Rule Modifications
Genetic modifications are handled as mutations. They can be bought for skill points during character creation if the character is from Arcadia or Atlantis.
Cykosis does not exist. The inherent danger of all self-transformative technologies (including gene therapy) is that they tend to amplify the personality traits that made the individual get them (Self Enhancement Syndrome, SES). A violent person who gets implants to enhance his aggressive potential will become more aggressive, while a seeker joining Unity will likely become even more of a mystic. Highly cybered people often diverge strongly from the norm. Psychological counselling or therapy can treat this tendency, but the person must want to avoid the amplification effect. This should be roleplayed; the cykosis system might perhaps be adapted to it, but it is better if the player simply plays up the traits.
AI can use Will skills like Awareness, Intuition and Resolve, and do not always get any penalty on Creativity, Deception, Interaction and Leadership. However, due to their form and training they often have problem with human skills. See the AI section for rules for pure software AI.
Psi does not exist in any form.
Computer Op is not a blue skill anymore - using computers is natural for all civilised people.
Since many colonies have divergent cultures, people often become biased by cultural influences when judging other people. Characters have two sets of character traits, one reflecting their own personality, one reflecting their personality filtered through their culture (and possibly the viewer’s prejudices). The first set is perceived by people from their own culture, trained anthropologists and close friends, the second is the surface impression people who do not know them. For example, a completely ordinary Dionysian would be considered a hedonist by most other cultures and even a meek altruist Atlantean would appear greedy and assertive to the outside.
Fame, Wealth and Authority do not simply carry over from planet to planet; someone who is a star on Nova may be completely unknown on New America. A million New America dollars cannot buy even an icecream on Atlantis, and converting the currencies is hard.
Available technology
The progress level is somewhere between/in PL 5 Information age and PL 7 Gravity Age for most advanced human societies (the median is somewhere around 6). The Trahans are industrial age in most respects, and the Mothers PL 7. The Filigrees and solarians are outside the scale. It should be noted that the Alternity PL system doesn’t work so well for the technological development that has occurred, since it has taken other pathways than those described in the rules book.
Technology has not yet percolated between the worlds, specialised technology such as Dionysian psychodesign, Nova cybernetics or Atlantean squids are mainly available on the homeworlds. If it exists at other places it is significantly more expensive, at least 50%, possibly more.
Mass reactors do not exist; they are replaced by fusion power. Radio or laser replaces Mass transceivers. Mass weapons, render rifles and the like do not exist.
Stutter weapons are replaced with tasers and other non-lethal weapons. The damage is unchanged.
Powered armour (PL 6) can be built, but is not in wide use except for the New America army, Pi3 and on Penglai. PL 7 body tanks are possible but not built (New America has a few zero-g body tanks). Powered armour also contains the PL 7 threat receivers, smart displays, laser designators (which can also be connected to a wearable computer). Pi3 and Penglai use exoskeletons to increase stamina and strength.
Antigravity is fairly energy-intensive. This makes skybikes and skycars inefficient. Weight neutralisers, deflection inducers, tractor beams as well as other antigravity units can be bought from the Mothers. Gravmaces and power cesti do not exist. Instead of skybikes and skycars various powered ultralights, autogyros and mini-zeps are used.
Spaceships are as listed, but can only move in-system. Higgsram technology requires extremely bulky projectors and banks of fusion reactors taking up around 30 durability points together, costing 100 M. In addition, quais are necessary, costing another 10M. Most starship part costs are increased ten times.
Personal energy weapons do not exist (or rather, are not in use – Trillicon Arms gladly sells the backpack laser, but it is likely useless in combat). In space X-ray lasers, EM torpedoes and confused matter bombs are possible weapons but have not yet been applied. Space combat likely involves sending out AI-controlled drones equipped with missiles and rail cannons trying to sneak through the other side’s defences..
Primitive nanotechnology exists on Atlantis, and the Mothers possess advanced nanotechnology. PI3 has self-replicating micromachines. Atlantean nanotechnology only works in controlled environments, and can produce chemicals in arbitrary amounts and molecularly precise blocks of matter.
The various gauntlets are instead wearable computers with heads-up displays (often contact lenses on technologically advanced planets such as Nova, Atlantis and New America). Holoviewers are replaced with mutual augmented reality (i.e. the picture is laid on top of what is seen through the display). In addition to desktop computers room or house computers exist with roughly mainframe capacity.
Cryonic freezing is available on all planets except Gaia and Negsoa. It is not uncommon for old people to voluntarily freeze themselves when they feel they are too old, and at least on Nova and Atlantis it is not unheard of to take a "vacation" a few years into the future. The cryonics foundations invest the capital of the suspended people (of "corpsicles" as they are sometimes called); they are extremely cautious investors and tend to invest on a very long timescale.
Equipment
Available stuff from the basic Alternity books at developed worlds (everything at PL 5 or below is assumed to be available):
Antiscan weave
Bioholster
Stealth cloaks
Comm gear
Life support pack
Medical gauntlet/wearable
Coagulants
Surgical kits
Trauma pack I
Instrument Pack
Walker (used mainly on Penglai)
Weight neutralizer (Mother or human; the Mother model is more expensive
but more reliable)
Portable workshop
Radar gauntlet/wearable
Sensor gauntlet/wearable
Weapon detector
Magnetic boots
Portable cabin
Camping unit
Climate weave
E-suit hard
Habitat dome
Jumpsuit
Vacuum mask
Weather monitor (but not as good as described in Alternity; for that a
meteorlogical uplink is needed)
Zero-g web
Biolock
Holoviewer is replaced by augmented reality
Magnetic clamp
Music gauntlet/wearable
Weapon biokey
It should be noted that weapons are fairly rare on many planets, with no outside enemies. Most development has gone towards non-lethal weapons. Trillicon arms and similar firms on Atlantis do produce spectacular and weird weapons though, but they are not in real use.
Chainsword (Trillicon arms)
Pulse baton
Pistol, 9mm (zero-g)
Pistol 11mm charge
Rifle 11mm charge (zero-g)
Shotgun autoflechette
Submachine gun, 9mm charge
Pistol 15mm sabot (Trillicon arms)
Stutter pistol and submachine gun replaced with other non-lethal weapons
with the same effect.
Bantam launcher
Stun grenade
Rail gun (Trillicon arms)
Pulse grenade (does not stun humans)
Tracer grenade (Trillicon)
Heavy assault gear
Attack armour (unpowered, powered)
Battle jacket
CF long and short coat
Body tank, zero-g
Cerametal armour (Trillicon arms, actually diamond armour)
CF softsuit (Trillicon arms, actually nanotech armour)
Electric car
Jetpack
Reentry capsule
Skybike and skycars are replaced by turbine vehicles
STG shuttle
System liner
Transport
(in addition, personal submarines are in use especially on New America, and Zeps are common on many planets).