ICAR Technology

[viziel]

In reading over the rules I had a question about the technology in the ICAR game...

I understand that there are a few bastions of human civilizations that cover several worlds and have many colonies across space.

Given that, are all the worlds the same? Are they all of the same technological standard?

If you travel from one world to another are all things available or is this something the GM would have to adjust as he/she sees fit?

A mechanic that I liked allot was associating a number with any given technology. Levels of technological progress are defined as (progress levels) that define barbaric worlds from the pinnnacle worlds.

PL1-5: ....
PL6-10:....

etc... and any given piece of technology, a gun, car, ship can all have an associated PL.

What does this mean? As you travel you may not have access to tech thats higher PL than where you are. OR it could cost more or less. This could reflect development and create more diversity in human space.

[DOC_Agren]

I have no official standing but at least in our Campaign we have seen the difference in "Tech". But our group is "old" ie experienced players so Randolph here may have tweaked ICAR system some. But in canon, Kale is a back to basic farming world.

[Rob Lang]

Disclaimer: Everyone runs Icar in their own way. There is no right way, not even mine. This is only how I run it...

Technology is standard across all the human occupied space worlds. There are millions of human colonies across huge areas of space and what we would consider advanced technology is cheap and easily available. The "rarity" statistic controls this.

What makes somewhere a backwater is what you can get hold of there. Harvester technology on a farming world might be up to date but you won't be able to get a Korg Assault Canon there. Nor will they be able to fix the Grav engine in your Cruiser. They are unlikely to be farming with low tech (such as pulling ploughs with oxen) and will still have modern clothing.

Some colonies will have everything, regardless of rarity but then you're going to have to pay for it.

A good question. I should really cover this in the rules somewhere!

[viziel]

This is an interesting aspect of the game that is often hinted at and if you get certain types of players they like to explore.

Namely, thats a crafting system (like MMOs have). Some players (including myself) like to make stuff if possible.

d20 allowed this by picking up feats "craft XXX" and expending XP to build stuff. This was an inane system (who wants to give up XP for anything??), and I never liked it.

I don't see why crafting couldn't involve the GM more. The only invention rules I saw that actually made sense to me was in the Dragonlance book regarding Tinker gnomes. Despite being a comical element to the game (their inventions backfired allot), the system itself could be adjusted to remove that element and make things fail less...

I can go into a more detailed explaination of that system later, but was curious how ICAR handles this.

You have skills in design that are documented, if you roll some dice against a difficulty does that result in working technology?

Invention of NEW technology should go through a cycle of revision and failure until its refined (things rarely work the first time around).

Allot of technology requires specialized materials, I'd imaging in the super-future setting of ICAR, invention would require some very complicated and expensive equipment.

Also, there is a difference between invention and fabrication. Fabrication is "oh I need to make a weapon can I make a skill roll?", versus "I want to invent a 4 barreled plasma gun".

I havent read through all of ICAR, but I see peppered through it mentions of skills and design and technology of various sorts so it hints at characters making stuff but dosn't seem to really explain it.

Or am I totally off base?

[Rob Lang]

You are entirely on-base once again. I don't really explain it anywhere properly!

In Icar, the technology skill tree allows you to build things. I should explain how its done in game a bit better, though. The aim is to keep it simple and not have the GM cluttered with loads of rules. I think it is best to have the GM add more complexity if the players are interested in delving into the technology deeply.

Here's how I run it:

Player has an idea for an upgrade to an existing thing (gun, car, space craft, etc). Player describes it to the GM, who approves it or suggests an alternative. GM sets a time for how long it might take (no rules for this as it is very subjective). Once approved, player rolls most relevent Systems skill (e.g. Space Craft Systems). And on a pass, the upgrade can be made when the player has time. When fabricating from existing plans, this is the same process.

Player has an idea for a completely new thing. The same as the above but use the appropriate Design skill (e.g. Space Craft Design).

The bare minumum the players is a Shakespear Tech Kit, Nanofactory (Nanofac) and raw materials. I don't seem to mention this anywhere! Nanofactories have a maximum size they can create to, after that you need to add Automatons to the mix. The raw materials should cost 10% of final value of the thing they are trying to build.

Advanced build rules will need to be in an expanded tech resource, I think.

Great question!

[viziel]

Ah good stuff, yes very simple and allot of it is subject to GM approval which in the realm of upgrading and invention I believe it should be, lest rule lawyers start pressing the GM (which never goes well). lol


Of course, as you mention, a supplement of some kind with advanced rules could be fun. I see charts for skill check failures (things get damaged, it dosn't come out with the right stats ..etc). That would bring more of the design, prototype, field test, finished product to the table.

AND its important, in my mind, that this system be flexible enough to allow this to occur with ANY design skill (as im sure you are intending). so, if they wanted to create drugs or program something...or do something thats NOT building a gun, then they rules still hold water...

The more I read about ICAR, the more I like. After the content gets refined (and I think that will take a few revisions of the entire book, theres allot of material and I'm just doing a 1st glance right now, I suspect 3 will be needed), its going to be quite an amazing thing. I just wish I had some play testers in the Milwaukee, WI area to try this stuff out.

It may happen yet, I've kinda backed off the RPG scene since i got fed up running d20 DnD games that never lasted more than a few months, people would always run into real life issues!

[Rob Lang]

Running a regular game is a really tricky thing to do these days.

As for technology, it needs a section describing what is possible in core.

[DOC_Agren]

Well Rob you got Randolph ICAR game active in Maine

[Rob Lang]

Doc, knowing that warms the cockles of my heart!

[viziel]

Better go see a doc on that, "warming" is often internal bleeding...