A good quality cortex implants grants unnatural intelligence x2 and performs as a cogitator system (page 140 RT).

Where are the rules for cogitator systems?

Thanks,

Dan.

In the grim darkness of the far future a cogitator system simply refers to an implement which would have been known as a computer in our contemporary grim reality.

Cogitators are also gnerally show to be much more limited to the type of work they can do, even if they might actually be better at it than a real world computer.

For instance, the machine i'm typing at right now is capable of doing all kinds of stuff, from games, to word processing, cryptography to picture, sound or video editing, and anything. A cogitator seems to be more (if not entirely) monotask. I see them as bulkier, more reliable and very good at what they do, but not great at everything.

Gribble_the_Munchkin said:

Is it a matter of the machine's capability, or that of the user, though?

Personally, I see a cogitator as being an extremely broad term, no less broad than the term computer is. The biggest difference between the two is that contemporary computers, such as those we're all using, have layers and layers of software designed to make using the computer simple.

As far as I'm concerned, the Cogitators in use by the Imperium lack this notion of technology being user friendly, making them much, much more difficult to use (and quite rightly so) as a result of lacking the tools we take for granted. Imagine the most complicated and convoluted version of DOS possible, where all the normal commands have been replaced with litanies written in an obscure language. Difficulty of use limits how complicated a task any given individual can perform, and because knowledge of exactly what ciphers and code-litanies to input for a given task is difficult to obtain, few people have the skills necessary to get the most out of the cogitators they work with.

The machines in use by the Adeptus Mechanicus go a step further, where the Tech-Priest literally plugs the machine into his nervous system and communicates with it directly, in a secret language spoken only in binary. No keyboard, no mouse, no monitor, just data in its purest form flowing between blessed machine and Tech-Priest.

Proper rules for cogitators are actually in the Inquisitor's Handbook, if you want them.

The IH rules (page 146) aren't exactly detailed.

"Using a suitable cogitator grants a bonus on Literacy, Logic and Lore Tests when having to compare or sift through large volumes of data."

Personal cogitators (as close to implanted cogitators as IH gets) "provide a +10 bonus on relevant Tests".

N0-1_H3r3 said:

I miss UNIX command line interfaces.....

My gaming group has a theory that imperial cogitators might be coded in brainfuck and yes that is a real programming language.It might be an understatement to say that it is not meant to be user friendly. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainfuck

i've taken the view the a cogitator is a type of design for a computing system: namely a system that is, from our understanding electrical and mechanical - because in the dark future - things being warped by reality bending physics, psychics, and other abilities that humanity encoutner over 20 000 of history require them to be robust, and in some ways better and worse than machines that don't have to worry about all the elements of 'unreality' that exsists in 40k. A cortex implant is probably an advanged cogitator archeotech technology.

Which explains why the component is, and usually will be recycled.

So what use is "Unnatural Intelligence *2" the book says that it doubles the intelligence bonus, and the skill section seems to imply that Intelligence bonus is used to determine amount of success on a role. The Playing the Game section instead says that degrees of success depend on skill. Does a doubled intelligence bonus actually do anything then? I get the feeling this is suppose to be intelligence stat * 2. On the other hand that seems somewhat powerful.

It doubles the Intelligence bonus. It provides direct bonuses for:

Combat Formation, Divine Ministration, Gun Blessing and any Intelligence based skills. Skills gain an additional degree of success for every degree of success you get.

Well, you get (as it is x 2): a doubled intelligence bonus Great for medics...

Intelligence checks are one stage easier (eg base modifier 0 becomes +10)

You get a bonus 2 degrees of sucess in opposed tests.