Re: [BNW] Dampening field question and another spoiler question

[MKirk2112@aol.com]

In a message dated 7/28/2000 10:13:56 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
crow_steve@hotmail.com writes:

<< Anyway, back to the question. How can the dampening fields used in delta
 >prisons be maintained? some part of the equipment that needs maintaining 
 >(if
 >not the main generator itself) would have to be within the dampening field.
 >When the gadgetter enters this field he looses his ability to maintain the
 >device. the only way for him to maintain it would be for the generator to 
 >be
 >turned off, which isn't viable in prison situations (what sort of maximum
 >security prison only works 23 hours a day).
 >
 
 Perhaps maintenance isn't part of their power?  From the Delta Prime book, 
 page 97:
 
 "Items CREATED by a gadgeteer are _products_ of her powers, not the powers 
 themselves."
 
 *shrug* It's a valid question, but IMO the mechanics between what a 
 Gadgeteer produces and maintains, and at what point(s) their "power" kicks 
 in, is still mysterious at this point.
 
 ---
 
 Steve Crow
 
 "Worm Can Opener Extraordinare"
 
 Check out my website at:  http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Stargate/4991/ >>

I was thinking along similar lines as Steve, but I'm still not sure where I 
stand on this issue.  This is difficult primarily, as he said, because the 
way the gadgeteer power functions is not clearly delineated ... yet (go, go, 
Gadgeteer sourcebook!).

IF the gadgeteer's "powers" are only involved in the design and creation 
stages of the gadget, and not in the tinkering stage, then there is no 
problem because the tinkering and maintenance part do not require the delta 
power.  However, this opens up a HUGE can of worms if this is the case, 
because this would suggest that a gadgeteer could have a very large number of 
gadgets ... all she would have to do is to hire "tinkerers" (who could be 
regs) to do the tinkering and maintenance on her gadgets.  That, because of 
obvious game balance reasons and because of the rules for maintaining gadgets 
already presented in the rulebook, is not a likely option for how the 
gadgeteer power works.  It appears that the design, creation, AND tinkering 
are all part of a gadgeteer's delta powers.

In fact, you could interprete the statement in the book about a gadget not 
being the power but the product of the power as indicating that the tinkering 
aspect is indeed an expression of their delta power.  Since the power 
dampening devices are not the power, then the tinkering stage is an 
expression of the delta power (since the gadget has no power).  Therefore, I 
have no idea how they maintain the power dampening devices.

The way we do it in my game is to say that the actual parts of the gadget 
that need to be tinkered with are far away from the effects of the field.  To 
use a poor metaphor here, we think of the power dampening device working like 
central air conditioning.  There are "ducts" that carry the power dampening 
effects into the prison which then flow through "vents," but the mechanical 
device that does the actual power dampening is very far away from the "vents" 
located throughout the prison.  So, the gadgeteer still has her powers when 
she is working on the "works" of the power dampening field because where the 
power dampening field device is located, there are no power dampening effects.

Yeah, it's a stretch, but that's the way we think of it <laugh>.

SPOILER ALERT!

SPOILER ALERT!

SPOILER ALERT!

SPOILER ALERT!

SPOILER ALERT!

SPOILER ALERT!












Another interesting question, that I'm sure has already been discussed in 
this group before I joined it, is why in the world Facade was not whisked 
away with all the other alphas during the Bicentennial Battle?  He would have 
to have been protected in some way similar to the alphas in prison, e.g. with 
a power dampening field.  However, his powers would cease to function then 
(uh-oh!!!).  I suppose he had his own private power dampening device so that 
no one could see him when his powers ceased to work?  And if that were the 
case, he would have had to have been in on the use of the bomb to know it was 
coming.  I haven't a clue!  Any thoughts?

Ever Defiant,

Guide Matt