TUV accessories: Onstar

[Boll Weevil]

Hi folks. I am in the process of buying a new car (yay, me!) and had the option of getting Onstar as part of the "Boll Weevil has no business with this package" package. To be clear, this is Champions and not NGD, I am not looking for a review of this service. Upon reading the features book for Onstar I started, as I am wont to do, to think about how much this service would cost in Hero points.

 

I once ran a campaign wherein we had a character who stayed back at HQ and called in information to the team. He was jacked-in to the team's computer and had access to UNTIL databases, telemetric data of teammates (ala Aliens), some "we need a door opened" power and others. Think Theora Jones (Max Headroom). Every super team needs one of these guys!

 

Not only can the Weevil family not afford Onstar monetarily, I think I do not have enough experience points to buy it in game terms. Thoughts?

[RDU Neil]

Re: TUV accessories: Onstar

 

Well, If I was the GM, I'd not make you pay points for this at all... and thus, by giving it to you free, I have complete control. It works, giving you info and an advantage when that is good for the story... and it doesn't give you anything useful when I don't want it to. OnStar is hardly like having a back door into the FBI database, and that, at most, would be a 5 point Perk.

 

Come to think of it... stuff like this, I would buy as Perks, if it mattered to the game. A character who has Onstar loaded into their cyber-jack... that is a 2 point perk at best, IMO. Flavor that is occasionally impacting the story. To have it in a car... no points. (But then, unless someone want a tricke out Batmobile type of dealio that they use every adventure, I don't make players pay points for vehicles, either.)

[Boll Weevil]

Re: TUV accessories: Onstar

 

So you think if I pressed the Onstar button and said "Who sits on the Trilateral Commission and who really killed kennedy" the success rate would be 8- or worse?

 

Thanks for the input!

[BobGreenwade]

Re: TUV accessories: Onstar

 

Basically an OnStar-like service would be a two-way radio, GPS locator, a few Programs for the Vehicle's onboard computer, and the OnStar service itself bought as a Contact. Things such as access to databases, telemetry, contacting police or other authorities, vehicle diagnostics, and similar functions would be a part of the Contact's "very useful Skills or resources."

[PhantomGM2602]

Re: TUV accessories: Onstar

 

Basically an OnStar-like service would be a two-way radio' date=' GPS locator, a few Programs for the Vehicle's onboard computer, and the OnStar service itself bought as a Contact. Things such as access to databases, telemetry, contacting police or other authorities, vehicle diagnostics, and similar functions would be a part of the Contact's "very useful Skills or resources."[/quote']

There's Also the matter of secret identities. remember, OnStar has to have client confidentiality and that means you'll have to reveal your secret id or purchase the service in your hero id. either way some bad guy will hack into the service computer to get info at your id.

[BobGreenwade]

Re: TUV accessories: Onstar

 

There's Also the matter of secret identities. remember' date=' OnStar has to have client confidentiality and that means you'll have to reveal your secret id or purchase the service in your hero id. either way some bad guy will hack into the service computer to get info at your id.[/quote'] This is a plot-related matter, though, and has nothing to do with how the OnStar service would be built in Hero terms. (It also assumes the character even has a Secret ID; not all supers do, nor even all Supers campaigns.)