I've seen mentioned the existence of Nanoforges and Desktop Forges. However, I've spent hours looking in the books for rules and, I'm not ashamed to admit, prices. But are these wondrous inventions pure fluff, something achievable, or merely another unreachable goal for us to strive for?

Edit: I do know about desktop forges, but as a side question, are the corp nanoforges of a higher quality or roughly the same?

Well,in WAR! there's a nanoforge for AK-147 carbines, assault rifles and ammo, and it costs like 600k and availability above restricted gear. Also, you'll need clean nanomaterial to make anything useful, and its expensive.

Only ones of know of are on arsenal page 130 which you said you know about.

I imagine corps do in fact have larger and better forges, but they are tightly controlled, and only used for certain projects.

This would be one angle this kind of thing is coming from IRL.
They're already being used to make, for example, bikinis. It's mostly a niche product for now though, costs are a tad prohibitive, but I'd expect them to show up more and more as availability increases and prices decline.

This is a RL Nanoforge

This things are used in Rapid Prototyping and Rapid Manufacturing today, with plastic and metal structures. They are even cheaper than traditional manufacturing in some areas (highly complex parts like turbine fans with cooling channels).

Watch this...

cya
Tycho

quite interesting, I haven't looked through WAR! so color me pleasantly surprised. While the irl ones were interesting, I was referring more to in game.

I don't know that I'd call a 3D prototyper a 'nanoforge'. It is certainly not 'nano'. It's hardly even 'micro'. Nano refers to functions on the atomic level. We have done some real life nanoforging. People have etched names a few microns wide, for instance. However, using it requires a lot of big gear. Using it to make macro objects requires a LOT of BIG gear.

The caveat here is I don't play SR4. The writers may have misused the term. A 3D prototyper like what Tycho linked to seems much more appropriate. I can't imagine using a nanoforge to make AKs of all things. A 3D prototyper should be reasonably available by 2060 for about $1,000 or less. Any price above that is due to corporate monkeying around (which is completely reasonable. If corporations could charge us $10,000 for the 'copy disc' functionality on our computers, they'd do that too.)

Total aside, I'm playing SpaceChem right now, which is a fantastic game, and a great example of low-level nanoforging. Go download the demo.

In SR4, Corps are the reason the desktop forges cost 15,000 for the shop version and 150,000 for one that does the equivalent of a facility, minus the machines such as lifts and whatnot.

Basically, nanotech was put under wraps somewhere around 2029 and didn't get out until after 2064. Someone apparently thought it would disrupt corporate economic hegemony.

Current methods (I know about stereo lithography, probably also some others) can already go down to µm scale; given how far semiconductor production has developed n the last two decades I'd say rapid prototyping on nm scale is a sure bet for the future.

You are right, however, in the Shadowrun meaning of "nano"...far too little handwaving and unobtanium for that

Another fun idea I've recently had... a mage with Shape [Metal], would such person be able to use their reality warping power to forge high quality metal items on par with artificially produced items such as high-carbon, high-tensile strength blades without the normal downside of penalties for highly processed materials? Assuming access to a proper furnace for refinement and conventional forge for shaping/folding, of course.

The small version is interesting at 15k¥ due to the ability to create illegal items from generic feedstock. The AK might not raise eyebrows, missile shells and anti-air turrets are a different thing. And the blueprints will exist, as it is much easier and cheaper for the military to provide a forge + feedstock rather than a full set of spare parts for everything.

With an availability of 10E for the small version, go ahead. The large version is an option for those who are already considering to buy a specialised facility. Pricey at 150k¥+Restricted Gear.

Alloying elements cannot be changed by merely reshaping something, and tensile strength only within certain limits. Or vice versa, mono-crystalline steel with dozens of exotic alloying elements in high percentages is a highly processed material, no matter whether it gets shaped in a zero-g factory or hammered by hand by an old master whose knowledge was passed down from father to son for generations

I didn't ask about an old master who's knowledge etc. I asked about Shape Element spell for Metal.

There's a skill check involved for doing "nice looking" things.

Understandable. However, as it's an almost purely magic-based creation method (mundane or magical heat being the other element), would the product still face a high object-resistance threshold for being a processed work, or would it be easier to enchant because of the fundaments of its creation?

Sengir answered that question. Some materials are highly processed even in a raw state. Magic has to cope.

Your creation is a self-made telesma, resulting in a 0 modifier for the enchanting test. Certainly the fastest way to get one.

You asked whether something shaped without high-tech manufacturing methods counts as "highly processed" as far as the rules are concerned, I answered. If you are unable to transfer the lessons learned from that example to an analogous scenario, oh well...

I`ve thought about this idea, as well, although mostly in conjunction with other "industrial" spells. As a GM I would allow it's use, but only in a way that it acts almost like a teamwork test, The net hits of the spell act as a modifier to the dice pool, to a maximum of spell force (as normal for spells), or the primary skill (In the blades case, armourer), whichever is lower.

The alloys would be highly processed before the spell affects them, so they would still have an OR of 3

Still, according to your example, Orichalcum is a highly processed material (it is, but on the magical side of the spectrum) and as such would require a high object resistance threshold (it doesn't). Ryu further stated that some materials are naturally considered "highly processed," and as such answered the question, specifically whether magically refining the metal would result in a lower object resistance.

Hunterherne has an interesting idea that's, more or less, RAW, except that total hits, not net hits, are generally what's limited by spell force (total effect being either Force + hits - resistance or Force for effect, hits - resistance for magnitude).

My mistake there. You are right. It still limits the ability to use the spell to be a super crafter, though.

It makes those snazzy, personalized graphics easier to etch on the blade, though. That extra level of sexy any good runner needs B)

Considering the massive abuses that can occur from Nanoforges, and how complex and intricate they are to build, feed, and maintain, I figure they're going to be held under tight wraps for quite some time.

With the exception of One-Trick devices like the AK-Nanoforge. Not entirely sure how I feel about it game-wise, but from a logistics point of view it's a godsend for replacing used up/broken parts in the field without having a huge train behind you (Just need a bolt? Done. Just need a new barrel? Pop. And so on.). The downside is, how heavy/expensive is that feedstock, and how available is it?

The few that aren't in the hands of legit organizations are probably highly guarded and tightly used by Organized Crime, likely in areas that won't track back to them easily but are in areas that are desperately required (Making parts to restore old, obsolete but plentiful aircraft for instance, giving them performance equal to modern equipment despite their age.).

The KE mages like it even more.

Don't tell my players that

While true, if they stop affecting the area, the signature still goes away. Eventually. Sadly though, it never seems to go away fast enough for my players, and I've had players with astral signatures identified and astral markers on the news feeds...

(Astral markers being things like mentor spirit archtypes, which will leave a mark on the aura, and is, in some sense, able to be communicated. The Wolf Mage Azzie in particular stood out, and if identified, was also a warning of the danger he represents.)

Your car mechanic can invest 15k¥ and get 50% on selling you parts from that point on. Forges will be common once available.

Feedstock would be material-specific, availability and price depending on the kind. Depleted Uranium is not for civil consumption.

What about redesigning all gear to only use a small selection of materials? Could make the feedstock cheap and potentially provider-specific.

The place where nanoforges really come into play is when you're dealing with having to make one-off parts for equipment. If you have a good stockpile of pre-made parts or a good infrastructure from the factory, Nanoforges aren't profitable yet.

When you're away from easy supplies (Military units in the field, or you're in the middle of Kraplakistan and the factories are in Toronto and Detroit) or the company that created the item is no longer supporting it ("I need a set of pistons for the Ford Fox 400ci V-8." "Ford stopped making parts for those in 2047, good luck, man!") then the Nanoforge really shines.

Mass production still trumps things when it comes to manufacturing. On the flipside, however, you don't need to keep a stock of components in storage. Just punch into the machine what you need and wait for it to be spit out. But, with Western society on a "Just On Time" delivery system anyhow (Although Shadowrun might have things different due to the "Disunited States of America" situation going on. It's hard to get car parts from Detroit in Seattle due to going through a few countries by train or truck.).