Deus Ex: Human Revolution as a Cyberpsychosis Simulator
I played some Deus Ex: Human Revolution this past weekend. The game is doing a pretty decent job of pointing out all the downsides and upsides of "human augmentation" (cybernetics and bionics), mostly through overheard conversation.
For example, at one point, I heard a couple arguing about a recent incident of infidelity, because one of them needed to know what it was like to be touched by hands that weren't metallic again, although it was clear that it was that partner's idea that they both be augmented in the first place. How's that for an unanticipated downside - the loss of the feeling of intimate touch? These people have lost something of what it is to be human, something important enough to one of them felt they had to break out of the bounds of her relationship to reclaim.
It's interesting to play someone in this environment who is heavily augmented, but not by choice. The augmented are often both more powerful than the unaugmented, and deeply resented by many of them. It's an odd and interesting experience - feared for something I didn't choose, and having the power to control or destroy any of these people who tells me I'm some kind of monster for being augmented, and choosing not to do so.
Perhaps the best example of this is one implant my character has, which is a conversation enhancement tool, which measures another person's body responses and personality types, and allows me to put out pheromones that different types of personalities will react to differently, and serve to give greater impact to my character's words, and measure how the words I'm choosing are effecting my target. It was a little while before I picked this up, so I had some chances to see how the system would normally work, but it's interesting how it turned people from other people into things to be influenced and controlled to get my way; They're just a list of bars and read-outs now. I now spend much of my time in conversations monitoring their numbers to figure out their personality types, in order to determine which pheromones or responses would best get me my way. I can't imagine being really close to someone, interacting with people in such a way, and love seems impossible at such a distance.
And you can imagine drawing further away from everyone else, too, as your character gains new augments, and is less and less human. Eventually, the people on the street who stand in my way, or insult me, aren't going to share much in common with me - psychologically, or physically. What reason do I have left to allow them to delay me, or insult me? I share nothing with them.
I guess this is what cyberpsychosis feels like.
For example, at one point, I heard a couple arguing about a recent incident of infidelity, because one of them needed to know what it was like to be touched by hands that weren't metallic again, although it was clear that it was that partner's idea that they both be augmented in the first place. How's that for an unanticipated downside - the loss of the feeling of intimate touch? These people have lost something of what it is to be human, something important enough to one of them felt they had to break out of the bounds of her relationship to reclaim.
It's interesting to play someone in this environment who is heavily augmented, but not by choice. The augmented are often both more powerful than the unaugmented, and deeply resented by many of them. It's an odd and interesting experience - feared for something I didn't choose, and having the power to control or destroy any of these people who tells me I'm some kind of monster for being augmented, and choosing not to do so.
Perhaps the best example of this is one implant my character has, which is a conversation enhancement tool, which measures another person's body responses and personality types, and allows me to put out pheromones that different types of personalities will react to differently, and serve to give greater impact to my character's words, and measure how the words I'm choosing are effecting my target. It was a little while before I picked this up, so I had some chances to see how the system would normally work, but it's interesting how it turned people from other people into things to be influenced and controlled to get my way; They're just a list of bars and read-outs now. I now spend much of my time in conversations monitoring their numbers to figure out their personality types, in order to determine which pheromones or responses would best get me my way. I can't imagine being really close to someone, interacting with people in such a way, and love seems impossible at such a distance.
And you can imagine drawing further away from everyone else, too, as your character gains new augments, and is less and less human. Eventually, the people on the street who stand in my way, or insult me, aren't going to share much in common with me - psychologically, or physically. What reason do I have left to allow them to delay me, or insult me? I share nothing with them.
I guess this is what cyberpsychosis feels like.