Computers in GURPS have several components: Complexity, Data Storage, Other Capabilities, and Software.
Complexity[]
Complexity for computers[note 1] is abstract measure of processing power and is a logarithmic scale ie Complexity 2 is 10 times the processing power of Complexity 1. Programs also have a Complexity rating and a computer can only run up to programs of its Complexity rating or lower simultaniously with the same multiplier for lower complexity. So a Complexity 2 computer could run two Complexity 2 programs, one Complexity 2 and ten Complexity 1 programs, or a hundred Complexity 1 programs at the same time.
"The best mid-TL8 (2004-era) desktop systems are Complexity 4; more typical systems are Complexity 2-3."[1] CPUwise Complexity 4 was the "PowerPC G5" (2002) for the Mac and the Pentium 4 (2000; 2004 - 64-bit) for the PC.
Complexity abstracts four components into one number: Logic (CPU), Memory, Storage and Media, Architecture
Both GURPS High-Tech and GURPS High-Tech: Electricity and Electronics gives guidelines based on physical size[note 2] (these are all LC4):
| Type | TL | Size | Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Megacomputer | TL7 | building sided computer | Complexity 7 |
| Macroframe | TL7 | room size mainframe or supercomputer | Complexity 6 |
| Minicomputer | TL7 | refrigerator sized computer | Complexity 5 |
| Workstation | TL7 | one-person workstation-terminal/IBM PC | Complexity 4 |
| Medium Computer | TL7 | Desktop, laptop | Complexity 3 |
| Small Computer | TL8 | Notebook, palmtop, or tablet | Complexity 2 |
| Tiny Computer | TL8 | smartphone or wearable | Complexity 1 |
Computer-Design Options[]
These modify Complexity. Note this Basic Hardware table is different from what is provided in either GURPS High Tech or GURPS High Tech: Electricity and Electronics and uses the earliest known examples.
| TL | Type | Example (Year) | Complexity modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Mechanical computer | Antikythera mechanism (c 100 BCE) | {-5) |
| 6 | Electro-mechanical protocomputer |
Tabulating machine (1890) | (-5) |
| 6-7 | Electro-mechanical | Unnamed cryptanalysis multiplier (1937) | (-5) |
| 6-7 | Vacuum tube | Atanasoff–Berry computer (1939) | (-4) |
| 7 | Field point Transistor[note 3] | University of Manchester computer (1953) | (-4) |
| 7 | Medium-Scale Integration (MSI) | Frank Wanlass prototype (1964) | (-3) |
| 7 | Large-scale integration (LSI) | Altair 8800, kit (1974) Apple II, prebuilt (1977) |
(-2) |
| 8 | Early Very-Large-Scale Integration (VLSI) | IBM 5100 (1975) IBM 5150 (1980) |
(-1) |
| 8 | Standard VLSI/System on a Chip (SoC) | ARM250 SoC (1992) | (0) |
| 8 | Late VLSI | IBM's Blue Gene/L (1999) Blackerry (2002) |
(+1) |
| 8 | Advanced VLSI | unclear (2010) | (+2) |
| 8-9 | Tight software-hardware integration | Apple's Mac/iOS and M series (2020) | (+3) |
To continue a smooth manner assume for each TL above TL 8 to be Complexity+1[note 4]
| Customized Hardware | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Compact | Lighter but more expensive components | x2 cost | x0.5 weight |
| Hardened | HT+3 vs EMP | x2 cost | x2 weight |
| High-Capacity | (Programs +50%) | x1.5 cost | x1 weight |
| Fast | cutting-edge technology; treated as one size larger, generally not on the market; Complexity+1 | x20 cost | x1 weight |
| Slow | inexpensive processors or older design; Complexity-1 | x0.05 cost | x1 weight |
For example Apple's 2020 M1 Macs are likely a hypotetical TL8 Tight software-hardware integration (+3) and the developer prototype used an A12x from the iPad Pro (Complexity 2). Therefore the entry level M1 2020 Macs are TL8-9 Complexity 5 making them fast compared to medium computer and even higher end workstations.
The future of computing: a conversation with John Hennessy (Google I/O '18) gives some ideas on where we are going and how things haven't quite lived up to Moore's Law (1975 version).
Data Storage[]
The numbers given for Data Storage are not all that useful in they either over estimate or under estimate the size of things.
For example, it says a "Lengthy novel" is 10 MB and yet the digital version of James Calvell's Shogun novel at around 900 pages with about average sized print is not even 8 MB (7.7 MB) in size in pdf format.
Similarly, the Library of Congress whose digital accessible records are estimated at around 75 TB is far less then the 100 TB presented for a "Large university or copyright library" More over the Copyright Records Reading Room ("most complete and accurate collection of copyright records of ownership in the world") requires a Library of Congress issued reader card so that may be part of the previously 75 TB.
Another issue is file format. For example, the aforementioned Shogun is 2.65 MB in ePub format and 1.88 MB in Mobi format. The way the work is done digitally also has effect as Anne McCaffrey's All The Weyrs of Pern is 667 KB in pdf format but only 586 KB in mobl format. For the most part file formats have gotten more efficient in storing data with the new odt format being more compact than even the old txt format in some cases.
Other Capabilities[]
A computer requires at least one “terminal” if humans are to use it. With TL6 "computers" like the tabulator the terminal is a card reader. At TL7 keyboards and teletype (later replaced by monitors and regular printers) appear with some experiments in gesture based input. Late TL8 sees reasonable voice recognition.
Software[]
GURPS High-Tech: Electricity and Electronics added the concept of Dedicated (Hard-Wired Program) which reduces the cost of the computer.
Classic Information[]
Classic also assigned Complexity levels to certain software type. The lists of software was scattered across six Classic books: Compendium II, Cyberpunk, Robots, Space, Ultra-Tech and Vehicles. This is a quick reference chart taken from the Compendium II p 17-19. The price information has been ignored because it was hopelessly out of date even by 1996. There were accounting programs well below $1000 for example
- Accounting Software: Complexity 2.
- Datalink: Complexity 1
- Electronics Repair: Complexity 2; Electronics or Electronics Operation +2 or Skill 12 which ever is higher.
- Engineering (advanced CAD): Complexity 2; +2 to appropriate Engineer specialty
- Expert System: Complexity 3; Gives knowledge of an expert in a particular skill: 12 (A); 11 (H), and 10 (VH).
- Interpreter: Complexity 4; Supposedly knows a language at equivalent of Accented
- News Daemon: Complexity 1; constantly scans news channels for stories and articles on subjects it is set to look out for.
- Personality Simulation: Complexity 5
- Robot Skill Programs: Complexity 4
- Translation (TL11): Complexity 6; starts at Broken and will improve to the low end of Accented
- Word Processor: Complexity 2
Related Material[]
From the writers of GURPS[]
In Complexity for computers and the real world Kromm states that Complexity was likely an oversimplification and it should be 2-4 stats like (Users, Speed, Capacity per User) rather then try and have one stat for everything. Kromm suggested components for software later in that thread: Capacity, program speed, helpfulness.
In the same thread Bill "whswhs" Stoddard gives a behind the scenes look at the workings of Complexity and later on about the terms used he also explained that Fast is not "generally on the market"
Comments[]
Even with the Computer-Design Options which prevents the totally silly idea that a 1996 Small Computer has less "processing power" then a 1940 Megaframe from happening things could have been better explained in either High-Tech or High-Tech: Electricity and Electronics as to what "Fast" meant.
Additional Information[]
- Demystifying The Computer: Optional Rules for GURPS Computers (10/19/2001)
- Timeline of Computer History (Computer History Museum)
Notes[]
- ↑ Complexity is also used for New Inventions
- ↑ "Thinking Machines" Pyramid 3/37: Tech and Toys II provides guidelines based on computing power and storage capacity
- ↑ The Field effect Transistor was patented by Julius E. Lilienfeld in 1925 and by Oskar Heil in 1934.
- ↑ High-Tech is confusing in this regard as based on the complexity of the different hardware sizes it effectively shows no improvement for TL9 but a +2 for TL10 and +1 for each TL afterword.
References[]
- GURPS High-Tech pg 19-22
- High-Tech: Electricity and Electronics pg 37
- GURPS Compendium II p 11-19