G.___.0 Remote Control Boarding Party robots
G.___.01 Preamble: Remote control Boarding Robots are robots similar in size and shape to 20th century mine disposal robots. The RCBP has a titanium-boron alloy skin that protects it from the bast of its own heavy weapons allowing the robot to fire heavy weapons inside a spaceship, giving the RCBPs some excellent abilities.

G.___.1 Purchase
G.___.11 Remote Controlled Boarding Parties (usually consisting of three such robots) can be purchased for 2 BPV each and count as Heavy Weapon Squads for the purposses of purchase.
G.___.12 RCBPs do not count as casulaties for the purposses of victory points ( they are after all only machines ).

G.___.2 Movement
G.___.21 Remote controlled Boarding Party robots have certain restrictions to their movement and certain abilities. Unless otherwise noted a R.C.B.P acts as a conventional BP.
• Because the rocket propelled grenades create a large flare up and the repeating phaser in the turret generates strong electro magnetic raditation, and the fusion ( or fission ) reactors of the robots generate strong radiation feilds and thus RCBPs are never used in the same combat location of a ship as actual friendly BPs ( CUs count as BPs for this limit ).
Because of this, RCBPs are not restricted by D16.32 and may beam to any combat location aboard a vessel.
• RCBPs have a manipulator arm and can control turbolift controls. The manipulator arm can not be used for other tasks such as unlocking weapons or blocking power from the location to the rest of the ship.
• H&R attacks may be made in the same location as RCBPs are opperating.

G.___.3 Opperations.
G.___.31 The RCBP is able to opperate as a heavy weapon squad aboard an enemy vessel and thus has an Offensive Potential of 2 (per RCBP) and takes 1 casualty point to destroy.
G.___.32 A single RCBP could use its heavy weapons as a means of conduction vandalism destroying one SSD box with that RCBP per turn.
G.___.33 An RCBP could be ordered to shut-down and may do so in any launch seeking weapons step of any impulse. If the RCBP shuts-down, it can not restart its react in a given scenario.
G.___.34 A subspace radio link must be active between the robots and the controlling vessel. Thus sunspot activity will render the robots inopperable. Also to limit the damage to a ship if another ship in the fleet is captured, all ships keep their RCBP control codes secret and thus control of the RCBP can not be passed on to another vessel.
G.___.35 Because the ground-clearance of the robot tractor-treads is not great, the units can only be employed inside shiops and installations.
G.___.36 If a destroyed RCBP is somehow regained ( possibly through the target ship being captured ) it can not be "brought back from the dead" between scenarios like merely wounded BPs however a if the vessel has a Legendary Engineer ( or other officer acting in that capasity ) the RCBPs can be repaired ( and redeployed ) at a rate of 50% being repaired (round fractions down).
G.___.37 RCBPs can not be used in the same combat location as friendly BPs or CUs ( as listed above ) but could be used defensively if placed on a shuttle with no crew or in a section of ship that has been evactuated for ship separation.
G.___.38 If D16 is not being used then the entire enemy ship shall count as one combat location.

G.___.4 Tactics.
G.___.41 RCBPs tend to be used to create destractions during a boarding attempt (particularly since one passageway guarding RCBP and one vandalising RCBP can harm a ship quickly) or to soften up the enemy before the captain makes up his mind as to whether or not he'll risk boarders in an actual attempt to capture the target vessel.

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 11:52 am: Edit

You know, I should have put in a YIS.
How-bout Y181.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 12:42 pm: Edit

MJC:

Your rule # G.___.12 is not appropriate, IMO.

Shuttles cost 2 BPV, and (in certain circumstances), do not risk the life of a pilot or boarding party. (Suicide Assault shuttles, scatterpacks for example do not have living crews).

By your reasoning, Admin shuttles should not cost anything when used in a manner that does not risk or cost the life of a intelligent being.

In SFB's, the issue is nonsense, because Admin Shuttles can be important in battle, and might be the difference between victory and defeat, in the correct circumstances.

Your RCBP has significant weapons and a power plant (either Fision or fusion type?!?)... the equipment cost is significant comparred to a single Marine armed with his basic "kit" (personal weapon, communications gear, and his portion of the "squad equipment" is going to be significantly cheaper in BPV terms than your "Robo-marine".

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 01:30 pm: Edit

Don't the Andros already use these?

Don't they just work like any other BP?

Do we really need any more complications here?


For those of you playing at home, the answers are: yes, yes and no

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Monday, September 19, 2005 - 02:03 am: Edit

J.W.:

I'ld rather see the BPV price tag go up than have them count as casualties although I could see them counting as unit losses like shuttles in some way.

As too the price of the equipment, they do cost twice as much as a HWS ( and four times as much as a regular BP ).


J.T.:

No, Andro robots are different ( opperating as BPs and not uber HWS ).

No, they are restricted but also have some advantages. The restrictions are:-
Can not opperate in same combat location as other friendly CUs or BPs.
Can not opperate outside of an installation or vessel.
Can not perform actions like BPs such as opperating a tractor beam in a captured area.
The advantages are:-
Can commit Vandalism very easily.
Have an offensives potential of 2 inside a ship.

As to complexity.
If it adds to the fun, then yes.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Monday, September 19, 2005 - 10:45 am: Edit

Rejected.