A QUESTION

[tundro]

I was planning out an NPC last night, and have a question for you. I'm making a mechanic. Being that I'm a car guy myself, I know a little something about wrenching. For my game world, I'm going with the vast majority of cars currently running in this world are gas powered, carburated engines. The availability of fuel injected engines is there, but the vast majority of mechanics don't have the computer skills to tune fuel injection (in game). I'm kind of harkening back to when fuel injection was still new in our world, and the old school guys didn't understand it and liked their carburators. The NPC I'm making will be one of the "new turks" that likes and understands fuel injection. To my thinking, you would need Computer Operation AND Computer Programming to build and tune custom fuel injection systems. Then I ran across the "Tech Mind" psionic. My question is this: Would Tech Mind take the place of BOTH of those skills or ONLY computer programming? I think I know which way I would rule on this, but I would like to get others input on this to see if I'm thinking correctly.

[Rali]

I'm no car mechanic or engineer, but you might be able to create a crude fuel injection system with by techno-minding to a computer that is hooked up to the appropriate sensors and contols.

However, looking at the typical Electronic Fuel Injectors components I'd say you are going to need computer, electronics, and fabrication or smithing skills to create the basics. Techno-Mind could be used to tune or reprogram the system afterwards.

If you are just rebuilding an old, but operable, fuel injection system, then Techno-Mind should be all you need to get the computer working again and tuned.

[tundro]

I agree with you...to fab up a fuel injection from scratch would require elctrical engineering. I think If you already have all the basic components handy and don't have to fab much, a character could get by on the electrical repair skill. The reason I asked about the Tech Mind, is that currently one only needs a laptop and the correct software to hook up to an EFI system and tune it (for the most part). By reading the description of Tech Mind, it looks like all the character would have to do is come in physical contact with the ECM, and he could reprogram it at will. Being that he wouldn't need the laptop or software to do that, I wonder if Tech Mind REPLACES the computer programming and computer operation skills?

[Rali]

I wonder if Tech Mind REPLACES the computer programming and computer operation skills?

That all depends on how the GM wants to run it.

The Techno-Mind description doesn't specifically state that the computer skills are required, but how else are you going to understand the data or program files, let alone reprogram something if you don't know something about computers? Of course AI computers and machines can do all that for you.

[tundro]

I was thinking about the intuitive angle as well...the power Techno Mind states that the mutant can "reprogram" any computer they come in contact with. I would think that would be pretty impossible if the mutant had no idea what to do once he was there. I might play it like the files and programs are interpereted in the mutants mind as something the mutant understands (moving colored lines around, numbers, pictures, whatever) so that the end result could be accomplished. WITHOUT using the techno mind, the mutant wouldn't have the first idea about how to reprogram a computer without the proper skill. Thoughts?

[Rali]

Remember that scene from The Matrix:

Neo: Do you always look at it encoded?
Cypher: You get used to it. I don't even see the code. All I see is blonde, brunette, red-head.

You could look at Techno-Mind like that.

[tundro]

I like the natural math whiz analogy...numbers just click, but they go about it a totaly different way than someone educated in math. I like the puzzle analogy, also...picture what it is you want, then put the pieces in place until you have the picture. Want something different? Just change the picture on the puzzle. Being that these are all just abstract concepts anyway, they PROBABLY won't have a lot of bearing on the game itself, but I might be inclined to let the player decide how his/her character interprets it, just for some flavor. I wouldn't force them to if they didb't care, since it really isn't all that important, but it might get the player more involved with the character the more fleshed out it is.

[gordyzx9r]

There were fuel injected cars that weren't EFI though, so you don't need to restrict yourself to computers.

[tundro]

There were fuel injected cars that weren't EFI though, so you don't need to restrict yourself to computers.

Mechanical fuel injection is an option, but current stuff is mainly for high end race engines, and the old stuff was buggy and not very efficient. A character would certainly be able to build a mechanical injection system if they have the appropriate skills, but I was leaning more to what's out there today and what's likely to be there in the future. Good call, though.