Book 8: Robots design query

[HG_B]

My point was that the battery backup costs more than fuel cells. If I recall, it's one of those peculiarities of the game: I think they produce about 50 times more power for a given volume of hydrogen that they could if they obeyed the laws of physics.

That's ust one reason why that book is fairly useless. I haven't seen a Trav book on robots that was well done.

 

[pennshome723]

As with most things, I buy the books and read them. Then I do it ,my own way for my own campaign...that is how a good GM should do anyway.

 

[Carlobrand]

As with most things, I buy the books and read them. Then I do it ,my own way for my own campaign...that is how a good GM should do anyway.

Agreed, but it does make it tricky trying to make something that others can use too. My goal had been a fairly straightforward Excel-based robot builder. Everyone has their own ways, so one is left to either stick to script and let others modify to their own tastes, or to submit one's own ways and hope others will be content with that. Or both - there are some tricks one can use in Excel to offer a choice, which is where the local discussion becomes helpful. Current thought is to offer an alternative fuel consumption rate more in line with reality.

 

[DonM]

I tried to hint at this in the errata...

I believe that the Book 8 design system is actually derived from the already-in-progress draft MegaTraveller rules, and that if you want to actually build Classic Traveller robots, you are better off using the rules from JTAS #2 - 4 (and reprinted in Best of JTAS #1) more to their interest. Note that the "Best of" version includes some notes added after the original articles were published, but it is also missing the design checklist from JTAS #3 for the system. The robots appearing in Adventure #2, Research Station Gamma, use the JTAS robot rules.