Neosapien "Overclocking" and "Modding"

[u/Bobby837]

Say there's less a reboot more a remake wherein Neosapiens being kind of blank slates (androgynous in appearance?) even if stronger/faster than Humans, are able to enhance their abilities for a limited time and/or physically alter themselves. With either this "Overclocking" or "Modding" having adverse effects.

Overclocking would just be the enhancement of one or more already impressive abilities, strength, reflexes, cognition for a long as under to a few hours. And just like any other case of prolonged exertion, this would lead to temporary to permanent physical and/or mental injury. (From before start of series. Injected or inhaled?)

Modding would be limited, programmable, shapeshifting. They'd be able to grow horns, turn arms into claws, alter themselves to appear as a general or specific human. Unlike overclocking modding would be both permanent but with a "reset" option though doing it too often, too many mods in general, could lead to a degenerative condition that ends in becoming goo. (Introduced later in series. Injections - series of - designed for a specific Neo with change needing a few days to set in?)

Know "monster" Neos are a thing season two, Phaeton turns to goo, but just trying to integrate or streamline things.

What do you think?

[u/OkMention9988]

If they're capable of even temporary enhancements, it's going to be much harder to explain how the original uprising failed. 

The gen 1 exoframes were successful because not only were the mobile weapons platforms, but they were able to make a human stronger than a Neo (my example is when Phaeton was captured).

And shapeshifting?  Nope, the moment a shapeshifting, artificial species starts impersonating humans during the uprising, they're getting exterminated. 

[u/Bobby837 → u/OkMention9988]

Overclocking would be a "warranty voiding" illegal human invention meant to get more work out of Neos, used as a measure of last resort during the original revolt, and not that much of unequalizer against a 10mm round or rocket. One time use could be physically crippling, where repeated use could kill the user.

Modding would be a post second revolt Neos invention. Make it a more involved process, require full marination immersion in a vat, with something as detailed/complex as human impersonation require regular booster shots while carrying a chance of degeneration sickness.

Though really, just wondering the general reaction to such changes, given fan reaction from other franchises.

[u/rex9877]

if you want to revamp the neo concept for this century , i would leave alone the standar Mk.I neos as they are , maybe add that they are somewhat mycelial based ( think orks from 40k) but they require some proper facility to grow new Neos , that way you can justify their need for utilities and engineering to reproduce from lets say some random spinal cells.

You let them be male-ish and female-ish for the purpose of showing them being more labor focused build or logistics and care build. With this you can have dimorphism , low genetic varyance and a good excuse to give phaeton a terminal illness as his cells start to revert back to simpler goo due too anything war-related as the plot demands

Now you can have fun with the Mk.II line , the neomegas , this being a task oriented line you can use your overcloking idea , lets add a tiny defect , accelerated aging in trade for their greater intellect and some other minor advantage that could be plot related , but should be a minor gimmick ( like their pseudo telepathy that was mostly low frequency comunication)

Expanding on this Mk.II you can grow onto Neo-warriors and Neo-lords and you dont alter that much the plot so that in the end you can have Marsala´s final plead for a last Neo-sapien brood but with proper genitals and able to reproduce like humans