Expert Programs on ships

[Jak Nazryth]

If I have 4 turrets, Will a single Expert-3 program (int based Gunnery-Turrets) work for all 4 gunners, or will I need 4 separate Expert programs for each turret if I want the benefit from the expert program?

Same thing for Expert Engineer-Jump drive. If you have 2 engineers, and one decides to assist the other during "transfer power" or "repair" phase, can the single Expert program benefit both engineers, or does each engineer require their own expert program? Same questions for all other int-based Expert programs when multiple people are access them.

 

[Spartan159]

Just my opinion, but if a hand comp program can benefit one person, I would think that a ship's computer could help multiple people.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

You are deep into uncharted territory. The rules are not that detailed.


I would say that one instance of Intellect + Expert to replace a single person, and that you need one instance of Expert + Intelligent Interface for each person aided. You only need to buy the software once (per computer), so if you are running it the ship's computer you buy it once, but need bandwidth to run it several times. If you want to say that each workstation onboard can run Intelligent Interface, so you do not need to bother the central computer with that bandwidth, I will not protest.

Gunner(turret) is generally DEX-based (p66). You can still use Expert for aid to gain a +1 bonus, but you cannot use Expert to avoid a non-skilled malus. You can use Intellect + Expert to replace the gunner.

So, in your examples:
You need 4 instances of Expert (+ either Intellect or Intelligent Interface) to support all 4 gunners.
In the case of 2 engineers working on the same task I would say you only need one instance (unless they are doing different things), but in general you need 2 instances of Expert (+ either Intellect or Intelligent Interface) to support 2 engineers.

But these are basically house rules...

 

[Condottiere]

The computer isn't communistic, but it is a collective.

To each according to his needs.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

I would require a separate program for each use - 3 Turrets = 3 Expert Programs. If you only want to fire one turret per turn, then you could use 1 Expert program.

I agree that it is not specified in the rules, so do what you want and what makes sense in your game and setting.

 

[arcador]

Isn't Expert only for Int/Edu based checks?

Edit: my bad. It's INT based turrets.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

It depends on the computers you're trying to install software on. Central computer? Workstation computers? Networked? Wired? Moduled-Cartridge Memory Banked? Solid state? WORN Drives (Write-Once, Read-Never)? Jump-Processor technology?

None of this has anything to do with your current adventure. Referees only care what the Effect of a difficulty check is.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Isn't Expert only for Int/Edu based checks?

I thought so too, but someone recently pointed me to

• A ship running an Intellect program and Expert Pilot can act as the pilot.

A Traveller using Expert may make a skill check as if he had the skill at the software’s Bandwidth -1. Only INT and EDU-based checks can be attempted. If a Traveller already has the skill, then Expert grants DM+1 to his check.

This only limits what tasks people can use Expert software to help with.

Intellect + Expert can apparently perform any task on its own, without any people involved.

 

[Spartan159]

Str/Dex/End based programs can help a character with a neural interface if I recall correctly