Customzing Vehicles (rules for players)

[Neros]

Been looking at some rules for players to be able to improve vehicles (for 2.0), and I figured I would post them here since they are compatible.. Or I think it is.. But would like some input  

CUSTOMZING VEHICLES
Sometimes, a player wants more than just a car. Or sometimes, they want to improve a car so it goes faster or can take a larger beating. These rules will give guidelines to how players can create their own custom vehicles. If a player’s background supports it, they should be allowed to have normal vehicles without paying any extra stones.

Improvement
The “cheapest” way for a player to get a custom vehicle is by spending stones into an action like Technology or Vehicle operation with a speciality, working on the when time allows it. Each of a vehicle's aspects can be altered. It is however limited how much can be done to existing vehicles with this method. You can improve the aspect by one or maybe even more. If you really want to create grand marvels, look into the Inventing action.

Difficulty & Resistance
The Difficulty to change a vehicles aspect is usually equal to the aspects rating. The Resistance can be double this or higher, depending on the simplicity of the operation being performed. However the effects can vary at GM’s discretion depending on the nature of the vehicle and the tools available.

Time
It usually days to complete the operation. The mechanic however, can increase the Resistance by 4 to make it take hours instead. Each day/hour, he can then lower the Resistance by an amount equal to his Action. This however requires him to spend the whole day/hour working on the project (breaks are allowed when handling days). Once it reaches 0, it will be complete. If in a hurry, the changes can be taken into use before it is finished, but this is risky and may lead to broken engines or explosions.

NOTE: I am not sure of the limit on how high the aspects can be improved, but there should be one.

[kito]

as far as improvements go I would argue it depends on materials, like an Adamantium car could be far better decked out then a iron one would also argue u can do more to larger vehicles going truck/van/car/motorcycle probably allowing more options or add on to larger vehicles, idk if you wanted a soft rule say like one(or w/e AN you decide on if you use any of this at all) customization or upgrade per vehicle dur or HP? prob as a soft cap of "Dur max" being motorcycle 1-3 car 4-6 van 7-9 truck 10. this is all just spit balled idea ( you might want to make an official "mechanic" action to go along with this being a soft mix of say inventing (vehicles only) repair to machines and vehicles and half AN to vehicle operations (again all spit balled)

[Neros]

I was going for a "soft rule" thing, since both Inventing and the rest of the game already seemed rather lose with details. If you wanted to invent a armor with 8 toughness, just spend the stones and get on with it. Leave the "how" to the imagination of the player (at GM's discretion ofcourse).
But I was thinking of adding some sort modifiers to the Resistance/Difficulty if you had easy access/no access to a workshop, and what quality materials where laying around, could maybe affect it as well (middle of city: lots of opportunities. In the desert: Gona be a tough one).

Originally I thought that I could just use Technology or Vehicle Operation (to keep it simple and allow for greater flexibility for the character). But I looked over Technology, and as with Vehicle Operation, it is actually purely an "Operation" action. So contrary to what I had believed, you can't assemble a computer/tinker with electronics with Technology.

I might change that since I feel (an my group probably) that Technology could easily cover this area. I can't imagine a character that knows how Kree technology works, but have no idea how to improve the performance of a motorbike, without getting a second action.
In an example in the core book (p. 11, Objectives): They use Medical Healing, which per the rules is only used to heal damage. But here they use it to fabricate a cure

And just a note; vehicles don't have Durability (Im guessing you where talking about Durability when you said Dur). They have a number of red stones of Health instead of white.

[kito]

said dur or hp? for vehicles I call there hp there durability. I know they have no energy or regen but calling hp durability make more sense so hero are asking how durable it is over how much hp it has left.

so your just looking for a D/r friendly rule of thumb?

altho you can easy use tec or vehicle for this making and actual mechanic action could just give in an extra advantage over not having one sure knowing kree teck can help u make kree things, but not know how to engineer means you cant build it.

[Neros]

I just feel adding an additional action for just modifying vehicles is overkill. All I had imagined they could do was improve the aspects of it within a certain limit. They can't add hover wheels or create a new type of spacecraft.. I see Inventing cover the "create new stuff" part of the game.

But I can try and look at it and hear what my group have of input about it as well.

[kito]

I don't mean you need a new action for it i just mean a new action built around it might work better then trying to tag other actions to fit into what you want, as I said you can use tech and vehicle operation if you wanted easy you can even use inventing with a -1 disadvantage on only can do on vehicles again easy.

for a rule of thumb on D/r i would say D=X need tech or vehicle or gen knowledge for D, R use inventing formula prob cut cost in half as it only for vehicles e.g
-existing tech (x2 r)
-existing tech u don't know (x4 r)
-Never been done (x5 r)

# of use is probably always permanent but if you wanted to add a "reload" option as a Replacement like for a booster or a gun prob be

3 uses till reload (+2 to cost)
6 uses till reload (+4 to cost)
no need to reload (GM description)

(i mean "reload" or "restock" back at base to be clear)

(more spitball)

[Neros]

I guess I could use the Inventings mechanic for the Resistance. But I still don't want the player to create new, revolutionizing things with it. Just small improvements (not sure on how small yet and the limit of the changes.. Or if there should be any except the Difficulty..)

But the uses idea I like. Like you said, the mechanic could then create a booster quickly.

NOTE: I just noticed that Difficulty is used to measure the amount of time it took, and yet, I also had Resistance. So I reworded the "Difficulty-sets-amount-of-time" part of the rules.

[kito]

in some super cars can do a lot of things go under water go into space fly etc so idk where u want to draw the line?

[Neros]

Because I don't want Technology to become a cheaper version of Inventing. If so, Inventing will be picked even fewer times than it already is.

[kito]

Hmm i see well then for your "average jo" Car guy Maby only a max of +2 to any stat max upgrade = to AN (this for every one who not have inventing) so guy with tech 4 can still super the speed up +2 and +1 to hp and +1 to flight (if it already has flight but he cant add flight to the car) this more in the ball park you thinking?


D/r for this prob being D = HP + upgrade #?(so car hp 4 and speed 3 u need AN of 5 for +1 speed and AN of 6 for +2 speed?) or D = AN cant improve over you AN? (e.g tech 4 can still upgrade a total of +4 on the vehicle but nothing can go over AN 4 in upgrade?)

R figured buy time +1 upgrade = 1 day (or ruff 18-20 hours)

For repair prob starting at 24 hr per hp divide buy AN? so AN 1 takes 3-4 days for "healing"(3hp) AN 5 takes about 15 hours (again 3 hp)? or a day? give or take?

[Neros]

I think I am having a hard time understanding what you are suggesting due to the grammar. But it sounds like it is in the area I am trying to go and you have brought up some points that needed looking at

Is it something like this you meant;
Max Improvement = Aspect +2
Difficulty = Current Aspect + Upgrade
Resistance = Upgrade + Modifiers x "not-sure-yet.. Maybe dependent if you have a specialty or not"
Time = Lower Resistance by AN + Ability Bonus per day/hour

I think for repair it would be simplest to say: The Resistance to repair a vehicle is missing health x2. You may then pend 1 hour to repair the vehicle, restoring 1 health up to AN + Ability Bonus (remember health is measured in red stones). You must spend the whole hour repairing.

So the more damage have been done, the longer it will take and "simpler" vehicles will be easier to repair like motorbikes and a APC would take longer.

NOTE: I feel no need to "spend stones" since you regenerate per panel. So if something takes hours/days, you wouldn't "feel" spending that energy.

[kito]

ya sorry on grammar when I don't sleep for a few days I tend to ramble on. your Repair makes a lot more sense. the no need to spend stones seems fine as I would not imagine you are pushing your self with repair work.

this seems done then until you get back with your group ideas or finish off the action.