Simplymenotu at 00:49, 22 September 2010

2010-09-22T00:49:48Z

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		+	[[Category:Star Frontiersman]]
		+	[[Category:Andrew Modro]]
		+	[[Category:SFMan: Equipment\|Computers]]
		+	[[Category:Equipment\|Computers]]

Terl obar at 20:02, 10 March 2010

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		+	Top:[[Star Frontiersman]] main page
		+	\| Up: [[Star Frontiersman Issue 2]] main index
		+	\| Up: [[Technical Journal]] main index
		+	----
		+	</div>
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	'''By [[Andrew Modro]]'''		'''By [[Andrew Modro]]'''

Terl obar: Created page with ''''By Andrew Modro''' Computers: one of the most standard elements of modern science fiction. It's hard to envision sci-fi without them. Computers, from the elegantly simple…'

2010-03-01T21:12:57Z

Created page with ''''By Andrew Modro''' Computers: one of the most standard elements of modern science fiction. It's hard to envision sci-fi without them. Computers, from the elegantly simple…'

New page

'''By [[Andrew Modro]]'''

Computers: one of the most standard elements of
modern science fiction. It's hard to envision sci-fi
without them. Computers, from the elegantly simple
abacus to the mighty machines of today, have aided us
for centuries, and with new breakthroughs, their
development extends far into any future we can
foresee.

Computers in STAR FRONTIERS are pretty much
ubiquitous. They appear everywhere, running almost
everything. Even on the Frontier, life in the STAR
FRONTIERS universe is high-tech. Computers are
essential parts of vehicles, spacecraft, and even the
gear utilized by sentient beings on every world. From
the office towers in the cities to the camps of
wanderers in the wilderness, computers are an intrinsic
factor of just about every aspect of life.
While technically any device that "computes" can be
considered a computer in one form or another, for the
purposes of this article, we use the common definition
of the word "computer", meaning an electronic
machine that can gather, store, manipulate and output
data in any form, in real-time or on-demand.

===Differences with Modern Technology===
The similarities between modern computers and those
in the universe of STAR FRONTIERS are obvious. Both
are electronic devices that manipulate data, utilizing
programs written for them to give them instructions.
Both accept input and generate output in various
forms.

The differences between STAR FRONTIERS computers
and those with which players and GMs will be familiar
arise from the fact that STAR FRONTIERS computers
are far-future outgrowths of modern technology.
These differences include not just the physical and
systemic, but also terminology.

[[File:ComputersIssue2.png|right]]
For example, when a Yazirian computer programmer
speaks of a "program", he does not mean a discrete,
individual software application in the modern sense.
When he says "program", he means a suite of
individual applications unified into a functional whole
for a specific purpose -- much the same way his own
Computers skill is made up of multiple subskills. He
may use his voice to generate input, speaking his
commands to the computer, or make gestures which
the computer can "see" with an electronic eye. The
information he gets from the computer can be visual,
in the form of text or images on screens or in
holograms, or perhaps auditory, with the computer
speaking back to him.

STAR FRONTIERS computers tend to hold in their
memories only a few of these complex, broad-ranging
program-suites, instead of the typical modern hard
drive, which can be cluttered with scores of unrelated
applications.

Storage and memory of STAR FRONTIERS computers is
light-years beyond our current capacities. A single
"function point" is the equivalent of many gigabytes or
even terabytes of modern information technology.
Many of the applications within a program are larger
than the more involved program suites of today,
necessitating a far greater ability to store and access
information.

We are beginning to explore some of these
technological avenues today. STAR FRONTIERS
computers use fully-realized and long-developed
extensions of these ideas.

===Programs===
Programs are the "skills" of any computer. A program
not only gives the computer instructions, but allows
the computer to utilize its resources. In modern times
the word "program" often means a specific software
application, an individual piece. In STAR FRONTIERS,
a program is a collection of linked applications, a
package of software that enables a computer to
perform all aspects of a task.

Many different programs exist, and there are many
different versions of each program. Lightweight, small
programs (with low function point ratings) take little
power or space, but may not include all the software
applications necessary to handle more complex aspects
of a particular task. Heavier, larger programs (with
higher function point ratings) ensure the computer has
the ability to handle the task and any variables or
unexpected developments, but also require more space
and power. Those with limited access to computer
memory and computational power will use the lowestcomplexity
version of a program that they can get
away with.

A program is designed to be a self-sufficient whole.
Altering a program involves a laborious search through
the interconnected applications to see how they rely
upon each other, which can take time and effort.
Simply changing a few lines of code usually won't do;
the entire thing has to be rebalanced. This is where
the Manipulate Programs subskill comes into play.
Without the ability to see and interpret how a program
is woven together, a character will have a much harder
time changing that balance.

The basic STAR FRONTIERS Alpha Dawn rules state
that when a character purchases a computer, she is
actually purchasing both the software and the
hardware, much the same as our modern business
model. However, those same rules also state that the
power to run each program is a "computer circuit
module". Those either unfamiliar with or
uncomfortable with the early 1980s "hobby kit"
hardware model, wherein a computer is handassembled
out of circuit boards, can instead visualize it
as the character purchasing storage (hard drive),
memory and processor sufficient to run the purchased
programs.

===Input Methods===
A computer can have powerful programs ready to run,
but without data, there is little it can do. A computer
receives information from the outside in various ways:
from its own program output, from connected devices,
from other computers, and from users.

Programs often make use of the output from their
constituent applications as part of their normal
functioning. Data can also be acquired externally
through sensory devices or from media readers, which
extract content from portable storage media.
Computer networks exchange data at high speed and
can work on multiple aspects of a task at the same
time, greatly increasing efficiency and power. Finally,
computer users can enter data directly in multiple
forms, either providing information or making
requests.

User input is traditionally performed through a
keyboard. However, there are other methods, each
with their own advantages and drawbacks.
One of the most popular "alternative" user input
methods is voice command. A computer can easily
interpret a multitude of languages (such technology is
the basis of the PolyVox device, for example) and obey
spoken commands. One drawback to this method is
that the computer could have difficulty differentiating
between an actual command and conversation spoken
in its "hearing" range.

Another popular method is somatic command input, or
"gesture control". The computer can observe a user
through an electronic eye and, based on posture and
movement, interpret silent commands. For example,
the system can mimic the movements of the user's
hands through a "virtual interface", approximating
Virtual Reality. (This particular somatic method is
often used with a head-worn visor display, immersing
the user visually in the virtual interface.) A drawback
to this method is that the different species move in
different ways, and interpretations can become difficult
if the computer is programmed to react to the gestures
of a Human but is dealing with a Dralasite user.

A common variant of keyboard input is the holographic
display. Rather than reacting to full gestures, the
computer's sensor only records when fingers,
pseudopods or other pointing devices "touch" a
particular location in space. allowing the user to "type"
on a keyboard image made of pure light. This kind of
keyboard can be projected and follow the user almost
anywhere, making it much more practical than a
physical keyboard, and can be modified almost
instantly to the user's preferences. The drawback is
that the projector costs much more than a simple
keyboard would.

===Output Methods===
Once a computer has run its programs, it often has to
transmit the results to the user, as well as store the
information. The standard method of display is the old
standby of the screen unit, but other methods exist as
well.

A popular method among those with visual difficulty is
audio output. In essence, the computer speaks to the
user, verbally telling the results or communicating with
the user. This method is much slower than visual
outputs, but can be fine-tuned to give the illusion of
sentient interaction.

Holographic or "tri-D" displays separate output display
from the screen and allow the results to be projected in
midair. These are commonly paired with holographic
keyboard input, both of which are often used in small
mobile units.

Hardcopy is still an option, even in STAR FRONTIERS.
Information can be printed on many different
materials, including standard paper and thin plastic
"flimsy" sheets which can have their contents altered
electronically.

Storage can be achieved magnetically (as with modern
hard drives), optically (burned to laser-read disc, or
holographic recording within special crystals) or even in
quantum form. Each species has its own prefered
storage methods, outgrowths of their individual
technologies, but the Frontier is quickly mixing and
changing those methods.

===The Future===
While these technologies are truly amazing, there is
still room for computers to grow and change even
further. With the mingling of Human, Yazirian,
Dralasite and Vrusk technologies (as well as those
being discovered and brought in by contact with still
more species), the capabilities of computers are
expanding at astonishing rates. The future is wide
open; such things as direct linkage between sentient
minds and their machines may become reality.
Anything is possible.

==New Items==
These devices can be added to a new or existing
computer system at any time. Installation of one of
these devices ordinarily requires no skill roll, though
tweaking them to link with nonstandard programming
or systems may require Manipulate Program checks at
the referee’s discretion.
{|
|-
!Device !!Cost (Cr) !!Weight (kg)
|-
|Voice Control || 100 || 1
|-
|Speech Output || 100 || 1
|-
|Somatic Control || 300 || special
|-
|Holographic Keyboard || 250 || special
|-
|Holographic Display || 200 || 2
|}

'''Voice Control:''' This package includes the module for
receiving voice commands and the necessary drivers to
interpret and implement them. A Voice Control module
does not require any of the computer's function points.
The "hearing" range of the module's pickup is
approximately 10 meters.

Once connected, the module can be set to accept vocal
commands from up to five "trusted" voices. Once the
list of "trusted" voices is full, a voice must be removed
before another can be added. Voices must be ranked
from first to fifth, to avoid conflicting orders being
issued. The commands of a higher-ranked voice will
always override those of a lower-ranked one.

Standard Voice Control modules utilize a pair of
codewords to begin and cease accepting vocal
commands. These codewords must be spoken at the
beginning and end of a command or set of commands,
to avoid having the computer pick up erroneous
commands from normal speech. Example codewords
include a name for the computer, to simulate
addressing it, and the word "engage" to signal the end
of a command set. An example would sound this way:
"Hal (the beginning codeword), give me a full system
diagnosis and shunt output to my personal display;
engage (the ending codeword)." This would tell Hal,
the computer, to begin checking all its systems and
report to the user's personal screen.

Adding a Voice Control module to an existing computer
does not disable other input methods unless installed
specifically to do so.

'''Speech Output:''' This package includes a small
module with programming that allows the computer to
direct output through speakers in the form of spoken
words. The standard output voice is a pleasant but
slightly monotone gender-neutral Human voice. This
can be changed to any desired voice with the
Manipulate Programs subskill as if the module were a
Level 1 program.

Adding a Speech Output module does not disable other
outputs unless specifically installed to do that.

'''Somatic Control:''' This package includes motion
sensors and a module containing interpretation
software. The interpretation module itself costs 100 Cr
and weighs 1 kg. Each sensor costs 50 Cr and also
weighs 1 kg. A standard package includes four sensors
and one module. The pickup range of a single motion
sensor is approximately three meters. Sensors are
often arrayed around a central location to ensure
maximized, overlapping coverage.

'''Holographic Keyboard:''' This package includes a
small projector unit with a single attached somatic
sensor weighing 1 kg, and a receiver unit which
accepts input from the projector/sensor, also weighing
1 kg. The unit is worn either as a collar or a
headband, and projects a user-defined "keyboard"
image into the air at a set distance. When the user
"touches" the keyboard, the somatic sensor detects
this and accepts the input as if the user were touching
a physical input device. The input is then
communicated to the computer through wireless
broadcast. Holo keyboards can be greatly reconfigured
to almost anything the user can conceive, so long as
the input can be meaningful to the associated
computer system.

'''Holographic Display:''' This device functions as a
three-dimensional monitor. It projects data in light
through three dimensions within a given field and in all
other ways functions the same as a normal display.
The device itself contains all the necessary software for
utilizing tri-D display.

Technical Journal: Computers - Revision history

Simplymenotu at 00:49, 22 September 2010

Terl obar at 20:02, 10 March 2010

Terl obar: Created page with ''''By Andrew Modro''' Computers: one of the most standard elements of modern science fiction. It's hard to envision sci-fi without them. Computers, from the elegantly simple…'