Topic: Technology & Equipment - Feedback

[Mungo]

Hi,

Here my comments regarding the Technology & Equipment chapter:

- I really like the 5 stages of technology, I consider this system simpler and better than tech levels.
- I had problems with the alphabetical sorting as it confused me (perhaps this is not so much of a problem for a native English speaker). I suggest to put things together that belong together. E.g. in "Armor" sort according to Suits, Armor (sorted according to DB or...) and Enhancements, in "Weapons" according to Firearm, Flamer, Energy, Grenades, ... in "Energy "according to cartritge, cell type,... in "Medical" according to portable/staionary or Burns/Concussion,.... and so on
- The Holographic Sight is superiour to the Laser sight with only a slightly increased cost -> I suggest to give the Laser Sight another advantage (higher OB or U rating?) or remove it (because then its obsolete technology)
- I missed the equivalent of the Machine Gun for Energy Weapons, Flamers,....
- I missed "Force" Shield and Anti-gravity technology descriptions and devices. If they are not available in sizes smaller than a verhicle, I would state it somewhere (or did I overread something?).
- Sometimes the skills needed to operate something are given (esp. for Medical gear), sometimes I wondered (e.g. Laser Torch) -> I suggest to state for every device the skill that is used (where applicable).

BR
Juergen

[Mungo]

Hi,

After some thought: what about adding a 6th stage of technology: Obsolete?

Unavailable means that a technology has not been developed. But what happens when someone needs something that is not available any longer? E.g. someone trying to buy a front loader pistol that actually works (i.e. not one from the museum) might have a problem in our times. Or someone who needs a spare part for a diesel engine in a few hundred years time.

So "Obsolet"e means that a species has already surpassed a certain stage of technology, therefore it is principally available or producable, but finding a way to actually produce or buy it might be an adventure in itself.

What do you think? Or does it lead to too much complexity?

BR
Juergen

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

Hi,

After some thought: what about adding a 6th stage of technology: Obsolete?

Unavailable means that a technology has not been developed. But what happens when someone needs something that is not available any longer? E.g. someone trying to buy a front loader pistol that actually works (i.e. not one from the museum) might have a problem in our times. Or someone who needs a spare part for a diesel engine in a few hundred years time.

So "Obsolet"e means that a species has already surpassed a certain stage of technology, therefore it is principally available or producable, but finding a way to actually produce or buy it might be an adventure in itself.

What do you think? Or does it lead to too much complexity?

BR
Juergen

It is a useful concept, but one that I would postpone to SysOp's Guide in terms of explaining.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[chk]

Two items here:

p.139 - "Chameleon Suit: This full body suit traps the wearer?s body heat inside, so that the temperature of the outer surface equals the environment, rendering the wearer invisible to infrared detection." Where does the heat go? Sooner or later it has to be dumped, or else the wearer will literally cook. Most modern SF use of this device places a severe time limit on the wearer, after which they have to switch off the suit or have it fail catastrophically.

p.139 - Kinetic Armor: the "cannot change facing" restriction seems strange. I'm assuming that if your armor has gone rigid, you'd be completely unable to move instead? We couldn't figure out where restricting only the facing would make sense...

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

Two items here:

p.139 - "Chameleon Suit: This full body suit traps the wearer?s body heat inside, so that the temperature of the outer surface equals the environment, rendering the wearer invisible to infrared detection." Where does the heat go? Sooner or later it has to be dumped, or else the wearer will literally cook. Most modern SF use of this device places a severe time limit on the wearer, after which they have to switch off the suit or have it fail catastrophically.

Page 75 has the complete description.

p.139 - Kinetic Armor: the "cannot change facing" restriction seems strange. I'm assuming that if your armor has gone rigid, you'd be completely unable to move instead? We couldn't figure out where restricting only the facing would make sense...

It's the going completely rigid that's overkill descriptively. It should just go rigid. The intent is that a character can still fire back when hit, but can't run off or move significantly for the recovery round.

best wishes,
Nicholas

[chk]

Page 75 has the complete description.

Thanks; we had forgotten the other entry when reading the Combat section.

It's the going completely rigid that's overkill descriptively. It should just go rigid. The intent is that a character can still fire back when hit, but can't run off or move significantly for the recovery round.

It was that the only restriction was "cannot change facing" that had us confused; I guess implicit in this is that they also cannot stagger off to another location? Got it.

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

It was that the only restriction was "cannot change facing" that had us confused; I guess implicit in this is that they also cannot stagger off to another location? Got it.

Yup. We wanted to avoid the situation where being hit in kinetic armor meant that you could do nothing at all next round (as that would not be "fun"), but still put some limit on movement so that the handwave on how kinetic enhancement worked was plausible.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[Cowboy]

The personal force shields are sorely missing. They may not belong in the Tintamar universe but they were in Dune, two of my favorite video games (Oni and Perfect Dark) and in every edition of Spacemaster. I really think they should be in HARP SF as well, since it's supposed to work as a generic SF game.

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

The personal force shields are sorely missing. They may not belong in the Tintamar universe but they were in Dune, two of my favorite video games (Oni and Perfect Dark) and in every edition of Spacemaster. I really think they should be in HARP SF as well, since it's supposed to work as a generic SF game.

They became part of Spacemaster because they were part of Dune. The tech in the HARP SF book has been kept to what's in Tintamar because there are space limits. I could be persuaded to flip them into SysOp's Guide.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[Thos]

Personal force shields in the SysOp's Guide would rule, Nick!