=============== OGRE/GEV list, Feb 18th (Last: Feb 16th) =============== ===== Vulcans, Drones & Remotes From: RMeaden@aol.com ------------------------------ From: RMeaden@aol.com To: hcobb@io.com Subject: Vulcans, Drones & Remotes I've been letting this talk on Boppers, Ogre BCPCs and cybergrunts evolve to such a point that everyone's now starting to come up with ideas and concepts that already exist - but the participants didn't know how close they started to get! :) Alan Hench (Feb. 16 List), was getting kinda close for comfort, so I think I'd better spill the beans. Ogre already has (or will :D) things kinda (well, sorta) like Boppers - they're called Drones. Drones are just like the ones found in Battlesuit, except each 'stand' of Drones represents a swarm, and Ogres can have a Drone Hanger installed to launch these things. These could be loaded up with different sticks of Drones to suit its mission parameters. Another late-War creation was the Remote - basically unmanned armor units with a cheap, uninspiring AI. Higher Mark ogres could control a small handful, a AI factory could control as many as it wants! Vulcans were always accompanied by specialized Remote, which had their turret removed and replaced with a small robotic arm, crane, welding torch, etc. Finally, there's the Mark V-C Vulcan - the field engineer Ogre! Stripped of most of its weapons, this highly specialized cybertank was bristling with equipment, towing gear, ploughblades and 4 robotic arms. The Vulcan was capable of field repairs, recovery, and even reloading friendly units. The Vulcan was also capable of a variety of construction tasks, or demolitons :). It also excelled at putting together 'kit form' unassembled ogres that were airdropped or delivered to its location. After the War, Vulcans were the only cybertanks that could be truly independent of humans and Factories, and could scavenge and repair itself without too much hassle. I hear you type... It's all in Killing Zone, the upcoming supplement for Ogre Minis. Let's drop this BCPC and Bopper stuff and start to talk about different stuff! ;-) RNM ----- [Speaking of new units, what about: French Light Missile Tank Gun Attack: 2 Range: 4 inches Defense: 2 (tank) Missile Attack: 3 Range: 8 inches (One-shot) Small arms: 1 Range: 2 inches Defense: 1 (squad) Move: 6 inches Movement Mode: TNK Size: 1 and 1 Points: 7 Every turn, this unit gets the Gun attack and either the one-shot missile attack or the small arms attack. The neat thing about this unit is that it's (one-time) attack radius is 14 inches, a full two inch advantage on the GEVs or Missile Tanks. (and for only a point more, thus demonstrating the natural French superiority) In addition, either it's first or second strikes will get at least a 1-1 (in the clear) on anything smaller than a SuperHeavy. (It's first attack radius is 14 inches, it's second is 8 inches, the difference is exactly that first turn's movement. (assuming that the first attack disabled a Heavy Tank, and the LMT is closing for the kill)) Wait, you got me, it's not a new unit after all, it's a Light Tank transporting a Heavy Weapon Squad. Speaking of the Light Tank, besides the chaps on the roof, does it have a crew of two or three? (For a interesting argument that the answer should be two and a half, see: http://www.pica.army.mil/orgs/fsac/sad/1995/sepoct/art3pg1.html) I suppose that now we'll have cute little R2 minis to grind under tread, as for my own minis, it's not working out too well, the Snow Leopards seem to have Dalmatian Cammo. (Cruella De Vil has been spotted stalking the squadron) Once I get my Himalayan Regiment, what flag do I put them under? I've found no mention of India in the sources so far, and I could see them attempting to remained nonaliged, balanced in the middle and surrounded by China (with north asia), Japan (in south east asia), the Combine (in Australia and Africa) and the Paneuropeans (in the middle east). Each of the major powers might see India as an impoverished sinkhole, but be unwilling to see it fall under the domination of one of the other powers. A neutral India would act as a buffer zone, keeping the European and Asian wars from merging. If they survived unattached, they would be a minor OGREless power with much militia, some archaic armor and a few hovercraft. (produced under Paneuropean licence, much like the current German - Indian agreements) Henry J. Cobb hcobb@io.com http://www.io.com/~hcobb All OGRE-related items Copyright (c) 1996, by Steve Jackson Games.