Ship Computer Ratings

D

Demon_x1

Mongoose
Sorry if this has been covered already or done to death already i'm not sure!

Been looking at the computer rules and it suddenly occured to me that ships cant run all the soft ware at once, maybe i'm missing something!

As a quick solution i considered increasing ship computers ratings to 5 times their listed ammounts (they are ment to be much better than personal pc's), thus allowing software to run simultaniously (My 'crew' want to run turrets, evade, autorepair and jump control for when things get messy) They have a corsair which runs 45 points of software, on a (Using my fix) 50 point computer, problem solved. This also means they run some expert systems (gun combat) for auto-guns linked to the ship for 'internal security'

Has anyone else tried any rules like this, or have any suggestions or comments?
 
Having computers that can't do everything at the same time is part of the Traveller "flavor" IMHO. Especially for lower-end ships like traders, which have just enough computer power to compute their jumps OR fly the ship.

If you want to keep that flavor, have your players buy a better ship's computer. That's how the military ship designs work - make sure the computer is powerful enough to run the most "costly" software configuration you might want.

If you think it's crazy that someone would build a ship with too small a computer to actually run the ship, then use your solution. Let the players install software up to 5x the capacity, and have that always available. If they want more programs, then they need to buy a bigger computer.


I may be mis-remembering, but I thought in CT you could shuffle programs in and out of the computer very quickly, so long as all the software you wanted to run could fit in the computer's storage rating. So that you can run Maneuver/Evade during the maneuver phase and Target during the firing phase. I'm probably wrong about that, but it's another possible solution for your players - let them specify which programs are active during each phase of the turn.

To make jump computations more exciting during combat, I would figure out how many "processing units" the Jump computation takes (maybe with negative modifiers for running an evasion program during computation), and allow the players to spend unused computer capacity on counting that number down. So if, for example, the players had a capacity 10 computer and were using 5 points for targetting, they could spend 5 points on the jump solution. Book this only during the Movement phase of combat. (Another idea - if they "spend" processing power on jump computations, roll 1d6 and reduce the time by that amount. After all, it's hard enough to compute jump vectors when you're NOT fighting.)

A "bis" computer would always have points to spend on Jump calculations, since they have dedicated jump processors.

Just some ideas.
 
Fair point but Library and Sub-light manouver are both rating '0' programs/included in the the computers system so aren't really accounted for. As for do they need it my crew is small only 3 players, three turrets, one gunner, so fire control is helpfull if not vital in a ship skirmish, that leaves two crew to pilot and manage the repairs, so by no means are they just pushing buttons! I'm not saying they need to run everything but the rules as they are mean even if i had a member of crew for most positions they couldnt run for example jump and auto repair simultaniously, for the turn that both may need to run at the same time.

and please, some of us enjoy wow too.
 
hdan, i like the idea of the fast cycling of software, or choosing the software per phase, something that i havent seen, or i've missed in the MG rules, which is the only set i've layed hands on!
 
Demon_x1 said:
hdan, i like the idea of the fast cycling of software, or choosing the software per phase, something that i havent seen, or i've missed in the MG rules, which is the only set i've layed hands on!
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it's not on the MG rules, and I suspect it may not even be in the CT rules, but it does make sense and gives the players choices to make during the combat round. Do they take a turret off-line to run the auto-repair program, or maybe sacrifice some evasive modifiers for a faster jump solution?

Plus it gives them a motive to save up for a better computer to "level up" their ship.

I don't have the rules around to see if that would even make sense in the MT universe, but you can probably cobble something together.
 
The library is the one that cracks me up. Look at development of the PC speed/storage capacity from 1960 to now. In 50 years we've done a wee bit to reduce the storage space for data. We could probably put the current US Library of Congress or at least a good chunk of it on a single PC in 500 years with the rate of technological acceleration.

I right it off as a game mechanic to prevent munchiness only.
 
Demon_x1 said:
hdan, i like the idea of the fast cycling of software, or choosing the software per phase, something that i havent seen, or i've missed in the MG rules, which is the only set i've layed hands on!
Click to expand...

I think CT let you change programs each ROUND, not each phase.

As for Jump and Auto Repair... Those are tough choices to make, but that is the life of a PC. I would make them choose. But I'm mean like that.

3 PCs trying to run a ship with 3 turrets DESERVE to be distressed. Get some NPCs on that ship! It gives you the Referee more ways to mess with them... Ever had an NPC show up drunk for his watch... or have her get pregnant... All fun things to throw at the PCs and really only possible with NPCs.
 
Ok I have a question...

The Serpent Police cutter has a model 1 computer.
It also has Evade 2 software.

Evade 2 is rating 15.
Model 1 computer is Rating 5.

I'm obviously missing something, as the computer can't even run it at level 1 (thats rating 10)...
 
Paladin said:
The library is the one that cracks me up. Look at development of the PC speed/storage capacity from 1960 to now. In 50 years we've done a wee bit to reduce the storage space for data. We could probably put the current US Library of Congress or at least a good chunk of it on a single PC in 500 years with the rate of technological acceleration.
Click to expand...

Note that Library Data is also one of the least demanding of the software packages available, being just a large database. How large is the storage device you buy at the starport to update your library data? Probably not large, except for the other factors beside actual data storage. Space rated? Check. Radiation rated? Check. Not swallowable by the ship's cat/tree rat/beaked monkey? Check. Compatible with the ship's comp? Check.

If that much data is so small in computer terms, you have to start wondering about Jump software...
 
Mawdrigen said:
Ok I have a question...

The Serpent Police cutter has a model 1 computer.
It also has Evade 2 software.

Evade 2 is rating 15.
Model 1 computer is Rating 5.

I'm obviously missing something, as the computer can't even run it at level 1 (thats rating 10)...
Click to expand...

That's not the only one either. Some in Trader's and Gunboats have the same problem.
 
I've always considered this more of a Traveller 'feel' type thing - one could go either way, but one can rationalize the ‘canon’:

Space systems are complicated.

In RW if you want to do many disparate real-time operations reliably you need separate hardware - as consumers we expect to be able to watch a movie, play sound, play a video game, burn a CD, get stock quotes, download a u'tube, run animated screen eye candy all at the same time - and you 'can' ...

Just don't expect every frame of that movie, live with a few breaks in the sound, don't trust the CD (if it's not a true plextor :) ), be patient with the video game flicker...

My machine is 'capable' of doing all these things at but no way would I trust my life to it - i.e. add running my car to that list (much less a plane or modern destroyer)!

Traveller machines have limits - as a hard s.f. rpg I like limits that stop at the 'suspension of disbelief’ boundary – i.e. I accept the 70’s style computer limitations and rationalize them. With our modern exposure, we all can easily think of ships that have no need for a crew – for me that doesn’t ‘feel’ like Traveller.

Of course, if you desire something different you are in charge of your own TU!
 
I personally don't like specific ratings for computers, or at least the way they are being handled.

A lot of the things that are attributed to software in CT/MgT in general are really attributes of other systems.

Though one thing that has come up is discussions along this line is the actual nature of the Generate/Jump programs. In that they are specialized Math Co-processors, memory etc. In a over-sized computer cartridge, al'a the old Atari 2600.
 
I'm considering using a T4-style house-rule, in which computer power progression isn't linear, so a Rating 5 computer, for example, could run 1 Rating 5 program or 2 Rating 4 programs or 4 Rating 3 programs or 8 Rating 2 programs or 16 Rating 1 programs or 32 Rating 0 programs.
 
AndrewW said:
Infojunky said:
Or "Hey, what's this Red unmarked cartridge for?"
Click to expand...

No, not the red cartridge¡
Click to expand...

During midwatch, while being board watching displays that are not changing, I insert the red cartridge. What the hell, everyone else is asleep.
 
AndrewW said:
...You have doomed them all.
Click to expand...

Nah. Turns out its just Super Super Mario Brothers 2713.

Unfortunately, several critical programs had to be offloaded...
 
BP said:
AndrewW said:
...You have doomed them all.
Click to expand...

Nah. Turns out its just Super Super Mario Brothers 2713.

Unfortunately, several critical programs had to be offloaded...
Click to expand...

Exactly and that one dooms then as now everyone will be playing that and not paying any attention to the fusion plant that is about to overload or noticing the nearby start about to go supernova.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Yenaldlooshi
Rules Clarification: How does BW work on Specialized Computers? (Core22 and CSC23)
2
Replies
22
Views
1K
MasterGwydion
M
Yenaldlooshi
Rules Clarification: Agent Programs (CSCp69)
2 3
Replies
57
Views
2K
hopsnbaer
H
A
Expert program: Is the DM+1 for skilled Travellers limited by package level? (CSC23 p70)
2
Replies
31
Views
1K
swordtart
S
S
Heath Robinson "Lifeboat"
Replies
0
Views
318
swordtart
S
R
X-Boat Pilots (heard at the bar)
Replies
4
Views
260
Bense
Bense
Back
Top