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Mamatried
Commodore
Joined: 16 Dec 2017
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Location: Norway
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 Posted: Fri May 03, 2024 5:56 am Post subject: Cellphone (smartphone like we all have) in Star Wars |
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Our world's mobile Phones.
We have camera, "computer access" for searches and "limited" general use
Our phone also includes a comlink wth a global ( system wide) reach
In star wars as I can see we have the comlink ( various) and the datapad (also various) but we do not seem to have the combination item called Mobile Phone.
How would this be statted out it OUR phone was a star wars Comlink/Datapad? |
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garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
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Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Fri May 03, 2024 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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Take the average of the cost of both a datapad AND comlink, and combine them..
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Whill
Dark Lord of the Jedi (Owner/Admin)
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
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Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA, Earth, The Solar System, The Milky Way Galaxy
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| Posted: Sat May 04, 2024 7:55 pm Post subject: Re: Cellphone (smartphone like we all have) in Star Wars |
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The Star Wars Sourcebook gave us "pocket computers" which at the time I imagined as pocket calculators with mini-computer capabilities. With the rise of smart phones on Earth, I reimagined pockets computers as more like smart phones, that come in both the original and "+comlink" versions (for an additional cost as garhkal suggested). But I see no reason to expand a pocket computer's comlink range to beyond that of its real world counterpart, so I keep it as global.
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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: Sun May 05, 2024 12:21 am Post subject: Re: Cellphone (smartphone like we all have) in Star Wars |
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| Whill wrote: | | The Star Wars Sourcebook gave us "pocket computers" which at the time I imagined as pocket calculators with mini-computer capabilities. With the rise of smart phones on Earth, I reimagined pockets computers as more like smart phones, that come in both the original and "+comlink" versions (for an additional cost as garhkal suggested). But I see no reason to expand a pocket computer's comlink range to beyond that of its real world counterpart, so I keep it as global. |
Ours are NOT global though, as there's plenty of areas without cell coverage..
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Mamatried
Commodore
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Location: Norway
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| Posted: Sun May 05, 2024 8:40 am Post subject: Re: Cellphone (smartphone like we all have) in Star Wars |
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| garhkal wrote: | | Whill wrote: | | The Star Wars Sourcebook gave us "pocket computers" which at the time I imagined as pocket calculators with mini-computer capabilities. With the rise of smart phones on Earth, I reimagined pockets computers as more like smart phones, that come in both the original and "+comlink" versions (for an additional cost as garhkal suggested). But I see no reason to expand a pocket computer's comlink range to beyond that of its real world counterpart, so I keep it as global. |
Ours are NOT global though, as there's plenty of areas without cell coverage.. |
very good point with the lack of coverage here and there and something i think should be covered in range stats.
I suggested something like system wide, though I would say it would be depending on how the communication is.
In star wars we do have an "internet analogy" with the holo-calls, the range going from planet to planet.
I can suggest perhaps that in urbanized areas (with space age tech level) the comlink/phone will give a +1 pip bonus, however in "rural and less addvanced" areas I would say planet wide range, and even "limited to what ever is there for communication relays"...in short I would say on coruscant I would give a +1pip to general use bonus, and on tatooine I would give it a +0, and on the even more remote Endor I would allow it to be used as a "walkie talkie" with a range in the 10s of kilometers, here due to the limitations on tech on endor.
So I belive the range is and should be "various" in some way, but that can be hard to stat out in any meaningful way |
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garhkal
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| Posted: Sun May 05, 2024 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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Well, even IN our areas where you have cell coverage, there's also blind spots (inside buildings and stairwells), as well as areas, where coverage is spotty..
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Mamatried
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| Posted: Sun May 05, 2024 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: | | Well, even IN our areas where you have cell coverage, there's also blind spots (inside buildings and stairwells), as well as areas, where coverage is spotty.. |
Good point......I missed out on that one.
I can think most of these places would also "hinder" the normal comlinks.
as to inside and even underground I can only think it would be like a comlink and that a comlink would suffer the same conditions, but good point |
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Whill
Dark Lord of the Jedi (Owner/Admin)
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
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Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA, Earth, The Solar System, The Milky Way Galaxy
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| Posted: Sun May 05, 2024 10:49 pm Post subject: Re: Cellphone (smartphone like we all have) in Star Wars |
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| garhkal wrote: | | Whill wrote: | | The Star Wars Sourcebook gave us "pocket computers" which at the time I imagined as pocket calculators with mini-computer capabilities. With the rise of smart phones on Earth, I reimagined pockets computers as more like smart phones, that come in both the original and "+comlink" versions (for an additional cost as garhkal suggested). But I see no reason to expand a pocket computer's comlink range to beyond that of its real world counterpart, so I keep it as global. |
Ours are NOT global though, as there's plenty of areas without cell coverage.. |
I was speaking to the range not coverage. Our modern Earth cell phone tech coverage is global in range, meaning that a call can potentially reach the exact farthest away point from it on Earth. Yes, it is correct that there must coverage in both places, but the distance of the range is still global.
In Star Wars, PCs would rarely have to talk to anyone else outside of the current city they are in, so planetwide comlink coverage would rarely matter. But sure, just like real life on Earth, a GM could say that there are areas of the planet that aren't covered by the network.
My main point was that I do not extend pocket computer comlinks to a system wide range...
| Mamatried wrote: | I suggested something like system wide, though I would say it would be depending on how the communication is.
In star wars we do have an "internet analogy" with the holo-calls, the range going from planet to planet. |
The holonet has a galactic range (of course it is only where coverage exists). This network relies on FTL communication tech. The existence of the holonet in SW does not mean there aren't local planet wide networks that rely of slightly less than speed-of-light capabilities like we do on Earth. These local networks could include nearby moons. (Earth to moon is nearly instantaneous.) Messages between Mars and Earth take over 3 minutes to reach each other. When you up the communication range to system, you are adding FTL communication tech to it to make instantaneous "live" conversations possible. Personally, I see no reason to add FTL tech to pocket computers. Adding comlinks to make them roughly analogous to smart cell phones tech on Earth is more reasonable, and even this probably requires a network.
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jtanzer
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Joined: 01 Mar 2023
Posts: 119
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| Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 6:34 pm Post subject: Re: Cellphone (smartphone like we all have) in Star Wars |
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| Whill wrote: | | The holonet has a galactic range (of course it is only where coverage exists). This network relies on FTL communication tech. The existence of the holonet in SW does not mean there aren't local planet wide networks that rely of slightly less than speed-of-light capabilities like we do on Earth. These local networks could include nearby moons. (Earth to moon is nearly instantaneous.) Messages between Mars and Earth take over 3 minutes to reach each other. When you up the communication range to system, you are adding FTL communication tech to it to make instantaneous "live" conversations possible. Personally, I see no reason to add FTL tech to pocket computers. Adding comlinks to make them roughly analogous to smart cell phones tech on Earth is more reasonable, and even this probably requires a network. |
I disagree on the subject of range and coverage for the Holonet. On page 13 of the Imperial Sourcebook we learn that the Empire dismantled the Holonet as a means of isolating worlds, thereby preventing them from coordinating against the Empire.
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Whill
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| Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 8:57 pm Post subject: Re: Cellphone (smartphone like we all have) in Star Wars |
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| jtanzer wrote: | | I disagree on the subject of range and coverage for the Holonet. On page 13 of the Imperial Sourcebook we learn that the Empire dismantled the Holonet as a means of isolating worlds, thereby preventing them from coordinating against the Empire. |
Large portions of the the holonet were shut down but it still existed. And you are missing the point. We are talking about the technological capabilities. The holonet spanned the galaxy, so the range was certainly galactic even with limited coverage. My only point in bringing it up was to point out that even when upping the comlink range to system wide, you are introducing FTL communication technology into it like the holonet uses.
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Last edited by Whill on Sun Dec 08, 2024 7:41 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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FVBonura
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Joined: 24 Nov 2005
Posts: 147
Location: Central PA
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| Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 11:50 am Post subject: Deeper Issues |
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We are slowly heading to a point where Star Wars will be hopelessly "Retro-futurism" but I do have answers for my players in theory and practice in the game.
The Galactic Empire is an oppressive totalitarian regime. There are very important reasons why we don't have iPhones in a galaxy far far away. It is better to have separation between the Commlink, the Recording Rod, and the Datapad. There are many places in this galaxy being caught with a recording device will get you sent to a concentration camp for reeducation or worse. I have had players who fast-talked their way out of trouble only to have their recording rod(s) confiscated, and some were arrested and never seen again.
It is much harder to get in trouble with just a comlink in your pocket. Oppressive governments lead to a regression in technology in spite of repulsorlifts and hyperdrives in wide use. Give thanks you live in the United States. 
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jtanzer
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| Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 11:06 pm Post subject: Re: Deeper Issues |
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| FVBonura wrote: | We are slowly heading to a point where Star Wars will be hopelessly "Retro-futurism" but I do have answers for my players in theory and practice in the game.
The Galactic Empire is an oppressive totalitarian regime. There are very important reasons why we don't have iPhones in a galaxy far far away. It is better to have separation between the Commlink, the Recording Rod, and the Datapad. There are many places in this galaxy being caught with a recording device will get you sent to a concentration camp for reeducation or worse. I have had players who fast-talked their way out of trouble only to have their recording rod(s) confiscated, and some were arrested and never seen again.
It is much harder to get in trouble with just a comlink in your pocket. Oppressive governments lead to a regression in technology in spite of repulsorlifts and hyperdrives in wide use. Give thanks you live in the United States. |
Which tracks with my argument about the Empire dismantling/disabling the HoloNet. Additionally, somewhere in either the core rules or sourcebook it mentions that freighters are often the only source of information for entire planets about the sector, let alone the galaxy.
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FVBonura
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| Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2024 12:01 am Post subject: Re: Deeper Issues |
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| jtanzer wrote: | | Which tracks with my argument about the Empire dismantling/disabling the HoloNet. Additionally, somewhere in either the core rules or sourcebook it mentions that freighters are often the only source of information for entire planets about the sector, let alone the galaxy. |
If I were the Emperor, I would not dismantle such a useful surveillance tool. In my campaign the Holonet and the Dark Holonet are alive and well. Yes some nodes and their respective planets are destroyed or malfunctioning but enough of the network functions for the ISB and other Imperial agencies to piece together illegal and seditious activities. I would posit fear of discovery not disfunction makes using the Holonet a choice seldom used by any save for the squeaky clean galactic citizen.
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CRMcNeill
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| Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2024 12:43 am Post subject: Re: Deeper Issues |
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| FVBonura wrote: | | If I were the Emperor, I would not dismantle such a useful surveillance tool. In my campaign the Holonet and the Dark Holonet are alive and well. Yes some nodes and their respective planets are destroyed or malfunctioning but enough of the network functions for the ISB and other Imperial agencies to piece together illegal and seditious activities. I would posit fear of discovery not disfunction makes using the Holonet a choice seldom used by any save for the squeaky clean galactic citizen. |
There is mention in the ImpSB Imperial Intelligence chapter of surveilling public communications channels. We've also discussed galactic-level communications in some detail in the past, touching on various "levels" of the Holonet, with the full-up realtime hologram capability being reserved for the upper echelons of the Empire, and the rest of the galaxy having something akin to early internet services, where simple text messages or short, pre-recorded videos can be sent.
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Kytross
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| Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2025 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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To answer the original poster, I treat datapads as the equivalent of modern cellphones. The trick to accessing the net with them is two fold.
1 There needs to be an available network, as discussed in this thread in depth.
2 The PC needs to have purchased access. Whether a subscription or just minutes, they need to buy time one way or another.
Comlinks allow communication, including data transmission, over a variety of electromagnetic spectrums. Qui-Gin sent Anakin's blood sample to Obi-Wan with his comlinks. Comlinks are super-useful on planets like Hoth and Tatooine where there is no easy network to connect your datapads to. In my games comlinks use mostly radio waves, but also other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum to make direct communication to other comlinks. They can also broadcast wide so anyone can pick up, like distress calls.
I also allow players to connect their datapads to their comlinks to send data from datapads to datapads, like texts and videos and such. For me it's a very easy tech roll.
Good luck! |
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