It should be handled the way Allods Online handled their Gibberlings race, with some modifications (Mentioned bellow picture). In Allods, the player controls 3 Gibberlings, one casts spells, one uses melee weapon and one uses a shield/holds a ranged weapon. They all move as if they're one unit (meaning you cant give each one a separate order) are, for all purposes, one character in the game (only it's one character split into three different models).


Here's my idea on what should be added/modified. The player controls three of them by default, with an advancement allowing the player to replace one with a Runtherd or add more of the grots. The number increases the amount of shots they fire at a time and as the player takes damage (the entire group shares one health bar, save for the Runtherd who can be targeted separately and has his own health bar), they lose numbers. Meaning, the Grots get less effective as they are killed. They will have a Run Fer It! passive effect (For 10sec after the squad loses 1/3rd of the numbers they spawned into the battlefield with, they can't fire and automatically run towards the closest Ork controlled location). The Runtherd can't attack (except in Melee Combat) and has a passive effect that negates Run Fer It!, however if he dies the Grots get the effect of Run Fer It! but it's for 20sec - 30sec instead of the usually 10sec. The entire squad has one reticle and can't hurt eachother. So while you see animations of them all shooting only one is technically actually shooting with the number of Grots simply increasing the number of shots fired (Like a shotgun) or how much damage the squad is doing.

Thoughts?

EDIT: Of course they wont be free, as then you'd have tons of free players causing lag due to the server having to render each model.

I remember that there were some talks about having weaker NPC to defend controlled bases: Guardsmen/Servitors for Space Marines, Cultists for Chaos, Guardians for the Eldar and Gretchins for the Orks.

Personally I think that it would be easier to add Grots in this way rather than with the "multiple models unit" idea, who just doesn't strike me as doable.

there's a lot of grot based weaponry in Ork lore
http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Grot_Bomm_Launcha

so im pretty sure there going to be in the game some how. As for whether or not they will be used the way you propose I'm not sure. there are a lot of problems that arise from an approach like that but we'll see what the devs do anything's possible. In fact I wouldn't mind seeing a "grot wave" as a special one shot power for one of our ork hero's. Imagine a hundred grots (dont focus on the number) charging into battle yelling Waaagh!!! in their squeaky little voices.... hilarious.

I would like to see grots used only in a NPC fashion. Grots should defend captured areas and operate our heavy weapons. Another idea I would like to see is Ork high command being able to allocate large swarms of NPC grots to attack an area “much like the Tyranids will be used” before the Ork boyz charge in. They would be weak and easy to kill but the chaos they would inflict on supply lines and defensive positions would force the SM/CSM/ELD not to ignore them and give the green tide feeling for the Orkz. Orkz would all be played by players along with massive swarms of easy to kill NPC grots running around, this would give the feeling of a green tide and the grots would cause enough chaos that if the Orkz are outnumbered in the player base it would help to even the odds.

Yeah, I would also like to see grots arming artillery and such, maybe there could be ork abilities that summon the grots to do various tasks like repair or resupply. Maybe the could even do recon, suicide runs and other such things.

heh already gotcha covered http://forum.eternalcrusade.com/threads/gretchin-lovers-suggestions-thread.207/

That be cool if someone had the launcha and it was a spawn point it would be funny if someone didn't know about the launcha so it would be a surprise.

Our guild's fluff has us using Grots as an important part of our battalion's in previous battles. We would be very excited if they get implemented into the game. (Loota Takas fluff and lore will be shown in short stories to be posted soon in that area of these forums.)

Orks need Runtherds! To resist to a blue wave of CM. (50% of all players it they)

Runtherds will add a little green to big and infinite battle of CM with tiranida.

I agree with this perspective. Gretchen presence would be great for NPC base guardians or small offensive NPC squads.