It's clear that CB have kinda painted themselves into a corner with TAG pilots. They clearly wish to have Remote Presence TAGs and Piloted TAGs be distinct from each other and that REM Pres is a superior technology so should have a clear advantage however they also want TAG Pilots to feature. Tagcom was the latest attempt and although I like the mechanic in general its just not what i feel reflects Pilots. So more thematically than Rules wise how could we represent Piloted TAGS in the game that feels like they are actually doing something in the game but also don't give a large tactical advantage over REM Presence TAGs? Should it be harder to hack a piloted TAG? Should pilots get a reset bonus?
"Tagcom" does feel more like "TAG Field Support". I get that the pilot models should have a role on the tabletop, but I agree that they don't feel like "pilots". Being piloted models, perhaps they should be harder to repair than other REMs? Or give them all Escape Systems? Maybe instead of having the support bot, actually have a dismounting pilot like in N4 (leaving the TAG itself on autopilot while not piloted - it might only be allowed to ARO with dodge until remounted?). The support bot is fine for RemPres TAGs, but feel unnecessary for piloted TAGs.
They are technically already harder to repair from the fact you can't spend command tokens to reroll manned TAGs. Giving them all escape systems also comes with a very significant amount of rebalancing as the largest group of manned TAGs are in Nomads and they are kinda the assault HI models of the faction. Plus as the faction with WIP 15 engineers, ejection does force said TAG models to suddenly loose their STR status which made them easier to revive which is yet another downside. Immunity (POS) is a good start. Possession isn't really super relevant when hacking in the active turn due to it being very risky as a single burst unless you have orders to spare or multiple hackers. Leaving them still able to be isolated/IMM (B) is still plenty powerful and the fact you don't get to reroll on engineering checks, don't get a second uncon state, and most of those TAGs don't have courage or religious seems like a fine enough trade-off for Immunity (POS). But I am concerned that would come with a decent points increase on TAGs that are designed to be very cost effective so it's not something I'm really dying to have either. I also feel like better resistance to hacking would be fitting. But as mentioned, the largest grouping of these TAGs comes from Nomads and many of them have strong BTS and 3/5 already have ECM: Hacker (-3). I don't think they really need any more hacking resistance since already you get plenty punished for running hacking against Nomads anyhow. We can start by giving the Szallamandra it's Tac Aware back and lose NCO lol! Post edit: Perhaps a Firewall (0)? Doesn't provide any minus so there still is some benefit to giving them a Firewall vis other methods if available, but at a minimum they atleast can claim the +3 BTS against hacking.
The pilot gets in the way, blames the mechanics for poor servicing, has opinions on what needs to be done, "helps." The onboard computer on a RemPres TAG reports what the fault is.
Balance, honestly, I don't think there's actually a lore reason- it makes sense to not endanger hard-to-train pilots if you can avoid it, but Pilots are just better on the game table for their Specialist capabilities. I'd probably lean towards allowing the Pilot to dismount a TAG in any state except Dead if I were writing the rules, basically as per N3/N4 but without inheriting States and with the Pilot counting as the Order generator. Gives a way for the unit to contribute when it gets hit again with the increasingly-common E/M weapons, and encourages the enemy not to ignore a merely Unconscious TAG. What I wouldn't do is give the unit extra stats or skills; being low-tech is only good if you're Ariadna in N3.
How about a piece of equipment like a gizmokit that instead of removing wounds removes states and then giving all piloted TAGs that equipment and a rule that they can use this regardless of the state as the pilot is assumed to jump out and use it. That way we don't actually need to reintroduce the dismount rules and piloted becomes something other than a direct negative.
I would put the TAGs back to: Non specialst, except your TAG is one. TAG are good enough, they don´t have to double as easy specialist, that can just pull out a mini-me and push buttons. The not-pilots, that are TAG support-troops now are just named wrong. Instead of taking away a lot of troops I could live without a playability of the TAG pilot models. But the idea of support-troops is fine. Best is Techbee at the moment. Gecko "pilot" still runs around with his double AssPis, while YJ and JSA are cabable CC-fighters. I would say: Just rename them and be fine.
Remote Presence TAGs have always been a small nod towards a faction's (PanO, Aleph, etc) technological supremacy in the area - an advantage that costs literally nothing. It's not a balance thing - it's an intentional imbalance thing. Immunity POS would be a fairly appropriate and similarly small advantage of having manned TAGs if they ever go back and decide the TAG types are meant to be different rather than better vs worse. That said, Yu Jing's Qishi are really exciting troopers for me. Hate the miniatures, but the stats and abilities are excellent - especially the Long Wang Qishi whom I'd argue are the best pilot profile. Would love to see them at slightly higher AVA as their own unit.
any mechanic who has worked on a car that features heavily computerized components will tell you that is not true. Those onboards are just as useless as when a customer comes in saying "car's making a funny noise".
