With the idea to completely redo IPCs into their own thing, I think there's a potential to alter their design principle visually. Make them more clunky, not force every IPC to be a screen head (fake faces are something happening right now for "human machines" right now, and I don't think the novelty would stop high into the future), openly have wires hanging from them, maybe add a disadvantage of making some form of sound that can be heard when they lift something (not pick up something since that's easily, and accidentally, spamable).

In simple, make them less high-future ultimate efficient machines that seem perfected, also more diversity in designs for IPCs will allow people to give more variety for lore. Personally I think a jar head type would be really funny, with floating organs visible inside the glass head (though that's an absurd reach for the concept, meant to just jog the brain with ideas).

You should look at some of the drafts to help structure your thoughts in a bit more of a focused way. This, as presented, isn't really an outline for how this change would work or function in game. It's just a collection of thoughts, not a proposal of "Let's do X". Which means that there's no way for this to be used by anyone, even if they 100% agreed with you.

Design docs exist to help guide development and provide a focused common direction, which this doc isn't doing.

You should look at some of the drafts to help structure your thoughts in a bit more of a focused way. This, as presented, isn't really an outline for how this change would work or function in game. It's just a collection of thoughts, not a proposal of "Let's do X". Which means that there's no way for this to be used by anyone, even if they 100% agreed with you.

Design docs exist to help guide development and provide a focused common direction, which this doc isn't doing.

That was my intention, I wanted some early feedback but I'm going to be restructuring it to follow the template over the weekend.

I have updated the document to follow the template and be a proper game design document.

To clarify why this is still a draft, it's mostly for three reasons:

1. I am unsure if I want to rope chemistry into the new robotics overhaul
2. I am unsure if I want to keep the name IPC at all given the scope of the changes
3. I want more feedback before the official review

Leaving a record of what was talked about on Discord:
One of the major systems that IPCs did not interact with was the food and drinks system; As such, the reworked IPCs should eat and drink, or have some other disadvantage to compensate for the lack of needing food.

Ideas floated about mentioned having IPCs use oil-based drinks as a lubricant as a reason for them needing to drink

I really like the direction you want to take Robotics and IPCs. I will be keeping an eye on this. Good luck!

Leaving a record of what was talked about on Discord: One of the major systems that IPCs did not interact with was the food and drinks system; As such, the reworked IPCs should eat and drink, or have some other disadvantage to compensate for the lack of needing food.

Ideas floated about mentioned having IPCs use oil-based drinks as a lubricant as a reason for them needing to drink

I really like the direction you want to take Robotics and IPCs. I will be keeping an eye on this. Good luck!

Agreed, my idea so far is that being thirsty/hungry doesn't directly slow down IPCs like other species but instead causes their battery to drain far faster, which I think is even harsher to be honest. The drinks they will be able to consume will be oil and alcohol (futurama reference lol), and alcohol will make them drunk. For food, they need entirely specialized food I'm thinking.

I don't think that making IPCs lore "Nanotrasen built them" is good at all. In my point of view, all round start species are species that already exist in Space Station universe on some planets AND that not evil enough to interact with other species and work for space corporation. Just how it works in Stellaris - robots can easily live and migrate to other nations and work there.

Drink and water systems can work with them well. Instead of hunger and thirst they'll have freezer and oil. With lack of oil - they'll walking slowly until they fully stop on 0 oil (they still can talk). And without freezer they'll start raise their temperature.

Medical department interaction - Make them have two different health systems - outer shell and inner organs. Outer shell is their IPC armor that can be healed with wires and welder. Inner organs - they organic part. If they are damaged, IPC only can be healed with chemicals. If they damaged enough to be not able to be healed with chemicals - med personnal will need to eject inner organs with surgery and heal them directly. Makes them low-budget Daleks after all!!