Engineer vehicle type

[Alonsua]

What does vehicle type mean exactly? If I take Engineer (Automobile) would I be able to design motorcycles, or would I need to take Engineer (Motorcycle)?

[Donny Brook]

Engineering refers you to Mechanic which refers you to Driving, Piloting or Submarine.

Under Driving you will find Automobile and Motorcycle as distinct categories.

[Alonsua]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Engineering refers you to Mechanic which refers you to Driving, Piloting or Submarine.

Under Driving you will find Automobile and Motorcycle as distinct categories.

The same happens to Engineer (Electronics), doesn´t it? And you can use Engineer (Electronics) to come up with any invention from any of the specializations...

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Alonsua

The same happens to Engineer (Electronics), doesn´t it? And you can use Engineer (Electronics) to come up with any invention from any of the specializations...

Yes, but there isn't a specialization Engineer (Mechanical), in contrast to (Chemical), (Civil), (Electrical), or (Electronic). Each class of machines is its own specialization.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Engineering refers you to Mechanic which refers you to Driving, Piloting or Submarine.

Actually, it doesn't. Engineering (vehicle) specifies a "broad class" of vehicles and doesn't point you to the vehicle operation skills like Mechanic does.

Personally, I'd lump motorcycles in Engineering (automobile). You could separate them if you wanted, but given that all Engineering specialties are supposed to default to each other at -4, there isn't a lot of room for fine divisions.

I would however apply familiarity penalties - if your prior experience is with automobiles, the first time you work on a motorcycle design project, you take one. Or more than one if major technological differences apply - if you learned on manual control internal combustion cars but want to design a fuel cell drive-by-wire motorcycle, I'm entirely willing to say you roll at -6 for three familiarity penalties on your first model.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by malloyd

Personally, I'd lump motorcycles in Engineering (automobile). You could separate them if you wanted, but given that all Engineering specialties are supposed to default to each other at -4, there isn't a lot of room for fine divisions.

I would however apply familiarity penalties - if your prior experience is with automobiles, the first time you work on a motorcycle design project, you take one. Or more than one if major technological differences apply - if you learned on manual control internal combustion cars but want to design a fuel cell drive-by-wire motorcycle, I'm entirely willing to say you roll at -6 for three familiarity penalties on your first model.

I think I agree with this. Mechanic says "one specific type of vehicle," but Engineer says "a single, broad class of vehicle." The phrases seem meaningfully different.

[Alonsua]

Originally Posted by whswhs

I think I agree with this. Mechanic says "one specific type of vehicle," but Engineer says "a single, broad class of vehicle." The phrases seem meaningfully different.

What should I use if I wanted to engineer a nuclear warhead? Engineer (Explosives)?

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Alonsua

What should I use if I wanted to engineer a nuclear warhead? Engineer (Explosives)?

I would say you need both Engineer (Explosives) to design the trigger mechanism, and Engineer (Nuclear) for the actual warhead.

[Donny Brook]

Originally Posted by malloyd

Actually, it doesn't. Engineering (vehicle) specifies a "broad class" of vehicles and doesn't point you to the vehicle operation skills like Mechanic does.

Personally, I'd lump motorcycles in Engineering (automobile). You could separate them if you wanted, but given that all Engineering specialties are supposed to default to each other at -4, there isn't a lot of room for fine divisions.

I would however apply familiarity penalties - if your prior experience is with automobiles, the first time you work on a motorcycle design project, you take one. Or more than one if major technological differences apply - if you learned on manual control internal combustion cars but want to design a fuel cell drive-by-wire motorcycle, I'm entirely willing to say you roll at -6 for three familiarity penalties on your first model.

It seems to me that the broad cetegories referred to in the Engineer text are defined by the whole category of things under a vehicle operation skill referred to in the Mechanic text.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

It seems to me that the broad cetegories referred to in the Engineer text are defined by the whole category of things under a vehicle operation skill referred to in the Mechanic text.

That can't be exactly true, because Engineer has different specializations for Ship and Starship, which both fall under the Shiphandling skill.