TARDISes: Pre-programmed navigation?

[solas]

I was wondering about this related to my question about new/unbonded TARDISes.

If a TARDIS is brand new, does it have a preset number of navigation points such as Gallifrey and more importantly, does it have a 'GPS' system where you could say 'Right, I want to go to the Crimson Nebula in the Earth Empire Year 22600'?

It seems like a bit of a 'get of jail free' card for players in some ways; you could have the navigation system busted or something, but the best thing I can think of (as it relates to my question) is that a TARDIS builds up a network of information as it travels through passive scans and such. Anyways, I'd be very interested to hear what people have to say about this.

S.

[carnacki]

Well a Newly fabricated TT capsule would be linked to the APC-net and so would probably have "map of Known Space time" in the data banks.

However. Given the Size of the universe beyond the Recall system that would lock on to Gallifrey you still have to fight to get to the exact space time point you'd chose.

[mhopcroft]

The coordinates system could be set up like a car radio -- certain "favorites" are programmed into the system and can be reached very easily, but it's much more interesting to 'explore the dial" and see what you can come up with.

And, of course, if you happen to be on the run from the Time lords and know how, they very first thing you want to do is disable the setting that automatically whips your TARDIS back to Gallifrey and punishment when they get tired of your antics.

[PathfinderAP]

Jan 10, 2010 16:47:38 GMT solas said:

I was wondering about this related to my question about new/unbonded TARDISes.

If a TARDIS is brand new, does it have a preset number of navigation points such as Gallifrey and more importantly, does it have a 'GPS' system where you could say 'Right, I want to go to the Crimson Nebula in the Earth Empire Year 22600'?

It seems like a bit of a 'get of jail free' card for players in some ways; you could have the navigation system busted or something, but the best thing I can think of (as it relates to my question) is that a TARDIS builds up a network of information as it travels through passive scans and such. Anyways, I'd be very interested to hear what people have to say about this.

S.

You mean a "pre set" navigation point?,
No, I don't think you could have that, flying a TARDIS is very hard, (the Doctors TRADIS needs six time lords to fly properly) its never going to be as easy as hitting a button and it flying off to a pre set target,

Think of it this way, your current position in relation to everything else is in a state of constant, fluctuating positioning ...

Its all moving, all the time, so depending when/where you are its always different approach to another time or place,

if you had pre-sets it would become far to easy than it really is,
even the Doctor struggles to land where he wants, and alot of the time failing, lol

[kaemaril]

Jan 12, 2010 16:51:09 GMT PathfinderAP said:

Jan 10, 2010 16:47:38 GMT solas said:

I was wondering about this related to my question about new/unbonded TARDISes.

If a TARDIS is brand new, does it have a preset number of navigation points such as Gallifrey and more importantly, does it have a 'GPS' system where you could say 'Right, I want to go to the Crimson Nebula in the Earth Empire Year 22600'?

It seems like a bit of a 'get of jail free' card for players in some ways; you could have the navigation system busted or something, but the best thing I can think of (as it relates to my question) is that a TARDIS builds up a network of information as it travels through passive scans and such. Anyways, I'd be very interested to hear what people have to say about this.

S.

You mean a "pre set" navigation point?,
No, I don't think you could have that, flying a TARDIS is very hard, (the Doctors TRADIS needs six time lords to fly properly) its never going to be as easy as hitting a button and it flying off to a pre set target,

Think of it this way, your current position in relation to everything else is in a state of constant, fluctuating positioning ...

Its all moving, all the time, so depending when/where you are its always different approach to another time or place,

if you had pre-sets it would become far to easy than it really is,
even the Doctor struggles to land where he wants, and alot of the time failing, lol

On the other hand, if it were impossible to automate even routine trips to known destinations, how ever did Emergency Program 1 get Rose home?

[Rel Fexive]

Back in the day, the Doctor was very sedate in his control of the TARDIS. A few controls here, a few there, set the coordinates, pull the lever and away we go!

....to somewhere unexpected.

Now - or rather until recently to be precise - he runs around a lot more, tweaking controls all over the place, hopping around the console like a mad man!

....and he almost always arrives where and when he intended.

Draw your own conclusions ;D



I think he just has more control over it now than he did before. Experience, clearly.

[kaemaril]

Jan 12, 2010 18:56:37 GMT Rel Fexive said:

Draw your own conclusions ;D

My conclusion is that the degree of control the Doctor has over where and when he wants to go is largely plot-driven

If the plot requires him to be dead on accurate, he always is.

If the plot requires him to get a tad lost ... he does that, too.

Examples:
'I did it! Give the man a medal! Earth, Naples. December 24th 1860.'
...
'I got the flight a bit wrong.'
'I don't care!'
'It's not 1860, it's 1869.'
'I don't care!'
'And it's not Naples.'
'I don't care!'
'It's Cardiff.'
'Right.'

'Ancient Rome'
...
'Pompeii! We're in Pompeii! And it's Volcano day!"

[PathfinderAP]

Jan 12, 2010 18:35:35 GMT @kaemaril said:

Jan 12, 2010 16:51:09 GMT PathfinderAP said:

You mean a "pre set" navigation point?,
No, I don't think you could have that, flying a TARDIS is very hard, (the Doctors TRADIS needs six time lords to fly properly) its never going to be as easy as hitting a button and it flying off to a pre set target,

Think of it this way, your current position in relation to everything else is in a state of constant, fluctuating positioning ...

Its all moving, all the time, so depending when/where you are its always different approach to another time or place,

if you had pre-sets it would become far to easy than it really is,
even the Doctor struggles to land where he wants, and alot of the time failing, lol

On the other hand, if it were impossible to automate even routine trips to known destinations, how ever did Emergency Program 1 get Rose home?

Thats true,
I think the Doctor reprogram the TRADIS just prior to using the Emergency Program (he knew that the chances of winning were low, and that she would die) which means he already had the course plotted in and ready to go, (more or less, from his point)the Emergency Program just released his message and let the TARDIS go without him, (with the orders to shut down etc)

So he still had to program the navigation by hand, and not use a "pre-set"

But even then the Emergency Program did not land outside Rose's flat, as normal, (but streets away,) nor really in the right time, (she had been gone for years from Mickeys point of view after all)

You could also call this "MacGuffin protocol number one",
(let the tech fill the need no matter what)

[PathfinderAP]

Jan 12, 2010 18:56:37 GMT Rel Fexive said:

Back in the day, the Doctor was very sedate in his control of the TARDIS. A few controls here, a few there, set the coordinates, pull the lever and away we go!

....to somewhere unexpected.

Now - or rather until recently to be precise - he runs around a lot more, tweaking controls all over the place, hopping around the console like a mad man!

....and he almost always arrives where and when he intended.

Draw your own conclusions ;D



I think he just has more control over it now than he did before. Experience, clearly.

No, you see only part of the time he missed his traget, (and the times he doesn't miss tend to be short ranged hops in time or space)

In fact he miss arrives (away from his aimed point) many times, its not rare by any means,

yet he is an older Time Lord than the last,


Draw your own conclusions?

If you want to get anywhere near where you are aiming at you need to work ten times harder to pilot a TARDIS alone if to have any chance of getting where you really want, rather just landing anywhere else,

[Curufea]

So in summary - accuracy should be shown in the game with the mechanic of spending Story Points

[Rel Fexive]

Yup

[Marnal]

This article focuses on how the TARDIS navigates
www.whoniverse.org/tardis/navigationslidecontrols.php

This covers dematerialization procedures
www.whoniverse.org/tardis/dematprocedures.php
Also this covers the Astral Map
www.whoniverse.org/tardis/astralmap.php

As far as pre-programmed favorites…
www.whoniverse.org/tardis/hardwiredcoordinates.php

The Recall circuit is the bit that pulls the TARDIS back to Gallifrey
www.whoniverse.org/tardis/recallcircuit.php

- Marnal Gate

"I was told by the producer that the
guiding principle was to make the
scripts complex enough to keep the
Kids interested and simple enough for
the Adults to understand!"
-Douglas Adams on writing Doctor Who

For Everything about the TARDIS check out
www.whoniverse.net/tardis/

For all things Gallifreyan check out
meshyfish.com/~roo/
roo.scificities.com/

[PathfinderAP]

Jan 12, 2010 22:04:20 GMT Curufea said:

So in summary - accuracy should be shown in the game with the mechanic of spending Story Points

It helps, but it shouldn't be seen that the lack of use of Story Points to also indication a lack of accuracy,