Making a Microchip fabricator

[Nightmask]

So given the Microchip Technology Gizmoteer skill program says you can make your own microchips (a ridiculous idea but we'll accept it for now) you need to make something to make the microchips, i.e. a microchip fabricator. You aren't going to manage this cheaply but how do you handle the player who wants their character making their own CPU or other microchips? Do you just make up a number, simply not allow it even if they've got the skill program, look up the costs for such things online, or something else?

[eliakon]

I have personally done it as 'you can design microchips because you understand all the nuances of the technology' Then when the design is done, I have had them try to come up with ways to make them, this usually ended up involving either sneaking into some ones plant, or just paying to have it fabricated (or just turn the design over to the Q department and wait).

[Nekira Sudacne]

I just assume being a gizmoteer means you know how to make the tools to make what you want to make. I have no problem with the idea of a gizmoteer having a micro-sized micro-chip assembler in his basement. Yea it's unrealistic as hell, but N&SS isn't what I turn to for realism.

[Nightmask]

I just assume being a gizmoteer means you know how to make the tools to make what you want to make. I have no problem with the idea of a gizmoteer having a micro-sized micro-chip assembler in his basement. Yea it's unrealistic as hell, but N&SS isn't what I turn to for realism.

Well it's more unrealistic that the Weapons Construction gizmoteer can't actually construct weapons when someone that skilled could easily make custom weapons equal to or superior to the open market in real life, but this is still pretty close given the extreme requirements necessary for the fabrication of electronics including the rare and super-pure materials required to construct a microchip. You just can't run down to the beach for some sand for example. It's really a skill program that shouldn't even exist, at least not in N&SS (it's questionable that it could even exist in Heroes Unlimited). But since it does an idea of just what it costs to actually make the program work would be good to know.

[Nekira Sudacne]

I just assume being a gizmoteer means you know how to make the tools to make what you want to make. I have no problem with the idea of a gizmoteer having a micro-sized micro-chip assembler in his basement. Yea it's unrealistic as hell, but N&SS isn't what I turn to for realism.

Well it's more unrealistic that the Weapons Construction gizmoteer can't actually construct weapons when someone that skilled could easily make custom weapons equal to or superior to the open market in real life, but this is still pretty close given the extreme requirements necessary for the fabrication of electronics including the rare and super-pure materials required to construct a microchip. You just can't run down to the beach for some sand for example. It's really a skill program that shouldn't even exist, at least not in N&SS (it's questionable that it could even exist in Heroes Unlimited). But since it does an idea of just what it costs to actually make the program work would be good to know.

It turns out there's a product called the feild programmable gate array, which is basically a blank slate microchip with mini-transitor blocks you can manipulate to actually create the desired result. they cost around 100 grand each for the tools to manipulate them, but it seems to work for the purposes of this. true, it's not building from scratch, but you can in fact buy chips you can design and program on the fly. it seems like a good realism compromise to figure your agency can provide the gizmoteer with them.

http://www.xilinx.com/training/fpga/fpg ... -array.htm

[Natasha]

Those aren't microchips; they are covered with microchips.