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+--- Thread: [RFC] Standard biomods list? (/showthread.php?tid=2809)
[RFC] Standard biomods list? - Ace Dreamer - 09-03-2012
I think what I was getting at in (possibly unwisely) raising the question of MLP-related biomods was whether there might reasonably be some sort of 'standard' list of biomods? Existing wiki entry:
http://www.fenspace.net/index.php5?title=Biomod
Obviously, every biomod has at least the potential to be be different, but the basic idea of biomods is one of the signature traits of Fenspace, and there are some common patterns. Then there are things which look like biomods, but aren't, biomods which are mixed-in with something else, and biomods which are so extreme that the person isn't biological anymore, or even becomes living handwavium.
It might be worth mentioning people going the other way, and becoming either more biological, or becoming legal persons when they weren't before. Then biomods of things which are neither persons before nor after, like animals or plants.
Seeing as Fenspace isn't a dystopian setting, saying something about what are the limits on a 'Joker' (a biomod that is (almost) all quirks), or even a 'Black Queen' (death or its equivalent) might be worthwhile. Also making it clear whether this is a limit on what handwavium will do, what stories it is desirable to tell in the Fenspace setting, or both. I think the terminology is inspired by the 'Wild Cards' braided novel/collective writing setting:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Cards
(apologies if this is mentioned somewhere obvious, but I've managed to miss it).
Each faction can have its own standard biomods (the Trekkie aliens are probably a good example), but some biomods cut across factions or might even become the origin of a faction. It would probably be worth a least noting imperceptible or unnoticed biomods, that might be the result of accident or medical intervention. Some theories to the logic behind biomod results would obviously be worth linking from here.
Then there's things like the legal status of biomods in various places on Earth, and when that changes in the timeline, whether or not involuntary biomodding might be used anywhere in Fenspace except as a final emergency medical treatment, possibly as a 'final chance' alternative to execution, and links to faction rituals to do with biomodding. And, whether any of that is considered too dystopian for the Fenspace setting.
Making sure that it's clear: some of the information is common knowledge in Fenspace, some is only known to small groups of people, and some is 'meta' and is there for use by writers. Also when in the timeline various things become known.
So, is this worth doing? Or, is there enough about biomods in other places in the wiki?
Or, none of the above? [grin]
--
"It is the business of the future to be dangerous" - Hawkwind
- robkelk - 09-03-2012
First, I'll say that every writer has a different idea of what is "acceptable" or "too powerful" for a biomod, and none of those ideas match any of the others 100 per cent. Discussions about the limits can very quickly turn into arguments.
That said...
This is a very useful project that somebody (with a thick skin) should be at least looking at doing. It's also a big project that would take away from writing time or editing time.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
- HRogge - 09-03-2012
And of course there are no real "standard biomods"... every biomod (or sometimes every set) is unique and there is no guarantee someone will be able to reproduce them exactly as before.
Except for the results of the Catgirling Machine and similar machines.
- Rakhasa - 09-03-2012
Quote:[b][b][b]HRogge[/b][/b] wrote:[/b]Actually, that is not exactly true, because there are entire fictional races -specially Stark Trek ones- represented, so, while Vulcan John may not be the exact biomod that Vulcan Harry, both are recognizably vulcans. As there is 'wave involved, there will be the ocasional glitch, but the most well known biomods have been reproduced.
And of course there are no real "standard biomods"... every biomod (or sometimes every set) is unique and there is no guarantee someone will be able to reproduce them exactly as before.
Except for the results of the Catgirling Machine and similar machines.
I would divide the biomod types into four groups -taking the end result, not the procedure; both accidental and on purpose biomods count here. The Catgirling machine biomods are oustide of the system; they and simlir machines would be a fifth group, and no doubt the subject of much study.
-Unique: The person changes into something new, due to envioremental factors, possible hidden desires to simply the usual wave weirdness. It may have a strange risk of spontaneous genderchange, but that is probably a baseless rumor.
-Archetype: Probably the most common. The person changes into something out of fiction or a well known meme. This includes biomods into anime characters, fantasy/sci fi races, the original (pre-machine) catgirls, bunnygirls and the rest of the anthros, superheros, etc.
-Technofusion. The person is fused with a piece of machinery. Wave Convoy is the most extreme example, but probably most of the first generation Cyborgs are actually this type of biomod.
-Ritual: This is the type of biomod that can be, mostly, reproduced. This is usually one of the archetype biomods, that other fen then try to reproduce. Except the origianly biomod, this is usually done on purpose, not accidentally. This includes all the new Fenspace races: The Stark Trek aliens, Moria's dwarves, the Senshi gender change, Marduk's vampires, etc. While each person is slightly different, they (usually) end up the race they wanted to -though the more complicated the change (not, strangely, the ritual), the wider the differences. Every Klingon looks much like any other klingon, while none of the fifty or so vampires in Marduk have the same set of vampiric abilities.
- robkelk - 09-04-2012
Rakhasa Wrote:-Unique: The person changes into something new, due to envioremental factors, possible hidden desires to simply the usual wave weirdness. It may have a strange risk of spontaneous genderchange, but that is probably a baseless rumor.Examples from the established characters: Leda Swansen (electric hands), Hélène Aronnax (hairless, blue, and tall)
Rakhasa Wrote:-Archetype: Probably the most common. The person changes into something out of fiction or a well known meme. This includes biomods into anime characters, fantasy/sci fi races, the original (pre-machine) catgirls, bunnygirls and the rest of the anthros, superheros, etc.Examples from the established characters: April Roberts (generic Andorian), The Jason (Dragonball's version of Son Goku). Anika Springfield (Disney's Little Mermaid, with the legs)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
- classicdrogn - 09-04-2012
Actually, April was a medical biomod, trying for a horseshoe crab's regeneration to replace the arm she lost in a motorcycle accident. She just got the blue copper based blood chemistry as well, and stark white hair. Looking like an Andorian minus antennae is a quirk, not the intended result, but it let her get back in a fighter cockpit by 2015 aftera few years of physiotherapy to rebuild the reflexes and coordination so she's not about to complain, even if said fighter belonged to GJ rather than the RAAF.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
- Ace Dreamer - 09-04-2012
Rakhasa Wrote:I'd agree with most of this - looks like quite a good classification.Quote:[b][b][b]HRogge[/b][/b] wrote:[/b]Actually, that is not exactly true, because there are entire fictional races -specially Stark Trek ones- represented, so, while Vulcan John may not be the exact biomod that Vulcan Harry, both are recognizably vulcans. As there is 'wave involved, there will be the ocasional glitch, but the most well known biomods have been reproduced.
And of course there are no real "standard biomods"... every biomod (or sometimes every set) is unique and there is no guarantee someone will be able to reproduce them exactly as before.
Except for the results of the Catgirling Machine and similar machines.
I would divide the biomod types into four groups -
Quote:Every Klingon looks much like any otherI know 'Enterprise' re-conned it, but I still look at the two varieties of klingon and almost consider them different races. Would it be a a quirk if you ended-up as the wrong variety? [grin]
klingon
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Klingon_augment_virus
--
"It is the business of the future to be dangerous" - Hawkwind