Electronics Application Suggestion

Brainstorming

Electronics applications should ideally be split into three main categories, representing a basic electronics deployment (how many different kinds of electronics you can pack on) and paths for sensors/EW and AI assist/AI replacement (essential for UAVs!). Maybe another level in the sensors/EW area for systems hardening (which the League would presumably have piles of). Unless MMI is a supersoldier thing, it might also apply here.

Sensors/EW would strictly be a versus thing, with whoever has the higher rating generally having an advantage. Mutual electronic warfare would theoretically stack, meaning that a jamming match would be a total mess for everyone involved unless they have hardened systems.

Tentative AI assist applications would lower penalties/add dice/enhance the pilot's performance (maybe in a manner that doesn't stack with Transgene bonuses).

To note, this wouldn't actually change the effective rules for craft and shipbuilding, provided each purchase of an Electronics unit is specified by type. If infantry can carry electronics into combat, it would presumably be as a support weapon so their viability are equally limited.

Hardening might count as another purchase of electronics?

Suggested Applications

Electronics Construction

Ship Electronics I Primary Index: Electronics 12 Buy Cost:
Ship Electronics II Primary Index: Electronics 17 Buy Cost:
Ship Electronics III Primary Index: Electronics 22 Buy Cost:
Ship Electronics IV Primary Index: Electronics 27 Buy Cost:

Each purchase of Electronics allows a ship to stack on another separate electronic system, including AI assist, hardening, ECM or sensors. Dedicated ECM ships may have a separate application to allow them to pack on more than the limit.

Craft Electronics I Primary Index: Electronics 13 Buy Cost:
Craft Electronics II Primary Index: Electronics 18 Buy Cost:
Craft Electronics III Primary Index: Electronics 23 Buy Cost:
Craft Electronics IV Primary Index: Electronics 28 Buy Cost:

Each purchase of Electronics allows a craft to stack on another separate electronic system, including AI assist, hardening, ECM or sensors. Dedicated ECM ships may have a separate application to allow them to pack on more than the limit.

Infantry Electronics I Primary Index: Electronics 24 Buy Cost:
Infantry Electronics II Primary Index: Electronics 28 Buy Cost:

Allows infantry to carry any sophisticated electronics beyond basic gear. Hardened powersuits are a must for protracted warfare on high-radiation planets.

Hardening I Primary Index: Materials 12 Secondary Index: Electronics 10 Buy Cost:
Hardening II Primary Index: Materials 16 Secondary Index: Electronics 13 Buy Cost:
Hardening III Primary Index: Materials 19 Secondary Index: Electronics 16 Buy Cost:
Hardening IV Primary Index: Materials 22 Secondary Index: Electronics 19 Buy Cost:

Hardening negates ECM effects and reduces damage from environmental hazards (like solar flares or radiation). A craft with a purchase of Electronics (Hardening) decreases the severity of jamming by the producer's Hardening rating.

Sensors/Electronic Warfare

Advanced Sensors I Primary Index: Electronics 15 Buy Cost:
Advanced Sensors II Primary Index: Electronics 19 Buy Cost:
Advanced Sensors III Primary Index: Electronics 23 Buy Cost:
Advanced Sensors IV Primary Index: Electronics 27 Buy Cost:

Advanced sensors extend the targeting bracket of most ships, allowing battleship-centric fleets to engage more effectively. They can also negate the effects of jamming, up to the application level, and stack with Hardening. However a ship must change 'modes' either sensing far or clearly, and cannot do both.

Electronic Warfare I Primary Index: Electronics 13 Buy Cost:
Electronic Warfare II Primary Index: Electronics 18 Buy Cost:
Electronic Warfare III Primary Index: Electronics 23 Buy Cost:
Electronic Warfare IV Primary Index: Electronics 28 Buy Cost:

Area electronic warfare that includes falsified data (fed through junk communications bands) and radar jamming on a wide scale. The former is more effective in space, while the latter is especially useful in atmospheric operations. Crowded zones packed with EW ships can often become frantic blindfights as ships and craft are forced to fall back onto the most basic sensor systems.

Defensive ECM I Primary Index: Electronics 13 Buy Cost:
Defensive ECM II Primary Index: Electronics 18 Buy Cost:
Defensive ECM III Primary Index: Electronics 23 Buy Cost:
Defensive ECM IV Primary Index: Electronics 28 Buy Cost:

Defensive ECM reflects basic and low-cost defensive countermeasures that prevent proper attacks after detection, such as flares, decoys and sensor jammers. Magical space warping pixie dust ECM would likely be the theotech version and be 1.5 times effective or something.

Stealth I Primary Index: Stealth 18 Buy Cost:
Stealth II Primary Index: Stealth 24 Buy Cost:
Stealth III Primary Index: Stealth 26 Buy Cost:
Stealth IV Primary Index: Stealth 32 Buy Cost:

Stealth counts as a level of ECM for the purposes of being detected only, and is instantly negated by using high-heat or electromagnetic dispersal weapons such as particle beams and railguns. The effects of stealth stack with Electronic Warfare (needle in a haystack), but not Defensive ECM (you can't hide with active scans on you), and are mitigated by Advanced Sensors (but not Hardening).

Artificial Intelligence

AI Assist I Primary Index: AI 16 Buy Cost:
AI Assist II Primary Index: AI 21 Buy Cost:
AI Assist III Primary Index: AI 26 Buy Cost:
AI Assist IV Primary Index: AI 31 Buy Cost:

Non-Transgene (and low level augmented) pilots, starship operators and powersuited infantry would benefit from AI assistance, receiving an effective +1 to Physical, Intelligence or Reactions, to a limit of +1 in any attribute or relevant secondary. Every second purchase increases the enhancement cap by 1. At lower levels, a +3/+2 transhuman might only benefit from cognitive enhancements, while a truly superior transgene with 2/2/2/2 might not see benefits until the very peak of AI Assist technology. Civilian applications may include Socialization boosters, but this seems unlikely.

AI Replacement I Primary Index: AI 18 Buy Cost:
AI Replacement II Primary Index: AI 23 Buy Cost:
AI Replacement III Primary Index: AI 28 Buy Cost:
AI Replacement IV Primary Index: AI 33 Buy Cost:

AI replacement works similarly to AI Assist, save that the pilot is entirely replaced with a pre-sentient algorithm. Humanoid UAVs and hunter-killer robots might benefit more from Physical or Reactions, while a battleship gunnery or command and control AI may make better use of greatly increased cognitive ability. Theotech versions would be exponentially more powerful computation platforms, unsure if needed.

Theotech

Quantum Bluebox Applications Primary Index: Basic Theotech 30, Secondary Index: AI 28 Cost:
Naval Quantum Bluebox Primary Index: Basic Theotech 40, Secondary Index: AI 28 Cost:
Craft Quantum Bluebox Primary Index: Basic Theotech 40, Secondary Index: AI 38 Cost:
Infantry Quantum Bluebox Primary Index: Basic Theotech 60, Secondary Index: AI 48 Cost:

Essentially Theotech AI systems, prohibitively expensive and incorporating strategically meaningful amounts of Theta dust. Because these devices are effectively reconstituted Posthuman computronium rather than any innovations that humanity is truly unfamiliar with, they are far more easily reproduced with sufficient understanding of the techniques that created the first Posthuman uploads (meaning this might actually be vaguely unethical to use in combat). Would presumably function as AI Assist/Enhancement+. (x1.5 modifier?)

Electromagnetic Conceal System Primary Index: ECS 30 Cost:
Naval ECS Primary Index: ECS 40 Cost:
Craft ECS Primary Index: ECS 40 Cost:
Infantry ECS Primary Index: ECS 50 Cost:

PACT's signature stealth system developed after the Eridanus campaign, effectively reverse engineered from feral drones riddled with Posthuman and Precursor technology. The ECS makes use of the reality-editing qualities of Dust to trap electromagnetic and particle emissions (including neutrinos) and allows a unit to hide in plain sight. Because they trap rather than mitigate extant energy, ECS systems unleash large amounts of radiation when turned down, limiting their legal usage in confrontations and posing a hazard for the unit itself as it is continuously bathed in its own emissions.

Like other Theotech electronics, they replace CIP costs with Theta. The factions that developed the technology directly from Eridanus drones (such as PACT and the Libtertadores) merely pay double that value in Delta Dust.