Program as teacher

[brazouck]

Hello !

I gave right to my players to buy an expert program on the ship computer and they use it during Jump to learn with.

So they bought a computer with expert Medecine / 2 and I say they can use it like a teacher until level 1 (because expert have rating -1 skill).

Does that seem fair to you ? Or is it "too easy" for them to train ?

I also accepted the pilot to buy a Expert 3 piloting spaceship in the navigational computer, seeing it as a "flight simulator".

Thanks

 

[phavoc]

Seems reasonable. Especially considering some of the human "teachers" I've encountered over the decades...

 

[PsiTraveller]

This could be assumed to be part of the training regimen under page 52 of the Core book. The expert program and whatever other software instructional course they have downloaded to help them improve skills.

Come to think of it, training software may be included in a lot of expert programs for just this reason. It justifies the expense of the software because it lets you improve and sell your expertise to others, or upgrade your own skills (unenhanced for when the system is offline).

 

[EldritchFire]

Considering there are no prerequisites to post-career education (core book pg. 52) it sounds like a good in-character reason for learning what skill they choose. Of course, I wouldn't give any bonus to the EDU roll, since there is a specific computer program for that. CSC pg. 69: Personal trainer grants a DM+1 to the learning roll. It's TL8, costs Cr2,000 and requires bandwidth 1. Oh, and each skill has its own personal trainer package.

 

[brazouck]

For some Skill, Like combat skills, I do not allow my players to use program,but for exemple, get a shooting range in their ship and loads of ammo

But I think give them a cap, no more than 1 lvl of skill without real trainer, so you learn the basic with training alone or software, but need a course to improve beyond lvl 1

 

[alex_greene]

Some programs should be freely available to teach any amount of their skills, for instance Steward, Profession, Admin. Survival. Navigation. Electronics.

Others can be lighter in tone, but still achieve skill increases. These can be the social skills - Carouse, Persuade. Art. Even Animals.

But how about Streetwise? Deception? Science (Pharmacology) to someone who does not have a degree in medicine, such as a gangster or a dying chemistry teacher who can't afford the medical bills for treatment?

Explosives?

And then there are the skills which require a license to operate - Pilot, Astrogation, Medic, Flyer, Seafarer, Drive.

Lastly, there are those physical skills which really require mostly practical application - Stealth, Gun Combat, Melee Combat.

Not every skill is the same, but clearly some skills are better suited to Expert training packages than others.

 

[-Daniel-]

For some Skill, Like combat skills, I do not allow my players to use program, but for example, get a shooting range in their ship and loads of ammo

So an expert program could never simulate a shooting range using 3D visuals and a simulation firearm? Seems like it would depend on what is available to the program and how far the user is willing to go to make it work.

 

[-Daniel-]

Not every skill is the same, but clearly some skills are better suited to Expert training packages than others.

This makes sense. So in the end it comes down to the GM having to help facilitate how it works in their particular game.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Expert software packages mimic skills. 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.

I think Expert programs are limited to INT and EDU tasks. They can talk and calculate, but they cannot e.g. fly a spacecraft (you need Virtual Crew for that). So a Medic expert system could diagnose a medical condition, but cannot perform surgery (you need an autodoc for that).

So an expert system can teach you about ballistics theory, but cannot fire a weapon, so cannot teach you to fire a weapon effectively.

This does not matter much, since the Personal Trainer program is cheap and can teach you any skill.

 

[brazouck]

where is this personnal trainer program ?

 

[alex_greene]

where is this personnal trainer program ?

Central Supply Catalogue, p. 69.