RE: [SG II] Tyranid conversion

A long time ago (year?) I posted a set of rules dealing with AI troops
in SGII where Machine units get 1 Action all the time but must dice for
a second action with die shifts modified by if they are under fire,
etc..(AIs are not as flexible thinkers as organics.) If there was a
higher CPU command unit, it could give them positive shifts..

Michael Wikan
Game Design
Slave Zero
Accolade, Inc.
http://www.slavezero.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jared E Noble [SMTP:JNOBLE2@mail.aai.arco.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 06, 1998 11:44 AM
> To:	FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
> Subject:	Re: [SG II] Tyranid conversion
> 
> Con't comment on all of the specifics  - never had much opportunity to
> use
> tyranids back when I did 40k, nor have I played SGII (I do own the
> rulebook
> and have read it.)  However, I think it is a bad idea to recreate the
> 40k
> Tin-God syndrome in which psychological factors completely fail to
> affect
> your units. It may be appropriate to allow the 'line troops' to reduce
> Threat Levels when they are within a certain range of the controlling
> elements.  And give them a more alien feel by perhaps modifying what
> the
> units do at different confidence levels - perhaps a broken genestealer
> will
> break the control of the hive mind and automatically assault the
> nearest
> enemies - You lose control of them.
> 
> Which sets me thinking (dangerous, I know):
> 
> Epic Tyranids had a natural tendency for each of the units - sit back
> &
> fire - Charge - etc.	assign 'natural tendencies' or 'Instincts' to
> your
> tyranid unit types.
> 
> Give your controlling units a 'control' value (Hive Mind is 1, Other
> big &
> nasty control dudes 2, Tyranid warrriors 3).	Under normal
> circumstances a
> control unit can override natural tendencies and direct their
> underlings.
> However, when a unit's confidence is reduced, you must dice to see if
> you
> can make them follow orders ('coersion').  Roll a die appropriate for
> the
> unit's current confidence (I would not give Routed units a roll,
> starting
> broken at d4) and they must roll above the control number of the
> commanding
> unit to perform your requested action.  Possibly make is an opposed
> roll
> vs. the commanders rating (hive mind gets d12, lvl-2 get d10, lvl-3
> gets
> d8).	In this case the commander's roll must ber greater that the
> unit's
> roll. (this will give less consistent control.)  For additional fun,
> when
> the controlling units themselves lose confidence levels, reduce their
> command ability.  For example, when a Tyranid warrior drops to shaken,
> it
> loses it's control ability. I would say start dropping levels at
> Shaken,
> and keep dropping 1 each level.  So a Broken Hive mind, while it may
> limitations on actions it can perform, can still 'coerce' troops as if
> it
> were an unwounded Warrior.
> 
> For more options, (at the cost of more complexity) do not give fixed
> control ranges, per se.  Instead reduce effective control rating one
> level
> per 12" range band.  So your tyranid warrior again could not control
> units
> outside this 12" radius, but the hive mind could at least try to
> coerce a
> broken unit into action from 36" away - but at that range it would
> have the
> same chance as the warrior within 12".
> 
> Perhaps the Control rating could also determine the number of units
> that
> can be 'coerced' in a given turn by that controller.
> 
> just some random thoughts...
> 
> Jared Noble
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Magnus Alexandersson <m96maal@mtek.chalmers.se> on 10/06/98 07:32:33
> AM
> 
> Please respond to FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
> 
> To:	Full Thrust <FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk>
> cc:	 (bcc: Jared E Noble/AAI/ARCO)
> Subject:  [SG II] Tyranid conversion
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm doing small homepage with adaptations for tyranids to use them in
> SGII.
> 
> It's _almost_ done, so I won't post it yet, but I was thinking:
> 
> Using Tyranids in any battle involves alot of small changes and extras
> just to make the work. So I thought I'd run 'em by you lot.
> 
> Hormgaunt leap? triple combat move? 3*D?
> 
> The Hive node priciple? i.e. Hive Tyrant and Tyranidwarriors and the
> "Immune to psy."-rule. According to the system (FMA) all can run away,
> all can get scared. If a tyranid creature is within 12" from a
> Warrior,
> then do they pass all test? All reaction tests or what?
> 
> There's probably alot more, but I can't remeber any q. we had when we
> discussed this. Will playtest our rules this weekend, and after that
> I'll
> post 'em.
> 
> ///magnus
> 
> *********************************************
> |	      Magnus Alexandersson	      |
> |Email: m96maal@mtek.chalmers.se	      |
> |Site: http://www.mtek.chalmers.se/~m96maal |
> *********************************************
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>