Mechs in Traveller?

[Spiderfish]

I swear you could get more compact laser weapons by TL15.

Hey maybe "mechs" are impractical but this is just a game. Rather than argueing about if mechs should be in Traveller you should be debating HOW they can bit factored into someones TU.

 

[Tikon2000]

Hey maybe they are impractical. Seeing them as just lumbering pieces of metal. I think that they various TL arguments could still be valid.
But maybe it's just the way we are seeing them. Who says that grav technology doesn't also help mechs? Giving them the ability of flight, as well as having appendages to manipulate their environment.

 

[Jame]

I think someone already said something like this, and if so pardon my re-saying it.

Here's my take on mechs: the Exoskeleton (i.e. the Ellen Ripley-takes-on-Queen-suit from Aliens, which is my memory) at tl7-8, armored Exosuit at tl8-9, Combat Exosuit (if you've ever seen ExoSquad, that's this) at tl9-10. It becomes standard Traveller battledress at about tl12-13. This is how _I_ would do it; as always, Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV).

 

[Blue Ghost]

slyen2; you make some good counterpoints. I guess I'm just being an old stubborn kind of guy. For me mechs in sci-fi have been around since the "Shogun Warriors" and "Johnny Soko and the Giant Robot"

Does that date me, or what?

I guess I've always seen Traveller as a kind of "Army in Space" kind of game, so I'm being prejudiced when it comes to mechs. In that light, you're right, this is sci-fi, so what's up with mechs in Traveller?

Maybe this is something to ask either Hunter or Avery?

I think it's probably more of a pocket empire kind of thing *insert your Traveller Universe here*. But who knows? Maybe Sylean Federation has a warehouse on some forgotten base/world houseing some multi-storied tall (though antiquated) mech suits; complete with missile packs and oversized mech-held cannons.

I'll say this, I think it would be interesting to take my old merc team up against some of those things. But now I'm just rambleing.

 

[Spud]

Always willing to stir the pot:

Mechs are the dumbest form of combat vehicle that the toy industry has ever foisted on the parents of America. Why would you want to be in the center of the tallest, most obvious target around? WHy not mechs with big red T-shirts that say "Shoot me"? For fifty years, one of the most significant variables regarding battlefield survivability has been height! More height = less survival! If you love the man-machine combo, try Leo Frankowski, "A Boy and His Tank".

For those who think this is a rant, don't get me started on those dim-bulb Japanese Robots!

 

[Tikon2000]

Well for Mechs I always thought along the lines of Heavy Gears, fast maneuverable infantry. Or the same thing in space. Or both in the case of Macross.
I admit the multi-story weapons platform didn't do it for me, cause everything else is just more mobile.
As for the giant fetish, rememeber that Japan is the land of... Godzilla!!!
Huge beast that no weapons (Including Nuclear!) can bring down. Personally I think they're making up for a few insecurities with all that giant power worshiping (Lord Farquat anyone?) I know it's been mentioned that Godzilla movies are real popular with the extreme right of japanese culture.

 

[Redleg58]

Originally posted by Tikon2000:
Well for Mechs I always thought along the lines of Heavy Gears, fast maneuverable infantry. Or the same thing in space. Or both in the case of Macross.
I admit the multi-story weapons platform didn't do it for me, cause everything else is just more mobile.
As for the giant fetish, rememeber that Japan is the land of... Godzilla!!!
Huge beast that no weapons (Including Nuclear!) can bring down. Personally I think they're making up for a few insecurities with all that giant power worshiping (Lord Farquat anyone?) I know it's been mentioned that Godzilla movies are real popular with the extreme right of japanese culture.

I like the Heavy Gears myself, anything bigger is a nuke magnet.

LOL your right about the giant fetish with Godzilla, perhaps they're compensating..)

 

[slyen2002]

one of the things ive seen and liked was the mechs from the Front Mission game series. the mechs are alittle shorter than gundams (in the games) as far as i can tell, and there are like 4 types of weapons for them. (this can be argued by some one more knowledgeable about the game then me because ive only played the first four missions of 4 which my friend has and has by mistake and is only available to those who run games stores as a promotional thingy, you know "heres a sample of our product, now buy it then go out and sell it" deally.) but the point is in that game mechs could take hits and survive, but after a while your arms stared falling off. and the combat was where pretty much whoever got out the first shot would win a one on one battle between mechs.

and yes tanks where used but where reduced to the WW II fire support role.

 

[slyen2002]

one thing my friend brought up is if they have grav tech why don't they still use multipule ground vehicles like in StarCraft? mainly why not make mechs like the Goliths?

 

[slyen2002]

i was wacthing aliens last night a one of the things i noticed with the cargo loaders was the fact that they where open topped.

now i also saw matrix revolutions not to long ago and the APU units where also open toped mechs but were for a combat role.

now correct me if im wrong but a tank is a close vecihale and if you go by the axium that mechs are "vertical" tanks, then would an open toped mech be defeating the perpose?

 

[Blue Ghost]

slyen2; I think someone already brought up the cargo loader thing on this thread, and gave a brief analysis of it (some Norweigan country apparently uses something similar, or is experimenting with them... my memorie's kind of fuzzy).

The more I think about it the more I think you need to find another game system to address mechs. GURPS Traveller and the MECHA supplement would probably be your best way to go.

Mechs in the official trav universe is kind of like introducing mechs to today's battlefield.