Cybernetics (Or Isk in your Head)
What are the benefits of cybernetics, and what are the drawbacks?
Well before you can use cybernetics you must have the skills for them. You will need a minimum of Science 3 and Cybernetics 1. This will allow you to install the basic cybernetic implants into your head.
Now cybernetics come in 2 flavours; the first is attribute modifcation. That is Charisma, Perception, Intelligence, Memory and Willpower. The attribute bonus that can be garnered from this is between 1 and 5 depending on how advanced the implant is. The other flavour is skill bonus. These implants will give you a specific bonus to certain skills, like gunnery (specific weapon types and sizes), navigation (ship agility and afterburner/microwarp drives) and ships systems (boosters, shields, repairers, etc).
So why install implants? Well as you hopefully will know by now, what determines how long it takes for you to train up a skill is based on the two attributes associated with it. Now most skills come off of Memory and Intelligence, however some skills like ships and weapons comkes off of Perception and Willpower. So the higher you can get these attributes the quicker you will train skills and the more skillful/accurate you are at flying or shooting.
So why not take implants? Well first off is the cost. A basic (and by basic I mean only +1) attribute modifier will cost anywhere between 50,000 isk and 300,000 isk depending on what the attribute it is. Whilst a full set of +4 attribute modifiers will cost somewhere in the region 70 million isk. In comparison skill bonus implants will cost a maximum of 10 million isk each depending on what skill/skills the implant gives a bonus to. The other down side is that when an implant is inserted into the cranium of the pilot, thats it, you can not remove it and if you later ‘replace’ it with a better one you don’t get the old back. It’s destroyed. Likewise if you get podded then you lose the implants too and you can not insure implants yet so that is a huge investment (in some cases) that has been lost.
Implants can give miracle bonuses but are extremely risky. The only way to lessen that risk is with the use of Jump Clones where you keep a specific clone with the implants installed at a station and only use them for training and have a seperate clone for flying around (though this will limit your options somewhat where the game is concerned due to restrictions on the jump clones). To find out more about Jump Clones, see our post on the subject.
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December 7th, 2006 at 5:46 pm
Make that 3 flavors of implants, the third is the Pirate Implant. They mainly boost the attributes of the pilot, but they also provide two other benefits, a small boost to another aspect of your ship’s performance, such as speed or hitpoints, and a small boost to the secondary bonus given by other implants in the same set. There is one more, the Omega implant for a set, that greatly boosts the secondary bonuses for the set but give no other benefits.
January 9th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
And be advised that the +4 implants, at least where I’ve been shopping, are about 50 million ISK each.
Just FYI, a +1 in the Primary attribute gives you +1 skill points/minute, and a +1 in the Secondary attribute gives you +0.5 skill points/minute. Those are of course modified by the Learning skill so if you have Learning to 5 (10% bonus to all skill training) then each +1 gives you +1.1 skill points/minute, etc.