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[Natalcya Katla]

As for capsuleers being [...] physical weaklings.  If that's the way you want to play then fine. However I suspect capsuleers are like any other group of people, and that sort of thing will vary.

Exactly. While I steer away from the commando-turned-capsuleer trope myself, the idea that muscle atrophy is a problem at all for capsuleers strikes me as poorly thought-out, whether it's PF or not. It is a real issue for astronauts in our own day and age, granted (especially if they were to lead inactive "lifestyles" in space). However, in a society where one is able to significantly and accurately re-wire the neural network of a human brain with cybernetics, build new bodies of people and copy/pasting their minds from one body to the next, inserting simple synthetic muscle grafts which don't deteriorate with lack of use into people would be child's play. I can't think of any plausible explanation why it wouldn't be. Opting not to have this kind of biomod carried out would still be a valid choice, of course, but it would be a choice.

[Stitcher]

Maybe it's just that a lot of players RP their characters as being pilots who think they're doing a good job of holding on to their humanity.

I know that's how I think about it. The reality is that Verin's as far gone as the rest, he's just in denial about it.

While I steer away from the commando-turned-capsuleer trope myself...

the funny thing is that I think that trope's entirely appropriate. Becoming a special forces troppers requires a soldier to pass a training regime that selects for an enormous degree of willpower and personal discipline, which are among the qualities required for a pod pilot.

This in turn probably means that a lot of pilots, provided they remain concerned about their "meat" bodies are almost certainly disciplined enough to eat healthily and exercise regularly. We're talking a very driven, very focused group of people here, who have a tendency to become obsessive. if they stay obsessive on keeping their bodies in good shape, then there's every reason to assume that capsuleers are generally quite fit and healthy. Especially given the kind of super-advanced medical technology they have access to.

[Silver Night]

Maybe it's just that a lot of players RP their characters as being pilots who think they're doing a good job of holding on to their humanity.

I know that's how I think about it. The reality is that Verin's as far gone as the rest, he's just in denial about it.

While I steer away from the commando-turned-capsuleer trope myself...

the funny thing is that I think that trope's entirely appropriate. Becoming a special forces troppers requires a soldier to pass a training regime that selects for an enormous degree of willpower and personal discipline, which are among the qualities required for a pod pilot.

This in turn probably means that a lot of pilots, provided they remain concerned about their "meat" bodies are almost certainly disciplined enough to eat healthily and exercise regularly. We're talking a very driven, very focused group of people here, who have a tendency to become obsessive. if they stay obsessive on keeping their bodies in good shape, then there's every reason to assume that capsuleers are generally quite fit and healthy. Especially given the kind of super-advanced medical technology they have access to.

I think that is one reasonable position. We know so little about how capsuleers are actually selected that it leaves the door open for any number of interpretations. Not to mention, with it being a big cluster, any number might be right.

[Gottii]

I always assumed that the trait to avoid Mind Lock was very rare, and as such the Powers That Be would be somewhat more tolerant of pilot's foibles and shady past, basically because theyre too rare and valuable to not utilize.

I kinda needed this justification to make sense of many characters actually becoming pilots (including my own).  Im not sure many of them would pass a basic background screening process otherwise.

[Casiella]

I always assumed that the trait to avoid Mind Lock was very rare, and as such the Powers That Be would be somewhat more tolerant of pilot's foibles and shady past, basically because theyre too rare and valuable to not utilize.

I kinda needed this justification to make sense of many characters actually becoming pilots (including my own).  Im not sure many of them would pass a basic background screening process otherwise.

Yes, I always assumed that almost anyone possessing the right genetic traits would get anointed and elevated to capsuleer status. I recall reading that the rationale for the core empires had to do with prestige for nations with more pilots, but that seemed flimsy at best.

I should think more about this.

[Silver Night]

I always assumed that the trait to avoid Mind Lock was very rare, and as such the Powers That Be would be somewhat more tolerant of pilot's foibles and shady past, basically because theyre too rare and valuable to not utilize.

I kinda needed this justification to make sense of many characters actually becoming pilots (including my own).  Im not sure many of them would pass a basic background screening process otherwise.

This was my impression, too.

[Stitcher]

That would almost certainly be the only real criterion for getting in on the training in the first place, but I strongly doubt they'd pass on principle. There'd be training, and training means dropouts.

[Casiella]

Maybe the dropouts are the ones picked up by the "pirate" factions. In one of the tutorial missions for Minmatar, an Angel Cartel boss refers to pilots from the Republic as much better-trained than what they get 'out there'. (I presume analogues exist for the other primary empires.)

[Stitcher]

I think we just figured out where Zor and Kruul came from 

[Kaleigh Doyle]

I got the impression from the The Jovian Wetgrave short story that Mind Lock was prevented by better training. Quoted from the last page:

"This mind-lock as you call it, is it permanent?" captain Ouriye asked.
    "I'm afraid so. We have studied it thoroughly and found no cure. It's a shame, if I may say so."
    "But how do you prevent it in the first place? I mean, was this bound to happen?" the captain enquired.
    "Under the circumstances, yes. The only way to prevent this is with intense training for many years. That timeframe was unacceptable to your superiors. Besides, you knew what was going to happen all along. You have no grounds for complaints now."

There may be a genetic aspect to the selection process, but from what I gather it's mostly training that prevents this. I suspect that this mind lock has something to do with the way ones mind interfaces with the ship, and without enough training they could accidentally sever the neural connection to their bodies.

[lallara zhuul]

Kaleigh, you do understand that you insinuate that the pod pilots are not unique snowflakes but something that has been churned out of a system that clips the wings of any degree of individuality so that they can create a mindset that can withstand the overstimuli of the pod interface.

If its not a genetic thing, then the capsuleers are not special.

That is just wrong.
 

[Lillith Blackheart]

I always assumed that the trait to avoid Mind Lock was very rare, and as such the Powers That Be would be somewhat more tolerant of pilot's foibles and shady past, basically because theyre too rare and valuable to not utilize.

I kinda needed this justification to make sense of many characters actually becoming pilots (including my own).  Im not sure many of them would pass a basic background screening process otherwise.

I had felt the same way, and that would also explain the incredibly disproportion of Caldari pilots to everyone else, since they tend towards Tube Children, so they could isolate the gene and grow greater populations that would not be susceptible (or be less susceptible) to mind lock.

[Kaleigh Doyle]

Kaleigh, you do understand that you insinuate that the pod pilots are not unique snowflakes but something that has been churned out of a system that clips the wings of any degree of individuality so that they can create a mindset that can withstand the overstimuli of the pod interface.

If its not a genetic thing, then the capsuleers are not special.

That is just wrong.
 

What can I say? I'm the yellow snowflake that landed in your cheerios. 

Like I said, I have no idea if there's anything MORE to it. I haven't read anything that implied that there was, but as Lillith suggested, they could just modify the genetic code and create a society of people capable of flying pods if that's all there was to it. I like to think what makes us unique snowflakes is our ability to endure the training, as I'm guessing that's were a vast majority of people actually get weeded out.

[Lillith Blackheart]

I like to think what makes us unique snowflakes is our ability to endure the training, as I'm guessing that's were a vast majority of people actually get weeded out.

I like to think that what makes Capsuleers unique snowflakes is what makes the average Joe irl a unique snowflake. They simply believe they are unique snowflakes amidst a sea of unique snowflakes that all fall into the same patterns.

It's like the "Gothie" creed "Let's all go be non-conformist together". . .

[Casiella]

Maybe those are the folks who never get out of the trial in EVE...