Intelligent Mecha

[VincentUrsus]

I'm starting a Star Wars like game. One of my players would like his character to have a spaceship. It should have living quarters for six, be heavily armed, fast would be nice but it's not essential. It should also be able to turn into a 70ft tall giant robot.

My reaction was if he wanted to spend his character's money on that he could, but he'd better buy up wealth a lot.

Then he mentioned that it should have a built-in droid brain to help fly the thing.

This made me think that it should be made up as an ally rather than a piece of equipment.

However, this is a 200 point game, and a 70 foot giant robot is a bit more than I can squeeze out of the ally advantage's 150% upper limit.

Any advice on how best to handle this?

Equipment plus ally? Just equipment? Just ally? A patron?

[laguna]

put the transformation function on hold, when the character reaches a number of points that his ally can afford the transformation ability, upgrade the ally.

[tg_ambro]

Originally Posted by VincentUrsus

I'm starting a Star Wars like game. One of my players would like his character to have a spaceship. It should have living quarters for six, be heavily armed, fast would be nice but it's not essential. It should also be able to turn into a 70ft tall giant robot.

This doesn't quite seem to fit the feel of Star Wars. Unless you consider that awful Trasformers + Star Wars line of toys to be cannon.

Making his ship an ally is the way to go, unless huge, intelligent, transforming ship/robots are generally for sale. I would say that your player is asking for more than the point total can handle. He wants a totally bitchin' spaceship, a huge robot, and an ally all in one! You can up the point total for the characters or shave down the robot/ship.

I think nixing the robot angle is the best way to go, then either building the ship as an ally or buying a stock ship and then buying the ally pilot droid.

[lexington]

I'd think that in a (non-supers) 200 point game 70ft tall sentient robots shouldn't be allowed at all, unless they're in charge of the players.

[Johnny1A.2]

Originally Posted by VincentUrsus

I'm starting a Star Wars like game. One of my players would like his character to have a spaceship. It should have living quarters for six, be heavily armed, fast would be nice but it's not essential. It should also be able to turn into a 70ft tall giant robot.

My reaction was if he wanted to spend his character's money on that he could, but he'd better buy up wealth a lot.

Then he mentioned that it should have a built-in droid brain to help fly the thing.

This made me think that it should be made up as an ally rather than a piece of equipment.

However, this is a 200 point game, and a 70 foot giant robot is a bit more than I can squeeze out of the ally advantage's 150% upper limit.

Any advice on how best to handle this?

Equipment plus ally? Just equipment? Just ally? A patron?

I'd say either ally or patron, because that leaves the GM in control of its actions, which gives more 'hold', assuming you allow it at all. Whether patron or ally in this case would probably be something of a semantic difference, mostly based on the personality and origin and intentions of the machine.

If you do decide to allow the thing, you might 'restrain' it, that is, some of its features are either locked out for whatever reason, or need certain missing components to work, or something, leaving open the possibility of enabling them later if the point totals rise (that could also give hooks for character motivation, too).

[davidtmoore]

I'm with the "just say no" vote. It doesn't fit the setting, tone or style of Star Wars. If he doesn't want to play Star Wars, he should go and play Transformers with someone else.

But if you don't want to do that, Patron is the answer.

[RyanW]

You could go the Transhuman Space route:

Purchase a spaceship with money. Then install an Ally AI on the spaceship's mainframe. It doesn't perfectly fit Star Wars (where mind and body are generally considered inseparable), but it's a closer fit than a 70ft tall transforming robot.

[VincentUrsus]

I considered nay-saying it, but it is based on things that have shown up in the setting. And he's willing to sink a lot of points into it.

Thanks for the input. I'll try a couple ways of putting it together and see how it works out.

[AmesJainchill]

Originally Posted by VincentUrsus

I considered nay-saying it, but it is based on things that have shown up in the setting. And he's willing to sink a lot of points into it.

Thanks for the input. I'll try a couple ways of putting it together and see how it works out.

Transforming mecha have appeared in SW?

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by AmesJainchill

Transforming mecha have appeared in SW?

Yes. If nothing else, the Trade Federation starfighters transform into walkers.