Robot Maintenance

I am wondering how many tons of robot can be maintained per month per 4 tons of Robotics Lab. The actual number of robots is not important as that can be figured out on an individual basis, based on Size, later on.
 
One would assume there is a certain capacity for size, within specialized facilities.

There could also be the option for field repairs.
 
I think Labs are more for design and research.

Normally it's a workshop, and High Guard lets two Mechanics get a +2 for each 6 ton workshop (p63).
Robot Handbook expresses it as annual maintenance taking one day by a qualified servicer (p108).
So... one qualified robotics tech should be able to maintain hundreds of bots, on rotation. For regular ships (which is the usual focus) a pair of techs and the standard Workshop facility should be able to keep any number of robots running. You could probably get by with only one of them being a robotics expert and the other doing the more straightforward mechanical stuff.

Quite reasonably, that could be a robot itself, especially at higher tech levels. Two maintenance bots could service more or less around the clock and cover each other when required.

Or at least that's what works on paper, meatbag. What could possibly go wrong? ;)

Edit: Robot Handbook p121 has what I assume you're looking at. That says it has space to work on one size 6 robot. Combined with the p108 rule about annual maintenance taking a day per bot, your definite answer is 365 robots of up to size 6, assuming available technicians to do the work. Note that the primary focus of the Lab is STILL construction and research. You need one to upgrade brains and such. But most regular maintenance would be fine in a regular Workshop of the appropriate TL.
 
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rinku said:
I think Labs are more for design and research.

Normally it's a workshop, and High Guard lets two Mechanics get a +2 for each 6 ton workshop (p63).
Robot Handbook expresses it as annual maintenance taking one day by a qualified servicer (p108).
So... one qualified robotics tech should be able to maintain hundreds of bots, on rotation. For regular ships (which is the usual focus) a pair of techs and the standard Workshop facility should be able to keep any number of robots running. You could probably get by with only one of them being a robotics expert and the other doing the more straightforward mechanical stuff.

Quite reasonably, that could be a robot itself, especially at higher tech levels. Two maintenance bots could service more or less around the clock and cover each other when required.

Or at least that's what works on paper, meatbag. What could possibly go wrong? ;)

Edit: Robot Handbook p121 has what I assume you're looking at. That says it has space to work on one size 6 robot. Combined with the p108 rule about annual maintenance taking a day per bot, your definite answer is 365 robots of up to size 6, assuming available technicians to do the work. Note that the primary focus of the Lab is STILL construction and research. You need one to upgrade brains and such. But most regular maintenance would be fine in a regular Workshop of the appropriate TL.
Click to expand...
Those are the numbers that I needed! Thank you!

As to the workshop, I would likely say no. Workshops do not have the equipment, such as the Robotics Toolkit. Nor have room for the 128-slot fabricator to make the parts that need replacing, or the controllers needed to test the newly maintained bots for functionality. If all you are doing is chassis work, then maybe a Workshop would work with or without a Robotics Toolkit.
 
So... the p108 section says for maintenance you need a skilled character, using Profession (Robotics), Science (Robotics), or Electronics (Computer) at -2, and that the TL of the tools and parts matters. A Robotics Toolkit on its own would seem to be all you need if you're not working on the bot brain (such as fixing up Sanity loss from that optional rule). Most things to do with the brain specifically need a Robotics Lab, though you wouldn't expect that would include normal programming and commands.

And Workshops are just for Mechanic skills, so yeah. However, per p110, critical repairs can use Mechanic at -2. I'd be fine with a workshop being used for those, except probably brain criticals. It's hard to see how repairing a power supply critical would NEED a full robot lab. But likewise, using a workshop gives no benefit to Profession (Robotics), and you're definitely going to need a lab to fabricate replacement components.

If there is no other option, I'd allow a Workshop to at least allow an attempt at repair, maybe at a higher level of difficulty or a Bane. Or maybe just for a jury rig.

TLDR: A Workshop with available robotic spares is great for fixing chassis hits. +2 to your Mechanic roll! A Robotics Toolkit and the right skills are needed if you don't have a full Robotics Lab, which is needed to work on brains. Having both a Lab and a Workshop seems like a practical way to keep those bots humming and avoid awkward player questions about what can be done!

(Also... I'm sure I'm not alone in having to remind myself that Mechanic now includes the original Electronic. It FEELS like I'm saying they're just welding metal, but it does include the wiring and power work.)
 
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MasterGwydion said:
Those are the numbers that I needed! Thank you!

As to the workshop, I would likely say no. Workshops do not have the equipment, such as the Robotics Toolkit. Nor have room for the 128-slot fabricator to make the parts that need replacing, or the controllers needed to test the newly maintained bots for functionality. If all you are doing is chassis work, then maybe a Workshop would work with or without a Robotics Toolkit.
Click to expand...
A workshop can hold a 100 slot fabricator according to the Central Supply Catalog, and that should be more than enough for replacement parts. A workshop can have a robotics toolkit and even controllers as well. A lab really is overkill for maintenance.
 
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rinku said:
So... the p108 section says for maintenance you need a skilled character, using Profession (Robotics), Science (Robotics), or Electronics (Computer) at -2, and that the TL of the tools and parts matters. A Robotics Toolkit on its own would seem to be all you need if you're not working on the bot brain (such as fixing up Sanity loss from that optional rule). Most things to do with the brain specifically need a Robotics Lab, though you wouldn't expect that would include normal programming and commands.

And Workshops are just for Mechanic skills, so yeah. However, per p110, critical repairs can use Mechanic at -2. I'd be fine with a workshop being used for those, except probably brain criticals. It's hard to see how repairing a power supply critical would NEED a full robot lab. But likewise, using a workshop gives no benefit to Profession (Robotics), and you're definitely going to need a lab to fabricate replacement components.

If there is no other option, I'd allow a Workshop to at least allow an attempt at repair, maybe at a higher level of difficulty or a Bane. Or maybe just for a jury rig.

TLDR: A Workshop with available robotic spares is great for fixing chassis hits. +2 to your Mechanic roll! A Robotics Toolkit and the right skills are needed if you don't have a full Robotics Lab, which is needed to work on brains. Having both a Lab and a Workshop seems like a practical way to keep those bots humming and avoid awkward player questions about what can be done!

(Also... I'm sure I'm not alone in having to remind myself that Mechanic now includes the original Electronic. It FEELS like I'm saying they're just welding metal, but it does include the wiring and power work.)
Click to expand...
Personally, I’d allow a specifically outfitted workshop to allow work on a robot with no negative DM. It’s the tools and equipment that matter. If you buy a workshop and declare it for robotics. A workshop is simply a dedicated work area with the requisite things to do the work.
 
Terry Mixon said:
Personally, I’d allow a specifically outfitted workshop to allow work on a robot with no negative DM. It’s the tools and equipment that matter. If you buy a workshop and declare it for robotics. A workshop is simply a dedicated work area with the requisite things to do the work.
Click to expand...
As long as you increase the price accordingly and do not do maintenance on Brains, I agree. Still no +2 bonus from using the workshop. It seems that you are saving about 1MCr and the only real differences are that you can't work on Brains and you can't build new robots up to your TL, only 2 TLs below.
 
MasterGwydion said:
As long as you increase the price accordingly and do not do maintenance on Brains, I agree. Still no +2 bonus from using the workshop. It seems that you are saving about 1MCr and the only real differences are that you can't work on Brains and you can't build new robots up to your TL, only 2 TLs below.
Click to expand...
I agree. A starport maintenance company would have something like this, I suspect. If someone wanted to pay for the full meal deal, they could have a lab and do everything. I’m not advocating one way or the other.
 
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