I was just wondering if anyone in the X-Wing community has any ideas on how to differentiate droid fighters from fighters with actual pilots. I am currently running an Edge of the Empire adventure with X-Wing rules for fighter combat, and I need a way to represent how uninventive droid brains are compared to organic pilots. I have a feeling that FFG will come up with rules for droids eventually since they are going to have to move into the EU or the prequels to keep their releases flowing, but who knows how long that could take.

My original thought is to have the droid fighters grouped in squads of maybe 2 or 3, and then have them all be required to pick the same speed. In this way each ship could move independently in that they can each choose whether they want to turn,bank, or go straight. However, if one ship has a pretty obvious movement choice, it limits the movement choices of the others in the squad and a canny pilot would have a much better guess of where the squuad members would end up.

Any other ideas?

Personally I would simply take away the focus action (They can't put extra effort into defense or aiming the way a human can). This is a pretty stiff penalty but I assume they'd have generally lower costs?

That sounds like a good idea. As for the cost, it's more about them acting like droids than anything else. I'm not lookin for a perfect balance. I just want something that really gets across the feelin that the players have to outsmart the droid fighters to win.

Are they droid fighters like in the prequels? In that case in addition to making them statistically weaker, you could add a control ship that disables them if destroyed.

I'm thinking of doing a few different things. I could possibly include prequel fighters with a droid control ship. I may also do an adventure where the players run into an independent vulture droid colony. I may also do an adventure regarding the droid TIE fighters included in the expanded universe. That why I was just asking for some general ideas. Really any suggestions would help give me ideas.

Are they droid fighters like in the prequels? In that case in addition to making them statistically weaker, you could add a control ship that disables them if destroyed.

This only works before The Clone Wars. Pre Clone Wars, they did indeed need control ships. This wasn't the case later on.

Another option would be to use one of the X-Wing solo/AI systems out there. The one I use isn't too bad, but it's no match for a real person. Use what ever move it comes up with no matter how bad it might seem and you might come pretty close to what you're looking for.

That sounds like a really good idea. I had never tried to play solo, so I didn't know that was even an option. Thank you for your help.

I gave mine 2 agility and no focus; but they cannot take stress. I gave them lower agility and no focus ability because they are stupid.

I would think they should loose the focus action and all be something PS 3 or less.

No stress is also a nice touch. I'd forgotten to include some sort of rule to represent the actual lack of a pilot with regard to extreme maneuvers.

No focus, no stress, and if of the same pilot skill and within range 1 of first acting vessel all have to take same action. Comes at a drastically reduced price because they are very predictable. Still dangerous, clog up the board, and swarm even more than basic ties. Did I mention predictable as all hell?

Too much ability to focus fire really hurts the idea of a control ship. If going control ship, maybe destroying the control ships causes them to lose the ability to take actions instead of disabling them?

Att: 2, DF=2, Hull=4, Shield=0

There movement dial is

Move 1 thru 3 Straight and bank(left and right) Green, Turn red (left and right red),

Kturns: 3 and 4: Both Red

Move 4: White straight, Bank(left and Right) Red

Move 5: White Straight

Special Rules:

Automatic Repair Systems: Droid Tie fighters have automatic repair systems which links the Droid Pilot directly to the ship. This allows the following below:

We created and used them in a campaign recently.

@Rakky Wistol

The problem with the droid control ship also depends on how many droid fighters I end up sending at the players. I plan on getting some droid TIE fighters from shapeways. If the quality is up to a reasonable standard, I may end up getting quite a few of them. The control ship may end up being the players only hope for victory.

@eaglettsi111

Those are a lot of nice simple common sense rules for the ships. I'm definitely going to steal a few of them. If I may ask, what kind of campaign were you running?

Are they droid fighters like in the prequels? In that case in addition to making them statistically weaker, you could add a control ship that disables them if destroyed.

This only works before The Clone Wars. Pre Clone Wars, they did indeed need control ships. This wasn't the case later on.

*shrug* just suggesting it as an option for a scenario type of game. They're not actually real, after all, we just make stuff up with them to have fun

One really good option would be to NOT ruin this perfectly good game with prequel BS. Just sayin.

One really good option would be to NOT ruin this perfectly good game with prequel BS. Just sayin.

I think they are talking about these

not vulture fighters.

That is correct!

I think we'd be better off without the expanded universe too, but I'm sure they will do some of those ships.

I have an idea I have been floating around. Make their action bar like this:

Target Lock

Barrel Roll

Evade

The ship itself has PS1 to denote droid thinking. Then have the network ability against other ships.

"When two or more of your ship he a target lock against a defender, use the total number of target locks present as your pilot skill."

Obviously needs to be rewritten so isnt as clumsy sounding, but if three ships all have a lock on one X-Wing, then those three ships have a PS of 3 when attacking t ship.

I have an idea I have been floating around. Make their action bar like this:

Target Lock

Barrel Roll

Evade

The ship itself has PS1 to denote droid thinking. Then have the network ability against other ships.

"When two or more of your ship he a target lock against a defender, use the total number of target locks present as your pilot skill."

Obviously needs to be rewritten so isnt as clumsy sounding, but if three ships all have a lock on one X-Wing, then those three ships have a PS of 3 when attacking t ship.

That sounds cool and reasonable to me!

Maybe you guys arent too familiar with droid fighters but they were very hard to deal with as a regular pilot. We always saw them getting walloped by Jedi and elite clone troopers. Those things had missiles and were maneuverable more so than any real fighter just for the reason that they did not have pilots. They could turn g's that the others with pilots absolutely couldnt. Put a crap ton of them and you see why the seperatist were kicking so much a$$.

How about this. Create control ships, use Colonel Jendon with ST-321 for the size and statline, but make them non-unique. Then, apply the following rules.

Droid fighters will only track and attack if they have a target assigned to them (the one they have a target lock on). Droid fighters are not able to take a target lock action themselves. A Droid fighter without a target lock may only make 2 speed straight or bank maneuvers, may not take actions, and may not fire. A Droid fighter that spends a Target Lock for whatever reason will reaquire that Target Lock on that defender immediately after the attack (they don't lose track of their targets once assigned, even if they use their TL), assuming the target survived. Droid fighters may only fire at a ship they have a target lock on.

This would introduce the "control ship" in a manner that takes advantage of existing mechanics. This would also give the ships fighting the Droids a compelling reason to attack and destroy the control ships, with a measurable benefit for each one destroyed.

@eaglettsi111

Those are a lot of nice simple common sense rules for the ships. I'm definitely going to steal a few of them. If I may ask, what kind of campaign were you running?

It's my store's campaign, at

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/89973/my-stores-star-wars-x-wing-campaign

An update will be coming out soon for it, we have just about finished putting the new ships and some new missions in it. At this time we have 4 groups playing through this campaign.

Enjoy