I have a few questions regarding the Skillware Nanoware augmentation (core rulebook, p. 309) and Skillsofts (core rulebook, p. 332) . The book isn't clear on this so I'm asking for people's opinions.
1. How quickly can you swap out skillsofts?
2. While switching skillsofts, are you still able to use the skillsofts that are being swapped out? For instance, when switching Beam Weapons 40 to Freerunning 40, can you still use Beam Weapons 40?
3. Can you use skillsoft at a rating less than its max? I'm assuming you can because skillsofts are sold at ratings of 40, but the Skillware augmentation only allows you to run 100 skill points worth of skillsofts at a time. There would be 20 points not being used that could not run a skillsoft rated 40.
4. Do skillsofts add to your skills, or do they replace them? For instance, if you had Beam Weapons 35, but wanted Beam Weapons 40, do you use the skillsoft at 5 to increase Beam Weapons to 40, or would you have to run the skillsoft at 40 to get Beam Weapons 40?
5. Since I'm thinking about it, it was mentioned that AIs can use skillsofts as well. Can they swap out skills at the same rate? How many skill points worth of skillsofts can they use at a time?
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Questions regarding Skillware Nanoware Augmentation
Sat, 2012-08-04 15:32
#1
DivineWrath
Questions regarding Skillware Nanoware Augmentation
Sat, 2012-08-04 16:07
#2
Xagroth
First, AIs: they do not
First, AIs: they do not develop themselves, and are not limited by the 100 points value. They also can swap instantly, etc., etc.: they are made to work with skillsofts from the scratch, and the more you pay, the more skills your AI will have (be it a Muse or other AI).
Second: there are no more rules than those in the rulebook regarding this implant. From my thoughts on the matter, heavily influenced by the old Cyberpunk 2020, here are the details I use:
- You need a physical body. An infomorph can call (if it can connect to a habitat's database) on expert programs for help or even the wikipedia, and all knowledge skills can be supported by this as a Task Action that will require at least 1 action, giving a "gear bonus" to the knowledge roll.
- You need the physical implant, and this can be used in two ways: wireless and physical.
- Skillsofts are bought at given values: if you bought 3 skills at +40, you can't load more than two of them at once, you would need to buy the +20 version of one of them.
- The skillsoft always superseeds your skill, but disabling a skillsoft is quick and easy.
- Going for the wireless option means to download the skillsoft, "unmount" the one you want to drop, and then "mount" the new one. You might have that skillsoft already downloaded into your Mesh inserts, so unless the GM says otherwise, you can get about 6 different skillsofts on your "hard drive", regardless of their value. Delete one and start the download of another is a Quick Action that your Muse can start if you want, and the actual download will take at leas 1 second (1/3 of a Turn). While you can keep the skillsoft you want until the new one is downloaded, you need to unmount it before starting to mount the new one.
- Physical option means to have a "USB pendrive", so to speak, at hand, and to physically connect it. You are going to need one connection jack per skillsoft, and that means the same jacks the cyberbrain comes with: you can't use your smartskin, because a physical dock is needed.
- Switching a USB skillsoft is a Complex Action (physical), and the removed skillsoft goes offline instantly.
- "Mounting" a skillsoft takes one full Turn (3 seconds).
Please bear in mind that people who expect to be on zones without good singal reception will opt for the physical version of the skillsofts, while those who live on habitats will have the wireless option. Also, Autonomists are more likely to have this avaiable, but they are also more likely to have a beta fork of the resident expert in the matter avaiable for consulting (Rimward: autonomist morphs are likely to have a cyberbrain even if they don't require it, since resleeving and forking is a very common practice).
Sat, 2012-08-04 22:45
#3
Re-Laborat
The book offers no timeframe
The book offers no timeframe for switching out skillsofts, however since you can only have 100 points worth in use at any given time I imagine that any which are swapped out are currently inactive and unusable...Otherwise you could theoretically buy all available skillsofts and insist that you were only temporarily hotswapping out the others above and beyond the 100 points max.
4. Skillsofts do not add to your skills, they replace them. There's no point in having a skillsoft for a skill which you have 40 base skill in.
5. Unstated, however since the Muse is an AI, we can assume from their example that an AI can have more than 100 points.
This (and Xagroth's answer) are verging waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay into Houserule territory and I suggest you ask to move this thread there. :)
Mon, 2012-08-06 15:43
#4
Madwand
Skillsofts are software.
Skillsofts are software. Assuming you have mesh inserts to store them on, it is a free action to unload a skillsoft from your skillware and upload another instead. EP computers are *fast*. Anything else is a house rule.
Make sure you pirate all the skillsofts you can get. Quite a few are likely to be open-source, too.
Mon, 2012-08-06 23:40
#5
DivineWrath
I was hoping that would be
I was hoping that would be some information that I somehow missed. No matter, I'll make a few house rules to fill in the gaps. To anyone reading, feel free to make use of these.
1. Active skillsofts replace active skills. The rating of the active skillsoft replaces the active skill with a skill of the same rating, and this rating is counted against the Skillware's capacity.
2. The market standard for skillsofts is they are programs that can scale in performance. A skillsoft may be used at a rating of as high as 40 to as low as 1 (any lower and they might as well not be installed). However, skillsofts may exist with different levels of quality, possessing a lower capacity than listed, or posses any number of side effects. These low quality skillsoft are often sold at lower prices than standard skillsofts. To date, there has not been any evidence supporting rumors of the existence of skillsofts with a capacity greater than 40.
3. The skillware augmentation runs on a turn-by-turn basis. While it is technically possible to swap skillsofts very quickly, changing them more quickly than once per action turn makes it very difficult for a user to use any granted skills. Even quick and automatic actions requires a moment for the brain to adjust to a new configuration of skillsoft. The most effective use of skillsofts on the Skillware augmentation requires that skillsofts be loaded for no less than 1 action turn. In game terms, at the beginning of an action turn, a user may decide to change the current setup. Once a user picks its new configuration, it can not be changed until the beginning of the next action turn (any faster and the user will not be able to benefit from the changes). Until the configuration is changed at the beginning of an action turn, the previous configuration is in effect.
4. Eclipse phase hasn't made clear as to how much capacity a user's mesh inserts may hold. The written material strongly suggests that the capacity is fairly large and that most transhumans rarely fill this capacity. Until I find any official mention that says otherwise, I'm going to assume that a character may store as many skillsofts in their mesh inserts as they can buy, pirate, find open source, or personally develop.
5. I thought that AIs had a limit of 5 active skills and 5 knowledge skill just like Delta forks. However I could not find any such information in the core rulebook. In fact, many sample AIs seem to exceed the limit I thought existed. As such, I will allow AIs may load as many skillsofts as they can get a hold of. Installed skillsofts take effect at the beginning of an action turn.
Tue, 2012-08-07 04:41
#6
Decivre
DivineWrath wrote:I have a
Nigh-instantly, though I do rule that there is a warm-up time of about 10 seconds (3 action turns) as your skillwires configure for proper use of a new skillsoft. So there's no benefit to swapping a skill in and out rapidly.
I rule no in my games. A skillsoft must be unloaded before another one can be applied, and therefore cannot be used while another one is being installed.
Skillsofts effectively overlap with whatever skills and aptitudes you already have, so replace not add. Furthermore, you only count the points you receive above and beyond what you already have when determining your skillwire limits. So if you have the Unarmed Combat skill at 30 and you use the skillsoft, your skill goes up to 40. But because you already had 30 points, you are only treated as having gained 10 points out of the skillsoft, so you can now load 90 more points in skills. If you don't have the skill, just go from the aptitude; if I load up a Piloting skillsoft and my Reflexes are at 15, my piloting skill is now 40 and I only used 25 points on my skillwires.
No clue. This is something you guys have to work out. I tend to rule that AI have no upward cap on skillsofts, but do not get any synergy bonuses from skillsoft-based skills.
—
Transhumans will one day be the Luddites of the posthuman age.
[url=http://bit.ly/2p3wk7c]Help me get my gaming fix, if you want.[/url]
Tue, 2012-08-07 04:51
#7
Decivre
DivineWrath wrote:I was
I would still recommend counting the rating from aptitude or current skill.
I actually have prototype skillsofts in my games which go to 60, but have side effects. Effectively they take control of the autonomic nervous system, so they have a tendency to activate themselves when the player doesn't want to use them (if you walk toward a ledge, your freerunning skillsoft might trigger and make you attempt to leap it).
So far as I know, the only things that have been referenced to be too large for modern memory are Pandora gate coordinates. So as a rule, I don't even make my players pay attention to memory. If you want to store every backup of your ego you have ever made since birth on your mesh inserts, then go for it.
—
Transhumans will one day be the Luddites of the posthuman age.
[url=http://bit.ly/2p3wk7c]Help me get my gaming fix, if you want.[/url]
Tue, 2012-08-07 07:46
#8
Xagroth
Id say that the skill level
Id say that the skill level of the skillsoft is skill level without the attribute bonus (and to that you need to add the morph bonus) making them powerful enough without going for the 60.
Incidentally, 40 is the skill limit of the delta/vapor forks. 60 would imply a Beta fork... so the less thing I would be worried about would be me wanting to jump a cliff. Oh, yes...