Re: [HOE] More Junker questions

[Brett Dixon <balance@tubas.net>]

On Tuesday, October 8, 2002, at 11:12  AM, Jim Burzelic wrote:

> Can you recharge spirit batteries and powerpacks by
> hooking them up to Reactors?
>
> How would you simulate fiberoptic cabling? I want to
> hook two separate "vehicles" together, like a train,
> and have them run off the same engine. But it's more
> than just power (otherwise, I'd just use spirit
> cable). I also want the AI's voice and sensors and
> control to extend to the extra cars when attached. I
> know it'd be easier to just build the powers into each
> car, but I want the same AI overall. So I was thinking
> some sort of fiberoptics so that the AI could "move"
> from car to car. Or maybe just a system of sensor and
> commo powers will work. What's everyone else think?

Offhand, i'd let a second run of spirit cable be used as data cable... 
I don't rememebr the speciifc of spirit cable at the moment, though... 
I think it's important to recognize that while the Junker system is a 
bit more crunchy and exact than the Mad Scientist mechanic, it still 
requires posse intervention.

> I want to make a detachable "brain" for my vehicle.
> Wow, I just realized I'm basically recreating those
> computer head things that controlled the cars in the
> old cartoon pole position. What I was thinking is
> using contact sensors and/or ranged sensors so that
> the brain box (or junker) can still control the
> vehicle remotely. For the device to control or send
> commands of control, would I just use the Commo power
> for sending data? Would I use this same method for
> that AI problem above?

I'd definitely say the 'brain' would be a separate device, basically, 
probably with the commo power on everything it wants to talk to and 
itself. Think about what you want it to do when alone, then build the 
vehicle with it's own sensors.

But that's just an off-the-hip suggestion, and my copy of The Junkman 
Cometh is at home.