Hello Everybody The title says a lot so please fire away! Maybe your wishes will be answered... be careful what you wish for though ;). Personally I would like an alternative version of sepsitorised to fight CA, something that severs the connection with EI. Also another sectorial would be nice, maybe mixing in some O12 (shared sectorial or not) For drones I would like to point finger at the fact that Aleph is an AI, we use simulated AI's to drive swarms of drones (exclusive fireteam-like rules?) Finally: Aleph operatives are L-Hosts... not living beings... who said they have to be limited to human form? Or to one form only for that matters?
Being a non-Aleph player I don't exactly have a dog in this fight, but... Why alternative? I mean, if you want to alter one's Cube by memetic warfare in a blink of an eye, changing their whole perception of things (because that's what Sepsitor does. It doesn't connect you to CA, it effectively brainwashes you, making you believe and follow EI goals, because you now consider them to be the right ones), you still need a Sepsitor. A combirifle is a combirifle, no matter which army uses it, and which company made it. It would be theoretically possible for Human sphere to reverse-engineer the tech and start deploying sepsitor on their own. I'm not sure if I'd like to see it, actually. Aleph already has fireteams of drones. And Apsara Cyberdancer REM drivers... Aleph operatives are fragments of Aleph, psychogenerated to be human-like personalities - I assume because they have to be able to interact with humans. In that case, it makes sense for them to be installed into bodies that- for the most part - resemble human bodies. Also, this allows thme to utilize equipment made for humans. You want non-human bodies - well, what do you think drives a Marut?
A Sepsitor weapon that work exclusivly on CA troops ;-) "No betrayel" special rule - +3 BS if the target are a member of "Achilles betrayers gang" also +3 WIP for cyber attacks. NO replacement for Achilles. BUT - a Pandora V 2.0 HD+ Upgrade Trinity, Dodge-6, Plasma-Pistol, Para-CCW -6, Medikt B+2, Pitcher Now a little bit more serious: Make Apsara useful again. The only reason you take her is, to max out Dakini FP but than you kick her out because you need 22 pts. Artalis unit - came from the RF pack and brings - what? to OSS? a doctor/engineer with NCO that can be tooled up with an LRL. Do we need this? I don´t think so, though NCO is useful for sure. I would like to see it available in ISS! That would be a useful troop there. Somehow I have my doubts that it will have a big rework in N5. At the moment he is useful in a Smarthan Fireteam. Devas would be happy to give their Multi-Rifle back and loose her plain loadout in exchange for more Bot-Options. Netrods ... down 1 pts? Proxys: MK5 swc-free please. Or MK5 MK12 with MMS, we still miss a mini for the TO-Hacker. Satrah another RF unit with a niche. Albedo / MSV 2 sounds somewhat nice, but someone relay use it or missed it. I would like to see mov 6_2 but otherwise no idea. We will see if and what N5 will do to her. Sopho - one of the oldest Aleph profiles - nowadays she feels to expensive. If she get no FTOs what about 2 Yudobts for free? Asura: We miss a new Spitfire miniature! Again: Remove plain MR version. With new enviorements she could use the TB treatment and a push to her BTS to 9 or try 7 with AP immum. Dakini: Will we ever see a GL? Just to see it? Maybe add an FO to just add something. Daleth: I would love to see the TA/Hacking-3/MMS - treatment back - for all HS FO REMs. Its too much? Okay choose one. Riksha: We miss two loadouts - hurry up! Dasyu: Shock Imm please. And: You made them loose WYSIWYG - so make new minis - ASAP! New troops: An AI Jetbike - fast, fragile, deadly
Since I face Aleph on a regular basis, I must say I perceive Netrods as very powerful. And I see no reason to make them cheaper. That's a Regular Order for 6pts, that's also a Veteran and - what came into play in a game recently - actually can be a Lt (since it is LI, not REM). It can be perfectly safely deployed somewhere on the edge of a deployment zone, and apart form scenarios like Biotechvore, I don't really see any reason to put it further afield. In N2, you had the risk of failing the roll, and losing a Netrod due to off-table landing (by Scatter). Now, scatter is no longer an issue. Which makes them very safe. Many, many times have I kept destroying Aleph's models, only to find oout the ones that are still there are powered by extra 2 Orders from Netrods (safely tucked in somewhere in the rear).
Its a bit strange that they are LI. Veteran is good, but situational. When you build a list you better grab the Lahman for 7 Pts. which gives you more options: It can ARO, its harder to hit, it has a repeater and is mobile! I rarley use Netrods. If you want you can put them easily down. I used a Hellcat vs CA to activly destroy a Imetron, put some repeaters down and be annoying for them. A R-Drone would offer more protection.
When I land an AD, I'm usually far too busy with actual Aleph troops to waste Orders on getting into nooks and crannies where my regular Aleph opponent puts his Netrods. They are indeed rather soft targets, but I tend to find an opportunity cost to be too high to go specifically after them. Of course if I can catch them under a template when attacking an another target, or I have a 2nd Short Skill with nothing better to do with it, they present very fine targets. Man, if I had Netrods in my Haqq, Corregidor or StarCo, I'd definitely field them (not saying I would do it all the time, but definitely often). In DBS, who IMO are starved for cheap regular Orders, I'd field them twice ;) Flashpulse REMs are fine and very useful (eg. as nasty cheap ARO), but also kinda large, and not necessarily easy to place well. ...so, I guess our perceptiion of the unit is completely different.
Na ja ... if I head a regular order for 6 pts*) that can act normaly, trade with a chain rifle or LSG then I would put one or more in my list ... but I don´t play Ariadna ;-) I agree that a more or less hidden order with veteran back up IS useful. Four pts. might be to cheap, but 6 sits in a bad spot for (my) listbuilding. Spoiler: *) I know Kuang Shi exist and their 13/05 tax can shoot smoke.
That joint O12 and Aleph sounds awesome. Sectorial that would be listed under both main army entries. Few OSS units, mixed with some Space cops and a splash of new units. But please, Sherlock Holmes Recreation. Sectorials don't really need changes. Vanilla, aside from not losing core units I would love the Asura Hacker+ Lt+ to be in. Or give Spitfire AP.
I don't see a join Aleph O12 sectoral happening. CA has a seat on the senate now and any sign of militant objection by O12 would be seen as breaking the ceasefire.
You went OT with the seps alternative. What I meant was: a weapon conceptually like a seps, but that works on CA units to sever connection with EI (like per text) No Aleph has no fireteam of drones, it has fireteams of androids and L-Hosts. Drones are flying machines that will be introduced in N5 Karkata is the "pilot" of Marut and Agamemnon... a human shaped droid (granted, a bit hunch, but 2 legs, 2 arms and a head chassis) and not being an Aleph player exactly what are you doing here?
I see you spot the spirit of my suggestion, also: Bureau Thot... perfectly in line with fluff And yeah! Netrods reduced: they cannot be on par with units that can move and shoot
OK then. Should suach a weapon you're describing exist, how should it - in your vision - work? Asking for "in game terms" point of view. Also, should it work on CA units only, it would be a weapon with a very, very narrow field of use. Which, in my opinion, makes it a very, very poor idea. We're disagreeing on definitions here - as to what is and what is not a drone. I'm perceiving REMs as real-world "drones". And Aleph already can field fireteams of those. If you perceive "drone" as an unit type, please kindly note that Aleph can't field "fireteams of androdis and Lhosts", as neither of these are unit types exisiting in the game. I disagree. Krakata is not a pilot per se, it is a detachable drone carried by the TAG for utility applications for which the TAG itself is too big and too unwieldly. Both are operated by aspects of Aleph... or maybe even the same Aspect. Sharing my insight on the matter. And also, perceiving the exact above question as less than polite in nature.
I have the feeling that SP will not receive anything as a compensation for the loss of Achilles, Patroclus, Pandora, Teucer and Drakios. I think that the sectorial is more or less done. Even if clearly is not the same and I am still sad for Achilles I think that in CB mind Agamemnon is the replacement for Achilles (tough shooting platform that can fight also good in CC). If I have to dream I think a recreation of Chiron (centaur mentor of Achilles) would be suggestive and innovative for an army like SP and for infinity. Moreover being renown as wise, good archer and a healer could somehow be designed to fill Pandora gap.
No - its a substitute for the pilot that manned TAGs have. A remote presence TAG is piloted by someone at home - maybe a posthuman, an Apsara at home office something like that. Like Tony has piloted the Tikbalang (ITS 9 story). The Karkata is only something, that can be a specialist, press a button, where the weaponized arms of the TAG are too unsubtile. Dakinis, Rikshas and the like are basicaly drones (REMs) that can form firteteams. Rudra or the Guided Drone are also capable to go into FTs. What ever the antigrav drones or small vehicles in N5 are doing - we will see if they can form FTs.
I think SP will have some powerful good options at the release of N5. The always have been at least good since N3 and have received a lot of updates. I also think they will get some more options when the Aleph rework hopefully happens with the first N5 campaign book.
A drone, as per definition by Bostria, is not equivalent to a REM, otherwise it'd be called a REM... why have 2 names for 2 things that do the same. A Posthuman is the closest thing to a contemporary drone we have. Yet despite the fact that drones were a thing in the early 20th century (1917: The British Royal Flying Corps developed the first known military drone, which took to the skies during World War I. According to military historical records) CB decided to use other concepts for Aleph units. You wanna use flier to remove confusion? Fine by me: posthuman like groups of fliers moving in unison
So, in short, you'd like to see swarms of (small?) flying robots / drones / REMs / however we name them, operating as fireteams, do I get it correctly this time? Well, okay. I fail to see the advantage of introducing such a thing into the game (which merely means - "I can't see it", and not "it can not exist"). What about that Sepsitor-like thing you mentioned before?
I want an Aleph aspect. Like an S5 dakini with better skills and Mnemonica (rems). I also want a new Greek hero. I want Odysseus to come back after an epic adventure to make his way home. Probably give him some nice fluff and some voodoo tech.
Top of my wishlist: Aleph should activate their security protocol to re-enlist all of their recreations with Achilles deciding to do the traitor boogie. William Wallace, Joan of Arc, Saladin, Sun Tzu, Avicenna, Perseus, John Hawkwood, Miyamoto Musashi and I guess other recreations I'm forgetting about at the moment... Should join the next, third sectorial of Aleph. And leave their other factions behind, of course. Bonus points if Achilles & Co. are brought back to the fold with a small note of "you actually thought I gave you free will? Haha." From Aleph.
Just read the CA section in the new book. The Pandora breadcrumbs trail from Blackwind/Endsong is extended, presenting interesting ambiguities. There is even an EI internal dialogue, revealing a bit of motivation. The whole Shinju storyline does read like an over the top setup to a JRPG open world game. It would absolutely work as an RPG setting too, it is crammed with story hooks.
