Difference between revisions of "Implant"

From Anarchy Online Wiki [AOWiki]
Line 62: Line 62:
 
:"A great introduction to implants, these special implants can be found in basic stores in the major cities on Rubi-ka. Located in a separate department within the basic shops you will find a vendor for each profession. These vendors sell pre-built, ready to install implants that are suitable for the profession. Note these may not be the most efficient implants that veteran player might build, but they serve as a good starting point until you are a little more comfortable with the implant system."
 
:"A great introduction to implants, these special implants can be found in basic stores in the major cities on Rubi-ka. Located in a separate department within the basic shops you will find a vendor for each profession. These vendors sell pre-built, ready to install implants that are suitable for the profession. Note these may not be the most efficient implants that veteran player might build, but they serve as a good starting point until you are a little more comfortable with the implant system."
  
From a player's perspective, these implants are one or both of two challenges; accepting their limited efficiencies, or, as is subtly urged by the above text, building better implants of their own. In a few cases this is unnecessary. Even then, reading between the lines a little might be necessary. Rifle, Shining cluster? Unlikely as a combat implant for professions other than Agent or maybe Soldier. But that is exactly what is required, with no exceptions, for an Eye implant that has the relatively easy to buff Agility as a requisite, and still has Nano and Casting skills or the (old, including Psychology which is now in Combat and Healing) Trade and Repair skills.  
+
From a player's perspective, these implants are one or both of two challenges; accepting their limited efficiencies, or, as is subtly urged by the above text, building better implants of their own. In a few cases, the preconstructed implants are excellent, and crafting custom ones is unnecessary. Even then, the mechanics of implants means that sometimes the reading between the lines a little might be necessary. Rifle, Shining cluster? Unlikely as a needed skill for professions other than Agent or maybe Soldier. But that is exactly what is required, with no exceptions, for an Eye implant that has the relatively easy to buff Agility as a requisite, and still has Nano and Casting skills or the (old, including Psychology which is now in Combat and Healing) Trade and Repair skills.  
  
While the implants are built to be geared for a specific profession, they are not profession locked. So beneficial implants may be freely mixed and matched out of any of the profession booths. Implants drop as loot from mobs throughout the game, but their bonuses are random, and they are much less likely than the terminal goods to be wholly beneficial. By far the most advantageous route is to make some implants to suit specific professions' needs. This is the strength of the implant system. It truly allows you to significantly increase the power of your character.
+
While the implants are built to be geared for a specific profession, they are not profession locked. So beneficial implants may be freely mixed and matched out of any of the profession booths. Store implants only go half the way to QL 200, and the player must find them as loot or mission rewards thereafter. Implants drop as loot from mobs throughout the game, but their bonuses are random, and they are much less likely than the terminal goods to be wholly beneficial. This leaves two routes: one is to blitz [[Mission]]s for specific implants, with only a little better chance of finding a combination that is suitable, and another is to take the looted implants, clean them out, and add new clusters to them, making exactly the right implants to suit your characters' needs. This is the strength of the implant system. It truly allows you to significantly increase the power of your profession.
  
  

Revision as of 06:12, 2 September 2018

The sections, "Assembling" and "Cleaning" have been moved to Implant Tradeskills

A implant is a cybernetic device surgically inserted into part of a character's physical body, such as eyes, arms, hands, feet, and others, that augments their abilities.

Implants are one of the key features in Anarchy Online and allow tremendous boosts to beneficial skills that allow characters to equip gear that might be far beyond their normal level of use. The implant system is also highly customizable, allowing a very wide variety of latitude in what skills and abilities can be enhanced depending on what nano clusters are added to the base implant.

General information

Nematet's Inner Eye Skull of the Ancient
Touch of the Gripper Inner Faith
Keeper's Vitality Notum Splice
Leg Implant: Skill Time Lock Modifier, Shiny Jobe
Basic Feet Implant

You can find the implant view on the third tab of your WEAR window. It looks a little different to the background above, which is normally used for displaying armor. Pictured are some of the more exotic types of implants that can be found in AO; click on the icons to see their entry on Auno.

Note: This is also one of the most flexible but complex parts of character
development in Anarchy Online so do not be too worried if the whole implant
system seems a little complex at first!

Implants can be split up into three broad categories:

  • Pre-built professional implants
These are your perfect introduction into implants and are sold in the basic stores across Rubi-Ka.
  • Regular Implants
These are the mainstay of the implant system. These can be built through tradeskills to fit the specific needs of your character
  • Refined Implants
Implants above Quality Level 200 are known as refined implants and are harder to make and equip but offer the highest bonuses to skills


Choosing an Implant

Basic implants are the base component for a complete implant, and do not confer any bonuses to your character at all. To start getting bonuses you need to find (or build) implants with 'nano clusters' installed in them.

It is these clusters that actually contain the bonuses, there are three levels of nano clusters, and each implant can have one of each type of cluster installed. The three types are Faded, Bright and Shining. All clusters can be found in each variety, and there is a cluster that relates to each and every skill available to your character.

A completed implant though will take its name from only one of the clusters that are installed, so it always pays to shift click implants to see what clusters they actually contain.

Like all other items in AO, both implants and clusters come in different Quality Levels. The QL of implants you find in missions or while hunting will effect the stat required for wearing the implant, the bonuses given when worn, and the skill needed to add clusters to the implant.

Lets take a look at each type in turn, then we will explain how to equip them.


Profession Specific Implant Terminals

"A great introduction to implants, these special implants can be found in basic stores in the major cities on Rubi-ka. Located in a separate department within the basic shops you will find a vendor for each profession. These vendors sell pre-built, ready to install implants that are suitable for the profession. Note these may not be the most efficient implants that veteran player might build, but they serve as a good starting point until you are a little more comfortable with the implant system."

From a player's perspective, these implants are one or both of two challenges; accepting their limited efficiencies, or, as is subtly urged by the above text, building better implants of their own. In a few cases, the preconstructed implants are excellent, and crafting custom ones is unnecessary. Even then, the mechanics of implants means that sometimes the reading between the lines a little might be necessary. Rifle, Shining cluster? Unlikely as a needed skill for professions other than Agent or maybe Soldier. But that is exactly what is required, with no exceptions, for an Eye implant that has the relatively easy to buff Agility as a requisite, and still has Nano and Casting skills or the (old, including Psychology which is now in Combat and Healing) Trade and Repair skills.

While the implants are built to be geared for a specific profession, they are not profession locked. So beneficial implants may be freely mixed and matched out of any of the profession booths. Store implants only go half the way to QL 200, and the player must find them as loot or mission rewards thereafter. Implants drop as loot from mobs throughout the game, but their bonuses are random, and they are much less likely than the terminal goods to be wholly beneficial. This leaves two routes: one is to blitz Missions for specific implants, with only a little better chance of finding a combination that is suitable, and another is to take the looted implants, clean them out, and add new clusters to them, making exactly the right implants to suit your characters' needs. This is the strength of the implant system. It truly allows you to significantly increase the power of your profession.


Installing an Implant

Implants cannot be swapped in and out like armor/util/weapon items. They require a treatment clinic to install. Treatment clinics come in two variants: Portable clinics, which are normally used to make a number of treatment buffing devices, available in basic/advanced/superior stores and the stationary ones; they can be found in basic, advanced and superior shops as well as in the city backyards and some selected specialist implant shops. To use a clinic you have to right click it.

The stationary clinics have an advantage over the portable ones: They place a unique treatment buff (+100) on the character and instant heal HP + nano by 1000. In return you have to pay a small fee for this service (300 credits).The timeout on the treatment buff and implant unlock is 5 minutes or until you zone.

Add a full Omni-Med Suit at +78 Treatment for all the pieces (there is no head) and that is +178 already. Add a Stalker Helmet or a Physician's Cap for even more.

Sugeryclinic.jpg

Requirements

Every implant has an ability requirement and a Treatment requirement to wear. The higher the QL, the higher the requirements, but the higher the bonus as well. The ability type depends on the combination of clusters being installed.
The base skill requirement for the implant will generally be:
(Quality Level x2) + 4 Every implant also requires treatment to install. The treatment requirement is at or close to:
Quality Level x 4.7

Quality Level comes into play in a much more significant manner when it comes to making Implants yourself. Making Implants is actually fairly easy, but there are a few important points to remember that might help avoid frustration or wasted time.

Auno implant Designer

Formulas

There are some unusual variations before level 10, but otherwise, the following formulas apply:

  • Treatment skill varies between just over 5x QL at QL 2 to just over 4.75x QL at 200. The formula QL x 4.7 +11 is good for many high QLs of implants.

A cluster of a particular skill type has a particular multiplier for use in these formulas. The list of multipliers is in the 'Cluster Locations' chart elsewhere on this page. Multipliers are under the 'X' heading.

  • Implanting Shiny cluster : 2 x Multiplier x QL = Nanoprogramming skill required
  • Implanting Bright cluster: 1.5 x Multiplier x QL = Nanoprogramming skill required
  • Implanting Faded cluster : 1 x Multiplier x QL = Nanoprogramming skill required
  • The ability requirement is 2x QL +4.
  • Faded clusters must be at least 82% of the quality level of the implant

As an example if the implant is level 100 the faded cluster you want to install must be at least quality level 82 to install. The game always rounds down when making that calculation.

You can install a cluster into an implant of lower quality level BUT the bonus given by the completed implant will be lowered to that appropriate to the QL of the original basic implant used. This is a potential major loss of credits, so be careful, install a QL100 cluster (and the shining ones are the most expensive) into a QL10 implant and you will get a QL 10 bonus from your nice shiny QL100 cluster!

Despite what the Arete Landing implant mission implies, with its mission failure for not adding clusters in a particular order, clusters can be added Faded then Shining then Bright, or Bright Faded Shining, or any order at all. Similarly, looted implants with missing clusters can be added to.

Breakpoints for implant cluster bonuses can easily be found.

  • Shiny clusters: Odd-numbered QLs.
  • Bright clusters: Every QL number ending in 2, 5, or 9.
  • Faded clusters: Every fifth QL, numbers ending in 3 or 8.

Implant Tradeskills

Implants that already have clusters in them can be made into Clean Implants ready to have new clusters added (using Implant Disassembly Clinic and Break and Entry skill). Clusters, bought or looted, can be added to Cleaned or bought Basic Implants, and if the crafter's Nano Programming skill is sufficiently high, the Implant level can be raised (QL Bumping). Some tradeskillers use QL bumping and cleaning to get the implant to the exact level they want.

Above level 200, implants and clusters can only be gathered from missions and mob drops above level 200. These Refined Implants cannot be combined with normal implant components and have higher multipliers for their ability and treatment requirements and a Title Level 5 or higher requirement. Jobe Clusters, sold in ICC and Jobe and dropped in RK missions, are Refined clusters that raise skills not otherwise covered by standard implants; skills like AddAllDef, AddAllOff, %XP gain, Damage Add, or nano cost reduction. They have the same additional requirements to wear as Refined Implants do. To add them to an implant requires an additional tradeskill such as Computer Literacy or Psychology.

Preconstructed Implants

From the aforementioned Profession Specific Implant Terminals. Blank spaces on the chart signify empty cluster slots. Implants with two clusters, or one, cost less than implants with three clusters. Characters with the required Nanoprogramming skill can add a cluster to a vacant position in an implant (See Assembling Implants section).

Type Shining Bright Faded Ability Prof.Kiosk
Eye Tutoring Psychological Modification Time & Space Alteration Intelligence Metaphysicist, M Artist
Tutoring Computer Literacy Matter Creation Intelligence Nanotechnician
Tutoring Sensory Improvement Time & Space Alteration Intelligence Fixer, Keeper
Tutoring Intelligence Time & Space Alteration Intelligence Engineer
Sensory Improvement Matter Creations Psychic Enforcer
Treatment Matter Creation Intelligence Doctor
Electrical Engineering Psychological Modifications Time & Space Alteration Intelligence Bureaucrat
Rifle Psychological Modifications Time & Space Agility Agent
Heavy Weapons Matter Creations Agility Adventurer
Map Navigation Psychological Modifications Time & Space Alteration Sense Trader
Aimed Shot Ranged Energy Assault Rifle Agility Soldier
Head Matter Creation Nano Pool Sense Intelligence Metaphysicist
First Aid Dimach Sense Sense Martial Artist
Matter Creation Nano Pool Psychic Nanotechnician
Psychic Nano Pool Tutoring Intelligence Fixer
Matter Creation Nano Pool Tutoring Intelligence Engineer,Bureaucrat
Biological Metamorphosis Sense Agility Enforcer
Biological Metamorphosis Nano Pool Sense Intelligence Doctor
Sensory Improvement Ranged Initiative Sense Psychic Agent
Biological Metamorphosis Map Navigation Sense Intelligence Adventurer
Psychological Modifications Ranged Initiative Sense Intelligence Trader,Keeper
Ranged Energy Ranged Initiative Agility Soldier
Type Shining Bright Faded Ability Prof.Kiosk
Ear Tutoring Intelligence Intelligence MP, Engineer, Doctor
Tutoring Psychological Modifications Intelligence Martial Artist
Perception Tutoring Intelligence Sense NT/Advent/Trader/Keeper
Tutoring Psychic Intelligence Fixer
Concealment Psychological Modifications Agility Enforcer, Soldier
Psychology Psychological Modifications Intelligence Bureaucrat
Perception Concealment Psycho Mod Sense Agent
Right Arm 1Hand Blunt Chemical AC Radiation AC Strength MetaP
1Hand Blunt Chemical AC Radiation AC Strength Martial Art
Machine Guns & SMG Chemical AC Radiation AC Agility Fixer
1h Blunt Brawling Fast Attack Strength Enforcer
2h Blunt Brawling Fast Attack Strength Enforcer
Breaking & Entering Chemical AC Radiation AC Agility Doctor
Shotgun Chemical AC Mechanical Engineering Agility Bureaucrat
Fling Shot Swimming Mechanical Engineering Agility Agent
1Hand Edged Brawling Fast Attack Agility Adventurer
Shotgun Chemical AC Radiation AC Agility Trader
Assault Rifle Swimming Radiation AC Agility Soldier
Type Shining Bright Faded Ability Prof.Kiosk
Chest Nano Pool Matter Meta Sensory Improvement Psychic Metaphysicist, Nanotech
Dimach Biological Metamorphosis Sensory Improvement Psychic Martial Art
Max Health Matter Metamorphosis Sensory Improvement Stamina Advent/Fixer
Nano Pool Biological Metamorphosis Nano Execution Initiative Psychic Engineer
Max Health Matter Metamorphosis 2Hand Blunt Stamina Enforcer
Max Health Matter Metamorphosis Max Nano Stamina Doctor
Nano Pool Biological Metamorphosis Sensory Improvement Psychic Agent/Bcrat/Keep
Stamina Matter Metamorphosis Strength Stamina Trader
Max Health Projectile AC Max Nano Stamina Soldier
Left Arm Breaking & Entering Matter Metamorphosis Agility Agent, Bureau, Fixer, MP
Brawling Strength Physical Initiative Strength Martial Artist
Matter Metamorphosis Intelligence Engineer, Nanotechnician
Brawling 2Hand Blunt Matter Metamorphosis Strength Enforcer
Strength Matter Metamorphosis Stamina Doctor, Trader, Soldier
Brawling Strength Matter Metamorphosis Strength Adventurer
Type Shining Bright Faded Ability Prof.Kiosk
Right Wrist Run Speed 1Hand Blunt Multiple Melee Weapons Agility Enforcer, Metaphysicist
Riposte Nano Resist Psychic Martial Artist
Pistol Nano Resist Fling Agility Nanotech, Engineer, Doc
Run Speed Burst Stamina Fixer
Parry Agility Keeper
Run Speed 1Hand Blunt Multiple Melee Weapons Agility Enforcer
Ranged Initiative Nano Resistance Fling Shot Agility Bureaucrat
Ranged Init Rifle Fling Shot Agility Agent
Parry 1Hand Edged Multiple Melee Weapons Agility Adventurer
Pistol Multiple Ranged Weapons Fling Shot Agility Adventurer
Ranged Init Burst Fling Shot Agility Trader
Run Speed Burst Fling Shot Agility Soldier
Waist Chem AC Sense Agility Sense Adventurer
Brawling Sense Adventurer
Duck Explosion Bio Metamorphosis Agility Agent
Rad AC Max Nano Shotgun Sense Bureaucrat
Chem AC Max Nano Stamina Sense Doctor
Cold AC Max Health Brawling Stamina Enforcer
Max Nano Bio Metamorphosis Psychic Engineer, Nanotech
Fire AC Max Health Stamina Stamina Fixer
Rad AC Max Health Evade Close Combat Sense Martial Artist
Chem AC Max Nano Bio Metamorphosis Sense Metaphysicist, Keeper
Cold AC Max Health Stamina Stamina Soldier
Chem AC Max Nano Shotgun Sense Trader
Type Shining Bright Faded Ability Prof.Kiosk
Left Wrist Multi Melee Run Speed Nano Resistance Agility Metaphys/Enforcer/Adventurer
Run Speed Nano Resist Agility MA/NT/Fixer/Doc/Sold/Keeper
Nano Resist Psychic Engineer
Multi Ranged Run Speed Nano Resistance Agility Bureau, Trader
Run Speed Rifle Agility Agent
Run Speed Psychic Keeper
Right Hand Time & Space Alteration 1Hand Blunt Intelligence Metaphysicist
Martial Arts First Aid Treatment Agility Martial Artist
Matter Creation Computer Literacy Intelligence Nanotechnician
Time & Space Alteration Burst Intelligence Fixer
Time & Space Alteration Treatment Intelligence Engin/Bureau/Keeper
Matter Creation 1Hand Blunt Intelligence Enforcer
Matter Creation Treatment Intelligence Enforcer, Doctor
Time & Space Alteration Computer Literacy Intelligence Agent
Fast Attack 1Hand Edged Agility Adventurer
Trap Disarmament Pistol Burst Agility Adventurer
Trap Disarmament Time & Space Alteration Computer Literacy Agility Trader
Assault Rifle Burst Agility Soldier
Type Shining Bright Faded Ability Prof.Kiosk
Leg Agility Stamina Run Speed Stamina Metaphysicist
Agility Evade Close Combat Max Health Stamina Martial Artist, Trader
Dodge Ranged Evade Close Combat Body Development Agility Nanotechnician
Agility Evade Close Combat Agility Engineer/Agent
Dodge Ranged Evade Close Combat Max Health Agility Enforcer, Doctor, Keeper
Agility Evade Close Body Development Stamina Bureaucrat
Agility Melee Initiative Max Health Stamina Adventurer
Agility Stamina Max Health Stamina Soldier
Left Hand Fire AC First Aid Stamina MP/Doc/Bcrat/Trade
Fire AC Martial Arts Stamina Martial Artist
Trap Disarm First Aid Agility Nanotech/Fixer/Agent
First Aid Sense Engineer
Fast Attack Fire AC Cold AC Agility Enforcer
Fast Attack Trap Disarm First Aid Agility Adventurer, Keeper
Fire AC Ranged Energy Stamina Soldier
Type Shining Bright Faded Ability Prof.Kiosk
Feet Evade Close Combat Agility Duck Explosion Agility MP/Fix/Eng/Enf/Trade/Sol
Physical Initiative Martial Arts Duck Explosion Agility Martial Artist
Evade Close Combat Dodge Ranged Duck Explosion Agility Nano/Doctor/Bureaucrat
Concealment Agility Duck Explosion Agility Agent
Melee Initiative Agility Duck Explosion Agility Adventurer/Keeper

Notes

  • Duplicate entries for one profession's kiosk stock, e.g. Adventurer Waist and Enforcer Right Hand implants, are correct. Alternate products are sold at those kiosks, two different implants for the same body location.
  • Current in-game Keeper store implants differ from the information that can commonly be found online. The chart above reflects the corrected information.

Auno implant Designer

Cluster Locations

There is only one valid cluster location / implant type for each grade of skill cluster. There are online implant calculatorsAuno Implant Designer; a very valuable resource, and in the absence of a formula online, crucial for determining the character Ability (str, etc) required to implant.

The chart shows the only, mandatory, locations of skill clusters, and the multipliers used in determining the required Nanoprogramming skill to add them to empty implants. Knowing the the location of particular skill clusters that are crucial to a PC's development at the start, and adding other clusters around them, is a fast and effective strategy to use with the calculators.

Skill X Shiny Bright Faded Skill X Shiny Bright Faded
1h Blunt 1.8 Right Arm R Wrist R Hand
1h Edged 1.9 R Arm R Wrist R Hand 2h Blunt 1.8 R Arm L Arm Chest
2h Edged 1.9 R Arm L Arm Waist Adventuring 1.5 Leg Waist Chest
Agility 2.25 Leg Feet Waist Aimed Shot 2.1 Eye R Wrist R Hand
Assault Rif 2.25 R Arm R Hand Eye Bio Metamo 2.4 Head Chest Waist
Body Dev 2.0 Chest Waist Leg Bow 2.0 R Arm L Arm Eye
Bow Spc Att 2.0 Head R Hand R Wrist Brawling 1.65 L Arm R Arm Waist
Break & Entry 2.0 R Arm L Arm Chest Burst 2.1 Right Arm R Wrist R Hand
Chemical AC 2.0 Waist R Arm L Arm Chemistry 2.0 Head Eye R Hand
Cold AC 2.0 Waist R Hand L Hand Comp Lit 2.0 Head Eye R Hand
Concealment 1.8 Feet Ear Eye Dimach 2.25 Chest Head Waist
Disease AC 1.75 Head Leg Chest Dodge-Rng 2.0 Leg Feet Waist
Duck-Exp 2.0 Leg Waist Feet Elec Engi 2.0 Eye Head R Hand
Energy AC 2.25 Chest Leg Waist Evade-ClsC 2.0 Feet Leg Waist
Skill X Shiny Bright Faded Skill X Shiny Bright Faded
Fast Attack 1.9 L Hand R Hand Right Arm Fire AC 2.0 Waist Left Hand R Hand
First Aid 1.8 Head R Hand L Hand Fling Shot 1.8 R Arm R Hand R Wrist
Full Auto 2.25 R Arm R Wrist Waist Grenade 1.9 R Arm Eye R Hand
Heavy Weapons 1.0 R Arm Eye R Hand Imp/Proj AC 2.25 Leg Chest Waist
Intelligence 2.25 Head Eye Ear Map Nav 1.25 Eye Head Ear
Martial Arts 2.5 R Hand Feet Left Hand Matter Crea 2.4 Head R Hand Eye
Matter Meta 2.4 Head Chest L Arm Max Health 2.5 Chest Waist Leg
Max Nano 2.5 Head Waist Chest Mech Engi 2.0 Head Eye R Arm
Melee Energy 2.0 Head L Wrist R Wrist Melee Init 2.0 Feet Leg Waist
Melee AC 2.25 Chest Waist Leg MG/SMG 2.0 R Arm R Hand Chest
Multi Melee 2.25 Left Wrist Eye R Wrist Multi Ranged 2.0 L Wrist R Wrist Eye
NanoC Init 2.0 Head Eye Chest Nano Pool 3.0 Chest Head Waist
Nano Progra 2.0 Head Eye R Hand Nano Resist 2.0 Head R Wrist L Wrist
Parry 2.1 R Wrist L Wrist R Arm Perception 2.0 Ear Eye Head
Skill X Shiny Bright Faded Skill X Shiny Bright Faded
Pharma Tech 2.0 Head Eye R Hand Physic Init 2.0 Feet R Arm L Arm
Piercing 1.6 R Arm L Arm Waist Pistol 2.0 R Wrist R Hand Eye
Psychic 2.25 Head Chest Ear Psycho Modi 2.4 Head Eye Ear
Psychology 2.0 Head Ear Eye Quantum FT 2.0 Head Eye R Hand
Radiation AC 2.0 Waist L Arm R Arm Ranged Energy 2.0 Head Eye L Hand
Ranged Init 2.0 R Wrist Head R Hand Rifle 2.25 Eye R Wrist L Wrist
Riposte 2.5 R Wrist L Wrist R Arm Run Speed 2.0 R Wrist L Wrist Leg
Sense 2.25 Chest Waist Head Sensory Imp 2.20 Head Eye Chest
Sharp Object 1.25 R Wrist R Hand Eye Shotgun 1.7 R Arm R Hand Waist
Sneak Attack 2.5 Feet R Wrist Eye Stamina 2.25 Chest Leg Waist
Strength 2.25 R Arm L Arm Chest Swimming 1.25 Leg R Arm L Arm
Time & Space 2.4 Head R Hand Eye Trap Disarm 1.8 R Hand L Hand Head
Treatment 2.15 Head Eye R Hand Tutoring 1.3 Eye Ear Head
Vehicle Air 1.0 Eye Ear Head Vehicle Ground 1.5 Head Eye Ear
Vehicle Water 1.2 Head Eye Ear Weaponsmithing 2.0 R Hand Head Eye
Skill X Shiny Bright Faded Skill X Shiny Bright Faded

<ref> Implant Skill Cluster Locations & Multipliers data from AO-Universe</ref>

Considerations

Cluster conflicts

The only weapon choices a froob has that do not conflict with Nanoskills in implants are Martial Arts, One Handed Blunt, One Handed Edged and Rifle. This is considered by some to be just awkward game design, part of the metagame, and that nothing can be done about it except to work around it. On the other hand, consider Nanoskills themselves. They are uniformly in conflicting pairs: BM MM, PM SI, and MC TS, which all have at least one conflict, and all of them conflict in the Shining cluster. So it is likely to be intentional. Perhaps it is TOO awkward, but it does present a challenge.

The nanoskill conflict itself presents an interesting point: there is definitely an advantage in skillsets that revolve around a non-conflicting pair of nanoskills, such as PM TS (Trader), MM MC (Shields) and BM SI (Martial Artist).

Reference Links & Further Information

Article Sources

  • Much of the information in the introduction came from AnarchyOnline.com <ref> Anarchy Online official site </ref> This information is no longer retrievable from the previously listed location.
  • Kiosk information from various sources, credited in citation
  • Cluster location list from AO-Universe

Popular Culture

Cyberpunk revolves around cybernetic augmentation like no other theme, despite its themes being many and well developed. Two of the more famous examples and their relation to AO and its implants:

William Gibson, most famous for Neuromancer also wrote Johnny Mnemonic. Only the film has the cyborg nemesis, a human so heavily implanted he is half robot. But in both versions, the courier's package is data, carried in implants in his brain, and his bodyguard and opponents are cybernetically enhanced.

In the Wachowski Brothers' The Matrix, humans are kept, by their robotic overlords, in a constant dream state; every aspect of their world is fed to their brains through an implanted connection in the back of their skulls. The Matrix' dusters and shades and Agents are easy to spot. But AO has more in common with the Matrix' cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic predecessors in its depiction of a fight for free will against human tyranny, while the Matrix and cyberpunk put much more emphasis on the role of humans and human consciousness in a world increasingly filled with the manmade.

Links