Printable Version of Topic

Posted by: EpicSpire Aug 25 2011, 05:58 AM

If i put two weapon mounts on a drone will the drone be able to fire at two separate targets.

Can someone please either quote the source or at least post a reference.

i am currently assuming that the drone can fire at a 2nd target as long as it either splits it's dice pool and takes the -2 penalty for shooting at a second target as if it was a person in ranged combat. or if it has a simple action to spare, it would just use that action to fire with no need to split the dice but would still take the -2 penalty.

my gaming group also has another idea that the gun itself would need a pilot chip in order to fire Independence of the drone. I think that the chip would negate the dice splitting and even the -2 penalty, but that the gun could not aim itself or move the turret, so the drone would still need to turn the turret or weapon mount and point it in the direction of the target.

any suggestions and input is welcome, but an official ruling would be nice too

Posted by: KarmaInferno Aug 25 2011, 06:15 AM

Pretty much what you did, the drone follows the same dice-pool split rules as any other entity in the game for multiple attacks, regardless of how many weapons it has.

The only exception is if it's being operated in Remote Control mode, then it can only take Complex Actions.




-k

Posted by: Lansdren Aug 25 2011, 07:53 AM

I'm unsure of a RAW ruling but if I was GM'ing I would accept a second commlink and a agent put into a drone to let the turret be independent of the drone itself, Logic seems to follow that if a Pilot program can control a drone and its weapon a pilot and a agent could do both at a slightly better (or more efficient) level.

Its not RAW by any means but seems plausable

Posted by: SpellBinder Aug 25 2011, 08:03 AM

Well, weapons can be given a Pilot Upgrade as long as they're SmartGun equipped. Add in a Propulsion System upgrade on top of that (limping might suffice), and you've now got a gun that can potentially twist in its own weapon mount and shoot on its own. Two mod slots minimum, if you take the SmartGun as an accessory (if it's not already integrated in the weapon itself). Arsenal, page 152, has both options listed.

Posted by: EpicSpire Aug 25 2011, 08:41 AM

Thanks for the information and suggestions so far, as well as the quick responses.

some of which i haven't taken into account such as the agent in the drone/gun.

I think someone in my group mentioned a propulsion system, but not sure what the response from the other were.

If there is any other suggestions or information, please feel free to respond.

Posted by: Lansdren Aug 25 2011, 11:03 AM

If its powered movable turrent (Ie can aim independent of what direction the drone is moving in) then I dont see the need for the extra mods, its already designed to be moved and just hooking up a independent control system seems fairly easy.

In my mind I can see a large drone with independent systems to control it working together with pilot (for moving) and Agents (for weapons systems and internal matrix defense) hell enough agents and a poweful nexus you can get a pretty cool running drone

Posted by: Yerameyahu Aug 25 2011, 01:27 PM

Agents don't do that AFAIK, you'd need another Pilot. Such a thing doesn't exist in the normal rules (per se; you'd think the Pilot from the Smart Platform would work), but there's no reason you can't houserule that. A Pilot Upgraded gun wouldn't work, unless it was just duct-taped on.

I'm fine with letting the drone or Jumped-In rigger split their pool as normal.

Posted by: Miri Aug 25 2011, 01:47 PM

What I want to know is this.. it is acceptable for a Rigger to jump into his [vehicle] and do the driving while the heavy weapons Sam dives into the remote turret with gyro stabilizer to blow away the corpsec chasing them.

Why can't a rigger jump into the [vehicle] and tell the pilot program to use its Gunnery autosoft to shoot or let another teammate follow along and run the turret?

Posted by: Yerameyahu Aug 25 2011, 01:57 PM

RAW, I think 'no'. In actual play: slap on another Rigger Box and hell, go for it. The heavy weapons sam would probably be better with a manual weapon, though.

No, because Jumped-In overrides everything. It's broad-spectrum and automatic, unconscious.

Posted by: Miri Aug 25 2011, 02:06 PM

Then by that same ruling, if a team were trying to escape the driver would have to AR drive his van so that someone else could AR run the turret, and god help the team if the gunner forgot about the cut outs and decided to dive into the turret to shoot better.

Posted by: Lansdren Aug 25 2011, 03:27 PM

I think part of this is because a vehicle is still treated as one system. I can see a reasonable house rule being one vehicles not drones you could add in modifications (second rigger box) to give subsystems seperate controls

Posted by: Miri Aug 25 2011, 03:37 PM

If drones were not considered a vehicle sure. *shrug* I don't see too much problem with simply saying spend the money and mod slot for a second Rigger Box installed and just saying that a second person can Jump In and control anything that the primary Rigger Box releases control of (Turrets, ECM gear, Sensor Suites etc etc).

Rules as Written say once someone jumps in it totally cuts anyone else out, but that doesn't really feel right and don't really believe that was intended to keep a driver and his team from VR running the vehicle equipment at the same time.

Posted by: Yerameyahu Aug 25 2011, 04:34 PM

AR/VR shouldn't matter, Miri. RAW, it's a no. Seems reasonable to house rule it otherwise, sure, and I think the speed bump of requiring more rigger boxes is fair.

AFAIK, it's absolutely intended that Jumped-In overrides everything. You *are* the vehicle.

Posted by: Miri Aug 25 2011, 04:50 PM

Then any military vehicle doesn't need anything more then the one driver and the Riggers Box. They don't need and in fact can't use a RIO or Gunnery person sitting second seat.

Posted by: Yerameyahu Aug 25 2011, 04:56 PM

That may well be the case. I don't know. Or, they may have some yet-undisclosed multiple control system. Others can also use manual weaponry, and it's not unthinkable that a 'manual' gun could be electronic. The issue is whether it's 'part' of the Jumped-In rigger's 'self'.

I do know the the purpose of Jumped-In rigging has always been 'you are the machine', in all editions. Not part of it. Jumping-In trumps all other controls, including enemy hackers; this is a major *feature*, and an advertised one.

I'm not saying 'don't change it'. I'm just describing the base rules.

Posted by: KarmaInferno Aug 25 2011, 05:38 PM

An Arachne drone basically gives you an autonomous extra turret.



-k

Posted by: Yerameyahu Aug 25 2011, 06:19 PM

Same as the Smart Platform, right. It's an extra Pilot controlling a non-connected additional weapon, so that's fine… no different than someone sitting atop your car with a gun.

Posted by: Xarin Aug 25 2011, 07:24 PM

Easiest RAW solution I think might be to just mod the vehicle with gun ports instead of weapon mounts, then add drones or smart platforms with thier own mounted weapons to shoot out from the ports.

You could even cluster them all together or slave the drones to the vehicle if you really felt like it (though aside from cutting down on subscriptions there may not be much point).

Posted by: hobgoblin Aug 25 2011, 07:38 PM

Each of those would have their own initative tho, no? Or would they all be firing on the controllers initiative? A kind of mass order of "attack that target"?

Posted by: Yerameyahu Aug 25 2011, 07:44 PM

Clustering and slaving wouldn't have relevant effects, as you say.

Posted by: hobgoblin Aug 25 2011, 07:54 PM

Heh, would have been fun if a latter book came out with a "drone brain" accessory for weapon mounts. I think then one may build something like what they had for capital ships in Rigger3.

Posted by: Yerameyahu Aug 25 2011, 07:56 PM

Yeah, it seems like a perfectly fair house rule. Buy another Box, another Pilot, another set of Autosofts, and it can only be applied to a fully 'remote' (are they still called that?) mount.

Posted by: hobgoblin Aug 25 2011, 11:12 PM

Most turrets are of the remote kind, manual controls are a optional accessory.

Posted by: Xarin Aug 27 2011, 03:46 AM

Or you can take a page from the Hill Billy Handbook for Riggers:

Take vehicle drone.
Get drone with weapon turret attached.
Apply Duct Tape.
Repeat as desired.

Posted by: Yerameyahu Aug 27 2011, 03:51 AM

Sure. You might lose the RC, and the possibilities for failure are entertaining. It's been discussed before, anyway: on glitch, it gets loose?