I would look at them as a standard part of any machine shop installed on a
starship or in a starport, but with more advanced capabilities (not just
plastic based but would also include metal, ceramic paste/dust that can be
fused, etc.), capable of using multiple inputs to create more complex
objects, etc. They would be the workhorse for small repairs on board a ship
and an essential tool for the day to day maintenance of a working starship.
Also can be used to allow modifications or tweaks of equipment, provided
that someone, or a number of people, has the necessary skill level to do
so. Not as good as store-bought professionally made equipment, and
certainly not ruggedised to military standards, but a damn sight better
than duct tape, string and chewing gum.
For example someone wants to customise a new LAG they found in some
Hillbilly backwater of a planet, if one of the crew has a good enough
weapons skill/knowledge they can do handy things like craft a customised
stock, create a better scope mount, create a "side-saddle" spare ammo clip
(similar to shotguns)
Or someone has the genius idea (for certain values of genius) of
integrating a civilian micro-uav, a 3KM mini radio receiver and a single
frag grenade ... with a number of people with piloting/flying, electronics,
comms skills at an acceptable level you could create a new aerodynamic skin
to incorporate the grenade without messing up the flight characteristics
completely, a remotely controlled release system for the grenade that was
not going to be jammed by a local radio station, yet would not accidentally
fire when someone hit the remote for their garage door.
Of course it also allows complete unskilled novices to try and do any of
the above examples, with results that should require at least one roll on
the "Humiliating Failure With Permanent Scarring" fumble table.
On 7 February 2014 22:28, Master Uxi <> wrote:
>
>
> Knowledge wants to be free. It's possible to make it not work out of the
> box but trivial to circumvent. Exposes the fallacy of most gun control:
> they're just not that complicated mechanically or chemically.
>
> - Sent from my SM-N900T
> On Feb 7, 2014 1:25 PM, "DED" <> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> So has anyone given any thought about how these can be used in Traveller?
>> Over the next few years I think they'll have a noticeable impact on our
>> current society (they in use *now* but are largely the province of
>> hobbyists and manufacturers). The limits seem to be available material. But
>> I wonder if various nations will impose bans on certain items. Here in the
>> US, at least one guy has already made a gun (I think it was a functioning
>> replica of an AR-15 but I could be wrong). Is it possible that there will
>> be protocols programmed in to prevent the manufacture of firearms?
>>
>> I'm thinking that there will be different sizes available. Ships could
>> carry around desktop-sized ones that will be limited to small parts.
>> Machine shop varieties will be able to make larger parts. Will the
>> manufacturers of the devices be the same ones that make starship parts? If
>> so, will the machines be programmed to prohibit those designs to force
>> starships to buy directly from the manufacturer or a licensed retailer?
>>
>> Or is this how B and C-class starports with insignificant populations or
>> insufficient local tech levels get around these limitations? Parts can't be
>> made locally? No problem, we just need the raw materials and the machine
>> makes them. Insufficient population for a workforce? No problem, robots can
>> load the machine all you need to do is tell the machine what to make.
>>
>> Thoughts?
>>
>> \_/
>> DED
>>
>
>
starship or in a starport, but with more advanced capabilities (not just
plastic based but would also include metal, ceramic paste/dust that can be
fused, etc.), capable of using multiple inputs to create more complex
objects, etc. They would be the workhorse for small repairs on board a ship
and an essential tool for the day to day maintenance of a working starship.
Also can be used to allow modifications or tweaks of equipment, provided
that someone, or a number of people, has the necessary skill level to do
so. Not as good as store-bought professionally made equipment, and
certainly not ruggedised to military standards, but a damn sight better
than duct tape, string and chewing gum.
For example someone wants to customise a new LAG they found in some
Hillbilly backwater of a planet, if one of the crew has a good enough
weapons skill/knowledge they can do handy things like craft a customised
stock, create a better scope mount, create a "side-saddle" spare ammo clip
(similar to shotguns)
Or someone has the genius idea (for certain values of genius) of
integrating a civilian micro-uav, a 3KM mini radio receiver and a single
frag grenade ... with a number of people with piloting/flying, electronics,
comms skills at an acceptable level you could create a new aerodynamic skin
to incorporate the grenade without messing up the flight characteristics
completely, a remotely controlled release system for the grenade that was
not going to be jammed by a local radio station, yet would not accidentally
fire when someone hit the remote for their garage door.
Of course it also allows complete unskilled novices to try and do any of
the above examples, with results that should require at least one roll on
the "Humiliating Failure With Permanent Scarring" fumble table.
On 7 February 2014 22:28, Master Uxi <> wrote:
>
>
> Knowledge wants to be free. It's possible to make it not work out of the
> box but trivial to circumvent. Exposes the fallacy of most gun control:
> they're just not that complicated mechanically or chemically.
>
> - Sent from my SM-N900T
> On Feb 7, 2014 1:25 PM, "DED" <> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> So has anyone given any thought about how these can be used in Traveller?
>> Over the next few years I think they'll have a noticeable impact on our
>> current society (they in use *now* but are largely the province of
>> hobbyists and manufacturers). The limits seem to be available material. But
>> I wonder if various nations will impose bans on certain items. Here in the
>> US, at least one guy has already made a gun (I think it was a functioning
>> replica of an AR-15 but I could be wrong). Is it possible that there will
>> be protocols programmed in to prevent the manufacture of firearms?
>>
>> I'm thinking that there will be different sizes available. Ships could
>> carry around desktop-sized ones that will be limited to small parts.
>> Machine shop varieties will be able to make larger parts. Will the
>> manufacturers of the devices be the same ones that make starship parts? If
>> so, will the machines be programmed to prohibit those designs to force
>> starships to buy directly from the manufacturer or a licensed retailer?
>>
>> Or is this how B and C-class starports with insignificant populations or
>> insufficient local tech levels get around these limitations? Parts can't be
>> made locally? No problem, we just need the raw materials and the machine
>> makes them. Insufficient population for a workforce? No problem, robots can
>> load the machine all you need to do is tell the machine what to make.
>>
>> Thoughts?
>>
>> \_/
>> DED
>>
>
>