Brain Imps - Add another stat

[Netphreak]

Nah.

Those chips are already good enough. They're not so much a choice as a simple optimum (unless you're running a multi-MC5 setup or something). Also, pistol tanks are already pretty viable (given you know some weapon balancing that leads to decent TL90-100 pistols), and spies/monks won't give a damn about +5 int - that will only be of any use to PEs, who would better benefit from other changes. Although a + dex Marine might also wind up a PE favourite.

Really, I'd prefer to see people being required to make a few more implant choices and there being less in the way of "great for everyone superchips" rather than more. If people want the int for something, let them think and plan about how they are going to get it.

Of course, the Marine needs fixing anyhow. Right now it isn't a good choice for any setup, which is just silly.

Problem is we also don't really want to bloat the rare pool even further by creating more chips to help cater for all the other classes and setups out there. That's kind of why the +5 INT on the old SF worked, because while it wasn't hugely useful to a spy it also wasn't a hindrance to them either.
It was however beneficial to PE's getting them within reach of medium belts. I would imagine that it possibly also had some benefit to pistol/rifle using tanks as well. (I also quite like the idea of something like +3 DEX on the Marine but that chip really needs it's STR stats fixed first).

However, if you want to have more 'specialized chips' out there (which actually I think I'd like to see, but see my point below) which require/give people more implant choices then I really think they should do it through the Faction Databases.
I think they should make all level 5 implants available through Faction Databases again, but make them reasonably difficult/tricky to get.
I think would balance things, as it gives everyone plenty of options regarding implant choices and will also benefit us by leaning/taking some stuff out of the rare part pool in the process.


Oh, and I think the malus on implants probably needs looking at as well.