Ships Computer

[Xoph]

How do you guys deal with Ship's computers? Do they talk? Are they like Star Trek computers? Or are they like people, like on Red Dwarf or Andromeda? Or just Tools? Or maybe somewhere between like Star Wars?
I'm thinking they talk and may have semi simulated personalities, but that is just to make them easier to work with. My PCs just got an old Corsair that was once part of the Colonial Fleet 70 odd years ago (commissioned by Duke Norris' Father?{does he have a name?}) I am thinking that the salesman will restore the operating system to the old military installation and the computer will act a bit like a drill Sergeant waking every one up at 05:00 with full trumpets playing the Imperial anthem insisting on military chain of command, treating the lazy dilettante as a the Excom, confining the civilian doctor to her quarters, ordering around the master chief, and all sorts of fun torture for the ship’s crew.

 

[EDG]

If you're talking about the OTU (pre TNE era), ship computers are dumb banks of flashing lights and beepy noises with no personality. Think of "Mother" - the ship computer from "Alien" - and you have the right idea (probably fits right in with what GDW had in mind actually). They're just not smart enough then, because AI is supposedly at TL16+

From TNE onward though, they develop (through Virus) all sorts of personalities from suicidal psychopathic killers to entities that think they're gods or that humans are their pets, and then by 1248 you have some 'sane strains' that are just basically AI with more normal personalities.

 

[Xoph]

I'm talking about OTU 1105 Spinward Marches; Mongoose version. The core book talks about intelligent interfaces and such, but doesn't tell you what that means. If the computers are non people, I suppose it could still be programmed to follow "proper" protocols and procedures, such as reverie and restricting access. I like the MU-TH-R 182 idea... that could work.

 

[EDG]

Dunno what it means in the Mongoose book, but I know TNE had stuff about 'dynamic holographic interfaces' where you could basically personalise how you interacted with the computer to make it easier. Or maybe you could enter a query in plain english and it would be smart enough at least to understand what you wanted and give you an appropriate result (again, like "Mother"). Could that be what it's talking about in the new book?

 

[Duroon]

The core book does mention that with an intelligent interface you can just ask the computer a question instead of having to type in or point and click. The computer would need an Intellect program (page 92) running in order to talk back though, would be my take on the subject.

 

[GamerDude]

One of the things to remember with any 'tech' on the OTU is that when it was originally written, computers weren't anywhere near what they are today.

When CT first came out... computers were all what was called "Big Iron"... Mainframes from companies like Burroughs and IBM. Most programming was done via punch-card decks and receiving printouts back.


Now days we have personal computers with more power inside that one box than any 100 old mainframes, and they are networked together able to accept keyboard, mouse, touch screen, touch tablet, voice recognition, three-dimensional motion sensing wireless devices, etc.

With Mongoose now being the only source for OTU material, maybe we'll see an update to all the previous canonical material can be updated to match our improved technologies.

 

[Ishmael]

I dunno what the official rules say, but...

imtu, my main characters' ship computer are old surplus racks that form a dynamic cluster so it can appear as 3 standard ship's computers ( not very powerful ) for standards compliance, but can be configured into a single cluster for extra performance. Its OS is a unix like affair with the main programming language being FORTH. Most of the software is old versions and a few custom programs made by hacking various routines together.

Most controls on the ship are in dedicated controllers embedded in the gear all linked through a fiber optik network.

http://www.freelancetraveller.com/features/stories/cultex/index.html

the beginnings of a story and I briefly describe things so people can see how mtu works

( hope I didn't violate any forum rules by posting the link )

 

[Baron Sidur Haski]

My shipyard produces TL E-F Ship's Computers. We use several talented programmers and a Hiver "Consultant Nest" to do models over 5.

The Computers all respond to complex verbal commands, have a varying level of personality selectable by the user, and have redundant holographic inputs. The personality types are general and all still point to smooth ship operation as the primary focus of the "intelligence", which is a simulated intelligence, not a true AI.

 

[Court Jester]

The ships in my campaign are for all intents and purposes NPC's.

 

[grymlocke]

depends on what prams are running...without the interface, they are 'mother' (alien), beyond that it depends....

even the startrek computer got a 'makeover' in one classic episode, a flirty female personality...

 

[Jame Rowe]

On a side note, I would like to know why MGT doesn't have ship computers higher than 7 (i.e. 8-9) and if they plan to put them in.

 

[Erik M]

CT computers are, as was noted above, very basic ones. Comparable to what's inside the space shuttles of today (which is approx C64's), or if that was yeasterday?

Anyhow, if you start upping the computers there will be more adventures around things as virus, black ice, computer data theft etc etc. And OTU (Original Traveller Universe) just isn't the place for that.

(It would be like giving battlemechs full range... *oops* that happened, didn't it? Those damn clou... ehrm clans.)

 

[Shiloh]

Anyhow, if you start upping the computers there will be more adventures around things as virus, black ice, computer data theft etc etc. And OTU (Original Traveller Universe) just isn't the place for that.

Not necessarily. It could be that the whole issue of computer security gets "solved" between now and then, with the defense winning hands down, so that (barring radical developments) today's shibboleth's aren't something the 3I citizen has to worry about. Sure, "data discs" can still be stolen so there's some adventure mileage in "data theft" but you can't just slip on some 'trodes and crash through someone's defenses like the IRS.

That's one place where 3I tech *has* been outstripped by the visions of Gibson et al and their successors: VR interfaces via DNI (whether by induction or metal-flesh contact). "Hacking" in the 3I is only slightly different from how it'd be done nowadays, assuming it's still possible at all. Which is a bit strange in MGT, given that there has to be the capacity for full "simsense", as shown by the existence of cyber-limbs (need haptic feedback) and -sense organs. Perhaps the failure of cyber to catch on as an elective enhancement has to do with the quality of the sensory impressions delivered by the cybernetics?

 

[Erik M]

I'd rather think "handheld pocket calculator".
Meaning that you would never plug it into a general network, seeing it's your life in a mis-jump on the line.

And re the "defence won"line. Sorry, people, the individuals at the terminals, aren't as updated as the systems, and it's them doing the mistakes letting hacks etc in.

And yes, even the lowly 486/33 is enough to calculate things. Baring the need for RAM. And pure calculations rarely need that.

Anyhow, if I play CT, then I play CT. And in CT computers aren't very good.

 

[Duroon]

But why are we discussing CT computers when the question is most likely about computers using the Mongoose Traveller rules?

 

[klingsor]

The main design feature will be reliability, no one wants the computer to need a reboot when you are going into jump. Resistance to damage and redundancy will also be a feature and even unexceptional commercial systems will be massively redundant and radiation hardened for the normal background radiation. The more complicated you make something the more ways for it to fail are available. You want unambiguous input and output, for example parsing can be a problem with audio commands.

Personally I dislike the computer as NPC idea but that is of course an irrelevant opinion, my mental image of Traveller just seems to be a bit more low-tech than many others, more Para Handy than Star Trek.

 

[Stainless]

IMTU, ship computers are all based on photonics. The 'computer' is in fact multiply redundant and distributed about the ship. Using laser light instead of electrons means they have super fast speeds (terrahertz and faster), there is no difference between the storage, RAM and CPUs (i.e., they are contiguous and the same). The computers can therefore dynamically replicate their CPU areas as needed and all information that is stored is instantly accesible (none of this outdated RAM and prefetching rubbish). With such high speeds and vast storage capacity, the interfaces are very sophisticated and subtly suited to the task. Thus the user will get text, holographic images and voice as is most appropriate or as requested and can imput via voice, hand gestures and/or keyboard as preferred. In addition, access to the full computer can be gained from multiple terminals (workstation couches) throughout the ship.

After all, at our real world tech levels, photonics are in development and by the time you can get the sophistication of FTL travel, this should be easy peasy.

 

[Xoph]

I use photonics too with solid state electric components for everything onboard ship. I have even decided the J-Drive would use grav technology to fold space to Jump. The ship and the pocket of jump space doesn't move it just lasts roughly a week and opens at the appropriate place.

My question is really around, how to roleplay the computer?

 

[grymlocke]

now are all the specialized computers for comtrolling p-plant, j-drive, m-drive, Nav, etc networked?

...like different systems in the body operating autonomically with a user 'higher' intellect interface that that deals with people?

....then the whole ship becomes like a living thing and the crew/passengers either flora (lie the gut bugs that help us digest), parasites, symbiotes or something other?....

something to think about....

 

[Shiloh]

I don't like "smart" NPC or PC computers in roleplaying since this quickly raises the "what are humans for?" question. OTOH a "responsive" system is okay. So I use concepts like

+ Take the idea of Heavy Gear with it's "Optical Neural Nets" that are trained rather than programmed and can react like a dog (including picking up bad habits)

+ Classic "responsive interface" technologie similar to today. A bit more configureabel and with gadgets like holo-displays, touchscreens and user-adaptability (This is the MT/DGP "canon" approach)

+ "Fake AI" that is a computer that simulates an AI similar to the owner of to highest points in "Andromeda" but without the independence. Think a smart "Eliza" program on top of the normal interfaces.

I think this is a very nice balance point. Especially the "bad habits" part. the "Fake AI" with some "expert systems" to react to *recognisably similar* situations is fine too. It allows a bit of RP, but without the computer needing to be reprogrammed with an axe.