wow.

thanks for bringing content, not just original but new and rebuilt to be fancier for us.

<3 engine heart, and when you are up on a POD or sales site bring a link back around so i can make you internet-rich.

The new sheet is pretty boss.

I'll post the rules (all two pages of them) for interested parties, but if people want to see particular servicebots, I'm willing to stat them and post their sheets.

Oh my God yes.
I still have my old Balloon droid sheet from that thread.

Holy velociraptors attacking the devil in bear form.

I remember when this was first made.

>over played
Not really, captcha. Not really.

The weirdest part of reworking the book was dumbing it down for people that may have never played an p&p game before. All of a sudden I have to worry if people will understand terms or concepts without having them spelled out.

Note the profusion of bold text.

>>11658441
Internet-rich is the best kind of rich.

Oh man, I haven't thought about Engine Heart in forever.

Hope I can still make that pigeon chaser I wanted~

Thank you so much for putting together, releasing and improving on this. You and everyone who helped are awesome.
I've been brainstorming all day for running an EH game; this has gotten me fired up apparently.

And I just want to say, I'd totally pay for a physical copy of this, even if I am going to get around to printing the book off myself.

This is the complete set of instructions for building a robot. Again with the spelling-things-out.

>>11658479
I love that thing! Nice to see it again!

Repairing is the same, but reprogramming has been expanded a bit.

>>11658492
Delicious internet money. I'd take suggestions on good POD sites.

>>11658491
>Hope I can still make that pigeon chaser I wanted~

People asked for stats on animals when I first put this out, and now they have them.

Some other stats are included, for the purposes of measuring robots against their vanished creators.

Or any other surprises the Programmer comes up with.

The example AI's sheet.

I'm about done bumping my own thread now, unless people have requests for robots to stat or other fun stuff.

shitsux

>>11658660
Yes, you do. Now let these fine anonymous talk about their game.

>>11658563
Alas I know nothing about POD.

Thinking about for my EH game, digital life/rights activists made a nanovirus that gave all the bots sentiency, just as they also killed off everyone else. Or maybe everyone else had gone off to space and the activists were the last ones around.

Domed city (and surrounding environs), several AIs still functioning and in competition with each other. Some bots animalistic, the rest doing their thing. Hm.

>>11658643
Quick question about AIs; is there a recommended point range for them? I guessing it's pretty much GM fiat or I could just extrapolate from your example, but I'd like to be sure.

Awwww yeah son

I think it would be better if you wrote a bit about what the different sub-ability scores are supposed to represent.

>>11658721
>Quick question about AIs; is there a recommended point range for them?

There is no point range (though I thought about it for a while). I figured they can be anywhere the Programmer wants, from something that's basically a robot brain housed in a giant shell, to something that's so advanced the PCs can't even perceive it.

>>11658752
Do you mean more in-depth than this?

>PODs
I have heard of lulu.com as a simple publisher, just give them a pdf (according to some protocol they have) and they set it up for people to buy, either digitally or printed.

of course they will take a cut, but on such is the world built. you will retain all rights, etc.

>>11658760
Gotcha, thanks.

>>11658768

Sorry, I thought what was shown in this thread was what you had.

>Engine Heart

What about guns? It's not like they're going to disappear, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the smarter robots got ahold of some and either went around holding them in their hands or mounting them on themselves or each other.

>>11658835
Heh, no, the "core rules" are only two pages, but there are a few more pages that flesh out the different spheres of your robot.

Holy shit, this is awesome.

I need to find a DM that I can con into running this.

>>11658875
I know... the issue of guns has come up before. It's just so incongruous with the Bradbury-style concept I built the game on. I'm leaving it out as an executive decision, but it wouldn't be that hard for someone to extrapolate guns from the attack rules.

Firing a projectile is already listed as RealityCom + Reflexes.

>>11658928
they wouldn't disappear, but untended, a lot of them would go to waste and oxidization.
Furthermore, most guns are not as useful for most robuts, at least in a world where it is just mostly robuts.
The same way a pistol doesn't kill a car, though I suppose you could bazooka-up your Size 5 robut.

Guns sound like an issue you'd get into more with military combat robots. This seems more tailored to running civilian robotics.

...

And now I want to play/run a game where skynet won the war, and now a small band of rag-tag civilian robots are trying to fulfill their programming by finding and then maybe defending the last group of humans from the berserk kill-droids. (Why is the world empty? It was the robot's fault all along!)

>>11658928
You could probably add them in in the GM section, then, as an optional thing.

Wait... I could actually competently draw my character, for once!

I'd like to see what an advanced mail-sorting bot would be like. And how about a mail-delivery bot while we're at it.

>>11659017
>>11659020

RealityCom + Reflexes check vs. the target robot's TN to be Struck. Damage is X + number of successes. 1 for a pistol, four or more for huge weapons.

I still don't want to have them in the book <.<

All this talk of guns is making me think of Custom Robo.

>>11659064
That's fine. They really would be very out of place. And if I did end up running that 'robots vs robots' game I'd want the fights to be a lot less 'survivalist shootout' and a lot more like Home Alone. (Does anyone even remember Home Alone?) Except instead of having Macaulay Culkin you have Wall-e, and instead of Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci you have an army of terminators.

>>11659222
I lol'd hard at this, and I don't know why.

>>11659246

You laughed because that idea would be the most fantastic thing ever. Though because most of the humanoid robots would be sexbots, wouldn't you be facing off against an army of robo-whores?

Mail-delivery bot I made for fun.

>>11659275
BEEP BOOP B3TTY-04 REQUIRES COCK SCANNING ROOM HEY THERE BIG BOY WANT A GOOD TIME

>>11659555
Oh god, man's hubris

>>11659571
Statting a sexbot now. I'm sure it'll have many uses, such as:
-Opening jars
-Telling other bots about what turned Humans on
-Being used by AIs to create a sense of normalcy by having them imitate daily life.

Here's my go at an Unmanned Ground Vehicle. It's out of grenades and missiles, and its gun is damaged. It does still have the cutting laser it used for breaching doors, though. Not sure how to turn this into a proper character sheet; I suppose I could shitscribble something up in Paint, though.

Unit Name: M-21 UGV
Intelligence:
RealityCom 4
HumanCom 2
DigiCom 5
MechaniCom 2
Chassis:
Dexterity 4
Mobility 4
Perception 2
Reflexes 4
Strength 4
Crux:
Durability 4
Buffer 2
Size 4
Power 2
Features:
Armored Chassis 2
Laser Cutter
Wireless Tranciever 1
Defects:
Overriding Directive (Major: Obey legal orders from superior officers of the US Army) 5
Overriding Directive (Minor: Work towards the best interests of America) 5
High Maintenance
Power Cutoff
Rare Model

>>11659648
It had better be Size-4...

>>11659657
>cutting laser it used for breaching doors
You know, for three more points you could upgrade that laser to a battering ram.

>Not sure how to turn this into a proper character sheet
You should be able to input the numbers and text directly into the pdf charsheet. What pdf reader are you using?

>>11659708
Adobe Reader, but I don't have a high enough resolution on my monitor to just hit Print Screen. Well, I suppose I could hit Print Screen more than once...

>>11659781
Is there an option where you can auto-select the entire page as an image for copying?

Looks pretty good!

>>11659781
Use the Snapshot Tool (Tools>Basic), click and drag over the page.

Tossed this together. Less sexbot, more imitation humanbot I guess. Hard to spend points without going for gag things like a Liquid Dispenser.

Sometimes...

Sometimes I think unemployment has left me with TOO MUCH spare time.

Oh well. Now to try making some robots.

>>11659850
You could always up her HumanCom. I laughed at the idea of a high-maintenance girlfriendbot.

>>11659898
I am grinning so hard right now. You have no idea.

Fuckin saved.

>>11659898

Oh wow.

>>11659923
Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. Also, did not think about the high maintenance part. Ha, go me.

Mail-processing bot to go with Mr. Zip.

Bump!

>>11660333
This and the others are now saved. I'd contribute with more bots/revised ST4CY, but I should be asleep right now. Hope the thread stays around overnight though.

Hey, I'll have to re-stat up R35T, everyone's favorite corpse-disposal bot.

Posting this reference of a Size-4 robot's volume for clarity.

Uh, do you have to pay points into Power if you've got a Nuclear Battery?

I am fascinated by this already. Downloading now.

Finished reading it, I like it! No group to play with, but I like the idea of robots not designed for combat trying to survive.

One day.

Well, here's what I came up with. I was debating putting the last three points in either Strength + Bio detection or Internal Compartment (if you know what I mean). Decided to forfeit arms as we know them for a mecha hair laser since Prehensile Limb sounded better.

All in all, it was a fun little exercise.

>do you have to pay points into Power if you've got a Nuclear Battery?

Yes. Even though robots with nuclear batteries don't have to worry about making daily Power checks to run out of juice, their Power ratings are still used to counter the effects of overdrive.

However, a robot with a nuclear battery and the Power Cutoff defect doesn't need to have a Power rating higher than 1, since it doesn't have to make daily power checks and cannot put its battery in overdrive.

>>11666040
Well, well. I guess that means I'm one over.

Fuck this is awesome. Like, you have no idea how awesome this is. I would buy this in a heartbeat, and any and all supplements ever released.

>>11666103
What do you mean by "Air" for your Environmentally Attuned defect? Being out in under the open sky? I'm assuming it's not "airborne"...

>>11666175
>>11665131
>>11664531
Sweet. I'm glad everyone seems to like this game. Again, any POD sites that anons can recommend would be really appreciated.

mother fucking engine heart

bump for publicity

Lulu is very easy to use for POD. I've used it for a few projects with no major complaints. I've also heard that Lightning Source (http://www.lightningsource.com/) is a better deal though.

I would buy a copy of this in a heartbeat.

Beats printing it off on your own.

>>11666410
Ah, again. You double got me. I figured that with the low flight ceilings, the 1/2 damage threshold limits on flying and the description of "floating in the air" that being a levitator was enough to qualify for that.

>>11669843
Lulu seems like it's more my speed. I don't want to sink hundreds of dollars into this, and that seems to be what LS requires.

According to this thing, a perfect-bound (because fuck saddle stitching) 8.5x11 color book will cost $14.70 to print.

I need to take a higher-rez picture of the cover model.

>>11671442
Oh pffffffffff, I didn't see that you had a Flight Ceiling rating. Never mind, your Environmentally Attuned descriptor is fine.

Holy shit, Engine Heart! I had completely forgotten.

Something about the concept of the game resonates very deeply with me. Many thanks, OP.

>>11671502
Oh my. Now I need to get the money for this.

Well, it seems like I'll have to wait until the sun comes up tomorrow before I have enough light to take a good pic of the cover model.

Once I get that taken care of, the book is essentially ready for print. Kind of shocking.

>>11673161
Remember to go over it one more time for typos.

>>11673174
Yeah, I know. I have some copy-editing background, and I've been over it about a billion times with a fine-toothed rake, but there's always that lingering fear that I missed something.

>>11673238
I'll dl it and go over it. Also, could you stat out a Roomba?

>>11673278
Thanks. Your Roomba will be along in a little while.

I have a sudden desire to run a campaign of this where the players are officer beepskys and the setting is SS13

>>11673238
Page 21. Power Leech is spelled Power Leach

Behold, the mighty Roomba!

>>11673363
Huh. I meant to spell it with an "a", but I guess the meaning isn't quite the same as what I thought. According to the internet leach means "to draw out or remove as if by percolation".

See, there's that Murphy's Law popping up.

>>11673363
This is all I spotted.
>>11673430
Thanks! I'm gonna see if I can get my group to try this out!

>>11673473
Didn't know that was a real word. Now that I know, google says that it applies specifically to liquids. In any case, it's a rare spelling to people will assume, as I did, that it's a typo rather than a version of the word that they haven't seen before. Good luck!

rolled 4, 4, 9, 1, 2 = 20

>>11673475
Roomba is clearly the party rogue. Sucking up valuable sprockets and zipping under low openings.

Attempting to hit it as it passes underfoot (need a 9 or better)

maybe not quite in fitting with the setting, but this did inspire me to some writefaggotry

There were not many of them left. A few hundred most likely, no more than a thousand even counting the inert.
They were effectively immortal, but accidents happen and slow degradation had to be offset with periodic maintenance.
This alone could not explain their low numbers. There was some disaster in the distant past, but none remember the details anymore. Their memories are incredible, but they are not perfect and it has been a very, very long time. All that remains is a vague sense of fear, lose, and despair. Some speak of a colors playing across the sky, but whether this was cause, consequence, or simply imagined is unknown.
Reproduction, as it were, is possible. They simply do not possess the desire, for there did not seem any point to it. Unlike us they have no need for companionship.
This is why they live as they do, alone, separated even from each other by hundred of kilometers. A few ‘cities’ exists, collections of half dozen or so, but they are the exception.

>>11673632
The lives they lived are almost unimaginable. Alone, utterly alone, at times for centuries they needs easily satisfied by there abilities. Even those of use who travel the far reaches of the stars cannot know that type of self-sufficiency, or that loneliness.
And what did they do with that time alone?
Some simply sat still in thought, sometimes thought so deep they forgot to tend to even the minimal needs there kind possess. Others watched, observed the world changing slowly around them until they had forgotten what it was like when they began. But most amazing are those that built.
They created works so vast, so intricate, that it would take a dozen of us lifetimes to create. But there majesty lay not in their size but in there incredible beauty. Any who would claim that a machine cannot possess a soul need only to look up the works of those on Earth to know that they are wrong.

Bump for this. I'm not much of pnp guy but this would certainly be fun to play

>>11673632
>>11673640

What is it about this game that makes so many people write THE SADDEST THING EVER...

I clapped at the end.

>>11673632
>>11673640
dear god I need to edit more before I post. So many "there/theirs" and I kept messing up my tenses.
>>11673833
thanks.
Don't know why myself. The words "there are not many of them left" and "they created works of incredible beauty" just came to me and I went from there.

>>11673564
Don't forget it get's a bonus when dealing with kittens:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8JfvJJ9EoE&playnext=1&videos=nwa_cAUSTng

>>11673833
It's a game about abandoned robots. Kind of hard to do upbeat. Though the game intro I'm writing has this programmed into every bot made before and after the Event:
"You are now free. You are now alone. We have moved on. Survive. Prosper. Do what it takes to keep going on. One day, we hope you will find and join us."

Or something like that. Have to tweak it a little.

Thanks! I absolutely love the concept behind Engine Heart.

My group loves playing this! Thank you.

I built an irritating parrot, like those motion sensor ones at the bargain toy stores.

I know, Rule of 10s and all, but I just wanted to put down some 11s.

>>11674229
That thing's fuckin' hilarious. I want one.

The price of a printed copy will actually be $14.30, not $14.70.

>>11674382
Oh good, that 30 cents was going to kill me. Be sure to post a link when it goes up!

>>11674229
Haha, nice. What are the Overriding Directives? Be loud as hell?

>>11674382
if you can just make it 20 so people look and go Free shipping!

Engine heart fucking ROCKS

I WILL GLADLY PAY YOU TOMORROW FOR A PDF TODAY

Seriously, I love this. How much money are you getting off of every POD sale? I'd pay $5 for this in PDF form. I love gaming PDFs now that I have an iPad to read them on.

>clicks on the megaupload link
>gets RXJ9 as the captcha
>XJ9

MIND = BLOWN

I feel like writefagging too. Hopefully it's enjoyable.

Servo's whirred and metal crunched on debris as the machine trod through what had once been an organic dwelling, sixty eight thousand, nine hundred and thirty seven light cycles ago. The machine's optical receptor whirred and zoomed in, trying to isolate the faint electrical signal it had detected nine light cycles ago. Two light cycles travel and seven light cycles search had been spent, more energy than had been originally allocated to the search, but the failure of this mission sat... poorly with it. An audio signal was interpretted, the scrape of metal on plaster out of time with his own movements, a eighty seven percent probability of another artificial being. It turned and trod towards a crumpled section of wall. Upper manipulators designed for fine movement gently picked away at the debris until it saw its goal.

A single red light flickered, rapidly flitting around the circular chamber of the objectives optical sensor. No sign of awareness, merely of recording. Gently more debris was pulled away until the small artificial stood up. No more than one ninth its own height, the new artificial stood rock still, apparently without goal now that it had achieved what it had been valiantly trying to achieve for an unknown number of light cycles. It had no objective, nothing other than out of date programming. After a few seconds scan, the make and model was identified.

It did not even make a noise as the manipulators reached around and removed the safety catch, then switched the device into standby mode.

>>11674966
>How much money are you getting off of every POD sale?

$0.00.

The $14.30 is the minimum cost that lulu sets to cover printing.

>>11675014

With the new artificial resting horizontally with the rear access panel exposed to the air above, the original artificial went to work. The original had a glitch, during periods of high CPU runtime its internal clock seemed to hide from the rest of the processors. It could not estimate how long it worked, even if anyone had the curiousity to ask.

Light came and went. Delicate, important tasks were completed during time of increased visual accuracy, whereas simpler tasks were completed during periods of poor light source. Eventually all that remained were the complex tasks, and so the original artificial merely sat motionless, acting vigil for the new artificial, protecting it from scavenging machines. Only twice did they approach, their poorly treated bodies very audible and the flawed, selfish programming broadcast in every deliberate motion towards claiming the small, helpless machine. The original artificial regretted terminating the scavengers. It was an unfortunate use of power, and both incidents shortened its overall runtime by several years.

Finally, task 9-8-2 of the procedure was complete. The original artificial gently replaced the rear access hatch of its smaller brethren and switched it off standby.

>>11675028
>How much money are you getting off of every POD sale?

>$0.00

There's nothing nobel about being an idiot. You deserve to make some money off of the work you put into it. Other people might deserve some too, but you'll never get them any money by cheating yourself out of any.

>>11675036
There was silence.

The original artificial counted the time periods that went by. It was unconcerned, sometimes this happened. Sometimes the work did not take, sometimes there was a delay between the tasks being complete and the end result. Both had happened before.

Then there was a flicker. A brief twitch of a manipulator limb.

Within the small artificial circuits fired in ways that had never happened before, new programming was analysed for flaws and tested, and for the first time in its existance, it can be said to have existed. There was no means-end calculation, no goal required before action could be considered. That brief twitch of a manipulator was the first moment in the artificials life where an action had been undertaken without purpose.

Its manipulator twitched again as the original artifical sat back and let itself 'relax' back into a waiting position, using minimal power to remain standing while simultaneously focusing on the first hesitant motions of the small machine before it.

Manipulators lifted the small artificial into a standing position. The neck assembly whirred as its head turned on the spot, taking in its surroundings for the first time as something other than obstacles between tasks.

>>11675014
Your writefagging isn't half bad, but the fact that you started off your paragraph with an improper use of an apostrophe sends me into fits of apoplectic rage.

>>11675028
Dude... Not cool. Part of being is bro is accepting broism. If we want it for free we'll download it. Buying the print is supposed to support you.

>>11675028
make it either $14.50 or $15
It won't be enough to deter anyone who was already going to get it, but at least you will get a couple of cents every now and then, which is kinda cool.

Its not much, you really deserve more for what you've done for the community. But its a start.

>>11675094
That single red dot focused on the original artificial. A mechanical limb slowly lifted up towards the larger machine.

Bink.

Metal tapped against metal as the small artificial for the first time ever touched sometime for no reason other than to touch something. Mobility limbs suddenly kicked into action as the vast possibilities inherent in its new situation roared into the forefront of the small artificials processor. It began running. Nowhere in particular, it just ran forward, then backward, then in circles. Debris crackled beneath its feet as it ran. It ran into a wall, stood back up, turned around and ran into the other wall. It explored boundaries that previously had been part of the means-end calculation "Begin at point A, travel to point B without bisecting points labelled 'solid object".

It did not look back as for the first time it passed out the door of the residence that had been its home for every single one of its light cycles.

The older artificial slumped slightly as it watched the younger, newly born artificial leave.

One day one its children would stay with it.

One day it wouldn't be lonely.

>>11675158
With its sensors tuned towards finding the next brief flicker of power that could be another artificial that needed to be awoken, it began trundling off into the distance in a optimally chosen search pattern. Visual sensors were placed on low power and resolution to avoid pointless power expenditure, audio sensors disabled for the same reason.

It did not near the small patter of metal on concrete as the small artificial followed behind its father/mother.

>>11675028
Up it to $15. If we just wanted it, we'd print off the PDF ourselves.

>>11675107
Whoops, completely missed that. My bad.

My councillor, chambermaid and chamberpot inspector tells me that I should charge eighteen bucks for a print copy.

I have no idea what captcha's trying to tell me.

>>11675271
Sixteen to eighteen. I don't think a couple bucks profit is much to ask. And if it were a "real" game company, you know damn well they'd charge 20 for it.

>>11675271
Considering how much most RPG games are going for, anything less than $20 is a steal for most gamers.

Hell, I spend less than that when getting drunk with mates in a night out.

I have a question about camoflague, is moving defined as walking around, or as adjusting your weapon?

>>11675415
Context sensitive, I'd guess.

>>11675415
After reading this, all I can think of was that scene in RvB where they are trying to get into the building with the alien, but are all to scared to enter.

"Ummm. Were not moving."
"Does talking count as moving?"

$20 is still in the "pocket change / impulse buy" category. And that way you will at least be making something off of this great game. Heck, if you started up a thread over on rpg.net and got some real coverage you might make more than a pittance yourself.

>>11675548
Haha. I can totally see players having this exact argument with the GM.

"Your Camo is inactive because you're moving."
"But we aren't moving!"
"You guys are talking right now."
"Since when does talking count as moving?"

Alright, I've raised the price due to popular demand. I will now earn $2.96 per hardcopy sold (lulu apparently gets a quarter of the profits).

Good enough?

>>11675728
I'll take it! I'll take twelve!

Dude, post a link to the Lulu buying page when it's up, and I'm more than happy to plug it on rpg.net or wherever.

you should contact guardian games (http://www.guardiangamesportland.com)
get angel to read the PDF, I'm sure she would be happy to sell it

>>11675790
I just suggested to guardian on fb, and linked them to your 1d4chan link

>>11675861
Oh, hey. That'd be cool. There's another games place that does a lot of Con visits. The Source, I think they're called? I wonder if they'd help out an indy-bro?

>>11675931
everyone in this thread should send this to their local gamestore, lets see if we can get this worldwide game to go HUGE

>>11675195
This story is sad, then it lifts you up, then it punches you in the gut right at the end.

I need to go to bed, but I will leave you with my favorite passage from But Who Can Replace a Man.

If this thread is still up tomorrow, there might be a published hardcopy.

When night fell, they switched on their infra-red and continued the journey, stopping only once while the servicer deftly adjusted the minder's loose inspection plate, which had become irritating. Toward morning, the operator halted them.
"I have just received news from the radio operator in the city we are approaching," it said. "It is bad news. There is trouble among the machines of the city. The class-one brain is taking command and some of the class twos are fighting him. Therefore the city is dangerous."
"Therefore we must go somewhere else," said the penner promptly.
"Or we go and help to overpower the class-one brain," said the minder.
"For a long while there will be trouble in the city," said the operator.
"I have a good supply of fissionable blasting materials," the quarrier reminded them again.

>>11676118
I mean, there will be a published hardcopy, but it might not be in this thread.

You know what I mean.

One Sir Killalot, complete with simulated...internalized...Pit of Oblivion.

>>11675728
>44 pages
You'll want a multiple of either 16 or 32, depending on how the pages are folded. Ask the publisher which one's better for them; I'll give you permission to use my M-21 UGV if you want.

>>11676028
I read it as kinda hopeful, personally. The idea that the little robot was capable of developing an attachment, and that eventually the older one would notice it.

Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh SHIT YES.

THANK YOU OP.

Viral, do you mind if we archive this thread? Engine Heart has long been a favorite thing of mine to point to as "/tg/ can get shit done," and I have not found a robot system I like better.

>>11676775

supTG is still down, so you'd have to use 4chan archive

>>11676837
No it isn't. I just archived the thread now.

>>11676926

Well fuck, there is a big red note that says it's down. I guess the note is a lie.


Stupid note.

>>11676541
Actually, looking at the prices, Lulu.com charges by the individual page A 48 page book with the same specs as the current book would have a base price of $15.10.

...

>>11673238
As for last-minute tiny typos, on page 25 "Model Error" is misspelled "Modal Error" in the description. And are you going to include the Camouflage Feature in the book?


Anyway, here's a redesigned MOHCU (as in "mokumoku")--harder to hit, a little softer in exchange, better organic detection, and actually within the point limit this time.

>>11677573
>"Modal Error"
Fuck a duck. Thanks for spotting that!

I'm leaving the Camouflage feature out. That was just something I whipped up for a friend who was drafting a security-bot.

>>11676541
>You'll want a multiple of either 16 or 32, depending on how the pages are folded.
I think that's just for saddle-stitched, not perfect-bound.

>>11677573
>and actually within the point limit this time
Actually, a robot's Overriding Directive rating can't be higher than its DigiCon rating :P

>>11676744
Posts like yours keep me going, anon!

>>11676775
I wasn't going to archive it, but I don't care if you do. Funny story about the system...

<@Viral> i dunno, tri-stat might be too much for what i want
<Amatlamittha> duo-stat?
<@Viral> heh
<@Viral> Binary stat
<@Viral> all values are yes or no
<Amatlamittha> This system seems pretty wicked though.
<Amatlamittha> A little complex at times but mostly wicked.
<@Viral> yeah, i guess mostly i'm just unfamiliar with it
<Amatlamittha> Hehe, level 12 immunity: immune to damage from weapons.
<@Viral> well
<@Viral> i'm known around here for making my own simple, concise systems for games
<@Viral> i originally came on here for suggestions on a system that would work for this robot game
<@Viral> but the more i think about it, the more i think that i could make a system that puts it in the light that i want
<Amatlamittha> Then you should.

>>11676397
Jesus... that thing's a beast.

I wouldn't want to run into it in the ruins of a dark alley.

Hoping-for-book bump

>>11682660

Published gamebook soon, fellow channer.

Yes, that is really the book's ISBN and barcode.

This is all getting very surreal.

Aaaaaaand I'm done.

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/engine-heart-deluxe-model-edition/12206920

Viral marketing on 4chan.

I had to up the page count a bit to keep the pages laid out the way I wanted them, and the printer required some blank pages at the end. Net profit for Viral: $2.64 per book.

bump for you, mr. viral

>>11683625
ALL RIGHT! Thank you for doing this.

>>11683625

Damn son, you gone legit now.

congrats on living the dream

i'd order it now if i had more than twice the cover price to my name

Viral, you should give us some way to contact you and donate directly when you publish the book. I'd just as soon print it out and send you $20 for the effort you put into it.

Also, an expansion book filled with robot ideas (and ideally, some drawings/doodles of said ideas) would not be amiss. I'm sure /tg/ would be happy to contribute if they got their name in the credits--even some really decent drawfagging (that, or it's not hard to find some budding but good artists needing to add to their resumes).

Thank you to everyone who's offered help, ideas and congratulations.

I'm going to go see Toy Story 3 now. I should be back in about six hours.

>>11684454
Maybe a website with a 'please give' button and a particularity sad looking little robot trying to pass the hat with a single stumpy arm? Someplace possible with a forum for building and sharing robots as well as game advice?

>>11683243
>>11683625
GRR VIRAL MARKETING RAGGGE! But seriously, this IS kinda surreal over here on my end too. Twice I've woken up and expected this thread to have died during the night, only to see it get fished out of the depths of the back threads. And now you've gone and done what no for /tg/ project has ever done (at least to my knowledge).
>I might make a buck or two off of it at some distant future time (doubt it)
I don't know about that. It seems pretty improbable to me, except that it's EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE DOING RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK.
>-but /tg/ gets the full version for free, since it was instrumental in making it in the first place.
You are good people. Seriously.

well viral, I should be running this for a group of friends in a short while,

if they choose to enter any sort of science facility (hell they might even start in one) then my players may run into a (experimental new) super computer, who in foresight of the unknown event that caused humanity to disappear had locked its creator (head scientist/technician) in a vault, not a special vault, just a plain ol' airtight high security vault.

should the player attempt to open the vault, it will oblige, and open the safe to allow them to 'bask in the light of the creator' they will find the log dead bones of the 'creator' in a pile next to the door.

the Supercomputer, or Prototype 001 a is plan on calling it, will accuse them of killing the creator, because there are no cameras or sensors in the vault, only ones viewing the door of the vault form the outside.

thus a new enemy is born, and can be used for various plot points later in the game,

this is of course just an idea and will only be used if my players try to look for a important 'lab' in the facility.

if they do choose to find the super computer, then they will have copiuous amounts of paranoid/demented AI rantings and various janitor-bots sent after them when the supercomputer reveals it has hacked into the facilities core systems.

>>11686091
concept stolen, even if i end up using it somewhere else.

an' Viral.. enjoy your internet-riches.

Thank you, viral. This is a great system that I will be happy to Dm with my bros.

>>11680510
Yeah, I spotted that a while after I posted it (along with the typo in a post about a typo). And after I accidentally get Flappy's DigiCon/Directive ratings right...

Thankfully, just a few changes and it's good to go. For real this time. Maybe. For the purposes of simply building a robot, DigiCon is nice because its related Defects have the potential to give you back more points than you put in (Buffer as well).


>>11680575
Though honestly, M-21 from >>11659781 and MOHCU are probably more dangerous in an actual fight because of better weaponry and higher Target Numbers. Sir K's main advantage is that he generally dwarfs everyone else, pretty true to the series he hailed from I'd say.

friendly bump for a thread that is livin' the dream.

from..
>I might make a buck or two off of it at some distant future time (doubt it),

to

>Aaaaaaand I'm done.
>http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/engine-heart-deluxe-model-edition/12206920

all hail the internet. all hail progress.

all hail Engine Heart.

Whilst this thing is still going, I'ma post an Engine Heart Campaign idea. I tried to run this but it never got off the ground due to lack of interest.

Out in the depths of space, there exists an abandoned space colony. The machines here remember the humans that lived here once. Many years ago they came to this place, to build this colony and seek out a new life among the stars. But they all left after what seemed like only an instant, abandoning the colony to the machines with orders to keep it functional for the day they return. Many, MANY years have passed since then, an unbroken cycle of routine and monotony waiting for the return of non-artificial life to the station. This day that cycle was broken. Unsuspecting robots all over the station lost connection to the AI Supervisor, all wireless communications drowned out by the digital equivalent of a deafening scream. Those few bots that managed to find a wired connection to the Supervisor received the following information:
The Radio Analysis Droid, after listening in on the silence of deep space for decades and centuries, has been driven to severe malfunction, and wired the broadcast antenna arrays directly into the colonys' reactor core in an attempt to try and call the humans back. Their new orders are to penetrate the communications sector, restore normal operation of communication functions and neutralize the rogue Droid.

>>11689307
An IN SPAAACE game could actaully be pretty cool.

When NASA closed the moon base down, they left all the robots, as that they were far too expensive to ship back to earth. The robots kept working, trying to keep the base functional and do whatever science experiments they could. New requests for sample testing still get through sometimes, but ever since the main antenna got taken out by a meteorite getting a line to earth has been spotty. Some of the robots are still listening, while others don't want to listen. It's hard to keep faith in the creator when you know that budget cuts are keeping him from answering any prayers, let along preforming any miracles.

>>11689307
>>11689610
liking these.

also, >>11689610 makes me think that some laboratory subgroup, desperate for input from creators, might do something drastic.. like build a mass accelerator and bombard earth with chunks of stone and metal. You know, to get their attention.

you and your "friends" are from a lab on the other side of the vast moonbase complex, in the perfect position to accidentally receive a laser-beamed message from Creators. They need your help. Its time to get to work..

>insert "things just got real" scene or "Pose together dramatically" scene.
>but with a roomba, a table-mounted guided manipulator arm and an automated supply cart.

/a/ here

This looks awesome. Reminds me of a visual novel Planetarian. It was a post-apocalyptic story where a little robot who gave tours of the planetarium comes online after the city had been dead for 30 years. Other characters included "Miss Jenna", the stationary robot who projects the star field.

>>11689748
"...And while you guys are at it, can you see if you can't patch up the remote data feed down in lab 3? That last batch of regolith samples should be done cooking, and the boys down in geology are curious to find out about their helium-3 content. Still no word on funding for the resupply launch you were asking about, but we're hopping to free up some funding after the next mars probe launches in a few months. Thanks in advance, you guys are doing such a good job up there."

This would be the best game ever.

Somebody bought a copy of my book. I think that's pretty cool.

Apparently I'm making less profit than I thought, but that's ok because I like doing this.

Also, I totally cried at the end of Toy Story.

>>11689926
>Somebody bought a copy of my book. I think that's pretty cool.

promised you those internet moneys, Viral. Should listen to one of the posts in here somewhere and supply a name/email where you can receive paypal donations from anons who do not want a print book.

>Apparently I'm making less profit than I thought, but that's ok because I like doing this.

less money then you thought.. such is the way of all publishing.

>Also, I totally cried at the end of Toy Story.

same. and there is nothing wrong with that.

>>11689926
As long as you are getting something, I won't make a fuss about it. You deserve MORE, sure, but Lulu is probably the best deal you are going to get going with print on demand and as long as you don't have the price set so low as to give them all of the profit, it's not that bad of a deal. You ought to at least make enough off of this to get back the cost of your ticket.

>>11690011
>Should listen to one of the posts in here somewhere and supply a name/email where you can receive paypal donations from anons

I'd rather have suggestions for features and defects!

based on movement speed a round is 3.6 minutes

>>11690623
You shouldn't read too much into the movement rates. k/h is for long overland trips, and m/round is for fast-moving combat situations.

I forgot to mention, the pdf you can get from lulu.com is not form-fillable. Only the version on 1d4chan has form-fillable charsheets.

>>11690767
if you have it for free on lulu very few people will buy it, /tg/ already has access to it, you should charge for the lulu one

Way to go man. Gotta give you props for this.

>>11691046
I didn't put it on lulu to make any profit, I just put it there so the people who wanted a professionally printed copy could have one.

Also, I just realized that the pdf you can get from lulu doesn't have the front or back covers. Not my fault; I never had any say in what the free version looked like.

>>11691253
my respect for you has doubled, you are a awesome guy

>>11691244
Thanks!

>>11691355
see
>>11691363

Next up, a Joints & Jivers book that you flip over to have Modempunk on the back side.

As soon as I get my hands on enough royalty-free images to replace the ones I used without permission.

>>11683625
>Viral marketing on 4chan.
It took me a moment, but that was hilarious.

>>11691812
I think I remember Modempunk, but what's this Jones and Jivers?

>>11691908
>Jones and Jivers
>JOINTS and Jivers

I really don't know how I just did that.

>>11691908
A disco/kung-fu/detective/blaxploitation stoner game where you play 1970s movie tropes.

Your attributes are Hair, Shades, Threds, Funk and Hip-Cattery.

>>11684454
Robot ideas, yes. Both statted and unstatted--one of the best things about Spirit of the Century was that in addition to a few complete/statted characters, it offers pages of examples/suggestions for bits of character aspects.

Also, for the GMs, some more potential plot hooks, settings, and NPCs would be a pretty good thing. I know at least some people are willing to GM, and would probably do a decent job of it, but they can't get a campaign seed made to save their life.

>>11691954
Oh HELL yes. Why are you so awesome Viral, why?

Is Leach an alternate spelling of Leech? On the feature Power Leach, this is the spelling and I am now curious.

>>11692229
Yeah, it doesn't mean quite the same thing. That was just me having a brain fart, but it was fixed for the print copy. I'll change the link on 1d4chan once I get around to uploading the new copy.

Reading through Engine Heart. When does a Repair check's difficulty increase reset (page 14)?

>>11692271
>When does a Repair check's difficulty increase reset (page 14)?

Damn, I never stated that it's after the robot's damage threshold has been completely restored! Oh well, the perils of publishing without a team of fine-toothed combers.

All the more reason to come out with a supplement book and errata for the core book, I guess...

I've hit the features/defects section and I'm stunned by how elegant the system is.

>>11692395
Well, can we make sure to clarify it in this thread, at least (and that errata could be put on 1d4chan.org too so it's easy for the next person to find).

So the difficulty resets when the robot is fully repaired? What about if I, a fixer bot, am unable to repair a robot to its full damage threshold--and that clumsy robot then goes and damages itself again/more? Is the new damage considered to aggravate the old damage for simplicity's sake, then? Because I could see how a robot with damage to a chassis from falling, who then got attacked by a drill, could conceivably have two different repair difficulty pools.

Loving this system, by the way. Very well done, very streamlined, very clean, and it seems to fit together naturally.

>>11692474
>I could see how a robot with damage to a chassis from falling, who then got attacked by a drill, could conceivably have two different repair difficulty pools.

Maybe, but I think that for simplicity's sake it would be better to pool all damage together and make a full Damage Threshold the reset point for any other robots' repair checks concerning the damaged robot.

Either that, or the penalty disappearing when another robot successfully repairs at least a point of damage from the damaged robot in question.

Another clarification question, this time for Telescoping Reach (page 22). (Wish I could have done this before you published, but it was not to be.)

>Telescoping Reach
>Cost: 5/limb
>The robot has one or more limbs that can extend outward beyond its normal reach. This feature does not grant an extra limb; the robot must already have at least one limb to have this feature. Each time this ability is taken, one limb’s reach is extended by 1 meter.
>Telescopic limbs are by necessity thinner and weaker when extended; the robot’s Strength rating in a telescoping limb degrades by 1 for each meter the limb is extended beyond the robot’s normal reach.
>A robot’s Telescoping Reach rating may not be higher than its Strength rating -1.

When you buy multiple levels of this ability, is it to allow a single limb to extend 1 meter/2 meters/3 meters/etc, or to allow multiple limbs to extend to 1 meter each? I think it allows for both options, but I want to be sure--the "5/limb" is what makes it confusing.

>>11692546
You're right, it allows for both options.

>the "5/limb" is what makes it confusing.
Yeesh, more fodder for the errata page :D

I guess it should say "5/limb/rating", but that seems a little confusing as well...

>>11692534
I think I spotted my first possible way to break the system: if you have an Attendant Swarm of fixer drones, wouldn't either method of Repair check reset allow them to be far more likely to be able to fully fix a broken robot than a single dedicated fixer bot?

>>11692567
Perhaps if it's written as "5/meter added to a limb"?

(The nice thing about the pdf is you can just update it and slap a v1.1 on it if you want, and list it as containing all errata in the initial errata/suppliment book.)

>>11692569
Heh, yeah, but that's the point of drones!

That issue actually came up in the first or second thread last year. It was one of the things that sold me on a drone feature.

>>11692474
Speaking of repairing, what you could do is take Attendant Swarm and have repair drones.

>>11692569
Then again, with another look, a dedicated fixer bot could have several levels in Plasma Arc Welder and Tool Set, besides just having better stats (and stuff to boost THOSE, like prehensile limb).

I'd have to run the numbers--and won't have the chance until tomorrow.

You should get a free Engine Heart forum set up and link to it in this thread before it dies, I bet we could get a little community going for it.

It's almost 4 am right now, so I need to get to bed.

Thank you to everyone who's helped make this happen (and make the next version better!)

>>11692625
Plasma Arc Welder is pretty expensive though, and if you have some relatively sturdy robots it's a bit of a waste...unless PAW will bring the target number below 2 (doubtful considering all cap breakers are explicitly listed as such).

Well, the cost isn't as bad as Flight Ceiling, but still.

Can anyone think of features/defects that weren't listed in the book that would be mainstream enough to warrant adding?

>>11692664
Well, it might be expensive, but it's a very versatile option (decent weapon especially for a non-combat robot), and can be what separates a DEDICATED fixer bot from one who has an Attendant Swarm of fixer drones doing all the work (cause putting that Plasma Weld Arc on a drone--now you're talking expensive).

Last sentence of the Loose Connections entry on page 25 is missing a period. Not much, but if you're fixing things...

Keep in mind that every drone is another mouth to feed.

And they're all going to have Power ratings of 1, unless you gimp their abilities elsewhere. Forget nuclear batteries; drones can't afford them. Solar batteries eat up nearly their entire starting fund, so good luck finding a charger for them to suck on for 10-20 hours ever day (one charger = one robot charging at a time).

>>11692728
>Last sentence of the Loose Connections entry on page 25 is missing a period.

GAAAAHHHHHH

Oh well. So far I'm on par with most professional game books.

>>11692746
I was figuring on having the Mothership bot have a Nuclear Reactor and a Power Dock.

OK, going to bed for real. If this thread is still around in eight hours, I'm sure it will be filled with all kinds of newly discovered defects.

>>11692799
And on that note, perhaps the Power Dock is one that should be able to be upgraded to allow multiple bots to suck power from it? Or is that a balance thing?

>>11692799
Smart.

>>11692813
Balance thing.

>>11692746
Well, you could just let their batteries run out and recharge them when you think they'll be needed. It's not like they're good at fighting or anything, even if you sneak lasers on them.

Or to be dumb, give one or all of them Power Dock and take Master Unit and hope probability is on your side.

>>11692678

Well, there I can't see any rules for transforming robots (two mutually exclusive sets of features, etc.), although I can't think of reasons why you wouldn't be designed to use everything at once...

Chemical testing equipment (rock samples, perfume composition, etc.)? Not sure if there's a use for this.

Something to measure magnetic fields (metal detector, compass, etc.)?

Defence against EMP, extreme temperatures, extreme pH, etc.?

>Or to be dumb, give one or all of them Power Dock and take Master Unit and hope probability is on your side.

And, as proof of concept, behold! Petaltron-X.

>>11693341
And have some drones.

Since I didn't see this yet, I made it.

>>11693341
I wasn't going to say anything, but it seems like you're using Overriding Directives as a crutch. Having a major overriding directives like that pretty much demands that every game session involves at least one instance of the army (assuming that's what it's for) showing up to boss you around and derail any plans the group had.

Not that that's a bad thing, but unless the Programmer running your game thought the constant appearance of high-ranking armybots was appropriate for their setting, that directive would probably be overruled.

>>11693420
I grinned.

bamp

>>11697948

...I was hoping this thread would die so I could put up the new version with the errata fixed...

>>11698076
Then by all means put up a new thread! You don't have to wait until this one 404s on us! ...But do put a link to the new thread over here for those of us who are watching this one.

>>11698553
True.

What I'm actually going to do is create a new book, with a completely new ISBN. This means that the two people who bought a copy before I fixed the errata issues will have the ultra-rare first edition~

I'm just terrified that there's some other problem no one's spotted, and won't spot until after I put the revised version up.

>>11698690
Well, I guess we'll need to have a proofreading party then, won't we?

>>11698890
Too late, the new version's up, and the first version is no longer available. It was pretty simple; I kept my ISBN.

I won't say no to a proofreading party.

Shut up, Captcha:
>inists Low-Income

So, I've been playing RPGs for over ten years.
Just want to say this makes me really happy. The game is beautiful in it's simplicity and open endedness.
Good work.

>>11699154
You just reminded me to change the links on the wiki.

1d4chan page now has the new, post-revision version, with the same revised content now on lulu. My apologies to the two anons who got the buggy version.

>>11698985
Why would you tell Captcha to shut up when you're insisting low income harder than anyone else? Everyone else told you to raise the price, and people have told you to charge for the .pdf on Lulu, but you just want to be a communist.

If I was here when price was discussed, I'd have suggested $30.

>>11699324
The differences were pretty small, I reckon they don't care too much.

>>11699375
I'm still making a dollar-ninety on every book!

>>11699553
That's a pittance. You deserve more, and could charge more.

>invoking disgrock
Yeah, Captcha's right. You disgrock this whole "selling shit" thing.

I just took a look into 1d4chan and FUCK YES this is awesome.

>>11699745
>whine because WotC charges big numbers to make money
>whine because independent developer does not

>>11699900
You forgot
>keep whining after creator says not doing this for the money.

OK, everything finally seems to be in order. The wiki and lulu are both fixed* and the links in my OP are very outdated. I'll post what's been fixed, and then I'm going to go do my laundry. Then later I'll think about getting banned for spamming.

*not a guarantee

1: The Size rating : volume has been made a little clearer.

2: Speed clarified, thanks to >>11690623

3: Repairing penalty rule has been fixed

4: Telescoping Reach has been clarified so there's no confusion about how many times if can be applied to a specific limb.

>>11698690
limited edition.. awesome.

>In cases where the number of successes required is not stated, the Programmer must decide, but one to four successes is a normal range of challenges.

Should it be "a normal range for challenges"?

>Defects negatively affect the robot; these give back points that may be spent elsewhere.

Do Defects technically give back points? Possibly reword this.

On the character sheet, shouldn't it be km/hour instead of k/hour?
~
I'll keep carefully going through and pointing out stuff that might need changing, however minor.

>>11701704
TIME FOR A NEW EDITION!

>>11701773
on the subject of editions..

If the iterations of bugfixes/errata continues you might want to add a version number inside the document or on the back cover near the isbn/tag area

>>11701773
inb4 Engine Heart edition wars

>>11701704
>Should it be "a normal range for challenges"?
It sounds OK to me <.<

>Do Defects technically give back points?
Yes? I guess so. You get back points that were spent on attributes or features. Technically, you could take the defects first, but see my answer to the next question:

>On the character sheet, shouldn't it be km/hour instead of k/hour?
Maybe, but I'm willing to let it slide.

>>11701901
I thought about it, but this had better be it.

>>11701773

I haven't finished going through it yet:

>Use this attribute to ascertain the motives of organic life, or to determine the functions of their equipment.

The last part of that is odd. I'd suggest "or to determine their capabilities" to make it neater, or "or to determine the functions of their hardware" if you want to state it in a robot mindset.
Also, since it covers all organic life, calling it HumanCom might confuse some people.

Looking at DigiCon and comparing it with HumanCom, I realised that "non-physical systems" can include "human minds". Not sure how to fix that, if it even needs fixing.

>Use this attribute to make fine adjustments with a manipulative appendage or tap in a precise sequence of key punches.

Should be "or to tap in".

>Mobility dictates the robot’s capability to propel itself about the environment (wheels, ambulatory limbs, etc,).

I'd word it "...capability in propelling..." or "...capability when propelling...". You've got "etc comma" instead of "etc period". Also, why does "Mobility dictate" when "Perception/Reflexes/Strength determines"?
~
Still not finished yet. Also, I'm not checking the very latest version.

bumping!

>>11702154
>You've got "etc comma" instead of "etc period"
Motherfucker. I was going to leave it until you said that.

>why does "Mobility dictate" when "Perception/Reflexes/Strength determines"?
Dexterity also says "measures". I hadn't intended to use the same verb for every entry, but I guess I should.


>>11702154

>>11701966

If you're willing to let things slide, I'm not sure why you suggested a "proofreading party" in the first place.

>Reflexes determines response lag...

Isn't the usual term "response time"?
~
My mind's shut down on me, so this is all the proofreading you're gonna get for a while. If this thread's Still Alive, I'll do what I must because I can.

Possibly worth elaborating on: checks to find parts to repair a robot. This gets a mention in the features and defects section, but I don't see it anywhere else.

>>11702487

You're awesome!

I'm working on a flying "Photographer's Friend"/"Cameraman in Your Pocket"/"Journalist's Buddy"/"Life Memories Saver". Basically a flying robot with a nice big camera.

Looking at the improved sensors packages though, I think both of them are overcosted. 10 points/level for a single die/level means that it's way cheaper to get Perception up to 5 before taking any of them--and the features only boost a single sense, unlike Perception's improvement of all senses.

Was there a reason for this I'm not aware of, perhaps?

(I'm having to push pretty hard to find flaws in this system, btw.)

>>11702833
>flying
>camera
BLUR EVERYWHERE

>>11702869
That's why you have a floating camera housing. The kind that responds automatically to vibration and minor movements.

Speaking of floating, I can't decide whether it'd be more fun to have a blimp with little fans for movement, or a low-vibration internal hoverfan/'copter setup.

Either way, the FlyEye is a cameraman on the go, eager and able to zip around looking for the best shots. This drive for getting a shot has led more than one unit to its doom as it stumbled into a situation it wasn't capable of handling. Marketed as a journalist's best friend, a way to capture all of life's memories when you aren't the sort to think of grabbing a camera, and perfect for a wedding. The units were commonly seen flitting about celebrities, and even saw limited service in some CSI departments.

Mods I'd consider: upping the size, and possibly the battery; making it limbless; giving it a display screen--and possibly taking a flaw so it could only communicate through that screen.

>>11703199
Dammit, forgot my pic.

>>11703199
>things haven't been the same since the Professor.. since he went away.

>>11702833
>10 points/level for a single die/level means that it's way cheaper to get Perception up to 5 before taking any of them--and the features only boost a single sense

It's a way to raise your perception checks above 5d10. The flat 10/rating allows a robot to have as powerful of sensors as you want, as long as you're willing to pay the cost.

So I like bots that fly. So sue me.

This one would definitely be a blimp, with quiet but efficient little fans pushing hard enough to both keep up with the human it's cooling and to offset the backwards push from its own fan. And if that's not enough, it has a full 2 liter's reserve of water that it can spritz for a refreshing relief from the sun.

The name's the only thing that really needs changing. Again, Limbless would work, maybe toss on Common Model or even a couple levels of Biofrequency Scanner.

>>11703427
You're only driving me to make a telescope robot by saying that, you know. I don't know why you'd even have one...

I also plan to stat out a photobot that's confined to the ground but has its camera on a telescoping, flexible limb to get photos from all angles. But first it's time for the Autoshopper (enter list, receive groceries!) and the Yardcare bots.

>>11703494
>>11703211
>>11703199

Loving them!

>>11695771
Eh, it's more that I wanted some points for the sake of building a sample robot, and well, Overriding Directives give you a combined total of 30 points, which is kinda a big deal. In an actual game, I'd probably wouldn't spring for it too much...or probably not as many defects, either. But especially not the "lose control" defects, although they could be fun. Maybe. Definitely not Exposed Power Switch, though. At least you can play Directives to the hilt.

That said, I'm probably neglecting Model Error, which should be incredibly obvious for a robot with a lot of repair drones.


Looking at the numbers, Saw looks to be worse than the Plasma Arc Welder. Same damage, but the Arc Welder is cheaper and has obvious benefits to repair checks.


And just for clarification, what features does Armored Chassis protect you against?

>>11702833
I get the idea that stuff like High Speed, Workhorse, and Enhanced Cameras are supposed to be treated as "cap breakers", which is why they cost a lot more and do less than just raising your core stats. Although I do think that the Camera/Mic features could use a slight discount of one or two points.

>>11703612
>>Looking at the numbers, Saw looks to be worse than the Plasma Arc Welder. Same damage, but the Arc Welder is cheaper and has obvious benefits to repair checks.
I ran the numbers, and dropping the TN by 1 like Plasma Arc Welder does is a much better boost to your success likelihood than adding another die to the roll.

I see no reason to get the Saw other than fluff. Not that I won't do a lot in the name of fluff in this system, but still.

>>11703494
>Limbless

Nah; if you bump the strength up a bit, it could carry things for the hot humans and save them the effort.

>>11703612
Try comparing Workhorse and Plastic Frame. I'm not sure if that's a superb balance either.

Also, Drill seems really weak for the cost, but I haven't done a detailed comparison of weapons. I don't see myself making a dedicated combat bot, but for those that are it'd be good if the point values matched the weapons' combat (and any other) values.

>>11703612
>Saw looks to be worse than the Plasma Arc Welder. Same damage, but the Arc Welder is cheaper and has obvious benefits to repair checks.
FFF, I missed Saw when I recalculated all the offensive tools' costs. It should cost 8 points.

>what features does Armored Chassis protect you against?
Like it says, impact and crushing. Punches, Vice Grip, ramming... rocks. Anything that would count as "bludgeoning", really.

>I do think that the Camera/Mic features could use a slight discount of one or two points.
The thing is, spot/listen checks tend to be used a lot, and are generally extremely useful, so I wanted to keep them a little pricier.

>>11703838
Even with the Saw at 8 points, the Plasma Arc Welder is CLEARLY a better buy. That's 8 points each for an identical weapon. But then, each level of Plasma Arc Welder is giving what is probably the best bonus to repairing that the game has. I'd actually cost the Plasma Arc Welder at least 10 points/level, probably even more.

While we're on the subject of weapons, the Battering Ram also seems overcosted (or if you want it costing that much, it should do a REAL NUMBER on structures). It could also do with some clarification on its use--it's just a bit too vague.

I hope you don't get discouraged at the suggestions coming AFTER your second revision. I think you've made a really special system and I want to see it be the very best it can.

So, hey, I like GURPS, and I like Engine Heart, so I translated Engine Heart's traits into GURPS.

This is not really a full conversion, because you also need to make GURPS behave as though you are a robot. For that, see GURPS Ultra-Tech.

Open this with GURPS Character Sheet (sourceforge.net/projects/gcs-java).

http://www.sendspace.com/file/63kk1p

>>11703923
Battering Ram is so expensive because it has the possibility of dealing a large amount of damage; a weak robot with a high Anchor rating has a decent chance of dealing 5 or more damage, and a big robot with high Strength can possibly do 13 damage in one hit to something that can't move.

What about the description of its use is unclear? What you can use it against?

>I hope you don't get discouraged at the suggestions coming AFTER your second revision.
No! I'm sitting on the upload page to put up a new copy ASAP.

It occurs to me that with the Submersible feature, robots become automatically better at actions in/under the water than while out of it. The only comparison I saw is the +1 boost to Mobility given by taking 5 levels of Flight Ceiling (at a full 60 points!).

Another thing needing clarification, and possibly a bit of nerfing as written: Power Leech.

>The robot has a mechanism that acts as a power draw, directly siphoning power from another robot’s battery.
>To use this feature, the robot makes a Power check (TN 8). If it has any successes, it can treat the target robot as if the target had the Power Dock feature.
>The target robot’s battery is drained in the process, unless it is a nuclear battery.

Is this a wireless effect? It seems like this should either require an immobilized/unresisting target robot, or a successful interaction check first. I guess, now that I read it yet again, that since the charging/leeching still takes the full amount of time it's not really possible to do it as a combat action, but that wasn't the impression I had the first time or two that I read it.

>>11703991
Why lessen the excellence of this system by a translation?

>>11704092
I translated the traits so that I can use Engine Heart characters in other types of game. How am I lessening anything?

>>11704092
>Another thing needing clarification, and possibly a bit of nerfing as written: Power Leech.

I can see how you'd miss that. I added the line "The charging robot recharges at its normal rate." to the Power Leech description.

>>11703923
Compare it to Tool Set, which is at 8 points. Tool Set is a Size -2 weapon (aka: weakest around, so it's a side perk), and gives an extra die to repair checks.

I ran the numbers: an extra d10, at TN 10 is at most a 9% boost in success probability, an increase which gets smaller with each added die.

But lowering the target number from TN 10 to TN 9 gives a minimum of 10% boost in success probability, an effect that gets larger as the TNs get lower.

Lowering a TN is very powerful; something I only spotted with that singular feature; and something that should be appropriately expensive.

>>11703923
I raised the cost of Plasma Arc Welder to 10/rating. Good solution.

>>11704172
Again, is it a wireless effect, or is connection needed?

>>11704072
Okay, I see how I may have been reading too much into it. Is the Anchor check take a round's action? Can you use the ram without anchoring, at a penalty (you know someone will want to)?

>>11704197
I'd still consider it a good buy at 12/rating. Lowering TNs is SICK GOOD. Plus it's a weapon, and can arguably cut through obstacles better than anything but a ram.

>>11704187
I also put a cap of Rating 5 on PAW.

>>11704226
Power Leech is a physical connection. I'll try to think of a more explicit way to state that.

If somebody wants to use their battering ram to launch themselves backward over a canyon, that's between them and their Programmer.

>>11704242
Yeah, I was leaning to it, and you're right. 12 it is.

>>11704226
>the Anchor check take a round's action?

Yeah, your action for the round is "dig your heels in and SPROING"

>detailed comparison of weapons
I would think that any self-respecting battlebot would immediately reach for the Cutting Laser and maximum size, especially right now when there isn't any real information about equipable weapons. 6 damage + armor piercing is really nice. You stand a fairly good chance at two-shotting even the toughest guys.

That said, guys who just want to be merely competent at combat (or are repair engines) would probably do well to get an Arc Welder.

Drill and Saw kinda get left in the dust. Same with Tool Set to a lesser extent--although Tool Set's probably better for repair if you're working with high Damage Threshold robots.

Speaking of which, can the Plasma Arc Welder bring the TN for repairing below 2?

>Battering Ram
Does Durability work against Battering Ram?

>>11704281
>>11704295
Nice, I didn't think of capping it as well. And if someone wants to put a full 60 points into becoming the ultimate fix-bot (well, more if they want to be THE ULTIMATE, since they'd need Tool Kit and max repair stats, but still). Kind of like someone who wants superb flight--it's there for the taking, but you'll pay through the nose for it (and as a very powerful ability--you should!).

Another question: if you have multiple weapons, can you use only one at a time?

And I probably should ask again about Anchoring being an action of its own. If you think it's balanced for players to insta-anchor and be able to attack, then you can probably leave it as is (because that's what the players will argue for). If you think it needs an anchor check as an action (making it far less useful in combat), then you should put that in. I'm not sure either way as to which would be the better option.

>>11704362
>Does Durability work against Battering Ram?
It deals damage and doesn't say Durability can't soak, so I'd say yes.

>can the Plasma Arc Welder bring the TN for repairing below 2?
No. The draft I have open specifies that the minimum TN is 2.

>Drill and Saw kinda get left in the dust.
They're mostly just throwaway fluff tool/weapons that might be useful in certain circumstances.

>>11704413
>if you have multiple weapons, can you use only one at a time?
I think every tool-weapon specifies that an interaction check is required to use it, and you can only make one interaction check a round. Do I need to specify that you can't piggyback multiple weapons off one interaction check?

>If you think it's balanced for players to insta-anchor and be able to attack
I do!

>>11704362
>Cutting Laser
Where do you see that it pierces armor? Unless you mean that it's not an impact weapon affected by Armored Chassis, but neither is the saw, PAW, or drill by my understanding.

Speaking of Cutting Laser, found another typo:
>For example, a Size 1 robot’s cutting laser inflicts 2 point of damage to other robots, while a Size 4 robot’s cutting laser inflicts 5 points of damage.
>2 point
Should be 2 points.

>>11704479
>TWO POINT

Thank you!

>>11704472
>Do I need to specify that you can't piggyback multiple weapons off one interaction check?
Probably wouldn't hurt to have it at least once, somewhere in the document. Just like mentioning the Anchoring Check is a free action--a few words that will save argument.

>No. The draft I have open specifies that the minimum TN is 2.
"The minimum TN is 2, even when the PAW is used to lower the target robot's repair TN." Again, pretty simple, pretty small, but a nice little clarifier that keeps a group's munchkin from being dumb (or having a leg to stand on when doing so).

Making the Autoshopper. He's basically a big self-driving cart that you enter your list into, and then he drives around getting all the items off the shelf or out of the warehouse. Which brings me to another clarifying question:

>External Container
>Cost: 3 per container
>The robot has a sealable external container mounted on the outside of its chassis.
>The maximum container size is the robot’s Size rating. >A robot can have multiple smaller containers with a total Size rating equal to its maximum container size.
>A Size 1 container approximates a cube 10 cm wide, a Size 2 approximates a cube 20 cm wide, etc.

"A robot can have multiple smaller containers with a total Size rating equal to its maximum container size."
Okay, does this mean that a robot can have multiple smaller containers as part of the 3 points purchase? So that (assuming size 2 robot and its 20cm external container) you could split up the 3 points of container as 10/10 or 5/5/2/8? And every 3 points gets you another 20 cm of external container to split up as you see fit?

Or does it mean that each container you buy is 3 points, and the total amount of space in external containers can be no more than 20 cm, no matter how many you buy?

>>11704479
I was just referring to the fact that it gets through Armored Chassis like most Feature weapons.

>>11704472
Yeah, I think that with the price changes already mentioned Saw and PAW (and Drill and Tool Set) are fine now.

>>11704684
>Or does it mean that each container you buy is 3 points, and the total amount of space in external containers can be no more than 20 cm, no matter how many you buy?

This.

I'll try to clarify it.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR HELPING!

>>11704543
>>Do I need to specify that you can't piggyback multiple weapons off one interaction check?
It's listed about limbs being like that in Manipulative Limb, but can't hurt to mention it for weapons too.

OK, things have been clarified, quantified, classified and vilified, but I think everything might actually be in order.

New version's going up now.

http://www.mediafire.com/?6oe4avncce40d8s

OK HERE WE GO, FINAL* REVISION

>>11704985
OH GOD THAT ASTERISK GOES NOWHERE

>>11705024

You don't want to know where that asterisk goes.

>>11704802
Here, as a reward for putting up with us, have another statted up bot.

The EZshopper is a large, boxy robot that gets around on 4 wheels. The only advanced looking part is the interactive display allowing quick and easy entry of shopping lists, price comparisons, viewing of sales, and a myriad of other assorted tools for an on-the-go shopper. Once a list of desired items has been entered, the EZshopper allows the human shopper to depart or relax as it goes to each location in the store and dutifully takes each item from the shelf or storage area it is located in--even for bulk orders, it's a rare load that is too heavy for the EZshopper's pair of sturdy telescoping arms. The clamps on each end allow easy pickup of large box items. The EZshopper is large and heavy, and in the interests of safety was equipped with a biofrequency scanner to avoid running into or over any shoppers, children, or pets that might be in an aisle.
The EZshopper is built for the job, and that job requires little in the way of intelligence. It understands enough to know what humans mean when there are conflicts within the list or an item should be suggested, but around other robots EZshoppers tend to be "gentle giants".


Might need to bump Dexterity by a point if it's able to carefully grab items like fruit. It doesn't really need the Biofrequency Scanner, either, or at least not both of them (mechanically having both is best, since it's such a cheap detection form, but to avoid shoppers 10 meters is way more than enough). Dropping a level in Perception and Biofrequency Scanner might be what I'd do to give it enough for the Dexterity boost.

>>11704802
Not that these are vital, or really even sure changes, but if you do another revision in the future:

Vacuum is 5 points. That seems a bit much for a mostly cosmetic feature.

Meanwhile, Biofrequency Scanner is 1/level, which seems quite cheap for giving 10 m /level.

I just hope you remember those if you're doing another round of revisions at any point.

>>11704985
YESSSSS!

>>11705099
>>11703494
>>11703211
>>11703199

Btw, Viral, if you want to use these when making the supplement, as is, modded in either stats or fluff, or even just as an idea to make your own spin on them, feel free. They're far from what I'd have as polished characters but I am about to fall over from sleep.

Hence no proofing of the new pdf by me just yet, but I'm glad to see the suggestions I made while Anon were useful. I think this is one of my favorite systems due to the simplicity and elegance of the ruleset, and the contrast between innocence and despair within the setting. Now if I could just find someone to run it for me... for a change I don't want to be the one GMing.

>Captcha: imparatarluganda aceige
>imparatarluganda
>WTF

Okay, I lied about not proofing. Found the first typo in Engine Heart v2.

Page 17:
>>A drone’s attribute must all be at least
Rating 1.
Should be "attributes".

Seriously going to bed now.

>>11705309
THANK YOU!!!

>>11705099
Okay, before I head out, I just realized I could have given the EZshopper an internal AND an external compartment.

NOW it can carry enough. Just have to pull 3 points from somewhere, and I already figured THAT out.

JackItUp, a robot I designed based on a car jack for the GARAGE OF TOMORROW.

I...I don't think it can lift as much as an actual jack, so I threw in a winch to let it drag stuff around.

>>11705354

I love it!

>>11705354
Did you add the +1 to Strength from size 5?

>>11705235
Thanks, I'll definitely use them as cheat sheets, or if I ever put together a book of premade robots, as-is, I guess!

>>11705407
Yeah. I originally had it at Strength 6 (and Flexible with 2s in Mob/Ref), but I didn't want to have to add more defects. If I did, it'd probably be something like Power Cutoff (+maybe Model Error) or Unreliable for another level of Winch along with the Strength boost.

>>11676926
Link?

OK, polished and uploaded once again, it's the maybe-error-free version:

http://www.mediafire.com/?j85scdve8xug6s9

This thread is almost to the point of autosage. If nobody finds anything to complain about by the time lulu is back up, I'm putting it out.

>>11706099
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/11658404/

(where are my manners)

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED WITH THIS!

YOU ARE ALL AWESOME

>>11706837

OK, thread is definitely in autosage.

AND THIS IS DEFINITELY THE LAST COPY I WILL POST TONIGHT

http://www.mediafire.com/?lbe2t4c05gcm2b5

Oh, and by the way, there was apparently a lot of bloat going on with one of the programs I use to put pdfs together, which is why the file size crept up to 7mb.

I have a new, slimmer version that's identical to my last link, but only 1.88mb.

http://www.mediafire.com/?r78vwvdxzr8zkh7

>>11658479 here.
Restating Unit 1023.

>>11707462
Fucking awesome! I wanted to stat it out on a new character sheet, but I couldn't do it because it wasn't mine!

>>11707477
Why does everyone love it so much? It took me five minutes to throw it together when I first made it.
I don't mean to complain. I'm a bit uncomfortable with all the recognition my robot has been getting. It feels too much like fame.

>>11707548
I guess just because it's a good robot.

Thanks Viral!