[spoon-discuss] The edge of the production coin

["Orc In A Spacesuit" <orcinaspacesuit@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Here, I'm rewriting your unproposed prop, Glotmorf.  Take a look, and tell 
me what you think, everyone:

{{ _Technologies_

A. Products
Products are types of objects.  Each Product is uniquely identified, and all 
objects that correspond to a given Product are known by that identifier, 
e.g. if "fizzbin" is a Product, then there can exist individual fizzbins.

B. Technology
B.1 Defintion
There exist objects of type Technology.  A Technology is an ability to 
construct objects of (a) particular Product(s), provided the conditions for 
that Technology are met.  Entities can work together to use Technologies; in 
fact, it may be required.  Although any entity can posess a Technology, only 
an entity which is also a physical (grid) object can use it[[Make some 
factories!]].  Also, entities in Limbo cannot use Technologies.

B.2 Process
A Technology has with it associated with a Process.  This Process is a list 
of actions to be taken by entities, and what objects they must have, when 
the Technology is used.

B.3 Results
A Technology also has with it associated with it Results.  These results are 
what happens when its Process is sucessfully completed.

B.4 Terminology
[[CAUTION: You may wish to skip to the example below (B.5) before tackling 
this paragraph]]
"Smiths", when used in a Process, are the entities who possess that 
Technology and are working together on the Process.  "Workers" are like 
Smiths, but don't require the Technology (and all Smiths are Workers).  An 
item which is Consumed (C) is destroyed at the beginning of the Process, and 
an item which is Incorporated (I) is destroyed at the end.  Other items are 
unchanged by a Process.  "Smith/days" and "Worker/days" are similar to 
man/hours; For each Entity participating, e may do a requirement for any 
amount of ndays, and once the total amount of time spend by all qualified 
entities equals the required amount, that condition is met.  "Grid Work" 
means time spent performing no Grid actions, and not changing location.  
"Mind Work" means time spent performing no actions.  "Light Work" means time 
spent on the Grid.  To perform any kind of Work, an entity must state what e 
is attempting to do.  If e fails to finish a declared work, that work is not 
completed, and that Technology my incurr a penalty [[Nitro blows up; plants 
wither; cultures spoil; failure means a distraction]].  If a Process fails 
(due to time limits or whatever), any Consumed items are gone, but 
Incorperated ones are not, unless specified otherwise.

B.5 An Example
Lets say there is a Technology called "fizzbin Technology".  It's Process is 
"Workers must have {1 Ball of Wax(C), 1 Kindling(I), 1 Arathame, 2 
Points(C)}.  1 Smith/day in Grid Work required within 5 ndays; all objects 
must remain within 3 spaces of working Smiths.  All Workers must be within 3 
spaces of all others.
It's Result is: "1 fizzbin".

This means:
Anybody who wants to can work on this fizzbin thing can.  They all get close 
together, and between all of them, 1 must contribute a ball of wax, 1 must 
contribute Kindling, 1 must contribute an Arathame, and 1 or 2 must 
contribute a total of 2 points.  It could all be the same guy; it doesn't 
matter.  As soon as the Process starts, the wax and points are destroyed.  
Then, one of the Smiths in the group has to spend 1 nday sitting where he is 
(doing the work) within 5 ndays; while he does that work, all unconsumed 
items required must stay near him.  If everything goes well, the Kindling is 
destroyed as soon as the work is done, and a fizzbin is given to the Primary 
Smith (see below).  If something screws up (no Smith works; Arathame carrier 
runs away; whatever), the kindling remains, but the wax and points are gone, 
and no fizzbin.

B.6 Perfoming Processes
To perform a Process, the entities wishing to participate must agree to 
participate, who will contribute/do what, and when/where it will happen.  If 
the conditions for the agreed Process occur (all required items present, 
usually), then the Process starts.  Each Process must have a Primary Smith; 
this is the Smith in the Process who will reap the benefits (although e will 
probably give something to the other entities) on success, and suffer the 
brunt of some of the consequences.

C. Transference of Technology
Technologies cannot be transferred freely; once an entity has a Technlogy, e 
can never lose it.  An entity also cannot just give a Technology to another 
entity.  However, an entity can get copies in different ways.  The most 
common is through the use of a "Learn Meter" (or Meter) for a Technology; an 
Entity can get one by requesting one for a Technology e does not have and 
does exist according to the rules on a public forum.  A Meter starts at 0; 
once it reaches the target for that technology(default 1000), e learns that 
Technology.  Meters must be posted publicly by the Administrator at least 
once per nweek (either on a public forum or a public web page)Following are 
some common methods and results; they apply to all Technologies that do not 
state otherwise:

C.1 Teaching
Technologies may normally be Taught to other Entities.  To Teach, an Entity 
with a Technology (the Teacher) and the entity wanting it must state that 
Teaching is being attempted, and follow that Technology's Teach Process.

The default Teach Process is:
The Teacher and the Student perform the Process, with the Teacher as the 
Primary Smith.  The Student must perform as much as e possibly can for the 
process (provide all items a single Worker can, do all Work as single Worker 
can, etc.), and the Teacher must be the Primary Smith.  Only if the above 
happens and the Process is successful does the Teach Process succeed.
The default Teach Process result is: +2d200 to the Student's Learn Meter
[[I think that covers worker training, telling friends, formal classes, and 
selling corporate secrets.]]

C.2 Catching on
If a Worker participates in a Process enough, e may eventually learn how to 
do it.
The default Catching On Process is:
The Entity must participate in the successful Process
The default Catching On result is: +2d10 to the entity's Learn Meter; Roll a 
die again and add the new result on a roll of 10 (and repeat as necessary).
[[That should cover workers learning, industrial spies working for in low 
level, just somebody saying 'hey guys watch this']]

C.3 Spying
If somebody observes a Process long enough, e may eventually learn how to do 
it.
The default Catching On Process is:
The Entity must stay within 3 spaces of the Primary Smith of the successful 
process, use no Grid Actions except movement ones, and not be in any vehicle 
(including an Airspeeder).
The default Spying result is: +1d8 to the Spy's Learn Meter; Roll again and 
add the new result on an 8 (and repeat as necessary).
[[That should cover, well, spying.  I think all sorts of rules could be made 
for items and stuff that would modify effects of the last section, like 
range and stuff.]]

C.4 Research
Want to know how to do something?  Figure it out!
The default Research process is:
The entity may spend any amount of ndays doing Mind Work
The default RE'ing result is: +xd10 Learn Meter at the end of each nweek, 
where x is the number of ndays spent Researching that nweek; reroll and add 
10's.

C.4 Reverse Engineering
If you study a product, you may figure something out.
The default Reverse Engineering(RE'ing) process is:
spend any amount of ndays doing Mind Work while in the same location or an 
adjacent location as all the results of a Process
The default RE'ing result is: +xd20 at the end of each nweek, where x is the 
number of ndays spent RE'ing that nweek; reroll and add 20's.

[[I really think that many Technologies should require Machines of some 
sort, that can't just be carted around, and if you can get these Machines 
(stealing or whatever), then the actual Technology should be easy to learn 
(push a button)]].

D. Marketing
If an entity constructs one or more of a Product, that entity can, in 
addition to giving them to other entities freely or as part of Offers, place 
them on the Open Market by declaring the quantity available and a per-object 
purchase price for them on the public forum; those Products can then be 
purchased by other entities on a first-come, first-served basis.  The 
selling entity can change the purchase price at any time.  The enties buying 
and selling must arrange for the actual obtaining of the Products; the 
seller could Throw a Big Stick, but an Airspeeder would require pickup or 
delivery.

Orc In A Spacesuit
is tired, and is playing Nomic at 4:38 AM, and has class in a few hours, and 
has decided to skip his 8:30.

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