lord_bosco
Mongoose
Last game session I recommended that my fellow players look into Expert computer programs. I suggested Expert (Tactics/Military) for our military leader, who wondered, "Do I really want to be looking at my computer in the middle of a battle?" Well, no, but the Intelligent Interface software means you don't have to. This is a science fiction setting, so the computers are more advanced than what we have today. With Intelligent Interface computers communicate verbally, like Siri or Alexa, but better. Think of it more like Iron Man talking to Jarvis.
By way of example, the Central Supply Catalogue notes on page 32 that battle dress armor comes with Computer/2 running Expert (Tactics/Military) to give tactical advice during combat. So, I don't see it as gaming the system in any way to use Expert (Tactics/Military) with your personal computer.
Expert programs can only assist with skill checks based on EDU or INT. One critical skill that almost always uses INT is Recon. With the rules as written, Expert (Recon) is perfectly legal, although it raises questions similar to the ones about Expert (Tactics/Military). It requires some imagination to solve the issues of 1) what can the computer see? and 2) how does it communicate visual information to the user?
A critical piece of the puzzle, which Traveller doesn't really get into, is how computers perceive the outside world. The rules note that any TL8 or higher computer can include, for free, a communications system. Mobile communicators come with cameras and microphones, so presumably a computer using Intelligent Interface would at least require a comm system to obtain external information from its microphone and camera. Computers can also network wirelessly with friendly communication devices, like a PC's Comm Dot or Neural Comm. Comm Dots are described as throat microphones, but considering how small body cameras and GoPros are these days, I don't think it's a big leap to presume that Comm Dots can also include a camera.
Computers can also network with other friendly computers, of course. So you could use your personal computer to connect to the air raft's on-board computer, and thereby access the air raft's lidar sensor suite remotely from your PC.
On page 110, the Core Rule Book says: "Most sensors are designed to be plugged into a computer system, but can display the data directly to the user on built-in screens or by feeding it to the user’s suit display." So items like IR goggles, electronic binoculars, and densitometers can feed info directly into computers, which can then use Expert software to help the user process and interpret the data.
Another consideration is how the computer communicates visual information to its user. A Personal HUD, overlaying computer data atop of your normal field of vision, is made for this purpose. Powered armors probably incorporate similar technology into their helmet visors. Cybernetic visual augments may also allow computers to transmit visual data directly into the optic nerves.
So, our group decided that Expert (Recon) requires a Personal HUD or similar visual integration device. This actually gives the Personal HUD a purpose to justify its price tag.
By way of example, the Central Supply Catalogue notes on page 32 that battle dress armor comes with Computer/2 running Expert (Tactics/Military) to give tactical advice during combat. So, I don't see it as gaming the system in any way to use Expert (Tactics/Military) with your personal computer.
Expert programs can only assist with skill checks based on EDU or INT. One critical skill that almost always uses INT is Recon. With the rules as written, Expert (Recon) is perfectly legal, although it raises questions similar to the ones about Expert (Tactics/Military). It requires some imagination to solve the issues of 1) what can the computer see? and 2) how does it communicate visual information to the user?
A critical piece of the puzzle, which Traveller doesn't really get into, is how computers perceive the outside world. The rules note that any TL8 or higher computer can include, for free, a communications system. Mobile communicators come with cameras and microphones, so presumably a computer using Intelligent Interface would at least require a comm system to obtain external information from its microphone and camera. Computers can also network wirelessly with friendly communication devices, like a PC's Comm Dot or Neural Comm. Comm Dots are described as throat microphones, but considering how small body cameras and GoPros are these days, I don't think it's a big leap to presume that Comm Dots can also include a camera.
Computers can also network with other friendly computers, of course. So you could use your personal computer to connect to the air raft's on-board computer, and thereby access the air raft's lidar sensor suite remotely from your PC.
On page 110, the Core Rule Book says: "Most sensors are designed to be plugged into a computer system, but can display the data directly to the user on built-in screens or by feeding it to the user’s suit display." So items like IR goggles, electronic binoculars, and densitometers can feed info directly into computers, which can then use Expert software to help the user process and interpret the data.
Another consideration is how the computer communicates visual information to its user. A Personal HUD, overlaying computer data atop of your normal field of vision, is made for this purpose. Powered armors probably incorporate similar technology into their helmet visors. Cybernetic visual augments may also allow computers to transmit visual data directly into the optic nerves.
So, our group decided that Expert (Recon) requires a Personal HUD or similar visual integration device. This actually gives the Personal HUD a purpose to justify its price tag.
