Hive Intelligence Droids

[entropy]

I don't know if this should go in the official rules or house rules forum. I have been unable to find any official rules on hive intelligence droids. I am not looking for a group of droids with a control ship, but something like the teddybear-looking race (I think they're called Bilars). I'm planning to make my own, but I'd like to see if anyone else has done something like this.

[Endwyn]

Once, but not what you want.

I would recommend you look at the Fefze. I don't think it's exactly what you want but it's how WEG handled the hive mind for an incectoid species.
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[Boomer]

There are several ways to do this, here is the number one way I see as the simplest.

Each droid has it's own base, non-hive stats and skills. No personality, and a set of directives for "if seperated from hive". The "Hive" is a supercomputer that controls all of the droids with a collective of information, orders, and skills. Any droid within reach of the hive also transmits hive data, allowing for greater distance from the hive than the hive alone could achieve.
Hive Droid
Primary Skills 3d
Secondary 2d
Tertiary 1d
Transmitter distance 500 meters.

Hive Computer
Primary Skills 8d
Secondary 5d
Tertiary 3d
Transmitter distance 500 kilometers.
Perfect command for all hive droids.
The ability to send up to 50 droids an extra 5d to a skill.

That is just one way. And there is a lot of detail not found here since I have no idea what you want these hive droids doing, or their base of operations.
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[KageRyu]

Another way would be the method used by the Bartokks, as discussed in the alien stat book. It is a good method of handling "Hive Intelligence". Basically designate a few attributes as being Hive related (like Knowledge, Perception, Technical for example) and set these at maybe 1D apiece. Then, for every other droid that is part of the collective within X distance, give them a +1 to each os those attributes. Also, by giving different droids different skill selections under those attributes, you can not only create different "castes" but you could say that when in transmit distance all droids can share the skills of other droids in broadcast range. This really helps improve the feel of a collective of machines.
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[Boomer]

And that was way 2. I love this board and all the people on it! I do!

Anyway, entropy, just what do you want these hive droids doing? What is their job, and such. I'd love to design them all for you.
_________________
My backpack has jets!
I'm Boba the Fett!
And I bounty hunt for Jabba Hutt,
to finance my 'vette!

[entropy]

What I am envisioning is a group of droids who can operate on their own, carrying out a simple task to completion and then attempting to return to the hive to report, much like an ant or bee going to find food. When within a certain distance of one or more members of the hive, they could function as sort of a combined processing entity. They would still be independent units, but certain skills (or perhaps even abilities) would go up.

A possible scenario to justify their creation could be a Verpine corporation looking for an asteroid to expand to. It sends out a few dozen of these, and when one finds an ideal location, it signals the others to come and start the excavation. There are also obvious military and mining applications for this. It could also function as a communication network for a planet with terrain or atmosphere that was hostile to long-distance communication.

Having given it more thought, I may be over-complicating it looking for a hive mind. Perhaps it would be enough to just give them certain skills at fairly low values, and allow them to coordinate actions using the command table without actually having a commander. That combined with a secure communication method may be enough. I would like to give them more of a personality in larger groups, however.

[Orgaloth]

Get your hands on a copy of Isaac Asimov's "I,Robot" and read "Catch That Rabbit". It's a great little story about a hive minded robot and some of the complications and solutions to getting it to function properly.
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[K_Feldspar]

Just don't read any of his book with Eto Demerzel <spelling not included> I can't have any robots like that wandering around pulling the universe's strings. That's my job