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| Which Battle Droid version seems to most fit the movies? |
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| Total Votes : 10 |
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ZzaphodD
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Joined: 28 Nov 2009
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 Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: | | ZzaphodD wrote: |
Anyone has any idea of how all those droids with multiple weapons work (or should work). Whats the point in having a reapeating blaster in each arm? Can you fire both as one action? I actually saw somewhere a droid with 6 blast pistols (IIRC)...no point if you dont have some kind of multi-fire rule.. |
Or a high enough blaster skill to fire each once a round with any chance of accuracy. |
Well, obviously..
But several droids have either too many weapons (similar) or too low blaster/other-shooting skill to make use of them. The little droid with 6 blaster pistols comes to mind. Another droid has a small blaster in each finger...whats the point if they can not be shot simultaneously as a single action... |
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garhkal
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Joined: 17 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 2:49 am Post subject: |
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Precicely. One of those i developed over on the holonet (the reapers) have 4 blasters, 2 in each arm. Their blaster skill is 8d+2 (10 or 11d) for the inner (larger) blaster. This way they can move(dodge) and shoot all 4 with an average/above average level (4d+2/6d or 7d) for each shot.
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ZzaphodD
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Joined: 28 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 3:53 am Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: | | Precicely. One of those i developed over on the holonet (the reapers) have 4 blasters, 2 in each arm. Their blaster skill is 8d+2 (10 or 11d) for the inner (larger) blaster. This way they can move(dodge) and shoot all 4 with an average/above average level (4d+2/6d or 7d) for each shot. |
However, it seems that everyone misses my point.
Whats the point in having multiple blasters (or whatever) in the first place. A single blaster with no Fire Rate would do as well. Just fire it multiple times.
One way of making multiple blasters actually useful is to let the droid fire them all (as long as they are multiple identical weapons) as a singel action as long as they all fire at the same target. For example, a droid with one light repeating blaster in both arms could fire both at the same target as one action. |
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ZzaphodD
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Joined: 28 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 10:10 am Post subject: |
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| ZzaphodD wrote: | | garhkal wrote: | | Precicely. One of those i developed over on the holonet (the reapers) have 4 blasters, 2 in each arm. Their blaster skill is 8d+2 (10 or 11d) for the inner (larger) blaster. This way they can move(dodge) and shoot all 4 with an average/above average level (4d+2/6d or 7d) for each shot. |
However, it seems that everyone misses my point.
Whats the point in having multiple blasters (or whatever) in the first place. A single blaster with no Fire Rate would do as well. Just fire it multiple times.
One way of making multiple blasters actually useful is to let the droid fire them all (as long as they are multiple identical weapons) as a singel action as long as they all fire at the same target. For example, a droid with one light repeating blaster in both arms could fire both at the same target as one action. |
No point at all i guess... |
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bobenhotep
Commander
Joined: 16 Dec 2009
Posts: 333
Location: New Mexico
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| Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 10:05 pm Post subject: |
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i think that the droideka should be feared. i would simply allow them to fire their blasters multiple times without penalty. after all they are a gyro stabilized tripod. allow each gun to fire 2 or 3 times without penalty.
the jedi are afraid of the droideka because of their high rate of fire. eventually a "golden bb" will get through. Jedi are wise in the ways of jedi master murphy, and his law. also you have to stop blocking for an instant to attack one.
tactically the droideka is a mobile machine gun nest. fear it... |
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atgxtg
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Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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I think we may be blowing droidekas out of proportion. Sure they fire a lot of shots, but the so does everything else in Star Wars. E-Webs, TIE FIghter and X-Wings fire off barrages like machine guns and autocannons (which the are), and even footsoliders fire off at lot more shots than could possibly hit according to the -1D poer attack rule.
Even Han Solo manages to pull off quite a nice barrage into Darth Vader's hand, not that it did him any good.
When you look at them in relation to other characters the drodeikas aren't really firing any more often than, say a gunner on a light repating blaster.
And that, IMO is the solution. In the RPG weapons with a high rate of fire get a damage boost, and possibly a fire control boost. Vehicles with multiple lined weapons, also get damage and fire control bonuses.
So I think the best solution for handling droidekas (and droids with 6 blasters) is to just use the combined fire rules (the old ones not the watered down and "not worth the points in command" ones from 2E R&E).
After all, we don't play out every single shot from a TIE or X-Wing, we just handle each "attack". |
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ZzaphodD
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| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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| atgxtg wrote: | I think we may be blowing droidekas out of proportion. Sure they fire a lot of shots, but the so does everything else in Star Wars. E-Webs, TIE FIghter and X-Wings fire off barrages like machine guns and autocannons (which the are), and even footsoliders fire off at lot more shots than could possibly hit according to the -1D poer attack rule.
Even Han Solo manages to pull off quite a nice barrage into Darth Vader's hand, not that it did him any good.
When you look at them in relation to other characters the drodeikas aren't really firing any more often than, say a gunner on a light repating blaster.
And that, IMO is the solution. In the RPG weapons with a high rate of fire get a damage boost, and possibly a fire control boost. Vehicles with multiple lined weapons, also get damage and fire control bonuses.
So I think the best solution for handling droidekas (and droids with 6 blasters) is to just use the combined fire rules (the old ones not the watered down and "not worth the points in command" ones from 2E R&E).
After all, we don't play out every single shot from a TIE or X-Wing, we just handle each "attack". |
I dont think that handling every shot has ever been in question, just that several droids have multiple identical weaons that rules-wise makes no sense.
Your solution to let them combine 'with themselves' is a good idea IMO. They can then chose to fire over a larger area (combine to hit) or concentrate fire power (combine to damage). This will make droidekas extrely nasty. 3 'attacks' with 6D+8 to hit at damage 8D  For easy to hit targets (grunts) make that 5 attacks at 4D+6 to hit with same damage....
BTW, regarding E-webs that in the original movies fired completely different compared to more recent video games, they seem to have gone from semi-automatic to full auotmatic. In my games E-webs do 6D damage, with 2D Autofire Dice then either added to damage or to the to-hit roll (or split inbetween). |
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Lancil
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| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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Well i could be wrong here but, we are talking about droids not living things.The computer brains of combat droids most likely support the ability to take on multiple targets with multiple weapons if that is what they were designed for.
So, I would say that they should be able to fire all of their weapons that they were designed with once per round each without penalty. |
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atgxtg
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| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 11:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Lancil wrote: | Well i could be wrong here but, we are talking about droids not living things.The computer brains of combat droids most likely support the ability to take on multiple targets with multiple weapons if that is what they were designed for.
So, I would say that they should be able to fire all of their weapons that they were designed with once per round each without penalty. |
A possibility, although as anyone who has used a computer knows, what something can do if often not the same as what it can do well.
I think the "one weapon one shot for free" idea could eventually lead to a lot of designs with a lot of guns just to take advantage of the loophole.
If the droids have to pay for a multi-tasking, peanlty of some sort (like how linking weapons has a cost), it might work okay.
Perhaps each two weapons drops the skill by one die. So a droid with 5d blaster and 4 weapons would "loose" two dice, but be able to make 4 attacks at 3D.
Personally, I'm thinking of going with combined fire.
One option for autoweapons spraying multiple targets (like the Z-6 rotary blastercannon) is to give them an Autoweapon combined fire bonus that could be split between extra damage, extra targets or extra "fire control" (hosing down one target with 100 shots should up the odds of a hit).
For example, if the Z-6 can fire 166 rounds per second, that would be about a +10D (150 combined bonus) Autofire bonus to spend. 1D could:
* Up damage 1D
* Add 1D to hit (or another target for "free)
For handheld weapons, a cap could be placed equal to the firing character's skill. So a clone trooper with Blaster 4D could only spend 4D on one thing, and so wouldn't get the full benefits of the Z-6.
Note that this could apply to droids, too. So a low skilled droid with a rapid fire weapon "wastes" a lot of shots. |
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ZzaphodD
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Joined: 28 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 5:01 am Post subject: |
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| atgxtg wrote: | | Lancil wrote: | Well i could be wrong here but, we are talking about droids not living things.The computer brains of combat droids most likely support the ability to take on multiple targets with multiple weapons if that is what they were designed for.
So, I would say that they should be able to fire all of their weapons that they were designed with once per round each without penalty. |
A possibility, although as anyone who has used a computer knows, what something can do if often not the same as what it can do well.
I think the "one weapon one shot for free" idea could eventually lead to a lot of designs with a lot of guns just to take advantage of the loophole.
If the droids have to pay for a multi-tasking, peanlty of some sort (like how linking weapons has a cost), it might work okay.
Perhaps each two weapons drops the skill by one die. So a droid with 5d blaster and 4 weapons would "loose" two dice, but be able to make 4 attacks at 3D.
Personally, I'm thinking of going with combined fire.
One option for autoweapons spraying multiple targets (like the Z-6 rotary blastercannon) is to give them an Autoweapon combined fire bonus that could be split between extra damage, extra targets or extra "fire control" (hosing down one target with 100 shots should up the odds of a hit).
For example, if the Z-6 can fire 166 rounds per second, that would be about a +10D (150 combined bonus) Autofire bonus to spend. 1D could:
* Up damage 1D
* Add 1D to hit (or another target for "free)
For handheld weapons, a cap could be placed equal to the firing character's skill. So a clone trooper with Blaster 4D could only spend 4D on one thing, and so wouldn't get the full benefits of the Z-6.
Note that this could apply to droids, too. So a low skilled droid with a rapid fire weapon "wastes" a lot of shots. |
Making it a general rule that each weapon can fire once as one action will make some existing droids real powerhouses (the 6 blasters droid for example, but theres also the battle droid with 2 e-webs and one blaster pistol in each of its 10 fingers...).
I can understand the general idea that a droid is constructed to fire all its weapons, or they wouldnt be there in the first place (were talking identical or very similar weapons here, that otherwise are redundant). I made own rules for IG88 years ago that included secondary targeting computers. The main droid brain (ie IG88) selected targets (which was an action), after that each 'arm' (or cluster of weapons) had its own targeting unit/computer which then took over actual weapon use until a new target or order was given. This saved IG88 a couple of MAPs each round when going on full offensive capabilities. |
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atgxtg
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Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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| ZzaphodD wrote: |
Making it a general rule that each weapon can fire once as one action will make some existing droids real powerhouses (the 6 blasters droid for example, but theres also the battle droid with 2 e-webs and one blaster pistol in each of its 10 fingers...). |
That would be why I'd be inclined to make it an ability with a cost. So a droid that could fire six weapons as an action would be expensive so there would not be many of them.
Also, by reducing the skill by 1D per 2 shots, the droid essentially is only buying off half the penalty.
I'd still probably go with the combined fire idea, though. Six weapons just catches the +3D. With the way the old scaling chart (still used for spaceship weapons) works, the bonus would eventually become counter productive, as the table gives diminishing returns.
Automation could just eliminate the need for a "command" roll to coordinating the timing for all the weapons. |
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ZzaphodD
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| Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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Hmm, I might be wrong here.
But doesnt 3D scalt to +3 when combined? |
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garhkal
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Joined: 17 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 8:27 pm Post subject: |
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| atgxtg wrote: | | Lancil wrote: | Well i could be wrong here but, we are talking about droids not living things.The computer brains of combat droids most likely support the ability to take on multiple targets with multiple weapons if that is what they were designed for.
So, I would say that they should be able to fire all of their weapons that they were designed with once per round each without penalty. |
A possibility, although as anyone who has used a computer knows, what something can do if often not the same as what it can do well.
I think the "one weapon one shot for free" idea could eventually lead to a lot of designs with a lot of guns just to take advantage of the loophole.
If the droids have to pay for a multi-tasking, peanlty of some sort (like how linking weapons has a cost), it might work okay.
Perhaps each two weapons drops the skill by one die. So a droid with 5d blaster and 4 weapons would "loose" two dice, but be able to make 4 attacks at 3D.
. |
With the rewrite i made for one of my combat droids, i added this in..
C7-Oii99 combat module. This highly experimental combat module allows the Reaper to individually shoot up to 4 (one per barrel) targets before taking Multiple action penalties, and each shot comes on the one initiative action. This combat module though suffers –1d from the blaster skill when targeting 2 or less targets.
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atgxtg
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Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 10:27 pm Post subject: |
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| ZzaphodD wrote: | Hmm, I might be wrong here.
But doesnt 3D scalt to +3 when combined? |
It does with 2 R&E. But I did say to use the old combined action rules, for several reasons:
1) It still the way the do things for ships. X-Wings, TIE fighters, etc. didn't see their die codes change with the new scaling.
2) It would work out better for autofire weapons, too.
3) The new (R&E method) is so stupid as to be practically useless. With the limit of +1/1 person per D in Command, you wind up with the best Military Commanders on a planet barely able to coordinate a baseball team. |
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ZzaphodD
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| Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 5:02 am Post subject: |
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| atgxtg wrote: | | ZzaphodD wrote: | Hmm, I might be wrong here.
But doesnt 3D scalt to +3 when combined? |
It does with 2 R&E. But I did say to use the old combined action rules, for several reasons:
1) It still the way the do things for ships. X-Wings, TIE fighters, etc. didn't see their die codes change with the new scaling.
2) It would work out better for autofire weapons, too.
3) The new (R&E method) is so stupid as to be practically useless. With the limit of +1/1 person per D in Command, you wind up with the best Military Commanders on a planet barely able to coordinate a baseball team. |
As far as I know theres little concistency when it comes to starship damages. One ship from one source does 2D in damage with a laser cannon, and then another does 4D. The same applies to 'fire linked' weapons. You find 'fire linked' weapons doing very little damage.
We just translate 1D in skill/damage to +1 and have never found it 'to weak'. We have done it since we started playing SW (beginning of the 90s), so if this aint 1st ed then it must be a house rule from our first GM that has never been questioned.
Anyway, in my example above I translated the Droidekas Blaster of 8D+2 combining with itself to 8D+10, so if theres a new system perhaps Ill have to reconsider the benefits with 'combining' with itself. |
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