hacking - fixing the Computer Mechanics in Cepheus Engine

Computer Example Table

Computers and Software and the Mneme variant, along with the definition of Compute:

Compute: In this game's context, Compute represents a computer system's abstract computational power. It's a measure of the system's ability to process data, run programs, and perform tasks. The Compute value is determined by the Tech Level (TL), with each TL representing a significant leap in computational capabilities. For example, a Compute value of 1 represents the computational power of a human computer from the 1940s, while a Compute value of 10 represents a modern-day computer.

In the original CE, there's an inconsistency between the Equipment and Ships chapters regarding the representation of computer power. The Equipment chapter uses Models (CE SRD page 70) while the Ships chapter switches to Ratings (CE SRD p127). In the Mneme variant, we've chosen to stick with Ratings for consistency.

The original CE also represents computer power in a linear fashion across TLs, which doesn't accurately reflect the exponential growth of computing power observed in reality (as predicted by Moore's Law). In the Mneme variant, we've adjusted this to an exponential scale to more accurately represent the rapid advancements in computing technology.

In terms of accessibility, the Mneme variant acknowledges the socio-economic barriers to advanced computing technology. Regular computers become prohibitively expensive as we move into higher TLs (TL9 and beyond, which represent the Sci-Fi age in Traveller and GURPS). This reflects the current reality where advanced computing devices (like AI systems) are beyond the financial reach of many individuals and organizations*. To balance this, cheaper and smaller computers with diminished computing power become more prevalent.

In the Mneme setting, it's assumed that socio-economic levels (SOC) may be stuck longer in certain TLs. For example, in the default setting similar to the Interstellar Wars in 2400s Common Era (which is TL13), 90% of Sol'an (humans from Sol) are using TL9 to TL10 technology with small advanced components. This reflects the reality that not all individuals or societies have equal access to advanced technology.

The Computer Example table provides a reference for what computers of different Compute values are capable of. This table can be used to resolve brute force attacks, computer-aided design and task resolution, and other tasks that rely on computing power. It's important to think hard about the implications of AI and more powerful AIs, and how they fit into the setting, while also acknowledging their hard limitations.

This booklet is intended to provide players and GMs with the tools they need to understand and utilize the Compute concept in the game, even though it's out of scope regarding the Ship Combat Book.

Capabilities do not translate to speed. 

 *NOTE. 
I'm building our Lab in the Comfac Technology Center  the difference between me and the student is that I have the income to buy the equipment to learn to use it. Regular students and most IT staff don't have the money to have equipment for hands-on experience and training. Recently we've been giving access to students to our GCP account, hands-on on using PFsense Firewalls (We have 4 pfsense firewalls they can practice with ) and Network Equipment (access points, mesh, media converters etc... as well as cabing equipment). The challenge of learning System Admin is the need to have an extra Computer for Experiments to get hands-on Training, with network you need a Computer and Another Subnetwork to Learn. I'm also an Open source advocate and teach, in an open source manner sharing our notes freely.  I really feel the SOC disadvantage, especially when I know my SOC income in developed world and I  have to pay out of pocket for these (hoping one day I can use the Company credit card and get the tax credits for spending 5 to 10k USD on such equipment which is necessary for our LLM lab. 

CE Vehicle Design System Tweaks - Quality of Life Improvements.

Sample VDS Sheet

Cepheus Engine Armor 

The problem arises from the way armor is currently calculated in the Cepheus Engine vehicle and ship design system. In this system, armor is proportional to the percentage it occupies of the ship's or vehicle's volume. This means that a smaller object, by proportion, has thinner armor, as the armor is a function of thickness.

Let's take an example to illustrate this. Consider a human and a car. The human has a volume of 0.08 cubic meters and a surface area of 2 square meters. The car has a volume of 21 cubic meters and a surface area of 20.7 square meters. If we add armor of varying thicknesses to both the human and the car, the armor will occupy a certain percentage of their respective volumes.

For instance, if we add 1mm of armor to the human, it will occupy 2.5% of the human's volume. If we add the same 1mm of armor to the car, it will only occupy 0.26% of the car's volume. This is because the car has a much larger volume than the human. As we increase the thickness of the armor, the percentage of volume it occupies also increases. However, the percentage of volume does not scale with the surface area, as the surface area remains constant while the volume increases. This shows that using the percentage of volume to measure armor is not a good method, as it does not account for the thickness of the armor.

The proposed solution is to consider the armor as adding volume to the object it is protecting. As the armor gets thicker, it expands outward, adding to the total volume of the object. The amount of volume the armor adds is a factor that depends on the shape of the object (from spherical to more complex shapes). So, the formula for calculating the volume of the armor would be: armor thickness * surface area (which is factor x spaces) = % of volume in spaces the armor occupies.

This method takes into account the thickness of the armor and the surface area it covers, providing a more accurate measure of the armor's effectiveness. It also ensures that smaller objects do not disproportionately have thinner armor, as the armor's volume is calculated independently of the object's volume. 

	2.0 m^2	0.080 m^3	57 m^2	21.778 m^3
Thickness (mm)	Human Armor Volume (m³)	% of Human Volume	Car Armor Volume (m³)	% of Car Volume
1 mm	0.002 m^3	2.50%	0.06 m^3	0.26%
2 mm	0.004 m^3	5.00%	0.11 m^3	0.52%
4 mm	0.008 m^3	10.00%	0.23 m^3	1.04%
8 mm	0.016 m^3	20.00%	0.45 m^3	2.08%
16 mm	0.032 m^3	40.00%	0.90 m^3	4.15%
32 mm	0.064 m^3	80.00%	1.81 m^3	8.31%
64 mm	0.128 m^3	160.00%	3.62 m^3	16.62%
128 mm	0.256 m^3	320.00%	7.24 m^3	33.24%
256 mm	0.512 m^3	640.00%	14.48 m^3	66.48%
512 mm	1.024 m^3	1280.00%	28.95 m^3	132.95%

ARMOR problem Spreadsheet Solution

So Armor is a Function of Thickness. We wont cover sloping and how armor is thicker when approached at an angle. As well as this is Average Thickness and vehicles are never uniform in this, tanks have more armor in front and at their sloping front. It’s easy enough to Add more armor in one side while reducing armor of another side equally. 

Surface Area Factor. Basically how much surface area given a volume. The technique I used was GPT4 and Wolfram alpha to get the Volume and express it as different shapes. The most interesting is the Wedge - which has the most surface area for a given the volume.  

 

Speed 

Speed and Streamlined. Their speed is based on Accel rate equal to 1/30th of their KPH speed. The speed given in page 17 is the speed in 1 earth atmosphere.  Streamlining should improve the speed by x2 in 1 earth atmosphere (for Flying vehicles the atmosphere level these vehicles operate at on earth), instead of x5. 

In a vacuum for simplicity speed is qual to x5. 

Change the Speed of Walked to 30kph increments instead of 50kph, based on mechwarrior speeds. So a Speed 6 is 180kph. Streamlined is at 360kph.
  

PROBLEM: Speed is x5 because of Streamlining which should not be the case in Vacuum… does that mean in a Vacuum any vehicle is x5 speed? If so the calculation should be different. An Airraft can be used as transport in Vaccuum.. so what's is its speed and accel? 

Long Term Solution: this would be the Thrust force in Newtons of a Given Engine. Then MODE of movement would be 

Problem: Need for Battery Rules. Batteries are basically Closed Fuel Cells with Volume adding endurance.   Low Power states rules are just needed as a quick work around. 

Cargo Arms. 

Cargo Arms only have the leverage to move x5 their spaces of cargo arms. So you need to increase the cargo arm spaces to allow it to carry more. Every increment is another Strength 30. To carry a 40ft container (4DT)  one needs 10 spaces of cargo arms - like a fork lift. 

Seat Standard 2spaces

Seat Standard 2spaces

Seat, Cramped 4spaces

Seat, Cramped 4spaces

How they fit in 1DT or 12 space Life Pod

Update: 

I haven’t started my edits on the Space Combat because of work and duties. Being a “Discount Director” means people think they can waste my time. Of course the root cause is why do people like to waste the time of others. If the client makes mistakes and it causes us to waste time - why is there the cultural behavior to pass that suffering down to others. 

It’s funny when a Company that is working for 30 years and have a 30 year old operations method believes its still relevant method of micromanaging is what it believes it should be doing for the next 2-5 years if it still manages to exist. 

 

Using the Cepheus Engine Vehicle Builder - Example: Grav Van

 

Lost the Original File

Here is a New Van

Purchasing AI Personalities -

Link to Prompt -

Me: 

Help me write an article about Buying AI personalities. 

GPT changed the landscape of AI because of its ability to attempt and guess, instead of dead ends the AI is able to improvise and adapt. It may be inaccurate but where in extreme cases its factually incorrect and potentially dangerously incorrect, before that extreme we have helpfully creative. 

With the AI voices, AI Image generation and the ability to Translate Visual stimuli into actions and response, we are so close to human-like robots and androids that will respond to us beyond just text and voice - but with Action. 

Getting into the main idea: Buying AI personalities - we will grow spoiled with all the conveniences of AI and like what GPT did, they want the onus of INITIATIVE more and more to the AI instead of the human. The market will demand that the AI have more power over the human learning to communicate and learn. Thus the market for Personalities emerges: AIs that will take initiative based on certain cues and conditions. Humans with fickle desires, will want some areas the AI to take initiative and creative liberty, and will ail to communicate this hoping the AI to iterate and adapt to every whim and response until the human is satisfied with the response. 

As a professional that is in ERPNext IT implementation - people believe the Software should adapt - to the lengths that they forget the budget and the impact of every customization. Imagine a future that people will never need to adapt. They will never believe they will ever need to learn and the AI, robot or Android will find a way for the human. 

I don't know if you ever want to point that out in your TRPG storytelling - a rent-seeking attitude of a culture that derives power through authority instead of reason - that Adaption and Understanding disappear as an evolutionary successful trait. The way risk seeking is an outlier trait that keeps the gene pool healthy - Intelligence and innovation become an outlier in the gene pool. 

**Title: The Future of AI: Buying Personalities and the Adaptation Paradox**

Artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved far beyond its initial design intent of simple task automation. Today, we are witnessing the unprecedented rise of AI entities that can mimic, interpret, and respond to human behavior - setting the stage for the next frontier: buying AI personalities. 

The landmark achievements of OpenAI's Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT) platform have altered the landscape of AI by enabling these virtual entities to adapt and improvise in real-time, pushing them closer to human-like cognition than ever before. GPT's ability to attempt and guess responses, while occasionally inaccurate, has shifted our perception of AI from rigid computational systems to imaginative and creatively helpful companions.

Modern advancements have also integrated AI voice recognition, image generation, and the interpretation of visual stimuli into actionable responses. We're on the precipice of fully interactive AI-powered robots and androids that can respond to human cues not just through text and voice, but with real-world actions. 

This leads us to a nascent yet intriguing idea: buying AI personalities. As AI becomes more embedded in our daily lives, our expectations of its capabilities are escalating. Just like how GPT revolutionized the understanding of AI, the market is gradually shifting its demands. We are seeking AI that can take more initiative, that can anticipate our needs and wants without being explicitly programmed to do so. 

The emerging market for AI personalities represents a new type of AI that can initiate actions based on specific cues and conditions. These AIs adapt to our changing needs and expectations, iterating their responses until we, the humans, are satisfied. 

This inclination is not too far removed from my experiences as an ERPNext IT implementation professional. Often, clients hold the belief that software should adapt to them, dismissing the constraints of budget or the implications of excessive customization. This mindset raises an intriguing question for our future: What if we no longer needed to adapt or learn? What if our AI companions could shoulder that burden?

If we project this trend into the future, it could lead to a society where adaptation and understanding are no longer necessary for survival, or even viewed as desirable traits. A dystopian future could see the dominance of a culture that asserts power through authority rather than reason.

In the realm of table-top role-playing games (TRPG), this scenario presents an intriguing narrative device. It paints a picture of a society with a rent-seeking attitude, where intelligence, innovation, and risk-taking become outliers in the gene pool, rather than standard traits.

This prospect calls for reflection and foresight. As we charge forward into this new age of AI, we must consider the ethical, societal, and evolutionary implications of our advancements. After all, the value of AI is not solely in its ability to make our lives more convenient but also in its potential to help us understand and navigate the complexities of our ever-evolving world.


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Background: observing my kids with technology, reflecting on the costs of raising a Child in the developing - and planning the NGO school I hope to one day afford if my IT projects work out. Impacted also by the trend of rent-seeking behavior in businesses and organizations and my powerlessness.  At least I can escape in my writing of TRPG scifi settings. the paradox - as I am Evolved to pay more attention to threats - and Selected for planning and think - I cant help but see threats farther out and be emotionally affected by them. 

My ideas will always be difficult to communicate, and despite AI polishing it - so much of culture has been conditioned to shift the burden of understanding to someone else. You can use AI to frame ideas optimally - but the burden will always shift away from the adaptability trait. 

rent-seek·ing

ECONOMICS

noun

noun: rent-seeking; noun: rentseeking

the fact or practice of manipulating public policy or economic conditions as a strategy for increasing profits.

"cronyism and rent-seeking have become an integral part of the way our biggest companies do business"

adjective

adjective: rent-seeking

engaging in or involving the manipulation of public policy or economic conditions as a strategy for increasing profits.

"rent-seeking lobbyists"