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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhuxl!ulysses!princeton!astrovax!elt
From: elt@astrovax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: traveller flaws (computers)
Message-ID: <113@astrovax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 8-Nov-83 23:13:44 EST
Article-I.D.: astrovax.113
Posted: Tue Nov  8 23:13:44 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 10-Nov-83 01:55:15 EST
Organization: Princeton Univ. Astrophysics
Lines: 30

It is generally agreed (apparently) that the computers in standard Traveller 
are ridiculously bulky and impotent.  No defense of this aberation has been 
advanced except that 1) it limits their effect on ship-to-ship combat and 2) 
it is equally playable for computer illiterates and for hackers. 
 
There is a more elegant and realistic solution in my opinion.  In Traveller 
games which I Run, all computers are AI's (=artificial intelligences) and 
NPC's.  This is a much more reasonable extrapolation of computer technology, 
is easily playable (effortless really), and provides a new, very useful mode 
of GM - player interaction.  The AI computer provides a very natural way for 
the GM to feed the players information within the context of the game and in 
role playing mode; it thus avoids the necessity of GM announcements.  For 
example, contrast 
 
GM: "You have just noticed two unidentified blips on your radar scope." 
 
with 
 
Computer: "I am tracking two unidentified ships." 
 
The problem of limiting the effect of very advanced computers on combat can 
be handled by postulating either that the computers are (voluntarily?) 
subject to Asimov's First Law of Robotics (i.e., are resolute pacifists) or 
that their electronics are too delicate or easily disrupted (by EMP's?) for 
use in combat.  Neither of these solutions seems very realistic but they are 
better than tech level C computers with the bulk of MANIAC and the computing 
power of an Apple ii+. 
 
Comments or other suggestions?