I'm hoping science will be based around the use of technology and not simply a different word of Magic ( No jedi force, or nanites with magic like effect ). Science isn't as lightweight as a spellbook, so science should definitely have a cost in Weight. I think that by attaching weight to a peice of technology (and thus to science) it will prevent players from bankrupting thier Strength to boost thier Intelligence.

A flashlight would weigh 1 pound and have a science requirement of 10. When the flashlight is turned on, it will be aimed and whatever you are targetting, illuminating that item/NPC. It would also increase your chance to hit against your target.

A portable Force Field Generator would weigh 60 pounds and have a science requirement of 150. The generator takes 30 seconds to set up but can provide you with valuable protection from bullets, the downside is you can't fire from behind the shield either.

I don't know if items will have Durability; but it stands to reason that a higher Science skill would slow the rate of degeneration while using Energy Weapons. A person with a low science skill could still use energy weapons, but might break them during use ( or fry themselves )

By using weight on science, it limits players to a more realistic range of technology, instead of having a limitless spellbook to choose from. If a player wants to change out the technology he's using, he can either run back to where he stores his gear.

we hear about realism a lot in games but obviously we do not want reality bc we are playing a game to have fun.

Running back to your starting location, or location X to get your gear sounds more like pain than fun.

We are playing the game to escape reality.

Balance is imperative in an MMO, and adding weight to technology is not an attempt at making the game more realistic but rather ensuring that the Science skill is both useful but not overpowered. A person can choose to have 20 different types of low-weight technology or 3 different types of heavy technology, or any combination they should choose. A radiation suit is a form of technology, and it should take up space in my inventory just like everything else.

As for it being a pain in the ass of going back and getting the appropriate gear; I would like to mention that I am in favor of Fast Travel, so getting your gear and getting back would only take a couple of minutes rather than half an hour to go to a major town, get your gear from the "bank", and go back while your group is sitting around twiddling their thumbs.

A single piece of equipment could have various scienctific applications.

For example, the Stealthboy bends light around the user to make them harder to see, but by using the science skill, the Stealthboy can be modified to do other things, such as project a holographic image over your skin making you appear to be someone else. Or use the modulating field to make yourself appear one foot to the left (so your chance to be hit is lowered), or make yourself appear larger/smaller.

Science can even be applied to a flashlight, instead of a harmless beam of light, the light can be amplified to blinding bursts that severely drain the battery life, or the light could be diffused to provide an overall ambient lighting (but this makes you easier to hit)

Then of course there's building robots and modifying them to your purpose, maybe you want to take off a robo-brain's arm and replace it with a Plasma-Cutter, it can't use a hunting rifle anymore, but it can cut through metals.

Anyone Else got any ideas for Science?

This is what Im gathing.

player has x int and y points in science there for he can only carry z amount of points worth in technology?

If thats what your getting at I dont think I can agree with that at all. I will have to admit I like the idea that you need a base science skill to even use an item. Flashlight 5-10 sure makes sence. But a person who can bearly use a flashlight wont ever be able to use an energy weapon with out luck. That that doesnt mean that person shouldnt be allowed to carry the energy weapon.

I know that paragraph is little confussing but it made sence in my head.

I think the SPECIAL point distrubution will serve as a Level cap on Skills like Science/Repair/Small Arms. For example a person with an intelligence of 10 would have a skill cap of 100 @lvl10 whereas a person with Intelligence of 5 would have a skill cap of 50 @lvl10

I'm talking about assigning an actual weight to technology, rather than Flashlight being a magic spell you cast. At the same time, I think that anybody can carry the technology even if they don't have the capacity to use it.

As I understood this is separated from energy wapons skill...because how will super mutants operate and carry ammo for Plasma rifels or gatling minigun...or maybe you refer only to items in science area ? ...
I would only add that you would also need repair skill to physically modify something....as you said placing a Plasma-Cutter on a robo-brain... Its better to live 3 days as a Lion, then spend the rest of your life as a hyena!

I think the science skill can be applied as a way to measure a persons training with technology, however it doesnt necessarily carry over with firearms. Energy weapons have their own skill set for a reason. Gun training can teach someone how to use and take care of a firearm even if they dont understand the science behind how it works, however someone who does understand all the science in a plasma weapon, may not necessarily know how to fire/take care off a plasma weapon. *The first time I saw a Deathclaw...well, now that's a story for a different day.*

-using a rope (1lb) to lasso an oppenent instead of a snare spell
-an Amped up Taser (5lb) that shoots bolts of electricity
-Using speakers(10lb) to make a sonic weapon

Again, anybody can carry any equipment. But the right tool in the right hands should have some devastating effects. You just won't be able to pick any spell at random from your spell book

i hope it's not tooooooo complicated.
that's what leads to tedium.
i love the SPECIAL as a basis.
then a choice of weapon: melee/guns/lasers/bigguns/explosives?/speech??
and skills: barter/combat/tech/tinkerer/scrounger/medic etc etc
and lastly perks : )

In my opinion, the base use of science will likely be for crafting, that's where it makes the most sense.

Anyone can use a flashlight, you bring a knight from 13th century BC and hand it to him he'll likely figure out what it does on his own when he finds that button to push. However, it would take someone with some science know how to make or fix a flashlight, knowing that it uses batteries to provide electricy and that the light is from the metal filiment in the bulb geting really hot.

Some stuff like computers, nuclear reactors, and other such stuff that you actually have to understand how they work in which to use them, that would be where science would also come in. Wannabe writer/P&P game designer.
Real trucks don't have spark plugs.
A common man built the ark, college educated engineers built the titanic.

Weight would be an excellent way of balancing scienced or engineered devices. Of course the higher crafting skills will be necessary to construct the shields/turrets/armor but in order to use the more complicated devices, there should be a minimum science requirement as well.

This allows for opportunities of collaboration between players for transporting these items and setting up ambushes. If that scientist/engineer devised a man portable wide laser turret complete with a shield .. he shouldn't be the man porting it. Have one of the jarhead bruisers carry it for you and tell em where to put it before they go back to looking at porm or hitting things.

This way would be good. They say realist !=fun. I say realism = depth. And depth = longevity. Zombies hate fast food