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Message no. 1
From: Alfredo B Alves dghost@****.com
Subject: Knack edge
Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2000 14:43:07 -0800
I just had an idea for an edge. It might, however, be more appropriate as
a skill (Active or knowledge?)

How-to Wizard (cost: ?)
Description: If you can find a How-to book on it, you can do it. After a
successful matrix search to dig up the proper material, you can fix a
toaster with coat hangers and duct tape.
Game Mechanics: This edge allows the owner to use his Computer skill to
default to any B/R task.
Option 1: The search takes a number of minutes equal to the target
number of task. If a new task is undertaken, even if it falls under the
same B/R skill and/or has the same or lower target number, a new search
is required. The data collected takes up (target number of task) × 1 Mp.
The target number for the matrix search is the half the target number for
the task.
Option 2: The search takes a number of hours equal to the user's
computer skill. The data collected is good for all tasks that fall under
the same B/R skill. The user may opt to shorten the time, but is then
limited to using a skill rating equal to the number of hours allotted.
The data collected takes up (hours allotted)² × 10 Mp. The target number
for the matrix search is the number of hours alotted.
In both cases, the time may be split up and an incomplete task is
useless. The above times are bases times. The actual time taken is the
base time ÷ the number of successes. If the data collected is not easily
available (ie, it's stored on the compter over /there/.), double the time
of any B/R tasks undertaken with the data. If the data is readily
available (ie, a HUD with ample space.), instead increase all B/R task
times by 50%.

What do you think?

--
D. Ghost
A Mathematician is a machine for turning coffee into theorems
--Paul Erdos

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Message no. 2
From: _hEx_ iti03678@****.co.za
Subject: Knack edge
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2000 11:25:10 +0200
From: Alfredo B Alves <dghost@****.com>
Date: 05 March 2000 10:33

>I just had an idea for an edge. It might, however, be more
appropriate as
>a skill (Active or knowledge?)

I like the idea of keeping it an edge. What point cost did you have in
mind?

>How-to Wizard (cost: ?)
>Description: If you can find a How-to book on it, you can do it.
After a
>successful matrix search to dig up the proper material, you can fix a
>toaster with coat hangers and duct tape.
>Game Mechanics: This edge allows the owner to use his Computer skill
to
>default to any B/R task.

Could the character also default from a knowledge skill, such as
"Online Reference Material"? for a pretty silly example

>Option 1: The search takes a number of minutes equal to the target
>number of task. If a new task is undertaken, even if it falls under
the
>same B/R skill and/or has the same or lower target number, a new
search
>is required. The data collected takes up (target number of task) × 1
Mp.

I would base this Mp size off the appropraite skillchip, maybe divided
by 10?

>The target number for the matrix search is the half the target number
for
>the task.

Thats neither here nor there. The difficulty of finding certain
information should be reflected by this test's target number.
Depending on what the character is trying to fix, instructions may be
very difficult to come by. Perhaps the items Availibity should be
added to the target number?

>Option 2: The search takes a number of hours equal to the user's
>computer skill. The data collected is good for all tasks that fall
under
>the same B/R skill. The user may opt to shorten the time, but is then
>limited to using a skill rating equal to the number of hours
allotted.
>The data collected takes up (hours allotted)² × 10 Mp. The target
number
>for the matrix search is the number of hours alotted.

The search becomes longer the more experienced you are? I dont really
understand this option, and I think the first is much better.

>In both cases, the time may be split up and an incomplete task is
>useless. The above times are bases times. The actual time taken is
the
>base time ÷ the number of successes. If the data collected is not
easily
>available (ie, it's stored on the compter over /there/.), double the
time
>of any B/R tasks undertaken with the data. If the data is readily
>available (ie, a HUD with ample space.), instead increase all B/R
task
>times by 50%.

>What do you think?

I think this idea has merit and that you should just iron out a few of
the bugs. Good luck.
--
>D. Ghost

<hex@*************.com>
bad luck
Message no. 3
From: Alfredo B Alves dghost@****.com
Subject: Knack edge
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 08:18:15 -0800
On Tue, 7 Mar 2000 11:25:10 +0200 "_hEx_" <iti03678@****.co.za> writes:
> From: Alfredo B Alves <dghost@****.com>
> Date: 05 March 2000 10:33
>
> >I just had an idea for an edge. It might, however, be more
> >appropriate as
> >a skill (Active or knowledge?)

> I like the idea of keeping it an edge. What point cost did you have
> in
> mind?

Dunno. Four?

> >How-to Wizard (cost: ?)
> >Description: If you can find a How-to book on it, you can do it.
> >After a
> >successful matrix search to dig up the proper material, you can fix
> >a
> >toaster with coat hangers and duct tape.
> >Game Mechanics: This edge allows the owner to use his Computer skill
> >to
> >default to any B/R task.

> Could the character also default from a knowledge skill, such as
> "Online Reference Material"? for a pretty silly example

I thought about that but I wanted to keep the skill an active skill. on
the otherhand, as it stands now, the edge benefits deckers more than
others. Using a research skill instead would even it out ...

<SNIP>
> >The data collected takes up (target number of task) × 1 Mp.

> I would base this Mp size off the appropraite skillchip, maybe
> divided
> by 10?

Nah. IMO, this is fine. For a Task with a target number of 4, you collect
data which you organize into approximately 4 pages of text data. (1 Mp 1 page of text)

> >The target number for the matrix search is the half the target
> number
> for
> >the task.

> Thats neither here nor there.

That's not really true. If fixing an item requires a decent grasp of
certain principles electromagnetic theory, you will have to hunt down
some material on it. The more in depth the knowledge, the harder it will
be to track the information down.

> The difficulty of finding certain
> information should be reflected by this test's target number.
> Depending on what the character is trying to fix, instructions may be
> very difficult to come by. Perhaps the items Availibity should be
> added to the target number?

Maybe.

> >Option 2: The search takes a number of hours equal to the user's
> >computer skill. The data collected is good for all tasks that fall
> >under
> >the same B/R skill. The user may opt to shorten the time, but is
> >then
> >limited to using a skill rating equal to the number of hours
> >allotted.
> >The data collected takes up (hours allotted)² × 10 Mp. The target
> >number
> >for the matrix search is the number of hours alotted.

> The search becomes longer the more experienced you are? I dont
> really
> understand this option, and I think the first is much better.

I think you are reading it incorrectly. The data is being measured by the
highest skill rating it can allow the possessor of the edge to duplicate.
For example, repair TV and repair box with one blinking light (that's all
it does) both fall under Electronics B/R. However, in order to
competently repair the first requires (lucky breaks notwithstanding) a
higher skill than to competently repair the second.

<SNIP>
> >What do you think?

> I think this idea has merit and that you should just iron out a few
> of
> the bugs. Good luck.

That's why I posted it to the list. :)

--
D. Ghost
A Mathematician is a machine for turning coffee into theorems
--Paul Erdos

________________________________________________________________
YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET!
Juno now offers FREE Internet Access!
Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit:
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Message no. 4
From: _hEx_ iti03678@****.co.za
Subject: Knack edge
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2000 17:06:17 +0200
From: Alfredo B Alves <dghost@****.com>
To: shadowrn@*********.com <shadowrn@*********.com>
Date: 08 March 2000 04:09


>> Could the character also default from a knowledge skill, such as
>> "Online Reference Material"? for a pretty silly example

>I thought about that but I wanted to keep the skill an active skill.
on
>the otherhand, as it stands now, the edge benefits deckers more than
>others. Using a research skill instead would even it out ...

Perhaps the reserch skill could just be used for the actual location
of the data and not the application of the data. Decent compromise
IMHO.

<SNIP>
> >The data collected takes up (target number of task) × 1 Mp.

>> I would base this Mp size off the appropraite skillchip, maybe
>> divided
>> by 10?

>Nah. IMO, this is fine. For a Task with a target number of 4, you
collect
>data which you organize into approximately 4 pages of text data. (1
Mp >1 page of text)

Complex subjects may need graphs, graphics, animated computer models,
circuit diagrams and interviews with the developers etc etc ... I
think SR has gone beyond the realm of a few pages of .txt to convey
technical knowhow.

> >The target number for the matrix search is the half the target
> number
> for
> >the task.

>> Thats neither here nor there.

>That's not really true. If fixing an item requires a decent grasp of
>certain principles electromagnetic theory, you will have to hunt down
>some material on it. The more in depth the knowledge, the harder it
will
>be to track the information down.

So what you're saying here is exactly what I said below?

>> The difficulty of finding certain
>> information should be reflected by this test's target number.
>> Depending on what the character is trying to fix, instructions may
be
>> very difficult to come by. Perhaps the items Availibity should be
>> added to the target number?

Maybe.

> >Option 2: The search takes a number of hours equal to the user's
> >computer skill. The data collected is good for all tasks that fall
> >under
> >the same B/R skill. The user may opt to shorten the time, but is
> >then
> >limited to using a skill rating equal to the number of hours
> >allotted.
> >The data collected takes up (hours allotted)² × 10 Mp. The target
> >number
> >for the matrix search is the number of hours alotted.

> The search becomes longer the more experienced you are? I dont
> really
> understand this option, and I think the first is much better.

>I think you are reading it incorrectly. The data is being measured by
the
>highest skill rating it can allow the possessor of the edge to
duplicate.
>For example, repair TV and repair box with one blinking light (that's
all
>it does) both fall under Electronics B/R. However, in order to
>competently repair the first requires (lucky breaks notwithstanding)
a
>higher skill than to competently repair the second.

So perhaps it should be phrased so that it's clear that the longer the
research period is the more dice can be used. Having the search time
take longer for more skilled users is still a lot off base IMO.
Perhaps the the number of successes on a Matrix Etiquette roll (or
suitable skill) can divide a base time which is dependant on the
complexity of the subject matter?

<SNIP>
> >What do you think?

> I think this idea has merit and that you should just iron out a few
> of
> the bugs. Good luck.

>That's why I posted it to the list. :)

Please forgive me if I sound like I'm nitpicking, I just think this is
a good idea and I think I'll use my version in my games, where very
few of my players ever take B/R skills depite their almost constant
desire to Build and Repair things. Go figure.

--
D. Ghost

Bruce
<hex@*************.com>
bad luck

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