Hi all,

I've only just discovered and signed up to Star Army, although I've been RPing online for about three years on various sites, sci-fi, Star Trek, adventure, horror etc. I've played lots of different types of games but am currently looking for something new.

I've always loved playing androids/cyborgs/automatons and wondered if, as a newbie, I'd be allowed to play one and which mission might be the best place for me to fit such a character into. I can provide a sample post if anyone wants to know how I'd approach such a character and can also provide a full bio etc.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Yes, you may play an android. There are a few models already on the wiki. If you want to create a new model, you'd need to get it approved in the New Technologies and Setting Elements forum before your character could be evaluated. Sometimes the NTSE process can take a while.

As a new player, I would recommend playing a Nekovalkyrja, since they're artificial life forms that are already well established.

Welcome to SARP, I'm Nashoba one of the Site Admins

You should probably start at the following URL

http://stararmy.com/wiki/doku.php

And check out the first three links on the page under Getting Started.

Nepleslia has cyborgs, Yamatai has artificial life forms, and there other species out there as well.

Also you can always check the Star Army IRC, there are usually plenty of folks on who can answer basic questions.

First and foremost, welcome to Star Army!

My name is Sigma, one of the GMs for Star Army. I'm happy to say that the answer to your question is a resounding, if slightly qualified, YES.

Firstly, the traditional cyborg/cybernetic prosthetic enhancement stuff is most commonly practiced in Nepleslia (where I GM), one of the starting factions for newbies. There are some specific cybernetic enhancements in the wiki but for the most part, we leave it to you to decide what your cybernetics can do. However! In the character creation process, if a character mod decides your cybernetics are too overpowered, then they will say so and make you change it. This is a semi-realistic roleplay, not a cheese-fest of godly characters.

Full-body cyborgs are rare. The only Nepleslian one currently in RP is Frown-chan's character. And she had to go through a fair number of hoops and hurdles. I, personally, discourage it since one can get along fine with less ... extreme measures.

The Star Army of Yamatai (another starting faction for newbies) makes use of slightly ambiguous bio-technology that could or could not be labeled as cyborg/cybernetic. It depends on who you ask. Nekovalkyrja and Yamataians are synthetic biological constructs which possess extra benefits due to biological engineering but, for all intents and purposes, behave just like regular humans. You should seek out Nashoba or another similarly well-versed Yamatai GM for more information. The best comparison I can make is like what Major Kusanagi Motoko uses in Ghost in the Shell but even that is not quite correct.

Again, welcome to Star Army! If you need help making a character, hop onto the IRC!

There is also the lesser used Freespacer faction, whom are partly linked to the Nelpeslian faction, they're a heavily cybernetic species, with an entire "racial" sub division being full conversion, who are more or less uploaded humanoids into a robot body, 100% mechanical.

True, Cora, but they are EXTREMELY complicated to create and more advanced than what we should be steering a newbie towards.

Thanks for all the advice, guys. I'll take the next couple of days to read everything and then get my character together. I can't wait to start RPing with you all.

You'll have a lot of fun on this site, I'm sure. If you have any questions be sure to PM one of the people with the Blue or Yellow names and we'll be happy to help. I, for one, believe myself to be pretty good with new players

Okay, so I've been having a bit of a read around and I've noticed that some people have created characters with Yorna bodies and a JANE add-on. Do you think I'd be allowed to use that for my first character? Or is that really only something that the advanced players can get involved with?

Sorry if I'm seeming a little difficult here, it's just that my past RPing experiences have taught me that I enjoy playing androids more than any other kind of being. It's not really the physical characteristics that appeal to me, so I'm not looking for super-strength or anything, it's more their personalities, their innocence and naivete and thirst for knowledge that I just love, which is why I'd rather go for an android than a cyborg because I don't really want a 'human' sentience, if that makes sense?

If I'm getting waaay ahead of myself here though then I'd be happy to play a more traditional character to begin with and then store this character away for when I've found my feet on this site.

Thanks again

If you're looking for that, it would be easiest to play a Nekovalkyrja character- they are usually created in a tube of some kind, born fully physically mature, and given basic personalities and some military training. Their personality is up to you to write, and if you want to play a naive, innocent Neko with a thirst for knowledge, then that is completely acceptable. Also, if you don't want the cat ears and like having all ten fingers and toes, there are models of Neko who look more human.