Robots

[Secrect Cow Level]

Most sci-fi games tend to do poorly in the area of robots. Even ALTERNITY (which I don't like but it did cover all the bases nicely) had only a small and very poor section on robots.

I've only played two games that handled robots well. The best by far was GAMMA WORLD. It had a detailed section on different types of robots as well as how to design them (without requiring an engineering degree!). You could design a robot for any purpose with a varity of chasis materials, locomotion, sensors, and weapons/tools. It would require some work to adapt it to TRAVELLER but the results might be worth the effort.

The other was WORLDS BEYOND, a sci-fi game that modeled itself after TRAVELLER and was quite good. It had a short but well written chapter on robot design that would work well in TRAVELLER. It allows for any type of robot from simple house cleaning bots to artifical intelligence and human-like androids.

 

[Father Fletch]

IMTU there are robots. If you look at the capabilities of the missiles used they can be considered dumb 'bots in a way. I always imagined they could be launched and possibly recovered as "smart mines". They could also be remote driven for portions of their flight and then allowed to "go active" in the target zone.
These "smart" or "brilliant" missiles probably contain some sort of robotic programming, but deadly dull personalities.
The nukes in Dark Star were a humorous "smarter cousin" to the way I visualize Traveller missiles.
OTOH they could just be the kind where one yells "Torpedoes away!"
To get back to Robots I always liked the way H. Beam Piper handled them. They were useful tools, which could go dangerous places humans wanted to be, but rarely were more than a fraction of a second's Radio/TV/Telemetry away. This kept people (Humans, Vargr, Zhodani, etc.) in the decision loop (danger area) but out of steaming hot reactor rooms. You could always have Jamming/Solar Flares/Ancient devices interfere in such a way that a sentient HAS to go in and solve the problem. But for ordinary problems, "Let the Robot do it."
Now one of the other things he postulated was that on worlds where there was a surplus of population, there would be social pressure to provide jobs/meaningful work for many. Even if high tech provided for many basic needs, to prevent riots or sabotage humans might fill positions like "3rd assistant door opener, fifth grade."
Piper had his high tech/low pop worlds using robots for many things simply because human decision-makers are too valuable to waste in trivial or menial jobs.
The other great part about Traveller, IMHO, is that all sorts of planets can and will have differing attitudes about robots. One high pop/low tech world will have stevedores physically unloading the Far Trader in human ant lines, piece by piece. Occasionally using the expensive and imported fork-lift/cargo-walker (ala Aliens) with an off world contractor.
A high tech/low pop or even high pop world might use lots of automation.
The city I live in, Tacoma, is the 6th largest container port in America. There used to be anywhere from 400-1000 longshoremen up until the late 1970's. Now a days there are 40 full time longshoremen. Their main tool is an LCD flat screen and a mouse. Most of the cargo containers are moved by crane and robotic container lifters that are remotely piloted from a control tower in the middle of the port.
Perhaps this long missive can be summed up in the thought that with the wide world of Traveller there are as many reasons for and kinds of robots as there are worlds. If you don't like how it is here, Lift Ship and Jump Out.

 

[CharmQuark]

I was reading a really cool article about researchers who are designing robots that are programmed to "play" like kids. Some wise guy or gal got the bright idea that instead of programing every single piece of code to support the robot functionality, just make them so they like to screw around with stuff and then have a built in feedback response that encourages them to get "better" at whatever it is they are supposed to do, basically having them program themselves like kids do when they learn. Robots in the future could be a lot more than just be cargo loaders.

Unlike most here, I don't have tons of experience roleplaying in the Traveller Universe/Imperium. If T20 is going to be true to its claim, it'll have a good framework for allowing people incorporate technology outside the official game setting.

 

[Elliot]

I think there is a distinction to be drawn between robots (Computers with 'personality') and robotic equipment (computers that do physical things rather than just number crunch). The cargo lifter is just robotic equipment - I assume that robotic equipment allows a Type S Scout to be piloted by one human from the cockpit despite the need for engineer/navigator/pilot/gunner etc. Bigger ships need more humans coz they are biggger and more complex.

I do agree that robots (as defined above) were clunky in the OTU but even DGP had AB-101 in the Digest - he wasn't all that different to Terminator 1.

 

[kafka47]

Here is hoping that T20 will become the cosmopolitian universe that Traveller aspires to be. Unfortunately, I think that Traveller has become stuck in the 1950s SF paradigm whereby Asimov defined all there needs to know about robots. Which is too bad, as I think that a whole new generation that will be coming to Traveller, as a result of T20 will want to see their visions of SF realized. I would like to see a Traveller universe that would burst out and have societies that are fully dependent upon robotics and also societies that mimic, a robotic aesthetic - the closest that I have seen that does this really well is the Kubrick film - A.I.

A.I. postulates that intelligence is not something that is external but develops internally. Surely, if the 3I has mastered holoreality by 1110 building more self-directed robots would not be a problem...why just have servants why not have fully integrated "beings". So, if the gearheads won't mind put away the wrenches/screwdrivers and engage the imagination.

 

[Prometheus]

Just checking up on ya'll .. in the FRG right now...

wow .... good stuff to think about... now anybody got a design...(thinking to himself wonder what kind or robot Lisagb would design... hummm...)

 

[themink]

IMTU we had lots of robotic equipment - mostly non-mobile.

We had a fair few mobile roots doing incredibly menial jobs - CyberDog floor sweepers were the classic example.

The justification for all was that moores law blew out in about 2010 real time - so computer rooms were arround (Even with modern tech, you can pack a huge amount of processing power into a server room.

We had very very few warbots - and they were all indiscriminate - ie civilians, wildlife, friendly troops - they all get shot at. Of course they pack a huge amount of grunt and are tough opponents. They were used by terrorists as a plot line (and to stop them asking why they weren;t used in the Imperial marines)

The thing I could never justify was why robotic "fighters" weren't in common use - space is a very simplistic environment and many of the decisions are clean cut. I got arround it by hand waving but it never sounded convincing.

 

[justacaveman]

Robotic fighters aren't used, because humans don't trust them. Even an alien opponent may have some "humanity", but no military is going to take living beings out of the decision loop.

You can't use semi-robotic RPV space fighters because time lag is a factor. A few tenths of a second can be the difference between success and failure.

Military robots will always be closely supervised, but never trusted by the troops.

 

[TheColonel]

If one creates truely sentient robots (realy they are androids), one gets into questions of fatih and what life is. The situation is one could accidently create a race that will destroy it's creator. The possibilty of that happening is high enough to seriously consider whether that should be done. I think that would be the true reason not to have warbots that are completely independent.

 

[TheColonel]

On a side note, a charcator my friend runs has a robot sidekick. Common occurance I'm sure. Still, it is very useful.

 

[JulianXSJ]

Anotherthing to keep in mind is IRL, we're real close to developing neural net technology. The British are damned close to finishing a workable architecture and the Isrealis have got the basics for DNA comps down....now they just need to make it practical to build. So...what TL are we?

 

[justacaveman]

I'm sure the Imperium doesn't want to create a version of Fred Saberhagen' "Berserkers". Essentially Virus-like robotic spaceships that reproduce themselves and are intent on wiping out all sentient life.

It would be a hard one to explain to the boss. "I think I made an error in the programming of that warbot. Apparently I told it that it's survival was the highest priority, and then someone tried to turn it off."

 

[savage]

Unless the warbot reached basic intelligence and could learn. In that case, it might have determined that its programing was full of it.

Not that the imperium works as a form of government. But we have human habit of keeping weapon system. No matter how useless. The Sgt York anti-air gun for example. It lasted for a long time. Or how about the Osprey...

Savage

 

[trader jim]

tick tock, tick tock, one of my robots is ready to blow ....can you find it in time??????

 

[Nurd_boy]

IMTU,

med-nanos don't have a batteries...the space is used for medicines, suture materials, etc..instead, the bugs are power by a magnetic resonance built into the medical berth,leave the bed, they shutdown and the body filters and passes them as any other waste material...this way the doc monitors the healing progess, the patient stays put (if he wants to heal)...and all is happy in the universe !

 

[JulianXSJ]

*Has consignment of 1000 Talky Toasters and 10 Talky Washies loaded with Zhodani lingui-chips for sale for those interested. Will trade for trashy novellas and other incidental cargos.*

 

[PapaGolfWhiskey]

Talky Toasters?
Independant Lapine Republic?

I think I detect a fellow furry fan. neh?

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by Jewels:
*Has consignment of 1000 Talky Toasters and 10 Talky Washies loaded with Zhodani lingui-chips for sale for those interested. Will trade for trashy novellas and other incidental cargos.*

_________________________________________________
After Trader jim's recent experience with Talking janibots spying on him in the ship's fresher, ye might want to take that Consulate surplus load to an RQS interface world towards Foreven/ vanguard sectors, Jewel.

 

[Liam Devlin]

Congrats on SOC-13, btw Garf.

 

[trader jim]

Sir...read this....sir it seems some one has been secretly installing the new updated BATTLE CHIPS in all the SERVICE INDUSTRY robots at the FACTORY LEVEL!!!.....there are now MILLIONS of armed robots that have gone BATTLE BERZERK....they are arming them selves right now as we speak...yes sir arming them selves with ANYTHING they can find!!!!.....