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Pokebots and the Wired Capability; Wired Capability - It's not just for Rotoms anymore!
Topic Started: Aug 15 2015, 08:21 AM (738 Views)
LordNoir
Mad Scientist
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This is actually something I've been curious about since 1.04, and 1.05 answered some questions, but not others.

The Wired Compatibility Core handles moves and abilities gained, in the case of Rotom, the book itself actually answers all my questions completely, but my question is specifically about that other Wired pokemon - Porygon.

To put the questions simply:

- If a Porygon is piloting a Pokebot, we know it gets 2 moves and 1 ability from the bot, but which set of stats and capabilities are used?
I've actually brought this idea to the players I normally play and discuss mechanics with, and we had three major "camps" on the notion.

The first was that a Porygon controlling the Pokebot should be just like an appliance form for a Rotom, and therefore augment the porygon's stats and possibly add a capability based on the bot, but otherwise have no change. The arguments against this was that Porygon's schtick is as a computer program/AI, not as a ghost inhabiting machines like Rotom is. Porygon also lacks the Poltergeist ability which makes taking machine forms like Rotom does possible.

The second was that Porygon (being essentially computer programs/AI) treat any Pokebot akin to a "mecha" and because the Porygon itself has no physical body, when piloting a Pokebot the stats and capabilities of the pokebot should be used, with it essentially gaining Porygon's movelist and abilities from the piloting. This makes sense as the Pokebot "shell" would be what takes physical damage in the fight. However, the arguments against this were that it might make Porygon at low levels piloting a higher level Pokebot very over-powered in a pokemon battle, especially if a low-level player spent all their starting cash to get a fancy pokebot for their porygon to fight in at the beginning of a campaign.

The third was that each Pokebot's purpose is different depending on creator's intent, and that any piloted Pokebot should probably be using a mixture, possibly even "averaging" the stats between the two and combining capabilities. The major arguments against this is that it is a bookkeeping nightmare, since it would require having to re-average the stats with every level-gain on both the porygon and the pokebot. There were also concerns that this method would make an even more over-powered combatant in pokemon battles and would require much more work of the GM than one of the other two methods.

Aside from these three major camps, there was the idea to just "use one of those three ideas on a case-to-case basis" for the pokebot/mon in question, but that also seems to be unnecessarily taxing on the GM, especially for a sci-fi game. We also had questions about if the Porygon has augmentations and how that might relate to when it is piloting a pokebot, since money spent on various augmentations ( like Thermal Optical Camouflage, for instance) is an investment and whether or not such things are lost when the pokemon inhabits a bot is good to know.

- In battle, which gets the EXP if it is not to be divided to non-combatants - the pokemon or the pokebot?


With a Rotom, this is easy - it goes to the Rotom because the pokemon is just in an appliance form. For Porygon, it's a bit more tricky because depending on your answer for the previous question, it may be easiest to declare the exp belonging to the pokemon, the pokebot, or both.

Now for a Non-Porygon question:

In a previous version, Pokemon with the Datajack augmentation were considered to have the Wired capability to allow them to "pilot" pokebots. The current version (Datajack+ Digital Avatar edge) makes them capable of diving into computer systems. Does this include Pokebots with the Wired Compatibility Core?
Honestly, this is just me being rather curious, since by the language of the text it sounds like they might be able to, but it's nice to be certain.
Edited by LordNoir, Aug 15 2015, 08:29 AM.
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CWStra
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Pokémon Trainer
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Quote:
 
The first was that a Porygon controlling the Pokebot should be just like an appliance form for a Rotom, and therefore augment the porygon's stats and possibly add a capability based on the bot, but otherwise have no change. The arguments against this was that Porygon's schtick is as a computer program/AI, not as a ghost inhabiting machines like Rotom is. Porygon also lacks the Poltergeist ability which makes taking machine forms like Rotom does possible.

I can understand the concerns here; after all, Poltergeist is kinda Rotom's whole shtick.


Quote:
 
The second was that Porygon (being essentially computer programs/AI) treat any Pokebot akin to a "mecha" and because the Porygon itself has no physical body, when piloting a Pokebot the stats and capabilities of the pokebot should be used, with it essentially gaining Porygon's movelist and abilities from the piloting. This makes sense as the Pokebot "shell" would be what takes physical damage in the fight. However, the arguments against this were that it might make Porygon at low levels piloting a higher level Pokebot very over-powered in a pokemon battle, especially if a low-level player spent all their starting cash to get a fancy pokebot for their porygon to fight in at the beginning of a campaign.

While I can't speak with much authority on the matter, most Pokébots aren't purchased, but produced by the players. If that's the case, you shouldn't have to worry about a low-level player overpowering their Porygon, since they wouldn't be able to make a very OP Pokébot, and their Pokébot would start at Level 5 anyway. Later game, saying that a Porygon can't control a Pokébot that's, say, 5+ levels above it should cover the problems here.


Quote:
 
The third was that each Pokebot's purpose is different depending on creator's intent, and that any piloted Pokebot should probably be using a mixture, possibly even "averaging" the stats between the two and combining capabilities. The major arguments against this is that it is a bookkeeping nightmare, since it would require having to re-average the stats with every level-gain on both the porygon and the pokebot. There were also concerns that this method would make an even more over-powered combatant in pokemon battles and would require much more work of the GM than one of the other two methods.

I agree: that could be horrible for bookkeeping.

Quote:
 
- In battle, which gets the EXP if it is not to be divided to non-combatants - the pokemon or the pokebot?

With a Rotom, this is easy - it goes to the Rotom because the pokemon is just in an appliance form. For Porygon, it's a bit more tricky because depending on your answer for the previous question, it may be easiest to declare the exp belonging to the pokemon, the pokebot, or both.

The simplest solution is to treat both the Pokémon and the Pokébot as combatants. Mind you, I rarely enforce the "only combatants get EXP" rule anyway, to allow parties to be more balanced.

As for the non-Porygon question, I have no idea.
Edited by CWStra, Aug 15 2015, 12:16 PM.
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LordNoir
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Quote:
 

While I can't speak with much authority on the matter, most Pokébots aren't purchased, but produced by the players. If that's the case, you shouldn't have to worry about a low-level player overpowering their Porygon, since they wouldn't be able to make a very OP Pokébot, and their Pokébot would start at Level 5 anyway. Later game, saying that a Porygon can't control a Pokébot that's, say, 5+ levels above it should cover the problems here.


Arguably, all Pokebots are "bought" even by those who build them directly. However, I'd agree with you if there wasn't a lv15 combat pokebot listed as a example in the book at P6000(removing one of the upgrades could easily lower the cost to P5000, or obviously would be easily gotten in a game where the GM opts to grant extra starting funds.) Also, given the recommended rules for bots being purchased, depending on the GM's interpretation for "profit", it would be rather easy for any player with the typical P5000 starting cash to end up with a Pokebot with the Wired Compatibility core and possibly 1 or 2 other upgrades. It would likely be at lv 5 (again, up to the GM.) If a GM made a ruling about a Porygon being unable to pilot a pokebot that has an upgrade to specifically allow it to be piloted, that seems unnecessarily harsh, especially when you consider buying a pokebot with that upgrade is estimated around P2000-3000 depending on the GM. To me, it would sound like a GM stating you can start with a mega ring and have Mawille as a starter, but you're not allowed to use the mega ring until the trainer is within 2 levels of the pokemon's level. Then again, I've always been of the opinion that if a player is willing to spend all their starting cash on one item (like shiny TMs or armor) then it's their choice - having no potions or pokeballs is a difficult handicap to start out with. However, I've also played in enough games where the GMs have not played up such flaws in early-game play, and instead just end up giving characters things they are missing.

Quote:
 
The simplest solution is to treat both the Pokémon and the Pokébot as combatants. Mind you, I rarely enforce the "only combatants get EXP" rule anyway, to allow parties to be more balanced.


Yes, definitely the easiest solution, but if the GM in question treats it like an appliance form, then there'd be no reason to give the bot exp - I mean you don't give the lawnmower the rotom possesses exp after a fight.

The reason I brought up my query is because I have something of a soft-spot for Porygon, and a trainer concept which makes heavy use of Porygon both for hacking and for combat use. Heavily inspired by one of the plot hooks in the sci-fi book, I toyed with the notion of this trainer ( who was already an engineer) to build realistic humanoid bots, one for each of his porygon, to act as the brain of the bot. However, I'd hate to unload such a concept on a GM without being able to point them to information of how to handle such a concept in stats and such.
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