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Unmanned aerial vehicles & precision artillery, smart bombs


bpmasher

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Not familiar enough with the vehicle creation rules, so I'll ask here. I'm looking into creating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for my modern combat hack of Hero System.

 

How would one designate the fact that the UAV is remotely controlled?

 

How to give different capabilities to the vehicle, like acting as a forward observers tool to direct precision artillery strikes against point targets?

 

Then there's this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M712_Copperhead

 

Cannon launched smart bomb. Build the bomb as a vehicle with onboard computer?

 

Hoping there are some military buffs with Hero knowledge here :)

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The UAV can be built as a vehicle operated by an AI.

 

The simplest way of building the laser-guidance system is to give the launcher Penalty Skill Levels vs Range Modifiers with a Limitation reflecting the need for an observer. You could also use the No Range Penalties Advantage (see the section on, "Partially Advantaged Powers" or, "Naked Advantages) with the same need for an observer. A slightly more complex build would have the PSLs/No Rage Penalty bought by the observer, but Usable By Others.

 

If you really want to get complicated (but realistic), you could build the designator with Images, and the shell as a Vehicle with an RKA Explosion (the warhead), Limited Flight (Gliding), a Detect (to see the laser spot), and a Computer (with a program telling it to fly towards the laser spot). I wouldn't do it that way because it would get cumbersome to play, but whatever floats your boat. :)

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Not familiar enough with the vehicle creation rules, so I'll ask here. I'm looking into creating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for my modern combat hack of Hero System.

 

How would one designate the fact that the UAV is remotely controlled?

I would probably define it as an Automaton. When an Automaton is first bought, the buyer defines how the Automaton accepts orders.

 

 

How to give different capabilities to the vehicle, like acting as a forward observers tool to direct precision artillery strikes against point targets?

I don't know if the current edition uses it, but some prior editions had a Professional Skill detailed called Forward Observer. It was used in conjunction with indirect fire weapons, which were Area Effect or Explosion (thus targeting DCV 3) and were Inaccurate, having an OCV of 0 - to start. After every shot, the Observer made the skill roll, and making the roll meant a +1 to OCV.

 

 

Then there's this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M712_Copperhead

 

Cannon launched smart bomb. Build the bomb as a vehicle with onboard computer?

Again, I would consider building it as an Automaton.

 

 

The UAV can be built as a vehicle operated by an AI.

If you mean AI in the Hero System Rules sense, then this is appropriate for, say, a science fiction game. For a modern military simulation, it could be a Computer (no EGO.)

 

If you didn't intend to use "AI" in that sense, forgive me for mentioning it.

 

The simplest way of building the laser-guidance system is to give the launcher Penalty Skill Levels vs Range Modifiers with a Limitation reflecting the need for an observer. You could also use the No Range Penalties Advantage (see the section on, "Partially Advantaged Powers" or, "Naked Advantages) with the same need for an observer. A slightly more complex build would have the PSLs/No Rage Penalty bought by the observer, but Usable By Others.

 

If you really want to get complicated (but realistic), you could build the designator with Images, and the shell as a Vehicle with an RKA Explosion (the warhead), Limited Flight (Gliding), a Detect (to see the laser spot), and a Computer (with a program telling it to fly towards the laser spot). I wouldn't do it that way because it would get cumbersome to play, but whatever floats your boat. :)

Swimming, Surface Only.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary is a Forward Observer in both directions

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What I've got so far for M712 Copperhead precision artillery: (5E stats)

 

Automaton with Targeting Computer:

 

STR 0 cost -10

INT 10 cost 1

DEX 10 cost 3

SPD 12 cost 100

END 20 (Battery)

=94 pts

 

Program: Fly from A to B, 1pt

Transport Familiarity: Rocket, 1pt

 

Warhead: RKA 5d6 (6.69kg of composite B, plastique in Dark Champions) (75pts) + Explosion (+1/2) + range 15" 5 points (megascale =15km, +1/4) + one time charge (-4)

Flight 1.5km per segment (1.5" +2pts *1/4 megascale) 3pts = 31

 

Total cost= 31 + 96 = 127 points

 

Phew. Didn't get farther than this, and it's still missing the targeting system link, which is laser-guided system by someone on the ground, or UAV with targeting equipment. So I'd have to create the ground operated targeting device, or a UAV with targeting capability to get the full cost of the weapons system. The weapons minimum range if 3km but I didn't look up how to apply it. I'm too tired to do any more math :)

 

The SPD score is something I thought about leaving at 2, but that means the flight would occur only in two phases per turn. With SPD 12 the projectile flies at 1.5km or 1500 meters per segment, which is the relative speed of an artillery shell. This way you can count the exact number of segments before impact. It turned out to be a pretty expensive weapon in it's current form, and it might be underpowered (still having 10 of these things would cost you 1270 points per game!).

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I do think the 12 SPD is excessive. Most cars have a SPD of 3, with sports cars and motorcycles having a 4. An F-15 has a SPD of 5. I realize that the shell moves on every segment, but the move/stop nature of Hero is an artifact of the rules. You might want to check out the section on segmented movement from APG1.

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The UAV can be built as a vehicle operated by an AI.

 

The simplest way of building the laser-guidance system is to give the launcher Penalty Skill Levels vs Range Modifiers with a Limitation reflecting the need for an observer. You could also use the No Range Penalties Advantage (see the section on, "Partially Advantaged Powers" or, "Naked Advantages) with the same need for an observer. A slightly more complex build would have the PSLs/No Rage Penalty bought by the observer, but Usable By Others.

 

If you really want to get complicated (but realistic), you could build the designator with Images, and the shell as a Vehicle with an RKA Explosion (the warhead), Limited Flight (Gliding), a Detect (to see the laser spot), and a Computer (with a program telling it to fly towards the laser spot). I wouldn't do it that way because it would get cumbersome to play, but whatever floats your boat. :)

 

That's essentially what I suggested in this old thread from 2009:

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/68861-spotter-and-laser-designator/

 

Just replace the spotter with the vehicle/automaton thingamajig :D

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