Friday 30 September 2016

d100 High Tech Bugs



Tech will always fail you. Could roll as flaws in latest products or like a event possibility in any tech game. Friction points are something you accumulate when you consider all the things that go wrong in a mission. Too many points and you call the mission off. New untested tech is a significant risk as is the complexity of operating it and the skill of the operators.

This is a list of cluster fucks for any tech game, go ahead and disappoint your players. Could be handy for failed repair rolls or found items or bargain goods. Flaws can be fixed and overcome. Some items rated by failure per 200 hours use - ideally .002 nice, shitty items much higher.

In game i would make mishap more common - especially in tech dystopia. Especially when players hurriedly upgrading with cool stuff in splatbooks.

This is best for hand held electronics or high tech fire arms. Im assuming most products have batteries, displays and some kind of computer.

Inspired by Scrap princess on G+ post.

Also an earlier post
http://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/roadwar2000-gentech-supply-catalogue-pt1.html

Cheap Stuff - often under half price - double failure odds - check first d20 hours
-From vending machines
-Knock off bootleg copy
-Superstore bargain
-Ikea kit

Moderate - check every 200 hundred hours for fault
-retailer standard
-rushed custom model

Expensive - 10-20x cost - one check after 1000 hours
-custom creation
-VIP super delux

d10 Common Problems
1 Emergent properties of hurried design
2 Poor design parameters - too many requirements, under performs
3 Inferior materials - poor sourcing, breakages
4 Crippleware - designed to make you buy more stuff or upgrade

5 Manufacturing flaw - not assembled properly
6 Inferior parts - parts break or ignites
7 Untested in real conditions - fails in certain conditions like cold, mud, wet, etc
8 Overly complex - repairs, maintenance take too long or bewildering
9 Corporate Sabotage - deliberate sabotage from rivals
10 Built in obsolescence - made to fail in time period to make you upgrade


d100 High Tech Bugs
01 Some units burst into flames peak use
02 Overheats and melts
03 Explodes when peak used
04 Part snaps off
05 Breaks in half
06 Jams easily
07 Something rattling stops working
08 Knob or switch or control breaks off
09 Knob or switch or control jams in position
10 Part loose making operation intermittent

11 Under performs claims on box or ad
12 If not maintained frequently critically fails

13 Not waterproof, moisture increases failure odds
14 Parts, accessories or ammo scarce
15 Power supply intermittent
16 Part breaks stops unit working
17 Incompatible part eventually breaks
18 Dust or dirt jams mechanism
19 Device a security risk, enables others to spy on you
20 Rapid temperature change breaks
21 Rapid humidity change breaks
22 Item snaps easily of dropped or struck
23 Batteries, magazines, memory hard to remove, get stuck often
24 Highly flammable if exposed to heat, fire, sparks 
25 Easily corrodes increasing failure
26 Hackers seize control of device
27 Hackers can track location
28 Hackers sabotage then contact owner pretending to e company
29 Hackers cause to go haywire
30 Bootleg unit falls apart after d100 hours use
31 System upgrade shuts down at awkward moments
32 Not compatible with non brand accessories
33 Upgrade makes accessories not compatible
34 Upgrade reduces efficiency
35 Virus reduces efficiency
36 Virus causes shutdown
37 Virus causes haywire
38 Virus activates at various times
39 Product recall due to trademark or copyright violation
40 Part loose and drops off due to poor assembly
41 Interface ports loose and get worse
42 Accessory attachments loose
43 Mildly radioactive
44 Causes interference in electronics
45 Activates when other devices turned on
46 Item is toxic to touch
47 Gives off toxic fumes when working
48 Item leaks toxic fluid
49 Item leaks lubricant
50 Parts corrode requiring replacement regularly
51 Parts disintegrate slowly in sunlight
52 Acid from skin eats coating, loses waterproofing
53 Screen scratches or cracks easily
54 When warms up parts expand and seizes up and even shatters
55 Paint falls off and looks like shit
56 Accumulates dirt in ports, gums up works, requires cleaning 
57 Requires special cleaning tools and products to continue functioning
58 Scandal with item manufacturer earns user scorn and abuse
59 Item rated uncoolest top ten tech for year, public laugh on sight
60 Item used and made famous by terrorists attracting police
61 Item used and made infamous hated celebrity, people spit on item
62 Part is delicious to animals
63 Bugs like to crawl inside
64 Item seizes up, help note from sweatshop inside
65 Company sells trademark, new one goes bankrupt, no new parts 
66 Discharges when puts away
67 Discharges when sit down
68 Discharges when when catches on other piece of equipment
69 Discharges randomly when jostled
70 Jams on cold start works best if warmed up
71 Designed to stop working when warranty ends
72 Requires regular servicing to function
73 Causes occasional repetitive injury or abrasion in use
74 After sales spam and harassment from manufacturer
75 Maintenance complex and difficult requires technician
76 Self service or modification breach of trademark inviting legal action
77 Self service or modification breach of trademark voiding warranty
78 Rival company releases superior copy just after you buy it
79 Part snaps in cold
80 Seizes up intermittently in heat
81 Security feature over zealous 
82 Slippery, easy to drop in hurry
83 Attracts dust and effects operation
84 Lag in activating time that gets worse
85 Battery use faster - something stays on all the time
86 Battery use faster - inferior and deteriorates 
87 Battery flaw explodes
88 Keeps restarting or setting change
89 Chips burn out if overcharged
90 Chips burn out if get moist or damp
91 Noisy annoying sounds when carried or operating
92 Charger overheats eventually melts 
93 Electric shocks from grips after sweat eats away seams
94 Constant static charges eventually bursts into flame
95 Software bug shuts down if confused
96 Software bug makes errors often
97 Software bug asking for confirmation in crisis
98 Electronics spaz out when near other powered devices
99 Hairline crack grows till casing breaks during use
100 Operating device stands out with high em profile

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