Ship's Computers

Brett Slocum writes:

    ...computers used to operate starships would be much different than
    those portrayed in Traveller.

The Traveller treatment of computers is useless, in my opinion.
I see three options:

    1. Treat computers as so effective, pervasive, and necessary that they
    are ignored for game purposes.  Computer skill is a la Neuromancer,
    requiring equipment, time, and colossally expensive and restricted
    software that comes in a tiny memory pack.  If a ship's computer goes
    out, the ship is totally helpless in combat (since the other ship will
    evade all attacks and bypass all defenses).

    2. Treat computers as the beasts of space opera.  Huge vacuum-tube
    affairs that take up lots of space and are incredibly ineffective.
    Traveller rules as written will do fine for this option.

    3. Work within a Dune-like campaign background, where devices to
    perform computations are strictly forbidden upon pain of atomic death,
    and all calculation is done by highly trained individuals.  Computer
    skill vanishes entirely, but characters may choose to be Mentats:
    No promotion, survive 6+, skills as Other plus Mentat-1 each term.

Charles Martin // INTERNET: [email removed] // BITNET: [email removed]
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