Mechs in traveller idea

[slyen2002]

ahhh but why LOCUSTS? Its got be a ancranism.... doesnt it?... people?....

Besides that only fits thouse that fly, as suggested by the name.

one thing that gets to me is: isn't a battledress supposed to be a presuized envornment? I mean if it isn't how can it operate in high altitudes and space? and then how will the Locusts get into the suit to kill the operater and systems?

 

[slyen2002]

another thing that came to mind is that they can only kill things they have data on. if it is a new weapon/vehicle there is no info on for where the Locusts to hit and the parts could look amizingly different too.

which beings up a counter to the Locust: changing the part's looks after every battle or even engagement.

 

[N.I.C.E. Labs]

well... for locust I was thinking more of them swarming over everything in their path and leaving destruction in their wake... but I see what you mean.

I personally wasn't envisioning them being small enough to go after battledress. I see them as perhaps baseball sized or even larger...targeting armor and walkers.

If you were going after battledress, then perhaps targeting the joints with pressurized acid. In any event, you don't have to kill to render a unit useless...take out it's weapons or mobility and it must withdraw.

 

[slyen2002]

Originally posted by N.I.C.E. Labs:
well... for locust I was thinking more of them swarming over everything in their path and leaving destruction in their wake... but I see what you mean.

well a ground varient could have a simailar name like: ANT or SPIDER, even PRAYING MANTIS. where as the air units names could be LOCUSTS(like you said), FLUFFLY, BUNNYS, and or my personal favorite(Inside joke and only if i can spell it right): DAS PONYPUFF PRINCESS.

As a note the air ones tend to have the most wussy sounding names however they are also the most deadly.

Originally posted by N.I.C.E. Labs:
If you were going after battledress, then perhaps targeting the joints with pressurized acid. In any event, you don't have to kill to render a unit useless...take out it's weapons or mobility and it must withdraw.

True but how would it withdraw if it cant move. beasides we are forgetting one major factor.

EMP

 

[slyen2002]

by the way if you haven't noticed ive been learing how to use quotes and smilies in groups!

 

[N.I.C.E. Labs]

if it can't move, it's captured or destroyed. If it can limp then it must withdraw. Either way it's no longer a threat.

As for EMP, yes, the critters could be little local generators, but at the higher tech levels most things are emp hardened. Granted though, they themselves wouldn't be shielded so an emp pulse could clear fields of the mine-varient.

 

[gardclan]

Try this then...

FOSGAM - Family Of Swarm / Gestalt Attack Munitions. Several types for different applications. Emplaced by artillary barage as mines (See FASCAM for a current RL similar application.), or by missile warhead. The devices are individually pretty dumb, but by radio interlink possess a gestalt intelligence via distributed node weapons "AI".

Locust - swarming anti-vehicular, explosive

Beehive - swarming antipersonnel, explosive fragmentary

Hornet - swarming anti-battledress, armed with cutting torches or thermite.

Army Ant - swarming ground effect anti-bunker. Burrowing, explosive

Groundbee - swarming area denial munition. Station keeping, IFF responsive, single shot laser armed. Larger than standard for this class on an individual basis.

Firefly - swarming area denial munition. IFF capable. Armed with white phosphorous, thermite, or perhaps plasma.

Mosquito - swarming anti-aircraft. Rocket propelled short ranged. Released as a cloud at distance from the target and pursue as a gestalt. SEFOP (self forging penetrator) warhead.

Termite - swarming anti-electronic system. A police or spec ops munition designed to seek out and shut down electrical systems prior to insertion. Operates as a self-emplaced fusible link in high voltage lines. Removable.

Mantis - swarming police munition, Non lethal. Uses swarm mass and rapidly "secreted" tangler/glue to subdue and restrain targets. Equipped with locator beacons for prompt aprehension of target. Fired from a shoulder launcher. Requires a "biometric lock" from the launcher prior to launch to guarantee pursuit.

Well, thats a few ideas anyway.

 

[Ran Targas]

Rhys, how you sleep at night, I don't know! You're evil! My players shall curse the very day you were conceived!

 

[gardclan]

Originally posted by Ran Targas:
Rhys, how you sleep at night, I don't know! You're evil! My players shall curse the very day you were conceived!

HEY! Blame Nice Labs! Its his idea!

I just refined it a bit is all.

(BTW Does this revoke my geneva convention status? ^_^)

 

[N.I.C.E. Labs]

Official Disclaimer:

The N.I.C.E. Labs L.O.C.U.S.T.™ Combat Drone System is merely a conjectural defensive system. Naturally we do not condone or endorse using such materials in a real combat situation, and especially not in an offensive role.


[for discreet order inquiries, contact the usual parties]

 

[slyen2002]

dont forget the FLUFFY model!

what is scarier then a clould of pick fly at or above you dropping Britteny Spears Leaflets! the ultimate demorilization device!

for orders from the Black Hole Transprtation and Contorl Agency please call 1-800-Someone-SetUsUpDa Bomb. for large orders please call 1-900-All YourBase-AreBelongToUs.

other then that good ideas... what about some spicalty units for killing personel and surviving to do it again?

 

[gardclan]

Got a couple more...

Gnat - swarming area jamming system. Provides blanket coverage only. Once emplaced has a limited endurance, and may be remotely deactivated. No attack capability. Individual units periodicaly shift position to prevent capture/destruction.

Aphid - swarming area clensing utility. Used to decontaminate areas from chemical exposure and/or cleanup operations.

Waterbug - swarming aquatic attack munitions. Operates as a series of aquatic micro-torpedoes.

Brown Recluse - swarming marker / homing beacon. Used to track masses of individual targets and/or guide homing munitions to them at a later time. This version is smaller and intended for use against personnel

Tarantula - larger version of the Brown Recluse, used against vehicles.

Mole - tunneling and undermining submuntion, used to rapidly dig fortifications and emplacements.

Hornet - Anti-Swarm munition! These remote drones are a countermeasure against the other types, and actively hunt down and destroy already emplaced FOSGAM drones. May also be employed in a defensive role against an attack in progress.

Ant Lion - anti minefield muntion. Used to seek out and clear existing mines of all types.

 

[gardclan]

One more!

Lemming - swarms under a vehicle, lifts, and carries it off the nearest cliff.

YMMV

 

[clementk]

While the FOSGAM / L.O.C.U.S.T.™ ideas are good, I suggest someone start a new thread for any development of them for in game usage. Say in the Weapon's Locker section. It makes finding said development easier.

Anywho, came across two images of bigger crab-like mecha. The first is likely familiar to some, as it's from Ghost in the Shell, the second is derivative but the graphic is larger.

I'm linking to a mirror so as to not leech bandwidth from the original sites. I'm also posting them in the body of the post. I normally don't do this as it can tend to clutter forum pages and increases the download time of the page but it does insure most folk see the image without having to click on a link.

From the excellent Shirowpunk page (link)

CP 2020 stats for the Standard Light Weight Tank are at the top of this page (link).

Then a similar vehicle from the Lightspeed RPG site and by the game's author Christian Conkle

It has a weaker leg structure. The cockpit is more viable for Traveller since in the GitS tank the driver is IIRC "plugged in" with not as much need for viewports. The vehicle also seems to be larger than the Shirow one.

Casey

 

[slyen2002]

is it just me or is it everyone that isn't seeing the pictures...

well anyway,

why not do an spoofed up Battledress for a mech? lets say 12 feet tall? then it is the size that is still maunverable in many urban enviorments and isn't not to practicle. armed with a vehicle mountable weapon it becomes a powerful weapons platform.

 

[clementk]

Originally posted by slyen2:
is it just me or is it everyone that isn't seeing the pictures...

>.< Should've known that was possible since I block external images on Firefox.
Tank 1 (link)
Tank 2 (link)

why not do an spoofed up Battledress for a mech? lets say 12 feet tall? then it is the size that is still maunverable in many urban enviorments and isn't not to practicle. armed with a vehicle mountable weapon it becomes a powerful weapons platform.

I've no problem with that but I'm too busy with RL at the moment to try my weak T20 Gearhead-fu at a design.

Casey

 

[slyen2002]

I could do it.... the problem is i only have the book and just about every design rules since the CT book 2 starship design rules have been to confusing. I guess it was when they went into volume....

but hay i did desigen an AI on a TL 17 base just to play around with it.

ill see what i can do.

by the way Fire Fox is so much better the IE!

 

[RandyB]

Do you agree or disagree if its any setting?

If the setting supports it, no reason why not.

 

[mike wightman]

Mechs as depicted by battle tech are fun, but totally unrealistic even in a science fantasy setting

Too slow and too vulnerable to man portable anti-tank weapons.

 

[Spinward Scout]

Too slow and too vulnerable to man portable anti-tank weapons.

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