December QnA answers! (Patreon)

Well, there are a lot here, but I'm going to start with some news. My health has recently taken a turn for the worse, and I am on 50% sick leave at least until the new year. Most likely longer. It's nothing dangerous, just annoying, and it impacts my writing and interaction. Just thought I'd let you know.

Now, let's get on with it!

--------

In Rebirth, during the gala, you bump into a person:

*"Excuse me," someone says as they bump into you, and you mumble something equally nondescript in turn.*

Is this person important in anyway?  Or are they just a throwaway character? It's been killing my theorizing brain.

Now, I am scratching my head how to answer this. Is it more fun to let everybody worry about what this might be and just be vague and slightly ominous? Maybe, but I am opting for honesty. This is just a chance encounter with a throwaway character that has nothing to do with the plot. However, it was put there precisely to instill nervousness about your surroundings. An innocent bump? Did something happen? Might something happen because of it? Anything could have been done, and not all words are innocent. Except this time. Enjoy a rare moment of clarity.

If Sidestep didn't bump into Ortega at the diner, would they have eventually run into Chen at the dog park?

It is likely, Sidestep wasn't as much on guard as normal there, as is evidenced by the surprise.

How do Chen's siblings feel about their brother being Marshal Steel?

I think it varies. Mostly pride, though there's also a bit of frustration that he doesn't acknowledge his family a would be expected.

Why did the stem of the champagne glass break during the Gala scene? Was it just the emotional response to what Dr. Mortum said?  Or did something else cause it?

Emotional response. Oh no, I am ruining all my evil tinfoil fodder today, aren't I?

If the Rangers + Dr. M could guarantee an ability upon being boosted (again for some), what would they be?

Ortega: Flight. Steel: Regeneration. Argent: Regeneration. Herald: Durability/armor. Dr. Mortum: Hyper senses.

I don't remember if this was already asked but do any of the Rangers + Doc want/like kids? Are any of them good with kids (betting Daniel and Ortega -- tho suspecting Ortega would be a mischevious influence lol)

I will leave the wanting kids entirely up to headcanons for people. However, Ortega likes kids and is good with them. Herald is good with kids, but quite wary about them and easily overwhelmed. Argent likes kids, but never interacts. Chen is slightly awkward around them, but would be a good babysitter. Dr. Mortum has very little practice.

Could Sidestep send people to sleep using their telepathy? 

Yes.

Does the Catastrofiend fear anything or anyone?

Good question, and the answer is yes.

Other than Anathema's acid, what could get through their defenses?

They were still vulnerable to certain mental attacks, though not to the same extent as others. Just in the cases where the mental attack affected their deeply personal vulnerabilities, in a way it was more like triggering their own internal traumas. Anathema's worst enemy was always themself.

We've seen that telepathy is not only cognitive, but rooted in the physical. If that's the case, did Anathema's invulnerability impact their mind state when under duress, or mind endurance to telepathic attacks at all? 

Anathema's abilities helped, but there were weak points.

If they play their cards right, would raising a hero-army of sorts be possible for train-them Hero Hunters?

That does not sound impossible.

If Anathema and The Catastrofiend were forced into a confrontation were neither could leave before someone was dead, who would win and why?

Anathema. There are limits to the Catastrofiend's regeneration.

Besides the regenes themselves, what is the technology that goes into making then also used for? The ability to have access to renewable human bodies lends to a lot more than just the ability to make solders after all.

The first and most common is growing bodyparts and organs for transplantation. Though costly, this has led to a new lease of life for people in need of new hearts, livers, lungs and limbs. The organs in questions can be grown with the right genetic patterns to enable them to be transplanted without the need for immunosupressive drugs to the same extent. It has also enabled stem-cell treatments for certain common diseases, like diabetes and several kinds of cancer.

However, as this is still every expensive, many people opt for mods when it comes to less life-threatening things like losing a limb. As can be imagined, the main users so far are rich, traditional, and willing to pay for the privilege of looking "natural."

It is also rumored to have been experiments done with full growth clone bodies and brain transplants.

What role does religion play in your world? We see "Our Father" being recited at one point so obviously Christianity exists, but does it influence politics in your world as heavily as it does in our time (question coming from the US)?

This is a tricky question. Religion exists, of course, and it influences politics. However, it won't factor heavily into my writing, because I have a hard time understanding it myself (coming from a non-religious background). The way I see it, religion is often used to justify other political goals/concerns, and I'd rather deal with those underlying motivations directly.

How closely does that tie in with the "Ninth Gate" we see in the HB flashback? Are they actually trying to breach a gate to reach Lucifer/the ultimate power/evil? Or are the gates more of a figurative & less of a literal thing?

The truth of what happened/what the aims were will be dealt with eventually, but not in an ask. It's a central mystery.

The scientists ask if they brought "it" back with them- what is "it"?

You'll see if you're unlucky. 

With the HB scar as "outside" it's often mentioned that Step feels like they are missing the piece that helps them "fit". Did they actually lose a piece of their psyche? 

It can certainly be read as that, the nature of telepathic trauma is largely an unexplored front. This will be dealt with in detail in book three, and the answer might not be the same for all paths and Sidesteps.

During HB, my Step chose to share their past as a hero with HB- did HB 'take' that piece that was shared? Is that why "outsider" Steps can't ever feel like they will belong again?

Again, it can certainly be read like that. 

How would you feel if anyone were to make a walkthrough for your games?

I would love it, I know that a lot of guides, walkthroughs and the like already exists and are passed around on forums. 

Also, I just wanted to add that I've been code diving & Chapter 4 of Rebirth is just *chef's kiss*. Thank-you so much for everything you do- you're fucking amazing.

Thank you so much! And yes, there are a lot of things that can be found with code diving, especially if you are the type of player who follows one main path on every playthrough. If you have no idea how, I will add a link to a thread discussing this on the CoG forums: 

https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-see-other-games-code-current-info-posted-in-op-and-post-146-on-6-18-19/1328 

Okay, one more, just because I've been fixating so much on Rebirth: After Step's death/disappearance, would Ortega have taken it upon themself to clean out their apartment/living space? Or was Step's things just left to rot and eventually be thrown away?

They would have done so. It might come up in book three in some paths, and might very well be a sensitive subject.  You see, for some Sidesteps, technically Ortega might not have been supposed to know where they stayed... But they are sneaky and curious like that.

Steel has a sensitive stomach, is this a recent development? Is it related to his Mods?

It's not recent, but it does flare up and down. It's related to the injury that cost him his hands while in the military, it also caused some gut damage and he's had issues on and off ever since.

Are there heroes in the East or is that a FEZ only thing? 

There are heroes, but they are much rarer. Being a vigilante is illegal, and they are actively persecuted/hunted down. That leaves corporate heroes (more like spokespersons, living ads) and government sponsored heroes whose role is very similar.

Do the Rangers have any holiday traditions? 

Hmmm, I need to think about that, but I don't think they have any major ones. Sure, there are things like decorating the HQ for Christmas, and wearing costumes for Halloween, but most of them are tied up in larger, more official celebrations. There is, however, an office Secret Santa going, and Ortega breaks the allowed cost limit every single time.

Sidestep can pick from a variety of hair and clothing styles in Retribution, which styles would the RO find the most attractive?

Not getting into that, it is entirely up to headcanons! All choices are equally valid to please (or annoy) your RO(s).

Is there an education system in LD?  Are there any universities? 

Yes there is an education system, but it's not state-run. There are several schooling options, everything from home schooling, to communal/cooperative schools in certain areas, to the more common ones sponsored by various companies to get useful employees. 

For higher education, there are two rival technical colleges, each tied closely to various company groups. While there are some courses in the humanities, they are both very STEM oriented, and closely tied to various developments and projects easier to run in the less regulated west. 

One more I forgot. Can telepathy be used to project your vision or experience into someone else's mind? 

It depends, some telepaths can do that, others can't.

What did anathema do before joining the rangers (job/ general living) ? What prompted the second boost? 

Anathema worked at one of the local shelters, they were involved in charity. They chanced the second boost because the first one didn't do what they needed it to do.

Malin be honest.......... Was Anathema the Rangers' mole Chen was worried about??

Ahahahaha interesting. Don't think I will be honest about that today.

best to worst on who would be most emotionally and physically capable of taking care of the rat king for like….a long weekend? step not included (obviously) 

Best to worst: Argent, Mortum, Steel, Herald, Ortega.

What happened during the mission back in Hood's day when the Special Directive was involved? Why were they involved? Was it a special interest to them specifically or a bigger problem than the Rangers could tackle? How often does the Special Directive get involved with Ranger operations? 

I haven't settled on the details yet, that hasn't been important for the story. In essence, it was a big problem that involved an attack on, and theft of (and hostage taking) of some vital research materials. The military was involved, but the Rangers never got to know the details why, only that they would get backup this time because there was no option to fail. There were large numbers of mods involved, and whispers of a foreign power. It is very rare that the Special Directive gets involved.

What is tia Elena's beef with Argent (or vice versa)?

That's personal between them, and something you might learn in the future.

tw for death discussion, slight morbidity

What happened to Anathema's body? Did their powers stop working after their death, or was their body caught in the explosion? Would it have been damaged further? Would it begin the decomposition process? 

Like so many things with the boost drugs, it is hard to tell. Some boosted powers stop working after death, but some fail catastrophically enough that they can explode or destroy the bodies in question. As no body was left to bury, it is likely that either the invulnerability stopped working and what remained was destroyed in the blast. Or, the acid might have gone out of control, destroying the body entirely. It is unknown.

Is the rat king able to tap into step's senses and maybe pick up sights/sounds that step might miss because they're distracted by something else or do they operate purely in a telepathic sense and are only able to pick up surrounding thoughts/intentions? 

The Rat King can interact with Sidestep's senses too, especially if they are allowed inside the shields.

What's the most inaccurate part of the Ranger movies' portrayal of the cast? Sidestep aside, who do you think they'd aim to typecast as everyone? (not specific actors, more hollywood archetypes)

The most inaccurate parts I think depended on the movie, but there were some tendencies. Many played up the internal team divisions to add drama, and added wildly flawed personal subplots since they had little access to personal facts. I think the one thing they got wrong most often was the fact that Ortega actually is smart, though Sidestep might argue the movies got it right.

Ortega tended to be typecast as either the sexy swashbuckler, or the intense rogue depending on whether they were a supporting character or the lead. Chen was always in the background, often taken out of action early since armor means more budget and licenses needed. Hood was a favorite, with the mask, anybody could be cast. Often the one who got the most famous actor. Sentinel was portrayed as a lot more temperamental, and often a cause for friction (his powers were also expensive to film). Once Daniel joined, he tended to be the audience point of view character, and Argent took over the dangerous sexy rogue spot as Ortega moved into more of a mentor role. Anathema was comic relief.

How often to members of the same family survive the Boost drug? Are there any family hero/villain teams? Are there any heroes who have villain relatives? 

It is debated whether family members of people who got boosted has a greater chance of surviving the drug. There are hints in that direction, but not enough cases to make it statistically significant. There is research being done of possible genetic structures helping with surviving the change. There might be villains who has hero relatives indeed, but I won't give any details yet. Might come up.

How well do the current Rangers fight together as a team in the field? Do they have any interesting pair ups like Sentinel and Anathema did back in the day? Who works best with who? 

If taking to the field at once, they are quite good at working as a team. That's why Sidestep was so intent on splitting them up and dividing them. The most common pairing is Argent and Ortega, they work well together as a point team. Chen tends to be tactics and command, with Herald as support and overview.

RO's from least to most likely to want to get married? Anyone who explicitly does/doesn't want that?

Again going to leave this to headcanons.

Did the rat girls have names before being merged into the rat king?

They had identities, and as much as rats do, they had names. However, they were merged when they were very young, before they were fully mature. They think of themselves as part of a whole/pack.

Could you tell us more about the conceptualisation of the mindscapes? Are they projections Sidestep uses to be able to grasp the mind of a person more concretely, or would any telepath with the same abilities see the same mindscape? Is the mindscape's owner aware of that mindscape if they dive into it? with Sidestep Is there a link between mindscapes and the method of Ioci? 

Mindscapes are about as real as what we see around us. The world exists at levels we can't perceive, we translate what our senses tell us into something our brains can digest. I do not see the same world as my color-blind partner, and it's the same with mindscapes. Sidestep is visually oriented, they see symbols and landscapes. A more word oriented telepath might hear sounds or inner monologues, or even music. A mindscapes owner would not be aware of their own mindscape, but a telepath can share their impressions and make it a communal reality. It is still filtered through the telepath, though the owner might be able to pick out details the telepath had not focused on, and symbolism overlooked.

Since the rangers often have to take part in photoshoots, how do the rangers feel about photoshoots as a whole and do they have a favourite type to be involved in? (eg, magazine editorial, merchandising, rangers promo, fashion shoot, pin up etc)

Ortega likes it, and is game for pretty much everything. Argent says she doesn't, but she actually likes the attention. Fashion shoots are her favorite. Herald has a lot, and he's not very fond of it, and doesn't really like how it makes him feel. But he'll do it. The Ranger's promo ones are his favorites. Steel hates it, but has a secret soft spot for the fashion photo shoots if they allow his prosthesis to show (some do).

A very silly question, but will we only ever have the girl/boy/datefriend as the relationship develops, or will there ever be a point where we can pick what Sidestep's RO can call them (for example, playing a nonbinary Sidestep but asking to be referred to as partner, or boyfriend, etc.) 

Not sure, but most likely. It's not hard to implement, and I do know there might be a need for "platonic best friend" out there.

What would happen if a Regene was removed before they were ready to be decanted? Would they just continue to grow from there or would there be some sorta side effect(s)? 

There has been a lot of experiments to determine ideal decanting time. While it is possible to be decanted as soon as all bodily functions are functional, it is far from ideal. The speed-growth formula needs a controlled environment and VERY careful monitoring of amniotic fluids to counter any issues. To do it outside the growth-tubes, would mean a great risk of cancer, infection and genetic defects. Decanting without the speed-growth is possible, but it would just be a cloned baby with an uncertain genetic background. It would continue to grow as a normal baby, but chances are low it would be a healthy child. 

However, there has been rumored experiments with single-cloned children, with only a single genetic donor. Some claim that there are people raising their own clone-children to preserve their family purity, but there is no proof. Theoretically it should be possible, as people have speculated that it is the rapid growth formula that damages the brain of the Re-Genes and necessitates the AI implants.

Is anyone in the cast actually seeing a therapist? If yes, do they listen to that therapist? What's their relationship with them?

Not in the main cast, but they really should, shouldn't they? They have all tried at various points in their lives, but at this point nobody is keeping it up. It all fell apart for various reasons.

Regarding Ljungstrand's classification: Can you elaborate on branches 7 and 8? What are the differences between the two? 

Influence (7) and Control (8) are similar in many ways. Some claim that Influence is just a weaker subset of control, but the generally agreed definition is that Control works directly on muscles.

For example, you can Influence someone to think they smell smoke, and make them afraid enough to activate the fire alarm. A telepath able to Control people can simply force them to activate the alarm straight away, and the victim would be aware that they were being controlled, but unable to stop their own hand.

I noticed that Step has root 4 in their classification. What part of their telepathy could be classified as such? The body hopping?

Yes, that is indeed the body hopping.

If it isn’t too big of a spoiler... will Daniel be getting a suspicion stat in book 3, or is he going to keep those rosy glasses on until a reveal or two smacks him in the face?

Probably not, he trusts the people he cares about. If he would notice something suspicious, he'd bring it up immediately.

Do the other Rangers know about Snowball's background/powers, or is it something Step and Ortega kept to themselves?

That is Step's and Ortega's (and Elena's) little secret.

How much does a single dose of the boost drug cost? Hundreds of dollars? Thousands?

Depends on the quality and where you get it from. It can be both, and more.

Is GeniTech the creator of the boost drug?

No, that was a different, now defunct, company, but they are one of the ones researching it and have their own variants.

Since Boosts can be found all over the world, would it be correct to assume that numerous organizations produce and sell the boost drug? Or do all the drugs originate from a single source and are simply distributed globally?

There are many variants and sources. Some have better reputations than others, and others are little more than a sham. It requires care and equipment to make, so it can't just be homebrewn anywhere, but the recepie is known and improved on for decades.

How did it feel for HB when their powers started to run out of control? 

Pray you don't find out.

What are the annual villain parties like? Any there notable villains or henchmen that like to take part in the celebrations?

Most of the sociable ones, and then there are some who never show up (like the Catastrofiend). Psychopathor was always one of the loudest.

How long had Vernon been working on his big project by the time he approached Ortega at the funeral?

Years.

We know that Sidestep's telepathic abilities have grown since their vigilante days, in terms of raw power that is (not counting skill/experience here), but how did this growth come about? Was it triggered by events like the Nanosurge and Heartbreak incident or was the potential for growth always present? 

It was triggered by first the Nanosurge, and later Heartbreak. The potential was always there, if those events hadn't happened, chances are something else might have down the road.

How common is it for a Boosted individual to have their abilities grow even after a long time since getting Boosted without taking more of the Hero Drugs? Might we get to see this type of growth in other characters besides our protagonist, like Herald?

It isn't exactly common, but it is a well-known phenomena. All alpha levels can clearly recall the time when things changed for them, and the same goes for most beta levels. It is theorized that it is related to "hysterical strength," that the body releases self-imposed boundaries in desperate life-or-death situations. Of course this can also lead to catastrophic failure and burnout. It is theorized that this is the reason why so many die during their first manifestation of powers, the stress cause them to grow more rapidly than the ability to control them does. It might very well happen to Herald if the situation gets dire enough.

What if HG had recruited sidestep (probably not HG themself but recruited into their group in general) back near the beginning of their debut as a vigilante? What would it be like in the current time if instead sidestep had been in HG organization since then?

Oh that is an interesting one. I think Sidestep would have taken to the organization like a fish to water, with familiar structures but new freedoms. I can see Sidestep holding Jake's position as chief enforcer/third in command, a vital part of a criminal empire. Since they would have been nowhere near the Nanosurge or Heartbreak I doubt they would be as powerful, but they might have been happier. Ortega would have been their absolute nemesis, that unreadable asshole. Quite possibly still some sexual tension there.

Hmmm, on second thought, they might have gotten involved in the Nanosurge, but at a later time, after it had started encroach on the city. A harder job, but they would have backup with some suggestions from HG. Still a massive trauma, but HG would have strengthened their influence as the secret "savior of the city." Ortega would have lost their arm in the attack, Sunstream would have shot it off. Ortega would most likely be the only survivor of the Heartbreak incident, and a hero for putting a stop to it. Charge would still be the Marshal, though the loss of their oldest friend almost destroyed them.

Sorry if this has been mentioned before, but what exact type and level of spinal cord injury does Ortega have?

They have an incomplete spinal cord injury in the thoracic region (T11-T12). The spinal cord was compromised, but not entirely severed. Ortega suffers from something similar to anterior cord syndrome, where the injury mainly was to the front of the spinal cord. Before modding, they were paraplegic, but with some sensation remaining. Whether this might have become better with therapy is hard to say, they were modded before the therapy had proceeded very far.

Does Mortum miss Haiti at all? Is there anything they get nostalgic over?

The food and the smells. They miss it, but they would never go back.

What was the relationship like between Sentinel and each of the other Rangers back in the day?

Quite good, if a bit tense at times. I haven't thought about it in detail, he was closest to Hood and Anathema, there was more than a bit of rivalry involved with Ortega. 

How high was MC on dr Mortum’s list of potential villains and was there anyone else on it that we heard of in the story?

It would depend slightly on what reputation Sidestep had. The one most likely was the vigilante one, then the hero, last the sidekick. The MC was pretty high, but not at the top. I'll refrain from naming other possible names as it might be very spoilery.

Since Argent seemed to be disappointed with who Sidestep turned out to be in person on the first meeting in rebirth, who did she imagined behind the mask? 

She didn't care one bit.

From least to most who of the Rangers+Mortum would be most disturbed with what's going on on the Farm?

Mortum, Argent, Ortega, Chen, Herald.

"Well, maybe past me might have had a few issues, but then he would just have had to grow up. Remember Sentinel's birthday BBQ? I was an ass, but I did change."

What did Ortega do..?

Ortega has a massive case of foot-in-mouth disease, as is evidenced by their less than elegant comebacks to surprising information. It was also worse when they were younger. Exactly what happened I don't want to get into detail of, I might write that out one day when I have the brains for warmup writings and snippets again.