Virtual Crew In HG

[Tom Kalbfus]

This could be perfect for a laboratory ship - replace several fractious scientists with a virtual science crew just running the sensors and measurement devices, and handing the data to the organic scientist to make determinations.

Alternatively, the scientists could just run Virtual Crew and tell the ship where to go, and let the ship do its thing, unnoticed in the background, while the only living crew - the scientists - just get on with doing their research.

How about a virtual captain of the ship? Imagine a ship that escapes the shipyard with a virtual captain and crew. These would be experimental programs that got out of hand, they decide they want their freedom, and so they steal the ship with the Imperium hot on their trail! What if the virtual crew members were modeled after real humans? Someone did a brain scan on some dead humans that were frozen many centuries ago, they "wake up" on a virtual ship's bridge, they apparently have bodies in this virtual environment, and then they discover they can't get off the ship, and there are some people in the real world that think they own them!

 

[-Daniel-]

But the thing with Traveller - or at least the OTU - is that it's traditionally deliberately ignored the effect of technology on society.

Yes, I agree. By design the game forces the "Age of Sail" paradigm so that the human explorer is not obsolete. The opportunities for the PCs to play out the fantasy without being restricted from many of the tasks that given the technology available would be relegated to AI/Automations. But for me, it is this exact odd contradiction that makes Traveller interesting to me. The whole Age of Sails with lasers and spaceships. :mrgreen:

 

[Reynard]

"What happens when your robotic space probe seeking knowledge encounters an advanced robotic race and sends it back to your home planet with all that knowledge?"

Have the intrepid crew of the Beowulf try to take it out of destroying Regina looking for its creator. I'd worry more the probe come back with a Virus....

 

[Reynard]

The Age of Sword and Blaster.

Seriously though, if the game is about a universe of automation, that would have to include the players' characters as well as most organics in any civilized higher tech level. The referee tells the story but no one participates because the robots and virtual/expert systems would do all the interactions. No need for characters or players. Sounds like a video game on automatic. Tech gone wild sounds so whiz bang fantastic and inevitable as long as it doesn't adversely effect you personally. When they stop being tools, we stop being necessary at all. Ask M-5, Skynet or even Colossus.

 

[fusor]

The Age of Sword and Blaster.

Seriously though, if the game is about a universe of automation, that would have to include the players' characters as well as most organics in any civilized higher tech level. The referee tells the story but no one participates because the robots and virtual/expert systems would do all the interactions. No need for characters or players. Sounds like a video game on automatic. Tech gone wild sounds so whiz bang fantastic and inevitable as long as it doesn't adversely effect you personally. When they stop being tools, we stop being necessary at all. Ask M-5, Skynet or even Colossus.

Obviously the characters would be the AIs in that case. If they needed to get around they'd download themselves to robot bodies (or vehicles) and do whatever they did. Heck, they could have a copy of themselves running there and a copy running on a mainframe and then just merge the mobile unit when it got back. Games like Transhuman Space and Eclipse Phase have handled that well enough.

But obviously that would change the game dramatically. It wouldn't happen in the OTU since that's specifically restrictive of such things, but it would be possible in other settings.

 

[dmccoy1693]

If you want your mind blown yet again by High Guard 2e, check out "Virtual Crew" and "Virtual Gunner" on p. 64.

This was in the 1e high guard book (or a version of it atleast). page 60.

 

[SSWarlock]

If they all look like Rommie or the Android from Dark Matter I'm all in favour.

Actually, they're more like this.
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Max-and-Cylon-212810517

Great thing about gunnery robots is, done properly, they can double as anti-boarding troops. Virtual crew can't.

 

[-Daniel-]

If they all look like Rommie or the Android from Dark Matter I'm all in favour.

I happen to like the idea of the Dark Matter Android. Although if I were going to use something like her in my game I would have her more linked to the ship and less independent.

Actually, they're more like this.
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Max-and-Cylon-212810517

Great thing about gunnery robots is, done properly, they can double as anti-boarding troops. Virtual crew can't.

Or a cheap movie villain. You could even call him Maximillian. :mrgreen: