How do they work? I know different droids have different buffers. But how do they work?

Not sure what exactly what you are asking, do you mean an assisted skill check?

Different buffers held different numbers of jump coordinates, ranging from the single set a stock R1 could hold to the R7's ability to hold fifteen different destinations.

Are droid buffers now represented in EotE?

Different buffers held different numbers of jump coordinates, ranging from the single set a stock R1 could hold to the R7's ability to hold fifteen different destinations.

Are droid buffers now represented in EotE?

They aren't. I am just asking how they work. And I figured a group of star wars fans might know.

Right Tool for the Job sidebar? Sounds like a dedicated computer, possibly base cost on slicer gear, that would allow jumping to pre-programmed coordinates without a nav computer.

I am more looking at the in universe use. Not mechanics. R2 Droids already are good at astrogation. I was just curious what they did. I mean can you pre calculate routes? Or do they just hold coordinated that you can have them calculate with out doing the data entry?

From glancing at Wookiepedia, it basically allows nav computer-less ships to jump to whatever preset destinations an astromech has stored in them. So whereas a normal nav computer could maybe hold all coordinates for every known location, and allows even a human to setup the hyperspace route to take, ships that had to use astromechs can only go to X locations at a time, and only if their astromech was capable of the task (so for instance, Luke wouldn't be able to plan a route if R2 ran out of power).

It's not X preset destinations, it's X preset routes. IOW, you might have the Tatooine/Ryloth route (allowing travel in either direction), but you wouldn't just have Ryloth (from anywhere).

So you can have a preset route
And you can do a manual calculation?

cause look put in a route from hoth to dagoba when leaving hoth

I am guessing militarilly you can have your route into a target and out precalculated? Then jump in execute your mission and have a faster jump out?

According to WEG, Luke used the Force to do Instinctive Astrogation (IIRC) since putting in new routes normally requires a nav computer.

According to WEG, Luke used the Force to do Instinctive Astrogation (IIRC) since putting in new routes normally requires a nav computer.

I'd choose to, surprisingly (sarcasm), ignore WEG tripe and say Luke plotted the course while he was in recovery.

According to WEG, Luke used the Force to do Instinctive Astrogation (IIRC) since putting in new routes normally requires a nav computer.

I'd choose to, surprisingly (sarcasm), ignore WEG tripe and say Luke plotted the course while he was in recovery.

That would work too. He'd just need access to a nav computer (which the x-wing hangar obviously would have) to run it and load it onto R2.

A deeper read indicates an R2 unit could handle "700 configurations" up to and including " The unit could store up to ten sets of hyperspace vector coordinates in its astrogation buffer " (source http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/R2-series_astromech_droid)

There is a surprising amount of useful information in Wookieepedia.

[edit] apologies for the formatting, I am failing copy & paste 102 this morning.

I'd handle it as just letting the Astromech make the Astrogation check at an Easy difficulty, but only for a certain number of destinations. How many destinations depends on either what the GM feels comfortable with allowing or what Wookieepedia says for that model of astromech (R2 units list 10, and I think the R7's can go up to 15). Or, just use the astromech's Intellect rating + Astrogation skill ranks as the total number of stored jumps. So the stock astromech given in the EotE core rulebook would be able to store up to 5 jumps (Intellect 2 + Astrogation 3).

For a PC-played astromech, it potentially gets a bit thornier, since there's really nothing to equate with the astrogation buffer in terms of equipment. Personally, I'd allow it for an astromech PC that's been designed as an astromech to have it as part of buying both a general purpose scanner and datapad (refluffed as "internal data storage module.") It's not going to be too often in most games that an astromech's ability to store pre-set navigation routes is going to have a major impact on the game. Other GMs may feel the need to be more restrictive about it, but it's their game.

As HappyDaze noted, in most instances it's "go from Point A to Point B," but an astromech should be able (I'd think) to tinker with some of the variables of the route and change the starting point. In terms of difficulty, I'd cite this as being worth at least one increase to difficulty, as it's akin to using outdated navigation charts, and might even limit the changes to be "within a region" at best. Anything past that range that would warrant an upgraded difficultly as there's a lot more data the astromech has to extrapolate while having far more limited information than a starship with a full navicomputer has access to.

Seems like an assisted check would be a good simulation. Take the player with highest Int, borrow the Astromech's Astrogation skill and do an assisted check.

Frankly I probably wouldn't read fluff into crunch at all on this subject.

i agree. I was just asking because I was curious how in universe it works.

Typically, in terms of technology, a buffer is temporary storage to prevent a processor from having to do repetitive calculations. So, in my mind the astromech droid works kind of like a radio. You could take a long time, and have him calculate a new route, or pull up the appropriate preset.

I ran into this question in the game I am running. My understanding of how it works is that the astrogation buffer holds the routes only. Up to a number dependant on what the model of the droid is. (Remember EotE is set before the R6 is released) The Astromech needs to interface with a full Navcomputer in order to change or update it's stored routes. This interfacing could be wireless if you are in range to do so.

If you were to compare it to Google Maps for instance. The Astromech can only download a specific route, where to turn and how far to drive, not be able to find a new one or even if a detour is available. To me, the Astrogation skill is reflective of your ability to review a route and figure out the shortest possible path. You could just punch in the coordinates and let the computer do it's thing. But then you would have to deal with U-turns, heavy traffic, and construction zones. Or at least the Star Wars space equivalent.

Remember that the amount of data to process on each route is pretty vast as well. You would need to know the relative distance between the two locations. How that distance is changed by the motion of any nearby celestial bodies and any that could be en route. It's a decent amount of calculation for any computer not just a droid brain.

It's a decent amount of calculation for any computer not just a droid brain.

I agree and I'd like to emphasize that we must not think of computers in terms of today's technology. I some areas - emulation of sapience - Star Wars computers are far ahead. However, they still require big '70s/'80s-style computers for calculating hyperspace routes and other things that we might think today's laptops should be able to do.

It's a decent amount of calculation for any computer not just a droid brain.

I agree and I'd like to emphasize that we must not think of computers in terms of today's technology. I some areas - emulation of sapience - Star Wars computers are far ahead. However, they still require big '70s/'80s-style computers for calculating hyperspace routes and other things that we might think today's laptops should be able to do.

Which might say something about the complication.

Imagine the computing power it takes to land a rudimentary droid on a planet in our own solar system and the complexity of hyperspace jump calculations makes perfect sense.

Han mentioned the consequences of rushing the calculations for a hyperspace jump, and he was using a navi-computer.

I imagine that the preset routes an Astromech droid holds are like Google Maps directions. Here are the routes from A to B. As long as you stick to that pre-programmed route no further Astrogation skill is needed. In order to choose a new route, say after a sudden need to change your destination to shake off pursuit, then you need to perform the base calculations from scratch. Considering that travel in at least four dimensions is involved I suspect this is a nontrivial task.

Think of an Astromech and it's navigation buffer as an iPad running the Google Maps app. The iPad is not doing he processing to generate the actual route, that is being done by a Google mainframe somewhere, the iPad is then displaying the result.