Combiner Drones

[Joseph Hewitt]

I was just gluing together a model of the TS-MA4F Exass from Gundam Seed, and this got me thinking about drones in GearHead. Link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TS-MA4F_Exass

Currently drones are handled as missile weapons. It's been suggested that I make custom drones available. How about this for an idea instead: I could add combiner-drones, such as the Exass shown above?

Combiner drones could be treated as a new module type. While attached to the mecha, all of their subsystems are available to the mecha as though they were any other module. Once detached, the drone would act as a separate master and take its own actions. At the end of combat, all free drones should return to and be reinstalled in their masters. There should also be a command to rejoin with a nearby drone.

The drone's skills would be equal to the pilot's skills, possibly with a penalty. The advantage of using drones is that you can get a whole lot more attacks per round and the enemy has a lot more targets to deal with. The disadvantage is that you lose whatever was loaded into the drone while it's gone.

What do you think?

[Sabin Stargem]

Good idea, and it opens up new possibilities like Gundam-esque Funnels/Icoms, and Mazinger-Z's fist rockets in this game.

[Epsilon]

So, would you attach your own weapons to these drones? Either way, it's an interesting idea. Might seem too overpowering, though: you'd essentially be getting 2-4 extra attacks per round. maybe. It depends on how you implement them. Will drones/masters be able to "share" a field of view?

[macksting]

Epsilon: Again, you would be paying quite the high price if they're destroyed.
Personally, I quite like this idea, if only because it increases the anime flavor. I assume this would be quite the heavy component to install or uninstall, therefore making the master gear (the one the player rides in) somewhat less combat-capable?
Could be brutal to an aerofighter.

[Anticheese]

I like it, perhaps if the player installs a Tarcomp or better jets on it then it might be improved?

Anyhow, one problem that I can see is that if a pilot loads up on Mecha Gunnery and not much else, then buys a mech with a buttload of drones on them...

Anyhow, I think that drones should take a skill penalty, going down to a minimum of 3 points of skill.

[draconuszero]

Quoting: macksting

I assume this would be quite the heavy component to install or uninstall, therefore making the master gear (the one the player rides in) somewhat less combat-capable?

Assuming that if its like the skills of a Newtype, or Coordinator as in seed, one needs to watch over the funnels (in UC) or dragoons (in GS/d), as well as his/her own mecha to make sure everything is working together.  Due to the fact you have to be multitasking, i'd say that if you use the drones, you should get a penalty in all the mecha skills.  If the drones have an AI however, it'll be a different story.

[Tung Nguyen]

Opens up the possibility of sensor drones that could detect enemies that would normally be outside your field of view, or even extend your field of view to include what they see.

What scale would these drones be? Would SF:1 or SF:0 drones be able to operate on an SF:2 mecha? Or is that already possible?

[Joseph Hewitt]

Well, as postulated above they'd be modules, so they would usually be SF:2 just like your mecha but there's no reason why they couldn't be SF:1 or SF:0 instead.

Each drone would presumably need a controller (taking up at least one slot) and the main body might require some control equipment as well (taking up more valuable slots). It would also need its own movement systems.

Sensor drones are a good idea.

[draconuszero]

Other drone possibilities would be kamizake drones that just ram into the opponents and just shield drones like in gradius where they just orbit around you, or proximity explosive drones that just blow up when an enemy is within its blast radius.

The main thing about drones is that I fear it can be used as abuse, especially if they can be equipped with laser cannons.

[Anticheese]

Problem with the kamakaze drones is that the drones in this suggestion are ment to be modules from the players Mecha, only equipped with jets and targeting computers.

However for the style of drones we have now, This would work well.

Quoting: draconuszero

The main thing about drones is that I fear it can be used as abuse, especially if they can be equipped with laser cannons.

In GH2 energy weapons now have an energy requirement, with Mecha weapons the energy comes from the power plant, and seeing as this suggestions drones are pretty much just like flying guns, I'd imagine there is not enough room for a power source (BTW, Can we see some mech scale weapon addons? I'd love to see a mini fusion plant in my plasma rifle) so said flying weapon would only last about 3 to 5 shots at the most before docking and recharging.

Quoting: draconuszero

shield drones

Problem: the drones are pretty much modules with a life of their own, so the player will logically get all the benefit of the drones (using this suggestions rules at least) without having to fire them off, Then if they do fire them off then enemy mechs can simply just aim for the player.

Solution: Use regular drone rules surrounding shield drones and give them a chance of intercepting enemy fire (I.E 75% or close to it) and using their own health to protect the player.

Quoting: draconuszero

explosive drones that just blow up when an enemy is within its blast radius.

They are called "Mines"

But yeah, they would be a good addition, Just give them a good stealth skill (finally, a use for Awareness) and see what happens!