The
Intel 4004 became commercially available in quantity in Q4 1971, at least according to
Intel. This predates Traveler.
Minicomputers like the PDP11 and PDP8 were beginning to make use of VLSI memory, I/O, and logic components about the time that CT was published. In fact, it was the wide availability of
TTL chips enabled the minicomputer revolution of the '70s and heralded the microcomputer revolution of the late '70s and early '80s.
The US Navy sets aside a considerable amount of tonnage on it's vessels for computer equipment.
If we're making analogues to current technology, the complexity of the microchips we can put into orbit is severely hampered by the amount of effort that goes into
hardening it. Our smallest levels of miniaturization cannot be used, and much of the chip's surface area is consumed by error detection/correction and redundancy.
Making another comparison to modern technology, lets look at the amount of certification computer software and hardware goes through before it is allowed to control an aircraft carrying commercial freight or passengers by the FAA. Again, the most sophisticated technology is ahead of the hardware certified for this mission by 10-15 years. Imagine the headaches involved with getting something certified to fly with a planetary, or sub-sector sized government!
Yeah, which is why my hobbyhorse is the computer rules are broken, they were written before the microchip. I assume the actual computers that handle navigation and shipboard functions take up a trivial amount of the bridge tonnage and the "computer tonnage" actually refers to the sensor array. Using Book 5 computers mostly affect fire control and max jump, which are more reasonably sensor issues anyway.
That allows me to use canon construction rules, though it does skew my deckplans.
Uncle Bob
By your argument, since the introduction of electronically scanned radar, and ccd/solid state lasers (for lidar), that the sensors must be in small packages scattered about the hull, and therefore take up a fraction of the tonnage dedicated to that.
As GM, I would state that however fast the player states that many tons of computers may be, jump calculation, comms, fire control, and sensor data processing really take up the book stated fraction of processing power.
I would say that CT has some of the sanest, most reasonable computer rules of any RPG I've ever played, even compared to some of the cyberpunk ones where it is a focus.
