Stupid question; manned Ogres?

[sir_pudding]

What about giving the Dragon a Cockpit location with say D5 that doesn't ignore Ds (which disable the entire tank) and Xs kill the whole thing. Although this does get into the whole problem with how to differentiate them from Superheavies.

[lokke]

How about using a Keith Laumer style brain in a jar? (A Plague of Demons - 1965)

Certainly cut down on the life-support requirements and should be able to give an Ogre a run for it's money.

[GreyHart]

Originally Posted by Steve Jackson

Need a regular supply of non-irradiated breathing air, too, but your point is taken.

If you're underwater you have a (relatively) unlimited supply of hydrogen and oxygen. Just use your fusion reactor generate some electricity and split the water molecules into their constituent atoms. Viola'! An abundant supply of O2.

I'm sure that a more efficient CO2 scrubber would be available too.

[Knockman]

Originally Posted by Steve Jackson

At the risk of adding complexity, you could have a Golden BB roll each time the Ogre is hit with a 6, giving a very small chance to crack the shell and let in enough heat and bad air for a crew kill. That kind of rule is more flavor than anything else, though - it would not affect tactics except perhaps to encourage a foe to take lots of little 1-1 and even 1-2 shots.

Interesting option. My first thought would be a threshold check (similar to one used in a set of rules for spaceship combat), so that when you lose the 1st Movement Point when the requisite number of treads have been destroyed, you also roll 1d6: score of a '6' and you lose crew, and perhaps randomly cross off a weapon system?

It simulates enough chassis/tread damage has been done to compromise that weapon from being properly manned/controlled. Then, when you lose the 2nd Movement Point, another 1d6 roll, and another loss on '5' or '6'.

It's a very simplistic alternative, probably needs thorough playtesting too.

[GranitePenguin]

Originally Posted by Knockman

Interesting option. My first thought would be a threshold check (similar to one used in a set of rules for spaceship combat), so that when you lose the 1st Movement Point when the requisite number of treads have been destroyed, you also roll 1d6: score of a '6' and you lose crew, and perhaps randomly cross off a weapon system?

It simulates enough chassis/tread damage has been done to compromise that weapon from being properly manned/controlled. Then, when you lose the 2nd Movement Point, another 1d6 roll, and another loss on '5' or '6'.

It's a very simplistic alternative, probably needs thorough playtesting too.

That opens up a floodgate of potential changes... the first obvious one that comes to mind is defanged Ogres now have a chance to destroy weapons on other Ogres by ramming. Honestly, I'm not a fan of targeting treads affecting weapons. A "critical hit," which is what you are simulating, should be against the targeted component, not randomly spread out around other components.

[Steve Jackson]

One of the main influences on the original Ogre was Colin Kapp's "Gottlos," which [spoiler] . . .

[no kidding, spoiler coming] . . .


[you were warned . . .]


is a supertank controlled by a brain in a jar.

[selenite]

I'd fear spoilers for that more if it wasn't so hideously out of print. If there was one story Ogrezine should reprint it's that one.

[ColBosch]

That could be tricky, given that SJ Games has no actual copyright to the story, and the magazine it was printed in is long defunct. It's also not all that directly relevant to Ogre.

But copies of Analog Nov. 1969 do show up now and then on eBay and Amazon, so it's worth keep an eye out for.

[selenite]

"Reprint" in publishing means paying royalties for non-exclusive serial rights, plus archive rights if they intend to keep it on the site. This wouldn't be through Analog, it would be through the author's agent and/or heirs.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by selenite

"Reprint" in publishing means paying royalties for non-exclusive serial rights, plus archive rights if they intend to keep it on the site. This wouldn't be through Analog, it would be through the author's agent and/or heirs.

Not necessarily royalties, most short fiction magazine reprints still buy at per word rates.