Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - GURPS High-Tech: Electricity and Electronics

johndallman · 10-28-2019, 09:02 AM

Just tried an informal reality test on the revised computing rules. My job is "porting" software to new kinds of computers, so I have a bit of insight.

The software I work on started life in the mid-eighties, on minicomputers: base Complexity 5, -1 for early VLSI, net complexity 4.

In the 1990s and since, it runs on workstations: base complexity 4, complexity 5 with late VLSI from 2000, complexity 6 with advanced VLSI from 2010. Seems OK.

Top-end current mobile devices are Tiny computers with +2 complexity for advanced VLSI, and +1 for fast, making them cost about $1000, and Complexity 4. The software runs on them, although it's pretty demanding for them.

Now, it is clear that Complexity isn't an absolute measure, and represents a lot more resources as time passes. The software does the same basic job, in the same basic way, as in the mid-eighties, but it has got a lot more capable and needs more resources. These rules seem like a decent approximation for game purposes.

10-28-2019, 09:02 AM	#25
johndallman Night Watchman Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cambridge, UK	Re: GURPS High-Tech: Electricity and Electronics Just tried an informal reality test on the revised computing rules. My job is "porting" software to new kinds of computers, so I have a bit of insight. The software I work on started life in the mid-eighties, on minicomputers: base Complexity 5, -1 for early VLSI, net complexity 4. In the 1990s and since, it runs on workstations: base complexity 4, complexity 5 with late VLSI from 2000, complexity 6 with advanced VLSI from 2010. Seems OK. Top-end current mobile devices are Tiny computers with +2 complexity for advanced VLSI, and +1 for fast, making them cost about $1000, and Complexity 4. The software runs on them, although it's pretty demanding for them. Now, it is clear that Complexity isn't an absolute measure, and represents a lot more resources as time passes. The software does the same basic job, in the same basic way, as in the mid-eighties, but it has got a lot more capable and needs more resources. These rules seem like a decent approximation for game purposes. __________________ The Path of Cunning. Indexes: DFRPG Characters, Advantage of the Week, Disadvantage of the Week, Skill of the Week, Techniques.