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Stretchgoal #3 BEASTS AND DJINNS OF THE THIRD HORIZON mentions Darkmorphs and Constructs amid the menagerie. Is this a reference to genetically engineered lifeforms and artificial intelligence?

On that note is it possible to play genetically engineered individuals or robots? I recall some mention of them, abet they were very low on the social ladder...

As I recall, artifical intelligences aren't sentient enough to have true personalities (i.e. be suitable as player characters).

They can manifest physically by myriads of nanobots forming a shape such as a driver or guide. But that would still just be a "puppet" of the AI.

No robots (other than what we call industrial robots today) and no androids (the rules do allow for cybernetic implants and bionic sculpts).

The impression I got was that all of these limitations are by choice - to make the setting different.

Not having AIs in human forms be perfect helps immensely in maintaining the human-centric focus, both in general and in the way starship combat focuses on human skill.

Having "construct" AI be decidedly servile makes them "djinn-like". Having their bodies consist of nanobots makes them shapeshifters. It's the Sci Fi equivalence of magical spirits that live in bottles!
  

If I remember that youtube flip-through of the Swedish rulebook correctly, at least one of those sentient races – role aptly named "runaway" – is playable, but as a complete rarity that's better placed in very small player groups. They don't speak and have to communicate by other means, which can hold up events in a session quite effectively!

Apart from that, very much agreed with Zapp in trying to capture the feel of Coriolis, which is that essentially, the human race is or at least feels alone in the universe. That's one of the basic ideas of the Firefly series as well. And players are basically restricted to playing humans, giving their characters all the diversity the setting requires.

Looking forward to the AI Constructs in ships; have a few great ideas for their different personalities (I would guess they speak?) already.

From the KS comments thread:

The humanites, which are bionically modified humans, which you can play – like the Sirb who secrete pheromones to connect better to each other. Scientist of the Institute onCoriolis believ the were "developed" to live in close confinement on distant space stations or colonies.
—FL, 13 Jul.

There are actually some non-humans you can play, so called semi-intelligences – like the wolfish nekatra or lemur-like ekilibri – but you should know that most people in the Horizon view the as nothing more than smart animals. In many places the semi-intelligences have to be owned by humans. But we have rules to use them as PCs.
—FL, later that same day

From the KS comments thread:

The humanites, which are bionically modified humans, which you can play – like the Sirb who secrete pheromones to connect better to each other. Scientist of the Institute onCoriolis believ the were "developed" to live in close confinement on distant space stations or colonies.
—FL, 13 Jul.

There are actually some non-humans you can play, so called semi-intelligences – like the wolfish nekatra or lemur-like ekilibri – but you should know that most people in the Horizon view the as nothing more than smart animals. In many places the semi-intelligences have to be owned by humans. But we have rules to use them as PCs.
—FL, later that same day

Oh yeah, forgot about them... by "ish" and "-like" are we talking GenLab Alpha-esq humanoid animals or humans with animalistic traits? Hmm wonder if they worship the Icons? Or would such a thing be seen as blasphemous? The Sirb sound like they date back to pre Pirtal times if their origins are in question.

The nekatra and ekilibri are smart or even intelligent animals, not human at all (humanoid in that they walk on two legs and have two arms, but otherwise definately animals in their looks).

The nekatra and ekilibri are smart or even intelligent animals, not human at all (humanoid in that they walk on two legs and have two arms, but otherwise definately animals in their looks).

My hunch (purely a personal guess here) is that these were originally concieved as "monsters" (the devilishly cunning kind - think a cross between an alien or predator and the Na'vi ) but players* became so fascinated with them and asked so many questions about them Free League "upgraded" them into player character territory.
*) remember this includes Free League themselves...

That sounds entirely reasonable, Zapp.