Biotech in GH2

[Joseph Hewitt]

In the "Changing the Rules" thread there's been a lively debate about Biotech's place in the game. I'm starting this new thread because I think the subject deserves it.

Before we begin, here's some information about Biotech: its place in the universe, the rules behind it, and my personal thoughts. There will be spoilers.


Backstory/GearHead 1

Biotech was extensively used during the Age of Superpowers, but much of their technology has been lost. The core story of GearHead1 revolves around the major powers attempting to recover biotech secrets.

-Aegis Overlord conducts operations on Earth to locate biotech facilities and genetic samples for their weapon programs. Saboteurs from Aegis reactivated the supposedly dead biomonster Cetus.

- The Hunter-X program was a covert project by the Federated Territories to create a defense synth for use in the dead zone. The project was originally undertaken by Kettel Industries, but was spun off to the new company BioCorp when it became apparent that it was going to fail. The village of Nara was destroyed some time thereafter.

- Following the Nara incident, public opinion turned strongly against biotech weapons.

- BioCorp successfully created a biotech mecha, the Anubis, but the prototype was stolen.

- Another biotech mecha, the Argoseyer, is buried beneath Wujung where it was taken for repairs following a battle with the biomonster Ladon.

- The Cyclopes are a race of synthetic beings created during the Age of Superpowers. First generation cyclopes ("progenitors") are much larger than a human being and extremely powerful, but are said to lack free will (this is not expanded upon in GH1). Second generation cyclopes are much smaller and supposedly have free will.

- The draconic sequence is a synthetic genetic modifier that has gone wild and created many types of mutants. The Aegis GARU program is based upon this sequence.

- In industrialized areas, cloned tissue is used in medicine. In less sophisticated regions organ thieves can make a good living.


GearHead 2

Unlike the notes for GH1, a lot of this stuff isn't really expressed within the game yet.

- Most people in the spinner colonies are born from artificial wombs. Children are often raised communally rather than by their birth parents. Eugenics is practiced in the form of reproductive vouchers; natural conception is not prohibited or controlled, for the few that choose to take that route.

- Most people in the asteroid colonies are naturally conceived.

- The AMX Project is a eugenics program meant to create soldiers. Their genes are selected and combined from the best pilots of the previous generation. Keight A44 was born to this program. Similar programs may exist to produce other types of specialist; when a colony anticipates a need for a certain job, this will influence the distribution of reproductive vouchers.


Biotech Rules

Items made of biotech materials have the following properties:
- They have more DP than either metal or meat.
- They regenerate DP like meat. A biotech part which is completely destroyed stops regenerating.
- Biotech mecha get a +1 to MV and TR. This can bring the total bonus to above zero.


Uses of Biotech

Most actively developed biotech is medical in nature- BioCorp is primarily known as a pharmaceutical company. Biotech research, as depicted in GH1, seems to involve an awful lot of reverse engineering combined with a certain amount of mad science.

All the major powers are working on biotech mecha. Both the Federated Territories and Aegis Overlord now have genetic samples from Typhon (as well as possibly Cetus and Ladon), which has accelerated their progress.

Biomonsters were used as infantry during the Age of Superpowers. Many of these creatures have since gone feral. No major government uses biomonsters these days; at least, no government will admit to it.

It's widely believed that biotech is widely practiced on Venus, but since that planet doesn't have diplomatic relations with the other worlds (and apparently has a very good defense/counterintelligence service) no-one is certain of the extent.


Biotech Skill

In GH1, BioTech is used as a repair skill and rarely as a quest skill. There are not many biotech repair NPCs in the game. It's only really useful if the player plans to complete the Argoseyer or Thieve's Guild quests.

In GH2, several of the factions will have access to unlockable biotech mecha (which become available once certain story events take place), and like GH1 there will be several guaranteed biotech mecha scattered about. This means that depending on events you may be able to buy biotech mecha in stores by the endgame, or possibly your enemy will have them but you won't, or you might not even see them at all.

I'm thinking of cutting the biotech skill altogether. Crucifix was right- if the only use of the skill/talent is going to be high end equipment, then it's either going to end up useless or mandatory. I just wish he could have said that in fewer than a thousand words.

Biotech is an important part of the GH universe, but that doesn't mean we need a skill for it. Its functions could easily be farmed out. Science could take up the quest bits. I'm not entirely happy giving its repair part to either Medicine or Repair, though. I don't want it to go to Medicine because if you had just one skill to revive both lancemates and mecha, you wouldn't need anything else. Repair I don't like just because I don't want the Argoseyer getting patched up with duct tape.

Here's an idea: Expand on the biotech regeneration. Biotech parts will regenerate very quickly if allowed to rest; basically, they return to full DP if the PC enters a safe area. However, destroyed parts lose their regeneration and must be treated. Maybe they can be treated with Medicine or Repair, but using a special (+expensive) repair fuel. Maybe they have to be taken to a special place (cyberdoc?) for repair. Maybe no repair is necessary, but the biotech item must be "fed" large amounts of nutrient solution to recover (basically the same as expensive repair above).

Comments?

[clasic_traveller_diehard]

can biotechs survive in the vacuum of space?

[Crucifix]

Quoting: Joseph Hewitt

Crucifix was right- if the only use of the skill/talent is going to be high end equipment, then it's either going to end up useless or mandatory. I just wish he could have said that in fewer than a thousand words.

.... Yeah, I get sidetracked and ramble a lot when I post, sorry. I'll try and behave.



Lessee:

The GARU program has potential for return, maybe the player could even use %skill% to perfect a strain for a one-time stat boost or other things similar to this. I note that the "dragon strain" is very similar to what I was talking about concerning bacterial vectors.

Why is this cloned tissue not used to repair permanent injuries? Cybertech is too hard to find, and injuries too debilitating to earn enough money to buy.

If the player has to work to get a biomech, then why not work to get a repair system? Make them find a biomecha "hangar" for installation in their spaceship. The hangar has an appropriately large nutrient tank for repairing mecha. Other items you could use any normal tanks you found (they'd show up in hospitals, cometburger etc), it would just be a case of %skill% activating the tanks.

If biomonsters never actually die (Cetus), then biomecha should ALWAYS be recovered; they might be inop/immob but still recovered, even if everything's broken. That's special behaviour right there.

You talk about unlockables, at what point do I get to unlock playing a genetically engineered super-soldier? New Game+ replay material or what? This could also lead to picking and choosing your "class" starter skills.

If biotech is moved over to "things", then let the player use these props to do things like clone their own tissue.

GH2: Version 1.00 - Venus visittable? Does tech progress during the game that biotech makes a comeback?

Cybertech: would it be worth playing up the difference between metal and flesh parts? Why isn't "flame breath gland" or anything available as "cybertech"? Just not implemented? Not possible - why? Do bioware/cyberware operate identically in every respect, outside of game mechanics?

Opinion: Don't make biotech only available to certain factions; rocket stars > silver knights > everyone else right now already, "realistically", people wouldn't join company A if company B had better benefits.

Biotech "computer" - No space for programs, gives +1/+1 benefit to non-biotech mech? Extra weight for bonus biomechs get for free, plus new biotech repair restrictions involved.

Bioware application: Cosmetic surgery = change face. More invasive cosmetic surgery = Change gender (completely).

With artificial birth - Why does myopia still exist (Dude has glasses)? Is there no screening? Seems there would be, if only for basic defects.

Would choice of natural/tube birth have any impact on character creation?

If biotech is so important, would missions involving stealing from rival factions occur?

Public opinion is against bioweapons - Where do the religious stand? There's traditionally an anti-god-playing. There isn't a widespread unified religiously attuned faction in space?

If the tech's use isn't noticable, why has nobody made an enhanced human-like biomonster and used them as a stealth assassin/agent?

[clasic_traveller_diehard]

Quoting: Crucifix

If the tech's use isn't noticable, why has nobody made an enhanced human-like biomonster and used them as a stealth assassin/agent?

think about that for a sec

if biotech can be made unnoticeable they why haven't I noticed any bioninjas running around?

[Joseph Hewitt]

Quoting: clasic_traveller_diehard

can biotechs survive in the vacuum of space?

In general, yes.

Quoting: Crucifix

Why is this cloned tissue not used to repair permanent injuries?
...
would it be worth playing up the difference between metal and flesh parts?

Good question. Presumably cybernetic repair is required when such tissue grafts cannot be used or don't work well- after all, a PC with heart trouble has a heart, it just doesn't work as well as the original.

I don't believe that playing up the differences between organic and inorganic cyberware would be a good idea- that makes sense in a setting like Shadowrun or Cyberpunk 2020 where biotech is a new and radically different technology, but in the GearHead universe biotech materials are just one of several materials that cybertech can be made of, depending on cost and other factors.

Quoting: Crucifix

Why isn't "flame breath gland" or anything available as "cybertech"? Just not implemented? Not possible - why?

Not implemented. The game isn't currently set up to support weaponized cyberware; this may be changed in the future.

Quoting: Crucifix

Do bioware/cyberware operate identically in every respect, outside of game mechanics?

I think I understand this question, but I'm not 100% sure what you're asking... Speaking purely from an in-universe perspective, then no, biotech materials and other materials would not be identical in every respect because they are different materials.

Quoting: Crucifix

If biomonsters never actually die (Cetus)

They can die; Cetus was in a hibernative state which the BioCorp researchers mistook for death.

Quoting: Crucifix

You talk about unlockables, at what point do I get to unlock playing a genetically engineered super-soldier?

Being a member of the AMX program is going to be a birth talent, as soon as I get a good idea what it should do.

Quoting: Crucifix

GH2: Version 1.00 - Venus visittable? Does tech progress during the game that biotech makes a comeback?

Yes, and somewhat.

Quoting: Crucifix

With artificial birth - Why does myopia still exist (Dude has glasses)? Is there no screening?

Um... they're in style? Eye injuries are very common in zero-G?

Quoting: Crucifix

Opinion: Don't make biotech only available to certain factions

Why? Two points to consider- First, biotech is an advantage, but like everything it increases cost. Non-biotech mecha of the same cost should be balanced with biotech mecha. Second, the mecha that the player's faction has access to often don't matter as much as the mecha that their enemy faction has access to, due to salvage.

Quoting: Crucifix

Public opinion is against bioweapons - Where do the religious stand? There's traditionally an anti-god-playing. There isn't a widespread unified religiously attuned faction in space?

Nope. There are a few people who are "spiritual", but in general L5ers regard religion as something only Terrans do.

[CCC]

I agree that if the only use for biotech is to repair endgame mecha, that it doesn't make sense as a skill.

However, given that start, my first question is whether there are any other uses that make sense, given the world, the theme, and so on.

It is, also, generally a lot easier to destroy something than to build it. Thus, it may be sensible to use biotech destructively rather than creatively (that's where the poison idea I mentioned in the previous thread came from). That is, if you know enough about biotech, that might tell you something about the weak points of a given biotech creature, allowing you to attack more effectively.

This is, to some degree, covered by Spot Weakness (and may be farmed out to that skill). However, a big difference between attacking with biotech and attacking with spot weakness would be that biotech doesn't work against robots or mecha; but might be worth taking by a character who specialises in SF:0 combat in the early game.

[SharkD]

Why not just require biotech parts in order to do the repair? I.e. metal mechs need duct tape and components, biotech mechs require stem cells and protein, etc.

The option I would prefer is to make the biotech skill more useful in the early game. I.e. maybe there are special implants/modifications available to those with the skill. Or, a third class of hybrid "pet" could be made available.

As for quests, just add some special "retrieve information on biotech" tasks given by the faction heads.

[Crucifix]

Quoting: clasic_traveller_diehard

if biotech can be made unnoticeable they why haven't I noticed any bioninjas running around?

Allow me to clarify then; "Biotech is unnoticable - until such a time as said assassin sprouts a six foot long barbed tentacle from their hand and skewers something, then breathes fire over the body to dispose of the evidence, and sneaks away looking normal again".

Quoting: Joseph Hewitt

Good question. Presumably cybernetic repair is required when such tissue grafts cannot be used or don't work well- after all, a PC with heart trouble has a heart, it just doesn't work as well as the original.

Would it be worth the addition then, of genericware - The +0 Body Cyberheart etc, that exist purely as medicinal tools (likely as intended) as opposed to the current 200k+ pricetag?

Quoting: Joseph Hewitt

I think I understand this question, but I'm not 100% sure what you're asking... Speaking purely from an in-universe perspective, then no, biotech materials and other materials would not be identical in every respect because they are different materials.

In more detail; Bioware is, I assume, a living organism that may or may not grow to incorporate the host DNA (much like a heart transplant will be converted to the host's own tissue). Metalware is, as the term might imply, inorganic metal and advanced polymers.

In terms of the human body, a self-repairing biological component will likely be treated, and incorporated, completely differently to an inorganic foreign body. Bioware will repair itself, metalware requires active repair. Bioware will potentially cause the player to take immune system suppressants short term, but enjoy long term synthesis, metalware would carry less chance of rejection, but would suffer natural decay inside the body...

Quoting: Joseph Hewitt

Yes, and somewhat.

Without requesting spoilers (though my memory is bad enough not to be bothered by them), what kind of things would a fully progressed biotech group (Venus) bring to the party? Would this make Venus the equivalent to that place in all the RPGs that sells the best gear (boneswords that don't look like somebody tipped acid on them? Oh my!), will their biotech be separate but equal (contrary to what was previously said about biotech)?

Quoting: Joseph Hewitt

Why? Two points to consider- First, biotech is an advantage, but like everything it increases cost. Non-biotech mecha of the same cost should be balanced with biotech mecha. Second, the mecha that the player's faction has access to often don't matter as much as the mecha that their enemy faction has access to, due to salvage.

Good point actually, hadn't considered salvage. But there's a definite limit to cost effectiveness concerning mecha right now; you can always put more stuff on, true, but that's just going to hurt your MV/TR, putting a soft cap on your capacity; frequently a fairly tight cap for larger mecha, which isn't really better able to carry, say, a heavy gauss than a trailblazer.

Biomecha have a higher cap - their ability is weightless - which means that even though at the same cost they're more or less balanced (except, as mentioned, not, thanks to weight), there's then nothing stopping a biomech from then having the exact same loadout as the mech held up in comparison - and with money saved on repairs, this is going to happen faster than a normal mecha can upgrade as well.

Irrelevant, perhaps, from a pure mechanics perspective, but a faction that has war machines that take less to maintain, and have a higher capacity for gear (or even just exactly the same capacity), is going to have lower long-term costs, which leads to more money for better mecha, which means less attrition on their side.... This turns into a cyclical, one-sided, arms race that likely ends in victory for the side with the biomech squadrons.

Quoting: Joseph Hewitt

Um... they're in style? Eye injuries are very common in zero-G?

So you're saying genetic defects are screened, people "just like wearing glasses", as it were, alright.

Quoting: Joseph Hewitt

Nope. There are a few people who are "spiritual", but in general L5ers regard religion as something only Terrans do.

That's got to be an RPG first. I feel naked without some villainous overarching religious group planning to destroy the world with their mecha that for some reason sprouts angel wings and plays latin theme music when heavily damaged...

[Joseph Hewitt]

Quoting: Crucifix

Would it be worth the addition then, of genericware - The +0 Body Cyberheart etc, that exist purely as medicinal tools (likely as intended) as opposed to the current 200k+ pricetag?

Cyberware will always be expensive; might as well go for the +1 Body if it's just a few hundred more. I do think that purely medical cyberware should be always available, though- right now you can search for days before finding the part you need.

Quoting: Crucifix

In more detail; ...

As I said, yes, obviously there would be differences between the materials. In both cases, this would be modeled in the game by the cyberdisfunction rules.

Quoting: Crucifix

Biomecha have a higher cap - their ability is weightless - which means that even though at the same cost they're more or less balanced

Not at all. Assuming a biotech mecha and a standard tech mecha of the same cost, the biotech chassis is likely to be smaller and weaker than the standard one because the two mecha are probably going to spend a comparable amount of money on weapons, movement systems, and other dodads.

Quoting: Crucifix

So you're saying genetic defects are screened, people "just like wearing glasses", as it were, alright.

I'm saying that adding a special filter to remove the portraits of people with glasses from a location that uses genetic screening is too much of a pain in the arse for me to bother with.

[clasic_traveller_diehard]

Quoting: Crucifix

Quoting: clasic_traveller_diehard
if biotech can be made unnoticeable they why haven't I noticed any bioninjas running around?


Allow me to clarify then; "Biotech is unnoticable - until such a time as said assassin sprouts a six foot long barbed tentacle from their hand and skewers something, then breathes fire over the body to dispose of the evidence, and sneaks away looking normal again".

oh I get it

if bioninjas are unnoticeable (until they attack) then how come I haven't met any one killed by a bioninja yet?

[Burzmali]

Based on what I've seen in GH1 and 2 and the notes from Joe, here's the history of Biotech as I see it.

Era 1 - Basic Biotech - Early in the Age of Superpowers (circa 100 - 50 PZ)
Notable Technologies: Cloning, Engineered life forms based on existing creatures, Minor changes to existing creatures
Notable Results: Cloning vats, basic synths (human scale, non-sentient), Idealist and Morg programs
Background: Early in the Age of Superpowers some event triggered an increased interest in technologies to increase the birth rate and eliminate the need for people to perform menial labor.  It is unclear as to the nature of the event, it could have been a disaster such as a plague or a result of the wars that gave rise to the Superpowers or it could have been sociological, an effort by the Superpowers to out-breed each other or maximize their space born populations.

As the population increased, synths and robots were developed to replace people in manual and menial tasks creating an increase in the amount of leisure time available to the average person.  However, as these artificial workers displaced humans in many fields, unemployment soared, giving rise to a swelling "idle" class.  In an effort to keep the masses pacified, the Superpowers initiated the Idealist program to create a new class of leaders that could use their increased intelligence and charisma to hold the society together.  Later the Morg program was introduced to give the masses a chance to give their children a better future, distracting them from their current problems.

Era 2 - Advanced Biotech - Middle of the Age of Superpowers (circa 50 - 25 PZ)
Notable technologies - Engineering biotech "entities" from scratch, On-the-fly genetic modification, Upscaling
Notable Results: Biotech artifacts (Chitin and Zeron armor), GARU-type enhancement programs, Cyclops Mk 1
Background: After a few decades of peace and stability, some event triggered an increase in hostilities among the Superpowers that sparked a biotech arms race.  In the initial stages, developments with military applications were promoted as "dual-use" or simply as replacements for existing weapon systems.  Despite an increase in overall research, this era lead to the complete marginalization of the Mehum.

The treatments performed on each successive generation of Idealist increased both their own abilities and their concern over the abilities of their opposites in the other Superpowers.  Given the existing stalemate, it couldn't have taken much to trigger a Cold War.  By militarizing, the Superpowers could move much of the idle class into the military, giving them a job and providing the Idealist a limitless pool of subjects for perfecting various super soldier formulas.  Also, this era saw the development of the first macro scale synths in the form of the Primogenitures (Cyclops Mk 1), ostensibly for use in large scale construction projects.


Era 3 - Approaching the Threshold - End of the Age of Superpowers (circa 25 PZ - 0 PZ)  
Notable technologies - Engineering sentience into entities, Mastery of genetic engineering on a grand scale, Merging of cybertechnology and biotechnology
Notable Results: Cyclops Mk 2, the Triumvirate Program, and the Argoseyer Program
Background: As with the previous era, this epoch was marked by the rapid breakdown in relations between the Superpowers which eventually culminated in the Night of Fire.  The rapid rate of scientific development during this era is also notable as it suggests that the society was fast approaching a Singularity.

As the Idealists continued to become more paranoid about their counterparts and more strained to maintain peace at home, all pretenses of peaceful applications for biotech weaponry were dropped.  This era gave rise to the biomonsters Ladon, Cetus and Typhoon, and the massively powerful Argoseyer to defeat them.  In the end, the Night of Fire brought an end to existing research leaving only scattered hints across the planet.

[unback]

That's got to be an RPG first. I feel naked without some villainous overarching religious group planning to destroy the world with their mecha that for some reason sprouts angel wings and plays latin theme music when heavily damaged...

shouldnt that be come evil corporation with maniac to-be-god obsessed CEO? (but that the other thing, and i think it suits disscussion about the word, the plot and the story)

my thoughs:

cybertech vs biotech - humans:
imo: cyberware is stronger, well shall be stronger, as tissue wont be as hard as steel, thus since there is matter of translating nerve impulses into computer data (and other way around) there ought to be some complications (hence malfunction/rejection chances), also need constant maintenance, cheaper to make.
bioware on the other hand is less powerfull, but also easy acceptable by host - especially when the installed bioware is developed for certain individual, self-mainaining, but overwall pricier to make, cheaper to use.

robotic mecha vs bio mecha
classic mecha: cheaper and faster to make and create, cheaper and easier to repair, need pilot. (if self-senitent AI can be mecha pilot.. the difference is becoming thin)
bio mecha: hard to create, maybe a bit softer in base structure, but might be self-healing, can wear armor, but might not require pilot (or reduce time of pilot-mecha lag?) for sure easier to ride and act than robotic mecha, could also learn and develop, but might just simply disgust some people

so sorry for asking offtopic thing: but, how are the classic mecha controled? by someone who dont have cybertech plugs installed?

for one thing: if we can reduce pilot-mecha lag by cyberware, or have senitent ai pilot robot-mecha or have self-senitent bio-mecha or human pilot in one - the differences with them are becoming very thin (because from hero-story point of view price, construction time, fuel type and cost etc doest really matter) and it all comes to preference of pilot...

[Erathoniel]

Quoting: Crucifix

Why does myopia still exist (Dude has glasses)? Is there no screening? Seems there would be, if only for basic defects.

Because glasses are sexy.

Quoting: Crucifix

...
why has nobody made an enhanced human-like biomonster and used them as a stealth assassin/agent?

In GH1, I thought they did. At least for one of the potential enemies. Or at least they cloned him over and over, and gave him bioware style items.

Quoting: clasic_traveller_diehard

if bioninjas are unnoticeable (until they attack) then how come I haven't met any one killed by a bioninja yet?

They eat the bodies. At least, that's how I attribute it. Or they dispose of them via super-light nuclear missile. If they're subtle.

[clasic_traveller_diehard]

Quoting: Erathoniel

Quoting: Crucifix
Why does myopia still exist (Dude has glasses)? Is there no screening? Seems there would be, if only for basic defects.

Because glasses are sexy.

I going to say a genetic disease that causes people to "grow" glasses on their face. other symptoms of this disease include frequent queries as to whether or not someone is thier mommy.

[Crucifix]

Quoting: Joseph Hewitt

Cyberware will always be expensive; might as well go for the +1 Body if it's just a few hundred more. I do think that purely medical cyberware should be always available, though- right now you can search for days before finding the part you need.

Well that's an upgrade at least. Every cyberdoc should carry at least one of each etc.

There's something else that might come out of "generiware" though; if it's just a cloned heart, without anything unusual about it, how much trauma would result, if any? You might pay almost as much, but someone with a natural (though non-original) heart is going to be paying to keep themselves cyber-free, as it were.

As I said, yes, obviously there would be differences between the materials. In both cases, this would be modeled in the game by the cyberdisfunction rules.

Ah, I get you, so biotech and cybertech cause different side effects. Alright.

Not at all. Assuming a biotech mecha and a standard tech mecha of the same cost, the biotech chassis is likely to be smaller and weaker than the standard one because the two mecha are probably going to spend a comparable amount of money on weapons, movement systems, and other dodads.

I believe you're comparing to a different standard than I am. You're saying, effectively, that if "biotech" costs 1,000,000 credits, and you have two 2,000,000 PV mecha, one is going to be a Bio-Phoenix, the other is going to be a Savin. That's perfectly true, just as you quoted me - equal power for equal cost is balanced, but I'm talking about the PV cap on mecha, rather than vanilla shop mecha (if any biomecha can actually be vanilla shop mecha I guess). The cap on a Gladius is actually almost the same as the cap on a blue Pixie, once both have been tricked out with the best parts available.

To clarify, there are three aspects to increasing PV in a mecha - Computers, Abilities, and Parts (CAP). Computers cannot be increased over one use of each program and have Weight, Parts have a theoretical maximum to their utility - more than X guns is extraneous; you're basically adding spares after that, especially for energy weapons, they also add Weight. Abilities are weightless; Reflex system, Head Mounted Cockpit, H.P Engine, and Biotech. The cockpit and the engine both have tradeoffs.

The only way to improve upon an existing mech is, of course, to add Parts, or improve the Computers - Abilities cannot be added or removed, but they're "free".

So compare a Gladius with a BioGladius, the BioGladius again costs more, but it also gets 7.5 'free' tons from its +1/+1 (or can actually benefit from that bonus). The Gladius cannot easily exceed 7 million useful (a bunch of unused programs, or a 2 million PV cyberware pilot doesn't count as useful, fer example) PV without suffering MV/TR penalties (believe me, I've tried); but a really tricked out Gladius might reach 6 million and still be comfortably at +0/+0.
A BioGladius at 6 million PV has the weight of the Gladius at 5,000,000 PV. If the Gladius caps at 6 million before it starts suffering penalties, then the BioGladius caps at at least 7 million; it gets 1,000,000 PV worth of biotech ability weight-free, as well as any bonus PV its tech-team might be able to add to it using the extra weight offered by that +1/+1.

So it's actual mecha potential; a mecha with special abilities has more potential than a mecha without.

Expanded upon then, if NPCs had a limitted capacity to behave like the player, and turn part of their wage following successful missions into repairs/mecha upgrades (I know they really are, but let's pretend that the player isn't unique across the universe for this). If two sides start out with the same PV mecha, then this progresses, one would expect:

Both sides have about a 50/50 win ratio against the other side, and field roughly equal PV forces against one another.
Victors pay for repairs, then spend some $$ to increase the PV on their mech (better weapon loadout, better/lighter armour etc), and, when it gets to the point their PV approaches the PV of the next mecha, they switch up.
An arms race with the victors on each side, eventually there will come to be two small teams of elite on both sides that are pilotting very similar, maximised mecha which cannot be meaningfully improved, effectively a stalemate.

Give biomecha to side 2 only?

Both sides still have just as many victors and losers (unless the biomech ability is priced wrongly for the benefit it gives). Victors with biomecha don't pay for repairs (if the current full-repair idea is held), or at least pay less, leaving a higher amount of cash available for increasing PV.
Side 1 advances slower than side 2, and, when side 1 starts coming to the top mecha available in their field, the side with biomecha, with their inherently higher PVs, probably still have another "tier" (unless biomecha only occurs for otherwise low-mid PV mecha of course) to expand to, and then improve upon.
Side 1's maximised mecha face off against Side 2's biomecha which still have room to grow, and eventually Side 2 forces will start winning more than 50% of the time as their PV leaves Side 1 forces behind (even more so than when they just enjoyed the repair benefits)....

And so side 2 eventually wins the war, if not by attrition, then by sheer superiority of their forces.

The exact same would happen if, for example, only one side could get High Performance engine mecha, or some other tangible property that significantly outweighed its downside.


Militarily speaking, the higher potential, lower maintenance mechas are simply better, and making mass-producable (to the point of them being shop buyable) biotech available to a single faction and not its rivals, should, in my mind, have far-reaching consequences to the political relationships of the spinners.

Whether this is something you want to entertain is up to you, but a canny player would work to either:
Make their faction and faction allies the only ones with working, mass-produced biomech squadrons, near guaranteeing their eventual victory over their rivals and subsequent domination of the L5 region.
or:
Secretly ensure biotech is spread equally across all factions, ensuring a new, biotech arms race hand in hand with regular mecha, maintaining stability in the L5 region whilst at the same time encouraging better and better biomecha to come out for the player to potentially buy.

I'm saying that adding a special filter to remove the portraits of people with glasses from a location that uses genetic screening is too much of a pain in the arse for me to bother with.

Works for me. You had me with "glasses are trendy" anyway.