Starship Design - Non Streamlined craft

[Anonymous]

I can't remember the canon answer but I think it has something to do with the risk of viral infection and your computer or ship going all Hal 9000 on you.

From a gaming point of view it sidesteps Traveller's core ideal that the players crew a free trader.

 

[Reynard]

Actually, the pirate crew my character is part of would LOVE to find robotic vessels! Smart as a computer, dumb as a sack of spanners.

 

[sideranautae]

I can't remember the canon answer but I think it has something to do with the risk of viral infection and your computer or ship going all Hal 9000 on you.

There is no canon answer. It doesn't exist as a 3I reg.

 

[sideranautae]

Actually, the pirate crew my character is part of would LOVE to find robotic vessels! Smart as a computer, dumb as a sack of spanners.

That may not work out well. If done correctly the main computer will require a password or not function. They'd have to rip it out and replace to move the ship.

 

[dragoner]

And it seems no one in Traveller universes seem to trust a robot to operate all starship functions unsupervised for a week let alone in system ships. Why is that?

The human (or sophont) does create system redundancy.

 

[sideranautae]

And it seems no one in Traveller universes seem to trust a robot to operate all starship functions unsupervised for a week let alone in system ships. Why is that?

The human (or sophont) does create system redundancy.

Plus more flexibility as the software is NOT self aware.

 

[Reynard]

We would shoot the ship till it stops and that includes where the computer is, not worry where we enter because there's no living crew then grab the innards.

 

[sideranautae]

We would shoot the ship till it stops and that includes where the computer is, not worry where we enter because there's no living crew then grab the innards.

A robot ship wouldn't don't stop no matter how much you shot... You'd probably destroy the cargo and obviously the drives...

 

[Reynard]

Called shots on the engines and that cockpit. Random shots are just bad luck on any expedition.

 

[sideranautae]

Called shots on the engines and that cockpit. Random shots are just bad luck on any expedition.

Since it isn't a rocket ship but a grav drive you'll have to target the drive area which has everything. "cockpit"? The bridge can be in the center of the ship. On a robot ship it WOULD be deep inside. In other words. Unless your GM is not that bright. You are SOL.

 

[Reynard]

Obviously you don't play much! We've been targeting the engines on regular ships to either hobble or cripple their vessels enough to convince the fight is over. Even a robotic ship can't maneuver without drives. Called shots also allow to hole their fuel tanks, blind it, take down weapons and other fun things. Unless you have a robot at every position, the ship's abilities will degenerate with every task it takes on simultaneously.

Yes, we love robot ships! Please send more!

 

[dragoner]

Virus wouldn't have worked the way it did if there wasn't some sort of robotic controls.

 

[Rick]

Virus wouldn't have worked the way it did if there wasn't some sort of robotic controls.

I believe you may be confusing robotic and computerised. Not the same thing at all.

 

[dragoner]

Virus wouldn't have worked the way it did if there wasn't some sort of robotic controls.

I believe you may be confusing robotic and computerised. Not the same thing at all.

No ... why do you believe that?

 

[Reynard]

Virus had a way to take any computer system, not just more advanced robotic systems, and uplift them to a state of awareness. Remember, Virus was originally a silicon chip lifeform with the predatory ability to rewrite programming to it's state. A robot is a computer but a computer isn't always a robot. Virus has no trouble with either.

 

[dragoner]

I don't if he knows about THE Virus, vs a virus. Though since Kinunir ships are effectively robots, with MgT making it a bit more crunchy and actually having to install the systems.

 

[Reynard]

Ah Kinunir, the M5/HAL of Traveller.

 

[sideranautae]

Obviously you don't play much!

No, I just use logic better than you.

 

[Reynard]

Logic without knowledge is mere babble.