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To: Dan Corrin <dan%engrg.uwo.ca@RELAY.CS.NET>, jamesp@metolius.WR
Subject: TML Bundle #167: Msgs 2070-2076
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From: James T Perkins <jamesp%metolius.wr.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET>
Status: RO


TML Bundles come from the archives of the Traveller Mailing List,
maintained by James Perkins, traveller-request@metolius.wr.tek.com.

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Date: Tue Feb 12 13:53:34 PST 1991
From: traveller-request@metolius.wr.tek.com (TML Administrator)
Subject: TML Bundle #167: Table of Contents

-AMN- --Date--- --Sender--------- --Subject-----------------------------------
2070  12-Jan-91 d9bertil@dtek.cha We are the robots, di da do di! << I didn't r
2071  13-Jan-91 bonnevil@acc.stol Re: (2068) automation << >Someone suggested t
2072  12-Jan-91 Rob Miracle       FGMPs << >Adrian Hurt <adrian@cs.heriot-watt.
2073  14-Jan-91 Adrian Hurt       Re: Robots as crewmembers << METLAY@vms.cis.p
2074  00-Jan-00 Alan Huscroft     Starship crews & Robots << If I recall correc
2075  15-Jan-91 Mark F. Cook      Black Globes redux << I realize that we haven
2076  15-Jan-91 Mark F. Cook      Black Globes: another interesting reference..

------------------------------

Archive-Message-Number: 2070
From: d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se
Subject: We are the robots, di da do di!
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 91 9:17:22 MET

  I didn't read the TML during the last few days, Instead I was at home writing
hard on Rebel Guard and a little on a writeup of some robots that have appeared
in my campaign. Someone mentioned once that robots should be useful so I 
recomputed them for several TL's to make it easier for the referee.
  I saw Mark F Cooks letter about automating starships before I left, and I
remember thinking that it would be nice if I could get that robot paper finished
while the topic was hot. "Hot" proved to be an understatement:)

  I agree that I am a member of the pro-robotic faction on the TML, but even I
would tend to think that a ship with only one crewmember and the rest of them
robots are to take chances. Why do scout and belters have so high survival 
numbers? Because they are alone in their ships, thats why. And a big, highly
automated ship with just one crewmember could be compared to a simple scout
ship that one person could handle alone *unless mishaps occured*.

  Then there is the legal aspect. Refusing to assist a ship that screams out
SOS and GK on all channels is quite certainly a high justice crime just below
treason and importing bruisers. Blaming the incident on the robots, "They 
didn't wake me, your Honor. The medibot thought that I needed to sleep." isn't
going to land anyone anywhere else than on Exile/Usani.

  As additions to a crew, however, they are quite useful, as long as someone has
at least one level of appropriate skill so that the robot can be supervised now
and then.

  Well, here's the shipboard duty bots from the file Robots.txt.utx. If you are 
sceptical to robots aboard ships you can always treat the descriptions as pure 
marketing hype for unwary players to get suckered by (except in the MasterMek 
XT-3 case of course:) 

19 Robots for duty aboard ships.

   The following robots have all appeared over the years in my campaign. The 
only robot that has stayed on for more than two years (gametime) is a Naasirka
(more or less)MasterMek XT3 that goes by the name "Marvin" (Don't blame me!:).
   All the robots has been upgraded for MegaTraveller by taking volume for 
*all* components into account and recomputing cost and weight for the chassi 
according to the armour multiplier. Appendages were treated as having a volume 
equal to twice their weight that only can be used for devices and not for 
brain, fuel, powerplant or propulsion.
   The speed of robots using legs, whennls or tracks was somewhat tricky to 
compute. If the formula from megatraveller is used, most of them got speeds in 
the range of 500 to 1000kph not counting streamlining. When I looked at the two
robots in 'Vilani & Vargr', however, I found that the engine output was divided
by around 28 before it was used in the formula, so I did the same.
   I used the standard thrust/speed table for robots using grav locomotion.
   I'm not sure if robots should be covered by the 20% price reduction for mass
produced vehicles, so I've included both figures. I think that it should 
because it would give players some impetus to buy a standard item instead of 
ordering a custom design job.
   Damagepoints for robots have been computed according to the referees screen 
(vol in liters/15 for inop and /6 for dest.) Damagepoints for powerplant and 
locomotion was computed based on their fraction of the robots weight.
   Vilani manufacured robots, ie Naasirka and Makhidkarun, are easy to get in 
half-custom configurations with regards to the application programs. When 
"Skill-L(S)" is indicated this means that the robot can be delivered with any 
skill or skills that can be fit into the constraints imposed by the robots Int 
and Edu and available storage space. "L" means max sum of extra skillevels and 
"S" means maximum extra storage available.
   All application programs are also available in exterior storage 
(holocrystals usually) for five times the normal cost of a program of that 
level.

CONTENTS:

  LSP 213B Medibot TL13                   LSP 213C Medibot TL13
  LSP 214B Medibot TL14                   LSP 214C Medibot TL14
  LSP 215B Medibot TL15                   LSP 215C Medibot TL15

  Makhidkarun RP120 Robotic Pilot TL12    Makhidkarun RP130 Robotic Pilot TL13
  Makhidkarun RP140 Robotic Pilot TL14    Makhidkarun RP150 Robotic Pilot TL15

  MoMec MarksmanI Robotic Gunner TL10     MoMec MarksmanII Robotic Gunner TL11
  MoMec MarksmanIII Robotic Gunner TL12   MoMec MarksmanIV Robotic Gunner TL13
  MoMec MarksmanV Robotic Gunner TL14     MoMec MarksmanVI Robotic Gunner TL15

  [Various] MasterMek XT-1 Mekbot TL13    [Various] MasterMek XT-2 Mekbot TL14
  [Various] MasterMek XT-3 Mekbot TL15



LING STANDARD PRODUCTS 200-SERIES MEDIBOTS
   The 200-series medibots from LSP is used by several mercenary organisations 
as well as on a multitude of ships. All models have Medic-4 and Rescue-4. The 
medic skill is usually tuned to 'Imperial Standard Human' but serves at the 
same level for all the three large brances of Humaniti and at one level lower 
for most minor human races (Darrians, Answerin, Dynchia, and Geonee but not 
Floriani) and for Vargr.
   TL15 models also having Xenomed-4 for one of the following races (buyers 
choise): Aslan, Droyne, Hiver, K'kree, Ael Yael, Bwaps, Chirpers, Prt', Vegans 
or Virushi. Data for other minor races might be available locally.
   The 200-series medibots use fuelcells and are thus dependent on exterior 
oxygen. Because of this, they are of similar shape and size to humans, to 
enable them to use vaccsuits and normal medikits if they have to work in 
situations where oxygen isn't available. The lower pair of arms fold in along 
the torso to make the robot fit into a normal vaccsuit.
   The C models are fitted with enough synaptic memory units to be able to 
reach education A after some years of operation.


LSP 213B Medibot TL13

RobotID: LSP 213B Medibot, TL13, Cr343,000/274,000, UPP=XFx75x (X=25)
Hull:    6/17, Size=100 liters, Config=Contour, Armour=6B, Weight=222 kg
Power:   1.5/3, FuelCell=1x60kW, Duration=3.4 days
Loco:    3/6, Legs=2, Road=40kph, OffRoad=16kph
Commo:   Voder, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program
Sensors: BasicSensorPkg (2 visual, 2 audio, 1 olfactory), TouchSensor with
         ExtraSensitivity
Off:     None
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=26 linear, 12 parallel, 3 synaptic, Storage=50 standard,
         FundLogic=HighAutonomus, FundCmd=FullCmd, Software=Medic-4, Rescue-4,
         VaccSuit-4, EmotionSimulation
Append:  LightArmx4, RotatingHead=15%, Devices=Medikit
Other:   Fuel=20.5 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=Faint.


LSP 213C Medibot TL13

RobotID: LSP 213C Medibot, TL13, Cr466,000/373,000, UPP=XFx7Yx (X=25, Y=5(10))
Hull:    6/17, Size=100 liters, Config=Contour, Armour=6B, Weight=221 kg
Power:   1.5/3, FuelCell=1x60kW, Duration=3.8 days
Loco:    3/6, Legs=2, Road=40kph, OffRoad=16kph
Commo:   Voder, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program
Sensors: BasicSensorPkg (2 visual, 2 audio, 1 olfactory), TouchSensor with
         ExtraSensitivity
Off:     None
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=26 linear, 12 parallel, 3 synaptic, Storage=45 standard, 5 synap,
         FundLogic=HighAutonomus, FundCmd=FullCmd, Software=Medic-4, Rescue-4,
         VaccSuit-4, EmotionSimulation
Append:  LightArmx4, RotatingHead=15%, Devices=Medikit
Other:   Fuel=22.5 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=Faint.


LSP 214B Medibot TL14

RobotID: LSP 214B Medibot, TL14, Cr343,000/274,000, UPP=XFx85x (X=25)
Hull:    6/17, Size=100 liters, Config=Contour, Armour=6B, Weight=222 kg
Power:   1.5/3, FuelCell=1x60kW, Duration=3.4 days
Loco:    3/6, Legs=2, Road=45kph, OffRoad=18kph
Commo:   Voder, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program
Sensors: BasicSensorPkg (2 visual, 2 audio, 1 olfactory), TouchSensor with
         ExtraSensitivity
Off:     None
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=26 linear, 12 parallel, 3 synaptic, Storage=50 standard
         FundLogic=HighAutonomus, FundCmd=FullCmd, Software=Medic-4, Rescue-4,
         VaccSuit-4, EmotionSimulation
Append:  LightArmx4, RotatingHead=15%, Devices=Medikit
Other:   Fuel=20.5 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=Faint.


LSP 214C Medibot TL14

RobotID: LSP 214C Medibot, TL14, Cr466,000/373,000, UPP=XFx8Yx (X=25, Y=5(10))
Hull:    6/17, Size=100 liters, Config=Contour, Armour=6B, Weight=222 kg
Power:   1.5/3, FuelCell=1x60kW, Duration=3.8 days
Loco:    3/6, Legs=2, Road=45kph, OffRoad=18kph
Commo:   Voder, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program
Sensors: BasicSensorPkg (2 visual, 2 audio, 1 olfactory), TouchSensor with
         ExtraSensitivity
Off:     None
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=26 linear, 12 parallel, 3 synaptic, Storage=45 standard, 5 synap,
         FundLogic=HighAutonomus, FundCmd=FullCmd, Software=Medic-4, Rescue-4,
         VaccSuit-4, EmotionSimulation
Append:  LightArmx4, RotatingHead=15%, Devices=Medikit
Other:   Fuel=22.5 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=Faint.


LSP 215B Medibot TL15

RobotID: LSP 215B Medibot, TL15, Cr352,000/282,000, UPP=XFx96x (X=25)
Hull:    6/17, Size=100 liters, Config=Contour, Armour=6B, Weight=191 kg
Power:   0.5/1, FuelCell=1x60kW, Duration=5.9 days
Loco:    3/6, Legs=2, Road=55kph, OffRoad=22kph
Commo:   Radio=Continental, Voder, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program
Sensors: BasicSensorPkg (2 visual, 2 audio, 1 olfactory), TouchSensor with
         ExtraSensitivity, Spotlightx2
Off:     None
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=28 linear, 12 parallel, 3 synaptic, Storage=64 standard
         FundLogic=HighAutonomus, FundCmd=FullCmd, Software=Medic-4, Rescue-4,
         XenoMed-4, VaccSuit-2, Commo-1, EmotionSimulation
Append:  LightArmx4, RotatingHead=10%, Devices=Medikit
Other:   Fuel=21.1 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=Faint.


LSP 215C Medibot TL15

RobotID: LSP 215C Medibot, TL15, Cr451,000/361,000, UPP=XFx9Yx (X=25, Y=6(10))
Hull:    6/17, Size=100 liters, Config=Contour, Armour=6B, Weight=190 kg
Power:   0.5/1, FuelCell=1x60kW, Duration=6.3 days
Loco:    3/6, Legs=2, Road=55kph, OffRoad=22kph
Commo:   Radio=Continental, Voder, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program
Sensors: BasicSensorPkg (2 visual, 2 audio, 1 olfactory), TouchSensor with
         ExtraSensitivity, Spotlightx2
Off:     None
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=28 linear, 12 parallel, 3 synaptic, Storage=60 standard, 4 synap,
         FundLogic=HighAutonomus, FundCmd=FullCmd, Software=Medic-4, Rescue-4,
         XenoMed-4, VaccSuit-2, Commo-1, EmotionSimulation
Append:  LightArmx4, RotatingHead=10%, Devices=Medikit
Other:   Fuel=22.7 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=Faint.



MAKHIDKARUN RP-SERIES ROBOTIC PILOTS
   Makhidkarun RP-series robotic pilots are a good example of how Makhidkarun 
robotics are different from for example the equivalent Naasirka models. It is 
built to handle a specific task and thats what it does. The extra capability 
that is made available because of the relatively high intelligence needed 
(after all, who would want a dumbot to pilot the ships-boat?) is used to 
accomodate two or more seconday skills that the buyer can choose according to 
his own purposes.
   The RP-series are shaped like a rectangular box, fifteen centimeters thick 
times thirty wide times one meter high. They are made to be mounted on the 
back of the pilots chair and hooked up to the ships computer, power and 
sensors (they lack own powerplant and propulsion). On top of the box is a very 
light arm that holds the visual and audio sensor. The robot is not dependent 
on those for normal operation. The arm can be used for lifting and grasping 
but this is limited to very light loads (less than 5kg)
   The following secondary programs are generally available, space and price 
are per level, maximum level of any skill for robots is 4:

Program           Space   Price       Program           Space   Price
Communications      2      400        SensorOps           2      500
FleetTactics        8      800        Ship'sBoat          2      400
GravVehicle         2      400        ShipTactics         8      800
Language            5      600        Survey              4      600
Navigator           4      500        [Gunnery]           2      400
Prospecting         4      500        [Weapon]*           2      300

   Additional programs can be found in Traveller Book8: Robots. *) Weapon aims 
at a specific weapon skill. It is quite common to let the robot have one level 
of skill in snub pistol or some similar small zero-gee weapon and employ it as 
the last line of defence against boarding and hijackers.

   The main disadvantage with this series of robots is that they are fixed in 
place. Even if they detect some kind of malfunction they can't do anything 
about it. Also, if the power disappears because of battle damage or 
malfunction, they are totally disabled.

   There is also a similar line of robots serving as gunners or as small craft 
pilots. They are usually delivered with one form of gunnery as main skill and 
either fleet or ship tactics as secondary. Any extra space or Int+Edu is then 
filled by FAGunnery to enable the batteries to be used for surface bombardment.


Makhidkarun RP120 Robotic Pilot TL12

RobotID: Makhidkarun RP120 Robotic Pilot, TL12, Cr199,000/160,000, UPP=25x55x
Hull:    3/8, Size=50 liters, Config=Box, Armour=1B, Weight=18 kg
Power:   None
Loco:    None
Commo:   Voder, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program
Sensors: VisualSensor, AudioSensor
Off:     None
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=25 linear, 10 parallel, 1 synaptic, Storage=54 standard
         FundLogic=LowAutonomus, FundCmd=FullCmd, Software=Pilot-4, Skill-4(16)
         Skill-2(8), EmotionSimulation
Append:  VeryLightArm
Other:   WasteSpace=6.9 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=None.


Makhidkarun RP130 Robotic Pilot TL13

RobotID: Makhidkarun RP130 Robotic Pilot, TL13, Cr201,000/161,000, UPP=25x65x
Hull:    3/8, Size=50 liters, Config=Box, Armour=1B, Weight=18 kg
Power:   None
Loco:    None
Commo:   Voder, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program
Sensors: VisualSensor, AudioSensor
Off:     None
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=25 linear, 10 parallel, 1 synaptic, Storage=58 standard
         FundLogic=LowAutonomus, FundCmd=FullCmd, Software=Pilot-4, Skill-4(16),
         Skill-3(12), EmotionSimulation
Append:  VeryLightArm
Other:   WasteSpace=4.9 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=None.


Makhidkarun RP140 Robotic Pilot TL14

RobotID: Makhidkarun RP140 Robotic Pilot, TL14, Cr204,000/163,000, UPP=25x76x
Hull:    3/8, Size=50 liters, Config=Box, Armour=1B, Weight=18 kg
Power:   None
Loco:    None
Commo:   Voder, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program
Sensors: VisualSensor, AudioSensor
Off:     None
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=25 linear, 10 parallel, 1 synaptic, Storage=66 standard
         FundLogic=LowAutonomus, FundCmd=FullCmd, Software=Pilot-4, Skill-4(16)
         Skill-4(16), Skill-1(4) EmotionSimulation
Append:  VeryLightArm
Other:   WasteSpace=0.9 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=None.


Makhidkarun RP150 Robotic Pilot TL15

RobotID: Makhidkarun RP150 Robotic Pilot, TL15, Cr205,000/164,000, UPP=25x86x
Hull:    3/8, Size=50 liters, Config=Box, Armour=1B, Weight=18 kg
Power:   None
Loco:    None
Commo:   Voder, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program
Sensors: VisualSensor, AudioSensor
Off:     None
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=25 linear, 10 parallel, 1 synaptic, Storage=74 standard
         FundLogic=LowAutonomus, FundCmd=FullCmd, Software=Pilot-4, Skill-4(16)
         Skill-4(16), Skill-4(16), Skill-2(4), EmotionSimulation
Append:  VeryLightArm
Other:   WasteSpace=0.9 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=None.



MORA MECATRONICS MARKSMAN-SERIES ROBOTIC GUNNERS
   Although designed on Mora, the Mora Mecatronics robots are manufactured and 
sold on many worlds with many techlevels along the Spinward Main. The most 
popular of their robots are the Marksman series gunners. While they are can't 
be described as intelligent even by friendly accounts, the are easy to install.
Just show the robot to the gunnery position and it will take over from there. 
They are also much cheaper than many competeting models.
   Normally, the robots will get their instructions directly from the ships 
computer. A program that lets the pilot indicate the target on whatever HUD or 
viewscreen that available on the bridge and pass this on to the robots are 
included in the standard package. The robots are programmed to hook themselves
up to ships power and the main computer databus automatically.
   Mora Mecatronics robots of the local TL are available on world on 3+. DM -1 
per 3 parsecs from Mora. -4 if off the Main.


Mora Mecatronics MarksmanI Robotic Gunner TL10

RobotID: MoMec MarksmanI Robotic Gunner, TL10, Cr33,000/26,000, UPP=F6x01x
Hull:    6/17, Size=100 liters, Config=Contour, Armour=1B, Weight=230 kg
Power:   3/4, FuelCell=1x40kW, Duration=8.8 days
Loco:    2/3, Legs=2, Road=20kph, OffRoad=8kph
Commo:   Voder, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program
Sensors: BasicSensorPkg (2 visual, 2 audio, 1 olfactory), TouchSensor
Off:     None
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=7 linear, Storage=11 standard,
         FundLogic=LowData, FundCmd=LimitedBasic, Software=Gunnery-1
Append:  LightArmx2, RotatingHead=10%
Other:   Fuel=52 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=Faint, ECP


Mora Mecatronics MarksmanII Robotic Gunner TL11

RobotID: MoMec MarksmanII Robotic Gunner, TL11, Cr33,000/26,000, UPP=F7x01x
Hull:    6/17, Size=100 liters, Config=Contour, Armour=1B, Weight=230 kg
Power:   3/4, FuelCell=1x40kW, Duration=8.8 days
Loco:    2/3, Legs=2, Road=25kph, OffRoad=10kph
Commo:   Voder, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program
Sensors: BasicSensorPkg (2 visual, 2 audio, 1 olfactory), TouchSensor
Off:     None
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=7 linear, Storage=11 standard,
         FundLogic=LowData, FundCmd=LimitedBasic, Software=Gunnery-1
Append:  LightArmx2, RotatingHead=10%
Other:   Fuel=52 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=Faint, ECP.


Mora Mecatronics MarksmanIII Robotic Gunner TL12

RobotID: MoMec MarksmanIII Robotic Gunner, TL12, Cr31,000/25,000, UPP=F8x01x
Hull:    6/17, Size=100 liters, Config=Contour, Armour=1B, Weight=230 kg
Power:   3/4, FuelCell=1x40kW, Duration=8.8 days
Loco:    2/3, Legs=2, Road=30kph, OffRoad=12kph
Commo:   Voder, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program
Sensors: BasicSensorPkg (2 visual, 2 audio, 1 olfactory), TouchSensor
Off:     None
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=5 linear, Storage=11 standard,
         FundLogic=LowData, FundCmd=LimitedBasic, Software=Gunnery-1
Append:  LightArmx2, RotatingHead=10%
Other:   Fuel=53 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=Faint, ECP.


Mora Mecatronics MarksmanIV Robotic Gunner TL13

RobotID: MoMec MarksmanIV Robotic Gunner, TL13, Cr33,000/26,000, UPP=F9x11x
Hull:    6/17, Size=100 liters, Config=Contour, Armour=1B, Weight=209 kg
Power:   2/3, FuelCell=1x45kW, Duration=13.6 days
Loco:    3/4, Legs=2, Road=35kph, OffRoad=14kph
Commo:   Voder, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program
Sensors: BasicSensorPkg (2 visual, 2 audio, 1 olfactory), TouchSensor
Off:     None
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=7 linear, Storage=11 standard,
         FundLogic=LowData, FundCmd=LimitedBasic, Software=Gunnery-2
Append:  LightArmx2, RotatingHead=10%
Other:   Fuel=65 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=Faint, ECP.


Mora Mecatronics MarksmanV Robotic Gunner TL14

RobotID: MoMec MarksmanV Robotic Gunner, TL14, Cr35,000/27,000, UPP=FAx21x
Hull:    6/17, Size=100 liters, Config=Contour, Armour=1B, Weight=209 kg
Power:   2/3, FuelCell=1x45kW, Duration=13.5 days
Loco:    3/4, Legs=2, Road=40kph, OffRoad=16kph
Commo:   Voder, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program
Sensors: BasicSensorPkg (2 visual, 2 audio, 1 olfactory), TouchSensor
Off:     None
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=9 linear, Storage=11 standard,
         FundLogic=LowData, FundCmd=LimitedBasic, Software=Gunnery-3
Append:  LightArmx2, RotatingHead=10%
Other:   Fuel=64 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=Faint, ECP.


Mora Mecatronics MarksmanVI Robotic Gunner TL15

RobotID: MoMec MarksmanVI Robotic Gunner, TL15, Cr37,000/30,000, UPP=FBx31x
Hull:    6/17, Size=100 liters, Config=Contour, Armour=1B, Weight=207 kg
Power:   1.5/2, FuelCell=1x60kW, Duration=22.7 days
Loco:    3/5, Legs=2, Road=55kph, OffRoad=22kph
Commo:   Voder, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program
Sensors: BasicSensorPkg (2 visual, 2 audio, 1 olfactory), TouchSensor
Off:     None
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=11 linear, Storage=11 standard,
         FundLogic=LowData, FundCmd=LimitedBasic, Software=Gunnery-4
Append:  LightArmx2, RotatingHead=10%
Other:   Fuel=81 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=Faint, ECP.



MASTERMEK SERIES MEKBOT (NAASIRKA UUKUGINE ADGAR-SERIES MEKBOT)
   In the late 1080's, Naasirka analysts noticed that their smaller competitor 
Makhidkarun had a big market dominance in the big mekbot niche and the 
administration decided, after long deliberation, that the technology in this 
field was mature enough for Naasirka to step in.
   In 1109 they unveiled the Uukugine Adgar (rough translation "Don't worry") 
series robot -- The robot that would take care of all that nasty business that 
takes place in the aft end of the ship and not bother the owner at all until 
it was time to buy spare parts.
   The development had been on shedule all the time, the prototypes had passed 
the trial periods with flying colors and the marketing department were 
predicting a commercial success. Then something happened.
   To get the robot to take proper care of the drives and installations in a 
ship, the Naasirka developers had equipped it with a strong, one could almost 
call it feelings, for properly working drives and equippment. When the robots 
came out in real live they were often put in situations where they got to do 
preventive maintainance and general repair of all of the equippment belonging 
to a ship.
   They had to repair small crafts and vehicles that had minor, and not so 
minor accidents, often involving weapons. They had to push the drives to the 
limit to evade hostile ships in the frontier war. Sometimes they got the same 
crafts and vehicles back again with similar damage after a few days. Sometimes 
they was forced to push the drives too hard and that damaged the drives.
   Some robots that was harassed in this way cracked after a few years. They 
begun to suffer from minor quirks. Some of them begun to neglect their work. 
Some of them became obsessed with total cleanliness in all areas of the ship. 
Some started to refuse to repair things that had been broken. Very few of them,
but one had been enough, used force to show the crew the proper way of 
treating their equippment...
   Very soon, the media caught on "Killer Robots with Lasers!" as the Imperial
Enquierer with its usual sense for the appropriate called it in a headline 
dated 054-1114. Sales deflated overnight. Nobody wanted a monster in their 
engine room.
   Naasirka managed to locate the problem and correct it very fast but the 
market strategy was in shambles. They took their only rout available to them 
which was to rename the series and transfer it to a daugher company. All old 
Uukugine Adgars were exchanged for new, corrected, MasterMeks. The new 
advertising strategy didn't call it the solution to all the engineering needs, 
but rather a very handy addition. This strategy worked but all the glitches in 
the robot model was still not ironed out.
   The corrections decreased the rate with which the robots broke and decrease 
the severity if they did, but it didn't stop it completely. It was still 
possible for extremely careless operators to make it crack. One big incident 
occured in mid 1116 when an MasterMek hijacked a Al-Morai liner and changed 
it's destination from Maitz to Mora. All major media reported on the "Naasirka 
Robotic Hijacker" and the local management for the Domain of Deneb took the 
decition to order the daughter company to discontinue the MasterMek due to the 
bad publicity that landed on Naasirka. All other local officed followed this 
decition.
   When the big Naasirka withdrawal from the territories far from the Ziru 
Sirkaa during late 1118 was finished many daughter companies had simply been 
sold off and the production rights had passed on to the new owners. Some of 
those begun production anew after renaming the robot once again.
   Referee: Whenever a Uukugine Adgar/MasterMek has to repair the same piece 
of equippment twice in a week (twice in a day if it is minor equippment) or an 
order to push the drives over the limit (as per StarshipOpMan) leads to damage 
to the ship. Roll this task:
   To keep the robot sane:
   Routine, RobotOps, Liaison, (fateful)
   Referee: If it is a bloc two model (after the errors was partially 
corrected) make this task Simple. Superficial mishaps are minor quirks. Minor 
mishap: The robot begins to take a view on how the equippment and ships is 
treated. Major mishap: The robot refuses to repair things, refused to perform 
actions that could possible damage the ships or equippment or becomes careless.
Destroyed mishap: The robot becomes violent.

   Marvin is presently at the Major mishap stage. He's got a number of quirks: 
he sings old strange songs while he work, he is very vocal and argumentative
during discussions and he has to be coaxed to push the drives hard or sabotage 
enemy ships "Well, if you *don't* do this Marvin, [the current enemy] will 
catch us and then you won't have any drives to take care of at all!"
   Besides, a borderline robot with a laserwelder in the engineroom can be 
useful when someone tries to board. "What?! Disable *my* drives?! Oh no you 
don't! <zap!>" :)

   Some notes about obscure devises:
   The two visual sensors are attached to a cut-down pair of PRIS glasses with 
the gyroscope taken out and the magnifying features replaced by short range 
magnification for working with small components.
   The reason for the extra sensitivity olfactory sensor is simple: Hot plastic
and metal smell and if the robot can detect that it has a great chance of 
locating the errors before they appear fully.
   The densitometer is mounted on one of the medium arms to be outside of the 
range of influence of the gravunits. It is, however, unusable while the ship 
uses gravitation technology of any kind.
   The ZGCombat-1 enable the robot to work in zero gee conditions, using it's 
gravunits at half strength.
   The master unit is intended to enable the robot to control up to five , 
MasterMek T robots that are identical, but lacks the brain. Production of the 
T model ceased in early 1114 however, and it has not been restarted anywhere 
as of 1121. The T models costed about 20% of equivalent XT model and they had 
far longer duration.


[Various] MasterMek XT-1 Mekbot TL13

RobotID: MasterMek XT-1 Mekbot, TL13, Cr593,000/475,000, UPP=XFx74x (X=62)
Hull:    13/33, Size=200 liters, Config=Sphere, Armour=18F, Weight=570 kg
Power:   4/5, FuelCell=2x60kW, Duration=2.2 days
Loco:    1/2, HVGrav=800kg, Cruise=360kph, Top=480kph, MaxAccel=0.40G
Commo:   Voder, Radio=Distant, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program, Master Unit
Sensors: VisualSensorx2+PRIS Equivalent, AudioSensorx2+ExtraSensitivity,
         Olfactoryx1+ExtraSensitivity, TouchSensor+ExtraSensitivity,
         MagneticSenso, RadiationSensor, Densitometer=Surface, NeutrinoSensor,
         Spotlightx1
Off:     LaserWelder
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=28 linear, 12 parallel, 3 synaptic Storage=46 standard,
         FundLogic=HighAuto, FundCmd=FullCmd, Software=Engineering-3,
         Electronics-2, Mecanical-2, Gravitics-1, ZGCombat-1, GravVehicle-1,
         LaserWelder-1, EmotionSimulation.
Append:  MediumArmsx2, LightTentaclex4, MecanicalToolPkg, ElectronicToolPkg,
         MetalworkToolPkg
Other:   Fuel=26 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=Faint, ECP


[Various] MasterMek XT-2 Mekbot TL14

RobotID: MasterMek XT-2 Mekbot, TL14, Cr597,000/478,000, UPP=XFx84x (X=62)
Hull:    13/33, Size=200 liters, Config=Sphere, Armour=18G, Weight=554 kg
Power:   4/5, FuelCell=2x60kW, Duration=2.1 days
Loco:    1/2, HVGrav=800kg, Cruise=360kph, Top=480kph, MaxAccel=0.44G
Commo:   Voder, Radio=Distant, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program, Master Unit
Sensors: VisualSensorx2+PRIS Equivalent, AudioSensorx2+ExtraSensitivity,
         Olfactoryx1+ExtraSensitivity, TouchSensor+ExtraSensitivity,
         MagneticSenso, RadiationSensor, Densitometer=Surface, NeutrinoSensor,
         Spotlightx1
Off:     LaserWelder
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=28 linear, 12 parallel, 3 synaptic Storage=46 standard,
         FundLogic=HighAuto, FundCmd=FullCmd, Software=Engineering-4,
         Electronics-2, Mecanical-2, Gravitics-1, ZGCombat-1, GravVehicle-1,
         LaserWelder-1, EmotionSimulation.
Append:  MediumArmsx2, LightTentaclex4, MecanicalToolPkg, ElectronicToolPkg,
         MetalworkToolPkg
Other:   Fuel=25 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=Faint, ECP


[Various] MasterMek XT-3 Mekbot TL15

RobotID: MasterMek XT-3 Mekbot, TL15, Cr597,000/477,000, UPP=XFx95x (X=62)
Hull:    13/33, Size=200 liters, Config=Sphere, Armour=18G, Weight=441 kg
Power:   1.5/2, FuelCell=1x120kW, Duration=12.2 days
Loco:    1/2, HVGrav=800kg, Cruise=720kph, Top=960kph, MaxAccel=0.8G
Commo:   Voder, Radio=Distant, Interfaces=Power, Brain, Program, Master Unit
Sensors: VisualSensorx2+PRIS Equivalent, AudioSensorx2+ExtraSensitivity,
         Olfactoryx1+ExtraSensitivity, TouchSensor+ExtraSensitivity,
         MagneticSenso, RadiationSensor, Densitometer=Surface, NeutrinoSensor,
         Spotlightx1
Off:     LaserWelder
Def:     None
Brain:   CPU=28 linear, 12 parallel, 3 synaptic Storage=50 standard,
         FundLogic=HighAuto, FundCmd=FullCmd, Software=Engineering-4,
         Electronics-3, Mecanical-3, Gravitics-1, ZGCombat-1, GravVehicle-1,
         LaserWelder-1, EmotionSimulation.
Append:  MediumArmsx2, LightTentaclex4, MecanicalToolPkg, ElectronicToolPkg,
         MetalworkToolPkg
Other:   Fuel=73 liters, ObjSize=Small, EMLevel=Faint, ECP


  There are some robots left in the files, among others a Vargr translator bot
that the players named "the flying junkpile", the silliest warbot in charted 
space and a pseudibio lisaison/linguistics robot with attatched prom-burner for
language-chips.

- - -bertil-
Obligatory Robot Joke of Dubious Quality:
Q: What do you call a pseudobiologocal robot with Legal-4?
A: Grace van Owen.

------------------------------

Archive-Message-Number: 2071
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 91 00:48:09 -0600
From: bonnevil@acc.stolaf.edu
Subject: Re:  (2068) automation



>Someone suggested that today's airplanes can pretty much fly themselves.  That
>may be so, but can they take off and land by themselves?  And would you want to
>fly on an automated plane?  Not me!

I feel like I'm going a bit out on a limb here, but from what I understand,
in a routine situation some modern passenger jets _can_ land by themselves
at a properly equipped airport.  I vaguely recall seeing a show which
mentioned that the Boeing 757 had this capability.  As I recall, most pilots
prefer not to use this function of the airplane, because the idea makes
them feel a bit uneasy.  Of course, if the pilot was incapacitated, this
might be handy...but in a storm, using it would be, well, inadvisable
(and probably illegal).  Please check this out yourselves, since I know
very little about this sort of thing, and could be wrong!

>No, *some* crew must be aboard to take care of emergencies.  I expect traveller
>starships will be very similar.

If I was building a robot-piloted craft, I'd feel best about one which
was used outside of atmospheres and insystem only, avoiding the two most
hazardous ship operations -- atmospheric transfer and jump initiation.
I'd feel even better if it didn't have much thrust; just in case. Then if
something goes wrong, someone can send a boat out to catch it, especially
if it was aimed at something important -- like Regina High Port.  If it
was carrying something especially important, it would be nice to have a 
sapient pilot and mechanic/engineer on board (and maybe a medic, if it's
a long trip and you don't trust robot doctors).

- - --Steve


------------------------------

Archive-Message-Number: 2072
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 91 15:49 EST
From: Rob Miracle <RWMIRA01%ULKYVX.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: FGMPs

>Adrian Hurt <adrian@cs.heriot-watt.ac.uk> writes:
>>d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se writes:
>> I can see it: Kids running around waving plastic FGMP-15's and playing Zho's
>> and Marines (or Lucan and Dulinor:)
>
>This reminds me of an incident I arranged a long time ago while I was referee.
>The PC's ship was boarded by some people wearing impressive uniforms, and
>carrying impressive ID cards and FGMP's.

On a totally unrelated subject, in a AD&D V2R1 (some reason SVR4 is stuck in my
head) game that I am reffing, I found this on a characters sheet of one of my
players:

Weapons of Proficiancy
[ Long Sword         ]
[ Long Bow           ]
[ FGMP-15            ]
[ Dagger             ]

Seems humerous :-)

Rob

------------------------------

Archive-Message-Number: 2073
From: Adrian Hurt <adrian@cs.heriot-watt.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Robots as crewmembers
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 91 9:59:32 GMT

METLAY@vms.cis.pitt.edu writes:
> 
> As for utterly automated ships, this gives rise to all sorts of fascinating
> scenaria, most of which I think would work better in a game like Space Opera
> than in MT, but that's a personal bias.....
>  ...
> "Yeah, see, that's the problem. The computer's gotten kind of antisocial;
> it keeps spacing its crews. We can't get to it to disconnect it, either.
> You see the problem?"

So someone else has been reading Adventure 1, Kinunir!

A few comments on TL 15 automated ships.  First, given that TL 8 aircraft have
fairly effective auto-pilots, I'd expect that a ship's auto-pilot of TL 10 or
more could land the ship.  (Come to that, the TL 8 Space Shuttle practically
lands itself.  The pilot is there in case all four computers malfunction.  On
one occasion when the shuttle did land manually, the landing was a bit bumpier
than the previous computer-controlled ones.)  Also, in Ye Olde Book 3, in the
section about equipment, it mentioned that ground cars were computer driven
at TL 10, and in fact in some places driving by humans was illegal.  So at TL
15, I'd be surprised if a ship couldn't take off, fly, and land by itself
without human interference.  Assuming, that is, that nothing unexpected
happened.  Computers can only deal with the expected, i.e. what the programmer
expected.  Human crews would be there in case of the unexpected, and might be
required by law - especially on passenger carrying craft.

There is, of course, one problem with making everything TL 15.  What do you
do for spare parts when (N.B. "when", not "if") something breaks down?  This
is why ships like Type S Scout/Couriers and Type A Free Traders are TL 9 or
TL 10.  There are more TL 10+ planets out there than TL 15+ planets.

- - -- 
 "Keyboard?  How quaint!" - M. Scott

 Adrian Hurt			     |	JANET:  adrian@uk.ac.hw.cs
 UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian     |  ARPA:   adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk

------------------------------

Archive-Message-Number: 2074
Date: Monday 14th January 1991 10:52:55 GMT
From: Alan Huscroft <ASSHUSCR@cms.am.cc.reading.ac.uk>
Subject: Starship crews & Robots

 
If I recall correctly, the Starship Ops Manual made allowance for
the possibility of running ships with reduced crew, even without
the help of robots or oversized computers.  You just increase the
level of difficulty for the relevant tasks if somebody has to do
more than one job.
 
No, this isn't the start of an anti-robot tirade.  Keep the robot
designs coming in.  BTW, is anybody going to collect robots in an
anonymous ftp archive, as someone did with vehicles?
 
............................................................................
: Alan Huscroft              : Janet:    A.Huscroft@uk.ac.reading          :
: Reading, England           : Internet: A.Huscroft@reading.ac.uk          :
: 6-G takeoffs AND landings! : X-boat:   A.Huscroft@terra.sol.solomani_rim :
:............................:.............................................:

------------------------------

Archive-Message-Number: 2075
From: Mark F. Cook <markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.COM>
Subject: Black Globes redux
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 91 10:28:51 PST

I realize that we haven't touched on this topic for a while, and I
hate to re-open this can of worms, but I just got struck by a thought
that's too wierd not to share.

I've been reading the Science&Technology stream on the MegaTraveller
BBS on GEnie.  At one point they started talking about black globes
and a) whether or not they were affected by gravity, b) what happens
when something solid strikes them, and c) how do they affect their
surroundings when they're landed on a planet.

The consensus (which includes such prestigious names a Joe Fugate,
James Holden, Ed Edwards, and Mike Mikesh) is:

A)  Black globes cut off gravity.  If you turn one on while in orbit
    around a large body (i.e. planet), you suddenly take off in a straight
    line, tangetial to that body.

B)  Any solid striking a black globe will demonstrate all the properties
    of a perfect inelastic collision, with all the kenetic energy tranferred
    to the globe.  The only thing the occupants of the globe would notice
    is an energy raise in their capacitors.

C)  If a black globe were to be set down on a planets surface, it would
    immediately begin to drain the energy of everything in contact with
    it.  This means the thermal and kenetic energy of the atmosphere and
    ground (or water if you landed at sea) would be intantaneously trans-
    ferred to the globe, causing gases and fluids to freeze.  Of course,
    once a sufficiently thick layer of ice (at absolute zero) forms on the
    surface of the globe, the thermal transfer would slow down, since it's
    now taking place through a layer of normal (very cold) matter.

I know, I know, the TML readership pretty much came to the same decisions
separately, I'm just setting the background for my inspiration, which is
this:

I don't think that situation C would ever have time to occur.  If the
globe absorbs ALL collisions and is uneffected by gravity, wouldn't an
ENTIRE planet pushing against it cause it's capacitors to overload REAL
fast?  This assumes the planet even stays in contact long enough to
transfer that much energy.

Picture this: you have a starship equiped with a black globe, and you
are in a star system where there is a world orbiting at 146.6 km/sec.
at 1 AU.  You calculate a straight-line vector through the system such
that your course will intersect that of the planet a split second before
the planet gets there.  You also plan to be travelling slightly slower
than the planets obital velocity, say 140 km/sec.  If you could somehow
eliminate gravitational effects on your ship during this course, then
when you arrived at the intersection point, the planet would come up
and smack you in the ass at 6.6 km/sec.  Aha!  But you can eliminate
the gravitation effects!  Just come up to the correct velocity on your
course and turn on your black globe generator.  Now you're on a straight
line course through the system.

At the appointed time, you intersect the planet's orbit just as it
catches up with you.  Your ship (surrounded by the globe) burrows
into the atmosphere and is stuck by the planetary surface at 6.6 km/sec.
However, you are unaffected by the impact as all the kenetic energy
is absorbed by the globe and tranferred to the capacitors.  Your
vector and velocity CANNOT change becauce this requires interaction
with some outside force (ANY outside force) and the black globe prevents
this.  Result: your ship burrows right thru the planet at 6.6 km/sec.,
side-slipping as it goes (you're not following the same orbital path
as the planet, remember?).  All the planetary material (crust, mantle,
core, etc.) is pushed aside by the other matter around it, with the
friction, pressure, and compression energies all absorbed by the globe.

Good-bye planet, yes?  Well, maybe if you had capacitors with infinite
storage capability.  But since you don't, they probably overload just
a split-second after your globe impacts the planets surface.  Good-bye
capacitors.  Good-bye black globe.  Good-bye starship.  Hello huge,
blast crater.  C'est la vie.  Heck, maybe it wouldn't even need to
make contact with the planet's surface.  I suspect that plowing through
200 klicks of atmosphere at 6+ km/sec. would generate several A-bombs
worth of energy.  That would probably do it all by itself.

Hmmmm.  Come to think of it, maybe that's what caused the Great Tunguska
Event of 1908 in Siberia. :-)

Later,

        Mark F. Cook

USMail: User Interface Technical Support
        Hewlett-Packard - Interface Technology Operation
        1000 NE Circle Blvd.  Corvallis, OR 97330

INTERNET: markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.com
          markc%hpcvss.cv.hp.com@relay.hp.com

------------------------------

Archive-Message-Number: 2076
From: Mark F. Cook <markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.COM>
Subject: Black Globes: another interesting reference...
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 91 11:01:15 PST

Here's something by Joe Fugate from last May (again, on the GEnie MT BBS):

"    .
     .
     .
Then there's the famed "Black Globe World" in the Vargr Extents. On that world
(Tuglikki 0904), a Vargr researcher activated a black globe and it promptly
expanded to engulf a radius of 50 km from its location within 24 hours. That
was in 973 (Imperial). That black globe engulfed the entire world within a
year and kept growing, although at a slower rate. The black globe has reached
20,000 km in size and continues to grow at a rate of about 20 km per standard
year.  In about 2 trillion years, assuming the globe's rate remains constant,
it will have engulfed all of charted space. Recently, however -- for some
unknown reason -- the globe's expansion rate has been increasing dramatically.
Many researchers theorize this increased expansion rate means the globe is
about to "go into overload." A globe of this size, if it releases all of its
aborbed energy in one sudden blast, would devastate the entire parsec (both
star systems).

- - --Joe, DGP"

Haes anybody ever heard about this one before?  It's completely new to me.

Later,

        Mark F. Cook

USMail: User Interface Technical Support
        Hewlett-Packard - Interface Technology Operation
        1000 NE Circle Blvd.  Corvallis, OR 97330

INTERNET: markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.com
          markc%hpcvss.cv.hp.com@relay.hp.com

------------------------------

End of TML Bundle
*****************

