Technology Design

From ElanVital

So you want to invent your own brand new contribution to theme? A spiffy new gizmo, an interesting gadget, or something even more ambitious? Here's how you do it!

Basic Procedure

Step 1: Submit a +Str

Figure out what you want the object to be able to do and write it up. Detail isn't necessary, though if you're very vague the staffer who handles your request may ask for more information. If you give us pre-defined stats for the object, be aware we may edit them based off balance concerns and how well you roll - so don't be too attached to what you outline!

Step 2: Do your Rolls

A staffer will get back to you ASAP with a note on how long the object will take to finish and a request for rolls. You'll roll whatever skills are needed (typically Design and a few others). The values of these rolls will be used to assign Fudge levels when necessary, or to assign non-leveled traits such as Armor and Damage.

Step 3: Wait!

Your character can then start RPing out their work on the object - please don't RP anything before the +str gets started, because you may have a basic idea that's unfeasible. For example, you may want a gun that shoots nuclear warheads - if you RP working on such an object and having a prototype before we get around to saying "No, that's not okay", all of your RP related to this horrifying weapon is going to have to be retconned!

You can only be designing one object at a time, though you may also be co-designing one other object and improving a third. More on this later.

Step 4: Contemplate Improvements and Uses

Once the time has passed, you may RP having a working prototype of the object based off the stats the staffers have okayed for you. You may improve this object in the future (rules on that later), apply to a high-ranking PC/NPC to get it put into mass production (such as a new weapon the Militia might want, for example), or simply enjoy your new super-gizmo!

Designing an Invention

So that's just what you have to do, but it doesn't explain a lot of the rules and backbone behind the process. That's what this section is for.

As stated above, you may design one object at a time, co-design on another object, and improve a third object. None of these are interchangeable - you can't design two new objects and co-design a third, for example.

Every project MUST have a main designer, however many co-designers are on the case.

The time an object takes to design is dependent on its complexity; the time an object takes to improve is dependent on its quality. Co-designing doesn't speed up the process in general, but it does allow the skills of other designers to help you make a better product.

When you design an invention, a few central things matter:

1. How complex is it?

2. What resources are you drawing on to complete it?

3. What skills are required to make it?

Invention Complexity

Some inventions are bigger than others. In some cases, a LOT bigger. Your invention will be assigned to one of 5 levels, a mark of how long it takes.

Level 1: A simple invention, such as a brief new program or a mild deviation on existing technology. Time from start of +str to completion: 1 week.

Level 2: A more complex invention, but still requiring no major innovation. Time to completion: 2 weeks.

Level 3: Something that may well be classified as a 'new' technology, or something that is pre-existing but being applied in an innovative and/or -large- fashion. Time to completion: 3 weeks.

Level 4: Something more or less brand new, or something very large and complex. Time to completion: 4 weeks.

Level 5: Huge projects, either in physical scope or innovative scope. Building vehicles, new forms of heavy artillery, theme-changing technology. Time to completion: At least 1 month; the bigger the project, the more time it's going to end up requiring.

You MAY set aside a level 5 invention for any length of time to work on something smaller (i.e., work on your level 5 for April and May, make a level 3 and a level 1 in June, then get back to your level 5 in July). In this case only the time not spent on other projects counts toward the completion of the level 5 (so no, you don't get to count June!)

Invention Resources

If you are designing something that's level 4 and 5, odds are you'll need a an explanation of the resources you're using. Few people are rich enough to build technology in their backyard. Funding can be gotten from either a private PC with the Wealth quirk or the government, by applying to a high-ranking NPC/PC.

Human resources are also important; at level 4 and 5, expect anything truly ambitious to take much longer if you're working on it alone, with some projects being basically not feasible without the help of other PCs and NPCs secured through the aforementioned funding.

Skills and Inventions

There are a wide variety of skills that can be used to make inventions, including some we likely won't list here - be creative!

First and foremost...

Design

Every project has a Design roll. The result of this roll caps the Fudge level of all of the project's traits. This is to represent the difference between being able to maintain and fix things that exist and being able to truly visualize a brand new idea.

Mechanic

Mechanic is NOT involved in the invention process.

Electronics

Electronics is rolled for body construction of an electrical object and things like circuitry, etc.

Robotics

Robotics is rolled for construction of any small systems to give an electrical object mobility.

Computer Programming

Computer Programming is rolled for, well, any programs you create, whether they drive hardware or stand on their own.

Engineering

Engineering, our catch-all, is rolled for anything to do with engines, super-complex tech or basically anything that doesn't really seem to fit within the other technological purviews.

Co-Designing an Invention

When you co-design an invention, it's basically exactly like designing one, only multiple individuals can roll the skills requested. The rolls are averaged for everything except Design; on a Design roll, the HIGHEST roll of all the co-designers is used.

Improving an Invention

Improving an invention simply requires re-rolling the initial skills that you used. The amount of time that you have to wait before you can improve an invention is based off its initial creation time. Something that took you 1 week to create will require 1 week to tinker with sufficiently to improve it; something that took you 2 weeks, 2 weeks, etc.

Projects that have multiple 'parts' may allow you to improve one specific part without so long of a wait, based on the staffer's discretion. I.e., a vehicle might have taken 3 months to build, but it would only take 2 weeks to improve its weaponry because that's a very small part of the overall invention.

Once the skills used to determine the invention's Fudge level all reach Legendary, it cannot be improved further.

If your improvement rolls are WORSE than the originals, don't worry, you haven't made the object worse; you've just failed to improve it this cycle and will have to wait til the next.

Mass-Producing an Invention

If you get the IC approval/funding to mass produce your invention, you will have to roll Design at -1 to edit the design for mass production. This roll will be capped at Great to indicate the limitations of resources/quality inherent in mass production.