>>6178129Asset Ajiva, be aware that <span class="mu-s">tag</span> orders do not benefit from being sent multiple times?
Tagged subordinate nodes perform a given task.
That task could be "C7 that thug attacking Devonshire". Viable task.
Sending the same order 3 times to 3 separate units ensures they are not cooperating when doing it. Tagged subordinate nodes do not benefit from your Intentions, as you are not personally operating them with your full awareness. So they would engage with Ballistics only (2d10).
Tagged subordinate units make up for this in <span class="mu-s">three</span> primary ways:
multiple tagged units cooperating on the same order gain a Swarm bonus, each additive unit adding dice. So 3 subordinate nodes tagged to engage a target rolls Ballistics 2 + Swarm 2. In a sense, the swarm distributed processing becomes their intention, and more units work together more smoothly.
They also benefit because a full tag order is a "full turn" the unit takes, becoming unavailable to all other taskings, but then making up for reduced dicepools with focus. Ballistics 2d10 is not so impressive, but rolled as 3 actions it's 2d10+2d10+2d10, heightening the chances that it scores a hit.
Finally, it leaves you free to concentrate on other actions, certain that your tasking is being handled!
Sending the order as you have manages to undermine multiple utilities of a Tag order. Be careful with that. You have expended your own processing power sub-microing units by sending the same order to multiple nodes when a more cohesive
>Tag cluster 1 to engage hostile ridiculing Devonshirewould have cost 1 AL as well and engaged multiple nodes. The units engaged in the task are not cooperating on it, and do not benefit from Swarm bonuses because this is 3 distinct tag commands, and this means they do not intuitively perform Swarm tactics or pack operations.
Meanwhile, your last command is a Tag order to Cluster 2 which involves a significant amount of precise, subordinate control of individual nodes. That would be you, the operator, taking a full action with your full awareness. Tagging the Cluster to do it means they perform the task in general - but note that you've already used them earlier to do other things so the processing they have available is reduced. You might have been better off doing that last one, a precise careful appplication of force, as a full action requiring 3 AL. Wihch you could have done if you hadn't spam-cast your Tag orders and cost yourself a further 2 AL than required.
This all takes a minute to wrap your head around - and is why the intake in the CLOUD program is so difficult - but you will master it in time. Don't worry about the micro-slip ups, one learns in time.
Just be aware that there really is no gain at all from multi-sending the same TAG order; the universe itself has pruned all those benefits carefully to avoid issues. Units work enormously better when massing on tasks or if the Tag-nodes do distinctly different things.
