Re: [HOE] Stripping a pickup for parts

[Ronald Conner <marshal_dude@excite.com>]

On Sat, 21 Oct 2000 04:32:02 -0400, hoe@gamerz.net wrote:

>  How many junker components do you think could be gained from a old,
rusty,
>  beat-up, but still perfectly functional mid-sized pickup truck?
>  

>  Long argument ensues about how many components are in a pickup truck.
Marshal
>  argues that the pickup is old and rusty and there's not much good metal
in it. I
>  point out that what junkers DO is make useful items out of rusty,
worthless
>  crap, and also that building an identical mid-sized pickup from scratch
using
>  the Locomotion power would require the expenditure of 22 chemical, 22
>  electronic, 64 mechanical, and 100 structural components, rather than
four
>  struct, five mech, and three chem. 

I'm running into this same problem as a marshal.  My first Junker wants to
build KIT, a la knight rider fame.  And starts with a regular car.  Now he
is building it in game so I have to wonder.  

The Junker SB gives stats for building a vehicle from scratch.  Wheels,
doors, passengers ect.  but I don't need that.  I need to know what is left
after I subtract for the base components.

I liken this to Wierd west Mad scientists and the way they got shafted. 
Basic structual components and ideas for inventions are left to the more
creative or scientificly inclined everyone else just plays hucksters and has
fun.

What needs to happen is that junkers and Mad scientist need some serious
overhaul.  They need a decent book about thinking up, planning, and building
inventions that is more than a one page short in a source book.

How many points is a car worth?  Well for every intent I said it already has
locomotion and full structure with empty slots as apropos.  That cut things
down a lot.  But basicly you have to calculate the whole thing from scratch
with cargo capacity, passengers, speed the works before you can say just how
many components are in one.  I'm haveing a player work on a calculator that
put in all the numbers for you.  Frame size, traits and finally drain/fuel
economy.  It should be done in a few weeks but Honestly I hope that Junkers
and MS get the remake they deserve.  

Meanwhile, Forget guts checks that's just the marshal's way to stalling to
trying to scare you off.

Ron C





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