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[Devastator]

Also, just an idle thought - I wonder if, if we chose to (not likely, Simus is fairly happy with her lot, and I would think Anton and probably Saint are too) not support Steve anymore, if he could take Hephaestus a second time?

Hmm.  Right now I'd say 'yes, but he'd need to involve PCs, and it would probably be messier than taking it the first time was.'

[Parisbre56]

Your control centres are filled with automated defenses and Stevebots patrol the skies. It would be very hard to pull off a three man rebellion. Even if you try to use the sods.

[piecewise]

Stuff like progress reports and such are handed to Simus by ARESTEVE.

Now where did you get that idea? From how I play Simus, I think you would expect her to check on things herself if it's not too big a deal to do so (and with only a single shuttle, it's not). Even if she were just checking cargo manifests given to her, there's surveillance everywhere - and I would think, particularly good surveillance at the cargo bay. I'd be willing to bet those FTL units aren't small enough to smuggle out in a pocket.

Of course, the whole thing is impossible to hide anyways - Anton has to use the shipyard to build the things, and Aresteve can't sanitize that report - she'll know at least that something's being built in the shipyard, and that would generate a question. Which would, again, just get kicked upstairs to Steve - but hey, the question is still asked.

You're talking about the guy who secretly built a new kind of power generator in his spare time, and was only discovered and carted off to the HMRC because it accidentally turned out to be a new kind of single-use wave motion gun. Don't underestimate a mad scientist's capability for discreetness.

While living in a fairly normal community. Ever heard of the Radioactive Boy Scout?

Besides, you're going to be taking up an entire orbital shipyard for likely at least a month in real-time. And Simus is admittedly somewhat anal-retentive about things she's put in charge of.

Don't worry about it. I'm not trying to hide this from your character, obviously, Steve is just trying to keep this off the official books, as it were. Anton can tell simus if he wants, but that would limit plausible deniability on her part. Remember The Doctor. Sometimes war-crimes tribunals are unwilling to factor in the the desperation of the situation when considering whether or not to shoot you.

[Execute/Dumbo.exe]

Hey, I was looking at the ER wiki (And I fixed that spelling mistake on the Pressure Tent because I am the biggest grammar nazi) when I thought about the idea of some kind of tech suit with some connector cables, on-board VI, an enhanced communications relay (If that's even possible), like some sort of all in one support suit.

Would this be at all possible?

[Nikitian]

Yes, probably. It's almost exactly half the features I wanted to stuff in with my earlier attempt at an upgraded generalised suit. By the way, what exactly would you mean by 'VI' ..?
... Because I have a couple ideas, but the abbreviation seems slightly non-standard.

[Execute/Dumbo.exe]

Yes, probably. It's almost exactly half the features I wanted to stuff in with my earlier attempt at an upgraded generalised suit. By the way, what exactly would you mean by 'VI' ..?
... Because I have a couple ideas, but the abbreviation seems slightly non-standard.

'Virtual' 'Intelligence', what else did your idea of a suit do? My idea was basically for support characters based on AUX and... That other skill.

Perhaps there could be another suit based on allowing for easier doctoring*

*By that I mean armoured leg plates.

[Nikitian]

Ah, sure. I just wanted to make sure it was it. By the way, what differs it from 'standard' AIs we have? Do you propose it to be *gasp* hardware?
Also, while we are at it, why not just go full blown friendly wetware AI? (assuming miniaturisation is advanced enough to fit it in the suit). I wanted it work as a mobile help/guidance center, essential to all knowledge-based professions (and it can certainly do that and quite a lot more). Including, but not limited to, support characters based on MED and... That other skill. 

[Empiricist]

Charles was working on a thoughtsphere system that allows people to override themselves, turrets or exoskeletons with a sod brain. If there are medical and/or axillary sods, you may be able to adapt that abandoned system to act as that consultant.

[Execute/Dumbo.exe]

Ah, sure. I just wanted to make sure it was it. By the way, what differs it from 'standard' AIs we have? Do you propose it to be *gasp* hardware?
Also, while we are at it, why not just go full blown friendly wetware AI? (assuming miniaturisation is advanced enough to fit it in the suit). I wanted it work as a mobile help/guidance center, essential to all knowledge-based professions (and it can certainly do that and quite a lot more). Including, but not limited to, support characters based on MED and... That other skill. 

I always thought of a VI as a basic intelligence without sentience, so it could react well to situations it was programmed for, but wouldn't be able to 'adapt', I only specified that because it would probably be cheaper and more efficient than an AI.

In any case, what would be a Ballpark estimate for that kind of thing?

[Empiricist]

If we're talking about something like an Expert System, you could probably run it on your wrist pad and the only cost would be if you get someone else to program it. It is limited however by what it has been programmed with as it does not learn, and it's still up to the user to correctly identify the issues and carry out the recommended course of action.

[Execute/Dumbo.exe]

Of course, with PWs' brand fangled new system, perhaps characters not specialised in AUX can't somehow make incredibly powerful VI's in seconds.

[Empiricist]

Of course, with PWs' brand fangled new system, perhaps characters not specialised in AUX can't somehow make incredibly powerful VI's in seconds.

If it's something relatively simple, they'd probably still be able to cover everything they know. So it's probably best to get the person with the highest AUX to do it.

[syvarris]

Spoiler: Sod Divisions, seemingly nearly concluded (click to show/hide)

I agree, more research is needed to find an optimal solution here. Shelve issue until we can look into it?

Yeah.  I forsee my next turns being filled with semi-random, partially unrelated, partially coherent questions for PW.

I know sods are trained in a wide variety of standard situations, which they can do perfectly. I'm just not sure how well they can do things like actively exploit opportunities. For example: pitched battle to take control of a city. Armchair commander says to two squads to secure a building, while he moves on to other stuff until they report back in. Sods arrive and see it's guarded, but that by taking a detour around a back alley while the other squad suppresses the enemy they could flank the building. Are they smart enough to seize that initiative? Would armchair commanders have the needed time/attention splitting capability to see and exploit it in time? I have to say though that these kind of questions are very nebulous, without a clear definitive answer.

Y'know, I had described almost this exact thing awhile ago, as a suggestion for a test of sod intelligence.  Another thing to shelve?

I know sods are trained in a wide variety of standard situations, which they can do perfectly. I'm just not sure how well they can do things like actively exploit opportunities. For example: pitched battle to take control of a city. Armchair commander says to two squads to secure a building, while he moves on to other stuff until they report back in. Sods arrive and see it's guarded, but that by taking a detour around a back alley while the other squad suppresses the enemy they could flank the building. Are they smart enough to seize that initiative? Would armchair commanders have the needed time/attention splitting capability to see and exploit it in time? I have to say though that these kind of questions are very nebulous, without a clear definitive answer.

Well, we now know that the Sword's lasers are precise enough to take out a single building, which is pretty decent accuracy for arty.  We could just make sure that the troopship's weapons are specialized for this role.

You do raise a decent point with the weather though.  I doubt that would come into play often, but it would mean that sometimes our troops would be stuck without support.  The UWM would love that, I'm sure, especially if they developed a weather control device like Paris'.

I suppose this needs to wait until we either settle on the ass pull platoon, or learn that ships can cheaply mount sensors capable of accurately striking through cloud cover.

One thing we could do is use LESHO-like weapons for a main turret, but use unguided (cheaper) projectiles for when not doing long-range bombardments. Hmm...

Good idea.  I'll be sure to tinker with that.

Perhaps we should ask pw about his opinion on this, to see what we can afford to abstract, and at what point the chance of tactical gameplay evaporates.

A lot of these lines are ending with "ask PW" aren't they?

I dunno? Maybe they could be handy, maybe entirely redundant. Would have to ask (and sorry, I can't, promised pw not to while on mission).

Yet another of your excuses for foisting blame and annoyance onto others?  :p

My thought would be that we handwave it for behind the scenes use, and when used personally from the sword we make sure that we always have a company or two on standby, and replacements for losses at end mission cycle, to ensure its not a problem. Because I'm unsure pw will ever let us play combat missions that aren't Sword based (eg. like taking a company and playing armchair commander for it on missions not having to do anything with the Sword).

Mmm.  I don't really like this, but I can accept it.  It bugs me that our companies would each have a platoon whose description is basically "This platoon is nebulous, and basically consists of everything and anything we forgot to define."



For the standard infantry platoons, do you think it's a good idea to have one of the squads be MK.III troops, who are otherwise the same as the other squads?

Charles was working on a thoughtsphere system that allows people to override themselves, turrets or exoskeletons with a sod brain. If there are medical and/or axillary sods, you may be able to adapt that abandoned system to act as that consultant.

Don't we already have exactly this?

Also, all sods are medical sods.  Probably also Auxiliary sods, for basic repair at least.

If it's something relatively simple, they'd probably still be able to cover everything they know. So it's probably best to get the person with the highest AUX to do it.

While I just love to be helpful, I don't think a player should do this.  (ARE?)Steve is probably better suited for it, and research crews don't have the significant (and unknown) risk of rolling poorly.

[PyroDesu]

Stuff like progress reports and such are handed to Simus by ARESTEVE.

Now where did you get that idea? From how I play Simus, I think you would expect her to check on things herself if it's not too big a deal to do so (and with only a single shuttle, it's not). Even if she were just checking cargo manifests given to her, there's surveillance everywhere - and I would think, particularly good surveillance at the cargo bay. I'd be willing to bet those FTL units aren't small enough to smuggle out in a pocket.

Of course, the whole thing is impossible to hide anyways - Anton has to use the shipyard to build the things, and Aresteve can't sanitize that report - she'll know at least that something's being built in the shipyard, and that would generate a question. Which would, again, just get kicked upstairs to Steve (or Aresteve) - but hey, the question is still asked.

Thing is, I don't recall you ever saying for simus to do so. And ARESTEVE could probably manipulate video images while they're being streamed. Besides, if those FTL units are just in a big container labeled 'spess shup parts' and ARESTEVE claims it's just a bunch of hull plating, what's Simus gonna do, crack open every crate? And without provocation? And let's say she somehow notices something being build in the shipyard (she also gonna go check that personally?) even then ARESTEVE can just say "oh, it's another defense ship, decided to build it here to test the shipyard" then what? Unless you start playing Simus as incredibly paranoid of ARESTEVE, then I think he could hide it. If needed by creating a little disaster or urgent matter somewhere ("oh hey look, that production line over here went kaput, might wanna help with that for a bit") that would suck up Simus' attention for a little while.

I don't recall ever saying that Simus reads supply shuttle reports fed to her by Aresteve, either. And yet she's aware what artifacts are coming in, what prototypes and new equipment shipments are going out. Do I all of a sudden have to post all the minutiae, despite having limited time to post at all? Seriously, it makes perfect sense, consistent with her personality, for her to look over things herself.

Anyways, I'm not trying to be antagonistic to Anton's having secrecy requested of him - it's just that between Simus' personality and the way we've set Hephaestus up (and/or how it was even before we moved in), hiding things like that is a challenge. I applaud Sean if he can pull it off without even ever having to answer a single question about it (even though they're very easily deflected by saying it's Steve's orders, or even a simple lie could throw her off (in some cases. Claiming it's hull plating might get the question as to why we're importing things we can easily make and likely already have in decent quantity)). One way he could brush off the orbital shipyard's use is telling her he's building some bigger ships to send as a token force to Q'Baja (or whatever the planet we may be allying with is called) before she even asks - which is something she'd appreciate.

It's not paranoia. It's just easy to get her to ask questions if you don't tell her upfront. And besides, as PW said, this isn't something Simus can't know - this just damns fewer people.

[Radio Controlled]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Y'know, I had described almost this exact thing awhile ago, as a suggestion for a test of sod intelligence.  Another thing to shelve?

Agreed.

A lot of these lines are ending with "ask PW" aren't they?

Well, seeing as how he's the one deciding what works and what doesn't, it was all but inevitable.

Yet another of your excuses for foisting blame and annoyance onto others?  :p

Ack, you got me!

But seriously, I'd like nothing more than to be allowed to continue research while on mission, as evidenced wen i did just that while Lars was talking. But I really don't want to bother pw too much with my own turns and questions, don't wanna burn him out. Or ask for too many privileges.

Mmm.  I don't really like this, but I can accept it.  It bugs me that our companies would each have a platoon whose description is basically "This platoon is nebulous, and basically consists of everything and anything we forgot to define."

Well, we can always try to define it as much as we can, and then if anything crops up in the future (eg new suit type) we'll have an easy way of officially adding it to each company. And we can have it contain the little things we'd expect a self-contained company to have without having to go into infinite detail (like how many spoons they carry). I do understand your issue with it, that's not it, but I think this way of doing it strikes a balance between clear description and enough handwaving to remain practical.

For the standard infantry platoons, do you think it's a good idea to have one of the squads be MK.III troops, who are otherwise the same as the other squads?

Hmm. Mk.III-like suits certainly have their advantages, but are also kinda situational. We could always go for adding 14 suits or so to the ass pull platoon, to be handed out to actual squads on an as-needed basis. Would also mean we could give each squad a Mk.III trooper should we think it'd make sense for a situation.

I don't recall ever saying that Simus reads supply shuttle reports fed to her by Aresteve, either. And yet she's aware what artifacts are coming in, what prototypes and new equipment shipments are going out. Do I all of a sudden have to post all the minutiae, despite having limited time to post at all? Seriously, it makes perfect sense, consistent with her personality, for her to look over things herself.

No, but it does make sense for an overseer to work like this when she alone has a whole planet to oversee. It's your call on how to decide how Simus does things, just thought that it was awfully convenient to suddenly mention Simus "should notice it due to the way she does things".

For comparison: Xan wants to currently roleplay being a nobody as to avoid suspicion. However, I could claim Miya follows up on every shipment from Hep (would make sense, if only so he knows what assets he has to work with) and thus knowing Xan arrived, and then pester Steve to know where he's hiding, and then call out and expose Xan (who has proven himself to be a potential danger). All of this I could do and would make sense, but would also be awfully convenient for me to claim, and would mostly serve to make life more difficult for another player.

But again, you can choose how to handle it, and then PW will decide what happens. Really, my original point was just 'if ARESTEVE wants to hide something, he totally could'.