Avatar walkers -- vehicles or powered armor?

[apoc527]

For those who have seen Avatar, how would you stat out the walkers and their heavy guns in MGT? The "rifle" is simply a light autocannon, but is the walker a vehicle or very large suit of PA? I say vehicle but what do you think?

 

[SnowDog]

I have not seen the movie but from based on the trailer I have seen I woul say that they are 'mechs (pretty much like gears in Heavy Gear).

 

[AndrewW]

There are walkers already in the vehicle books so that could work for them.

 

[Bygoneyrs]

I saw the movie today, and I thought it was awesome! Now I would have to call them, Walkers and not mechs. Gives you a whole interesting perspective, and makes one rethink in using them. I liked their military tech very much, seemed to fit perfectly.

Penn

 

[Vile]

I say vehicles, because the 'driver' sits entirely in the torso from what I can see. If a person's arms and legs are actually inside the arms and legs of the 'suit', then I call it armour.

 

[Bygoneyrs]

You are right about that, the driver did just sit in that seat and drove the vehicle via controls in the capsul. Maybe it was a basic Mech.

Penn

 

[B_Steele]

I'm going to see it on the 1st with my wife, but I'll make note to see if they are Mecha-suits or Walker Vehicles - both which will have some feature in my Power Armour sourcebook. Maybe I'll get some good ideas for the book.

-Bry

 

[AndrewW]

I'm going to see it on the 1st with my wife, but I'll make note to see if they are Mecha-suits or Walker Vehicles - both which will have some feature in my Power Armour sourcebook. Maybe I'll get some good ideas for the book.

Enjoy, it's a good film. I would label them as vehicles myself.

 

[jedi1967]

I would say vehicles, not armor. The driver sits in a specific location or cockpit. He is not "wearing" the walker.

 

[Annic Nova]

In GURPS, battledress was designed as a vehicle....so i would do the same here.

Not sure where the line is drawn between vehicle and personal protection.
I guess if its powered, it should be a vehicle.

 

[apoc527]

The next question is how do you deal with the arms? I note that neither vehicles book allows for manipulators/arms on vehicles. That's something of an oversight when dealing with walkers, especially. Thoughts?

 

[Annic Nova]

This thread should tie in nicely with the "Wheres the Robots" question.

Im sure someone is working on it.

Basically an arm is just a manipulator with an assigned str/dex value.
(Maybe just use the Dex of the operator).

In the meantime, incorporating rules from Book 8 Robots, you should be able to come up with a mass/volume/Cr for various arm strengths.

I know that Robot design for the 3I appeared in the JTAS, Book8, MegaTraveller and in either the Travellers Digest or another magazine.