Robotic Drone Controllers and Remote Gunnery

One of these day’s I’m going to sit down and write up a Drone/Robot warfare book.
Sounds awesome !!
The way I see Remote Opts with a Robot is you can either give multiple robots commands ...
... or directly control them using your own skill
If you think that warrants a separate remote opts category for a 4 years training per each skill level?
overcoming Jamming and other communication obstacles
One way of overcoming jamming is to locate the noise source (jamming signal) and eliminate it. How would Remote Ops (RO) skills help with that? Couldn't a Navigator or Comms engineer be able to do the same, without needing to introduce the RO skills category?
Another way would be to introduce some Frequency Hoping protocols at the machine/device level - here there is no evidence that an intrepid Traveller needs a sophont skill or technique to complete the process, because the comms device has done everything for you.

Would you agree or disagree?
 
Sounds awesome !!


If you think that warrants a separate remote opts category for a 4 years training per each skill level?

One way of overcoming jamming is to locate the noise source (jamming signal) and eliminate it. How would Remote Ops (RO) skills help with that? Couldn't a Navigator or Comms engineer be able to do the same, without needing to introduce the RO skills category?
Another way would be to introduce some Frequency Hoping protocols at the machine/device level - here there is no evidence that an intrepid Traveller needs a sophont skill or technique to complete the process, because the comms device has done everything for you.

Would you agree or disagree?
Generally speaking the RO is using your equipment to get around the EW. ECM and ECCM is a chest game at best if both sides are using the same TL equipment but the difficulties shift up or down depending on the TL difference. FHP only works if you can find holes in the jamming which is a RO task. Of course eliminating the source will work but that’s not within the use of RO so it’s not a part of the equation.
 
Need you to explain what you’re talking about here?
In the Traveller game, skill acquisition is structured around a four-year term. In my opinion, a skill should only be included if it justifies four years of learning. This implies that each skill must be significant enough to merit such an extensive training period. While some skills are undoubtedly intricate enough to require four years for acquisition and development, I believe there are certain skill categories in Traveller that do not seem broad or complex enough to justify this duration. For instance, Remote Ops is a skill I'm skeptical about; is it sufficiently comprehensive or intricate to warrant being a distinct skill? Why not integrate it into the Electronics(Comms) skill, since it doesn't seem to fit the four-year term granularity of Traveller.
 
In the Traveller game, skill acquisition is structured around a four-year term. In my opinion, a skill should only be included if it justifies four years of learning. This implies that each skill must be significant enough to merit such an extensive training period. While some skills are undoubtedly intricate enough to require four years for acquisition and development, I believe there are certain skill categories in Traveller that do not seem broad or complex enough to justify this duration. For instance, Remote Ops is a skill I'm skeptical about; is it sufficiently comprehensive or intricate to warrant being a distinct skill? Why not integrate it into the Electronics(Comms) skill, since it doesn't seem to fit the four-year term granularity of Traveller.
Your theory is flawed.
1) you can get as many as 6 or more skills in a 4 year timeframe just look at the colleges
2) you are learning while performing that’s vastly different from just learning a skill. It’s called on the job training.
3) Remote Ops is a specialty of a skill not the skill itself. If I have Remote Ops 1 I also have Comm 0, Computers 0, and Sensors 0
4) you don’t choose a specialty until you achieve rank 1 so using your concept a rank 0 skill is not a skill
 
Your theory is flawed.
1) you can get as many as 6 or more skills in a 4 year timeframe just look at the colleges
2) you are learning while performing that’s vastly different from just learning a skill. It’s called on the job training.
3) Remote Ops is a specialty of a skill not the skill itself. If I have Remote Ops 1 I also have Comm 0, Computers 0, and Sensors 0
4) you don’t choose a specialty until you achieve rank 1 so using your concept a rank 0 skill is not a skill
Well, that's not quite correct either. Your words haven't flawed any of my reasoning.
I used 'Remote Ops' the same way as other posters (including yourself) on this thread, because it provides focus.
Yes I know it is a speciality of Electronics skill.
Skill 0 = competent and without experience (see CRB, pg 58.) But the discussion is irrelevant until lvl 1. The fact that this discussion s under away, assumes the speciality is applicable and within focus of discussion. Is there any need to distract from that?
Not worried about other skills, especially the deeper more complex ones. I'm querying if Electronics(Remote Ops) lacks substance to be worthy of it's own category (speciality). To operate a drone, use a monitor and joystick. Does using a monitor and joystick take 4 years to learn? That was my line of inquiry.
 
I always wondered if the Pilot should be able to lock the Turret facing forward and fire the guns from the bridge.

It should only require Gunner-0 as it's only pointing in one direction.

It's the idea behind strafing runs.
 
He should be, with the right programmes.

Which, if they didn't exist, shouldn't be too hard to create by individual navies.

Alternatively, Virtual Gunners.
 
A fixed weapon can be fired by the pilot, so I don't see why the turret couldn't be equally 'fixed' (if it's not a built-in feature, you could always jam a piece of metal in it our use duct tape...).

The issue I have with Electronics (remote ops) is that it's really just talking about the interface to the task. It's like saying you have Typing and Writing skill as separate things. The typewriter is just the interface. I made a Titan submersible reference specifically because the onboard controller was a game controller.

You would never say a flight simulator is teaching you Electronics(remote ops) skill. It is teaching you Flyer (pilot) skill. The interface is an intermediary, and could be on-board or at a distance where latency makes it close enough to real-time to function. It shouldn't affect the skill much. Yes, there are other inputs that only a multi-millions dollar moving flight simulator will give you, but would you want the rules to say that inertial compensators and grav plates turn your Pilot (spacecraft) skill used on a console in a room with no windows is now Electronics (remote ops) instead?

It would make more sense for a skill to be Pilot(remote) or Flyer(remote) and even that would be more nit-picking annoying than useful.

But given the skill sets we've got, the best I can say that Electronic (remote ops) when used to perform another skilled task remotely is a limiting factor: You can only perform the task at the lowest of the two skills.
 
But given the skill sets we've got, the best I can say that Electronic (remote ops) when used to perform another skilled task remotely is a limiting factor: You can only perform the task at the lowest of the two skills.
That makes sense. Thanks.

What happens when you fail your remote ops skill roll? You lose control? Lose the connection? Get a negative to the skill chain? Something else?
 
That makes sense. Thanks.

What happens when you fail your remote ops skill roll? You lose control? Lose the connection? Get a negative to the skill chain? Something else?

Failing the remote ops portion of a task chain doesn't negate the chain, it just makes it a little (or a lot) harder. The GM has to provide the narrative of the fail based on all circumstances.

Installing good autopilots and nav systems into your drones should help to offset a low skill for that mode of travel. The remote ops sets the waypoints and the drones just go there. Of course, finesse is out the window in such cases.
 
Failing the remote ops portion of a task chain doesn't negate the chain, it just makes it a little (or a lot) harder. The GM has to provide the narrative of the fail based on all circumstances.

Installing good autopilots and nav systems into your drones should help to offset a low skill for that mode of travel. The remote ops sets the waypoints and the drones just go there. Of course, finesse is out the window in such cases.
That makes sense, but the rules should spell things out clearly.
 
Not worried about other skills, especially the deeper more complex ones. I'm querying if Electronics(Remote Ops) lacks substance to be worthy of it's own category (speciality). To operate a drone, use a monitor and joystick. Does using a monitor and joystick take 4 years to learn? That was my line of inquiry.
Do you know how long the Air Force trains their drone pilots.
Also you entirely miss my point you claimed it takes four years to learn a skill I pointed out that this assumption is flawed.
1) a College Graduate can get as many as 6 rank 0 skills, 1 rank 1 and 1 rank 2.
2) in any single term a character can get as many as three skill ranks while performing their job
3) there is no difference in the requirements to get any rank skill they are all equal. If you roll a skill once you have rank 0, twice you have rank 1, but for the same number of rolls you can easily have two rank 0. Four rolls can be any combo from four rank 0 to one rank 3 so there is no difference in learning time between the ranks.
4) actually if you think about since having no skill is a -3 while having a skill at rank 0 is no modifier and rank 1-4 each only add a +1 pre rank, rank 0 has a greater value and knowledge than rank 1

Again my point is stating each skill rank take four years to learn is wrong.
 
But given the skill sets we've got, the best I can say that Electronic (remote ops) when used to perform another skilled task remotely is a limiting factor: You can only perform the task at the lowest of the two skills.
Which is what I said tho there is the connecting aspect which on a battlefield can be quite difficult, there are reasons why drone operators on the modern battlefield tend to keep line of sight, except on flying drone that is.
 
ty). To operate a drone, use a monitor and joystick. Does using a monitor and joystick take 4 years to learn? That was my line of inquiry.
There’s a lot more to operating a combat drone than just a joystick and a monitor. We are not talking about some kids toy.
 
That makes sense. Thanks.

What happens when you fail your remote ops skill roll? You lose control? Lose the connection? Get a negative to the skill chain? Something else?
Task chain makes the most sense - for a fail - I just don't see how it would work on a success, because playing a Gameboy doesn't turn you into an ace fighter pilot, especially if you used that Gameboy to shoot monsters.
 
There’s a lot of details in Drone/Robot warfare that needs addressing. I could easily see a book as big as bounty hunter just for this subject
 
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