Robots and attacks per round
- Thread starter ddamant
- Start date
kilemall
SOC-14 5K
Just reviewed LBB8, doesn't have a specific ruling in the robot combat section, which is more about speed/stats, damage determination and repair.
But there is a subtle bit that does determine how many weapons can be engaged at once.
The weapons skill rule stats that there must be one application running per weapon- note that is not weapon TYPE, but just weapon.
So if a robot has 4 snub pistols, to fire all four at the same time it would need to be running 4 Snub Pistol-1 programs at once.
That puts the effective weapons at a time squarely on the CPU limits, plus whether a designer considers 1 Snub Pistol-4 or 4 Snub Pistol-1s to be more effective for the robot's mission.
Keep in mind those weapon programs could reside in storage most of the time, so the robot could be cargo handling, patrolling, autostewarding or surveying, and the need arises, in switches the weapons program and out pop the weapons.
But there is a subtle bit that does determine how many weapons can be engaged at once.
The weapons skill rule stats that there must be one application running per weapon- note that is not weapon TYPE, but just weapon.
So if a robot has 4 snub pistols, to fire all four at the same time it would need to be running 4 Snub Pistol-1 programs at once.
That puts the effective weapons at a time squarely on the CPU limits, plus whether a designer considers 1 Snub Pistol-4 or 4 Snub Pistol-1s to be more effective for the robot's mission.
Keep in mind those weapon programs could reside in storage most of the time, so the robot could be cargo handling, patrolling, autostewarding or surveying, and the need arises, in switches the weapons program and out pop the weapons.
I will add that I am personally not a fan of the Robot design process; I find it far too complex for little gain. What matters to me (as a GM) is:
1) is the machine something which may threaten the players directly?
2) if so, what is the combat capability of the machine?
3) any related skills/abilities which may be of immediate use.
GM fiat is my preferred method of design for monsters/challenges. Power consumption, robot internal volume, CPU, all this is of non-interest to me or my players.
I personally liked the robots from 1st edition Gamma World. Anyone ever tried porting them into CT?
1) is the machine something which may threaten the players directly?
2) if so, what is the combat capability of the machine?
3) any related skills/abilities which may be of immediate use.
GM fiat is my preferred method of design for monsters/challenges. Power consumption, robot internal volume, CPU, all this is of non-interest to me or my players.
I personally liked the robots from 1st edition Gamma World. Anyone ever tried porting them into CT?
kilemall
SOC-14 5K
At the end of LBB8 you have a robot encounters table. If they are incidental furniture or just blam blam kablooey targets, their role owners and general equipment should suffice in most situations, just a quick calc for damage and you are done without hyperdesigning.
I've spent most of my robot designing time for players running them as characters, creating standard types I think the players will run into more often (spaceship SAR, ship's robot + slaves, security, autodocs), and am dreaming up a scary melee bot.
That last one is predicated on the fact bots aren't limited by biomusculature-based strength, and so the melee weapons can be a LOT heavier and do more damage.
Think 8D damage battleaxes cutting through BD, as a starter.
I've spent most of my robot designing time for players running them as characters, creating standard types I think the players will run into more often (spaceship SAR, ship's robot + slaves, security, autodocs), and am dreaming up a scary melee bot.
That last one is predicated on the fact bots aren't limited by biomusculature-based strength, and so the melee weapons can be a LOT heavier and do more damage.
Think 8D damage battleaxes cutting through BD, as a starter.
Heck I pretty much still use the robot construction system in jTas with some bits pulled in from the original DGP robots articles Traveller's Digests 1, 2, and 3 (It explains a lot of what is thought going on in Book 8). But mostly I am stealing the tech level intelligence mods....
