Being a look back at cards from the Star Trek CCG, and what I thought of them back when they were fresh and new... in EPISODE order. The Schizoid Man himself...
PICTURE: "I'm a bad widdle boy," Ira seems to say. The sorry look, slightly mad. I think it works, and the background ain't half-bad either, managing to be a nice amber and black combo, looking slightly technological at the same time. A 3.7.
LORE: The main game never gave us a "Family" card (that all the familial relationships mentioned in everyone's lore implied would come), but would he really have been "grandfather" to Data (and not to Lore?). The rest has nice flavor and ties in with his attributes, but unfortunately not much about his mind-switch with Data (although that would have meant mentioning his death, and we can't have that). A good 3.6.
TREK SENSE: Okay, his status as a hermit makes him non-aligned and technological skills make him able to staff a ship. In fact, he did take Data's place on the show, so he had to have an idea of what to do with his new life. I would probably have gone straight to SCIENCE and foregone CIVILIAN, since he is a scientist first. CIVILIAN seems to be more of a default classification, but it can be justified here. He's obviously a Cyberneticist, and Computer Skill is a related skill. His Integrity is low enough for him to steal Data's life. His Cunning is a respectable 12 (one of the greatest minds of the age). And his Strength is low at 2, but he is old and ill. I wonder why Soong is older and frailer when this guy was his mentor. Apprenticed under a younger man? The weird part is the bonus skills afforded by Kareen Brianon's presence. Treachery, I can see, because he would have done a lot of bad things for her love. She made him a jealous and dangerous man. And Biology? No idea. Is this supposed to be a joke? He's checking out her anatomy or something? Or more seriously, he learned about how to cure his disease to stay with her? That's gonna cost points. I think Decipher missed the boat a little on this one. I would have liked to see him able to download himself into an android body somehow. An even 3.
STOCKABILITY: Cyberneticists are rare because the skill was conceived only in Q-Continuum, and some affiliations, like the Bajorans, don't have any at all. That means that affiliations wanting to a) report free Soong-Type Androids and b) looking to protect themselves from Borg Servos, might want to use the Non-Aligned experts. And Dr. Soong being a little expensive (and incompatible with a Non-Aligned biggie like Lore), Ira makes as much sense as anyone. He's no Soong, but he'll do. His Computer Skill is a useful addition to any deck, and two classifications is never bad (though CIVILIAN isn't used as much). His Cunning is sky high for missions requiring large amounts of the attribute, but don't send him into a fight. He won't survive. And watch out for Firestorms as well. The extra skills he gains when Kareen is present are fairly useful, but having to count on another personnel's presence isn't cost-effective. You either figure you need the skills or you don't. If you do, you'll be stocking personnel who have them outright. You don't want to wait for the second personnel currently at the bottom of your draw deck. A poor man's Dr. Soong at 3.1.
TOTAL: 13.4 (67%) Unlucky in love, unlucky in the Rolodex.
Comments