Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Pyramid #3/51: Tech and Toys III Overview

Tzeentch · 01-24-2013, 02:12 PM

Finally it comes out! Yay! Been really looking forward to this issue to see what other gadgets and articles made it into the issue, and I don't think you'll be disappointed (unless you thought it was Low-Tech Toys or something).

Ultra-Tech Too (Kenneth Peters)
This is my article. A few things will look familiar to the early Ultra-Tech playtest drafts (e.g., reactive fragments, liquid breathing rigs, and cerablate resin) but most of this are new entries, and even old ideas got completely rewritten as time has marched on since they were first written. Most of the additions in the article are hard-science, but I couldn't resist updating NEMA reactors to Ultra-Tech format as Technomancer is one of my favorite GURPS settings.

Consistency with current GURPS books and previous Pyramid articles was one of my primary concerns here. This actually leads to a few clumsy sections, such as the rules for Design Switch: Plasma Explosive Replacements, as readers may not realize that all TL11-12 warheads are explosive power cells in base Ultra-Tech!

Ok, I could go on, but here's a breakdown of the sections:

Power: NEMA reactors, quantum nucleonic reactors (now considered superscience), and zero point reactors. I may revisit these once VDS gets released, but they shouldn't need much change. Not a particularly exciting section, but it does add some ^ options that range from outright magic to still in the running for real-world emergent superscience.
Computers: This was the easiest section to write, as I got to resurrect some of the detailed stuff from the original playtest drafts in more generic form, use a cool Culture quote, and address a personal problem I have with GURPS computer rules (namely, the strangely detailed way you track mass storage capacity despite it being rather pointless). I really liked the Design Switch concept from Spaceships so I use it all the time now, as it's a convenient way to organize and segment tweaks to base rules assumptions (it's similar to the Fuzion switches and dials, which I also liked).
Foodstuffs: Some playtest refugees get a total rewrite and additions, such as combofoods and fauxfoods, and nanopaste makes a return. The quote about Parepin comes from the Nine Inch Nails Year Zero ARG (which would be an interesting RPG setting, I'll point out) and even gets a nod regarding food additives.
Environment Gear and Suits: This was an excuse to add the liquid breathing rig (from Transhuman Space: Under Pressure), and I'm very happy with how it turned out - writing to a very tight wordcount forced me to compact all the fluff and rules elements of the system into two paragraphs, and I think the writeup is better for it. It does conflate some components of the old writeup, but I doubt anyone will care :)
Firearms: I intentionally avoided dealing with firearms in this article. This wasn't an errata article, and I have few problems with the Ultra-Tech chapter. Also, lists of guns bore me to tears these days unless they have an interesting hook. There is some pretty sweet firearms material coming up in the Military Sci-Fi issue, I believe :)
Warheads: I will point out that these rules can make explosives far more powerful. The REF numbers were not pulled from a hat, and are based on published ranges of explosive power relative to TNT (even VOMEX is a composite of several proposed next-gen volumetric technologies). Indeed, the REF for nuclear isomers was actually reduced quite a bit from some of the high-range values! This was a fun section to write - especially the common properties - as explosives are not given much detail in GURPS compared to other destructive devices. Not everything made the cut from early drafts of this section, and the Hellions were useful in pointing out boring or mechanically problematic additions (e.g. solid-explosive milled warheads was a specific option but it didn't excite anyone and had boring rules/required too much explanation). I'm pretty happy with the reactive fragments rules, as they seem consistent with what I know and read of the actual technology. They are also mechanically more interesting than how they first appeared in the playtest (IMO).
Melee Weapons: The idea behind this article actually came from a forum thread regarding Ultra-Tech melee weapons and inconsistencies that had arisen with other GURPS supplements (and with the Basic Set rules, to some extent). I hope that this article addresses the recurring questions about ultra-tech blades and establishes consistency across all the *-Tech books with regard to options and rules for vibroblades, ultra-tech options regarding the parrying and weapon breakage rules, etc.). Keep in mind that these changes are suggestions and not actual errata to Ultra-Tech!
Defenses: This section is abbreviated, largely because of wordcount limits. Ideally, the Ultra-Tech armor rules need to be revamped to some extent but I did try and make some logical suggestions regarding Ultra-Tech armor as relates to High-Tech features. I had an entire section on ultra-tech shields I was thinking of adding, but I think that might fit a different theme better.

Live Better With Cybernetics (Demi Benson)
This is a huge expansion to the cybernetics rules from Ultra-Tech. In scope, the rules expansion actually remind me of the Man & Machine sourcebook for Shadowrun.

This article makes a distinction between installed accessories (implants) and replacement structures (bionics), but the difference is small, in terms in game mechanics. One rules niggle is that implant control is very expensive (almost outrageously so) which is largely pointless as you can avoid the most expensive brain linking costs by using an implant computer. Wouldn't a bodyLAN be standard? Another niggle is that the rules suggest that Accessories count as encumbrance, but the examples of implant Accessories don't list any suggested weights so it's not clear what the design intent was.

Bionics are handled well, and I liked that a small chart of limb weights was included. They seem consistent with the anthropometric data I collected for a similar article years ago (http://tzeentchnet.pingslave.com/GURPS/sr_bcyber.htm). The rules address limbs with different STs, Unnatural Features, and so on. Limbs with different DX are not covered. I sort of quibble with the way that Acc for bionic weapons is handled and the utility of the Gunsight bionic, but that can be a separate thread.

There are dozens of new bionics, including some that may be a nod to Cyberpunk 2020's Chromebook entries :) Very strong catalog here, ranging from cigarette lighter fingers to spinal reconstruction.

Eidetic Memory:Modular Mecha (David Pulver)
I'm a HUGE fan of the mecha creation rules that use GURPS Spaceships, as it fits a sweet spot between complexity and ease of use for me. However, while the complexity end was well-represented with GURPS Mecha and core GURPS Vehicles, there really wasn't a simple "sketch-a-mech" system in GURPS until this article. The basics of the system are that you select a size class, which determines the basic stats. You then determine a quality level that determines the amount of customization points you are allowed, and pick additional abilities using those points. Low-quality mecha actually get negative points that require them to select disadvantageous features like Volatile or Cockpit in Head.

This is a very simple system, and makes some weak TL assumptions (TL10), but is otherwise pretty freeform. There are no tonnages to keep track of, no Cost Factors or tracking individual accessories, and the only math is multiplying base cost by quality factor. Weapons are kept simple. It's similar to the old BESM concepts, actually. The system explains itself very well, and making new design features should be quite simple.

Near-Future Combat Uniforms (Dan Howard)
There was a theme in this issue of pretty heavy crunch (even David's article is a design system of sorts). Dan's article has considerably more fluff, most notably a history of contemporary soldier modernization systems before it even has a single GURPS stat. I have a somewhat more pessimistic view of the programs than Dan, but this sort of introduction is important to set the tone and bridge the gap between real-world TL8 and the TL9/10 systems of the article. I think the article would have been considerably less useful without it.

The Nanotech Combat Uniform is the TL9 uniform for the article, and follows a detailed description of possible uses for nanotubes. These are new armor types, and the list of additional suit abilities riffs off the nanotube section to a wide suite of enhancements (e.g. NanoCap integrated energy storage and NanoFilter NBC filters, etc.). Indeed, the basic suit is actually treated as a chassis that you attach various Nano-mods to build a full uniform. Multiple pre-built uniforms and mods are included.

01-24-2013, 02:12 PM	#1
Tzeentch Join Date: Aug 2004	Pyramid #3/51: Tech and Toys III Overview Finally it comes out! Yay! Been really looking forward to this issue to see what other gadgets and articles made it into the issue, and I don't think you'll be disappointed (unless you thought it was Low-Tech Toys or something). Ultra-Tech Too (Kenneth Peters) This is my article. A few things will look familiar to the early *Ultra-Tech* playtest drafts (e.g., reactive fragments, liquid breathing rigs, and cerablate resin) but most of this are new entries, and even old ideas got completely rewritten as time has marched on since they were first written. Most of the additions in the article are hard-science, but I couldn't resist updating NEMA reactors to *Ultra-Tech* format as *Technomancer* is one of my favorite *GURPS* settings. Consistency with current *GURPS* books and previous *Pyramid* articles was one of my primary concerns here. This actually leads to a few clumsy sections, such as the rules for Design Switch: Plasma Explosive Replacements, as readers may not realize that all TL11-12 warheads are explosive power cells in base *Ultra-Tech! Ok, I could go on, but here's a breakdown of the sections: Power: NEMA reactors, quantum nucleonic reactors (now considered superscience), and zero point reactors. I may revisit these once VDS gets released, but they shouldn't need much change. Not a particularly exciting section, but it does add some ^ options that range from outright magic to still in the running for real-world emergent superscience. Computers: This was the easiest section to write, as I got to resurrect some of the detailed stuff from the original playtest drafts in more generic form, use a cool Culture quote, and address a personal problem I have with GURPS* computer rules (namely, the strangely detailed way you track mass storage capacity despite it being rather pointless). I really liked the Design Switch concept from *Spaceships* so I use it all the time now, as it's a convenient way to organize and segment tweaks to base rules assumptions (it's similar to the Fuzion switches and dials, which I also liked). Foodstuffs: Some playtest refugees get a total rewrite and additions, such as combofoods and fauxfoods, and nanopaste makes a return. The quote about Parepin comes from the Nine Inch Nails Year Zero ARG (which would be an interesting RPG setting, I'll point out) and even gets a nod regarding food additives. Environment Gear and Suits: This was an excuse to add the liquid breathing rig (from *Transhuman Space: Under Pressure), and I'm very* happy with how it turned out - writing to a very tight wordcount forced me to compact all the fluff and rules elements of the system into two paragraphs, and I think the writeup is better for it. It does conflate some components of the old writeup, but I doubt anyone will care :) Firearms: I intentionally avoided dealing with firearms in this article. This wasn't an errata article, and I have few problems with the *Ultra-Tech* chapter. Also, lists of guns bore me to tears these days unless they have an interesting hook. There is some pretty sweet firearms material coming up in the Military Sci-Fi issue, I believe :) Warheads: I will point out that these rules can make explosives far more powerful. The REF numbers were not pulled from a hat, and are based on published ranges of explosive power relative to TNT (even VOMEX is a composite of several proposed next-gen volumetric technologies). Indeed, the REF for nuclear isomers was actually reduced quite a bit from some of the high-range values! This was a fun section to write - especially the common properties - as explosives are not given much detail in *GURPS* compared to other destructive devices. Not everything made the cut from early drafts of this section, and the Hellions were useful in pointing out boring or mechanically problematic additions (e.g. solid-explosive milled warheads was a specific option but it didn't excite anyone and had boring rules/required too much explanation). I'm pretty happy with the reactive fragments rules, as they seem consistent with what I know and read of the actual technology. They are also mechanically more interesting than how they first appeared in the playtest (IMO). Melee Weapons: The idea behind this article actually came from a forum thread regarding *Ultra-Tech melee weapons and inconsistencies that had arisen with other GURPS* supplements (and with the *Basic Set* rules, to some extent). I hope that this article addresses the recurring questions about ultra-tech blades and establishes consistency across all the -Tech books with regard to options and rules for vibroblades, ultra-tech options regarding the parrying and weapon breakage rules, etc.). Keep in mind that these changes are suggestions* and not actual errata to *Ultra-Tech! Defenses: This section is abbreviated, largely because of wordcount limits. Ideally, the Ultra-Tech* armor rules need to be revamped to some extent but I did try and make some logical suggestions regarding *Ultra-Tech* armor as relates to High-Tech features. I had an entire section on ultra-tech shields I was thinking of adding, but I think that might fit a different theme better. Live Better With Cybernetics (Demi Benson) This is a huge expansion to the cybernetics rules from *Ultra-Tech. In scope, the rules expansion actually remind me of the Man & Machine* sourcebook for Shadowrun. This article makes a distinction between installed accessories (implants) and replacement structures (bionics), but the difference is small, in terms in game mechanics. One rules niggle is that implant control is very expensive (almost outrageously so) which is largely pointless as you can avoid the most expensive brain linking costs by using an implant computer. Wouldn't a bodyLAN be standard? Another niggle is that the rules suggest that Accessories count as encumbrance, but the examples of implant Accessories don't list any suggested weights so it's not clear what the design intent was. Bionics are handled well, and I liked that a small chart of limb weights was included. They seem consistent with the anthropometric data I collected for a similar article years ago (http://tzeentchnet.pingslave.com/GURPS/sr_bcyber.htm). The rules address limbs with different STs, Unnatural Features, and so on. Limbs with different DX are not covered. I sort of quibble with the way that Acc for bionic weapons is handled and the utility of the Gunsight bionic, but that can be a separate thread. There are dozens of new bionics, including some that may be a nod to *Cyberpunk 2020's* *Chromebook* entries :) Very strong catalog here, ranging from cigarette lighter fingers to spinal reconstruction. Eidetic Memory:Modular Mecha (David Pulver) I'm a HUGE fan of the mecha creation rules that use *GURPS Spaceships, as it fits a sweet spot between complexity and ease of use for me. However, while the complexity end was well-represented with GURPS Mecha* and core *GURPS Vehicles, there really wasn't a simple "sketch-a-mech" system in GURPS* until this article. The basics of the system are that you select a size class, which determines the basic stats. You then determine a quality level that determines the amount of customization points you are allowed, and pick additional abilities using those points. Low-quality mecha actually get negative points that require them to select disadvantageous features like Volatile or Cockpit in Head. This is a very simple system, and makes some weak TL assumptions (TL10), but is otherwise pretty freeform. There are no tonnages to keep track of, no Cost Factors or tracking individual accessories, and the only math is multiplying base cost by quality factor. Weapons are kept simple. It's similar to the old BESM concepts, actually. The system explains itself very well, and making new design features should be quite simple. Near-Future Combat Uniforms (Dan Howard) There was a theme in this issue of pretty heavy crunch (even David's article is a design system of sorts). Dan's article has considerably more fluff, most notably a history of contemporary soldier modernization systems before it even has a single *GURPS* stat. I have a somewhat more pessimistic view of the programs than Dan, but this sort of introduction is important to set the tone and bridge the gap between real-world TL8 and the TL9/10 systems of the article. I think the article would have been considerably less useful without it. The Nanotech Combat Uniform is the TL9 uniform for the article, and follows a detailed description of possible uses for nanotubes. These are new armor types, and the list of additional suit abilities riffs off the nanotube section to a wide suite of enhancements (e.g. NanoCap integrated energy storage and NanoFilter NBC filters, etc.). Indeed, the basic suit is actually treated as a chassis that you attach various Nano-mods to build a full uniform. Multiple pre-built uniforms and mods are included.