It just occurred to me that out of what we've got, the Charged Cannon would probably be the best weapon for the submarine/aircraft/mecha triple changer. Might have some issues keeping the electricity from dispersing too much underwater, but other than that it'd work pretty well. Would give pretty good incentive to upgrade it some, too; it kinda bothers me how we haven't really invested much into it- I mean, it's a lightning gun, which means it's awesome.
That said, if we could get our hands on the tech behind Cav's Concussion Blaster that'd probably be ideal.
...I hate how I keep having these "eureka" moments when I'm trying to get to sleep...
My sister who is a nurse told me once that the best thing to do when you have a eureka moment is to write it down as soon as possible so that you can remember it for later.
The thing that really bothers me about bedtime eureka moments is how they tend to keep me awake for WAY too long.
I mean, it's obvious that the triple changer I'm so fixated on right now would make a great arm unit, but if we can justify making it a core unit I'd like to make the drill Spark Caliber-compatible for a finisher I'm tentatively referring to as "Piercing Thunder." Hell, it'd probably work as an arm unit, too; I'd just like it to be a core unit for Reasons.
If we wanna go big, we can always go Advance of Zeta way.
Take our core Beowulf and instead of two comparable in size parts to combine slap in two bighuge parts to combine. Call it Grendel.
Like Dropship and (perspective) Gunship.
With the note that extra parts aren't field-attachable and must be bolted on Beowulf before sortie, but may be explosively detached from Beowulf and may contain parts that Beowulf can combine with in the field.
While we're waiting, might as well try to brainstorm potential combinations for my current pet project (I'll call it "Lungfish" from now on unless someone has a better idea).
My ideas off the top of my head, using the Lungfish as the core unit:
Backwards-compatibility with the TMU for a flight speed boost (Seawolf Formation, to match Beowulf's canine theme).
Wear a Jackal or equivalent as legs, possibly with part of it going up over the torso. May include Steed backpack.
SYMMETRICAL DOCKING! (unlikely, but wouldn't put it past the Duo to pull this off)
0530, 21 December A.D. 2072
MSS Support Vehicle 'Galahad'
By now, any locals that had ever possibly seen the Galahad idling around had grown accustomed to it. Probably had even taken a few selfies, if Erika was being honest - not that she cared at the moment. For what she was planning to do, the less attention that was on her for the immediate first part of the operation, the better - Patrick could help with the optics on that front. Then again, she highly doubted anyone was going to be up this early - herself included, given that she was nursing a thermos of tea that Patrick had so thoughtfully provided.
What was different was the help that had arrived. Another of Ichiro's lot had just arrived, just as that sentient sugar cube known as Adrianna had promised earlier. Something that looked like a Buckler, a van, and an armored motorcycle had arrived - and now that she knew where to look, Erika had spotted how the vehicles didn't have drivers. One of them did - the motorcycle, naturally enough. Young girl, about five years or so younger than herself, had arrived as the passenger. Short cut black hair, casual biker clothes (with reflective strips on the leather jacket, she noticed), and a necklace with a red jewel adorned around her neck.
The warehouses involved were some twenty minutes away, so they were at least beyond visual sighting. But as odd as they seemed together in a cluster, it did look as if it were a convoy gathering.
At least, if it weren't for the vehicles being veritable chatterboxes.
"Stop fidgeting." The van's headlights flickered slightly along with its words.
"I'm not." The Buckler-like's engines revved slightly in response.
"Bro, you totally are."
"I'm not fidgeting. I'm...idling."
"The disguised robot thing only works if you blend in, and you're an armored personnel carrier."
The motorbike seemed to just deflate in frustration. "Both of you, please shut up. And Frankie, you are fidgeting too."
Erika just huffed in amusement as Jessica put a hand to her face. "Mind you, when we were talking about getting early mission jitters, I hadn't quite expected to see it happen with AI."
"They're...well, they're just as much people as we are," Jessica replied. "Anna tells me that Ichiro had his own way of being nervous too."
"And he has a terrible sense of humor."
"As I said, just as much people as we are. Bad jokes and dad jokes included."
"While I would wish to add that those are not mutually exclusive," Patrick interjected calmly, even as the beginnings of a smile tugged at his lips, "we are digressing somewhat from the point here."
"So we are." Erika took one last sip of tea before she handed the thermos back to Patrick, who wordlessly stashed it back into the heater carrier. "So, plan. You...Frankie, was it? Would you mind?"
"Oh, right!" Immediately, the headlights shifted color and began to project a three dimensional wiregrid layout of the warehouse.
"Cheers. Right, we've got what looks like Westphalians and those infiltrator blokes Jessica mentioned playing silly buggers in here." Erika nodded towards the avatar Adrianna was displaying along the map, the relative scale meaning she was looking about as large as a kaiju herself. "Thanks to our girl here, we think we have an idea of why."
A momentary flight of fancy imagined a giant Adrianna stomping her way through Birmingham while making fake kaiju sounds - and distressingly, she found it all too easy to visualize. Dismissing that right quick, she said, "What did you find?"
"Right! So, for immediate practical considerations, we've already identified likely enemies around the area." Three or so 'vehicles' were immediately highlighted - along with projected simulations of what they could be, along with a decent number of armed toughs. "They look a lot like the 'I can't believe it's not configuration' models Erika and Ichiro ran into last time, but they look a lot more sturdy. So far, that's all we could find. But!"
Another grainy image of certain boxes being offloaded were displayed as well. "Someone's making a trade. Of what, from who and to who specifically, no clue! But it can't be anything good."
"Which is where you all come in," Patrick concluded. "If we cannot outright stop the exchange, then we need to at least identify what the goods in question are, or at least deny them. This is madam's specialty, but in order for her to sneak inside, we will need security somewhat occupied."
"We could just charge in-" Charlie - at least, that was his name, Erika believed - chimed in.
"You always want to charge in," Frankie retorted.
"Well, it'll grab their attention," Charlie shot back.
"Alternatively, we could strike and then lure them away," the last robot - Iris - added.
"Definitely should hit them first," Jessica concurred. Even in the low light of the projections, the red jewel seemed to glint a little too brightly for her liking. "You'll also probably need another distraction on foot too. I could make them think that I'm the actual infiltrator and make them chase me until I can just beat the crap out of them."
"You're a little underarmed for that, aren't you?" Erika said in an asking tone.
"Don't worry." Jessica's grin took on a slashing quality. "I'm full of surprises I want to try out."
"And I'll be with Erika for this one!" Adrianna declared. "If it's digital, she's gonna need someone to lift it."
"I will be on standby with the Galahad as well," Patrick added. "More than likely we will need the Valiant."
Erika just shot him an annoyed look, but soon, they had a rough plan in place...
Erika and Adrianna will be sneaking in. But what will Jessica and the Argonauts be doing to create the distraction needed?
- [] Jessica
-- [] Start a fight on foot and draw assets away. The C-Crystal and embedded K-Suit will be one hell of a surprise.
-- [] Bring the Thunderbolt right down onto the base. This might spook the meeting agenda, though.
-- [] Write-In
- [] Argonauts
-- [] Charge right in! This might spook the meeting agenda, but it's definitely going to draw attention.
-- [] Hit and run! Sideswipe the security and draw them away, and take the fight away from the meeting grounds.
-- [] Write-In
2030, 22 December A.D. 2072
Unity Station, Brigadier General Peters' Office
'...despite the recent spate of attacks over the last few months, the Earth Union Defense Forces have reported higher than average rates of success in peacekeeping operations,' the news announcer blandly declares on the holo. 'Westphalian and suspected Kausen forces continue to maintain the initiative in most cases, but Defense Force elements reported a great success in defending the Yukimura Institute against the greatest concentrated attack in recent memory, following-'
"That was your group, wasn't it?"
You look up from the holo and your cup of coffee - and blink in bemusement as you see someone you hadn't expected to. "Jenkins?"
"I was, last time I checked," came the snarky reply. "Otherwise I've been wearing the wrong skin for years."
You just give her a look. "Really?"
"Look, it sounded funnier in my head, alright?" Glancing around, Lenora Jenkins spies the carafe and immediately bolts towards it before Peters' aide can even try to offer some. You just give him a shake of your head, and he wisely decides to get back to work.
Out of respect for someone you would consider your peer, you hold back your inner cries of 'heresy!' at how much milk and sugar she's putting into her coffee. Or the fact she's putting any of it in there to begin with. "What did she call you in here for?" she asks as she sits down across from you.
"Usually I'm here for the end of year review," you say. You take a sip of your coffee - black, and with no additives, thank you very much. "You? I wasn't expecting to see you here. Is Ground Pound up and running already?" That would be a surprise - you hadn't heard anything about that at all.
"Not just yet," she says, confirming the more likely scenario. "We're getting there, but not quite prime time just yet. We've started receiving some pilot candidates...not for actually piloting, mind."
"The nightmares?" Even in an office where everyone - the aide included - has the clearance to know about Fulgur Particles, you've spent enough time around a certain Anna Smith to know better than to just blurt out the name anyway.
"The nightmares," Jenkins confirms. "We've had about an eighty percent washout just based on exposure. Which isn't filling me with confidence for pilot redundancy, but...we've had about two or three that look like they can take it." She grimaces at the thought. "I think they're kind of crazy already in some ways, which maybe means they have a tolerance to it or something. But I was actually going to reach out to you about another thing."
"Like what?"
"That Configuration tech you all came up with. And-"
"Begging pardon, sir, ma'am," the aide cuts in. "The general will see you both now." And this time, as he's already standing in front, he's in a position to offer a refill - which neither of you are going to turn down, it turns out. Still, as you both enter the room, you both give each other questioning glances. 'Both of us?' seemed to be the general question.
It soon becomes apparent why.
"We have mad science and even madder proposals crawling out of the woodwork these days," Peters begins without preamble. Nodding towards Jenkins, she adds, "Now that we have one successful core program, and another that's along its way, the Executive Board is now exploring the idea of seeding some 'pilot programs.'"
"What's...our part in it, ma'am?" You're not dumb enough to imagine you don't have a part in it - as far as the budding Super Robot field goes, you're the oldest hand in it. God help us all in that case.
"Simply put - you're in the best possible position to literally write the book from the ground up, Major," Peters replies. "And, if I'm not mistaken-" and she says it in a way that demands you accept the reality that she isn't mistaken, "-despite your success, your main stumbling block at this point is coverage. I've made the point to the Executive Board that even though we have three successful Super Robots, we still have to lie, cheat and steal in order to get them anywhere."
You decide it wise to not bring up the second Pegasus under development for the purpose of the argument. After all, when it came to budgeting, you had to undersell yourself along with promises of how much more you could achieve with a slightly larger slice of that sweet, delicious funding pie. Instead, you do truthfully say, "There's more fires out there than I have teams to put them out with."
"Precisely. Which is why I was able to secure resources for something new." The screen behind her shifts - and what looks like a proposal presentation title screen appears.
'Proposal: Super Robot Defense Corps'
"So, tell me, Major Devin," Peters asks calmly. "If you were to help provide guidance for new Super Robot programs, what would be a good place to start?"
- [] Write-In (this will help to determine the narrative flavor of how this will progress)
I am fine with sharing Configuration with Jenkins and Ground Pound. As well as with any other groups that are working on Super Robots. The enemy already has configuration so we may as well start sharing it with the other groups.
Hunh.
Interesting question…
I'd argue the issue is we have awesome robots, but we're mostly stuck in this 'react and send robots to location' stance due to lack of ability to have dudes stationed everywhere but more programs would nicely solve that…
But beyond that I'd say that oddly enough…
Well.
Hrrm.
I'm not sure what to say here.
now that I think about it. We may just want to send a Pegasus class Dropship to Ground pound when the time comes. but for now let's hold off building any more Pegasus class dropships after the third is built.
- [X] Jessica
-- [X] Start a fight on foot and draw assets away. The C-Crystal and embedded K-Suit will be one hell of a surprise.
- [X] Argonauts
-- [X] Hit and run! Sideswipe the security and draw them away, and take the fight away from the meeting grounds.
-[X] Starting Doctrine: The Basics
--Key Points: Keep an open mind about things, embrace unconventional ideas when it comes to science and engineering, and think outside the box. Iterate, iterate, iterate.
--Other Pointers: Expect the unexpected in combat and R&D. What might seem like a failure or disaster in the labs or the machine shop might be the start of something groundbreaking. Remember that no plan survives first contact with the enemy. When developing your Super Robot, pick a design goal (crowd control, endurance, etc) and focus on it-a finished Super Robot might seem powerful in a vacuum, but circumstances can conspire against it.
Is that good enough for doctrine? Also, @Basarin can I promote my quest on this thread? I really need new blood to stimulate discussion and more voting.
Edit: forgot to put these in the initial post, but some music for luck
Any write in should include putting at least some focus on bringing more conventional forces up to a level that they can support the super robot.
Experience has shown that non-super robot support for a super robot is essential to bring out the full potential of said super robot and give them options. Neglecting the conventional arms and monofocusing on the super robot is not the right path.
Is that good enough for doctrine? Also, @Basarin can I promote my quest on this thread? I really need new blood to stimulate discussion and more voting.
It's definitely the right audience for it, so promote away! I have no issues with it at all.
And as a theoretical starting point, that should do. I'll be incorporating elements of everyone's ideas, since Peters is not asking for policy commandments etched in stone. She's consulting with you since you are her subject matter expert on hand, and values your advice accordingly.
Hello thread, with Basarin's permission, I would like to promote my own thread, Super Robot Wars Null. Please join it and participate if you like this thread!
For doctrine, maybe an elite team of pilots and ai robots on every continent, allowing for strike teams anywhere on Earth. Allow lots of flexibility in design and command structure.
For doctrine, maybe an elite team of pilots and ai robots on every continent, allowing for strike teams anywhere on Earth. Allow lots of flexibility in design and command structure.
Well more lift capacity for one. Another would be to have support and if possible subordinate mecha.
The prescence of supporting and subordinate personal worked wonders during the Siege of the Institute showcasing the wonders of Mecha and Super Robot Combat Teams. Plus of course the fire support the Pegsus Dropships have.
- [X] Jessica
-- [X] Start a fight on foot and draw assets away. The C-Crystal and embedded K-Suit will be one hell of a surprise.
- [X] Argonauts
-- [X] Hit and run! Sideswipe the security and draw them away, and take the fight away from the meeting grounds.
I'd like to at least pretend that we're trying to keep it from escalating into a full-blown Super Robot battle, yes.
As for doctrine... well, a few things to keep in mind:
Remember that there will always be something that counters you, but projects differ so much you should also keep in mind that there's almost certainly someone else who can pick up the slack you leave; in layman's terms, pick your battles whenever possible, though don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone when required (specifically citing the Yukimura battle here).
While advancement is fine, also ensure that you simplify too; this both eases maintenance and can potentially enable mass-production for support units.
Technological gifts are generally a horrible idea (never know when you're speaking to a disguised terrorist or something), but technological trades benefit everyone.
I'm sure there's plenty more I'm not covering here, but these're some of the biggest stumbling blocks a project can run into I can think of right now.
I feel a little bit of focus should be put on the pilots, too, because worthy pilots are both rare and not one size fits all. They're the kind of people who have the kind of spirit to make an impossible situation into one hell of a fight, mech or no, and that can come about in a lot of different ways. Mechs are great, but heroes make the world go around. Maybe try and set up some sort of recruiting pool from volunteering soldiers to test for that spirit, and split them up in accordance with the demands of each mecha project's needs?
"So, tell me, Major Devin," Peters asks calmly. "If you were to help provide guidance for new Super Robot programs, what would be a good place to start?"
Harnessing of Mad Science. Sheol became a problem due to resentment from the dismissal of his work. That Yukimura did not do the same is a blessing. The EUDF must comb through everyone dismissed/humiliated by Academia and give them opportunities to prove their work in various Super Robot projects
Partly related to #1. Xenotech/OverTechnology. C-Crystal and Kausen appearance on Earth suggests that there may be more Aliens & their technology on Earth. Academics studying such things will need Diplomatic teams attached in case of more cases of First Contact.
Recycled Failed Projects. To save on budget and improve supply chain, we should contact various companies in the Military Industrial Complex to go over their list of Failed Projects to give them new life.
Ragtag Bunch of Misfits. All those personnel that don't quite fit the mold of EUDF Posterboys/girls, the washouts and misfits. We want to screen them for piloting aptitude.
Super Robot Pilot quality tends to focus on two key points: an open mind that isn't too bound by playbook doctrine willing to take risks when able and also an unfaltering spirit plus mental fortitude that's slanted towards the side of more selfless good intentions. You need both playing off each other for maximum synergistic effect to make the impossible possible rather than just or the other.
Though yes, lift capacity/high speed transport and support units that can service the main combatant super robots in active combat would definitely also need to be core components of the methodology.
.we've had about two or three that look like they can take it." She grimaces at the thought. "I think they're kind of crazy already in some ways, which maybe means they have a tolerance to it or something
