Cyberware

Cyberware is a new enough technology that you can have vastly different experiences depending where you are in the galaxy. I'll come back at some point and fill out more details but the general state/opinions on cyberware by faction:

Republic: Advanced limb replacement is available for those that have a medical need. Due to regulations that require extensive testing, and very high standards it's difficult for cyberware companies to come to market and those that do almost always have a utility use and are minimally invasive. Anything that could be used as a weapon is outlawed for safety concerns. Some exceptions can be made if the device is removeable.

For example, the company Altera produces a hand replacement device. The customer is amputated just below the wrist if they aren't already and the system is a bit modular with the palm being the base unit. The palm and wrist are connected to the forearm and house the interfacing tech that allows this whole thing to work. Each of the fingers are sold as add-ons since they aren't strictly required for functionality of the device. This also allows them to be modular. You could have replica fingers that mimic touch and feel, you could have a welding finger that uses an energy connection point from your palm to an external device to power, you could have artisanal designed fingers, really the world is your oyster, or it would be if the company open sourced it and permitted custom designs. However doing doing so would be unlawful because this is a cybernetics device and a finger laser gun could be developed. For this reason new fingers must be surgically attached and removed in order to comply with the law.

Royzon Compact: The cornucopia of cyberware, but be sure you know what you're getting installed because some of it is downright malicious. If you want it, there are dozens if not hundreds of companies competing for your business. If you thought it might exist, it will be here. There are even cyberware here that will make you question how or why it exist in the first place and the answer is because someone will buy it.

One of my personal favorites is the Ocular Computation Device; sold by a high end electronics company this product is very new, a single lens can cost 10K eCash and it's marketed that you really should buy 4 or more lens. This is a step up from the traditional cybereye that basically just a screen that read out information from your connected devices. It had perfect vision, and the camera could change to night vision and thermal automatically depending on your environment. The rest was dependent on the software you were running and what else you were connected to. The eye itself was just once piece of an Asida computer. This new device, the OCD, brings most of this functionality into the eye itself.

The OCD can:

• Perfect Vision (A feature that includes the Nigh vision, etc.)

• Internal Storage

• New OS, Hyu, manages the computer that is your eye.

• Integrated Global Networking (Global Networking, open source networking protocol that monetizes use, incentivizing as many highly reliable nodes as possible. The default for most people in Asida cities.)

• Built in App Suite (Lock/Unlock doors, crypto keys, etc.)

• Audio Brain Interface (Takes audio input, translates it to your brain, and reads it out using your "inner monologue" voice. Also works in reverse, making audio calls complete.

• Take, store, and share images.

• It's a cellphone in your eye.

This product minimizes the number of surgery's, and the length of surgery, dramatically. It also has a mount system so that it can be swapped easily. This means that employers no longer need to provide computers to employees to link into in order to use their cyberware processing and now companies can buy these eyes, run their custom image of Hyu, connected to their own networks, and the employee can now more effectively take the work home, meaning that remote employment is still possible.

Vullities: Culturally they prefer less cyberware, and because of this their cyberware isn't great and it's most commonly installed by Rigna-et for medical reasons. If you see a Rigna-et with non-medical cyberware, it's likely they made it themselves and see cyberware as a hobby. For lack of better reference, it's the equivalent of something like being a goth or alt styled human. Are you going to get funny looks, yes, does anyone really care, no, are there some people who have a preference for or against it, yes, is anyone going to stop you, no but you may get yelled at by traditionalist.

I can't really point to one piece of cyber that would stand out here, the community does though. If you're into cyber for the "Metal is better than flesh" then this is perhaps the place for you since the overlap of people who have cyber and think like that is nearly a circle. Few dukes outlaw the non-medical cyberware.

Monsians would be seen as late adopters of cyberware not because they really are, but when it comes to the masses having access this is still being rolled out. There isn't much in terms of Monsian cyberware, but what does exist is very high quality.

I'm struggling to think what cybernetics would be particularly important to them, and how to modify them to tie into their culture, so instead I'll just talk about the cyberware generally.

All thought related cyberware reports to a central database to monitor happiness levels and ensure that all information learned is shared with everyone. If cyberware doesn't have a utility use, it probably doesn't get made. This can get more flushed out when the faction as a whole gets more flushed out.

Dynasty: The least fleshed out faction get's the least information here. More like the Royzon compact in terms of ability to produce cyber. It's expensive and not that great since quantity of people who want it is lower, you need to fit the vinn diagram of; wealthy enough to afford it, specialized enough that it actually exist (low specialization stuff is cheap and even worse), care to invest that much wealth into something that is seen as an investment in your craft.

Republic 2: This is the very first place this faction has ever been seen in this Lore Book, so I can't really tell you what they're like because I have no idea. Ideologically at odds with the Republic of Astorx with enough military and political power to retain sovereignty in the face of militarized Imperials. Likely economically better off than the RoA, and perhaps the RoA allows them to exist because they see value in something they do/are.