Classic GURPS computers

[hal]

Hello Folks,
In revisiting the GURPS CLASSIC CYBERPUNK and trying to reconcile some "functions" from CYBERPUN that isn't in the GURPS VEHICLES set up, or even from GURPS CLASSIC ULTRATECH 2 (tiny computers), I'm looking at something called Speed Index. Now, GURPS CLASSIC VEHICLES has this thing called a "Genius Chip", which in turn, ups the complexity of the computer by 1. By definition, a complexity 3 computer is 10 times faster than a complexity 2 computer. Speed index in GURPS CLASSIC CYBERPUNK has a rating from 1 to 10. Hmmmm...

Concept 1: Speed indexes are a function of the Genius Chip. So a speed index of 4, is really a .4 complexity increase for a given computer.

One could for example, use the concept that a Genius Chip normally has a x7 cost, and the cost increase for the relative Genius aspect is a function of the final cost times the Genius chip times the speed index/10.

Thus, for a minicomputer, the cost of the upgrade will equal .4 x 7 x 15,000 or $42,000. This computer is 4x faster than one of the normal computers of that rating.

Concept 2: Neural Controllers
This is essentially taken from GURPS CLASSIC CYBERWORLD where it divorces the cyberdeck function from that of normal computer, and can be built as either an internal or external component to a regular computer.

Normal Neural Controllers cost x25 that of a computer system they are adapted from. For example, if someone wants a Complexity 5 cyberdeck, they would need to purchase (at TL 8), either a Mainframe or a Microframe with a genius chip option, and multiply THAT cost by 25 to get their Neural Controller allowing them to interface with the net with a "cyber deck".

Concept 3: modified Phase Length Rule
Although each complexity computer is supposed to be 10x faster than its next lower complexity, GURPS CLASSIC CYBERPUNK has a phase length table (page 74) measured in halving of time executions per complexity level.

Recapped
Complexity and seconds:
1: 16
2: 08
3: 04
4: 02
5: 01
6:.50
7:.20
8:.10

Ok, so what does that mean in game terms?

Speed index can only change the time segments in terms of the difference between their normal complexity and their next highest. A speed index of 4 for a complexity 2 computer, is a 40% increase in speed for a complexity 2 program execution, which takes 8 seconds. The complexity 3 execution time is 4 seconds. Total difference is 4 seconds. .4 x 4 = 1.6, which means that it shaves off 1.6 seconds from its execution time of 8 seconds, or 6.4 seconds.

It is STILL difficult for a hacker to hack into a complexity 5 computer with their complexity 2 computer, as it will be able to respond some 8 times for every 1 action that the complexity 2 hacker is attempting.

Concept explanation for skill levels of ICE programs:
Initially, one might be tempted to require that for each skill increase in software, the program complexity increases by 1. I used to have an issue with software skill levels not increasing the complexity of the program, until I had the following thought:

The skill level of the program isn't really its "Skill" so much as its "relative" skill against other attacking programs. A program that has a 12 skill as a gunner isn't the same thing as a 12 skill Recon. Gunner interacts with the real world, while Recon interacts with other programs within the net. So how difficult is it to spoof a TL 8 computer program with another TL 8 spoofing program? THAT is what the skill levels represent within the game, how easily or how much more difficult it is to get past a particular piece of code.

With that realization, I can now be at peace with the idea that relative skills do not determine what complexity any given ICE program must be at to function.