Gearhead Challange! (Far different than the norm)
- Thread starter endersig
- Start date
Well done Employee! I like this as even a finished product. For the sake of this thread, we shall make it a prototype. Anybody have any slaves or additions they would like to make? I see your point with the Contoured idea, so we can go with it. the only question i have is, do biobots have the space requirements of a Countoured bot? then it just might be a nice touch, a personal addition for a ship captain to make.
The only difference is that the pseudo-bio could masquarade as a Human in high TLs (15+) and costs ALOT more. It would also be desirable in a more conservative society in which obvious robots would be disliked. And a captain who would upgrade to a bioroid Avatar would have to be a VERY rich captain indeed
About MCr11 instead of MCr1.5... with no real change in performance (except for the Avatar looking "human"). I think that this will be the corp executive's plaything of TL15... like the private jump capable yacht and the personal arcology
I'll post the TL12 corper plaything tomorrow or tonight (on TL12 it's contourted and MCr0.4) and maybe a few more slave bots/drones.
I'll post the TL12 corper plaything tomorrow or tonight (on TL12 it's contourted and MCr0.4) and maybe a few more slave bots/drones.
All of the following designs are IMTU, TL12, but usable in any setting and on higher TLs.
TL12 AI Core 71100-00-RR22F-009B(L) Cr2,718,450 151.25Kg Fuel=47.5 Duration=7.5 days TL=12
40/100 (Mesh)
Basic sensor pkg, Voder
Power interface, Brain interface, Master Unit, Radio (5,000 km), Flat Video Display, elec circuit protect
Pilot-3
Navigator-3
Medical-3
Steward-2
Gunnery-2
Engineering-2
Laser Rifle-2
Laser Welder-1
Administration-1
Emotion Simulation
Notes: Martian Mechanic broke in ground in 2389 when it introduced a highly intelligent (in IMTU's TL12 terms) ship "brain" capable of running most of the ship's systems as well as operating a wide range of support drones and robots. However, its expense prevent it from being extremly common, and it is mostly found on the larger corporate liners and the big space stations. Martian Mechanics is currently (2401) negotiating a contract with the Solar Triumvirate's Navy to supply its new supercarriers with similar comuters.
ExecuBot(tm) 55302-A2-MM225-5C63(5) Cr465,100 178.9Kg Fuel=47.6 Duration=7.8 days TL=12
20/50 (Cloth)
1 Head (10%)
2 Very light arms
Basic sensor pkg, Voder
Brain interface, Slave Unit, Radio (50 km)
Auto-Pistol (right arm)
Administration-2
Valet-1
Pistol-1
Security-1
Emotion Simulation
Notes: The StarNet ExecuBot(tm), first marketed in 2386, is the most popular robotic personal assistant to Consortium corporate execs, and is gainist popularity in the Solar Triumvirate as well. This humanoid (contourted) robot is a capable secretary and personal servant, is able to perform as a bodyguard as well, and could interface with a ship's AI core, if any is present, and become it's "Avatar".
MedDrone 6330B-04-00000-LB00 Cr17,260 198.45Kg Fuel=47.9 Duration=7.9 days TL=12
30/75 (Mesh)
4 Light arms
Basic sensor pkg, Voder, X-Ray Scanner*
Slave Unit, Radio (5 km), Medical instrument pkg
Notes: A Martian Mechanics drone designed specifically to work with its AI core, this medical drone lacks a brain, and therefore requires an external "Master" (Robot with Master Unit or Human with a remote control) for use. Once connected to a "Master" with a medical skill, however, this drone can perform almost any medical operation, and with great percision (Dexterity 11).
* A computerized X-Ray scanner (emotter and "camera") compact enough to fit into a robot is TL8, consumes 3 kw/h, weights 2Kg and costs Cr2,000.
SecDrone7350A-A2-00000-L600 Cr26,905 324.1Kg Fuel=45.1 Duration=5.4 days TL=12
40/100 (Cloth)
1 Head (10%)
2 Light arms
Basic sensor pkg, Voder, Magnetic sensor
Spotlight, Slave Unit, Radio (50 km), ECM, Video recorder (2D)
Laser Rifle
Notes: A Martian Mechanics drone designed specifically to work with its AI core, this security drone lacks a brain, and therefore requires an external "Master" (Robot with Master Unit or Human with a remote control) for use. Note that this is a commercial model, lacking electronic hardening, heavy firepower/armor and good ECM.
Repair-Bot 7140E-02-MM117-PF43(6) Cr230,080 229.45Kg Fuel=43.7 Duration=6.1 days TL=12
40/100 (Mesh)
2 Med arms
Basic sensor pkg, Voder, Radiation sensor
Brain interface, Slave Unit, Radio (500 km), Mechanical tool pkg, Elec tool pkg
Light laser welder(right arm)
Grav Vehicle-1
Electronic-1
Engineering-1
Gravitics-1
Laser Welder-1
Cargo Handling-1
Notes: While the Martian Mechanics Repair-Bot is designed to work with an external "Master", it could perform some of its functions by itself and posses limited autonomy.
ServBot(tm) 7250B-52-GL112-LM22 Cr78,410 303.7Kg Fuel=42.2 Duration=5 days TL=12
40/100 (Mesh)
1 Head (5%)
2 Light arms
Basic sensor pkg, Voder
Slave Unit, Radio (5 km), Odor Emitter, Janitorial tool pkg
Steward-2
Cargo Handling-2
Notes: The Martian Mechanics ServBot(tm) serves since 2385. This robot, while limited in its intelligence and autonomy, is well capable of cleaning, cooking and fetching items, and can do far more than that when connected to an external "Master".
Oh, and IMTU there is a "Ship Automatation Package" or SAP, which is intended for medium-sized commercial ships (600dton+) and includes one TL12 Core, one ExecuBot (marketed in the Triumvirate by Martian Mechanics), one MedDrone, 4 SecDrones, 2 RepairBots and 2 SevBots, and costs a discounted price of MCr3.5 instead of the full Cr3,925,410, which is about a 11% discount.
TL12 AI Core 71100-00-RR22F-009B(L) Cr2,718,450 151.25Kg Fuel=47.5 Duration=7.5 days TL=12
40/100 (Mesh)
Basic sensor pkg, Voder
Power interface, Brain interface, Master Unit, Radio (5,000 km), Flat Video Display, elec circuit protect
Pilot-3
Navigator-3
Medical-3
Steward-2
Gunnery-2
Engineering-2
Laser Rifle-2
Laser Welder-1
Administration-1
Emotion Simulation
Notes: Martian Mechanic broke in ground in 2389 when it introduced a highly intelligent (in IMTU's TL12 terms) ship "brain" capable of running most of the ship's systems as well as operating a wide range of support drones and robots. However, its expense prevent it from being extremly common, and it is mostly found on the larger corporate liners and the big space stations. Martian Mechanics is currently (2401) negotiating a contract with the Solar Triumvirate's Navy to supply its new supercarriers with similar comuters.
ExecuBot(tm) 55302-A2-MM225-5C63(5) Cr465,100 178.9Kg Fuel=47.6 Duration=7.8 days TL=12
20/50 (Cloth)
1 Head (10%)
2 Very light arms
Basic sensor pkg, Voder
Brain interface, Slave Unit, Radio (50 km)
Auto-Pistol (right arm)
Administration-2
Valet-1
Pistol-1
Security-1
Emotion Simulation
Notes: The StarNet ExecuBot(tm), first marketed in 2386, is the most popular robotic personal assistant to Consortium corporate execs, and is gainist popularity in the Solar Triumvirate as well. This humanoid (contourted) robot is a capable secretary and personal servant, is able to perform as a bodyguard as well, and could interface with a ship's AI core, if any is present, and become it's "Avatar".
MedDrone 6330B-04-00000-LB00 Cr17,260 198.45Kg Fuel=47.9 Duration=7.9 days TL=12
30/75 (Mesh)
4 Light arms
Basic sensor pkg, Voder, X-Ray Scanner*
Slave Unit, Radio (5 km), Medical instrument pkg
Notes: A Martian Mechanics drone designed specifically to work with its AI core, this medical drone lacks a brain, and therefore requires an external "Master" (Robot with Master Unit or Human with a remote control) for use. Once connected to a "Master" with a medical skill, however, this drone can perform almost any medical operation, and with great percision (Dexterity 11).
* A computerized X-Ray scanner (emotter and "camera") compact enough to fit into a robot is TL8, consumes 3 kw/h, weights 2Kg and costs Cr2,000.
SecDrone7350A-A2-00000-L600 Cr26,905 324.1Kg Fuel=45.1 Duration=5.4 days TL=12
40/100 (Cloth)
1 Head (10%)
2 Light arms
Basic sensor pkg, Voder, Magnetic sensor
Spotlight, Slave Unit, Radio (50 km), ECM, Video recorder (2D)
Laser Rifle
Notes: A Martian Mechanics drone designed specifically to work with its AI core, this security drone lacks a brain, and therefore requires an external "Master" (Robot with Master Unit or Human with a remote control) for use. Note that this is a commercial model, lacking electronic hardening, heavy firepower/armor and good ECM.
Repair-Bot 7140E-02-MM117-PF43(6) Cr230,080 229.45Kg Fuel=43.7 Duration=6.1 days TL=12
40/100 (Mesh)
2 Med arms
Basic sensor pkg, Voder, Radiation sensor
Brain interface, Slave Unit, Radio (500 km), Mechanical tool pkg, Elec tool pkg
Light laser welder(right arm)
Grav Vehicle-1
Electronic-1
Engineering-1
Gravitics-1
Laser Welder-1
Cargo Handling-1
Notes: While the Martian Mechanics Repair-Bot is designed to work with an external "Master", it could perform some of its functions by itself and posses limited autonomy.
ServBot(tm) 7250B-52-GL112-LM22 Cr78,410 303.7Kg Fuel=42.2 Duration=5 days TL=12
40/100 (Mesh)
1 Head (5%)
2 Light arms
Basic sensor pkg, Voder
Slave Unit, Radio (5 km), Odor Emitter, Janitorial tool pkg
Steward-2
Cargo Handling-2
Notes: The Martian Mechanics ServBot(tm) serves since 2385. This robot, while limited in its intelligence and autonomy, is well capable of cleaning, cooking and fetching items, and can do far more than that when connected to an external "Master".
Oh, and IMTU there is a "Ship Automatation Package" or SAP, which is intended for medium-sized commercial ships (600dton+) and includes one TL12 Core, one ExecuBot (marketed in the Triumvirate by Martian Mechanics), one MedDrone, 4 SecDrones, 2 RepairBots and 2 SevBots, and costs a discounted price of MCr3.5 instead of the full Cr3,925,410, which is about a 11% discount.
Assuming a human captain is still relavent for fast-paced things like space combat, it seems to me to be much more practical to give each crewmember a communicator/interface implant. This allows them to jack into their workstations and react much more quickly and accurately than mere nerve impulses and muscles, or worse, spoken commands to other crewmembers.
What episode of any sci-fi show hasn't seemed critically ridiculous when it came to ordering a bridge officer to do something that is obviously time sensitive? You get things like the main reactor can never blow up without at least 2 minutes of runaway countdown, giving everyone plenty of time to either abandon ship or eject the core. Of course, the enemy ship always acts like a unitary mind: hit it enough and then offer to take surrender and the enemy weapons stop firing immediately...
Contrast that with you playing a simulation in which you are effectively everyone at once. A tank or helicopter simulation works for this as well as controlling a whole ship or spacecraft. You tell the guns when and where to fire, where the vehicle goes, what kind of shell to fire next, and all kinds of things.
A tank requires at least 3 people to man it for a good reason. The driver cannot be bothered with strategic concerns when he is trying to evade enemy fire, the gunner cannot be bothered to drive while he's aiming, and the commander probably shouldn't bother too much with target selection. The loader's job can be done with automation, but I don't think many do this yet, allowing the gunner to holler out for a particular kind of shell when he needs it. But in a tank sim (Team Yankee is a good one) you can easily choose where you want to go and aim at the targets you want to hit, and IIRC you can select the type of warheads you want and so on. While you're fighting, you don't get to do much strategizing, but when you get a moment's break, you can check your big map and go where it makes most sense for you to.
A ship wired up to let the captain fight it would be 10 times as efficient as one built in the standard way. Presumably other people are present so the Captain can hand off tasks to them, or to keep the ship fighting when some of the comm links get cut. Assuming the captain can maintain radio contact with the ship when on an away mission (RARELY does the captain leave his ship when not in a friendly port in real life), he can perform better himself than to tell an avatar what to do.
Romy is nothing more than eye candy... Ok, so she is a solution to a problem of drama. How interesting is it to have the whole Andromeda wired up so that one person can control it? Unless you're Brent Spiner, excessive automation just isn't that watchable as far as drama goes.
What episode of any sci-fi show hasn't seemed critically ridiculous when it came to ordering a bridge officer to do something that is obviously time sensitive? You get things like the main reactor can never blow up without at least 2 minutes of runaway countdown, giving everyone plenty of time to either abandon ship or eject the core. Of course, the enemy ship always acts like a unitary mind: hit it enough and then offer to take surrender and the enemy weapons stop firing immediately...
Contrast that with you playing a simulation in which you are effectively everyone at once. A tank or helicopter simulation works for this as well as controlling a whole ship or spacecraft. You tell the guns when and where to fire, where the vehicle goes, what kind of shell to fire next, and all kinds of things.
A tank requires at least 3 people to man it for a good reason. The driver cannot be bothered with strategic concerns when he is trying to evade enemy fire, the gunner cannot be bothered to drive while he's aiming, and the commander probably shouldn't bother too much with target selection. The loader's job can be done with automation, but I don't think many do this yet, allowing the gunner to holler out for a particular kind of shell when he needs it. But in a tank sim (Team Yankee is a good one) you can easily choose where you want to go and aim at the targets you want to hit, and IIRC you can select the type of warheads you want and so on. While you're fighting, you don't get to do much strategizing, but when you get a moment's break, you can check your big map and go where it makes most sense for you to.
A ship wired up to let the captain fight it would be 10 times as efficient as one built in the standard way. Presumably other people are present so the Captain can hand off tasks to them, or to keep the ship fighting when some of the comm links get cut. Assuming the captain can maintain radio contact with the ship when on an away mission (RARELY does the captain leave his ship when not in a friendly port in real life), he can perform better himself than to tell an avatar what to do.
Romy is nothing more than eye candy... Ok, so she is a solution to a problem of drama. How interesting is it to have the whole Andromeda wired up so that one person can control it? Unless you're Brent Spiner, excessive automation just isn't that watchable as far as drama goes.
That was my point, which is kinda why I had the idea of the Balance. This way, you need some robotics personel, a true pilot for j-space, and the smae amount of engineers (plus a captain) this way, you can't FULLY automate the ship, but you can give a group of say, 3 control of a 400 ton ship, instead of just 200. It isn't TOO impbalanced, plus it leads to some fun missions! infilitrate and destroy the Core of a ship that went insane, a collection of fully automated ships rampage the galaxy... ect ad nasieum
You are talking about Shadowrun-style "Rigging", eh? most fighters IMTU use something similar, though in most polities this is quite limited (visor HUD and sensor gloves); the Matriarchate (a "posthumanist" polity of MTU) use heavy control implants, however, and the avarage pilot could be recognized by several jacks and plugging ports on the back of her head. However, most starship officers use HUD in most places. And every ship needs a computer, even small craft; Humans can't make all the complex calculations of space manouvering alone and quickly, after all.
Yeah, that's why I put that caveat about humans being relavent to combat in there.
Having a datajack into your brain gives you the ability to map input from video cameras to your visual cortex, so that you see through them. You might want to close your eyes to keep from getting confused. But this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Connect the engines to your leg impulses, and when you "run", the ship thrusts. You can go further and allow maneuvers, twisting and turning, and all kinds of good stuff. Radar and other sensors will have to be translated by a computer first before being run to the visual cortex, maybe densitometer mapped to your taste sense, maybe neural network to your sense of smell...
But let's take a look at psionics right quick. How do you do telepresence? Telepathy? In what way do you experience a teleport, or read the history of an object (can't think of the term atm)? There are a lot of psi powers that don't directly map to one of the 5 senses. How do you distinguish between YOUR memories and those you sensed during a probe on some one else? You just know.
And by the same token, a lot of information can be presented to a wired mind so it just "knows". Looking up the location of crewman Johnson is as simple as remembering it. In reality, you're querying the ship's internal sensors for his implant's RFID tag, but to you, you just "knew" he was at his battlestation.
It is a bit difficult for us and our fledgling understanding of VR and AI to get a sense of what it would be like to be "jacked in" with a very sophisticated neural interface jack.
I think a living human brain will still be necessary to command a ship, even in battle. Sure, you let the computer do most things, especially where accuracy is required, but humans will need to be there to make decisions. Assuming, of course, we never fully trust AIs...
Having a datajack into your brain gives you the ability to map input from video cameras to your visual cortex, so that you see through them. You might want to close your eyes to keep from getting confused. But this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Connect the engines to your leg impulses, and when you "run", the ship thrusts. You can go further and allow maneuvers, twisting and turning, and all kinds of good stuff. Radar and other sensors will have to be translated by a computer first before being run to the visual cortex, maybe densitometer mapped to your taste sense, maybe neural network to your sense of smell...
But let's take a look at psionics right quick. How do you do telepresence? Telepathy? In what way do you experience a teleport, or read the history of an object (can't think of the term atm)? There are a lot of psi powers that don't directly map to one of the 5 senses. How do you distinguish between YOUR memories and those you sensed during a probe on some one else? You just know.
And by the same token, a lot of information can be presented to a wired mind so it just "knows". Looking up the location of crewman Johnson is as simple as remembering it. In reality, you're querying the ship's internal sensors for his implant's RFID tag, but to you, you just "knew" he was at his battlestation.
It is a bit difficult for us and our fledgling understanding of VR and AI to get a sense of what it would be like to be "jacked in" with a very sophisticated neural interface jack.
I think a living human brain will still be necessary to command a ship, even in battle. Sure, you let the computer do most things, especially where accuracy is required, but humans will need to be there to make decisions. Assuming, of course, we never fully trust AIs...
This reminds me of an old Andromeda moment (I apologize for constantly going back to Andromeda, but that is one of the biggest avatar "canons" if you will) Rommie has come to the conclusion that AI's shouldn't be used in ships due to their cold and unfeeling logic. Dylan points out that that is why ships will always have Bio-Captains; to temper logic with feeling. In a sense, the "Heart" of the ship is it's captain. Fully Automated ships would entirely unbalance the game of traveller, and are in no way a suggestion by this thread. Automation, here, is just to serve as a way of making the Traveller universe a little... Bigger.
