Setting Tech

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Mon, 04/25/2011 - 01:32

RPGRealms

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Joined: 02/16/2011

Setting Tech

"One thing I haven't seen much in any game is for each race to have slightly different tech trees and techniques- for instance, one of the races I am working on for my sci-fi game has basically the exact same Traveller technologies as they are listed in the books, but all their equipment is based on a crystal matrix, with the handwave being "crystalline circuits" being created with special "forges" and psi masters- a variation of the Sohon techniques used with nanites in the Legacy of the Aldenata series. It really makes the setting a bit more realistic to me when separate peoples discovers how the universe works in different ways. A tad more complicated I grant you, but very satisfying. With the benefit that players can't always just drop that alien tech into a slot and make it work. Mean of me, but thats my job..."

Breaking this off into its own thread.

With Traveller you also are working under the assumption that the vast majority of the tech encountered is Imperial and thus human. Then again, the Zhodani have different tech in how it is utilized, though it is often comparable to Imperial tech.

I think in the "core" rules there really should be a single overarching tech tree. You can then work the techs of the "races" from it, handwaving however you want the "basis" for the tech. Do keep in mind though if you start basing your tech off of something other than what we know of science, you begin diverging into science-fantasy. Not that that is always a bad thing, but it is something to keep in mind. It's not like there aren't already handwaves throughout, but the more you add and the more based on the imagination you get...

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 17:36

RPGRealms

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Alternate Techs By Race

Don't get me wrong, I'm with you on using alternate tech bases for an alien race, it definitely helps make them more alien. But as a game designer I've also got to try and keep things as reasonably simple as possible for gaming purposes. So going with a separate tech base for every race is problematic, but not so much if you instead choose one race to be the really different one. Much like the Vhong(?) in the Star Wars books. Bruce and I have toyed with an alien race that has it's tech basis in biogenetics, but trying to put a spin on it that hasn't already been done and at the same time keep it playable. Not necessarily an easy task.

I do like the idea of some races having an "edge" in certain technological areas as you mentioned. That is something that can be easily quantified into game mechanics and also helps differentiate races from one another.

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 15:08

Shadowdragon

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Joined: 04/24/2011

setting tech

"Do keep in mind though if you start basing your tech off of something other than what we know of science, you begin diverging into science-fantasy. Not that that is always a bad thing, but it is something to keep in mind. It's not like there aren't already handwaves throughout, but the more you add and the more based on the imagination you get..."

Two trew, and I agree witht that. However as is true here in the real world, different peoples will accomplish the same things in different ways. I just used the crystal based tech example because that was the first one on tap. We just discovered a new alloy on an asteroid (sulphur/titanium? I think...) that we never even thought to try. The problem and wonder of alien tech is that it is alien. I'm certain we could do a lot more with crystalline structures than just timers and light benders if we sunk a couple trillion in research into it (yes I am aware that IC's are silicon) ala Supermans "Fortress of Solitude" in the C.Reeve version. Ok, maybe not quite that nifty but still.......

A variation of that could be each race or polity could have different tech strengths and weaknesses. For instance, humans from Sol III, in the Solarian Protectorate, are experts when it comes to grav tech. All their grav based technology is compact and energy efficient- using 28% less energy and being 50% smaller than the closest competitor . Unfortunately their fusion technology is not so well developed. The fusion reactors they build are almost 15% bigger and use 17% more fuel than the least efficient model from the Rigelian Empire, also a human polity of venerable age and tradition. And the fish people from Ceti Alpha V still use fission reactors- they just dump the waste into the sun.

Efficiency between races, polities, even corporations is a big, abeit complicated, part of making things seem a tad more real to me. It is most often left for the ref to work out and impliment, but when the setting doesn't include it, it becomes nigh impossible to work it in in a reasonable manner. I know I don't like that much paperwork. But if the setting includes it, even if it is just a random die roll modifying size, power generation/consumption, and possibly cost, then those who are interested have an easier time working into their setting without starting from scratch. Its just me, but I don't like all the great and wonderfully different races that have been developed throughout the years just having cookie cut-out technology. One size fits all and you can have any color you want as long as it is grey. Blargh!

Just somthing to think about.....

Zoe: Preacher, don't the bible have some pretty specific things to say about killing?

Book: Quite specific. It is, however, somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps....

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 18:37

(Reply to #2) #4

Bruce

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Joined: 02/25/2011

I like

I like the idea of having the same kind of tech but each race does some of it differently.

Terrans get certain bonuses and so and so gets others.

This also can lead to some FUN scenes where the engineer wants to put the golly geewhiz into use, but the difference in specs, either more efficient or less or size etc makes for interesting things during use.

Oh we meant to jump 2, but because we were using that so and so's race's jump regulator it made us jump 3 instead.

Stuff like that gives pc's stuff to do that just does not revolve around shooting people.

Now this could be made even worse if each race had it's own tech tree. That is the most interesting and the most difficult.

Some would argue that physics and science is immutable and that people would come up with the same things.

Well, the physics might be the same, but the materials science or instrumentation science might not be the same.

How do you interface with a glob of bio-mechanical goo with a jump drive?

The aliens could have very senstive nerve endings that allow them to sense things through the goo.

I mean it could be very intesting.

Bruce

Thu, 06/02/2011 - 01:10

(Reply to #4) #5

aramis

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Joined: 04/12/2011

Racial Tech

I think there is merit to the "everyone does it differently", but I don't think wholly separate tech trees is really a good way to go. It REALLY sucks in Starfire... and was none too pleasant in SFB campaigns, either.

That said, how best to implement it? I suspect a 25% size/cost penalty or a 20% size/cost bonus would be more than adequate. The only question then becomes how to break down the tech lines so as to remain balanced.

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Thu, 06/02/2011 - 15:19

(Reply to #5) #6

Bruce

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Joined: 02/25/2011

Well let's think about it as

Well let's think about it as a ratio kind of system.

We could have general "tech" catagories.

jump tech

propulsion tech

weapon tech

enviroetnal tech

power tech

And each would have a percentage but it all has to add up to 100% or points of something.

So, it might look something like this.

Tech Race

A B C D E

Jump 0 20% 10% 15% -10%

Propulsion 30% -10% 10% 15% 25%

Weapon 30% -20% 10% 15% 40%

Enviromental 30% 50% 20% 15% -10%

Power 10% 30% 50% 40% 55%

Or it could be broken down further or each percentage could be even seperated more into say, instrumentation/size/output/efficiency.

So under that Jump for race B that 20% could be 10%/-10%/5%/5%.

So, if you wanted to fit a race B jump unit to someone elses you might find that the size is a problem, but it might be worth it for the output and efficiency output.

Just some ideas.