Typing Speed with a Stenotype

[Dragondog]

If you can type "skill ¥ 3 words per minute (wpm) on a manual, skill ¥ 5 wpm on an electric typewriter or computer keyboard" how fast can you type with a stenotype?

[Varyon]

Looking up how a stenotype works, it apparently has you hit three letters at once to type a syllable rather than needing to type each letter sequentially. So in theory, that would let you type three times as fast, or skill ¥ 15 wpm. But it seems like it would be more difficult to get right, and with needing to line up all three letters at once seems like it wouldn't be quite as fast as that. Maybe say using a stenotype is a -2 to skill, you use effective skill to determine speed, and it's the above skill ¥ 15 wpm; the skill penalty can be cut in half with an Average Technique, for [1] (I'd be inclined to limit the Technique to this, much as Targeted Attacks can only halve the penalty, but it might be acceptable to allow negating it entirely for [2] rather than the [3] needed with Technique Mastery).

[Anthony]

According to wikipedia, typical standards are at about 180-225 wpm (depending on the type of content) with exceptional performers significantly higher. It looks like *15 (or even slightly higher) for a stenotype is reasonable.

[Pursuivant]

But a stenotype machine will be different enough from a regular typewriter or keyboard that it will have huge Unfamiliarity Penalties. Alternately, it's a Technique based on typing or even possibly a different Professional Skill. I'd fold it into PS (Court Reporter or Secretary).

[Farmer]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

But a stenotype machine will be different enough from a regular typewriter or keyboard that it will have huge Unfamiliarity Penalties. Alternately, it's a Technique based on typing or even possibly a different Professional Skill. I'd fold it into PS (Court Reporter or Secretary).

It's a different skill. Knowing how to type on a qwerty won't help you at all using a stenograph beyond "it has keys that I press". It's like written shorthand via a keyboard.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

But a stenotype machine will be different enough from a regular typewriter or keyboard that it will have huge Unfamiliarity Penalties. Alternately, it's a Technique based on typing or even possibly a different Professional Skill. I'd fold it into PS (Court Reporter or Secretary).

I'd call it a required specialization of Typing. I don't know if it would even have a default. Of course it could be included in a Professional Skill, just as Typing (QWERTY) is included in a number of other skills.

[Anthony]

There's also the separate problem that basing speed on (skill*X) is pretty much nonsense; the difference in speed between entirely untrained hunt and peck and basic training in touch typing (at DX 10, skill 6 vs skill 10) is far more than 67%.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Anthony

There's also the separate problem that basing speed on (skill*X) is pretty much nonsense; the difference in speed between entirely untrained hunt and peck and basic training in touch typing (at DX 10, skill 6 vs skill 10) is far more than 67%.

I'm not sure that hunt and peck counts as having Typing (QWERTY) at default. It seems to me that it's basically a way of dealing with the keyboard when you don't even have familiarity; you just have to strike one key, look for the next key, strike the next key, and so on.

Familiarity would seem to involve having been shown which fingers go with which keys, to the point where you've internalized it, but haven't built up any speed. That would be faster than hunt and peck, but way slower than if you have even 1 point in the skill.