Hmm. I like this a lot better, I'll admit. Though...perhaps add that the device/template might not actually work for its purpose as is? Hrm. Not quite sure how to phrase this. Well, let me use the photovoltaic ivy as an example, just because it springs immediately to mind. Now, any way you look at it, combining a solar cell and an ivy cutting together isn't going to yield a plant that already incorporates the cell to grow more of it, at least not with our tech. But to make a template...cutting pieces of the solar cell and using an organic-based glue to attach them to the ivy leaves to make a crude version of what you're attempting....that might give the handwavium enough of an implied purpose for it to work. The stuff might look at you oddly and go 'Um....yeah, right. Okaaaay....we'll try it.' But at least it's a template (Yes, I know I anthropomorphize the handwavium. I can't help it. It's got this really sarcastic voice in my head.).
Hmm. I think maybe it could be summed up that a template doesn't necessarily have to function properly, as long as the idea behind it is clear in the user's mind? You put together this conglomeration of parts because in your head, you can see this working as a grav-drive, or a holographic projector, or whatever....as long as it gets a bit of help.
For a non-functional template, I'd think that the closer you can make it to something that might work, the better chance you have of getting what you want. Handwavium rewards effort/creativity? Or else it just reacts better to overkill? Just dumping parts into a box and applying handwavium won't give you a working device...though you might get shiny parts or a very sturdy box from it. Attaching motors and sensor leads and connecting things to a control mechanism...with the parts having a clear purpose in your mind, even if there's no way in the world that they could work as a whole for the purpose you want....has a much better chance of yielding something interesting. I'm currently working on a story snippet that details the construction of some presents for my AIs, that hopefully serves as a good example of this. Now that it's the weekend, I hope to have it up in the Leaves in a day or two. So - work for you guys? Like it, hate it?
Edit - the story snippet for the presents should now be up in the Leaves, if you're interested.
Hmm. I think maybe it could be summed up that a template doesn't necessarily have to function properly, as long as the idea behind it is clear in the user's mind? You put together this conglomeration of parts because in your head, you can see this working as a grav-drive, or a holographic projector, or whatever....as long as it gets a bit of help.
For a non-functional template, I'd think that the closer you can make it to something that might work, the better chance you have of getting what you want. Handwavium rewards effort/creativity? Or else it just reacts better to overkill? Just dumping parts into a box and applying handwavium won't give you a working device...though you might get shiny parts or a very sturdy box from it. Attaching motors and sensor leads and connecting things to a control mechanism...with the parts having a clear purpose in your mind, even if there's no way in the world that they could work as a whole for the purpose you want....has a much better chance of yielding something interesting. I'm currently working on a story snippet that details the construction of some presents for my AIs, that hopefully serves as a good example of this. Now that it's the weekend, I hope to have it up in the Leaves in a day or two. So - work for you guys? Like it, hate it?
Edit - the story snippet for the presents should now be up in the Leaves, if you're interested.