Titans
A new type of ground unit will be introduced in v7.2 - the Titan. Titans are huge combat walkers from WH40k, BattleTech, etc.,
In Aurora, they serve as powerful ground combat units with a special bombardment ability and defensive advantages. Below is the current state of the rules (which may change after play test):
1) Titans are created in a new type of planetary installation - the Titan Construction Yard. The TCY is 10,000 RP, 2400 BP (240 Duranium, 2160 Corbomite) and produces 200 BP per year. The TCY becomes available once Assault Infantry is researched. They can be recovered in ruins (although rarely). Titans are constructed like other ground combat units using the same tab in the production window. Titan Construction Yards and Ground Force Training Facilities are shown in the same list (like naval and commercial shipyards).
2) Titans are transported in the Titan Bay, a special type of module for ships similar to a troop transport bay. Titans cannot use troop transport bays and normal ground units cannot use Titan Bays. Movement orders for embarking and disembarking Titans work in the same way as orders for embarking and disembarking ground troops. Titans cannot use combat drop modules. The Titan Bay is 5000 RP and can be researched once you have Titan Construction Yards and troop transport bays. Cost: 100 BP (10 Duranium, 90 Corbomite) , Size 100 HS, 25 Crew. Commercial System. Can hold 3 units of Titans.
3) Titans act as normal ground combat units with attack and defence strengths and take part in normal combat resolution.
4) They have Hit Points instead of readiness but these are equivalent in combat. Titans may have more than 100 HPs (ground forces always have 100 readiness)
5) Titans do not recover hit points in the same way that ground units recover readiness. Instead they are automatically repaired in Titan Bays using maintenance supplies at a rate of 1 HP per day (1 HP costs 1 MSP), as long as MSP are available.
6) Titans are unaffected by Morale
7 In normal ground combat, Titans have a lower chance to be damaged. This is similar to HQ units, which have only 50% of the normal chance of damage. The lower chance of damage will vary by Titan.
8) After each round of ground combat, Titans will bombard the enemy (calculated before combat and resolved afterwards). This is effectively a free attack and does not consider attack vs. defence odds. The target is determined randomly but all enemy Titans will be attacked before any normal ground units. The bombardment attack inflicts random readiness damage (or HP damage) between 1 and double the Titans attack strength rating. Bombardment attacks cause collateral damage.
9) The Titan's lower chance of damage modifier does not apply during bombardment attacks. In effect, the bombardment attack represents the Titan's "Big Guns" while its participation in normal combat represents its secondary armament and attempts by enemy ground forces to destroy it.
10) The first Titans in the game are as follows (more will be added at some point, including command Titans to serve as HQs):
Warhound Titan: 10,000 RP, 200 BP, 100 HP, Attack/Defence: 1 * Racial Ground Combat Strength, 0.75 x Chance of Damage, Size 1
Reaver Titan: 20,000 RP, 360 BP, 200 HP, Attack/Defence: 2 * Racial Ground Combat Strength, 0.50 x Chance of Damage, Size 2
Warlord Titan: 50,000 RP, 500 BP, 300 HP, Attack/Defence: 3 * Racial Ground Combat Strength, 0.25 x Chance of Damage, Size 3
Titan production requires 20% Duranium and 80% Corbomite.
The first Titan (Warhound) become available after Assault Infantry
The second Titan (Reaver) requires Heavy Assault and the Warhound as prerequisites.
The third Titan (Warlord) requires the Reaver as a prerequisite.
As with normal ground units, you can name individual Titans and rename the overall classes of Titans.