Bio-E, Should it be Plentiful?

[dethbegins]

So, I've been working on a lot of homebrewed content for splicers and would like to start a discussion as to how much a player should have in terms of Bio-E and how easy it should be to get more. I understand that splicers are a very resource lacking world with very little available to use for the resistances war effort. However, it feels like there should be more production for this resource, especially since the base Errata for The Great House of the Barren Marsh, which appears to be pumping out many saints, and is actively expanding its region of control with topside settlements.

Toss me a comment below, I Would love to hear what you all feel should be considered the limit to this resource.

Side note, how many upgrades do you feel is to many for your campaign? I'm personally sitting at 3 tops for most equipment, as each enhancement doubles the current total of damage, range, uses, etc.

[taalismn]

IMHO Bio-E is not so much a tradeable substance as a marker/measurement term for the vitality and effort put into the creation of a given piece fo biotech. For those who can manipulate life, it's an indication of how much effort they're willing/obliged to put into a creation to produce it or evolve it, as well as how difficult a given biotech creation is to 'grow': Super Sniper Omega Cannon are naturally more expensive materials and effort-wise to develop that a simple firefly glow cell.
However, where Bio-E becomes a commodity is when a Warlord, rather than reward a minion/character with a specific piece of equipment, may give them essentially a 'coupon' to take to a Gene-Pool or other biotech. to spend as they will. The PC MIGHT be able to trade that coupon/chit to another character to use as they will(though this might require the knowledge and approval of the Warlord).'

The Splicers would LOVE to be able to create bio-E-intensive super biotech hardware, but they're like any military wanting state of the art weapons, but running into budget, time, and R&D constraints. There's not enough for everything they want, all at once.

Bio-E budgets should be treated accordingly, and bio-E points handed out as bonuses for good roleplaying and in-game heroism.
If you want to be gritty and grim dark, limit what can be spared, forcing the PCs to soldier on with what they already have. But if the PCs have done well and saved the House and its resources, they should be rewarded accordingly.

[dethbegins]

The way I personally rule it is like an actual resource, but more along the lines of EXP. I have the people in my campaign carry vials of mutagen that slowly accumulate the more they extract from their encounters, from creatures of study, from plant life that contains unique bio-chemical compounds, and from various shipments sent from Gaia for military research. My idea is that you accumulate it from the mutating environments, rather than directly evolving. It would also require knowledge in genetic research and modification to produce the desired mutations for your equipment making the various O.C.C.s like geneticists just as valuable as an engineer. The difference being the available data they have for modifications, and how long the "Evolution" would take to complete. It makes limiting the players rapid advancements more of a roleplay opportunity, and allows them to produce unexpected, or even beneficial modifications from possible mutations, or from some tomfoolery. That's just my take on it though.

[taalismn]

I can see grit-grim campaigns where the PCs might expect bio-E points(In addition to ExP) at the end of an adventure, but they get pared down, or refused, because it's implied that the House biotech are focusing all their attention on bigger projects that need hurrying along...like a big offensive or the giant Seedlings intended to carry Humanity beyond NEXUS's reach(this can be hinted at, but not outright declared)....

[dethbegins]

For my campaign its focused on rapid cloning techs to produce more than the machine itself, while declining in quality, however, with more bodies comes more production and high demands which is what my campaign is entire focused on. The need for more resources and attempting to utilize larger portions of space are what defines my current campaign, the end goal being to make the bio-mechs from my previous post to engage in direct combat. Otherwise Hit and Run tactics are their main strategy since humans are difficult to train, augment, and then send straight to the frontline. "Throwing bodies at the problem only worsens the problem" is their main motto.

I feel it's more appropriate to focus on the houses direct needs rather than thinking of the resistance as a whole, since each house must supply their own forces rather than the whole resistance. If everyone was able to regain communications and were willing to engage as a whole, resources would be pooled allowing more access to each house's equipment and research. That however is currently too farfetched according to the books.

This is mostly just my interpretation of the system itself, and I wanted to give it a more biological spin rather than being RAW to the books themselves.