263 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
263 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
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-----=====Earth's Dreamlands=====-----
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(313)558-5024 {14.4} - (313)558-5517
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A BBS for text file junkies
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RPGNet GM File Archive Site
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.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
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A New Weird Science System for TORG
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1991 by the Warmonger
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This system is designed to replace the Weird Science system
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given in the Nile Empire Source Book. It is not intended to cope with
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conventional science skills. It is also not intended to be used for
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modification of existing items into Weird Science, but rather for
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construction from scratch.
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This material is in the public domain and may be distributed
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freely as long as original authorship is quoted.
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Terminology:
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Component
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Any single part of a device
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System
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Any component other than power plants or possibility
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capacitors
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There are two stages to the construction of a device. The
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first is to construct the components of the device; the second is to
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link them together.
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* No blueprints, adaptors or caps! Mainly because there's a
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single strategy that minimises the number of adaptors and caps
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required, and it becomes simply an exercise in application of
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algorithms. Secondarily because that makes it an exercise in player
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skill, not character skill.
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Systems available include statistics, speeds, skills and
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powers.
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Statistics
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The Mind rating serves as an indicator of available memory.
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Level 0 represents 1K of memory, and the normal scale is used. A
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device may be constructed a Memory rating greater than its Mind would
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allow; this is built as a separate system, though for purposes of
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power usage it counts as part of the Mind. There is no limit to the
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value of Memory.
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Every device must have a Toughness system; this represents the
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casing. The Toughness minus five also gives the mass of the device.
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If a device is intended to be self-mobile (i.e. it has a Speed system
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of any type), it should also have Strength; this has the following
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effects.
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S<T-5 All speeds reduced by (T-S-5), usable Strength = 0.
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S>=T-5 Speeds are as normal, but usable Strength = S-T+5.
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The usable Strength of a vehicle is used on the Mass table to
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determine its payload. An overloaded vehicle should generate a bonus
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number with its usable Strength (minimum bonus of 0), and must exceed
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the total mass on board to be able to move. This check is repeated at
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the GM's discretion.
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The Toughness should not be more than five points less than
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the highest other system rating (for this purpose, the Strength system
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rating is the usable strength), or the device will take damage when
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used.
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Toughness is the only system which does not require a power
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source of any sort.
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For devices intended to serve as armour, the Toughness-10
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should be checked on the Power column of the General and Push Results
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Table in order to find the bonus rating of the armour. The maximum
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Toughness is, of course, the Toughness of the armour itself.
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Device mass may be reduced by building another system, which
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acts directly against Toughness to reduce the mass. This is not
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usable for Weird Science-based vehicles.
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There are two new statistics, those of "Damage" and "Range".
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These are used in weapon design. The final value of Range gives the
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long range of the weapon (limit 16); the final value of Damage gives
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the weapon's damage (no limit). M<>l<EFBFBD>e weapons, of course, do not
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require a Range system. Other ranges, ammunition capacity, and other
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weapon statistics should be determined in consultation with the GM.
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(Note that weapons doing reasonable damage will normally be quite
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heavy. Weird Science isn't meant for conventional weapons!)
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Other statistics may be added as required, in consultation
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with the GM. Examples would include "Communications", with the rating
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giving the range.
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Speeds
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* There's a problem with the standard system of speeds; they're
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either too low or too high. I think the system wasn't designed for
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people to build new items, just to modify old ones. Weird. No pun
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intended.
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Vehicle speeds are built as other systems. However, boosters
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for speeds use the Speed column rather than the Power column of the
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General and Push Results Table, as do any bonus values gained in
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construction.
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Skills
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These are as in the standard system.
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Powers
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These are as in the standard system.
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Limits to system ratings are as found on the last page of the
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Weird Science chapter.
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Construction
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In order to construct a system, the Weird Scientist should
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choose the system rating desired and generate a Weird Science total.
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If the total is greater than the system value, the
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construction is a success. To find the time taken, calculate the
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system rating minus the WS total, plus 22; this is called the efficacy
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rating. If this is greater than or equal to the system rating, the
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time should be checked on the time chart. If the efficacy rating is
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less than the system rating, the time taken is equal to the value of
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the system rating on the time chart, and the difference between the
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system rating and the efficacy rating should be checked on the Power
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column of the General and Push Results Table and the result added to
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the system rating, though it cannot exceed its limit value in this
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manner. This bonus system rating may be rejected if desired.
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If the generated Weird Science total is less than the system
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value, the attempted construction has failed. The time taken is equal
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to the difference in values, plus 17.
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To summarise:
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Pick System Rating desired (SR).
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Generate Weird Science total (WS).
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IF WS>SR
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' Successful construction
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ER=SR-WS+22
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IF ER>=SR
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Time={ER}
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ELSE
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Time={SR}
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SR=SR+Pow(SR-ER)
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ENDIF
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ELSE
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' Unsuccessful construction
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Time={SR-WS+17}
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ENDIF
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[The function {x} here represents the use of the exponential table; it
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could also be written 101/5^x. The function Pow(x) represents the use
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of the Power column of the General and Push Results Table.]
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A note on times
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The times generated by this system represent the total time
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required for the particular task. Clearly, the builder cannot work
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continuously. A value of +2 on the time roll represents 9 hours, 33
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minutes and 16.46 seconds of work per day, and will give the total
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time needed. A value of +1 on the time roll represents 15 hours, 8
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minutes and 34.71 seconds of work per day, but this can only be
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sustained for a total time equal to the value of the character's
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Toughness plus Spirit plus Mind minus 1 (typically about a week),
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after which extended rest is required.
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The Many-On-One table may be used to modify the time roll if
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several Weird Scientists are cooperating; but in this case, the system
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value can be no larger than planned, no matter how good the roll.
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Obviously, there is a temptation for players to abandon
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projects if they get bad rolls. However, once a roll has been made
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and the time determined, no other Weird Science activity may be
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undertaken by that character until the time required by the roll has
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been spent.
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Power Plants
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The value of the power plant for a device should normally be
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similar to the maximum system rating; it may not be more than five
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points less than this value. When power plant exhaustion is checked,
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the plant must generate a total with its rating against the maximum
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system rating it powers. If this fails, the plant is exhausted and
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must be recharged by a Weird Scientist (difficulty 12). A Weird
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Scientist may add his, her or its skill bonus (not including mind) to
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the roll, if he, she or it is personally operating the device and is
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familiar with its construction.
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The power plant is constructed in the same way as a system.
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Normally, a power plant has effectively unlimited duration.
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Power plant exhaustion checks are at the discretion of the GM, but
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normally occur when a stymie or setback card takes effect.
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Possibility Capacitors
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These have an effective system rating of 12, for purposes of
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connection only.
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Boosters
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These are constructed as systems, though they must be attached
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to a specific other system at the time of construction and cannot
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subsequently be used on others. A booster must be built at a minimum
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system rating of 12. The system rating minus twelve is checked on the
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Power column of the General and Push Results Table in order to
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determine the rating of the booster. Each single booster, or each
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point of system rating above the limit value (whichever is higher) is
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manifest as a penalty point in operation, as in the standard system.
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A booster must immediately be connected to the system it
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boosts. The difficulty of this is equal to the system rating, plus
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the values of any boosters already attached.
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Compensators
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These are constructed as systems, though they must be attached
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to a specific booster or set of boosters at the time of construction
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and cannot subsequently be used on others. A compensator must be
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built at a minimum system rating of 12. The system rating minus
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twelve is the compensator's rating, which is offset against the
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booster-induced penalty.
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A compensator must immediately be connected to the boosters
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with which it will be used. The difficulty of this is equal to the
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total value of the boosters.
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For purposes of connection and repair, the system rating is
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given by the sum of:
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The base system rating,
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The sum of the booster values, and
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The total number of compensators.
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For purposes of operation and power requirements, the system
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rating is the sum of the base rating and those of the boosters.
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For purposes of minimum toughness, the system rating is taken
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at its base, unboosted value; if its boosted value is greater than the
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limit value, the difference between them is added. For example, a
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system with a limit value of 13 is built at level 10 and boosted by
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+5. Its value for this purpose is 10+15-13, or 12. Thus the minimum
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toughness of the device housing it will be 7.
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The second stage in device construction is the connection of
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the separate components into a cohesive whole. This is resolved as a
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series of tasks, each of which will take time. The time is calculated
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as for system construction, except that high rolls can cut the time
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drastically, rather than increasing the system rating.
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IF WS>Diff
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' Successful connection
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Time={Diff-WS+22}
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ELSE
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' Unsuccessful connection
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Time={Diff-WS+17}
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ENDIF
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First, each component must be placed in the casing. This is a
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comparatively simple task for small devices; its difficulty is equal
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to the average of the Toughness of the casing (i.e. the rating of the
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Toughness system) and the adjusted system rating.
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Then, the power-using components must be connected to the
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power plant. The difficulty of this task is equal to the average of
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the power plant's rating and the adjusted system rating, with a
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minimum value of 12.
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Finally, the Possibility-using components must be connected to
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the possibility capacitor. The difficulty of this task is equal to
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whichever is higher of the adjusted system rating and 12.
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At this stage, the device is complete.
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* In general, I think this system works fairly well. Note that
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most of the time will be spent on failed attempts, and the best way to
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build something quickly is to use lots of possibilities. This strikes
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me as reasonable.
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