QUOTE (Fatum @ May 28 2013, 10:06 AM)
It was implemented in the Essence mechanic, and the in-character effect left for the players to roleplay. The dehumanizing effect of cyber is mentioned numerous times throughout the books, including, say, the perfect Hatchetman's account.
I've been wanting to come back to this for a few days now. Lets be clear about this essence always has been, and always will be, a game mechanic. It's a game mechanic with window dressing nothing more nothing less. Until the advent of Man and Machine (IIRC, it's been a long day) and the often cited Hatchetman's account the subject was barely touched on, suddenly you have Hatchetman's account, an account written by a man on death's door as a post life recollection is now held up as the poster child for how to see ware. It was great reading but citing it (as it often is cited) like it's the gold standard for street sam's is like saying that all combat veterans across all media must be portrayed as if they are one loud noise away from a PTSD induced flashback. It's trope, and it's not even particularly good trope.
Basically I refuse to believe that SR spent so much time challenging the status quo about people's perception of magic, dragons, orks, trolls, elves etc that on this one item it's so important that people realize that their trading their soul for power (seriously that's what we're going with?) that it's actually now getting put in as a universal game mechanic, no matter how large or small the penalty. I refuse to believe that a game world rich enough to support the Church of Elvis on one side and Christian Theurge's on the other, auto-mechanic street wise elven go gangers and Frank Sinatra singing troll musicians (although to me that one was kind of weird) wants to pick this item as it's one universal constant.
Now i'm going to field some arguments ahead of time while hopefully avoiding strawman fallacy.
1) You can houserule it away: Yea but i shouldn't have to. It fails a basic test of does this rule make the game/world better. Various syndromes of dissociation from cyberware or other sources could just as easily be handled by edges and flaws or whatever they are calling them. That would allow common occurances to be metered without it becoming a universal "You talk funny because you have ware" penalty.
2) You can play another game: See above
3) Hatchetman: One cyberzombie shouldn't a universal constant make, especially because, you know, CYBERZOMBIE!
I mean i'd have to go back and re-read the books but I really really cannot remember any of the other heavily cybered characters waxing emo about how disasociated they were. IIRC Argent Didn't, Kid Stealth didn't, Others whose names I can't remember didn't. That's my question to the development team at the end of the day, what the hell do you have against cybered characters being awesome? Why do you have such a goddamn hardon for portraying them like second class citizens. I mean i get it, magical talent is rare and all that and everyone who buys the mage or adept quality is a special little snow flake who should be worshiped and protected by their team because they are lucky to have them, but why do you feel the need to take the extra step and penalize every person playing the game in any other way but Magicrun. What possible purpose does it serve?