Converging UT and ISW - Computers and Programs

This is how to integrate GURPS InterStellar Wars so that it won't conflict with Ultra Tech, beginning with computers.

Computers
In ISW164 for computers, use UT25 for cost, weight, and complexity.

Command Station	ISW	UT	Complexity default TL9	cost of component
Small Cockpit	Microcomputer	Medium Computer	5	$6,000
Large Cockpit	Microframe	Microframe	6	$60,000
Small Bridge	Microcomputer	Medium Computer	5	$6,000
Standard Bridge	Microframe	Microframe	6	$60,000
Command Bridge	MainFrame	Mainframe	7	$600,000
Command Station	cost for additional computers	weight for additional computers
Small Cockpit	$2,000	10 lbs.
Large Cockpit	$20,000	100 lbs.
Small Bridge	$2,000	10 lbs.
Standard Bridge	$20,000	100 lbs.
Command Bridge	$200,000	1,000 lbs.

+2 to complexity at TL10
+3 to complexity at TL11
+4 to complexity at TL12
Redundancies (ISW172, under Computer systems), there are 3 identical computers for redundancy. Since this is made for space, assume its also hardened

Software (ISW164) - Assume ISW under-estimated computer complexity and add a modifier to complexities below. Take the complexity of the program then refer to the UT25 to get the cost of the program based on its complexity.

Program	UT Complexity
Accounting	as is
Damage Control	+3
Datalink	+2
Entertainment	as is
Expert System	+3
Gunner	+3
Internal Security	+3
Interpreter	+3
Jump Navigation	+2
Jump Planning	10TB instead
Personality Simulator	use UT26 instead
Routine Vehicle Operation	+4
Targeting	as is
Techincal Reference	+2
Word Processing	as is

Some programs like Word Processing, Data-link, and Accounting was imagined much differently as they are now imagined.

The Accounting program, which i'd rather cal a  Finance Program, capable of tracking and constantly tranforming data to visualizations and updating the users HUD would be +3 complexity from the one given in the ISW164. Note that in present day, 2012, that would be the processing power of a data center running a $10,000 program while in TL10 that is one of the two programs a Tiny Computer can run; prefect for a wearable HUD computer. 

The Data-Link program would be an Interface Builder, allowing the output of one program be integrated into another. There is some programming skill needed to use this. In this incarnation its Complexity +4. 

The Word Processor would be something like a Legal Data mining and personal database tool. Its left to constantly run and record everyday material, documenting everything and making it searchable by tranforming images, speech and note contexts to searchable information. +5 complexity and grants an searchable event database. The program is limited to what the character paid attention to and has only a 2megapix video memory

Jump Planning Program. Since there is now up to Jump-6, add +1 per complexity over Jump-3 and Complexity-9. That means TL11 Courier boats have Genius Computers on their bridge: x500 to the cost of components. An Xboat will have TL11 Genius Command Bridge at Complexity 12 so that it can make a Jump-6 which requires complexity 12. That's $300M for cost of component. 

Ex. Gunner Program is Complexity 4 in ISW164, now its Complexity 7 costs $1000 in TL10;  A dedicated hardened medium computer can control 2 turrets and would cost about $2,000; That would be a total of $4000 per unit; for an additional redundancy would cost as much, $4000; This would be gunner-12. If they were to get a much better gunner program, Complexity 9 it would cost $10,000 for the program and a Hardened Mainframe of $20,000. If one were to purchase this military grade tool it would cost around $40,000, weigh 100lbs, and provide a skill-14 in gunner.   

Technology and Economics; World building

GDP per Capita is a great way to measure Technology over time. The economic metric of GDP/C allows one to measure a state's relative productivity per individual. My assumption of Technology and Innovation is that it increases productivity, and as we get more technologically advanced every single individual can accomplish much more than they could previously.

I updated this in the table I made for income and changed it to GDP/C. I didn't name the Eras yet, as you can imagine naming any point in something that has multiple threads continually changing is very difficult. Everything is intertwined, yet distinct, and there is significant change in each field that no single field can claim sole sponsorship of human innovation. Some things are even mostly beyond human control, like the maturation and eventual development of all other countries, and the conflicts that occur. 

I don't want to put dates to points of Growth, it is supposed to be a Generic Toolset. I would rather put kinds of Innovations that are in its highest rate of dissemination. I will call all these Innovations because it is weird to call more productive social changes into "technology". The codification and secularization of Basic Rights can't be exactly fit into "Technology", and is better put into Innovation. The same can be used for Economic, Legal, Social and Organizational Systems. Even processes and procedures fit under Innovation better than "technology".  

The problem with these whole bunch of innovations is that its messy. 

Fields of Innovations

Economics - trade, barter, currency, specialization, economic theory (in various stages), trade routes, Regularization and De-regularization, 

Organization - bureaucracy, standardization, meritocracy, economies of scale, logistics, and various degrees of sophistication.

Industry - this refers more of the hard technical innovations like: metal working (copper, bronze, iron and steel), steam engines, archs, earthenware, stoneware, glassware, etc.

Social and Political- basic rights, legal codes, egalitarianism, caste systems, patronage, citizenship, representation, Peer system, Councils, Here, Primogenitur,  

Infrastructure - Roads, Bridges, various means of Power Generations (mills to electrical power plants and beyond).

GDP per Capital and Income per Capita (to be continued). 

GDP represents productivity per person on average but infrastructure is a large factor of this. People are way more productive because of the quality of Transportation, Communication, Healthcare, Education, Financial, Legal, and Security infrastructure they have at their disposal. Infrastructure is a convenience that is best realized when we do without it, but is a costs may would rather do without.

I'll have to make a GDP/C to Income/C formula. I would use Philippines as compared to other asian countries and extrapolate from there. I'd have to give KPI to various states: measuring effectivity of Education, Health Care, Transport, Communication, Legal, and Financial Infra and finding a way to allow other World builders to make their own States for their various eras and worlds. Ideally the system can go way back. 

GURPS Traveller - Back on the Wagon

I got to fixing my Ship Building Spread sheet. I've added a bunch more steps. I've probably spend 7 hours behind the screen doing all this. What an interesting way to use my vacation :P, typical gamers.

Step 1: Hull
Step 2: Armor and Surface. I simplified this with Armor Levels since the weapon average damages are known. These are merely benchmarks, its up to the GM to input the information.

(Fixed)Step 3: Drives. I have a better formula for calculating theoretical M-Drive needs. After Armor Mass, ships tend to have an average of 5Tons for every Dton. Now you can plan your theoretical Acceleration Before you do that annoying balancing act of power needs and thrust needs. Toggle-able options include Jump Endurance, and I have included Engineering and Maintenance Section Personnel in the summary.

(to be cleaned up) Step 4: Command Station and Sensors. Option for redundancies, Command Section Personnel is part of the summary.

(to be done) Step 5: Weapons and Defense. this is harder and messier. Gunnery Section personnel is part of the summary.
Step 6: Hangar Bay. this is as hard and messier as Weapons and Defenses. Also Flight Personnel is divided into Small Craft Crew and Hangar Section. Will include Mgeli's ships in the toggle options.
Step 7: Power. This is separate but mathematically I can add them without disrupting the formula.
Step 8: Support Sections. All the other sections are going to be featured here. Already with Benchmark recommendations of how much.
Step 9: Living Quarters and Passengers. Includes Passenger Services Section.
Step 10: Life Pods (found in GURPS Ultra Tech) and Special Vehicicle Bays for them.
Step 11:  Summary. So far I don't know how to make it turn into a nice little format like that in the books. Although all the data will be pretty easy to trasncribe by this time.  
Step 12: Post Mortem doctrine evaluation and notes.

Things I realized.

• They need to put when repulsor arrays came into use in the ISW history. ITs a VERY VERY big deal in the doctrine. Its practically negates 300Dtons of Missile arrays.
• Again Certain Tech assumptions need to be clarified, in IMTU I am my own Mgelis for setting material LOL.  
• Ships are REALY expensive vs their operating expense. their Annual operating expense is equal to >1% of its cost at HT10. 
• There is a technology Depreciation for Ships, not just material depreciation, A TL10 ship in a TL11 setting, despite being HT10 or HT12 should be priced differently. There should be a difference between Performance and TL, lower performing but adequate hardware will be much cheaper then getting the top of the line, yet still within the TL. This is typical for most private citizens and businesses vs Imperial standards. 

Manpower costs are a pain to the bottomline

Manpower costs are a pain to the bottomline

I was doing the numbers how much it cost to operate a defense ship for a year for an economy or government. I tried to simplify the salaries by averaging but hit a snag, salaries are a big part but not the total-cost-of-ownership per manpower unit. (tcoo and mpu)

In the future you get more bang per buck from company benefits but they are still going to cost a whole lot. If you are a spacer, soldier or someone who works in any number of hostile work environments the salary may not be the largest cost per mpu. I set my assumptions to x2, because traveller sallaries are 50% what it would be in GURPS 4E TL10. Of course this is because businesses are the ones investing in the benfits and a GM can rule that businesses, like the navy or mega corp, has a large multiplier to the cash set asside for insurance, cost of living, training and educational plan, and hundreds of little perks. This is because companies can better shop around and take advantage of economies of scale, then there is the staff that can allow companies to find the best deal by taking on the logistical and complexity cost burden an individual cannot afford.

what this means is that characters who get bits and pieces blown off, as long as they payed up, they get cybernetics. The GM may have to roll how effective the deals the company got. The better the deal, the better from the minimum the player gets. Insurance has some gambling in it, you wont know how great they are or how bandly they suck until you need to use it. Characters with expert skill: insurance (which cross disciplinary since it has complex math, financing/banking, and legal aspects) rolls have a +4 to the check, but must use that expertise.
This includes their gear, and some legal or malpractice insurance. The farther out there the least likely the protection covers. Judge a penalty then roll.

So when I did my ships, I found myself doubling my cost for mpu. That was the easy part the funny part we'd like to forget about is Business Taxes. Actually Travellers jurisdictions made it easy: Ships, Mega Corps, and off-planet busineses pay Biz taxes to the Imperium. People pay Income taxes to their gov'ts or alliegances. Gov'ts make money from customs, duties, permits and licenses.

Honorverse pictures an EASY taxation system. I agree, with mega computers that can calculate quantum probablities and interstellar physics and distances, this should be easy. since this is a game, lets make it easy. Anyway it is supposed to be fun. In my experience, the more complicated the rules the less likely you can get paid, who ever is going to complicate the rules are the people you have to carefull around.

Gov'ts are unpredictable. They are like people where your input is not exactly what you get out of it. It all depends on what kind of gov'ts you have and where they put their money. The more revenues a gov't has the more resources it has to do what its demanded of. Its up to the world builder.

I personally will go with the simple formula that gov't tax up to 5% to 40% income. Those that tax up to 30-40% practically have nanny-state perks: free education, retraining, retirement, health-services, insurance, and provide a return on surplus. Those that tax 15-20% are more moderate and are the larger majority of gov'ts; they have strong regulations but have to contend with powerful businesses influences. Then the 5-10% are practicaly free for all, and can be only counted on for very popular and basic infrastructure, everything else tends to be unregulated.

Again, gov'ts are like people they have many different strengths, weaknesses, quirks, and have exceptions to what is their norm. Some are great value for what their citizens put in; others are death traps. It would be usuful to attribute gov't in varrious stats: Individual Rights, Businesses, Infra, Military Defense, and Influence of Other Gov'ts. The GM can show some stats for him to use as Checks to see if the gov't does what its supposed to do. The GM can present Public Opinion, at a basic researching check 3rd Party researched scores, or PCs to investigate on their own skills like economics/expert skill: political science/ Intelligence Analysis etc..

The Imperium taxes its nobles and their assets, and businesses 30%. For businesses, they provide the security and assistance of the Imperial Navy, Diplomatic Corpse and Central Intelligence. For Nobles, its just for show, because they control most of the Imperiums Assets: like the Intelligence Agencies, Diplomatic Corpse, and all the Branches of Military.

BTW some "Gov'ts" are more like fiefdoms of the Nobility. They are autonomous, they have their own ships paid by their own citizens. The funny thing about it all is how you consider "Peerage"; a Duke or Baron is a peer of the Empire. This depends on various IMTU settings. And its great when we dont generalize, because these are people after all and people can always betray expectations: they are their own mess of saints and sinners.

Gov'ts after all their duties to give the Imperium/Empire, they pay a 10% fee/tribute/cost of facilitation/etc... one thing about businesses is that you will never run out of things to call an "exchange" of money just to make the other party feel less of a sucker.

My notes:
Average of salary (double for total cost of ownership)
2000Cr/mo. for Crewman/Private
5000Cr/mo. for Petty Officer/Sergeant
8,000Cr/mo. for Officers/Liutenants

On the assumption that experience and training increase over time, and that people eventually move up to fill higher level positions, I realized at the rate of 5 years & 10 years salaries increase at 8% per yer which is hella-fast even if GDP grew pretty fast; I kinda pegged things at 5% so its about 7yrs & 14 years for moving up the ranks. Note these are avarages and there is a lot of occilation within the standard deviation.

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What If Radical Future Era Societies Grew Rapidly? reasons to go the surface

People live longer, they can have more than one family in their life time. They are more productive and technology allowed us to multi-task to a degree allowing us to juggle quality time and work better. The assumption that people still like to have families and raise children. A population that lives longer and is more productive might be a formula to rapid expansion within a Star System? 

What if economic/gdp with population growth was at 4-5%, 6-7% and 8-9%? I've set my assumptions of how much  it takes to support a society for worlds and for stations, now consider how much demand is generated when population grows at those rates? I just made a table of the multipliers and if you consider the GURPS: ISW timeline what 40 years would mean if productivity is at growth of 2% (the dominant assumption); what if it was as high as 5% or even 9%? The multiplier at 2% is x2.21, at 5% x7 and at 9% x21! 

So many new communities, societies, and people who want to have their own piece, finding how easily where their current markets so easily saturated, going out, farther outward.  

I got the idea when looking at the catch up stories of all the emerging economies, and what it means is that even if everyone caught up to around 20% of the quality of life of the developed world. When everyone's buying power increase, that means that there are just more and more markets. Everyone has buying power and everyone can be your market. Such extremes of economies of scale can bring down the relative cost of translations/target marketing. 

It's actually pushing the limits of automation and logistics, that becomes the growing problem when you 

have a light speed barrier. 

Maybe for my ISW setting i'll roll 1d+1% growth rate, averaging at about 4.5% growth rate (a war time of 2% and a Peace time of 7%). 133 years from 2170 to 2303 (ISW40), at around an average 4% growth many economies that were captured from the very start of the empty peace would have grown by 348 times. If we were to use 2% that would be only 14 times; I can use the 2% as a pure population growth rate and at that level some population ratings would have increased at an average of x14, at one level plus. 

That would have put Nushku at 15B, in the system, or if you just take the whole sub sector you can distribute that population to Aggida. 

So I was imagining how a futuristic era would be if growth was very high and a whole universe to fill, and i think it would be very interesting and if I can imagine the individual lives people could possibly lead, being able to play so many roles in such a long lifetime where worlds grow so quickly.

The Int Stat; reflecting on Learning theories

Finished the chapters in my learning course regarding Motivation for Learning and Intelligence and Learning. I'm happy about what I learned about the first lectures, it a very handy set of tips for GM and Parents; particularly about letting go and when rewards actually reduce value of a game.

Regarding the second part, I'm glad to know that many, although not enough in my opinion, are of the same opinion of what IQ measures. In fact the lecture gave some really handy tips in measuring IQ from historical sampling, allowing me to make a generic set of assumption of how Learning contributes to the Point Total  to number Of Intelligence stats. As how oversimplification ruins and mis-communicates a whole lot, I'll just do that wrong and say: IQ = Intellectual Achievement.

Intelligence is a stat in the open system I'm working on. But I've been careful to define it in a way that it can accommodate the current view and normalization of what counts intellectual achievement in a given era. I cannot go about bringing down IQ scores in older eras; but I can make its definition change relative to our current era and our scientific understanding and standards of knowledge and education of the context era.

More importantly is what I've figured to be the role of Wisdom, the counterpart of Intelligence and its role in an RPG. Wisdom is basically an unconventional kind of intelligence, it is defined as what ever intelligence may be but we are not able to define and measure as easily. What happens is that high wisdom allow us to achieve things high Intelligence can but with different methods and often through indirect means; what happens is that Wisdom is the catch all term for Smarts we have trouble defining.

Basically you check for Int or Wis, which ever is higher. In puzzles we can use Int or Wis as the "controling" attribute. In fact in modern settings, Wis and Int is very interchangable in going about a puzzle or situation in Real world situation; but in tests where a certain attribute is being looked into most of the time you can only look at Int.

Intelligence and wisdom, given how little we currently know in the science (despite how it appears to be a lot) as to be defined. Which is all Ok, because part of the open system tool set is to to package and quickly communicate assumptions. Of course the default will be my own justification and definition; but as an open system has other people put their assumptions then it becomes possible that we can find more and more assumptions that cater best to us.

How Ancient Era Professions are Organized? World Builder Tools notes.

Ancient Era is my open standard term to what would be Low Tech Eras in GURPS. I admit its not very accurate, but so is Low-tech, but it will do for an open standard. AE is used for short in this document.

I have been mulling over this in several days, probably two to three weeks. I've experimented in organizing AE Professions by Service vs Producers; Urban vs Rural; and Management vs Workers. All are important in describing and organizing these professions and putting down assumptions so that people can easily know where they can easily make alterations and where are the implied exceptions.

Before I get to what I figured out, first I have to provide some requirements as to how best such is organized. One important thing a World Builder needs is the ability to create socieites easily and all the necessary bare bones technical Infrastrcuture, basically from the simplest societies to societies that increase in complexity. A GM can build a household of a noble, that is the key management center of a village (if the family is a small man-at-arms family or sergeant: village manager family). As the GM paints a more detailed picture he can proceed to describe the economic specializatin and non-essential trades and products of the economic unit.

So by now you realize what organization I've fallen on to by having narrowed the paramters by what is essential, to what is opportunties oppened up by specialization, and allowing for templates that can apply across multiple Eras and Cultures. The basis AE professions are: complexity and technology.

How this works is we start with the simplest and most common set of professions to run subsitance level of survival for a community. As food becomes more plentiful, more opportunities open up; allowing for complex but worthwhile products and services AE people would trade for. If we follow this method what we have is branching trees of services/products. The branches are thicker when more people engage in the activity and the thinest branch is very few people do engage on the activity.

Then imagine layers, like GIMP or Photoshop Layers, we can use the layers to imagine different evolutions of technology. Where some layers have trunks and branches that are narrower but have more branchations as technology improves. The older AEs are thicker trunks but few branches, the later AEs have slightly narrower trunks but more branches. The branches themselves have complex relationships, which will be a foot note for now.

The best way I can do this is having either a spreadsheet map it, using colors to represent the thicker trunk of food producers, moving towards the branching elements of specializations. One sheet for the “tree” and one sheet for the list with its elments. So Two sheets per Major techological breakthrough in AE particulary in food production. Empires come into the Picture, is when they start having economic specialization in regions like when the Tang and the Romans made breadbasket regions and used water ways for logistics.

Wow, that is a lot of work ahead. But again, its an open system, I break ground here its easier for world builders to make settings in Sumaria, Ancient India, China etc.