Bioware has no physical interaction between two individuals. Visible cyberware does but non-visible does not. There's no logical explanation for the penalty beyond a "spooky sixth sense".

That is just incorrect. Between unnatural pheromones and leathery, thick, inhuman skin, false face and joints that move inhumanly, symbiotes moving below the skin, eyes that have a second pair of lids and different irides than human eyes, bioware drops a person into uncanny valley. If anything, this makes the perceived dehumanisation worse.

I have to repeat: Essence is about the internal state of the character, not about others detecting him having a weak aura. This just seems so obvious to me.
Yes, being drained by a vampire half to death, you won't be seen by others as the boisterous gregarious socialite with great persuasion powers. How is that ever surprising? Or more surprising than the fact that wound modifiers affect your skills, too?
Also, I believe the books also had shadowtalkers stating that getting cybereyes was like watching a trideo about themselves, and that wired reflexes made them twitchy to the point of almost cutting a random passer-by on reflex, and samesuch.

Except absolutely none of the bioware you described is bioware I use. He has completely natural eyes since he has the Hawk Eye PQ.

The only piece of bioware that he has that has a fluffed physical description that would be readily apparent as potentially uncanny would be Synaptic Boosters. Any other physical description you're talking about is purely houserules.

The description of bioware even explicitly points out that is it difficult to distinguish from the original.

Believe it or not, not everybody has your character sheet memorized. If you want to talk about a specific character, share the build; otherwise, don'T assume anyone is talking about you and your creation.

Sounds a lot like Dracula and Renfield.


+1 Karma.

I don't need to. Not every bioware user is using symbiotes, orthoskins, bioware replacement eyes, tailored pheromones, or any of the bioware that has a physical interaction with another person. There is plenty of bioware that is supplements the existing organs that no one would be the wiser about. Even the books admit that detecting bioware typically requires genetic level testing. Because of that nature of bioware, the essence mechanic is only useful as a limited on augmentation because the uncanny valley bit would be recognizable to software and make all the previous parts of identifying bioware moot.

Honestly, I think the most bogus bit about using essence lost as a penalty is the simple fact that one of the common avenues of improving one's ability to socialize is a bioware. That's not self defeating in the slightest.

... So I suppose "internally caused change to the subject's state of psychological adjustment which is reflected in their interpersonal interactions" isn't a logical explanation?

Promotions are also a Security Violation...

No it isn't. Because if such motions are uncanny enough to cause people discomfort, then they are discernable enough for any camera and software to identify a person that has bioware installed, thus negating the previous statements that bioware is virtually undetectable.

... You may have misunderstood my point - never said anything about "motions".

Any other suggestion makes no sense since I could simply point out that any sociopath has an equal if not greater detachment from humanity. A psychological issue is a psychological issue and should be treated with a separate mechanic from a physical body mechanic.

There are a lot of ways to be maladjusted, Stealth - and I never said anything about "detachment from humanity".