Nadia Grell
Banded Mongoose
Is there a book that covers personal drones, like those you can buy online and in hobby shops?
Drones
- Thread starter Nadia Grell
- Start date
Geir
Emperor Mongoose
You can build a cheapish drone for less than Cr1000 with the Robot Handbook rules for robots and microbots, but I think the cheapest build ones written up in the book are the Cr 5000 Skyspotter, a Cr10000 courier drone, and some high tech crawling microbots. And the 1:200 NanoHero action figure...
Terry Mixon
Emperor Mongoose
If people wanted to make various drones and robots and post them to a thread, I sure wouldn't mind. 
agentwigggles
Cosmic Mongoose
For that kinda of purchase, at least for my table that would a comestic purchase. Like 100-500 credits. It something they use in the background, or add flavor to a scene. That kind of thing, doesnt benfiet from being stated out.
MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
I am not sure that would work. Modern hobby drones can be equipped with night-vision or thermal cameras. So, it would have mechanical benefits for the players. It could even be used as a forward observer for artillery fire or orbital bombardment. Maybe something in an update for the RH that covers cheap drones. I used to build and fly model helicopters and airplanes growing up. Stuff I built Myself. Even way back then, I added a "small" (for the time period) camera so i could see where I was flying when it was out of My line of site. These were drones before the term "drone" existed. So, something should be added to the RH to make these possible. Everything else is already there, just the cost for said drone in Traveller seems to be 5x the price of an actual drone from Our world, but with no added capabilities.
MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
This is brilliant! I love it!I have a simple rule, if you can find it on an online shopping site you can buy it for that pound(USD Euro) = credit amount. Can't be bothered with currency conversion rates
Geir
Emperor Mongoose
Drones may be the new Traveller "Computer Problem" with technology advancing faster than anticipated (thanks in no small part to a certain little European conflict). The way the pricing in Traveller works, based in part on pre-inflationary dollars, it might make more sense to take half or less of the Amazon costs (in close-enough-currency-of-choice) for similar capabilities. Assuming they are civilian devices, with no weapons, mandatory geo-fencing around 'sensitive areas' and limited range.
In hindsight their is a missing category in Robots between a Size 1 robot and a microbot: Size 0 which could be appropriate for such devices. Hmm. Maybe I should see if I can squeeze something in for a JTAS#18 article... basically zero slots, but allow for a pile of zero-slot items.
In hindsight their is a missing category in Robots between a Size 1 robot and a microbot: Size 0 which could be appropriate for such devices. Hmm. Maybe I should see if I can squeeze something in for a JTAS#18 article... basically zero slots, but allow for a pile of zero-slot items.
Terry Mixon
Emperor Mongoose
Please do! I've been struggling with exactly this!
Sigtrygg
Emperor Mongoose
Limpin Legin
Emperor Mongoose
There is this book that says it creates a "basic TL 9 quad-roter drone". Sounds like it might fit your bill. Here:
DriveThruRPG
www.drivethrurpg.com
If you click on the Preview, the first thing you see is a Tech Level 8 Camera Drone for CR1,200!
The author has commented in the discussion section, and it looks like the Robot Options in the book were designed around MGT 1e.
Honestly, you can design your own minimalistic drone and limit frame size to the minimum. Then you can limit options and devise a house rule saying that the local government licencing only permits certain add-on options for personal drones - depending on the government type specified in the UWP.
agentwigggles
Cosmic Mongoose
If you want to to be impactful during the game, than its no longer a comestic flavor item.
agentwigggles
Cosmic Mongoose
Shadowrun retrofitting in Drones has been one of those akward things trying to keep it on the future treadmill.
Geir
Emperor Mongoose
Ok, 1500 words, some spreadsheet legerdemain and half a brain later, I can make this sort of thing pop out:
So I think I'm on the right track.
Basic Quadcopter Drone
Produced by the millions on mid-tech worlds, this no-frills quadcopter drone is suitable for basic surveillance tasks in the hands of a skilled remote operator. It has basic homing capability and can follow a predetermined flight path programmed by is control console.| Robot | Hits | Locomotion | Speed | TL | Cost |
| Basic Quadcopter Drone | 1 | VTOL | 4 m | 8 | Cr70 |
| Skills | none | ||||
| Attacks | none | ||||
| Manipulators | none | ||||
| Endurance | 1 hours | ||||
| Traits | Flyer(idle), Small (-4) | ||||
| Programming | Drone (INT 0) | ||||
| Options | Auditory Sensor, Drone Interface, Transceiver 5 km (improved), Visual Spectrum Sensor, Wireless Data Link |
So I think I'm on the right track.
Terry Mixon
Emperor Mongoose
Isn't small (-4) - Size 1? I thought you were aiming for size 0? Still, very cool.
Geir
Emperor Mongoose
The Animal Size table doesn't get smaller than Small (-4) and even the microbots are considered Small(-4). So that's what I went with. I made a couple more to shake out the bugs (in the spreadsheet, not microrobot bugs). Still need to proof and edit my work, but hopefully I can submit by Monday and see if Matt and Bella let it in.
MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
This is amazing! Again, with the "nice work" Geir!
You know, it is getting to the point that when I need a cool idea or have an idea that might be cool, I start thinking, I need to ask Geir. lol
I think Bella in our office has already hit upon that ploy
MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
That makes Bella a very smart person as well...lol...I think Bella in our office has already hit upon that ploy
