Paranoia-Live :: View topic

greymist08 · Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 9:56 pm Post subject:

I got really bored last night. I want players to a. want to play bots, b. be easy to play bots, and c. get rid of the 100+ manual. I also sought to fold them into the new system. Thus:

"How to build a bot for Paranoia XP in about half an hour"

There are two ways to build a bot using this fun method. You can spend points, and create a bot buddy that way.

Or, you can roll six twenty sided dice, divide by 4, (1-4 = Level 1, 5-8 = Level 2, 9-12 = Level 3, 13-16 = Level 4, and 17-20 = Level 5, if that's too much math for you) and just accept what you get, with the only flexability being the later sections.

Bot Brain 18 Points

CPU (Management)

Level 1 Pocket calculator
Level 2 High School Algebra
Level 3 Knows the figures for the sector
Level 4 Calculate probability with a little time.
Level 5 Particle Physics

Organic Flexability (Stealth)

Level 1 Could argue a Junior Citizen out of lunch voucher.
Level 2 Smart as an average troubleshooter
Level 3 Could fill out CPU forms.
Level 4 Can Con a Blue Trooper into arresting a Red Troubleshooter
Level 5 Almost Psychic

Connection Bus (Violence)

Level 1 At least you have a connection.
Level 2 About a 56k modem.
Level 3 Direct network connection.
Level 4 High speed network connection.
Level 5 Light-Fiber connection

Interface Complexity (Hardware)

Level 1 You can only access one set of peripherals.
Level 2 You can access any of one serial number of bot.
Level 3 You can serve in any bot of your type.
Level 4 You can cross between any 2 types of bot with only a few problems.
Level 5 You can fit any sort of bot.

Software (Duh.)

Level 1 You have a basic OS, and software covering what you were designed for.
Level 2 You have an integrated OS, and software for your general bot type.
Level 3 You have an integrated OS, and software for just about any peripheral.
Level 4 You have an integrated OS, and software for just about any peripheral and bot type.
Level 5 Your OS is the top of the line, and you don't worry about Plug and Run.

Programs (Wetware)

Level 1 Can load one program at a time. Has to swap out to run anything else.
Level 2 Can load two programs, and run either one at a time, but not both.
Level 3 Can load three progams, and run two at a time.
Level 4 Can load all peripheral software and run 3 of them at the same time.
Level 5 Can load any peripheral software and run any 5 at the same time.

Well, that's enough hard thinking for one day. Now on the ... metal of the thing.

Step 2: Now for the little details...

This is similar to the method above, except that 1-5 = Level 1, 6-10 = Level 2, 11-15 = Level 3, and 16-20 = Level 4. Or you could just spend the points.

Bot Body 33 Points

Adds to Management, per level.

Wiring
Level 1 You are at least grounded. To yourself.
Level 2 Surge supressors with reachable fuses! (At least you have jumpers so you're not crippled in the process.)
Level 3 Insulation means you don't worry too much about gauss. Much.
Level 4 You can walk into a reactor and not twitch.

Adds to Management, per level.

Power
Level 1 Battery power, power cables. Real high tech.
Level 2 Photocell, internal combustion.
Level 3 Atomic power is good. Real good. Try not to stand still too much.
Level 4 Fusion in a glass. Zero point energy.

Adds to Stealth, per level.

Mobility
Level 1 Nothing. Hope you can requisiton a hand truck.
Level 2 Feet, wheels, pogo sticks. You can just barely leave the ground.
Level 3 Off the floor at last! Chopper blades, hover jets, Bag 'O Air.
Level 4 Anti gravity, anything exotic. Sure hope you have enough power.

Adds to Stealth, per level.

Manipulation
Level 1 Forklift truck.
Level 2 Two simple crab hands.
Level 3 Humanoid style hands. Two or three.
Level 4 Really powerful, or very delicate handling. Up to four.

Adds to Violence, per level.

Frame
Level 1 Not bigger than a breadbox.
Level 2 3 feet square to 5 feet square, in any direction you choose.
Level 3 Up to 10 square feet, in any direction you choose.
Level 4 Warbot size, Mark IV's the limit.

Adds to Violence, per level.

Armor
Level 1 At least they gave you reflec.
Level 2 And kevlar weave.
Level 3 Ah, you love that tank outfit.
Level 4 Cone rifles don't impress you.

Adds to Hardware, per level.

Input
Level 1 "Learning" software (You hit something, and "learn" it's there.)
Level 2 Sonar, radar, microwave transmission. Black and white video.
Level 3 Color input, motion scanners, bio monitors.
Level 4 Complete diagnostic breakdown of everything on the HUD.

Adds to Hardware, per level.

Output
Level 1 Next to nothing. Stock ticker, two inch LCD screen.
Level 2 PC Speaker, monitor, regular printer.
Level 3 Megaphone, surround sound, all well protected.
Level 4 Direct neural interface for clones, proffessional sound capabilities.

Adds to Software, per level.

Memory Banks
Level 1 Attention span of a goldfish. ("Hey look, a rock!.... Hey look, a rock!.... Hey look, a rock!....")
Level 2 Daily memory purge.
Level 3 Month's worth of memories
Level 4 Memories stretching back into the mists of the Complex.

Adds to Software, per level.

Sub-Processor
Level 1 A helping hand, when it's not busy.
Level 2 Can assist in running basic software.
Level 3 Useful as a second head.
Level 4 You could let the processor do everything while you play CommieDoomed.

Adds to Wetware, per level.

Asimov Circuts
Level 1 You do have them, right?
Level 2 And they all work, right?
Level 3 But now you can get around them a little bit.
Level 4 And can convince yourself of any threat to The Computer.

Adds to Wetware, per level.

Compression Algorithims
Level 1 Programs run a little faster.
Level 2 Programs fit on considerably smaller media.
Level 3 Programs are second nature, and you can write your own.
Level 4 Zoom.

Media
Level 1 Ancient tech. Tape reader, punch cards, manual registers.
Level 2 Zip disks, CD Roms
Level 3 Armored disks, High density media.
Level 4 Holo-cubes.

Weaponry
Level 1 Your arm. A truncheon. An extendable truncheon.
Level 2 Same stuff a Red Troubleshooter has access to.
Level 3 Personal security system, higher clearance lasers, experimental equipment.
Level 4 Warbot.

Accessories
Level 1 Two minor unnessesary things.
Level 2 Four minor, or one major.
Level 3 Eight minor, or two major, or something catastrophic.
Level 4 Aww, just ask The Computer. It loves its little bot buddy.

Now you have a bunch of numbers. On the surface, they don't seem like much. The descriptions beside the numbers are examples, not hard rules. If, say on Mobility, you have a 2, the GM might let you get away with a very short hover time. (Hop. Rest. Hop. Rest rest. Hop.)

Here's an example of how this works for the Management section:

CPU Level 4
Wiring Level 2
Power Level 3

Now you add these together to get:

Management: 9

Nifty, huh? When you're finished with the main sections, you can take "Overheats under stress (shutdown)" for an extra point, and make it a ten.

Step 3: Customize your rig and sic it on the players.

Now, with all this stuff, you can build an average bot. Who wants to play average? These lists are things that give each bot variety, lethality, and all sorts of suprises.

Each thing on this list is worth 1-4 points, based on how debilitating it is to your bot. If you don't play it up, don't be suprised when the GM assigns you another one.

CPU
Overheats under stress.
Older model.
Requires unique cooling system, which must be maintained.
Substandard materials.

Organic Flexibility
(Smaller) Less grey matter to think with.
(Bad genetic structure)Odd neural connections.
(Contamination) Flashbacks.

Connection Bus
Short somewhere.
Loose wires.
Lost Connection.
Substandard materials.

Interface Complexity
Old protocols. (Can be worth more, due to requiring out of stock parts to run.)
Substandard materials.
Specific model requirement/ limited model run.

Software
Buggy OS.
Limited software.
Bad software.
Conditional software.
Mislabeled software.

Programs
Slow load times.
Complicated media loader.
Run 1 less program than usual.

Wiring
"Used" wires.
Bad connections.
Switched wires.
Stripped insulation.
Faulty switches.

Power
Loose connection.
Leaks heat/power/radiation.
Overheats.
Turns off at inopportune times.
Requires strange fuel source.

Mobility
Bad brakes.
Faulty materials.
Loud.
Low torque. (Manuverability)
Low speed.
Bad traction.
No stairs.
Chain drive.

Manipulation.
None.
No arms, but hands.
Clumsy.
No grip.

Frame
Really wide.
Substandard materials.
Really odd corners.
Snags on things.

Armor
Used.
Break apart panels.
Really weak spot.
Not connected to frame.
Substandard materials.

Input/Media
Used.
Bad interface.
Out of date language. Can use, but must translate.
Weak reader.
Hard to reach.

Output
Low powered.
High powered.
Trinary only.
Limited.

Memory Banks
Bad ram.
Shorts out.
Overheats.
Slow.
Obsolete.

Sub-Processor
Overheats.
Turns off at random.

Asimov Circuits
Missing asimov.
Weak asimovs.
Miswired.
Resets bot after interval.

Compression Algorithims
Drops packets at random. (Slower.)
Goes into processor saver mode at random.

Weaponry
Used.
Hard to get ammo.
Slow interface.

Accessories
Annoying.
Loud.
Junk.
Highly Experimental.
Scavenged.
Preprogrammed.

Now for all the negatives, there are bonuses. They almost universally cost one point. GM's discretion, of course. If there is a way, then it is point for point.

Hidden weapon.
Easy skill.
Anything built a little better than usual.
Unusual feature.
Software provides bonus to skill. (+5)
Any sort of extra accessory.
Requires no maintenience.
Faster.
Smaller.
Easier to get parts.
Generic parts.
Extra compartment.

Lets make a bot. Say, a Docbot. By points, although dice are another option.

CPU 4
Organic Flexability 4
Connection Bus 3
Interface Complexity 2
Software 2
Programs 2

"What?!?" I can hear you scream. That's okay. One singular point remaining was spent for a +5 to the "Docbot 7.60" software.

So far, it has above average intellegence, okay reflexes, can't be swapped into just any old frame, has good software, and a free program slot. So we continue...

Wiring 2
Power 3
Mobility 3
Manipulation 3
Frame 2
Armor 3
Input 2
Output 2
Memory Banks 2
Sub-Processor 2
Asimov Circuits 2
Compression 1
Weaponry 2
Media 2
Accessories 1

Leaving us one point again. And so the description continues...

Any updates, tweaks, etc. are welcome to PM on this forum. I am rewriting the Secret Societies, and some of the other stuff as well. Secret Societies are forthwith! (Just don't hold your breath.)
_________________
Name : Grey-V-MST-1
Wearing : Violet Two Piece Suit, Indigo Shoes, Goggles, Orange tie, Green Travel Bag, and a Bullhorn. There are four robots following. There is a scent of Approved Scent #15.