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DougRed4
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Joined: 18 Jan 2013
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Location: Seattle, WA
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 Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 5:18 pm Post subject: Programming Droids |
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In my recent game my players wanted to program their astromech droid, and purchased the appropriate SkillWare. I found some basic information in the Cynabar's Fantastic Technology: Droids book for how much it should cost and more or less handwaved things at the table regarding the time involved. Upon closer examination, though, it takes WAY more time than I would have guessed.
Based on the type of droid (Second Degree) and the difficulty (Difficult), that book is saying it should take 36 hours. 
I'm thinking of making such programming take significantly less. Even half seems way too much. I'm thinking of having it take 1/3rd the calculated time, which would still mean 12 hours in this case (enough to delay the party significantly).
What do you think?
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KageRyu
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Joined: 06 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 5:32 pm Post subject: |
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I would say 36 hours is a steal. Especially given the sophistication of droids in Star Wars. Programming complex tasks on machinery is a time consuming task.
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pakman
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| Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 9:40 pm Post subject: |
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I would agree it should not be easy.
If you want, make the higher the skill check reduce the time.
Maybe for every 5 points (or 4 whatever) - reduce the time a couple of hours.
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shootingwomprats
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| Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 12:14 am Post subject: Re: Programming Droids |
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| DougRed4 wrote: | | I'm thinking of making such programming take significantly less. Even half seems way too much. I'm thinking of having it take 1/3rd the calculated time, which would still mean 12 hours in this case (enough to delay the party significantly). |
A couple of suggestions, they could significantly reduce time by having more people work on the programming, increase the difficulty to reduce time, perhaps have a static number with X dice every time the droid has to do the new thing, maybe a level of difficulty can be reduced by adding in a quirk that could make things difficult, perhaps when the droid is making a roll have the wild die be negative on a 1-2 instead of a 1 ...
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garhkal
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Joined: 17 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 1:00 am Post subject: |
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I forget where the rule is, but you can halve the time at doubling the difficulty..
As for having multiple people join in, how many could realistically get in on programming a droid? 1 or 2 others??
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FVBonura
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Location: Central PA
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| Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2024 11:45 pm Post subject: Re: Programming Droids |
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Keep in mind "Cynabar's Fantastic Technology: Droids" was written 27 years ago. Our understanding of computers, robotics, and AI were juvenile as compared to today. Man I'm old. Some modern sensitivities may be required to "interpret" this material.
I'm a mechanic in the real world so the first thing I would ask is where are the Skillware Modules installed? If you have to take half the droid apart to get to the "motherboard", 36 hours sounds about right. 36 hours also sounds like what we call in the industry "book rate". Book rate is how many hours the engineers determine how long it takes to perform a given service task. A high roll on Droid Repair skill roll may greatly reduce time to upgrade.
If the write up (capsule) on the droid model says anything positive about the droid reduce repair times, and if their is any negative information about a droid increase service times.
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jtanzer
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Joined: 01 Mar 2023
Posts: 129
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| Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2024 4:41 am Post subject: Re: Programming Droids |
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| FVBonura wrote: | I'm a mechanic in the real world so the first thing I would ask is where are the Skillware Modules installed? If you have to take half the droid apart to get to the "motherboard", 36 hours sounds about right. 36 hours also sounds like what we call in the industry "book rate". Book rate is how many hours the engineers determine how long it takes to perform a given service task. A high roll on Droid Repair skill roll may greatly reduce time to upgrade.
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The number of times I got bit by the engine monster changing oil filters...
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FVBonura
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| Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2024 7:50 am Post subject: Re: Programming Droids |
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| jtanzer wrote: | | The number of times I got bit by the engine monster changing oil filters... |
Replacing the part is often easy. Getting to the part is often the time-consuming factor. Some of my players often perform automotive service on our vehicles, with me, and I try to integrate as much of the real-world human condition into our RPG play. Lore and nomenclature can greatly enrich roleplaying in a bar or spaceport when two Player Characters are talking shop about servicing/modifying their droids, speeders, blasters, etc.
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jtanzer
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Joined: 01 Mar 2023
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| Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2024 9:14 am Post subject: Re: Programming Droids |
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| FVBonura wrote: | | jtanzer wrote: | | The number of times I got bit by the engine monster changing oil filters... |
Replacing the part is often easy. Getting to the part is often the time-consuming factor. |
Yep. The oil filters on Fords weren't that bad, however I want to do some very...interesting - and definitely illegal things - to whichever idiot decided to put a crossbar in front of the drain plug. Then there's the filters on the Chevy Tahoe. I never did figure out how to get to them without getting burned by the exhaust manifold. The best cars were the ones with access panels underneath the drain plug and filter. Made getting to everything nice and easy.
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garhkal
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Joined: 17 Jul 2005
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Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2024 3:39 pm Post subject: Re: Programming Droids |
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| FVBonura wrote: | Keep in mind "Cynabar's Fantastic Technology: Droids" was written 27 years ago. Our understanding of computers, robotics, and AI were juvenile as compared to today. Man I'm old. Some modern sensitivities may be required to "interpret" this material.
I'm a mechanic in the real world so the first thing I would ask is where are the Skillware Modules installed? If you have to take half the droid apart to get to the "motherboard", 36 hours sounds about right. 36 hours also sounds like what we call in the industry "book rate". Book rate is how many hours the engineers determine how long it takes to perform a given service task. A high roll on Droid Repair skill roll may greatly reduce time to upgrade.
If the write up (capsule) on the droid model says anything positive about the droid reduce repair times, and if their is any negative information about a droid increase service times. |
Also, seeing how i've fixed computers over the decades, do they have the necessary tools, inc ESD straps, dust blowers etc.
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jtanzer
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 01 Mar 2023
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| Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2024 6:49 pm Post subject: Re: Programming Droids |
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| garhkal wrote: | | Also, seeing how i've fixed computers over the decades, do they have the necessary tools, inc ESD straps, dust blowers etc. |
You forgot the PT belt. PT belts make everything safer.
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garhkal
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| Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2024 1:24 am Post subject: |
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PT belt??
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jtanzer
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| Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2024 9:09 pm Post subject: |
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Da.
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FVBonura
Commander
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2025 10:36 am Post subject: |
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Thinking further on the subject, The droid's brain might not necessarily be in its "head". The logical place to mount the most important and fragile components of the droid would be deep in its center of mass. If this is so, the hardware upgrade scenario requires major disassembly and 36 hours makes sense. There also may be other ineffable factors and protocols to power down the droid brain and revive it after modification. Food for thought.
P.S. is it just me or has the forum been a bit quiet of late??? 
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Whill
Dark Lord of the Jedi (Owner/Admin)
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
Posts: 10488
Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA, Earth, The Solar System, The Milky Way Galaxy
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| Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2025 10:10 pm Post subject: Re: Programming Droids |
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I logged in to find lots of thread bumps.
| Quote: | | The droid's brain might not necessarily be in its "head". The logical place to mount the most important and fragile components of the droid would be deep in its center of mass. If this is so, the hardware upgrade scenario requires major disassembly and 36 hours makes sense. There also may be other ineffable factors and protocols to power down the droid brain and revive it after modification. Food for thought. |
I like to think that the skillware is usually located in the center of mass, but AotC shows that a unit that holds memory/personality programming exists completely within Threepio's severed head. That 3PO-B1 hybrid is not shown using any of Threepio's skillware, so that checks out.
However both B1 heads and bodies can receive control signals by some central droid command system. The 3PO-B1 hybrid that had Threepio's body fired on Jedi but had no success with a blaster, so B1 skillware is probably also stored in its torso.
But where skillware is stored and how to access it could vary greatly from droid model to model...
| DougRed4 wrote: | In my recent game my players wanted to program their astromech droid, and purchased the appropriate SkillWare. I found some basic information in the Cynabar's Fantastic Technology: Droids book for how much it should cost and more or less handwaved things at the table regarding the time involved. Upon closer examination, though, it takes WAY more time than I would have guessed.
Based on the type of droid (Second Degree) and the difficulty (Difficult), that book is saying it should take 36 hours.
I'm thinking of making such programming take significantly less. Even half seems way too much. I'm thinking of having it take 1/3rd the calculated time, which would still mean 12 hours in this case (enough to delay the party significantly).
What do you think? |
In the films, droids are shown getting repaired a lot more than programmed. But in the films, everything generally seems to get repaired fast. If the long programming time seems too much to you, then shorten it as you see fit. I don't see any issue with your suggestion of halving or thirding it if that feels good to your sense of verisimilitude with the setting.
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