Light-armor soldiers

[Buldorf]

Lightly armored soldiers (in flak or carapace armor instead of Terminator armor) would better suit a game where the range of actions is less limited and there's a greater range of weapons. For instance, Terminators can't throw grenades - they must use special power glove mounted grenade launchers. Lighter armor would also reinforce the game's premise that humans are no match for aliens in melee.

The basic changes to the game might be:

Less ponderous movement: soldiers can move sideways, and turn 90 degrees for free; making another 90 degree turn immediately after costs AP.

Kneeling: to take into account that soldiers aren't necessarily in heavy suits of tactical dreadnought armor - allows a soldier behind to fire, defense from ranged fire, greater ranged accuracy; disadvantages: immobility, costs AP points to enter and leave, and less capability in melee.

Grenades: flare-like grenades that reveal blips, explosive, incendiary, etc. Useful for killing aliens clustering just out of LOF. Can also be used as a self-destruct device.

[the_Fifth_Horseman]

Lighter suits of armor - focusing on speed and agility but with less powerful weapons and weaker armor - have been postulated before.
We never actually got around to defining how they should work in terms of mechanics and weaponry, though - so any ideas you have are most welcome.

Myself, I was at one point entertaining two ideas: having a thruster pack attached to the suit's back (allowing long-distance "leaps") and being slightly better in close combat than the Spartan, but with bonuses that would only work on offense (putting it somewhere between a glass cannon and a fragile speedster) .

[Buldorf]

The mechanics used for the Terminators would actually work for light-armored soldiers - given how weak the Terminators are against the aliens. If Terminator armor is an option, upgrade the Terminators.

I'm suggesting making light (flak or carapace) armor the default and Terminator armor something you give your best troops to form a sort of Terminator company.

Elite but light armored troops - I'm thinking Kasrkin Storm Troopers or Kerberos Panzer Cop.

[Niklas]

I don't know if we'll ship with one or more armies in AA2 but if we do I'll promiss you that at least one will be light armored. Free turning, sideways movement, less armor, less firepower, ability to walk into narrow spaces like airducts, and more...

If we do not ship AA2 with more than the regular AAF (same as in AA1) it will still be possible for the community to make their own armies with light armor and/or other modifications. There will be many variables available to tweak for an army...compared with the hardcoded approach used in AA1.

[Buldorf]

After just playing a game of AA, I can't imagine the soldiers with less firepower and armor than they have now.

And airducts should really remain the department of the genestealers (unless one of your soldiers is an android.)

[Niklas]

Then you don't play with the light armored army.

[Combo Breaker]

The main purpouse of light armor infantry (scouts) would be getting to objectives faster than genestealers ,scouting how many genestealers are behind corner and retreating or getting to most important chokepoints to give covering fire to their slowly comming friendly powerhouses and then beeing replaced.

Basically it is a terminator which was "given" 2-3 CP points(free turn,moving sideways can give extra AP),but it cant fight against as much genestealers as their comrades,while dispatching 1-2 during overwatch with ease.

So if you plan carefully,you are not as much luck dependant when it comes to CP,and thats a great thing for AA!

[Buldorf]

Let me put it another way, I suggest Terminators that can throw grenades, make sidesteps, turn 90 degrees for free, kneel so a standing Terminator behind can fire over him, and can realistically use a wider range of weapons that aren't built into the armor.

[Niklas]

You will be able to custom the armies however you like (with some limitations). If you want them to be able to walk sideways you just add that. It will not be in the original game tho.

[Combo Breaker]

Originally Posted by Niklas

It will not be in the original game tho.

Aw.

Here's new suggestion for light armor soldiers anyway :P
It fits their "rushing" role.

Overwatch costs 0 AP.But if you have used overwatch,next turn you'll get penalized for 2 AP.You can use overwatch even if you are at 0 AP.

This way you use all your action points to reach destination,place a few extra shots and then go overwatch.At the same time it does not turn scouts into a cheap mobile overwatch sentries.

[Sephiroth]

I think the idea of light armoured soldiers would rock, but considering you can't make armour significantly worse in H2H, firepower needs to be baaaad. Maybe they could have a granade or something, or be able to operate a big static weapon etc, but balancing could be an issue.

[Niklas]

Totally true, weaker armor actually mean better at movement but weaker weapons.

But I think we could give the weak armor a defence dice roll reduction too. Making it seriously weak in close combat...even if the heavy armor is as weak as "hot knife through butter..."

[the_Fifth_Horseman]

Weaker armor = takes more damage in close combat.
Since we're probably going to use more graduated health scales.

[Niklas]

True that too, would not be noticeable in a AA1 mod where we reduce to D6 and 1HP. But I think that's totally ok.