CT Scout ship computer ???

[rancke]

So a price of 1MCr for starship jump navigation doesn't faze me at all....

Not as such, perhaps. But combined with rules for individuals to write and use their own programs...


Hans

 

[jawillroy]

Not as such, perhaps. But combined with rules for individuals to write and use their own programs...


Hans

Except that those rules make doing so nearly as unreliable as using unrefined fuel: one of several built-in-instances of "penny wise pound stupid."

 

[atpollard]

I wonder if this is actually even a real problem.

Have you ever had a character write his own 'Jump' program rather than buying the standard version?

I've never encountered it.
It is a lot like Low Berth or Jumping within the 100 diameter limit ... sure it says it can be done, but no one ever does.

 

[jawillroy]

I wonder if this is actually even a real problem.

Have you ever had a character write his own 'Jump' program rather than buying the standard version?

I've never encountered it.
It is a lot like Low Berth or Jumping within the 100 diameter limit ... sure it says it can be done, but no one ever does.

Since the routine programs like Jump and Nav end up part of the basic package that ships with the 'puter, that never comes up for them. It's the weapons and evasion programs that I've had characters try to write.

That, and I've had players writing up new programs.

 

[atpollard]

Since the routine programs like Jump and Nav end up part of the basic package that ships with the 'puter, that never comes up for them. It's the weapons and evasion programs that I've had characters try to write.

That, and I've had players writing up new programs.

I've mostly seen it used for new programs as well.

So I viewed the whole 'working out the bugs and getting commercial certification' as fodder for an adventure and long-term campaign stuff if characters wanted to go in that direction.

Unless the characters want to go commercial, there are probably no Life-Safety certifications involved. Passenger ships are not REQUIRED to have an 'Gunner' or 'Evade' program, so the SPA should not need to check it's certification.

 

[rancke]

Incidentally, it's all very well to talk of updates and maintenance and service, but when you buy your ship on one world and start meandering all over the sector, there's not going to be any updates and maintenance provided, because it the company that sold you the program isn't going to provide service forty parsecs away.

And the basic package? It's been around for literally thousands of years. Even jump-3 is a thousand years old. There must be multiple thousands of rival software companies selling them from one end of Charted Space to the other. So even without individuals writing new programs (which I can totally accept wouldn't "really" be possible), the basic cost to a software company would be a data crystal. That means a profit margin of Cr999,999, which would, IMO, provide incentive for companies to sell at a bit of a discount.


Hans

 

[kilemall]

Incidentally, it's all very well to talk of updates and maintenance and service, but when you buy your ship on one world and start meandering all over the sector, there's not going to be any updates and maintenance provided, because it the company that sold you the program isn't going to provide service forty parsecs away.

Big big assumption on your part. I'm postulating that ONLY a megacorps could fund the certification and take the risks of the business. That certainly means at least a sector if not empire-wide.

And the basic package? It's been around for literally thousands of years. Even jump-3 is a thousand years old. There must be multiple thousands of rival software companies selling them from one end of Charted Space to the other. So even without individuals writing new programs (which I can totally accept wouldn't "really" be possible), the basic cost to a software company would be a data crystal. That means a profit margin of Cr999,999, which would, IMO, provide incentive for companies to sell at a bit of a discount.

Hans

You're talking about the sunk cost issue. I'm saying it's 1 Mcr for the source programs, maybe 1000 Cr per storage/CPU 'card' capacity, 200,000 Cr for the liability, testing regimen especially for new designs and builds of drives and weapons, and 300,000 Cr for lifetime maintenance and upgrades and adjustments/patches/driver updates for that new turret full of fusion guns you just installed.

 

[salochin999]

I treat the program costs as a certification and licensing scam.

imtu i have designated trade routes between the important systems patrolled by the navy which stipulate the use of licensed software but out in the boondocks there's a brisk trade in pirate software - so if a player wanted to write a program they can but if they want it legally licensed they have to be the Emperor's nephew.

 

[salochin999]

Been considering running a more-or-less Book 1-3 only campaign.....never done this before

The Scout ship in CT has a mod.1 computer (2/4 capacity)

... snip ...

....am I missing something?

In my copy of Book 2 it's a 1bis (4/0) but either way I look at it is base configuration. A scout fitted for a more complex mission might have a higher grade computer depending on task.

In my current thing the players originally had a modified scout service type S which because it was working a J1 only satellite maintenance route from Regina to Rhylanor meant 10 dton of fuel space could be reallocated to a repair workshop.

Also detached duty scouts might be el cheapo TL10 expendable ones while the elite ones are sleek TL 15 with model 4 comps.

 

[salochin999]

Loving the ideas of uncertified, secondhand and accelerator modules. Not that I understand the rules very well, but I've always thought some CT ships had really low specs, particularly scout ships, which can be essentially science vessels.

I think that is true but the way I look at it is there would have been multiple scout configurations.

Personally I think the actual single crewed "scout" scout would more likely lose 2 (or even 3) of the state rooms and have 1 (or maybe 2 crew) with the 8-12 dtons saved going to sensors and survey equipment.

Their job would be just to fly around collecting the system's base data and collating any anomalies for further investigation so their job would actually be the relatively dull bit.

To me the Book 2 type S is more the "away team" version where a bunch of expendable dudes are sent out to find out if any of the anomalies found by the survey are dangerous.

At least that's how i see it working at the early tech levels when the max ship size was low but even later with scout expeditions maybe including large mother ships there would always be a role for small ships and crews for expendability reasons.

 

[nobby-w]

I treat the program costs as a certification and licensing scam.
...

I go with certification as well. Anything for aerospace usage tends to be buttock-clenchingly expensive because of the costs of getting it type-certified. There's still code written in JOVIAL on MIL-1750A's flying today.

 

[kilemall]

I work with health care IT. On a project now for a net new install of hospital system for ~550 beds plus Level I Trauma center and several ambulatory clinics. Vendor price is around $15M.

The Vendor also operates the hardware base - several HP minis running a *nix flavor. The Vendor is also under obligation to keep the software certified for Meaningful Use, and compliant for State regulations.

So a price of 1MCr for starship jump navigation doesn't faze me at all....

Epic, I presume.