life.

Note that there is an "assuming that things work like the say in Bio-tech" assumption that is a pre-requisite for such threads. If you want to argue that "things wouldn't actually work like that they'd work like I know they would and it would be a disaster!" you're in the wrong thread. Even if you're right you're in the wrong thread. You're just trying to stop other people from playing with concepts that you don't like.

Anyway, after you've budgeted the $25k for the basic process and Taboo Traits you start thinking about how much more you can spend and how you can get the most for your money on things that a majority of people would agree were good.

For the public subsidy you have a hard time justifying things like attractive and Voice. They would help individuals with success but wouldn't improve society as a whole.

The +2 ST would be surprisingly high on a militarily subsidized Template and as a private expenditure to help your male children compete with other males and your femaile children beat away unwanted males but ony so-so for society as a whole.

Pretty much the same for DX.

The +1 to IQ would be crucial for success in a future wourld but is rather expensive.

The +1 to HT is very broadly useful but Fit is only half as expensive and almost as useful.

Longevity and Resitance to disease are crucial and you want to start addign the Longevity as soon as you can. It'll pay off big when your new kids start to age....very, very slowly and this more cheaply too,

Absolute Timing would feaure on my Perfect Soldier Template but not necesarily near the top. Nght Vision would be even farther behind that.

So I think your First Generation (Good Bargains) Template looks something like Taboo Traits (All) Resistance to Disease+3/+8, Longevity, Fit, +! HT, +1 IQ in that order of desirabilility as the Government thinks it can find the money.

A TL10 Template woudl be much broader just because of the higher Starting Wealth.

[RedMattis]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Note that there is an "assuming that things work like the say in Bio-tech" assumption that is a pre-requisite for such threads.

I mean, Biotech is a bunch of guidelines to be adapted to whatever setting you're making. You're not supposed to read anything as gospel, in fact doing so would ironically be going against some of the core tenets of GURPS. :)

With that said, I think Biotech is neat and does a good job helping out with worldbuilding, templates, etc. for a setting which uses that sort of thing.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by RedMattis

I mean, Biotech is a bunch of guidelines to be adapted to whatever setting you're making. You're not supposed to read anything as gospel, in fact doing so would ironically be going against some of the core tenets of GURPS. :)

With that said, I think Biotech is neat and does a good job helping out with worldbuilding, templates, etc. for a setting which uses that sort of thing.

I don't particularly think Bio-tech is "right" I just think that arguing that things wouldn't really work the way they are described in Bio-tech in a thread labelled (Bio-tech) is threadcrapping.

[RedMattis]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

I don't particularly think Bio-tech is "right" I just think that arguing that things wouldn't really work the way they are described in Bio-tech in a thread labelled (Bio-tech) is threadcrapping.

I interpret it differently. To me discussing how biotech (small 'b') could be used for a "generic upgrade" is as much on topic as discussing different real world material arts (which may or may not be represented in GURPS Martial Arts) would be for a [Martial Arts] topic.

I didn't really see anything which indicated that we were required to stick to the GURPS Biotech prefab templates, only that it was TL9 (that is to say, fairly early biotech), and that there was considerations for economical cost-vs-payoff.

I'm sure we could try to put a price on the templates G&A and I created based on what is in GURPS Biotech, but at least in my case I was really just interested in making light discussion by throwing together something quick to continue the discussion I was having with G&A. If Alexander and whomever else is reading this pondering their Biotech setting wants to proceed with those concepts but using only the Biotech prefabs, then I'm sure they can largely convert the stuff we made anyway. :)