Traveller Mech?
- Thread starter Woas
- Start date
Twin Agate Dragons
Mongoose
Jame Rowe said:
http://www.mindeclipse.com/batmanbeyond/char/will.htm
Lorcan Nagle
Mongoose
Ahhh! Macross 7! Burn it with fire!
George Labour
Mongoose
After reading the Aslan book I had an idea on how to integrate them. In the Battles of the Twenty Third Century RPG there was a race of expansionist warrior types who made wide use of slave and or low caste labor. The problem was that they didn't have enough people to oversee their conquered territories and continue the expansion of their empire.
So, they invented Ultra Armor. It's basically a mech roughly the size of Dream Pod 9's heavy gears only not quite as agile overall. It also plugs directly into the user's nervous system to provide feedback control thus making it slightly more responsive than just hitting switches. It's basically a force multiplier for a culture that adores personal glory and can't spare to many people to run high tech tanks and AFVs.
Now we look at the Aslan. Not only are they an expansionistic warrior culture, but they also have a lower male to female ratio and a very divided society. On top of that they have traditions of limited almost ceremonial war which can see only a handful of warriors battle.
So, if they can only throw a handful of their valuable males into a fight, but they want firepower close to an AFV involved. Might they not invent a similiar system? It satisfies a lot of the requirements to make mechs beleiveable and used in preference of arguably more efficient 'conventional' ideas.
Just have to figure out what TL is required for using a pilot's neural makeup as part of the control system, or even if that's needed.
So, they invented Ultra Armor. It's basically a mech roughly the size of Dream Pod 9's heavy gears only not quite as agile overall. It also plugs directly into the user's nervous system to provide feedback control thus making it slightly more responsive than just hitting switches. It's basically a force multiplier for a culture that adores personal glory and can't spare to many people to run high tech tanks and AFVs.
Now we look at the Aslan. Not only are they an expansionistic warrior culture, but they also have a lower male to female ratio and a very divided society. On top of that they have traditions of limited almost ceremonial war which can see only a handful of warriors battle.
So, if they can only throw a handful of their valuable males into a fight, but they want firepower close to an AFV involved. Might they not invent a similiar system? It satisfies a lot of the requirements to make mechs beleiveable and used in preference of arguably more efficient 'conventional' ideas.
Just have to figure out what TL is required for using a pilot's neural makeup as part of the control system, or even if that's needed.
Heavy Gear or Landmate size mecha are cool to me. Towering "kings of the battlefield" feels a bit ... not so cool. I can remember when I played Battle Tech (and read the fluff) how bad ass those 'mechs were. Then I set the game aside and tried Heavy Gear, man if you are in the open every tank will be capable of killing you with one shot. Not so much of a king after all 
Anyway, I prefer powered armor and Landmates are just a bit larger versions.
I just wonder how A:2089 would work with smaller mechs...
Anyway, I prefer powered armor and Landmates are just a bit larger versions.
I just wonder how A:2089 would work with smaller mechs...
George Labour
Mongoose
Yeah for supersized mechs you'd be better off with games that deal with almost as much fantasy as science fiction. Something like Core command if you have it would love giant skyscraper sized space suits with lazors.
Or, dark heresy if you also want your mechs and pilots to be worshipped by peaseants and need massive gravity manipulation to stay together, let alone move.
But, the cultures that would want a small one man bipedal machine are there. I can easily see an Ihaetei loading a under 15 foot tall mech into his scout in preference to an ATV. It can be used for construction, war, and to mud wrestle giant predators. And with the right setup it'd be usable with minimal training, thus avoiding the Aslan male deficiency with technical subjects.
Plus..mud wrestling space dinsoaurs with killer cats in Votoms does sound kind of fun, but easily done as a serious thing as well.
As for landmates. Wouldn't those just be heavier versions of battledress? Slighty larger artillery versions to supplement the more human sized types we've already seen.
Or, dark heresy if you also want your mechs and pilots to be worshipped by peaseants and need massive gravity manipulation to stay together, let alone move.
But, the cultures that would want a small one man bipedal machine are there. I can easily see an Ihaetei loading a under 15 foot tall mech into his scout in preference to an ATV. It can be used for construction, war, and to mud wrestle giant predators. And with the right setup it'd be usable with minimal training, thus avoiding the Aslan male deficiency with technical subjects.
Plus..mud wrestling space dinsoaurs with killer cats in Votoms does sound kind of fun, but easily done as a serious thing as well.
As for landmates. Wouldn't those just be heavier versions of battledress? Slighty larger artillery versions to supplement the more human sized types we've already seen.
George Labour
Mongoose
I know. THat's why I used them as an example of where a landmate type mech fits in. They're not much bigger than the armored suits of battledress fame, though they're bulkier and most of the limb strength is mechanical.
Really you'd just add a few more points of armor, and replace the strenght enhancement with a flat 13 or higher to get a landmate. Almost all the other equipment they use in the various media is in traveller now. Including those anti grav flieing units.
Really you'd just add a few more points of armor, and replace the strenght enhancement with a flat 13 or higher to get a landmate. Almost all the other equipment they use in the various media is in traveller now. Including those anti grav flieing units.
Vile
Banded Mongoose
I like battledress, and I like their big cousins, combat walkers. Proper mecha strain my willing disbelief a bit, although I can handle them in cases like Battletech. But I do like to use upgraded fast-mover anime versions of battledress as seen in Gasaraki and Madox-01, as armoured reconnaissance units for example.
BOMBA!Lorcan Nagle said:
Lorcan Nagle
Mongoose
I'd rather listen to Sheryl's song than Basara's any day!
Vile
Banded Mongoose
Lorcan Nagle
Mongoose
Mecha and pop music go together like nuts and gum!
(and I don't really like MacrossWorld. Too much bitterness towards Robotech)
(and I don't really like MacrossWorld. Too much bitterness towards Robotech)
lastbesthope
Mongoose
Lorcan Nagle said:
Is that good or a bad thing, because I do know of this album and it's quite good:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stratos5
LBH
Lorcan Nagle
Mongoose
lastbesthope said:
Well, it depends on the pop music really. Though Macross Plus and Frontier both have amazing soundtracks on both the pop songs and orchestral sides of things.
Lorcan Nagle
Mongoose
Vile said:
It's a Simpsons reference. Grampa is sitting at the table bemoaning how nobody listens to the old, Lisa is similarly lamenting how nobody listens to the young, and then Homer walks in saying "I'm a male aged 18-42, everybody listens to me!", reaches into the cupboard for a tin that says NUTS AND GUM: TOGETHER AT LAST!, and walks off easting nuts and gum.
And yeah, from a realistic point of view, power loader or not much bigger suits are far more realistic as mecha - take a look at Heavy Gear or Armoured Trooper VOTOMS - the anime that "heavily influenced" it for similar mecha. Also they can be seen as a logical progression from Battle Dress towards heavier combat units that have applications where tanks aren't practical.
