Re: [HOE] Cyborgs/Scrapers vs Power Armor

["Kai Tave" <kaitave@harborside.com>]

>Riddle me this: What happens when that cyborg, which is ten times stronger
>and tougher to take out, suddenly gets ideas and "goes bad"?

You flip the switch on the A.I. control system from "normal" to "maximum
pain" and put a bullet in the brainpan of the writhing can.  Problem solved.
It's kinda hard for cyborgs to just "go rogue"; even after the bomb, some
cyborgs are STILL having a hard time overcoming their ROE's and A.I.
programming.  Control of the cybernetic troops is right out as an issue.

The reason as *I* see it is one of convenience and logistic ease.  Firstly,
I agree with Theo that cyborg creation was probably MUCH harder and
expensive than simply making a battlesuit; you have implantation surgery,
recovery, therapy, and training to deal with when creating a cyborg.  All an
armored infantry trooper needs is training.

Another thing to look at is this; cyborgs are a "combined" unit of soldier
and cybernetics.  An armored infantry trooper is independent of his armor.
If a cyborg gets a virus, it's screwed.  If the powered armor of an armored
infantryman breaks down, he can hop out and grab another.  Or just act as
regular infantry.  And if the SOLDIER dies, there's a good chance his suit
might be salvageable.

From a logistic point of view, cyborgs are a case of putting ALL your eggs
in one basket.  Sometimes that's desirable, but sometimes it's not.

Also, another thing to consider is that the Northern and Southern armies
MIGHT have been considering equipping ALL their soldiers with battlesuits
eventually.  Things like the X-Suit and the LatAm Diablo are good examples
of light powered armor.  In the meantime, they could have just been using
small armored infantry brigades and slowly phasing out regular infantry
armor (of course, Armageddon tends to put a stop to such advances).

Just my take, anyway.

--Kai Tave