I need glasses…, and too poor to get them... Options

[xizor]

So do people still wear glasses in 206x because they need to?
Would it be worth any points as a flaw, rather like the vision penalties for Cyclops?
Or should I just make it something that as flavor

[Zazen]

Yeah, I'd give it a point or two as a flaw, so long as there's some reason you avoid cybereyes and laser surgery and whatnot.

[Arethusa]

Given that it's a pretty significant liability for someone who lives life as a runner, I'd make it worth a point as a flaw. If you get cyber eyes or laser surgery to correct it, you also have to pay karma to remove the flaw, naturally.

Has to be somewhat significant loss of vision compared to a normal person. Minor near sightedness really shouldn't register on the edge/flaw scale.

[edit]

And, yes, people in the future will still wear glasses, either because they don't want cybereyes or surgery or because they can't afford it.

This post has been edited by Arethusa: May 17 2004, 02:58 AM

[A Clockwork Lime]

I'd treat it as Oblivious for visual Perception Tests made while not wearing corrective lenses. Since it only affects one sense and can be corrected, it's only a -1 Flaw in my book, and you're going to have to check to make sure your glasses aren't destroyed every time you get hit in a fight or suffer any other kind of significant jarring effect.

[Arethusa]

I'd double all range penalties for firing a weapon without them, as well.

[Herald of Verjig...]

Have you seen current glasses tochnology? Certain frames can withstand a few tons of force and recover, and the lenses are typically a high durability plastic. You should be forced to make quickness (or reaction) checks to see if you keep the glasses on, but only severe cases (or real glass lenses) should result in the need to roll for their destruction.

[Zazen]

[Arethusa]

Still can't see those iron sights at close range. Either way, it's going to hurt.

And, yeah, glasses are not easy to destroy now. 60 years from now, I'd expect them to be many orders of magnitude tougher.

[kevyn668]

What, no contacts??

I'd call it a 1 point flaw but speaking from experience, I think the greatest thing in the world would be to wake up in the morning and be able to see.

[Arethusa]

[Smiley]

[John Campbell]

[Smiley]

{Rimshot}

[TinkerGnome]

Sure, you could have contacts. However, prepare for a lot of trouble from eye irritants. Even regular smoke could be a problem, but CS or pepper spray... ouch.

[kevyn668]

[Smiley]

Ok, ok, this is a teeeeny bit off subject, but it might outline why the military doesn't do contact lenses.

We all had to do our annual gas chamber and a guy in my shop left his contacts in. Yes, i know it was retarded. CS gas isn't exactly contact-friendly. He seemed to come out of it ok, though... much to everyone's surprise. We were wiping all the snot out of our masks and he walks up, contacts in hand, and asks where he can rinse them off. We pointed out a large bucket of water and he ambled off. Unbeknownst to us, though, that was the bucket the last group had rinsed out their masks in. CS gas isn't really gas, it's a bunch of teeny tiny crystals that float around and irritate your lungs. Apparently, it works in water, too. After wetting the lenses nicely, he popped them back in, took two steps, and started howling like he'd just been castrated. For the rest of the day his eyes looked like glowing red traffic lights. He didn't seem to think it was as funny as the rest of us for some reason...

[Apathy]

[Zazen]

[Xirces]

[Omega Skip]

Glasses are most commonly used to correct near- or far-sightedness. There are other reasons why some people wear them, but I imagine they're rather rare. The thing is, if you look at how corrective eye surgery has progressed over the last few years, it would seem that by 2060, this kind of procedure would be both affordable and safe. No need for cybereyes to adjust your vision. I hear that even today, normal sighted people can get their eyes adjusted so they have even better vision, but that may be just rumours.

Still, you could get the "bad eye surgery" flaw: The character wanted to get his sight adjusted, and wound up with permanently damaged eyes. Of course, since Doctor Bob's Cool Eyes Booth has since closed down, the poor character can't even get a refund. Man, I really hate Doctor Bob!

[Arethusa]

Not much of a flaw when it's easily correctible by vat grown eyes. And, hell, if I'm a runner, that's where my first paycheck's going.

[Omega Skip]

True, it's easily rectified; might be a flaw for a very, very, very low-end, streetlevel campaign - you know, the kind where you earn maybe 50 ¥ per "run".

Heh, now there's a flaw idea:
Complicated patient (-1, -2, -3)
No matter where you go, you always seem to end up with the most klutzy streetdoc there is. Either that, or your body just wasn't meant for surgery. This flaw comes in 3 levels; each level is added to any biotech or other surgery-related TNs for a character trying to apply such a skill on the character who has this flaw.

That would go nicely with the Bad Eye Surgery flaw...

[Zazen]

[Xirces]

[Omega Skip]

Just don't allow the Ideal Specimen edge. Or make it like this:

Ideal Specimen I, II, or III (1, 2, 3)
You, sir, are a perfect textbook example of human anatomy. In fact, some books even use you as their reference. Doctors would kill to have a patient as uncomplicated as you.
This edge comes in three levels; subtract the level from any TN for biotech or other surgery tests for characters who use such a skill on the person with this edge. This edge is not compatible with any physical flaws except "borrowed time".