203 replies to this topic

[timaeus]

Koniving, on 30 November 2014 - 05:31 PM, said:

Far as megamek on Windows 7...
Simply run it. You will want to use the Windows version (there are 3 versions of Megamek. Windows, Mac and Linux), and it is java-script based so if you do not have any form of java-script installed you may need to acquire it.

Megamek is actually Java based. It's easy to confuse those two sometimes in name. I've done it plenty.

Also, kosmos feel free to familiarize yourself with base megamek and then if you feel adventurous try out the dylans custom build (available through link at megameks site) which has even more options. It even has a pretty nice "Against the Bot" basic campaign generator built in that was developed over on the official bt boards. http://bg.battletech...e-bot-thread-3/

Keep up the good work when you can Koniving. These are always fun to read.

[Koniving]

Didn't know there was a difference. And thank you. Btw, I thought I'd feature this here as well as the perfect screenshot thread.

Two summoners versus a Timber Wolf and a Hellbringer. Stock builds in MWO.


External view provided by Lordred.

[Koniving]

So, a few weeks ago I thought about the Nin Kei, started writing up a background story and the power went out before I could save, so I quickly jotted down the major points.



I also conceptualized an MG variant using various canon tricks from Battletech, such as the Behemoth's twin shot Gauss Rifle (which is simply two Gauss Rifles one mounted in each side torso, but said to fire from a single barrel mounted on top of the center torso). In this case, its simply an early version of a heavy MG made out of two standard MGs and slapped on a 3 barrel rotating platform that due to having two slots could take two critical hits before being completely destroyed. Naturally by way of its construction it is simply a 1 ton MG taking 2 slots that can have one or both things fired, takes regular MG ammo, costs twice as much to have one, etc.

So... some time ago I did a number of very basic quick sketches of just the generic shape I was looking for.

The Nin Kei (rough translation: "Obligatory Punishment"; an original 15 ton design by me as a police swat security mech with commercial grade armor and typically powered by a fuel cell) is by premise a pelvis-mounted chicken walker built on an endo steel structure which has increased its physical girth to that close to a 20 ton mech of a similar size.

It is to be mounted on large, stable feet with large legs (as most designs have catapillar tracks hidden within in case of a damaged/destroyed leg actuator allowing mobility after losing the ability to move a leg properly). The overall design is loosely based on Locusts from a lore perspective, so it may have standard chicken walker legs or it may use a more ostrich-style (with mostly hidden smaller 'thighs' to help with movement).

In a traditional stance, it has a very balanced, difficult to knock over layout with the mech mostly balanced on the pelvis.

The cockpit is forward on the mech. I had debated the shape, with some variants having the pilot hanging front and below, some high and to the rear, some more centered on the machine and some with the torso-mounted cockpit assigned to the left side (to balance out the right-side mounted energy turret).

So after about 5 minutes of playing around, this is what I came up with.

Contrary to the file name, this is more like the cockpit and very forward/upward section of the torsos rather than the full body.

I chose to do 'platings' or sections of the armor because I plan on putting the structure underneath the mech for screenshots and possibly 3D printing.

Again, that is simply a piece of the body that happens to have the cockpit on top. And more of a concept.

Actually if people want, I'd love help in conceptualizing the Nin Kei.

[Pht]

There's a very slim chance he might not have java installed.

I highly doubt it, but hey, it's happened before.

On the (very) off chance of not having java installed, here's the official page for the full installer (not the stupid web-based online installer): https://www.java.com...ne_download.xml


----

Kon, what year/era is the design from?

R&D date/ Prototype date/ First production date?

Also, faction and sub-faction ethnic users/designers/indeded buyers (if any) and planet of production would all be great helps for finding a direction for your build.

Most importantly, what's your goal?

Do you have Total warfare/TM/TO/SO? TM and secondarily TW are especially helpful on finding tech info. Also, if you have open office you can find a file named "Equipment.ods" in your SSW program folder in the "Docs" sub folder. It's the OO equivalent of an XLS file, it's CRAMMED full of dates and useful info, all centralized.

Edited by Pht, 01 December 2014 - 02:58 PM.

[Metus regem]

So I ran a skirmish on megamek between 8 WHM-6D's today, and one of the red team units had 4 WHM-6D's shooting everything at it for 6 turns before it finally died... I forgot how brutal the WHM-6D is as a zombie....

[Koniving]

Pht, on 01 December 2014 - 02:56 PM, said:

Kon, what year/era is the design from?

R&D date/ Prototype date/ First production date?

Also, faction and sub-faction ethnic users/designers/indeded buyers (if any) and planet of production would all be great helps for finding a direction for your build.

Most importantly, what's your goal?

Do you have Total warfare/TM/TO/SO? TM and secondarily TW are especially helpful on finding tech info. Also, if you have open office you can find a file named "Equipment.ods" in your SSW program folder in the "Docs" sub folder. It's the OO equivalent of an XLS file, it's CRAMMED full of dates and useful info, all centralized.

Prototype date is 2732. I do have a prototype model; uses a standard structure, I.C.E.-powered, industrial armor and the prototype does not have a pelvis. I'm not finalized on the loadout however.

Planet and other details.

Spoiler

The planet is Nirasaki, which at the time is considered part of the Draconis Combine but had enjoyed many hundreds of years of sovereignty. The planet's democratic government barely has the powers for a police force in the 2600s. The only thing they oppose even greater is having any military presence at all. A luxury afforded to them by being so close to the Sol system and having been its own colony for so many centuries. The lack of a desire for military presence led to a number of government decisions to include producing their own police mechs.

Being a largely Japanese colony that even in 3050 is known for producing the best computers one could possibly own, it naturally led to a venerable all 'round police patrol mech.

It worked for a while. However the face it gave the police was that of no teeth. Machines that fix bridges, that get household pets out of trees, that help move wreckage from accidents, the humanoid machines were more civil servants than anything. That's exactly what the people wanted.

Then in the 2750s, things began to get unusual. Things that began to strike fear. The death of First Lord Simon Cameron was soon followed by unusual behaviors from the Star League High Council. People began to worry as the years progressed.

A university project had been working on concepts for a fire fighting mech that fire fighters could use. The first prototype was functional 2752. It had promise but it had issues that resulted in a poor reception. One of those issues was its unorthodox appearance and design, which had borrowed a number of traits from a Star League design that the project leader had seen and admired. That university project which was soon adopted by the government on Kalifax (one of its two largest continents), soon became further developed by a group I haven't named.

In the 2760s, the problems escalated. Growing military presence in the system. Taxation when the planet had enjoyed sovereignty, autonomy, and for so long had never been bothered by such matters... gradually got out of hand, and the patrol mechs were not intimidating. They proved insufficient, non-threatening, and at best could fill their cargo containers with prisoners.

The first public showing of what later became the Nin Kei was in 2767. It was in the form of several hurriedly built but heavily modified prototype models were used to control rioters. Though very effective initially by simply being there, the machines were eventually challenged and soon the internal combustion engines proved to be a downfall due to fuel limits. The police were again shown to lack the teeth necessary to enforce their laws.

In 2769, escalations it nearly peaked with an explosive device in a space port that was intended to cut off "dependence on others." Attempts to disarm the device had set it off. Rather than exploding, it emitted a number of foul odors and gaseous compounds due to incorrect ingredients and poor mixture. The deadly effects of this would not be seen for some 20-odd years. Nevertheless, the sheer fact that a bomb was planet and 'successfully dealt with' bolstered the police powers on Nirasaki.

By 2777, the Nin Kei 01 was introduced on a show floor. It was met with much criticism. Unlike its fire fighting ancestor, this one wasn't criticized for faults in construction or how it looked. No, instead it was that it had too much firepower. "It reeks of facism," one critic acclaimed on national television. Further cursing the machine's showing is that on the same day, January 21st 2077, news of First Lord Richard Cameron's assassination had just reached Nirasaki less than an hour after the showing. Accompany a foreign-looking heavily armed police mech that is deceptively large with the Amaris Coup and you have a boiling pot that is spilling over.

The Nin Kei's history is also intended to tie in with a plot that I'm using for a Battletech campaign, though said campaign is set in 3035 but on the same planet.

The short-hand (in case if you didn't read through that), is planet Nirasaki, which at the time is autonomous but within the Star League, just before the Amaris Coup. The culture is largely Japanese, the planet's history on Sarna or Megamek HQ will give you a great idea of its evolution.

The original intention was for it to be used by fire fighters as a university project. Some 20-odd years later it became a high-threat security enforcer.

Though the planet is largely uninfluenced by other cultures and factions, the original designer of the prototype is heavily influenced by having seen a Locust (which due to Nirasaki's history, the sight of military mechs is almost unheard-of. Yes, Locusts have always been super common but chicken walkers in general were not common). However the prototype was criticized for its almost alien appearance. After being adopted by the police and during its development the need for it to 'show teeth' was heavily emphasized. Something "scrawny" was never going to command the people's respect to police authority.

The ultimate idea was that its very presence would be all the intimidation most people would need to comply. To this end the rotary barrels of the MG have a delay before firing in which they begin to spin, in order to scare wrong-doers into surrendering.

The chemical sprayer and liquid storage tank are designed to spew out a chemical that could restrict movement on people, vehicles and agricultural mechs. Much like this scene from ghost in the shell (fired from the helicopter, but less projectile-form and more 'spray'). This later becomes another point of contention as the gunk becomes linked to a host of medical problems.

The laser turret is designed to be able to 'fold' into the body to create a flush surface which would extrude only when needed. The turret can aim 20 degrees to the right, and 210 degrees behind itself (with 0 being dead-forward). The cockpit prevents it from getting 360 degree movement (which isn't possible in megamek anyway from side torso turrets). The laser has an insulator which acts as its own double heatsink for exclusively the laser, but traps the heat with the laser itself.

Since the mech runs on a fuel cell, it has limited battery life coming out to be about 3 hours of full activity though it can be stretched to nearly 15 hours of minor activity. Each full use of the laser reduces that life by 30 minutes.

Within its bulky legs are catapillar tracks that mostly remain hidden until needed, as inspired by here. (The fact that they existed and could be mounted on a battlemech was quite humorous, yay BT!)


The use of endo steel, which is difficult to acquire, was intended to make it difficult for the machines to be maintained after a hijacking, which occurred to one of the other as yet still nameless humanoid security mechs. Should the mech be commondeered for any reason, it would be impossible for the offending party to repair any structural damage it incurs. It was also meant to by the developing concern to restrict its potential uses by making it considerably difficult to get the materials to do structural repairs for anything that might have incurred beyond its intended duties or from frequent use.

Endo-steel also happened to 'instantly' solve the need for the mech to have significantly more bulk than necessary. Between the bulk of endo-steel, the high amount of armor plating and the deliberate ease of maintenance (provided you had the materials and the tools) in providing easy access to important areas of the machine, the semi-squat machine would have enough 'bulk' to look 5 to 7 tons heavier than it really is.

The single 'head mounted' jumpjet is actually torso mounted (as is the cockpit, it has no separate 'head'). The XL Gyro just consumed the slots.

Though the original Nin Kei model is produced to handle riots through intimidation and to protect key buildings, later models wind up being built to go faster for the purposes of pursuit.

Edited by Koniving, 02 December 2014 - 02:08 PM.

[Nathan Foxbane]

Koniving, on 01 December 2014 - 09:28 AM, said:

So, a few weeks ago I thought about the Nin Kei, started writing up a background story and the power went out before I could save, so I quickly jotted down the major points.

I also conceptualized an MG variant using various canon tricks from Battletech, such as the Behemoth's twin shot Gauss Rifle (which is simply two Gauss Rifles one mounted in each side torso, but said to fire from a single barrel mounted on top of the center torso). In this case, its simply an early version of a heavy MG made out of two standard MGs and slapped on a 3 barrel rotating platform that due to having two slots could take two critical hits before being completely destroyed. Naturally by way of its construction it is simply a 1 ton MG taking 2 slots that can have one or both things fired, takes regular MG ammo, costs twice as much to have one, etc.

Gast Guns are pretty cool designs, no third barrel needed and really are pretty much just two guns fused together to achieve a higher rate of fire.


I like the use of "chicken walker" legs or digitigrade (The Ostrich legs, real chicken legs work the same, but the feathers hide it) on the tracked chassis because means conversion requires less balancing, the 'Mech just leans forward a little as it settles onto back mounted tracks. Real no frills style design.
I am a bit surprised it lacks lower arm and hand actuators. Very useful for law enforcement. Being claw like can make them very intimidating of course that pushes the cost up a bit if I recall construction rules right.
I really like the sprayer and can see how there could have been other ones mounted in the original design.

[Koniving]

(Edit: Typos, corrections missing negative quirk[s]. Added BT prices).
(Edit: Another correction; 'C.A.S.E.' listed immediately after stating the build removed C.A.S.E., bad copy/paste editing.)


Quite true. The reason I chose the three barrel setup is, in addition to rotating, I wanted to make it distinct from both future 'Heavy MGs' which are similar yet different, as well as from the MGs mounted on the other securitymech I made.

Nathan Foxbane, on 03 December 2014 - 09:16 PM, said:

I am a bit surprised it lacks lower arm and hand actuators. Very useful for law enforcement. Being claw like can make them very intimidating of course that pushes the cost up a bit if I recall construction rules right.
I really like the sprayer and can see how there could have been other ones mounted in the original design.

The 'other' security mechs which do not have names as of yet (which are loosely based on PatLabor [Patrol Labor]) have the arms, cargo space, etc. for arrests. Nin Keis are meant for rare use under more extreme conditions. Intimidation, crowd control, defense of the people and in later years armed conflict... on a planet where the majority of the people doesn't even want a police force.

Nin Kei, ultimately, is more like S.W.A.T. You won't see it unless there is some really bad stuff going down. And where one is guarding, you really don't want to hang around.

That other security mech design takes care of more casual police duties. Dealing with drunken agricultural mech pilots. Cats from trees. Those sorts of things.

Some of the traits here need to be changed due to issues with megamek. Namely with the vehicular grenade launcher.

This mech has full arms and one hand. The MGs are place holders. The Vehicular Grenade Launcher is likely to get replaced, but was loaded with smoke rounds as a sort of 'tear gas'. The cargo space in the left torso is for holding prisoners and/or detainees.

The spot wielder is for cutting/getting through things or even going so far as to seal pipe leaks.

The remote sensor dispenser (think UAV) is to help it find perpetrators and/or set warning buoys.

This 'other' security mech is humanoid, and despite having a head the pilot is actually mounted in a cramped area within the chest and completely concealed within (no transplast or transparent metal 'glass'). In a Patlabor-esque style, should something happen to the recon camera the pilot's seat can be elevated just high enough to allow the pilot to look around and see what he or she is doing.



The ejection seat is provided as an escape measure (the Nin Kei on the other hand does not feature the ability to eject!) for police pilots. It is a difficult ejection, however, as the machine must first dislodge the head for an upward ejection. Alternatively the chest itself can open for a forward/downward ejection (fluff-wise) in which the pilot will literally jump/fall out of the machine. This method while quicker is obviously not the most optimal course of action.



(Still need a name for this Patlabor inspired unit!)

Here is the after action report from a test-mission for navigation.

-----------

But back on the Nin Kei.

Really quick...
Battletech Inner Sphere mech naming convention:
Unit short-hand, Generation, build of what Faction or other Identifier.
(Example: Atlas. AS7-D stands for Atlas 7th Generation Davion. Atlas AS8-D stands for Atlas 8th Generation Davion. AS9-D stands for Atlas 9th generation Davion. With each generation the tech level of the equipment increases substantially, except during Lost Tech periods in which case it downgrades.)
(Example: Raven. RVN-2X is Raven 2nd Generation; Experimental [Liao]. RVN-3L is Raven 3rd generation Liao. RVN-4x is Raven, 4th generation Experimental [Davion]. RVN-4L is Raven fourth generation Liao.)

In the case of the Nin Kei (which roughly translates from Japanese as one of three variations of "Obligation" depending on its use, and again one of three variations of "Punishment" depending on use... the intended name is "Obligatory Punishment"), I will be using the naming convention "Unit short-hand, generation, model-letter."
So "NK-01A" is Nin Kei first generation 'Able' (Alpha) model.

Leaving me to another note: Most Inner Sphere factions do not use "Alpha, Beta, Gamma." The exact words vary per faction, but are akin to the radio alphabets of the 1930s through 1980s, with words such as "Able, Baker, Charlie," and "Dog." For those four specific words/letters, that was the "SLDF" alphabet in 3067.

The Nin Kei models:
00 (0-generation, Prototype) - originally a fire fighter mech, the project lead had seen a Locust for the first time in his life. He described the Locust as "Graceful, slim, swift, and absolutely beautiful." His creation was none of those things. It was atrocious, clumsy, lumbering, outpaced on foot, and in the eyes of some disturbingly anorexic in all the wrong places.

Spoiler

Year: 2732
It features:
20 ton frame
20 I.C.E. engine
Industrial chassis
Industrial armor
No weapons
Environmental Sealing
Cramped cockpit
Left arm: No lower arm actuator; Sprayer (water), 0.5 ton tank.
Right arm: Salvage arm (upper/lower actuators with heavy duty equipment for lifting).
Left Torso: 100 meter ladder; 0.5 ton cargo space (to hold the ladder)
Right torso: Fluid suction system

While not nearly as bad as the prototype was criticized to be, three absolutely crucial elements of the design were kept after the design was adopted as a starting point for a high profile police unit. The first is the computer and drive system, which contrary to how ungraceful the mech was in movement, managed to allow a horrifically unbalanced machine with a large torso and long, thin legs to maintain balance even under extenuating circumstances. The second was the main body of the chassis. With some reworking of the exterior appearance through the use of better resources and factory-level modifications (the university had no such access and had hodge-podged an external hall by crudely reusing parts of other agricultural mechs), the main body structure itself has always been a solid foundation. The third and final thing to keep was the feet. On the university prototype they seemed laughably large and clunky, with the redesign for police duty and extra bulk of the legs, the feet seemed perfect.

Before the redesigned Nin Kei was ready, failed I.C.E. models based on the prototypes were sent out for a test to deal with rioting, revealing many flaws with the design that were corrected before the official unveiling. This prevented "unprotected actuators" and a number of other negative issues from emerging in the final first model.

NK-01A: The first deliberate model of the Nin Kei. Developed on the continent of Kalifax (planet Nirasaki), this initial model didn't leave the gate with a half-baked weapon assortment as it was rushed through its final checks and armaments for high risk security postings, something that the Ouanii-produced (the other major continent on the planet Nirasaki) police unit was proven insufficient to handle due to the Ouanii model's friendly P.R. Despite the rush to get it into the field with minimal testing, the number of years dedicated to developing the machine and the original designer's need to 'access any issue at any time' has left the machine with seemingly unsurpassed long range accuracy and simplified maintenance instructions alongside a comprehensive manual featured in 13 languages. Even the most novice of Mech-Techs could handle the job of maintaining it so long as the materials are coming in.

Spoiler

Tonnage: 15 tons.
Cost: 842,662 C-bills
Unveiled: 2777 in January. Received poor reception due to being "terrifying," "threatening," "excessively armed," "a sign of growing facism," and "technically a battlemech." The news of both the assassination of the First Lord on Terra (Earth) and the beginnings of the Amaris Coup having reached the planet Nirasaki literally within hours of its unveiling did not help. (That news arrived nearly a month after it occurred.)
Chassis: Endo Steel.
Armor: Commercial-grade (2 tons)
Power Source: Fuel Cell (rating 45).
Gyro: XL
Mech Cooling: 1 single heatsink.
Jumpjets: 1 unit.
Torso mounted cockpit (with transplast viewport). Industrial class.
Weapons: 1 specially designed MG (1 ton, uses the rules of 2 'standard' MGs with a half ton of ammunition). Right arm.
1 sprayer (with 0.5 tons of subduing sticky chemical compound; later discovered to cause cancer and sometimes skin tearing). Left arm.
1 small laser mounted on a turret. Left torso.
Equipment: 1 laser insulator (acts as a double heatsink exclusively to the weapon it is mounted on). Left torso.
1 C.A.S.E. (right torso)
1 mounted search light (right arm)
Catapillar Tracks (left and right leg). (Mostly concealed by armor that repositions to reveal them).

Battletech Design Quirks.

Spoiler

Mech Quirks:

• Battle Computer (+2 to initiative).
  
• Distracting
  
• Easy to maintain
  
• Searchlight
  
• Stable (resistance to being knocked over by physical attacks)
  
• Variable range targeting (Long) (impaired 'Short' range targeting but improved long range targeting; note that 'long range' for an MG is 90 meters. Between this and the MG specific quirks, it has 'normal' accuracy [boosted - reduced = normal] at ranges up to 60 meters. When up to 90 meters, it has incredible accuracy with the 'first' of the two firing cycles. The second firing cycle, however, is only slightly improved over a standard MG.)
  
• Extended Torso Twist.

Negative quirks:

• Bad reputation (reduces selling price significantly because people 'have heard bad things').
  
• Small Arms (makes getting back up very difficult; but thankfully it is very difficult to knock down in the first place).
  
• No ejection system (what about that needs explaining? You have to climb out).
  
• Poor performance (due to the large, heavy feet and legs it cannot quickly accelerate to running/flanking speeds from a stationary position, this causes it to lose one hex of movement if it was stationary in the previous turn / 10 seconds).

Weapon specific quirks:

• MG (1)
  
  • Accurate
• MG (2)
  
  • None
• Small Laser
  
  • Accurate
    
  • EM Interference (firing the weapon drains a lot of power from the fuel cell, straining it and causing systems to lag/flicker or worse).
    
  • Exposed weapon linkage (weapon is easier to damage when the turret is 'armed').
    
  • Poor cooling jacket. (The laser itself has a poor cooling jacket, relying instead on the Laser Insulator. This generates +1 extra heat when the weapon is in use. The Laser Insulator cools 2 heat, so as long as the insulator is intact the weapon's heat will never be felt).

NK-01B (Baker)

Spoiler

First fielded: In 2079. Contrary to the statements that it was 'excessively armed', it was soon proven that the Nin Kei was actually insufficiently armed. After a Nin Kei was ambushed by extremists in agricultural mechs, its disabling compound -- which is very effective against a single target over time -- could not operate fast enough to disable multiple mechanized assailants. The 01 Baker is an attempt to remedy that situation with the introduction of a single-use (Primitive) Rocket Launcher 15 on the right torso. Unlike the laser turret, this launcher is not able to become flush with the frame and sticks up like a sore thumb. Once fired, the launcher housing dislodges from the mech, leaving only a few inconsequential support-beams in its wake.
Cost: 815,637 C-bills (Quite a reduction, but this reduction in cost came at the removal of 'C.A.S.E.'.
Chassis: Endo Steel.
Armor: Commercial-grade (2 tons)
Power Source: Fuel Cell (rating 45).
Operational Time Limit: Between 3 and 8 hours.
Gyro: XL
Mech Cooling: 1 single heatsink.
Jumpjets: 1 unit.
Torso mounted cockpit (with transplast viewport). Industrial class.
Weapons: 1 specially designed MG (1 ton, uses the rules of 2 'standard' MGs with a half ton of ammunition). Right arm.
1 sprayer (with 0.5 tons of subduing sticky chemical compound; later discovered to cause cancer and sometimes skin tearing). Left arm.
1 small laser mounted on a turret. Left torso.
1 Primitive Rocket Launcher. Right torso.
Equipment: 1 laser insulator (acts as a double heatsink exclusively to the weapon it is mounted on). Left torso.
1 mounted search light (right arm)
Catapillar Tracks (left and right leg). (Mostly concealed by armor that repositions to reveal them).

Battletech Design Quirks. (Similar to 01 but not entirely).

Spoiler

Mech Quirks:

• Battle Computer (+2 to initiative).
  
• Distracting
  
• Easy to maintain
  
• Searchlight
  
• Stable (resistance to physical attacks)
  
• Variable range targeting (Long) (impaired 'short' range targeting but improved long range targeting.)
  
• Extended Torso Twist.

Negative quirks:

• Bad reputation
  
• Small Arms (makes getting back up very difficult; but thankfully it is very difficult to knock down in the first place).
  
• No ejection system (You have to physically climb out if you want to leave).
  
• Poor performance (due to the large, heavy feet and legs it cannot quickly accelerate to running/flanking speeds from a stop).

Weapon specific quirks:

• MG (1)
  
  • Accurate
• MG (2)
  
  • None
• Small Laser
  
  • Accurate
    
  • EM Interference (firing the weapon drains a lot of power from the fuel cell, straining it and causing systems to lag/flicker or worse).
    
  • Exposed weapon linkage (weapon is easier to damage when the turret is 'armed').
    
  • Poor cooling jacket. (The laser itself has a poor cooling jacket, relying instead on the Laser Insulator. This generates +1 extra heat when the weapon is in use. The Laser Insulator cools 2 heat, so as long as the insulator is intact the weapon's heat will never be felt).
• Primitive Rocket Launcher
  
  • Exposed Weapon Linkage (easily damaged)
    
  • Jettison Capable Weapon
    
  • No Cooling Jacket (+2 heat).

The Nin Kei found its first major crutch in 2079, inability to pursue vehicles. Between its slow acceleration and low speeds, the 01 generation of Nin Kei were incapable of pursuit of high value perpetrators who had vehicles. This usually wasn't an issue due to the ease of disabling vehicles, but the day it became one the designers were hard at work to solve it.

NK-02A is a second generation model. As typical with new generations, the model was changed in its physical appearance to a minor degree, however initially the cosmetic changes are simply practical ones. The most noteworthy being the legs.

The initial version attempts to boost speed performance with a super charger. This significantly hikes the cost up, making their use and numbers quite limited. It also removes the XL gyro and replaces it with a smaller (in physical size) but heavier standard gyro as well as the jumpjet in order to make space for the Super Charger which has been attached directly to the Fuel Cell replacement chamber at the rear of the mech. Removing the laser turret from the left torso and the 01B's rocket launcher was necessary in order to for maintenance crews to continue to have the same ease of access to the engine. However, the catapillar-tracked legs could not keep up with the new movement speeds from the stronger fuel cell power source at super charged speeds, requiring a new set of non-tracked legs.

In place of the rocket launcher, it yields an SRM-2. However, those developing the weapon system were misinformed as to which arm they were replacing. It was deemed easier to create a new right-side MG arm than it was convert the missile arm to the right side. In doing so they managed to supply both arms with C.A.S.E. for additional protection against ammo explosions. However they were unable to place their specially designed and patented 1 ton "super machine gun" into a right arm, and instead bought some standard military grade MGs from a dealer. Using 'standard' MGs causes the Nin Kei to lose its accuracy bonuses.

Spoiler

First fielded: 2782, field-tested in a high stakes high speed pursuit through farmlands.
Cost: 1,557,100 C-bills
Chassis: Endo Steel.
Armor: Commercial-grade (2 tons)
Power Source: Fuel Cell (rating 60).
Gyro: Standard
Mech Cooling: 2 single heatsinks.
Jumpjets: 0 units.
Torso mounted cockpit (with transplast viewport). Industrial class.
Weapons: Two standard MGs. Left arm.
1 SRM-2 launcher (with 1 ton of Heat Seeking SRMs). Right arm.
Equipment: 2 C.A.S.E. (One per arm)

On quirks: Losing the tracks has allowed it to shed the 'poor performance' acceleration debuff. This new set of legs also have hyper extending actuators to allow for improved movement. This comes at the cost of exposed actuators. Having the super charger has limited the luxurious twisting range of the mech, removing extended torso twist. The speed, stability, and twist (which is later lost entirely on other second generation models) is at a healthy mix that makes this 02 model favorable, allowing it to shed the 'bad reputation'. Considering that this mech is still powered by a fuel cell even though it is considerably superior to those fuel cells that powered the first generation, it is not surprised that this thing's higher than normal speeds makes it out to be a gas hog.
Battletech Design Quirks.

Spoiler

Mech Quirks:

• Battle Computer (+2 to initiative).
  
• Distracting
  
• Easy to maintain
  
• Stable (resistance to physical attacks)
  
• Hyper Extending Actuators (new legs are very flexible; allows climbing of unusually shaped landscapes).

Negative quirks:

• Small Arms (makes getting back up very difficult; but thankfully it is very difficult to knock down in the first place).
  
• No ejection system (You have to physically climb out if you want to leave).
  
• Gas Hog (moving above cruising speeds consumes more fuel than it would normally; unnecessary high speeds will drain the 02A's power supply rapidly. The mech even features a 'shifting' throttle to make the pilot fully aware of power consumption.
  
• Exposed Actuators.

Weapon specific quirks:

• MG (1)
  
  • None
• MG (2)
  
  • None
• SRM-2
  
  • Ammo Feed Problem (can jam)
    
  • Poor cooling jacket
    
    • A note: The people of Nirasaki did not have a police force for between 400 and 600 years. There is no military, and for the longest time there wasn't much in the way of military grade weapons either, so beyond MGs [which are very similar to simple guns], they have virtually no experience which thusly affects the quality of their weapons.

The NK-03A (year uncertain) is a third generation Nin Kei. It abandons the fuel cell power source entirely for a standard 105 rated engine and all ammo-based weaponry is replaced with small lasers. Restored are the tracked legs, but lost entirely is the torso twist. Greatly reduced is the high cost of the 02 super charger model with even greater speeds, but it comes with a number of things lost.

Cost: 1,281,100 C-bills.

Battletech Design Quirks.

Spoiler

Mech Quirks:

• Battle Computer (+2 to initiative).
  
• Distracting
  
• Stable (resistance to physical attacks)
  
• Easy to Pilot. (Loss of torso twist has enabled an incredible ease of use at high speeds.

(Easy to maintain was lost).


Negative quirks:

• Small Arms (makes getting back up very difficult; but thankfully it is very difficult to knock down in the first place).
  
• No ejection system (You have to physically climb out if you want to leave).
  
• No Torso Twist.

The pelvis was abandoned entirely and legs connected to the body.



Poor performance was avoided by the power of the engine and the increased torque provided by removing the pelvis.

Weapon specific quirks:

• None.

Edited by Koniving, 05 December 2014 - 05:32 AM.

[kosmos1214]

wow nice work kon these look cool

[Pht]

KON this is in reply to your previous two posts on your design.

----

Because I'm not sure how much you know about the BT minutia and stuff on rules, I'm going to presume you have a basic working knowledge. This is just because I have no idea what you know and don't; so it's nothing personal. I'm also presuming that you're trying to stick to the rules for the most part. If something is technically possible in the BTUniverse but not normally done I'll mention such and say why things are the way they are.

----

I couldn't duplicate your build in Solaris Skunk Werks; things seemed odd to me until I realized that you were using MegaMek lab. I went ahead and duplicated what I could of your build in MML.

Positives: The small laser and machine guns WITH CASE are great anti-infantry/soft target choices; appropriate targets for a security 'Mech. I presume that's exactly what you're planning to be going after. MG ammo w/o case is pure suicide! Also, thankfully, your choice of era/year means you get to have CASE. 15 tons and commercial armor - nice; fits the niche - affordable stuff that should otherwise be as common as dirt. The sprayer and search light - good tools and the sprayer can allow for some seriously deviant stuff at close range; you can even squirt acid on targets, if you're that evil. BTW, the sprayer uses "sprayer ammo" not "liquid storage," which is just a self-contained storage "bin" with no feed mechanism or such; it's 1 ton instead of half a ton. Search lights are VERY useful in night combat for lower-tech designs.

About scare factor for crowds: NEVER forget flamers. They have a massive psychological effect simply by their presence. Seeing the flame lipping out of the port of something you virtually can't stop with man-portable arms is extremely sobering. They would also oddly fit your story in that fire-fighting designs often have to set counter fires in brush, etc. Not available in your time frame, but possibly the most freakishly scary anti-"soft target" weapon in the BTUniverse would have to be the firedrake - basically a battle-armor mounted flamethrower that also spits HUGE amounts of deadly shrapnel out with the flame. What a monstrosity that thing is!

Tracks:

TotalWarfare Pg 143 said:

TRACKS... Actuator critical hits do not reduce tracked movement, but a critical hit on a track—or the loss of a leg containing a track reduces the Track MP by half for a humanoid chassis (or by a quarter for quad chassis designs). While moving in tracked mode, leg actuator and gyro critical hits do not require a Piloting Skill Roll, though Piloting Skill Rolls for suffering 20 points of damage or sustaining kick, charge or push attacks are still required and should be modified appropriately for component damage. While using tracked movement, ’Mechs receive all the MP bonuses (including the +1 MP for paved surface movement) and terrain restrictions (including those for heavy woods and Depth 1+ water, not changing more than one level in a hex and so on) that apply to tracked vehicles. Tracked movement generates heat as normal for a walking ’Mech (as with walking, ICE-equipped ’Mechs generate no heat), ... . If a ’Mech is using tracked movement in the turn when its gyro is destroyed, it does not automatically fall. In addition, it can continue to use tracked movement provided it starts a Movement Phase on its feet. ’Mechs mounting tracks are more vulnerable to anti-’Mech infantry. Any leg attacks receive a –2 to-hit modifier.

Some interesting bonuses for some equally interesting trade-offs.

---

Things to maybe take a look at - turrets are NEAT. But always remember that they can get STUCK (by damage) in awkward facings in the middle of combat and possibly take up maintenance time/resources outside of combat. Remember, "gun arms" (no hands or lower arms, think rifleman) can be *flipped backwards* to shoot into your rear arc! Also, remember that just because a weapon is torso mounted that doesn't mean it can't cover your entire front or rear arc. All weapons in BT have built in aiming capability in their basic structures. Yes, Virginia, torso mounted weapons can and do individually align and thus converge.

Laser insulators - these insulation blankets are neat and yes, available in your chosen era. That said, they do have a downside; besides their being rare and hard to get even when they're being made - they can actually cause laser failures because they are SO effective at containing the laser's heat. If you roll a 2 (fumble) you roll again, and if you get an 8 or more, the laser takes damage (a critical hit), thus destroying the laser. I also don't know if these insulators can be made from scratch in the field, so there's that to consider too (combat damage to them). Great upside with a scary downside and possible supply considerations.

1 MP of jump is, yes quite useful; it'll make you harder to hit, allow you to frog-hop out of holes and swamps and all that ... but it's still only 1 mp. At a half a ton, that's one more small laser, for example. Other than that, on the story front, some planets even require 'Mech pilots to get a separate "jumpjet" license because not just any john doe can successfully jump a 'Mech. Just a few somethings to weigh in your scales.

You might consider if you can absorb the cost of stepping up to an advanced fire control cockpit over a normal Industrial cockpit thus mitigating the +1 to hit that all normal I-'Mech cockpits take. It's an extra 103,750 to 200,000 cost. There doesn't appear to be any extra weight or space required. In BT, normal I-'Mech cockpits & their associated computers and software are not built or programmed to operate very well at all in combat. By the way, if you didn't know it, I-'Mechs don't have ejection seats. That has to be built in and takes up a critical space in the cockpit and tonnage (meaning you can't use it AND, say, environmental sealing). This means you simply MUST have CASE for any ammo or explosive weapons you're carrying. Otherwise, you run the risk of losing your character to internal explosions.

Something to note - for assessing critical hits to torso and arm locations, if you have them more than half filled, you first do a roll to see which half of the location takes the hit, than roll to see what slot in that half takes the hit. Practically, this means NEVER put equipment or weapons across both halves of arms or torso locations; it doubles their chance of being critted. Good zombie designs don't violate this rule of thumb. Cockpit and leg locations don't divide up into halves and thus don't need to follow this rule of thumb.

----

Things that "stick out"

A lack of lower arms/hands can make it far harder to get back up WHEN you've fallen over; so if you're going for "gun arms" ask your GM if they're going to use the rules that make it harder for designs without lower arms/hands to get up. Smashing your cockpit on the curb is SUCH a face-palm but it can happen. This is the downside to being able to flip your arms to cover your rear arc. Related: ask about "careful stand" and "hull down." You're going to want to be off of the tracks and on feet a good bit of the time. If you don't know CS/HD and the getting up/getting knocked down stuff ... man, ... LEARN IT! Contrary to standard ignorance, you don't "fall over for everything" - it's just that the battlefield is a freakishly dangerous place. People who always know what triggers a PSR (piloting skill roll) rarely if ever fall (or get knocked over).

Moving on: I guess at this point MML isn't quite matured yet on what you can/can not do according to the rules and the "common sense" of the BT fiction.

For instance, jumpjets in the "head" - that actually doesn't work regardless of where the "head" is, because the "head" on the critical table is the cockpit area. "Head" on the layout just represents the cockpit area, even if the cockpit isn't visually where you expect a "head" to be (think unseen archer for example). Basic JJ structures/components/operation prevent them from being used in the cockpit region - wholly besides the fact that cockpit sections aren't usually in good locations to put lifting thrusters in. Also, fuel cell type engines can't provide the necessary power to make a strong enough electrical arc to light off jumpjets (JJ's work by ingesting local atmosphere and hitting it with enough electricity to convert it directly into plasma). Long story short, JJs can't be mounted in the "head" or arms locations, regardless of 'Mech configuration, and you need at least a fission engine to use JJs. BTW, JJ's can't fire underwater, so leg mounted JJS won't work in level 1 water but torso mounted ones which are above water will. No, a single JJ doesn't need to be centrally mounted; the gyroscope will compensate just enough to make it work when not centrally mounted.

Related:

Tactical Operations Pg 306 said:

combat Vehicle fuel cell Engines:
These engines have their ratings determined as normal for their unit type. To determine engine weight, use the Cell column on the Master Engine Table (see p. 49, TM). Combat Vehicle Fuel Cell Engines also provide a single "weight-free" heat sink, as noted under the "Free Sinks" column. Combat Vehicles using fuel cell engines still require power amplifiers for using energy weapons (and heat sinks to fire such weapons are still required, per the normal Combat vehicle construction rules).

Fuel cells DO have many advantages over ICE engines (can operate in a vacuum, underwater, etc), but they're not nearly as powerful as fission and fusion engine types and obviously still require getting a hold of fuel.

TechManual Pg 68 said:

Fuel
Though it is not tracked in Total Warfare standard play, any unit that mounts an internal combustion or fuel cell engine consumes a significant amount of fuel. ... IndustrialMech ICEs provide a base range of 600 kilometers, or 20,000 Walking MP. IndustrialMech Fuel Cell engines provide for a base 450-kilometer range, or 15,000 Walking MP. These fuel capacities are considered integral to the engine and so do not cost any additional weight or occupy any additional critical slots in the IndustrialMech’s Critical Hit Table. Additional fuel tanks can expand these ranges, but will cost tonnage and occupy slots.

About power amps:

TechManual, Pg 74 said:

Power Amplifiers: IndustrialMechs powered by ICE or Fuel Cell engines may carry heavy energy weapons such as lasers and PPCs, but to do so, they must also mount power amplifiers in the same manner as ICE-powered vehicles do. Power amplifiers weigh 10 percent of the weight of the energy weapons carried (rounded up to the nearest half-ton), but take up no critical space on the IndustrialMech’s Record Sheet. Only ICE and Fuel Cell-powered IndustrialMechs require power amplifiers. Fission and fusion powered IndustrialMechs do not require this equipment for energy weapons.

If you're doing multi-game campaign play and tracking fuel usage/requiring you to obtain fuel, you might seriously want to consider the trade-offs required to get a fusion engine and thus NOT have the concerns for ever finding fuel; it would also allow you to mount energy type weapons and jumpjets and all that swag, and not have to have ammo dependent weapons. Fusions require very, very little fuel and can literally be refuelled with simple H2O, so there's virtually no concern for having to track fuel sources down. If you're not tracking that stuff in your campaign ... lucky you!

BTW, you should seriously consider using environmental sealing if you're going to be spraying toxic "Goo." W/O ESeal, your unit won't be able to operate in a vacuum, underwater, or with any safety in other deadly environments. In fact, if your GM is particularly evil, the goop you're spraying could get back into your own cockpit and ruin your character's day big time. In balance, ESeal eats up 1 space in each location and takes 10% (round up at the half) of total design weight.

Endo-Steel internals - These aren't used in industrial 'Mech construction. If you want to do something odd like that, get with your GM and talk about it - MML shouldn't even be allowing it, much less "validating" it as being kosher by the rules. In BT terms, it would be over-kill; as ES actually requires zero-g construction, and thus zero-g space construction yards, meaning uber-investments. It's technically possible in the fiction but would be considered fairly nuts and overkill and expensive in any case. There are other routes to go to secure your I-'Mechs from theft and tampering that you might consider. In fact, some I-'Mechs have neurohelmet interfaces instead of the extensive manual controls that most I-'Mechs normally use, thus allowing you the security features possible with the NH interface.

Extra-light gyro - A serious anachronism! These things aren't even designed and built until the very end of 3067 and even then they're comstar/WOB tech. I-'Mechs don't use them if you're following the rules. Many of the same reasons apply here as I mentioned for ES internals. Technically possible after 3067, but obscenely overkill for an I-'Mech. Discuss with your GM type stuff. However, for the star league era, you could get an XL fusion engine, which would save you 1 ton over using a fuel cell and 1/2 ton over using a fusion. Of course, it's more expensive and possibly harder to maintain (XL engine shielding/ plasma containment fields are some pretty trick stuff), so that might "stand in" for your intended use for Endo-Steel, if you can stand the XL engine downsides.

I suspect you may wind up having to bump up to 20 tons in order to get in what you want. That would also solve your "big and scary bulk" thing.

I-'Mechs are, you guessed it, fairly low-tech in terms of battlefield technology in the overwhelming majority of cases. But hey, they're common as dirt, fairly easy to maintain and get parts for, and you can get some pretty good oomph for less than a million c-bills.

----

In the realm of "making all this stuff easier to track" ...

If you're lazy like me, grab a copy of SSW - it is MUCH more mature and thorough on these sorts of things - it won't let you run roughshod over the rules, so you'll know right away if you're trying to do something "odd" for the BTUniverse. MML is great because it allows you to build the super-heavy designs over 100 tons that SSW doesn't (currently) handle. Of note in SSW is that it will allow you to pick a production year for your design and than [/i]only show you what's available in that year[/i] and set your tech rules level by era. Obscenely handy for making designs that are "era/year" specific; and if you want something a little odd, make most of your design under restrictions than relax them to add what you want. Yes, SSW *will* work quite well with megamek. I use ssw to make designs for MM all the time. The only thing to watch out for is that it will occasionally put XL engine slots in the side torsos in the wrong spot. XL slots in side torsos ALWAYS go at the very top and CAN'T be moved.

In the spoiler fold I have done an initial "here's an idea" build in SSW. It's not a "you must do it this way" ... just a "food for thought" example.

Spoiler

Nin Kei

Mass: 20 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped IndustrialMech
Rules Level: Era Specific
Era: Age of War/Star League
Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/D-E-E-A
Production Year: 2767
Cost: 816,113 C-Bills
Battle Value: 180

Chassis: Unknown Industrial
Power Plant: Unknown 60 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Commercial
Armament:
1 Small Laser
1 Flamer
1 Sprayer
1 Searchlight
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Industrial 33 points 4.00
Engine: Fusion Engine 60 1.50
Walking MP: 3
Running MP: 5
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 10 0.00
Heat Sink Locations: 1 CT, 2 LT, 2 RT, 2 LA, 1 RA
Gyro: Standard 1.00
Cockpit: Industrial w/ Adv. Fire Control 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA R: SH+UA
Armor: Commercial (BAR: 5) AV - 69 3.00

Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 6 9
Center Torso (rear) 3
L/R Torso 5 8
L/R Torso (rear) 2
L/R Arm 3 6
L/R Leg 4 8

================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Searchlight RA 0 1 0.50
Flamer RA 3 1 1.00
Sprayer LA 0 1 0.50
Small Laser LT 1 1 0.50
@Sprayer (Water) (10) LA - 1 1.00
Environmental Sealing * - 8 2.00
Tracks * - 2 2.00
Free Critical Slots: 28

* The Environmental Sealing occupies 1 slot in every location.
* Tracks occupy 1 slot in every leg location.

BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 1 Points: 2
3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Structure: 2
Special Abilities: SRCH, ENE, SRCH, SEAL, SOA

----

Note that in return for the 5 ton bump up, this design has 100% armor coverage, Environmental Seal, Fusion engine, and Advanced Fire control. I swapped the MG & Ammo w/CASE for a flamer. Basically, you're up against a lack of tonnage and it seems you only have a few routes around that - use an XL engine and take the fragility and expense trade-offs, or bump up your tonnage until you can get in what you want. This is why most security 'Mechs (Industrial or otherwise) are very simple designs.

----

Here's another take on it, a lot closer to your original performance profile; again, at five tons heavier:

Nin Kei

Mass: 20 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped IndustrialMech
Rules Level: Era Specific
Era: Age of War/Star League
Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/D-F-E-A
Production Year: 2767
Cost: 870,850 C-Bills
Battle Value: 189

Construction Options: Fractional Accounting

Chassis: Unknown Industrial
Power Plant: Unknown 60 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 30 meters
Armor: Unknown Commercial w/ CASE
Armament:
1 Small Laser
2 Machine Guns
1 Sprayer
1 Searchlight
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Industrial 33 points 4.000
Engine: Fusion Engine 60 1.500
Walking MP: 3
Running MP: 5
Jumping MP: 1 Standard
Jump Jet Locations: 1 CT 0.50
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 10 0.000
Heat Sink Locations: 1 CT, 2 LT, 1 RT, 1 LA, 1 RA, 1 LL, 1 RL
Gyro: Standard 1.000
Cockpit: Industrial w/ Adv. Fire Control 3.000
Actuators: L: SH+UA R: SH+UA
Armor: Commercial (BAR: 5) AV - 69 2.877
CASE Locations: 1 RT 0.500

Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 6 9
Center Torso (rear) 3
L/R Torso 5 8
L/R Torso (rear) 2
L/R Arm 3 6
L/R Leg 4 8

================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Searchlight RA 0 1 0.500
2 Machine Guns RA 0 2 1.000
Sprayer LA 0 1 0.500
(T) Small Laser LT 1 1 0.500
@Sprayer (Water) (10) LA - 1 1.000
@MG (1/2) (100) RT - 1 0.500
Mech Shoulder Turret LT - 1 0.050
Tracks * - 2 2.000
Free Critical Slots: 31

* Tracks occupy 1 slot in every leg location.

BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 1 Points: 2
3/1j 1 0 0 0 1 0 Structure: 2
Special Abilities: SRCH, CASE, SRCH

You and your other players might consider using the associated campaign manager for MM games, MekHQ, if you're going to get into a fairly serious multi-game campaign tracking stats and supplies and pilot/player advancement.

Speaking of which, are you guys doing just a BT campaign, or are you guys also using the RPG stuff from third/ATOW?

What I have ATM on Nirasaki is in the spoiler fold below:

Spoiler

Nirasaki was settled by communal idealists who hoped to create a perfect society, in which everyone would live in harmony in the virtual absence of government or a policing force. The experiment was only partially successful, as infighting between settlers and the early colonists' insistence on barter-based trade made it difficult to deal with other worlds for needed goods. Eventually, a basic planetary government, structured as a loose coalition of the various communes on Kalifax and Ouanii, Nirasaki's two largest continents, was established. Based on democratic principles, the Nirasaki government required a simple majority vote for any decisions affecting a planetary region or interplanetary relations and helped create a basic planetary economy based on work credits and a standard for determining the relative values of products and services. Beyond these basic functions, which included an emergency powers clause in case of an external threat, the Nirasaki government had no other authority. Farms, cattle ranches, fishing communities and artistic communes made up the bulk of Nirasaki's population until the rise of the Star League. Though Nirasaki was left to its semi-anarchistic government under the Hegemony, the planet began to draw the attention of entrepreneurs. However, few corporate entities could make headway on Nirasaki, due to lax government practices and the work credits system, until the native Nirasaki Computers Collective was founded in the large Blue Heron Commune. The NCC developed computer systems of astonishing efficiency and quality, including the famous Blue Lotus personal computer line, which was cutting edge in the Star League's day. For this reason, the Hegemony contracted the NCC to develop software for use in the Space Defense Systems throughout its holdings. As it happened, the NCC did its job too well in this regard. When the Amaris coup took place, the brightest minds of the Collective were forcibly relocated to Terra, and their work pitted the liberating SLDF forces against SDS networks that used some of the most sophisticated pseudo-artificial intelligence ever produced. It wasn't until years later, when returning SLDF forces uncovered technical specs hidden away for their benefit in the abandoned NCC headquarters, that their artful programming was defeated and the worlds Amaris had turned into deadly gauntlets were retaken. Though the NCC itself never revived after the fall of the League, its former offices and production facilities were eventually taken over by Blue Heron Computers, today a major producer of the Blue Lotus portable compads and noteputers used throughout the Inner Sphere. Nirasaki's government is more utilitarian now, a result of centuries under the Dragon's rule. It includes a planetary police force and a local militia, both based in the capital city of Elusian on the Kalifax continent. The Blue Heron Commune, one of the many cities that still hold to the traditions of communal existence, is located on the southern peninsula of Ouanii. Nirasaki's third major landmass, Arkatis, is in the planet's south polar region and is home to the Nirasaki Communications Community, a planet wide information and entertainment company based in the city of Arkatis' Unity.


Systems within a jump:
Al Na'ir (29 ly)
Altair (27 ly)
Athenry (20 ly)
Deneb Algedi (8 ly)
Dieron (23 ly)
Errai (24 ly)
Fomalhaut (21 ly)
Kervil (26 ly)
Nashira (21 ly)
Northwind (23 ly)
Pike IV (25 ly)
Quentin (13 ly)
Saffel (12 ly)
Styx (11 ly)
Telos IV (23 ly)

Within 2 jumps of Terra (48 ly)

[Koniving]

Can't find "sprayer ammo."
On a side note... An XL gyro not existing yet does produce a bit of a problem. I might need to adjust the design a bit because of that, but this would allow me to mount the JJ onto the CT-proper rather than the cockpit area of the CT.

I'm aware of many of the things here, though I am deliberately designing things to have flaws. It adds character, and the mechs are meant for planet side security on a planet whose history does not enjoy the idea of a military or police force. They wouldn't have any real need to send the police into space theoretically though I suppose there could be water-related scenarios involving sewers and the like. I think they'll just have to take their chances.

• The unnamed humanoid security mech did get an ejection seat installed for this reason.
  
• The Nin Kei series of security 'battlemechs' (they do cross that border but for Public Relations reasons the label 'SecurityMech' is less likely to cause an outcry; though from the fluff I created just the look and armaments of it caused outcry regardless). Between this and a fluff-related choice to counter the issue of 'just about anyone' getting ahold of one of these mechs and maintaining it, the choice of using Endo Steel came up. This would also seriously limit the availability of the machine, preventing any specific individual within the democratic government of Nirasaki from being able to become a dictator. (Megamek considers the Nin Kei build to be a battlemech rather than an industrial mech.)
  
• Nin Kei deliberately does not have an ejection seat and furthermore also has the negative design quirk 'No Ejection Seat' ticked.
  
• The use of the Laser Insulator was chosen specifically for its major flaws; I like flaws. Though to be perfectly honest I had to add 'Poor Cooling Jacket' on top of Laser Insulator to have any risks, as a small laser just doesn't seem to produce enough heat on its own to cause quarrels with the laser insulator.
  
• The Nin Kei has the Design Quirks to help with fall issues, though I am specifically using the negative quirk 'Small/No Arms' so that if it does fall it would be difficult to get back up.
  
• Arm-flipping is exactly the reason I chose to have twin arms without lower arms. The original design of both the humanoid and non-humanoid mechs was going to have one with a lower arm and one without. I quickly learned I can't just flip one arm, thus the Nin Kei became a separate design from the as yet unnamed humanoid unit.

Now I did not know about the I-cockpit introducing accuracy issues; this in fact works against a specific fluff-factor that the Blue Lotus line of high grade computers were a centerfold in the mech's controls. Sadly my choice of cockpits include: Standard, Small, Command Console, Industrial, Primitive, Primitive Industrial, Torso Mounted (which adds weight), Interface (which removes all life support systems; used this on the 'robots' I wanted), and Dual. The cockpit you suggested is not available to me.

Eliminating the Liquid storage tank gave me what I needed to return to a standard gyro. From there I relocated the JJ to the CT (as I had always envisioned it being mounted on the rear of the mech anyway). Most of the designs aren't particularly fast until the 2nd and 3rd generations and even then they wind up losing the jumpjets. It was mainly to be able to vault over fences and walls to pursue criminals that are on foot.

Power amplifiers seem to be unavailable to me. I had been aware of their necessity for non-fusion engines however. Reading what you have from the TW, the lack of crit slots might explain a serious issue with random weight consumption that is otherwise completely inexplicable. It seems to be thrown onto the mech, it would explain the weight descripency.

Far as fuel, I won't have need for finding fuel aside from 'purchasing' and 'receiving' said fuel and having x amount at the warehouses. The unit is a Patrol Labor-style police unit (and a band of mercenaries hired to train them) so the place is regularly supplied with the basic essentials. Being a planet-side thing the only issue is consuming faster than supplies can come in. Given the irregularity of police duties requiring SWAT-type mechs, that should not become an issue until much later in the plotline. The other humanoid unit uses standard I.C. Engines which has a more plentiful fuel source (gas stations anyone?) so that won't become a real issue either. The choice in both ICE and Fuel Cell is specifically for the lack of longevity in the field. Though my estimation in approximate run time for the Nin Kei may have been overly optimistic, and for that I'm sort of glad as I was afraid I was undershooting it. Evidently running at maximum speed the NK-01 should run out of power in 50 minutes on a full charge. Which is better for plot-reasons than a 3 hour limit with high activity.

I had chosen the planet specifically for its history. It was the 29th planet I investigated on Megamek HQ. What led me to creating my own security mechs was the Copper's questionable time lines (some sources say very 27 or 2800 while others say post-3060, so it's like "...crap, now I need a new security mech" and the only other one that really stood out was the Guardian. And Guardians just sound like massacre mechs [ridiculous amount of MGs] not police mechs).

I'm doing a campaign/roleplay of sorts to create a story/fan-fiction with. Being the GM myself, well there's that nicety. Though I have mods in megamek HQ for creating 'random' events/instances which do help to add reasons for flavor-text.
From the campaign's after action report on a basic navigation mission through a city, in which I was able to successfully get multiple PrincessBots to 'patrol' the city as traffic (with a cowardice, 'freak out' reaction to a security mech crossing the street of active traffic; some really interesting crashes made it pretty exciting just to deliberately walk into traffic).
Click to zoom (everything is perfectly legible).

Insurance companies. Collateral damage. Rich uncles making certain that certain pilots aren't thrown out for despite incompetence through bribes. At the time it was more to test out how it all works but it already had the workings of a decent story. I'll be replacing the Copper references with the unnamed humanoid mech. ...soon as I give it a name.

Nirasaki's rich history provided a bit of a good starting point. Initially I had the concept of Zhizhu mercs being hired to train members of Nirasaki's mechanized police unit in proper handling and use of the mechs as the reason for the short series of 'test' missions. I had some ideas for a story, but it was going to be a sort of shallow 'day to day life' one that might include some insurgents.

PatLabor of course had plenty to inspire me, given its focus on Police patrol mechs (known as Labors). Worst comes to worst I could transition it from a job there to something Davion related on a nearby planet (another one of the reasons for the planet choice).

But then I saw this AMV using Code Geass and an exposition that I later learned was from the latest Call of Duty game (big whoop, but that exposition was great). From there, I had a pretty good idea of where to go with the plot.

Nirasaki started with no government and no desire for one. Later they formed one that was very basic and took simple majority votes. Still later, it picked up a police force. Something that from the history sounds like it'd not only be a hot topic but an extreme point of debate. Then that police force increases in power just by the fluff of Nirasaki alone, gaining 'teeth' in the fluff's own words. Add in a touch of corporate attempts at corruption, throw in some people with extremist views who believe they're protecting their freedom from facism and a number of incidents that lead to questionable police activity... and we have an interesting plot.

Add to this that Nirasaki goes from neutral to Kurita to Davion to Steiner to Kurita, etc. in the 2800s onward, meaning that in addition to everything else, the Houses keep trying to get their claws on it. "Democracy? Democracy isn't what these people need." Now the plot just hit a planet-wide scale. Throw in some conspiracies as spice to the mix and we'll have a full course meal.

[Pht]

Koniving, on 07 December 2014 - 03:59 PM, said:

Can't find "sprayer ammo."

Once you mount the sprayer, it'll show in SSW under the "ammunition" tab. Not sure where that would be in MML, but I do know that liquid storage is just that ... only storage, no feed mechanism. Still working on your last two posts: interesting and a lot of info in them. Fair warning, once you do find it, you'll realize that liquid storage is half a ton and a crit, but sprayer ammo is a full ton and a crit

Quote

They wouldn't have any real need to send the police into space theoretically though I suppose there could be water-related scenarios involving sewers and the like. I think they'll just have to take their chances.

I was thinking of two things police are around a lot in riot situations; fire (smoke, toxic and otherwise) and tear gas, copious amounts of pepper spray, you name it. At a very minimum, the first gen fire-fighter design should really, really have Eseal.

Here's a fairly newish star-chart with info that you can use offline: http://battletech.rp..._content&uid=99

Scroll to the very bottom of the page and you can download their old V2 flash based version that doesn't require a browser to use.


... sounds like you need to read any of the interstellar players books and/or the intelligence operations handbooks. Those sources I have a feeling would provide you some more depth to work in. Conspiracy theories/secret groups and black ops, respectively are what those cover.

If you don't' have it, here's the original house kurita handbook, legit for free, just doesn't have pictures: http://cf.sarna.net/...a_text_only.pdf

Edited by Pht, 08 December 2014 - 10:34 AM.

[Danghen Woolf]

Hey guys, just dropping a line on an amazingly epic thing that happened right before my MM crashed the other night running strafing runs with aerospace fighters. I tried to get a screen grab but MM locked up on me and corrupted the log file.

Field Report: Stone Legionnaires Mercenary Company
Loss Record: Shilone SL-17 ASF
Reason for Loss: Damage to internal structure resulting in loss of pilot control
Summary: Strafing runs on enemy light lance resulted in the destruction of two mechs. On fourth strafing pass the pilot exceeded maximum safe thrust and lost control of the craft due to prior damage. This crash resulted in the pilot impacting a Javelin light mech at approximately torso height. The impact and resulting damage penetrated the Javelin's torso armor and allowed jetfule into the internal structure. This damage and fire ignited the remaining SRM ammunition causing complete detruction of the mech and death of both pilots.

TL:DR - ASF crashed into a mech and went boom... the fire from the jetfuel ended up causing a fire that spread to several hexes.

Edited by Danghen Woolf, 08 December 2014 - 12:41 PM.

[Koniving]

Well, now it sounds like Kamikaze strikes are a thing. I'll have to try having an 'accident' at some point.

On a side note I finally got un-stingy and one of the many experimental variations the nameless humanoid got a change from ICE to Fuel Cell. The result? I managed to fit a 6 ton PatLabor police mech into 20 tons of BT tech.
(Fixed image to display crit assignments).

Having a proper torso mounted cockpit by game rules, though, rather than TRO-style where they just put a Catapult's cockpit on the torso and say its the head... kinda makes things hard.
On a side note, another variant I've got in proposition has a primitive rocket launcher 15 mounted in the head. Open face; release the KRAKEN...of rockets.

Soon...

Still, I'll need to make mine look considerably different for obvious reasons.

Edited by Koniving, 08 December 2014 - 01:18 PM.

[Pht]

First and Foremost: Yes, I know you've said you're intentionally doing odd things. I am taking that into account. I'm also thinking you want things to work in MM, which does follow the rules; so I'm kinda looking to try and see if there's any way possible to get your design ideas working in MM. Beyond that, I tend to want more to simply adhere to the BT fiction rather than the rules for "what's possible or not."

General comment: "Industrial chassis" in MML ... SHOULD ... should ... trigger all the stuff in MML about what can and can't go into/be done with industrial 'Mechs (for whatever reason) ... but it's not.

Getting on with things.

SecurityMech SM-Temp:

Cool stuff:
Remote sensor dispensers: those are really neato. You also get thirty sensors to use. What's really trick is you can use different sensor types, like infrared, electromagnetic, radar, and seismic, etc. You can also monitor them from 67 hex (2 klicks) away. However - you need one of the following to be able to monitor them: Active Probe, C3 Master Computer, Improved C3 Computer (C3i), Cockpit Command Console or 1 or more tons of Communications Equipment. Also, how many you can monitor at a single time is dependent on the hardware you're using to monitor them. Light Active probes 1, Regular AP 2, C3i 3, C3 masters and cockpit command consoles 4, Comms. Equip. 1 per ton. The only other thing is that they're fairly easy to destroy (step on/drive over) and they're -2 to hit. I've not used them in MM (yet). Let me know how that turns out, ESP if you're using full double-blind. They should be quite interesting.

Oddities outside of standard:
Industrial mechs don't use small cockpits; (small cockpits incur a +1 to all PSRs btw); nobody made them till the FS faction did in 3067 - miniaturization and figuring out what you can remove from an already seriously streamlined setup is a tough nut to crack. It's not just smaller, but lighter. Basically, you more get sprayed with wd-40 and shoved into a small cockpit than you climb into one...

Things that would make Alice from wonderland say HUH???
Even WITH a small cockpt in an industrial mech that STILL only leaves two free spaces in the head. The picture shows three things collectively using three crits in the head: searchlight, recon camera, ejection seat. Well, it should, anyways. The ejection seat shows in the CT section; which is physically impossible (remember, "ct" is abstract, it's the area containing the engine and gyro)... the ejection seat ... is ... um... THE COCKPIT SEAT. Wow, that's odd that it let it go into the CT.

MMLab apparently lets you get away with square-spheres that are also non-fried eggs and fried eggs at the same time and in the same place ... just ... tech-murder.

On the upside, though, if you drop one heatsink and use an I-Mech cockpit you can *still* put everything into the design you have; you just have to move the Recon Camera and Searchlight out of the "head." Just a note, proper battlemech cockpits are VERY streamlined compared to I-'Mech cockpits. I-'Mech cockpits are full of manual controls not present and unnecessary in BattleMech cockpits.

Spoiler

SecurittyMech SM-Temp

Mass: 20 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped IndustrialMech
Rules Level: Era Specific
Era: Succession Wars
Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/X-E-F-A
Production Year: 3035
Cost: 779,555 C-Bills
Battle Value: 139

Chassis: Unknown Industrial
Power Plant: Unknown 40 I.C.E.
Walking Speed: 21.6 km/h
Maximum Speed: 32.4 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Commercial
Armament:
1 Vehicular Grenade Launcher
2 Machine Guns
1 Spot Welder
1 Cargo, Standard (0.5 tons)
1 Searchlight
1 Remote Sensor Dispenser
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Industrial 33 points 4.00
Engine: I.C.E. Engine 40 2.00
Walking MP: 2
Running MP: 3
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 1 1.00
Gyro: Standard 1.00
Cockpit: Industrial 3.00
Ejection Seat: 0.50
Power Amplifiers: 0.50
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor: Commercial (BAR: 5) AV - 60 2.50

Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 6 9
Center Torso (rear) 2
L/R Torso 5 7
L/R Torso (rear) 1
L/R Arm 3 5
L/R Leg 4 7

================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Machine Guns RA 0 2 1.00
Spot Welder LA - 1 2.00
Remote Sensor Dispenser RT 0 1 0.50
Cargo, Standard (0.5 tons) LT 0 1 0.50
(F) Vehicular Grenade Launcher LT - 1 0.50
Searchlight CT 0 1 0.50
@MG (1/2) (100) RA - 1 0.50
Free Critical Slots: 39

BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 1 Points: 1
2 1 0 0 0 1 0 Structure: 2
Special Abilities: MEL, SRCH, SRCH, EE, ES

----

The PatLabor inspired setup:

Ejection is (normally) handled by explosively blowing out parts of the cockpit and than launching the command chair w/pilot out that opening. Probably a good fluff text for it is to say ejection is through an armor panel in the top of the head that blows off, and that there's a clear passage between the panel and the pilot. There's really no need for "head tipping" or major sections of structure moving out of the way. Entry and Exit are usually handled by a hatch instead of articulated sections or components... which is not to say it isn't possible, it's just not normal.

----

Nien Kei 00:

Minor thing: Fluid suction systems require liquid storage. Sprayers use Sprayer ammo. I have NO idea if MM will treat the two water storage tanks as hooked up. I have no idea if the FSS would work in MM w/o liquid storage, etc. I don't think you care so much, but hey, there it is. I personally see NO reason you couldn't hook up a FSS to a Sprayer ammo bin. The exact rules aren't quite clear in the books. Either way, the 00 has enough tonnage to mount a sprayer ammo bin AND a liquid storage AND a standard class FSS.

Notes: Standard fluid suction system can drain something like 100 Kg/second. The light system does 10 Kg/s.

Spoiler

Nin Kei 00

Mass: 20 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped IndustrialMech
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Age of War/Star League
Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/E-F-E-A
Production Year: 2732
Cost: 687,453 C-Bills
Battle Value: 111

Chassis: Unknown Industrial
Power Plant: Unknown 20 I.C.E.
Walking Speed: 10.8 km/h
Maximum Speed: 21.6 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Industrial
Armament:
1 Salvage Arm
1 Cargo, Standard (0.5 tons)
1 Cargo, Liquid (0.5 tons)
1 Fluid Suction System, Standard
1 Sprayer
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Industrial 33 points 4.00
Engine: I.C.E. Engine 20 1.00
Walking MP: 1
Running MP: 2
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 0 0.00
Gyro: Standard 1.00
Cockpit: Industrial 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA R: SH+UA+LA
Armor: Industrial AV - 26 2.50

Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 7
Center Torso 6 3
Center Torso (rear) 0
L/R Torso 5 3
L/R Torso (rear) 0
L/R Arm 3 2
L/R Leg 4 3

================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salvage Arm RA - 2 3.00
Sprayer LA 0 1 0.50
Cargo, Liquid (0.5 tons) RT 0 1 0.50
Fluid Suction System, Standard RT 0 1 1.00
Cargo, Standard (0.5 tons) LT 0 1 0.50
@Sprayer (Water) (10) LA - 1 1.00
Environmental Sealing * - 8 2.00
Free Critical Slots: 35

* The Environmental Sealing occupies 1 slot in every location.

BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 1 Points: 1
1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Structure: 2
Special Abilities: ENE, SRCH, EE, SEAL

----

Nin Kei-01A

Pretty much the same as I've already mentioned, and taking into account your comments in your post further down, and trying to, again, make things work in MM as close as possible to your design ideas. To that end, this works either with a fusion and the JJ (remember, can't fire JJ's off w/o fission/fusion level power), or a fuel cell w/o the jj and a tad less armor. About the Power amps: I think at least in SSW they're being auto-tonnage added? Oh, btw; the insulator doesn't need an overheat level to destroy the laser, in game function. It happens when you roll a 2 on a to-hit for the laser, which triggers another roll. The second roll needs to be 8 or more to put a crit against the associated laser. I forget how to calc the odds, but it's fairly low, but not virtually impossible. Speaking of which, if you use the fusion variant, you can drop the laser insulator, you'll have 10 pts of heatsink available.

About the cockpit and torso mounting - you don't need to have "torso mounted" to actually have the cockpit be somewhat "in the torso." Think Marauder. As always, the locations on the hit-table are abstract. "Torso mounted" actually means the cockpit is behind the torso armor, torso internal structures ("rib cage" in a humanoid) and in DIRECT proximity with the engine and gyro. "Torso mounted" cockpits don't have nor need viewports of any type, they actually have extra sensor equipment spread out across the 'Mech and thus can function with an extra sensor hit. Also, 'Mech pilots do NOT use their viewports as their primary information and piloting source. All of that info is displayed on a HUD in the cockpit with 360' of visual/other sensor info compressed into 160' or so degrees. BattleMechs are information-rich combat units that are not "blind" in any direction.

Torso mounted cockpits also can't eject pilots. Oh, and ... they're BattleMech pieces. I-'Mechs don't normally mount them. "Head" can actually be under the visual head, down inside of the neck/upper torso area above the engine/gyro. Torso cockpits are also freakishly cramped and because of this incur +1 PSR. In-lore they're not prototyped till 3053 in the fedsuns, and because of their dangers (the thing is right next to the engine so things can get obscenely hot FAST) they remain rare after 3053.

Speaking of cockpits: interface cockpits ... if memory serves, those are for some obscenely uber-bleeding edge of the universe WoB toaster-worshipping cyborg freakizods. Robotic... again, a WoB piece. The "no gyro" option is for the WoB cyborg freaks in a beyond cyborg freaky exoskeleton system in an interface cockpit (known as the gestalt system). All three horribly game-breaking things that normally you give to an NPC. Prime candidates for abuse.

Spoiler

Nin Kei 01A

Mass: 20 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped IndustrialMech
Rules Level: Era Specific
Era: Age of War/Star League
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/F-F-X-A
Production Year: 2777
Cost: 877,538 C-Bills
Battle Value: 176

Chassis: Unknown Industrial
Power Plant: Unknown 60 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h
Jump Jets: Unknown
Jump Capacity: 30 meters
Armor: Unknown Commercial w/ CASE
Armament:
1 Small Laser (Insulated)
2 Machine Guns
1 Sprayer
1 Searchlight
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Industrial 33 points 4.00
Engine: Fusion Engine 60 1.50
Walking MP: 3
Running MP: 5
Jumping MP: 1 Standard
Jump Jet Locations: 1 CT 0.50
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 10 0.00
Heat Sink Locations: 1 HD, 1 CT, 2 LT, 1 RT, 1 RA, 1 LL, 1 RL
Gyro: Standard 1.00
Cockpit: Industrial w/ Adv. Fire Control 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA R: SH+UA
Armor: Commercial (BAR: 5) AV - 60 2.50
CASE Locations: 1 RT 0.50

Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 6 9
Center Torso (rear) 2
L/R Torso 5 7
L/R Torso (rear) 1
L/R Arm 3 5
L/R Leg 4 7

================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Machine Guns RA 0 2 1.00
Searchlight RA 0 1 0.50
Sprayer LA 0 1 0.50
(T) Small Laser (Insulated) LT 0 1 1.00
@Sprayer (Water) (10) LA - 1 1.00
@MG (1/2) (100) RT - 1 0.50
Mech Shoulder Turret LT - 1 0.50
Tracks * - 2 2.00
Free Critical Slots: 30

* Tracks occupy 1 slot in every leg location.

BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 1 Points: 2
3/1j 1 0 0 0 1 0 Structure: 2
Special Abilities: SRCH, CASE, SRCH

----

Nin Kei 01B

I tried swapping the rocket launcher for an SRM2 for 3 reasons - for some reason, SSW doesn't have primitive RL's, the non-primitive RL's don't show up till 3064 (I couldn't find a date for them in MML) and the SRM's have some extremely cop-useful speciality ammo (smoke, frag, tear gas, harpoon, inferno, etc). Which, of course, with a fuel cell meant VERY thin armor, but with much more damage output. SRM's are just about as common as dirt. I put the armor-thin design in the fold because it's easier to see what you might want change to save weight for armor than try and pull in a ton of options otherwise. I'm not sure what other things that would actually be time-frame appropriate as ways to bump up the damge profile. You might go with a one-shot SRM2; that'd give you half a ton back for armor... or alternatively a flamer (1 ton) or a vehicle flamer (.5 ton, uses ammo in 1 ton lots instead of fusion engine plasma) which can use speciality ammo (Std. flamer, inferno, coolant, water). There are some decent options if you choose to go that route.

It would also be wrong of me to not point out that MG ammo w/o case is (quite properly) considered to be suicide. It can easily eat out the internals of a 'Mech so badly that it will shred the pilot to pieces if they're in the cockpit. 100 shots @ 2 pts damage vs a max of 54 points of internal structure to completely eat out the internals of a 100 ton 'mech from side torso to cockpit. A few such internal explosions would, I hope, horrify your 'Mech's designers. Having to use tongs and a shop vac to remove the remains of what was a pilot (BT 'Mech "machineguns" are 20-25 MM) is an extremely unpleasant thing.

Spoiler

Nin Kei 01B

Mass: 20 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped IndustrialMech
Rules Level: Era Specific
Era: Age of War/Star League
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/F-F-X-A
Production Year: 2779
Cost: 803,516 C-Bills
Battle Value: 105

Construction Options: Fractional Accounting

Chassis: Unknown Industrial
Power Plant: Unknown 60 Fuel Cell Engine
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Commercial
Armament:
1 SRM-2
1 Small Laser (Insulated)
2 Machine Guns
1 Sprayer
1 Searchlight
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Industrial 33 points 4.000
Engine: Fuel-Cell Engine 60 1.800
Walking MP: 3
Running MP: 5
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 1 0.000
Gyro: Standard 1.000
Cockpit: Industrial w/ Adv. Fire Control 3.000
Power Amplifiers: 0.200
Actuators: L: SH+UA R: SH+UA
Armor: Commercial (BAR: 5) AV - 24 1.001

Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 7
Center Torso 6 3
Center Torso (rear) 0
L/R Torso 5 3
L/R Torso (rear) 0
L/R Arm 3 2
L/R Leg 4 2

================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Machine Guns RA 0 2 1.000
Searchlight RA 0 1 0.500
Sprayer LA 0 1 0.500
SRM-2 RT 2 1 1.000
(T) Small Laser (Insulated) LT 0 1 1.000
@Sprayer (Water) (10) LA - 1 1.000
@MG (1/2) (100) RT - 1 0.500
@SRM-2 (50) RT - 1 1.000
Mech Shoulder Turret LT - 1 0.100
Tracks * - 2 2.000
Free Critical Slots: 38

* Tracks occupy 1 slot in every leg location.

BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 0 Points: 1
3 1 1 0 0 1 0 Structure: 2
Special Abilities: SRCH, SRCH, EE

----

Nin Ken 02A

Inner Sphere CASE can't be mounted in non-torso locations. For that, you have to have CASE II, which isn't made until 3064 in the FWL and is an experimental Tech until far, FAR up the timeline. This is because CASE is a way of building armor (proper) and armor structures in an area in such a way that it "blows out" from the internal explosion. AFAI can tell, this is because IS CASE is simply too bulky and too complex to be put anywhere but the torsos (which have the most room to work with).

About CASE:

TechManual Pg. 210 said:

Introduced: 2476 (Terran Hegemony)
Extinct: 2840 (Inner Sphere)
Recovered: 3036 (Draconis Combine)

Developed as a damage-control technology in the event of catastrophic internal explosions, CASE ... became an intrinsic part of the armor system on BattleMechs, Combat Vehicles and fighters, intended to save crews and machines for later salvage. When heat or damage triggers an ammunition explosion in a CASE-protected location, specially designed blow-away panels direct the force of the explosion outward, through the rear of the machine.

CASE isn't really so much an "add in component" that can be swapped at will as it is a way of building armor.

FYI, Clan case is more advanced and streamlined - it can be used anywhere on a Clan 'mech, even the cockpit. In fact, it doesn't even eat critical spaces. Yeah, clanners get nice toys.

About the aforementioned CASE II; it's experimental even after it's in (really quite minimal) ... "production" :

Tactical Operations Pg. 275 said:

... Experimental-level equipment, meanwhile, has yet to reach mass production in the CBT universe because it is prohibitively expensive, extraordinarily sophisticated, exceedingly difficult to maintain or simply deemed too unreliable or restrictive for widespread deployment. Such items—including CASE II, independent Handheld Weapons, the Null-Signature System and Sub-Compact K-F Drives—may in fact only exist on drawing boards or in forgotten first Star League caches by the year 3075, and their appearance in game play should be kept rare by players interested in following a "canonical" campaign.

However, here's the way you "work around" IS CASE not being "arm/leg/head" mountable ... you put CASE in each side torso - which will save the CT and thus save the 'Mech and it's pilot, even if you're having to repair a "stick on legs." It's not ideal, but it's a LOT better than having to deal with picking up the red-stained chaff you'd have otherwise.

Hyper extending actuators - actually, this is for 'Mech arms, not legs - 'Mechs like the quickdraw can flip their arms to fire into the rear arc in spite of the fact that they have lower arm and hand actuators. You might try easy to pilot, which makes the 'Mech easier for low-skilled pilots to handle in rough terrain; that seems to be close to what you were going for.

About (non streak) SRM's - they chew through ammo like nobody's business. Make sure to have good modifiers before you fire them.

For some reason I can't figure out, I had a half a ton left over following your design stats, so for grins I swapped the SRM2 for a SRM4 taking the tradeoff of .5 tons less armor.

Spoiler

Nin Kei 02A

Mass: 20 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped IndustrialMech
Rules Level: Era Specific
Era: Age of War/Star League
Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/F-F-F-A
Production Year: 2782
Cost: 1,568,175 C-Bills
Battle Value: 215

Chassis: Unknown Industrial
Power Plant: Unknown 60 Fuel Cell Engine
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h (64.8 km/h)
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Commercial w/ CASE
Armament:
1 SRM-4
2 Machine Guns
1 Searchlight
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Industrial 33 points 4.00
Engine: Fuel-Cell Engine 60 2.00
Walking MP: 3
Running MP: 5 (6)
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 2 1.00
Gyro: Standard 1.00
Cockpit: Industrial w/ Adv. Fire Control 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA R: SH+UA
Armor: Commercial (BAR: 5) AV - 60 2.50
CASE Locations: 1 LT, 1 RT 1.00

Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 6 9
Center Torso (rear) 2
L/R Torso 5 7
L/R Torso (rear) 1
L/R Arm 3 5
L/R Leg 4 7

================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Machine Guns RA 0 2 1.00
Searchlight RA 0 1 0.50
SRM-4 LA 3 1 2.00
Supercharger CT - 1 0.50
@MG (1/2) (100) RT - 1 0.50
@SRM-4 (HS) (12) LT - 1 1.00
Free Critical Slots: 42

BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 1 Points: 2
4 1 1 0 0 1 0 Structure: 2
Special Abilities: SRCH, CASE, SRCH, EE

----

Nin Kei 03A

Good thing you went with an all energy design. By 2840 the ability to make CASE was lost to the IS; and because it's sort of not a component in the full traditional sense ... it's more of a way of building armor and structure sections ... nobody can really have spare "CASE" lying around. It's counted as extinct/irreplaceable. Yeah, the succession wars were really THAT freakishly total and nasty.

Being wholly uncreative I used five small lasers and Eseal just to fill the tonnage and sort of fit with what you metioned:

Spoiler

Nin Kei 03A

Mass: 20 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped IndustrialMech
Rules Level: Era Specific
Era: Succession Wars
Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/X-F-F-A
Production Year: 2841
Cost: 1,484,438 C-Bills
Battle Value: 218

Chassis: Unknown Industrial
Power Plant: Unknown 60 Fusion Engine
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h (64.8 km/h)
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Commercial
Armament:
5 Small Lasers
1 Searchlight
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Industrial 33 points 4.00
Engine: Fusion Engine 60 1.50
Walking MP: 3
Running MP: 5 (6)
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 10 0.00
Heat Sink Locations: 2 LT, 2 RT, 2 LA, 2 RA
Gyro: Standard 1.00
Cockpit: Industrial w/ Adv. Fire Control 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA R: SH+UA
Armor: Commercial (BAR: 5) AV - 69 3.00

Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 6 9
Center Torso (rear) 3
L/R Torso 5 8
L/R Torso (rear) 2
L/R Arm 3 6
L/R Leg 4 8

================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Small Lasers RA 2 2 1.00
Searchlight RA 0 1 0.50
Small Laser LA 1 1 0.50
Small Laser RT 1 1 0.50
Small Laser LT 1 1 0.50
Supercharger CT - 1 0.50
Environmental Sealing * - 8 0.00
Tracks * - 2 2.00
Free Critical Slots: 26

* The Environmental Sealing occupies 1 slot in every location.
* Tracks occupy 1 slot in every leg location.

BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 1 Points: 2
4 2 0 0 0 1 0 Structure: 2
Special Abilities: SRCH, ENE, SRCH, SEAL, SOA

----

SM-Bladegun:

Um, MML did something horrible to you - Gyros of ANY stripe take up a contiguous space. They inherently MUST be in one piece. Std gyro = 4 contiguous slots; they can't be split up. Also a reminder that TCpits means no eject possible (the engine and the "rib cage" is in the way!); but of course they have the super-upside of your pilot not being easily KO'ed by cockpit hits. If you don't think pilot KO can be annoying, pilot any mech you like vs, say, streak SRM carriers. Just one squad of grenadier Battle Armors can SRM-kill your pilot in a few turns. IS CASE in a leg - won't work, for the reasons mentioned earlier. Find some clanners and steal their 'Mechs! Worth re-mentioning - torso pit in an otherwise industrial 'mech; and anachronistic before 3064-5; I guess MML is just not doing any checking for when something has been built in the fiction.

"Rifle" (light, heavy, etc) is kind of an odd name, because it is probably the oldest 'tech in all of BT. Basically, it's genuinely a cannon, with a (comparatively) low rate of fire and pretty abysmal damage. "...rifles of all sizes must subtract 3 points of damage (to a minimum of 0) for successful attacks against any unit except for conventional infantry, battle armor, ’Mechs using Commercial Armor, or Support Vehicles with a BAR rating below 8." - Tactical Operations Pg. 338. I didn't pull it from the design, but I figured you might want to know about the lack of damage potential.

Spoiler

SM-Bladegun

Mass: 20 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped IndustrialMech
Rules Level: Era Specific
Era: Succession Wars
Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/X-F-X-A
Production Year: 2839
Cost: 814,048 C-Bills
Battle Value: 166

Chassis: Unknown Industrial
Power Plant: Unknown 40 Fuel Cell Engine
Walking Speed: 21.6 km/h
Maximum Speed: 32.4 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Commercial w/ CASE
Armament:
1 Light Rifle
1 Retractable Blade
1 Remote Sensor Dispenser
1 Cargo, Standard (0.5 tons)
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown

================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Industrial 33 points 4.00
Engine: Fuel-Cell Engine 40 1.50
Walking MP: 2
Running MP: 3
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 1 0.00
Gyro: Standard 1.00
Cockpit: Industrial 3.00
Ejection Seat: 0.50
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor: Commercial (BAR: 5) AV - 69 3.00
CASE Locations: 1 RT 0.50

Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 6 9
Center Torso (rear) 3
L/R Torso 5 8
L/R Torso (rear) 2
L/R Arm 3 6
L/R Leg 4 8

================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Light Rifle RA 1 1 3.00
Retractable Blade LA - 2 1.50
Remote Sensor Dispenser RT 0 1 0.50
Cargo, Standard (0.5 tons) LT 0 1 0.50
@Light Rifle (18) RT - 1 1.00
Free Critical Slots: 39

BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 1 Points: 2
2 1 1 0 0 1 0 Structure: 2
Special Abilities: MEL, SAW, CASE, SRCH, EE, ES

----

Don't forget to do a basic check of your planets within 1 jump. For instance, I've been batting around the idea of fluffing up a small 'Mech factory on Salem and found out that it's neighbor planet, victoria, actually has a highly reputed school producing ... engineers, how useful. I tried to find the USILR (socio-economic/etc.) stats for Nirasaki to see what the planet might import or export beyond computers (food, raw materials, other tech, you name it), but I couldn't find them. I presume it's got at least a "High" B Industrial & Technological Sophistication rating to be making and exporting computers; maybe even an "A" rating in both.

Here's what might turn out to be an obscenely useful link: https://www.google.c...2+-%22images%22 This should get you every reference to Nirasaki in the sarna wiki.

Whatever you do, don't miss this page if you haven't already seen it: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Nirasaki

"democracy vs. order" ... it rather boils down to what you mean by "democracy" and "order." Democracy originally meant and can mean simple raw mob rule - he with the most support wins. It's also used to mean something it never meant; rule by representatives elected by some sort of semi-democratic process (semi meaning limits on who can vote and/or be a representative). "Order" could be anything from crazy norkism (N. Korea) to "everyone being equal before the law." That was a fairly well edited AMV. Reminded me of "shellshock" by RubyEye in that right. Anyways, You have a thread worth chasing with the idea of general discontent over (what is viewed, rightly or wrongly) as "overly authoritarian/oppressive" government. Especially so with the DC ideal that the citizen (or non citizen) of the DC lives to ... serve the leader of the DC; and to do that they serve "the state." Individualism need not apply.

From the assistant line developer of BT, who is currently writing the new handbook for house kurita:

Handbook House Kurita Developer’s Blog 2 On November 21, 2014 said:

To control and channel the people, Shiro realized that he must mandate a person’s ideology, his view of the universe, and how he related to it. Shiro laid down the fundamental values that would inform all of Draconis society: Purity and Harmony. These principles appeared, in one form or another, as part of Shintoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism—the religions of ancient feudal Japan. Though purity and harmony may seem benign and transcendent in the abstract, what they came to mean in Draconian practice was harmony with the interests and intentions of the Kurita state and purity from any thoughts that contradicted those of the First Coordinator.

"On the Relations of Citizens with Enemies"
Citizens of the Draconis Combine are prohibited from having personal relations with enemies. To do so would deteriorate the moral fiber and strength of conviction that is so crucial to House Kurita. The Coordinator is the sole authority on defining the Dragon’s enemies. For a time and purpose, forces that have been in strife with the Combine may be declared a neutral power due to non-aggression pacts. While contact with such neutral powers is allowed, citizens are encouraged to refrain from relations unless they are vital to the Dragon’s welfare.

...

Middle Class
Draconis rulers are particularly attentive to the ideological state of the middle classes. Even if some faction within the nobility or the military were to seize control, the result would be a continuation of Kuritan society with new faces at the top. ...

...

If an individualistic cult takes root in the middle class, the leaders of House Kurita will spare no pains to eradicate it. These things are not tolerated in the middle class the way they often are among the Unproductives. A popular (and true) tale demonstrates their intolerance. In the late twenty-ninth century, a scholar of ancient Terran gaming practices, Professor Gerald Gore, wrote clandestine science fiction material based on scenarios from early strategy games. He invented a fictional “Maximum Universal Personality,” claiming a simple combination of computers and microwave cookery could determine and enhance each person’s “MUP Quotient.” When the authorities on Luthien realized an interstellar cult had grown up around Gore’s notions, the professor was microwaved and hundreds of his believers were either executed or sent to Filial Piety Centers.

http://bg.battletech...2%80%99s+Blog+2

I don't know if it has happened or not, but I suspect the people of nirasaki will be/have been crushed into conformity by the DC culture and government. As a hook for that, you might consider that the state would look to close down any free societies doing things that the state doesn't like; you can expect nirasaki had more than a few such non-mandatory social structures... Etc, etc. The planet might be a sort of hot-bed for individualistic "problems" like secret societies and just general dislike for conformism.

It is truly no wonder that the DC has (IMO) had the easiest time learning to interact with the clans. Even some of their combat ROE's were similar at the time of the initial clan invasion. Hidebound and conformist understands ... hidebound and conformist, even if they don't agree with what to be hidebound and conformist about!

Edited by Pht, 09 December 2014 - 12:12 PM.

[Nathan Foxbane]

Pht, on 09 December 2014 - 11:47 AM, said:

Things that would make Alice from wonderland say HUH??? Even WITH a small cockpt in an industrial mech that STILL only leaves two free spaces in the head. The picture shows three things collectively using three crits in the head: searchlight, recon camera, ejection seat. Well, it should, anyways. The ejection seat shows in the CT section; which is physically impossible (remember, "ct" is abstract, it's the area containing the engine and gyro)... the ejection seat ... is ... um... THE COCKPIT SEAT. Wow, that's odd that it let it go into the CT. MMLab apparently lets you get away with square-spheres that are also non-fried eggs and fried eggs at the same time and in the same place ... just ... tech-murder. On the upside, though, if you drop one heatsink and use an I-Mech cockpit you can *still* put everything into the design you have; you just have to move the Recon Camera and Searchlight out of the "head." Just a note, proper battlemech cockpits are VERY streamlined compared to I-'Mech cockpits. I-'Mech cockpits are full of manual controls not present and unnecessary in BattleMech cockpits.

Probably the searchlight screwing things up. Since it has to have a location if mounted an Battle/Industrialmech it is free in terms of criticals and weight.

Edited by Nathan Foxbane, 10 December 2014 - 03:19 PM.

[Koniving]

Gotta remember, Crit-rules don't always match the intent. For example it is proven again and again in BT builds that placement on the criticals doesn't necessarily reflect placement on the mech.
For example, the Behemoth.
On its CT there is a turret mounted with a single barrel. From this one barrel, two Gauss Rifles can fire, though they can be fired in the same turn they will rarely hit the same body part, meaning they are rarely fired at the same time (if ever). Still, despite the ST-mounted Gauss Rifles crits, it is explained that only their chargers are in the STs, each feed to the CT (which has no split crits I might add) to fire from the turret.

Is that what actually happens in BT? Only if we use the fluff, otherwise it from the BT crit assignment table it just magically has two gauss cannons on the side torsos and no CT turret.

There's the Atlas K, C, and S-2 who each have a line of ten missile tubes on each side torso, but only an LRM-20 in the left torso according to the crit table that they feed from. Supposedly if you destroy the right torso, the left torso just works twice as hard to fire the appropriate number of missiles. Why was it designed like this? Quite simply, the Gauss Rifle / AC/20 in the designs made it difficult to do twin LRM-10s while keeping the fluff-friendly ammo configurations and so on. So it's an LRM-20 that fires from both torsos despite being assigned to the left. Of course, without the officially intended fluff we'd assume that it and all Atlases with LRM-20s can fire 20 missiles at once, even though Atlases D, D-DC, RS and some others can only lob 5 missiles at a time, producing 20 in a 10 second time period that still have the time necessary to reach the target.

Then there's jumpjets. A Gyro has a series of spinning wheels, but no matter the centripetal force it cannot be explained how any mech built with 12 JJs on the left side can do a balanced jump that went off to that mech's left, when physics dictate that it should veer right (and not be balanced). Often, JJs get assigned in places that conflict with the art. Sometimes a single jumpjet is on a mech with three thrusters, or 5 jumpjets on a mech with two thrusters. Personally if I were designing the game a jumpjet would have two criticals; the fuel-container which refuels after each jump and the jumpjet thruster array itself. The point, though, is that I've learned to take assignment crits to not be as literal as the paper takes it.

Crit a JJ through the cockpit? You just disabled its controls or ruptured its feed line; it just happens they placed it near the hatch. BT has dozens of examples of unusual placement of objects. For example regardless of whether an object is mounted on the inside or the outside, it still consumes space on the assignment table. Detachable weapon arrays such as the Thunderbolt or Wolverine's guns (which have their own armor; and sadly are not in megamek) are treated this way, even though said guns have their own armor and are added to the to-hit table.

Also, for the Nameless security industrial mech I'm using the ruleset for a Torso Mounted Cockpit, which puts Life Support in the Side Torsos, Torso Mounted Cockpit in the CT (and sensors), and another setup of sensors in the head. It is literally locked with the options as I'd prefer to take the sensors out of the CT (and I'd love to do without the consumption of 2 extra tons; seriously 2 extra tons to have the cockpit be in the CT! The locked placement of Torso Mounted cockpit and the one unit of Sensors prevents me from placing the Ejection seat in the torso. All this setup really tells me is that if things go south and the head is destroyed, while the mech is still functional I will not be able to eject as the mechanism for deploying the seat will have been destroyed.

The CT itself is the cockpit, not the head. With the option Torso Mounted Cockpit ticked, the Head is considered a separate limb. For example it could be a large turret to mount AC/2s on or an LRM-10. This is why there are so many crit slots free in the head.

Edit:
Side note... The Searchlight for some reason takes 0.5 tons for one. It also takes 0.5 tons for 2 but I didn't want two of them.

Edited by Koniving, 10 December 2014 - 04:05 PM.

[Koniving]

So I'm back and read through a few more things in greater detail.

I noticed the Nirsaki information differs from Megamek's information only about half-way through. Where Megamek's info cuts off at about the half point here, then jumps to 3135's details, PHT's relayed info continues a bit further with the 3050-era info. Very useful; the Utilitarian information actually helps with the plot development I'm going for.

Pht, on 07 December 2014 - 08:51 AM, said:

What I have ATM on Nirasaki is in the spoiler fold below:

Spoiler

Nirasaki was settled by communal idealists who hoped to create a perfect society, in which everyone would live in harmony in the virtual absence of government or a policing force. The experiment was only partially successful, as infighting between settlers and the early colonists' insistence on barter-based trade made it difficult to deal with other worlds for needed goods. Eventually, a basic planetary government, structured as a loose coalition of the various communes on Kalifax and Ouanii, Nirasaki's two largest continents, was established. Based on democratic principles, the Nirasaki government required a simple majority vote for any decisions affecting a planetary region or interplanetary relations and helped create a basic planetary economy based on work credits and a standard for determining the relative values of products and services. Beyond these basic functions, which included an emergency powers clause in case of an external threat, the Nirasaki government had no other authority. Farms, cattle ranches, fishing communities and artistic communes made up the bulk of Nirasaki's population until the rise of the Star League. Though Nirasaki was left to its semi-anarchistic government under the Hegemony, the planet began to draw the attention of entrepreneurs. However, few corporate entities could make headway on Nirasaki, due to lax government practices and the work credits system, until the native Nirasaki Computers Collective was founded in the large Blue Heron Commune. The NCC developed computer systems of astonishing efficiency and quality, including the famous Blue Lotus personal computer line, which was cutting edge in the Star League's day. For this reason, the Hegemony contracted the NCC to develop software for use in the Space Defense Systems throughout its holdings. As it happened, the NCC did its job too well in this regard. When the Amaris coup took place, the brightest minds of the Collective were forcibly relocated to Terra, and their work pitted the liberating SLDF forces against SDS networks that used some of the most sophisticated pseudo-artificial intelligence ever produced. It wasn't until years later, when returning SLDF forces uncovered technical specs hidden away for their benefit in the abandoned NCC headquarters, that their artful programming was defeated and the worlds Amaris had turned into deadly gauntlets were retaken. Though the NCC itself never revived after the fall of the League, its former offices and production facilities were eventually taken over by Blue Heron Computers, today a major producer of the Blue Lotus portable compads and noteputers used throughout the Inner Sphere. Nirasaki's government is more utilitarian now, a result of centuries under the Dragon's rule. It includes a planetary police force and a local militia, both based in the capital city of Elusian on the Kalifax continent. The Blue Heron Commune, one of the many cities that still hold to the traditions of communal existence, is located on the southern peninsula of Ouanii. Nirasaki's third major landmass, Arkatis, is in the planet's south polar region and is home to the Nirasaki Communications Community, a planet wide information and entertainment company based in the city of Arkatis' Unity.

Systems within a jump:

Al Na'ir (29 ly)

Altair (27 ly)

Athenry (20 ly)

Deneb Algedi (8 ly)

Dieron (23 ly)

Errai (24 ly)

Fomalhaut (21 ly)

Kervil (26 ly)

Nashira (21 ly)

Northwind (23 ly)

Pike IV (25 ly)

Quentin (13 ly)

Saffel (12 ly)

Styx (11 ly)

Telos IV (23 ly)

Within 2 jumps of Terra (48 ly)

Nathan Foxbane, on 03 December 2014 - 09:16 PM, said:

Gast Guns are pretty cool designs, no third barrel needed and really are pretty much just two guns fused together to achieve a higher rate of fire.

I like the use of "chicken walker" legs or digitigrade (The Ostrich legs, real chicken legs work the same, but the feathers hide it) on the tracked chassis because means conversion requires less balancing, the 'Mech just leans forward a little as it settles onto back mounted tracks. Real no frills style design.

I'm reconsidering the GAST Gun design, it seems to make good sense as well as the design I had in mind. My only issue is that I'm afraid that people will simply think they are two separate MGs. Though this other aspect can change, it also conflicts with using 1 being extra accurate and using the second being standard accuracy.

-----

I'm currently reading up (in fuller detail) on PHT's next post.

To quickly note: The Gyro split is also beyond my control, it just happens with a torso mounted cockpit option. From testing in megamek combat it is still a single gyro. I've noticed that a TMC option also adds +1 to piloting and accuracy (making it more difficult).

I've been wanting Communications Equipment but it's been hell trying to find the tonnage for it. Seems to use the RMS I'll need it (or at least one fielded unit that has it. Hm. If a different unit can monitor it, perhaps a Command Car with said equipment would be good. It was already planned to have the mechs supported by ground vehicles). Will need to test this.

On the SM layout using the small cockpit, I was just looking to make it 'cramped'. The Ejection Seat is mounted CT in that layout, however to reflect the pilot is actually in the CT. So there were only 2 things are in the head, the Recon and Searchlight.

Later reworking it I made it a Torso Mounted Cockpit which puts the pilot in the CT. The later redesign was forced to put the ejection seat into the head (despite the pilot being in the CT, due to crit consumption). Explained in detail within my previous post using the Behemoth, Atlases K, S2 and C as just a few examples of FASA / WizKidz having liberal crit placement to 'create' unique things.

Testing has proven this to be interesting; ejection is possible while the head exists. One character when the torso mounted cockpit is critted was forced to eject. If the head is destroyed the pilot is unable to eject; we can assume on a fluff basis that this is because pieces of the head are in the way and it'd kill the pilot or other reasons. A second character, whose head was destroyed, was unable to eject due to the Ejection Seat itself being crit during the head destruction.

Thus, even with a crit to the Ejection Seat, the pilot is not harmed; and why would an ejection seat be 0.5 tons, unless it was more of the apparatuses relating to the ejection seat including charges to open the machine and a propellant to launch the seat rather than simply a chair in a cockpit.

Far as entry and exit, it could easily be a hatch in the back rather than the chest opening, ultimately that part won't matter far as the plot goes.

Reading later into your post during Nin-Kei 01A...

Quote

About the cockpit and torso mounting - you don't need to have "torso mounted" to actually have the cockpit be somewhat "in the torso." Think Marauder. As always, the locations on the hit-table are abstract. "Torso mounted" actually means the cockpit is behind the torso armor, torso internal structures ("rib cage" in a humanoid) and in DIRECT proximity with the engine and gyro. "Torso mounted" cockpits don't have nor need viewports of any type, they actually have extra sensor equipment spread out across the 'Mech and thus can function with an extra sensor hit. Also, 'Mech pilots do NOT use their viewports as their primary information and piloting source. All of that info is displayed on a HUD in the cockpit with 360' of visual/other sensor info compressed into 160' or so degrees. BattleMechs are information-rich combat units that are not "blind" in any direction.

That's essentially what I envisioned for the SM-Temp / SM-GunBlade [the nameless humanoid mechs based on Patlabor]. So I've gathered it'll be unnecessary to do for the Nin Keis. The emphasis on stating those cockpits, however, was more for the artistic aspect (like having the cockpit on the body rather than on a head, in case if someone tries to draw concepts for me.)

----

Far as the Nin Kei, current redesigns are using a 1 ton liquid storage container as a place holder for sprayer ammo (...for some reason it simply isn't available). I understand Sprayers use Sprayer ammo, but there simply 'is no sprayer ammo' to choose and put on at the moment in Megamek.

For the fire fighting prototype: Interesting that fluid suction uses a storage tank though but I had figured on it. It was mainly placed with the idea that it would suck up fluid, pump it to the storage tank, and allow the sprayer to spray it as a paper-only "this is kinda what it is."

Nin Kei 01B: Your Rocket Launcher history is backwards.

The weapon first appeared in recognizable form on Terra during the Terran Alliance collapse. These early Rocket Launchers were (from thirty-first century perspective) considered primitive. Rocket Launchers were first fielded by warring Terran political factions trying gain control of the planet and the Alliance itself. After Admiral McKenna's coup, the weapon fell out of use and became exinct.[4]

Sarna under Rocket Launcher:

"In the early twenty-ninth century, the warring Pentagon Powers of the former Star League in Exile also developed and used primitive rocket launcher systems.[5] They were identical to Terran Allaince's Primitive launchers."

The 29th century. Considering that 1900 is considered the 20th century, then 2800 is the 29th century. From Wikipedia:"The 29th century of the Anno Domini (common era) will span from January 1, 2801–December 31, 2900 of the Gregorian calendar."

Continuing from Sarna:

"The first modern version of the Rocket Launcher was developed by the Marian Hegemony in 3064[6] from Man-Portable Rocket Launchers as a simple and crude replacement for other weaponry types in the more low-tech regions of the Periphery. These weapons were largely forgotten until the modern systems were re-introduced by the Marian Hegemony, but the new version had an even worse guidance system than its predecessors.[7]

These weapons were soon fitted on BattleMechs, and by the Jihad would see wide spread use among the Inner Sphere powers."

Primitive rocket launchers existed in the 29th century. 'Modern' Rocket Launchers began in 3064. I did do a little research on it before choosing it. The tech was merely 'mostly forgotten'. But on a planet that at the time did not have a military force, they wouldn't really have much access to missiles. But a primitive rocket launcher, that could be made by any culture with gun powder as real history has shown. Hence the choice.

Hyper Extending Actuators, I seemed to have attributed this feature: "The second were its highly-articulate ankle actuators, which not only allowed the Quickdraw keep its footing more easily on difficult terrain such as gravel, mud and ice, but also traverse gradients up to 12° steeper than other 'Mechs of its weight class" with the Hyper Extending Actuators. It's sort of not possible to test with certaintry however. So the one without tracks would have 'Highly Articulate' ankle actuators, but sadly I haven't found that trait.

---------

The additional information on the Kuritan society is very, very useful. It allows me to believe that by 3035, the conditions are even more ideological for my scenario than I had already envisioned. It does, however, add extra strain on the merc unit element as well as narrow any reasons for involving them to be purely for bad and/or scape-goat political reasons.

--------

I figured out how to get Skunkwerks to work and I see it has an export feature. I'll see if that helps me get Sprayer ammo and a few other things worked out.

Using type Industrial grants me exclusively industrial stuff and still lets me use the torso mounted cockpit system in the Clan Invasion era or if I state all eras... so I'll be thinking on their dates. It will be handy for SM-Temp and its variants.

Nin Kei however counted as a Battlemech from the get-go with Endo Steel in Megamek and had to be manually set to No Ejection. I'm able to rebuild the current design for the Nin Kei 01A without any trouble at all. With Succession Wars era set (2801 to 3050), I'm able to select primitive rocket launchers ranging from Rocket Launcher 10 PP to 20 PP (where Megamek only has Primitive Rocket Launcher 15, and Rocket Launchers 10, 15, 20 as well as RLs 10 PP, 15 PP, and 20 PP).

Evidently 'primative' and 'Pentagon Powers' RLs are a bit different, but they are essentially the same thing and interchangeable, the difference is simply Primative launchers came from Earth during the Terra Alliance days (from 2086 to whenever) and the PP models come from the periphery in the early 29th centuroy (2800s), but are effectively degraded versions of the originals with even less accuracy.

Still, the new redesigns almost entirely work in SkunkWerks. I do note that in order to ditch the XL gyro I had to strip the JJ from all the Nin Kei builds anyway.

Edited by Koniving, 13 December 2014 - 08:55 AM.

[Koniving]

So I tested the old versus new designs of the SM-Temp model.
The original, unaltered SM-Temp versus the new Torso Mounted designs. Results were interesting!
3 pilots from the plot were used, each possessing their own traits and characteristics. Each was given its own bot personality. These were then duplicated for the Torso Mounted versions, with each version having identical Mech Quirks.

Depicted below: Note that at various attempts I've sat with no mechs, sometimes with mechs coming in by round X, etc.


The Bots using the original SM-Temp models are "Name-Old"
The Bots using the new torso mounted cockpit are "Name-New."

Attempts one through three were done in Solaris Arenas with morphing terrain/pillars.
Bot only testing:
Old SM-temp versus new Torso Mounted Cockpit SM-temps (of significantly inferior BV).

Attempt 1: Round 125, stalemate declared. (I wasn't holding any units so the AI really tore through it pretty fast).
Remaining units: Ota old versus Tai New
Both mechs unable to continue battle due to immobility and lack of sight lines created by pillar raising Ota out of sight.
Last kill: Tai New - killed Noa Old while prone and immobile, just before a pillar emerged to block off sight lines. Performed on turn 51, 510 to 519 seconds into battle.

Attempt 2: Torso-Mounted units decided to do friendly fire. Turns out I forgot to set their teams correctly. Aborted.

Attempt 3:
Rounds 3 through 6. Noticing the lack of melee combat, saddened. Of interesitng note: Round 6, Ota-New picks up Tai-New in a bot-driven rescue attempt in mid-combat! Heroic!
Round 7, Noa-New who had ejected has to make skill checks to avoid being bogged down in a heavy rain in light gale-force winds. Succeeds.
Round 7, Noa-New is picked up and rescued by Ota-New in mid-combat, around the same time Ota-New's right arm armor is completely stripped from enemy fire, in the midst of heavy smoke from SRM-2 smoke missiles.
Round 8, Noa-Old, Ota-Old and Tai-Old have cornered Ota-New. Machine gun fire ensues. Ota-New does not return fire; Why?
Round 8, Noa-Old and Tai-Old have begun physical attacks. Spot Wielders arms used for punching (c'mon, no using it for zapping?) Crit hit on Life Support (LT). Crit hits on Engine and Sensors. Ota-new is conscious, is he refusing to fight because he is carrying both Noa New and Tai New?
Round 8, Ota-New has to make another roll to avoid critical damage due to physical attack. Cargo section is critted.
Round 9. Ota is again using weapons. Why did he stop? Defeat ensues: Ota-New dies. Noa-New and Tai-New are trapped in wreckage.

Spoiler

Weapons fire for SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New)
Machine Gun at SecurityMech SM-temp #3 (Tai-Old); needs 4, rolls 7 : - Direct Blow - hits RL
SecurityMech SM-temp #3 (Tai-Old) takes 3 damage to RL.
2 Armor remaining.


SRM 2 (Smoke ammo) at SecurityMech SM-temp #3 (Tai-Old); needs 9, rolls 10 : hits the intended hex 0808.
Heavy smoke fills 0808!

Weapons fire for SecurityMech SM-temp #3 (Tai-Old)
Machine Gun at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New); needs 7, rolls 5 : misses

Machine Gun at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New); needs 7, rolls 7 : - Glancing Blow - hits CT
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) takes 1 damage to CT.
2 Internal Structure remaining
Critical hit on CT. Roll is 11; 2 locations.
CRITICAL HIT on Engine.
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) has taken 1 engine hits this phase.
Checking for engine explosion on 7, roll is 3.
Engine safety systems remain in place.
CRITICAL HIT on Engine.
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) has taken 2 engine hits this phase.
Checking for engine explosion on 4, roll is 8.
***The safety systems on the engine fail catastrophically resulting in a cascading engine failure!
*** SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) DESTROYED by engine explosion! ***
*** MechWarrior Tai-i Axamuk Themba (Tai-New) was trapped in the wreckage. ***
*** MechWarrior Hojuhei Noa Izumi (Noa-New) was trapped in the wreckage. ***


SRM 2 (Smoke ammo) at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New); needs 4, rolls 10 : - Direct Blow - hits the intended hex 0807.
Heavy smoke fills 0807!

Weapons fire for SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old)
Machine Gun at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New); needs 9, rolls 9 : - Glancing Blow - hits RT
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) takes 1 damage to RT.
2 Armor remaining.


Machine Gun at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New); needs 9, rolls 7 : misses

SRM 2 (Smoke ammo) at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New); needs 11, rolls 6 : misses and scatters to hex 0606.
Heavy smoke fills 0807!

Weapons fire for SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old)
Machine Gun at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New); needs 3, rolls 8 : - Direct Blow - hits RA
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) takes 3 damage to RA.
SECTION DESTROYED,
Critical hit on RA. Roll is (4+3) = 7; no effect.


Machine Gun at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New); needs 3, rolls 9 : - Direct Blow - hits LL
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) takes 4 damage to LL.
Armor destroyed, 1 Internal Structure remaining
Critical hit on LL. Roll is (6+4) = 10; 1 location.
CRITICAL HIT on Lower Leg.


SRM 2 (Smoke ammo) at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New); needs 8, rolls 8 : - Glancing Blow - hits the intended hex 0807.
Heavy smoke fills 0807!

----------
Victory, old designs.

Final Scene:

Attempts 4 through 6 were made without me queued to drop 'eventually' in them so they zipped and zoomed, when completed it was usually in favor of the original designs, though Attempt 5 ended in favor of the new designs due to initially separated units of both sides having an encounter in the city where 2 'New' designs encountered a single 'Old' design, quickly reducing it to 2 Old versus 3 New and from there it was an MWO-style ROFLstomp.

Attempt 7 I had myself queued for a drop on round 30 so I could tick away 'Done' after reading.

The notes:
Attempt 7. 2 versus 2, Noa / Ota old SM-temp versus Noa / Ota new SM-temp with torso cockpit
Round 5, a 5 damage blow allows a critical hit; Crit to Torso Mounted Cockpit causes Noa-New to eject. Noa makes it.
Round 6: Noa-New attempts Infantry Autorifle. Hits Noa-Old. Zero damage dealt.
Round 7: Noa-New's Rifle hits again. No damage.
Round 7: "MechWarrior Hojuhei Noa Izumi (Noa-New) has been picked up by SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old)." Arrested!
Round 8: Ota-New's head is destroyed, Ejection is no longer possible (since the crit for the ejection seat is in the head). Ota-New's mech is still functional due to torso mounted cockpit. Without the head mounted camera, fluff dictates that Ota-New's controls and seat elevate to allow him to see outside with his head physically 'out there' like a commander's tank hatch.
Round 10: Ota-New successfully destroys Noa-Old's right arm. Noa-New is dropped!
Round 11: Logic issue discovered with Ota-New bot; continuing to attack his original target even though original target is combat ineffective at range.
Round 11: Noa-Old and Ota-New engage in melee!

Spoiler

Physical Attack Phase
-------------------
Roll #9035 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 5, 2
Roll #9036 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 3, 5
Roll #9037 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 5, 3
Roll #9038 - range: [1,6], result: 10, rolls: 4, 6

Physical attacks for SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old)
Punch (Left Arm) at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New); needs 2, rolls 7 : - Direct Blow - Roll #9039 - range: [1,6], result: 2
hits (using Punch table) LT
Roll #9040 - range: [1,6], result: 1
Roll #9041 - range: [1,6], result: 6, rolls: 3, 3
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) takes 4 damage to LT.
1 Internal Structure remaining
Critical hit on LT. Roll is (6+3) = 9; 1 location.
CRITICAL HIT on Life Support.


Physical attacks for SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New)
Punch (Left Arm) at SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old); needs 5, rolls 8 : - Direct Blow - Roll #9050 - range: [1,6], result: 2
hits (using Punch table) LT
Roll #9051 - range: [1,6], result: 3
Roll #9052 - range: [1,6], result: 9, rolls: 4, 5
Roll #9053 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 4, 4
Roll #9055 - range: [1,6], result: 3, rolls: 2, 1
SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) takes 3 damage to LT.
1 Internal Structure remaining
Critical hit on LT. Roll is (9+3) = 12; 2 locations.
Location is empty, so criticals transfer to CT.
CRITICAL HIT on Standard Gyro.
CRITICAL HIT on Engine.
SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) has taken 1 engine hits this phase.
Checking for engine explosion on 10, roll is 3.
Engine safety systems remain in place.
Checking for fuel leak on 8. Rolls is 8.
ICE-Engine is leaking fuel.

Roll #9056 - range: [1,6], result: 5, rolls: 2, 3

SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) must make 1 piloting skill roll(s) (gyro hit).
The base target is 1 [1 (Base piloting skill)].
Roll #1, (1 (Base piloting skill) + 3 (gyro hit)); needs 4, rolls 5 : succeeds.
Heat Phase
-------------------
SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) gains 2 heat, sinks 1 heat and is now at 3 heat.
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) gains 2 heat, sinks 1 heat and is now at 5 heat.
Roll #9057 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 3, 5
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 needs a 10+ for coolant failure, rolls 8 : avoids successfully!
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) gains 0 heat, sinks 1 heat and is now at 5 heat.
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) has 1 or higher heat and damaged life support. Mechwarrior takes 1 damage.
Roll #9058 - range: [1,6], result: 5, rolls: 1, 4
Pilot of SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) "Go-cho Ota Isao" takes 1 damage.
Pilot of SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) "Go-cho Ota Isao" needs a 3 to stay conscious. Rolls 6 : successful!
Roll #9059 - range: [1,6], result: 5, rolls: 4, 1
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 needs a 10+ for coolant failure, rolls 5 : avoids successfully!

Control Rolls
-------------------

End Phase
-------------------
Roll #9060 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 5, 2
Roll #9061 - range: [1,6], result: 9, rolls: 6, 3
Roll #9062 - range: [1,6], result: 10, rolls: 5, 5
Roll #9063 - range: [1,6], result: 6, rolls: 5, 1
Roll #9064 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 2, 5
Roll #9065 - range: [1,6], result: 3
SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) needs to avoid critical damage due to being hit by a physical attack.
Roll #9066 - range: [1,6], result: 11, rolls: 5, 6
Roll #9067 - range: [1,6], result: 10, rolls: 4, 6
Critical hit on LA. Roll is (10+2) = 12; 2 locations.
CRITICAL HIT on Lower Arm.
CRITICAL HIT on Upper Arm.
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) needs to avoid critical damage due to being hit by a physical attack.
Roll #9074 - range: [1,6], result: 9, rolls: 5, 4
Roll #9075 - range: [1,6], result: 9, rolls: 5, 4
Critical hit on LL. Roll is (9+2) = 11; 2 locations.
CRITICAL HIT on Upper Leg.
CRITICAL HIT on Foot.
Roll #9080 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 3, 4
Roll #9081 - range: [1,6], result: 1
Roll #9082 - range: [1,6], result: 9, rolls: 5, 4
Roll #9083 - range: [1,6], result: 4
Roll #9084 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 6, 2
Roll #9085 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 2, 5
Roll #9086 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 6, 1

SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) must make 2 piloting skill roll(s) (leg/foot actuator hit; leg/foot actuator hit).
The base target is 8 [6 (Base piloting skill) + 1 (Torso-Mounted Cockpit) + 1 (fatigue)].
Roll #1, (6 (Base piloting skill) + 1 (Torso-Mounted Cockpit) + 1 (fatigue) + 1 (leg/foot actuator hit) + 1 (leg/foot actuator hit)); needs 10, rolls 7 : falls.
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) falls on its front, suffering 2 damage.
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) takes 2 damage to LL.
0 Armor remaining.

Pilot of SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) "Go-cho Ota Isao" must roll 10 to avoid damage; rolls 8 : fails.
Pilot of SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) "Go-cho Ota Isao" takes 1 damage.
Pilot of SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) "Go-cho Ota Isao" needs a 5 to stay conscious. Rolls 8 : successful!


SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) must make 1 piloting skill roll(s) (ICE-Engine Industrial Mech failed a PSR).
The base target is 6 [6 (Base piloting skill)].
Roll #1, (Base piloting skill); needs 6, rolls 7 : succeeds.

Round 12: Ota-New successfully takes out Noa-Old! He dies in the process. Head was destroyed earlier, no ejection.
Of interesting note: Noa-Old's engine has stalled.

Spoiler

Weapon Attack Phase
-------------------
Roll #9114 - range: [1,6], result: 4, rolls: 2, 2
Roll #9115 - range: [1,6], result: 12, rolls: 6, 6, 2 (Keep 2 highest rolls)
Roll #9116 - range: [1,6], result: 11, rolls: 6, 5, 2 (Keep 2 highest rolls)
Roll #9117 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 4, 3, 2 (Keep 2 highest rolls)
Roll #9118 - range: [1,6], result: 10, rolls: 5, 5, 4 (Keep 2 highest rolls)
Roll #9119 - range: [1,6], result: 5
Roll #9120 - range: [1,6], result: 5
Roll #9121 - range: [1,6], result: 6, rolls: 2, 4
Roll #9122 - range: [1,6], result: 4
Roll #9123 - range: [1,6], result: 11, rolls: 5, 6
Roll #9126 - range: [1,6], result: 4
Roll #9127 - range: [1,6], result: 9, rolls: 3, 6
Roll #9152 - range: [1,6], result: 4
Roll #9153 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 4, 3
Roll #9154 - range: [1,6], result: 2, rolls: 1, 1
Roll #9155 - range: [1,6], result: 5, rolls: 3, 2
Roll #9156 - range: [1,6], result: 5
Roll #9157 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 3, 4
Roll #9158 - range: [1,6], result: 5
Roll #9159 - range: [1,6], result: 5, rolls: 4, 1
Roll #9161 - range: [1,6], result: 12, rolls: 6, 6
Weapons fire for SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old)
SRM 2 (Smoke ammo) at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New); needs 9, rolls 4 : misses and scatters to hex 0917.
Heavy smoke fills 1414!

Weapons fire for SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New)
Machine Gun at SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old); needs 2, rolls 12 : - Direct Blow - hits RT
SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) takes 4 damage to RT.
Armor destroyed, 4 Internal Structure remaining
Critical hit on RT. Roll is (11+5) = 16; 3 locations.
CRITICAL HIT on Half Machine Gun Ammo (98).
*** Half Machine Gun Ammo EXPLODES! 196 DAMAGE! ***
SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) takes 196 damage to RT.
SECTION DESTROYED,
remaining 192 damage prevented by CASE.
Critical hit on RT. Roll is (9+6) = 15; 3 locations.
CRITICAL HIT on +SRM 2.
CRITICAL HIT on SRM 2 Smoke Ammo (46).
*** SRM 2 Smoke Ammo EXPLODES! 92 DAMAGE! ***
SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) takes 92 damage to RT.
remaining 92 damage prevented by CASE.

Pilot of SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) "Hojuhei Noa Izumi" takes 2 damage.
Pilot of SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) "Hojuhei Noa Izumi" needs a 3 to stay conscious. Rolls 7 : successful!

Pilot of SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) "Hojuhei Noa Izumi" needs a 5 to stay conscious. Rolls 2 : blacks out.

Location has no more hittable critical slots.

Pilot of SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) "Hojuhei Noa Izumi" takes 2 damage.
Location has no more hittable critical slots.


SRM 2 (Smoke ammo) at SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old); needs 6, rolls 11 : - Direct Blow - hits the intended hex 1415.
Heavy smoke fills 1415!

Weapons fire for SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old)
Machine Gun at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New); needs 4, rolls 7 : - Direct Blow - hits RL
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) takes 3 damage to RL.
2 Armor remaining.


Machine Gun at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New); needs 4, rolls 10 : - Direct Blow - hits CT
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) takes 4 damage to CT.
Armor destroyed, 4 Internal Structure remaining
Critical hit on CT. Roll is (5+4) = 9; 1 location.
CRITICAL HIT on Engine.
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) has taken 1 engine hits this phase.
Checking for engine explosion on 8, roll is 12.
***The safety systems on the engine fail catastrophically resulting in a cascading engine failure!
*** SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New) DESTROYED by engine explosion! ***



Roll #9162 - range: [1,6], result: 2
Roll #9163 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 1, 6
Roll #9164 - range: [1,6], result: 2
Roll #9165 - range: [1,6], result: 1
Roll #9166 - range: [1,6], result: 6, rolls: 1, 5
Roll #9167 - range: [1,6], result: 11, rolls: 6, 5

SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) must make 1 piloting skill roll(s) and automatically fails (Pilot unconscious).
SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) falls on its right side, suffering 2 damage.
SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) takes 2 damage to RT.
2 damage transfers to CT.
SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) takes 2 damage to CT.
4 Internal Structure remaining
Critical hit on CT. Roll is (6+2) = 8; no effect.

Pilot of SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) "Hojuhei Noa Izumi" cannot avoid damage.
Pilot of SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) "Hojuhei Noa Izumi" takes 1 damage.

SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) must make 1 piloting skill roll(s) (ICE-Engine Industrial Mech failed a PSR).
The base target is Impossible [Pilot unconscious].
Roll #1, (Pilot unconscious); needs Impossible, rolls 11 : falls. Engine stalled!


Heat Phase
-------------------
SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) gains 2 heat, sinks 1 heat and is now at 4 heat.
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) gains 0 heat, sinks 1 heat and is now at 4 heat.

Control Rolls
-------------------

End Phase
-------------------
Roll #9168 - range: [1,6], result: 5, rolls: 2, 3
Smoke cloud at 1414 dissipates completely!
Roll #9169 - range: [1,6], result: 6, rolls: 5, 1
Smoke cloud at 1414 dissipates completely!
Roll #9170 - range: [1,6], result: 5, rolls: 2, 3
Smoke cloud at 1316 dissipates completely!
Roll #9171 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 4, 4
Roll #9172 - range: [1,6], result: 12, rolls: 6, 6
Heavy smoke cloud drifts to 1414 and dissipates to light smoke.
Roll #9173 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 5, 2
Roll #9174 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 1, 6
Roll #9175 - range: [1,6], result: 6
SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) needs to avoid critical damage due to falling 1 levels.
Roll #9176 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 6, 1
Roll #9177 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 5, 3
Roll #9179 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 4, 3
Critical hit on CT. Roll is (8+3) = 11; 2 locations.
CRITICAL HIT on Engine.
SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) has taken 1 engine hits this phase.
Checking for engine explosion on 7, roll is 7.
***The safety systems on the engine fail catastrophically resulting in a cascading engine failure!
*** SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old) DESTROYED by engine explosion! ***
*** MechWarrior Hojuhei Noa Izumi (Noa-New) was trapped in the wreckage. ***
Location has no more hittable critical slots.

Round 12, continued: A fuel leak in the ICE Engine soon turned into engine explosion. Noa Izumi (Noa-Old) is trapped in the wreckage but alive!
Round ??: Noa-New died, unknown cause? Did she die when she was dropped? Unknown.
Round 30, Koniving is deployed in a Noa Torso mounted cockpit version of SM-temp, with prone automatically employed as a 'Spectator that just decides to act'.

Round 32, Kon's Noa turns and sprints on asphault into woods without issue. Ota-Old fires twice with his incredible gunnery skills. Hits once, Direct blow. The trees absorb some damage.

Spoiler

Weapons fire for SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old)
Machine Gun at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #3 (Koniving); needs 5, rolls 8 : - Direct Blow - hits RT

The wooded hex absorbs 2 damage. SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #3 (Koniving) takes 1 damage to RT.
2 Armor remaining.


Machine Gun at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #3 (Koniving); needs 5, rolls 4 : misses
Checking for accidental fire; needs 3 or below, rolls 9 : no fire..

SRM 2 (Smoke ammo) at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #3 (Koniving); needs 8, rolls 6 : misses and scatters to hex 0909.
Heavy smoke fills 0914!

Round 33, Kon's Noa fires at Ota. Glancing blow, woods absorbed damage. Ota returns fire, destroys left arm.
Round 33, Kon's Noa declares kick; being a melee specialist Noa is able to dish out two kicks. Crit on hip. Double kick hits the left leg both times, with destruction of left hip and damage transfer to the LT. Ota-Old's pilot is suffering fatique. Falls to take 2 damage to left arm. Ota delivered a punch however.

Spoiler

Physical Attack Phase
-------------------
Roll #9427 - range: [1,6], result: 3, rolls: 2, 1
Roll #9428 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 4, 4
Roll #9429 - range: [1,6], result: 9, rolls: 6, 3
Roll #9430 - range: [1,6], result: 5, rolls: 3, 2

Physical attacks for SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #3 (Koniving)
Kick (Left leg) at SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old); needs -4, rolls 3 : Roll #9431 - range: [1,6], result: 5
hits (using Kick table) LL
Roll #9432 - range: [1,6], result: 5
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) takes 5 damage to LL.
0 Armor remaining.

Kick (Left leg) at SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old); needs -4, rolls 8 : - Direct Blow - Roll #9433 - range: [1,6], result: 4
hits (using Kick table) LL
Roll #9434 - range: [1,6], result: 5
Roll #9435 - range: [1,6], result: 4, rolls: 2, 2
Roll #9437 - range: [1,6], result: 3
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) takes 7 damage to LL.
SECTION DESTROYED,
3 damage transfers to LT.
Critical hit on LL. Roll is (4+5) = 9; 1 location.
CRITICAL HIT on Hip.
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) takes 3 damage to LT.
0 Armor remaining.


Physical attacks for SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old)
Punch (Left Arm) at SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #3 (Koniving); needs 5, rolls 9 : - Direct Blow - Roll #9438 - range: [1,6], result: 5
hits (using Punch table) RA
Roll #9439 - range: [1,6], result: 1
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #3 (Koniving) takes 3 damage to RA.
1 Armor remaining.

Roll #9440 - range: [1,6], result: 6
Roll #9441 - range: [1,6], result: 4, rolls: 3, 1
Roll #9442 - range: [1,6], result: 1
Roll #9443 - range: [1,6], result: 10, rolls: 6, 4
Roll #9444 - range: [1,6], result: 9, rolls: 4, 5
Roll #9445 - range: [1,6], result: 6, rolls: 1, 5

SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) must make 4 piloting skill roll(s) (was kicked; hip actuator hit; leg destroyed; was kicked).
The base target is 7 [6 (Base piloting skill) + 1 (fatigue)].
Roll #1, (leg destroyed); automatically fails.
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) falls on its left side, suffering 2 damage.
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) takes 2 damage to LA.
2 Armor remaining.

Pilot of SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) "Go-cho Ota Isao" must roll 15 to avoid damage; rolls 10 : fails.
Pilot of SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) "Go-cho Ota Isao" takes 1 damage.
Pilot of SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) "Go-cho Ota Isao" needs a 3 to stay conscious. Rolls 10 : successful!


SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) must make 1 piloting skill roll(s) (ICE-Engine Industrial Mech failed a PSR).
The base target is 6 [6 (Base piloting skill)].
Roll #1, (Base piloting skill); needs 6, rolls 6 : succeeds.

Heat Phase
-------------------
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) gains 2 heat, sinks 1 heat and is now at 2 heat.
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #3 (Koniving) gains 2 heat, sinks 1 heat and is now at 1 heat.

Control Rolls
-------------------

End Phase
-------------------
Roll #9446 - range: [1,6], result: 9, rolls: 5, 4
Roll #9447 - range: [1,6], result: 10, rolls: 4, 6
Roll #9448 - range: [1,6], result: 12, rolls: 6, 6
Heavy smoke cloud drifts to 1014 and dissipates to light smoke.
Roll #9449 - range: [1,6], result: 3
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) needs to avoid critical damage due to falling 1 levels.
Roll #9450 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 3, 5
Roll #9451 - range: [1,6], result: 9, rolls: 4, 5
Critical hit on LT. Roll is (9+3) = 12; 2 locations.
CRITICAL HIT on Cargo (0.5 tons).
Location has no more hittable critical slots.
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #3 (Koniving) needs to avoid critical damage due to being hit by a physical attack.
Roll #9468 - range: [1,6], result: 3, rolls: 2, 1
Roll #9469 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 5, 3
Critical hit on RA. Roll is (8+2) = 10; 1 location.
CRITICAL HIT on Lower Arm.

Round 34. Kon's Noa backs up from the prone target. Ota fires.
Round 35. Kon realizes that you can't 'charge' attack a prone target and Ota refuses to even try to stand. Closes distance but does not fire. Ota stripes armor from right arm, hits CT as well. Smoke SRM-2 ammo hits Kon's Noa, too. Melee kicks prove super effective.

Spoiler

Physical Attack Phase
-------------------
Roll #9508 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 6, 1
Roll #9509 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 5, 3

Physical attacks for SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #3 (Koniving)
Kick (Left leg) at SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old); needs -4, rolls 7 : - Direct Blow - Roll #9510 - range: [1,6], result: 9, rolls: 5, 4
hits LL
Roll #9511 - range: [1,6], result: 2
Roll #9512 - range: [1,6], result: 4
Roll #9516 - range: [1,6], result: 2, rolls: 1, 1
Roll #9518 - range: [1,6], result: 6, rolls: 4, 2
Roll #9519 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 4, 4
Roll #9520 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 5, 2
Roll #9523 - range: [1,6], result: 1
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) takes 6 damage to LL.
6 damage transfers to LT.
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) takes 6 damage to LT.
SECTION DESTROYED,
LIMB BLOWN OFF Left Arm blown off.
1 damage transfers to CT.
Critical hit on LT. Roll is (9+4) = 13; 3 locations.
Location is empty, so criticals transfer to CT.
CRITICAL HIT on Ejection Seat.
CRITICAL HIT on Standard Gyro.
CRITICAL HIT on Engine.
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) has taken 1 engine hits this phase.
Checking for engine explosion on 10, roll is 2.
Engine safety systems remain in place.
Checking for fuel leak on 10. Rolls is 6.
No fuel leak for ICE-Engine.
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) has taken 1 engine hits this phase.
Checking for engine explosion on 10, roll is 7.
Engine safety systems remain in place.
Checking for fuel leak on 8. Rolls is 8.
ICE-Engine is leaking fuel.
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) takes 1 damage to CT.
3 Armor remaining.

Kick (Left leg) at SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old); needs -4, rolls 8 : - Direct Blow - Roll #9521 - range: [1,6], result: 4, rolls: 2, 2
hits RA
Roll #9525 - range: [1,6], result: 6
Roll #9526 - range: [1,6], result: 10, rolls: 6, 4
Roll #9531 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 4, 4
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) takes 7 damage to RA.
Armor destroyed, Critical hit on RA. Roll is (10+3) = 13; 3 locations.
CRITICAL HIT on Upper Arm.
CRITICAL HIT on Lower Arm.
CRITICAL HIT on Shoulder.
SECTION DESTROYED,
Critical hit on RA. Roll is (8+5) = 13; 3 locations.
CRITICAL HIT on Hand.
CRITICAL HIT on +Machine Gun.
CRITICAL HIT on +Machine Gun.



Heat Phase
-------------------
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) gains 2 heat, sinks 1 heat and is now at 4 heat.
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #3 (Koniving) gains 0 heat, sinks 0 heat and is now at 0 heat.

Control Rolls
-------------------

End Phase
-------------------
Roll #9540 - range: [1,6], result: 9, rolls: 6, 3
Smoke cloud at 1015 dissipates completely!
Roll #9541 - range: [1,6], result: 11, rolls: 5, 6
Smoke cloud at 1014 dissipates completely!
Roll #9542 - range: [1,6], result: 10, rolls: 5, 5
Roll #9543 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 6, 2
Roll #9544 - range: [1,6], result: 6
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) needs to avoid critical damage due to being hit by a physical attack.
Roll #9545 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 2, 5
Roll #9546 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 3, 5
Critical hit on CT. Roll is (8+2) = 10; 1 location.
CRITICAL HIT on Standard Gyro.

Round 37...

Spoiler

Physical Attack Phase
-------------------
Roll #9572 - range: [1,6], result: 9, rolls: 4, 5
Roll #9573 - range: [1,6], result: 7, rolls: 6, 1

Physical attacks for SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #3 (Koniving)
Kick (Left leg) at SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old); needs -5, rolls 9 : - Direct Blow - Roll #9574 - range: [1,6], result: 6, rolls: 2, 4
hits RT
Roll #9575 - range: [1,6], result: 1
Roll #9576 - range: [1,6], result: 11, rolls: 6, 5
Roll #9586 - range: [1,6], result: 5
Roll #9587 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 3, 5
Roll #9603 - range: [1,6], result: 4
Roll #9604 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 2, 6
Roll #9605 - range: [1,6], result: 6, rolls: 3, 3
Roll #9606 - range: [1,6], result: 1
Roll #9607 - range: [1,6], result: 12, rolls: 6, 6
Roll #9609 - range: [1,6], result: 8, rolls: 2, 6
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) takes 7 damage to RT.
Armor destroyed, Critical hit on RT. Roll is (11+3) = 14; 3 locations.
CRITICAL HIT on SRM 2.
CRITICAL HIT on SRM 2 Smoke Ammo (38).
*** SRM 2 Smoke Ammo EXPLODES! 76 DAMAGE! ***
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) takes 76 damage to RT.
SECTION DESTROYED,
remaining 71 damage prevented by CASE.
Critical hit on RT. Roll is (8+6) = 14; 3 locations.
CRITICAL HIT on Half Machine Gun Ammo (84).
*** Half Machine Gun Ammo EXPLODES! 168 DAMAGE! ***
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) takes 168 damage to RT.
remaining 168 damage prevented by CASE.

Pilot of SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) "Go-cho Ota Isao" takes 1 damage.
Pilot of SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) "Go-cho Ota Isao" needs a 5 to stay conscious. Rolls 9 : successful!

Location has no more hittable critical slots.

Pilot of SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) "Go-cho Ota Isao" takes 1 damage.
Pilot of SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) "Go-cho Ota Isao" needs a 7 to stay conscious. Rolls 7 : successful!

Location has no more hittable critical slots.
4 damage transfers to CT.
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) takes 4 damage to CT.
Armor destroyed, 5 Internal Structure remaining
Critical hit on CT. Roll is (12+5) = 17; 3 locations.
CRITICAL HIT on Engine.
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) has taken 1 engine hits this phase.
Checking for engine explosion on 7, roll is 8.
***The safety systems on the engine fail catastrophically resulting in a cascading engine failure!
*** SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) DESTROYED by engine explosion! ***
Location has no more hittable critical slots.

Kick (Left leg) at SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old); needs -5, rolls 7 : - Direct Blow - Roll #9610 - range: [1,6], result: 11, rolls: 6, 5
hits LA
Roll #9611 - range: [1,6], result: 1
Roll #9612 - range: [1,6], result: 3
Roll #9613 - range: [1,6], result: 1
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) takes 6 damage to LA.
6 damage transfers to LT.
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) takes 6 damage to LT.
6 damage transfers to CT.
SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old) takes 6 damage to CT.


Victory!
-------------------

Winner is: Koniving

Koniving: 82 BV remaining (from 126 initially) 0 BV fled
Ota-Old: 0 BV remaining (from 172 initially) 0 BV fled

Survivors are:
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #3 (Koniving)
Pilot : Hojuhei Noa Izumi [7/1]
Kills : 1


Graveyard contains:
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade (Noa-New)
Pilot : Hojuhei Noa Izumi [7/1] ( 5 hit(s) )
Kills : 0
Destroyed by SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old)


The following utterly destroyed units are not available for salvage:
SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #2 (Ota-New)
Pilot : Go-cho Ota Isao [2/6] ( 6 hit(s) )
Kills : 0
Destroyed by SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old)

MechWarrior Hojuhei Noa Izumi (Noa-New)
Gunnery Skill : Hojuhei Noa Izumi [7] ( 5 hit(s) )
Kills : 0
Destroyed by pilot error.

SecurityMech SM-temp (Noa-Old)
Pilot : Hojuhei Noa Izumi [7/1] ( 6 hit(s) )
Kills : 0
Destroyed by pilot error.

SecurityMech SM-temp #2 (Ota-Old)
Pilot : Go-cho Ota Isao [2/6] ( 6 hit(s) )
Kills : 2
Destroyed by SecurityMech TorsoMountedUpgrade #3 (Koniving)


Detailed unit status saved to entitystatus.txt

All in all, an interesting set of events. The Torso Mounted cockpit acts as a 1 ton heavier 'cramped cockpit' with no transplast viewport or 'exposure', just camera systems as intended.

The mechs seem capable. What mostly hurt the Torso Mounted designs, was having only 1 MG instead of 2.

With the info given by PHT the Recon Camera which was placed in the head to represent the camera systems required for a closed-in cockpit is simply unnecessary as the additional ton likely is representative of that weight and the 'sensors' likely cover said cameras. Said 0.5 tons can be used to fix the MG insufficiency or be used for something else.

(Also to add to my previous post; I did know about the Rifles. It sort of keeps police mechs from having a chance against military mechs while still allowing them to combat civilian/insurgency threats).

Edited by Koniving, 13 December 2014 - 10:04 AM.

[Nathan Foxbane]

Koniving, on 13 December 2014 - 08:51 AM, said:

I'm reconsidering the GAST Gun design, it seems to make good sense as well as the design I had in mind. My only issue is that I'm afraid that people will simply think they are two separate MGs. Though this other aspect can change, it also conflicts with using 1 being extra accurate and using the second being standard accuracy.

Considering the manufacture they could be poorly mounted and become inaccurate when firing at double rate, because it causes too much shake for housing to handle. The way the quirk works there is no real good explanation for one being more accurate than the other. I would almost suggest figuring out how to program a special weapon that has the weight, crit size, damage, and range you want. Then apply the quirk to the whole weapon.

From what I understand about sprayers and fluid guns, they use liquid storage for their ammo. There are no defined rules for the ammo because it can be anything from water to acid to firefighting foam to napalm. The possibilities are vast enough that rules for ammo effects seem to be left to house rules.

Edited by Nathan Foxbane, 13 December 2014 - 11:53 AM.