Wearable Phase Matter Projector Mark II: Atlas' Less Bad Qarin Ripoff

Discussion in 'Approved' started by Ryanatorx, Nov 19, 2020.

  1. Ryanatorx

    Ryanatorx Galactic Officer Community Monitor Gold Donator

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    Name: Phase Matter Projector Mark II

    Description: An advanced piece of hardware that projects, manipulates, and controls phase matter, often carried around like a backpack. It connects into the user's brain to allow control over what is essentially a weaker version of Qarins. It is very similar to the B-Corp version, but after acquiring the blueprints and conducting their own tests, Atlas was able to improve on the design.

    Abilities:
    ⦁ Basically a Qarin
    ⦁ Looks cool as fuck
    ⦁ Now usable by sapient synthetics and novakids (through some equivalent of a brain implant)
    ⦁ Implanting the augment on nova with ingrown brands is possible, though the surgery is naturally more complicated
    ⦁ Shaped intentionally by the bearer or in a lab, depending on the system
    ⦁ Qarin is bonded to the projector, not the user, so the same Qarin can be traded to another user wearing the same backpack after syncing their brain implant with the projector (a process which takes a few minutes: long enough to not be viable to loot a Qarin backpack from your friend mid-combat, but short enough that you can do it if you get downtime to rest)

    Conditional Abilities:
    ⦁ Projector does NOT need to be worn by the wearer: Nexus connections to them means that projected Qarin can be remote-controlled (though with latency, the same as a proxy)
    ⦁ Outside of combat, projected Qarin can remain materialized for up to a minute. Great for picking up things from across the room or scouting!

    Limitations:
    ⦁ Comes with a mandatory brain implant
    ⦁ Requires a phase-matter storage and projection system
    ⦁ Qarin size is limited by the size of the storage system (for example, a body-sized Qarin would require the backpack to hold, but a rat-sized Qarin might be storeable in a much smaller container)
    ⦁ Has normal Qarin size limitations otherwise (ie no Qarin the size of a building)
    ⦁ Can only project the Qarin in bursts of 4 seconds (1 combat turn), as compared to the normal 8 second (2 combat turn) seen by real Qarin. The cooldown has been reduced to 20 seconds (5 combat turns) as compared to the previous minute, making them slightly more viable than the BCorp version.
    ⦁ Generally weaker than Qarin (though a particularly weak Qarin might lose arm-wrestling)
    ⦁ Synthetics must be sapient to use it
    ⦁ The Qarin cannot float around unmaterialized, as it is sitting in it's storage container when not in active use. This means that in order to scout with it, it would need to materialize and be visible for others to detect. The allowing of other sizes means that a phase-matter projection could be specifically designed for this purpose, being small and less noticeable.
    ⦁ No EMP shielding, as it would block the connection between the implant and the projector.
    ⦁ No 'sensing other phase matter' unless materialized, but can still be 'sensed' in the container.
    ⦁ Still experience the negative effects if the Qarin dies, thanks to the brain implant. Even if a Qarin is being controlled by a remote projector, these effects are suffered by the controller

    Conditional Limitations (Optional):
    ⦁ If Nova use the implant, it will be visible on their brand
    ⦁ Under normal conditions, for the implant to be damaged, the brain must also be damaged, so those effects are significantly less serious than the ones caused by the brain damage- nova are an exception, where it can be damaged without significant brain damage. Under these conditions, the user suffers an extreme version of the pain felt when a Qarin dies as the bond is violently severed.
    ⦁ If the implant is damaged or destroyed while the Qarin is in use, the phase matter dissipates
    ⦁ If an EMP goes off and knocks out power to the projector, the Qarin does NOT dissipate. Instead, it goes back into the container as if its time limit were up
    ⦁ Multiple Qarins are still not usable, faux or otherwise. If a Qarin-bearer attempts to use a phase matter projector, they will find themself unable to summon either until one is removed. Someone with a phase matter projector attempting to control multiple faux-Qarin will run into similar issue

    How does it work: The projector uses the same tech as the B-Corp version, but has now been compressed. This compression allows for non-backpack storage modes, so a rat Qarin can be summoned from a smaller projector. The brain implant allows the user to control the phase matter for a limited amount of time, sensing through their psuedo-ghost and acting with it as an extension of them just as Qarin are felt. The projector serves as an anchoring point for the Qarin, meaning they are always projected from the same point and can't materialize without some visual cue towards the source (such as the tail of the rat always pointing towards the projector).

    The limitation regarding synthetics is mostly a balance thing, so that there isn't an army of robots with ghosts. There wasn't any real reason why synthetics were barred before, as far as I can tell.



    Flavor text: After an unfortunate incident regarding the testing of a B-Corp Phase Matter Projector, the best and brightest at Atlas set themselves to solving the various problems presented by the Androman design. The issues were tackled one by one: no need for full-body implants, as the brain augment is just as comprehensive. The 'makes you go crazy' aspect was able to be removed. It wasn't a bug, it was a feature, but not everyone can appreciate that. Smaller storage containers and projectors using higher-quality power sources came next, resulting in a higher-grade product. It will never be as good as the real thing, but it can certainly try.

    For the time being, they are an Atlas exclusive. Atlas is manufacturing them but not selling them to the public. Even within Atlas, they are expensive enough to only be used by specialists.

    Referenced Technology: Qarins, Phase Matter Projectors

    Attainability: Semi-closed

    Category: Wearable

    Tags: [Military] [Faction]
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2020
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  2. Pinkbat5

    Pinkbat5 pocl v3.6.7 Staff Member Moderator Diamond Donator

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    Pending. Looks pretty good, there are only a few things I'd like to see clarified:
    -It says in abilities that the qarin is shaped manually by the user, but in weaknesses that it's shaped by the lab technicians. Which one is true?
    -Does the user experience any negative effects if the qarin is killed?
    -It sounds like the qarin is "bond" to the projector instead of a user. Does this mean you can take off your backpack and hand your qarin to someone else, assuming they also have the required brain implant?
    -How close do you have to be to the projector to control the qarin? Would it be possible to set up a nexus connection between you and the projector?
    -Novakid brand implants can exist, but they have the obvious weakness of being... visible. Maybe include something addressing that conditional limitations, especially if the implants are delicate.
    -Speaking of which, can this augment be used on novakid with ingrown brands?
     
  3. Ryanatorx

    Ryanatorx Galactic Officer Community Monitor Gold Donator

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    Addressed every clarification requested. Wrote the app months ago, probably should've read over it! A summary of changes:
    -Now clarified it can be shaped either by a technician or the user, depending on the system (freedom of choice to the players using it as determined by RP)
    -Negative effects if the Qarin is killed
    -Nexus connections to the projector are possible, giving a unique application for them (though they have the same latency limitations as proxies)
    -Added explanation for how damage to the projector itself works, which is really only relevant to nova. If you break the implant while the Qarin is 'out', then it dissipates and the projector is useless until new phase matter is gathered and shaped. Though, with brain damage, that's probably not your biggest issue
    -Ingrown brand nova clarification (possible, but the surgery is a bit more intense)

    Other changes:
    -Clarified how EMP effects the system

    Generally taking the same stance as most robots and other RP elements for EMP, where its more of a 'stun' than an instant kill. I don't think I need to say EMP doesn't explode the brain implant, it just turns it off so the connection is severed until it 'reboots' after a round like normal CRP EMP stuff works
     
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  4. Pinkbat5

    Pinkbat5 pocl v3.6.7 Staff Member Moderator Diamond Donator

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    Very nice...... pass
     
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  5. Skid

    Skid God Incarnate Staff Member Community Monitor Diamond Donator

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    Pending. Let me know when the two things discussed in dms have been added and I'll pass this.
     
  6. Skid

    Skid God Incarnate Staff Member Community Monitor Diamond Donator

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    epic. Passed.