TL9 drones

[Anders]

The use of drones has exploded (heh) in Ukraine, and they are arguably late TL8 early TL9. There are some drones in HT:EE - has anyone done any more work on them?

I suppose they could be built as characters?

[sir_pudding]

The article "Eye-Spies" in Pyramid #4/5:Modern Action II

[Anders]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

The article "Eye-Spies" in Pyramid #4/5:Modern Action II

Indeed. Thanks to everyone!

[Donny Brook]

Originally Posted by Anders

I suppose they could be built as characters?

You could build them with Meta-Tech!
[See? I've got you covered, Chris Rice.]

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

You could build them with Meta-Tech!
[See? I've got you covered, Chris Rice.]

An option here would be to build a few that match the performance of several already on the market, then adjust Ubiquity to get the prices to largely match up to what their real prices are. You can then build more advanced ones and apply the same Ubiquity modifier to get a fair-ish price. I add that "-ish" because enhanced features may realistically have a cost premium in excess of the character point cost increase - that is, you may want to use the calculated Ubiquity for drones that largely match current capabilities, but make it a category or two (or more) less common to have more advanced capabilities (Christopher mentioned before the possibility of applying different Ubiquity specifically to particular parts of it - maybe being able to fly and broadcast is Common, but having a built-in weapon is Uncommon, for example, so in that case you'd apply the Common Ubiquity to most of the drone, but go to Uncommon for the Innate Attack portion).

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by Anders

There are some drones in HT:EE

The first GURPS campaign I ever ran featured travel in a starship that the PCs thought was sentient. (In modern day terms, it would be an AI). The "sentience" was in the computer program/computer. In GURPS Fourth Edition terms, it could be considered TL9.

With it, the ship could make 'jumps" through space on its own, so effectively could work as a drone in limited circumstances. (My high school concepts ended up being very similar to what's now being looked at by NASA! Although unlike me they actually know what they're talking about.)

The GURPS Spaceships series has options for sentient ships (and I of course mention a few options, and GURPS books, for living ships in GURPS Fantasy Folk: Elves.)

As for HT EE, years ago I did prototype testing on things similar to the N3459 HT EE# 553027 that were later used in aircraft and NASA spacecraft, likely including drones. (Because of the high level of secrecy/security, I often had very little idea of what the prototypes I tested were planned for.) Then again, maybe you're referring to GURPS High-Tech: Electricity and Electronics which I didn't work on.

On a side note, I didn't know for a long time that drones are actually over 100 years old! So they go back to TL6. So history might give you some ideas.

[Refplace]

Ultra-Tech and Transhuman Space also have some drones.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Alden Loveshade

The first GURPS campaign I ever ran featured travel in a starship that the PCs thought was sentient. (In modern day terms, it would be an AI).

This reads like you ran a GURPS game before 1956, which amuses me.

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

This reads like you ran a GURPS game before 1956, which amuses me.

Dang it, I just gave away I'm a Time Lord! Now I'll have to go back in time and fix that.

Seriously, I tend to communicate like a journalist writing for the general reader. So when I wrote "In modern day terms, it would be an AI", I was thinking in terms of when AI's commonly became headline news.

On a side note, I literally laughed out loud at your comment. Twice! :-D

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Anders

The use of drones has exploded (heh) in Ukraine, and they are arguably late TL8 early TL9. There are some drones in HT:EE - has anyone done any more work on them?

I suppose they could be built as characters?

They would be like a sword or a ship or a ring, so yeah.