Software

The programs available depend on
the setting. Some general notes:
• Complexity: Every program has a
Complexity rating, as defined above.
• Capabilities: Some programs sim-
ply provide entertainment (e.g., a
video game) or a practical function
(e.g., e-mail).
Others give the user a bonus to per-
form a specific task. For instance,
financial software might give +1 to
Accounting when preparing taxes.
Treat such bonuses identically to those
for good equipment (see Equipment
Modifiers, p. 345).
Still others are mandatory for some
tasks – notably technical tasks at
TL8+. Without them, the user’s skill
will operate at a lower TL. For exam-
ple, an engineer might require a
Complexity 3 CAD/CAM program to
design
a
jet;
without
it,
his
Engineer/TL8 (Aircraft) skill might
function as Engineer/TL7. These pro-
grams are generally Complexity 2 at
TL7, Complexity 4 at TL8, Complexity
6 at TL9, and so on. A program of
higher than minimum Complexity
provides a bonus or reduces the time
required.
Programs intended for robots may
grant
advantages,
disadvantages,
skills, or even pre-programmed per-
sonalities! These can be hardwired or
modular (see Modular Abilities, p. 71).
• Cost: Most programs have a cost
in $. This is the price of a single, legal
copy, with documentation. Each com-
puter requires its own copy. It is possi-
ble to copy software for free, but this
is often illegal. But a computer can
run as many instances of a program as
its Complexity allows; it does not
require a separate copy per instance.