RADU-2 (Heavy Metal Magellan)
About RADU-2.
Overview
The "Reclaimed Automated Diagnostic Unit Mark-2" Is a type 2 Mil-Spec AI computer core that was made fifteen years prior to the current storyline. It was recovered and rebuilt by Joseph Hendrial, a civilian Mecha-Electronics Technician working for {Insert name of our allies military force here, we need to discuss this later}
Joseph decided that he could use a new diagnostic unit for running repair routines and automatic test programs. Due to budgent contraints, the military denied his request. Frustrated, he pieced together RADU-2 using salvaged parts from other heavilly damaged Mark 2, 3, 4, and 5 systems in his spare time... A memory buffer here, a closed nitrogen cooling system there, and then re writing the code and memory values to hopefully make everything work correctly...
Once the system was brought online it performed almost perfectly. Diagnostic routines and repair efficiencies in the repair shop were up almost 50%... The system could also play a seriously mean game of chess...
Appearance
The finished product is housed in a 5 gallon wire mesh bucket, and is roughly 3 times the size of a newer Mark-6 Artificial Intelligence unit... It also runs 25% faster, but at a price.
Operation
The cobbled together nature of the system is its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. Despite many fixes to the software and hardware, the components will sometimes run into synchronization problems which can cause RADU to malfunction from time to time. The longer RADU operates, the more the synchronization issues compound and increase the likely-hood of a glitch.
For every hour that the system operates, there is a chance that a synchronization issue will occur. Roll one ten sided die, and subtract 5 from the result. If the end number is less than 0, no synchronization issues happen, and the system works fine. If the number is greater than zero, add this to RADU's percentage pool.
There is a way to resolve the issue. The system has to reset itself with a diagnostic routine that requires at least one minute of cycle time for each percentage point accumulated. Every hour that RADU is operating however, and has percentage points in its pool, roll percentile to see if a malfunction occurs.
Example
For example: Radu and Joseph are out assisting Deep/Thumper on a salvage run, and RADU has been operating for 5 hours straight. 1d10 is rolled 5 times:
| Roll 1: | 4 | no points in the pool, no glitch event possible yet |
| Roll 2: | 6 (add 1) | 72 is rolled against 1%, no glitch event |
| Roll 3: | 7 (add 2) | 65 is rolled against 3%, no glitch event |
| Roll 4: | 3 | 81 is rolled against 3%, no glitch event |
| Roll 5: | 9 (add 4) | 5 is rolled against 7%, See below |
This equates to a 7% chance that RADU experiences a glitch. A d100 is rolled. If a 01-07 is rolled, RADU has something happen. If 08-100 is rolled, the system works fine.
For purposes of this example, lets say the player rolls a 5. He would then roll percentile again on the following table: (I'm open to modding this table btw if you guys have any ideas for an interesting glitch event)
| 01-35% | Language processor glitch. RADU begins slurring his words. One word out of every 5 he says will be pronounced backwards for 1d10+(X%) minutes |
| 36-45% | Radar Ghosts appear, when there is actually nothing there. RADU however will insist that a hostile is nearby for 1d8+(X%)minutes |
| 46-55% | HUD malfunction. HUD begins to flicker, making targeting and ranging difficult for 1d6+(X%) minutes |
| 56-65% | Language software recognition glitch. RADU begins speaking gibberish and cannot be understood at all. He likewise cannot understand pilot commands for 1d4+(X%) minutes |
| 66-75% | Hydraulics regulation malfunction. Mech's speed is reduced by half for 1d4+(X%) minutes |
| 76-80% | Weapon system lockout. One weapon system goes offline, and cannot be used for 1d10 minutes |
| 81-90% | Engine overcharge event. Mech speed is doubled for 1d10+(X%) minutes, afterward speed is reduced to 25% until diagnostics are run |
| 91-94% | Jumpjets fire for no reason, launching the mecha in a random direction. |
| 95-97% | FCS error. All weapons are unusable for 1d4(+X%) minutes until the system restarts. |
| 98-99% | Minor Hardware Error. Mech powerplant regulation hardware goes out of phase, Initiating a synch routine. Re-boot in (X%) minutes |
| 100% | Fatal Hardware crash. A critical component experiences a power surge, and the part is effectively slagged. Mech shuts completely down until the part is replaced. |
