Jeez, I think people might be underestimating the lethality of combat in Defiance. I'd say wait a bit. Personally I'm not fond of elites though, so maybe I'm the wrong person to ask.

Although, I'd like more leeway to mix armour ratings in squads, since I'm trying to make Infranites, Machines and UNE for Defiance. Machines aren't so problematic as I can rearrange the available miniatures to suit, but Infranites mix armour 0 and armour -1 or -2 in every damn squad, and it's the leaders and support weapons that wear the extra armour.

oh, and Demian, i don't know about an across the board adjustment.

maybe make rules for this and add them to the "genres" section ??

but i like the idea of having costs for 0% and 100% for ad-hoc, elites, vehicles, etc.

and i like the idea of having an extra level or two for HTH rating. because it would still have limits (unlike the techno-fantasy genre), and something would have to be weakened to get it. IMO this would make simulating the armies from Warzone easier.

oooohh, just got an idea. !!!
the rules allow trading infantry/weapon frames for extra vehicle frames, how about allowing the reverse as well ?

With the exception of HTH combat, it sounds like people feel like the weaponry limitations are broad enough.  And I've yet to hear complaints about vehicle limitations, which makes sense given the scale of the game.

That leaves infantry in particular as needing "broadening".

I agree that another level of HTH (30 PV, 45 for mecha) makes sense.

I also think that the frames could easily go 20/30/40 without changing the "official" armies very much (essentially, it would give players extra frames to flesh them out if they so chose).

Making elite/veh/ad hoc go to 100% is fine, too, but that would be a significant investment in SR.

With regards to mixing frames in units, don't forget that ad hoc units can always do this.  Maybe explicitly reserving a few standard units as "common ad hocs" would help make this clearer.  It would, e.g., make designing Infranite units much easier. 

Mixing qualities is essentially impossible in terms of the morale rules.  On option would be to, in a limited fashion, allow players to put two units on the same initiative card on a game-by-game basis, perhaps up to once per 1000 PV?  This would be advantageous in terms of increased firepower/flexibility upon activation of the combined unit, but limits the ability to use each at different times...thoughts?

-Demian

If a standard squad has a non standard attachment, is the entire squad then ad-hoc or just the extra guy?

"With regards to mixing frames in units, don't forget that ad hoc units can always do this. Maybe explicitly reserving a few standard units as "common ad hocs" would help make this clearer. It would, e.g., make designing Infranite units much easier. "

I get as fas as ad hoc units can mix frame types, then my brain stops parsing. Can a standard unit be ad-hoc? Is that what you're saying?

Ah. Yes, I agree, more ability to mix frame types, but that might be largely because I'm trying to convert Legions of Steel.

What are the issues regarding mixed frames, with reference to balance? If it's a particular advantage to have many mixed units, might it be bought as part of Strategic Rating, either in a way similar to increasing frame characteristics, or similarly to Extra Grenades?

No, I do not think it is necessary. It stops infantry from having too powerful of weapons. Maybe another level that can be purchased with tech level, but leave the other levels where they are.