Hello, dear reader. If you haven’t read Jim Chaseley’s book “Z14”, then you probably should. As threatened, this week I’m going to talk about Robots in ACP164, focusing on the canon, basic principles and rules for using them in your game. If you read to the end, you’ll find links to download a free STL file for a Probot, generously provided by Deniper Graves!

But first, a note about AI.

Artificial Intelligence and writing

Like many of us, I do use AI. It’s a useful research assistant, although you do need to train it, and you can’t always trust what it says. I use Mistral AI, which is not owned by a silicon valley robber baron, and provides footnotes, so I can check it’s work. Mistral was trained using publicly available information. It’s not as rude as Grok, and I have found it less prone to flights of fancy than ChatGPT.

As the primary writer for ACP, I can assure you that none of the words you read in these pages are AI generated. Let’s face it, it might make more sense if they were!

I prefer, and will always prefer, to hand carve the pixels I use to communicate with you.

That means you are always getting my own thoughts, and not the synthesis of everyone else’s thoughts, cheerfully pirated and loaded into a woodchipper to make a massive machine language model by people who’s only goal is to monetise everything.

My only goal is to flog miniatures and books, which must be a noble calling, because I don’t make any money from it.

So, let’s move on to Robots in ACP164.

Canon

Robots are not heavily discussed in the Canon. This is because the comics are primarily about personal interactions. There is one sequence that does involve a probot quite extensively, and it features the robot helping an injured crew member defend his vessel from ILR intruders, so that’s a good basis for discussion.

The Albedo Role Playing Game (Thoughts and Images, 1988) discussed robots briefly in the equipment section. Amongst the description, Pauli Kidd lets us know that robots are:

• Not necessarily anthropomorphic;
• Used in many different forms – wheeled, tracked, legs, etc.;
• Employed on dangerous, tedious tasks, or things that require manual labour; and
• Equipped with sensors, tool and manipulators required to do their job.

Pauli also tells us that the robots are not employed in combat, “… due to the abhorrence with which the idea is viewed.”

The challenge of designing a skirmish game that sticks to canon is that some of the ‘fun’ elements of robotics that could be employed – think robot dogs with machine guns – can’t be used.

But there are lots of ways that robots can be used to enrich the game without having them shoot at critters, so that’s what I’ve focused on.

The Rulebook

Having said that, in our rulebook (buy the rulebook), we’ve already specified that AI can shoot at critters. Section 3.7.20 discusses AI Snipers, and section 4.2.1 covers AI crew for vehicles. I’m going to draw a distinction between these instances and fully autonomous robots, and this is because I feel that both these situations are heavily supervised. The sniper has very strict rules about what it can do, and not much other utility. The Vehicle AI (although it improves dramatically in Phase 4+) is a part of the crew. It follows orders and reacts to limited situations within it’s purview. It can’t control the whole vehicle.

A couple of posts ago, we talked about Drones as part of the artillery function. Although these again have a AI component, I consider them to be controlled rather than automatic – owing to the general abhorrence for autonomous killing machines.

Principles

To distil the points from above, I’ve adopted the following principles for using robots in ACP164.

• Robots are not combatants;
• Robots don’t appear in the military TOE, except in specialist, non combat roles – for example trench-digging, maintenance and bomb disposal;
• Robots follow orders and react to situations according to predefined rules;
• Robots can be programmed;
• Robots are treated like vehicles for combat purposes; and
• Robots are treated like HERO cards for activation purposes.

Not all these principles translate directly to rules, as you will see, but it’s good to keep them in mind.

Rules for Robots in ACP164

These rules are an extension of the ACP164 rules, and should be appended to the vehicles section.

4.14 Robots (Optional)

Robots are autonomous vehicles that are used to carry out a range of non-combat roles within the militaries of Albedo. However, they can often be found on the battlefield, as part of a scenario or part of the order of battle for a unit involved in combat. Robots have a core functionality, and can perform any part of their core function when ordered to do so by a critter in authority.

Specialist critters can access robot sensor data, and may also reprogram the robot to do other things, limited by their equipment fit.

Robots cannot attack critters. If they are attacked, they will first attempt to flee. If this is not possible, they will defend themselves using their fitted equipment until the attack stops, at which point they will resume their programmed functions.

4.14.1 Robot core functions

All robots have a designated core function. These include:

• Maintenance
• Medical
• Bomb Disposal
• Construction
• Mining

Unless interrupted, robots on the board will autonomously carry out their core function.

That means that if there is a wounded critter on the board, the medibot will automatically try to get to the wounded critter and give first aid on it’s activation.

4.14.2 Robot Activations

Robots activate like any other unit – they have a dice assigned, and carry out actions on their activation. Their controlling player can state what that action is, based on the action options on the robot card.

For example: A medic bot is controlled by the ILR player. When the robot activates, the player instructs it to move toward an injured figure and apply first aid.

A HomeGuard unit is pinned down by machinegun fire. The player activates a nearby earthmoving bot and uses it to provide mobile cover for the pinned down troops to advance behind.

A spacer crew is fighting off a gang of pirates. The chief engineer orders the ship’s probot to head to the main control room, using the power ducts, and then open the main airlock, venting the ship to space.

You will note that this is quite a complex set of tasks – it may be helpful to write the robot’s orders down for reference.

4.14.3 Robot non-core functions

Critters who have a control pad can spend an activation to reprogram a robot, so that it can form actions outside core function, within limits of the equipment fit. For example: The EDF player has encountered a construction bot that is busily erecting pre-fab houses. The EDF player uses an activation of their platoon HQ to reprogram the robot to use it’s onboard nail gun as a rifle. On it’s next activation, the EDF player sends the (now dangerous) robot forward to scout ILR positions.

4.14.4 Robot Skill Levels

As indicated on the Hero card, robot skills can range from Green to Elite. As a general rule of thumb:

• Phase 1 & 2 – no robots
• Phase 3 – Green
• Phase 4 – Regular
• After phase 4 – Elite

Non-core functions are always performed at one level below their defined skill.

4.14.5 Robot Defensive Values

Robots are armoured, as discussed earlier. This armour is for practical reasons – to protect from hostile environment or wear and tear, for example. Robot armour reduces damage effects by two points all over. Specialist Bomb Disposal bots reduce damage by 3 points.

4.14.6 Robot Movement

Movement speed is calculated using the same method as for a critter, as detailed in section 1.5 of the rule book. However, some robots may be fitted with alternative movement mechanisms, allowing, for example, movement in Zero-G. Such mechanisms will be noted on the card.

4.14.7. Robot Spotting

Any critter controlling a robot, can draw line of sight from the robot for spotting and targeting purposes.

Summary

Ok – we’ve talked about robots in canon, and provided some rules for using them in the game. I’ve given you an overview of the reasons for the rules and some basic interpretations. It’s likely that these rules will evolve somewhat as they get play tested, and I’d love to know how you get on with them.

Speaking of play testers, I’d like to thank Joe McKeen for his interest and help with this bit. If you’d like to help too, please join us over at the forum. You will get early access to the rules, and freebies if you are engaged and interested…

Of course, you will need a robot to play with. So here’s the link to Deniper Graves’ probot model, which you can download and print for yourself! I’m still finalising the design for Robot Hero cards and will pop some examples up here when they are done.

Don’t forget, we now have lots of STL files that you can buy and download, and that range s expanding regularly.

We’re using the proceeds from this work to fund future development… your support is vital!