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Project Knight [Mecha Design Bureau]

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Turn 8: Year 4 of Project Knight (Codename: Bushfire) New
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    • Project Knight - Mecha Design Bureau
    Turn 8: Year 4 of Project Knight    ​


    [X] Plan: Front, Middle, and Back
    -[X] Central Hull (Max: 10 Mounting Points in This Location)
    --[X] Heavy Embedded Mount (6 MP)
    -[X] Frontal Hull (Max: 8 Mounting Points in This Location)
    --[X] Light Auto Turret (4 MP, +6 tons)
    -[X] Rear Hull (Max: 8 Mounting Points in This Location)
    --[X] Light External Mount (2 MP)

    Rolls for Chosen Upgrades:
    Engineering Rolls: Your team will roll dice for each factor of the design they are trying to impact. The dice roll is a simple d20 modified by their level of training and experience in a given field, versus a difficulty target that must be met or exceeded. The degree of success/failure will then modify the final result accordingly.
    Bonus: Well funded! Your engineers roll twice and choose the higher result.

    [] Central Hull, Heavy Embedded Mount
    Weapons Development (Hull Mounts):     Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+0)
    Component Protection increases from E to D | 17 vs. 12 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Hull Mounts): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+0)
    Tech Simplicity increases from D to C- | 16 vs. 17 - minor failure​

    [] Frontal Hull, Light Auto Turret
    Weapons Development (Turrets):     Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+2)
    Power Control increases from D to D+ | 18 vs. 17 - minor success​
    Structural Engineering (Turrets)): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+3)
    Component Protection does not increase. | 7 vs. 18 - major failure​
    Armour Development (Turrets): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+3)
    Armour Plating increases from F+ to E- | 17 vs. 13 - minor success​
    Structural Engineering (Turrets): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+2)
    Material Affordability decreases from B to B- | 15 vs. 14 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Turrets): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+2)
    Tech Simplicity does not decrease. | 22* vs. 14 - minor critical success​

    [] Rear Hull, Light External Mount
    Weapons Development (Hull Mounts):     Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+0)
    Heat Management increases from D- to D | 21 vs. 14 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Hull Mounts): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+0)
    Ease of Maintenance does not increase. | 13 vs. 17 - minor failure​

    Building and integrated weapons systems from scratch wasn't going to be easy. Broadly speaking there were two schools of thought in the team: one believed that the heavy lift capacity and gunboat configuration of the hull meant that it could mount much heavier weapons than others might expect. The other believed that the flat-top of the gunboat hull made it well suited for a turret mount in ways that other designs simply were not.

    Both options were explored in detail, but as time forced a commitment, you decided to go with a heavy main weapon mounted in the inner central turret, with an auto-turret in front and a simple external mount in back. This should provide a good balance of options when allowing you to approach your requirements. Now it was time to decide what to do next…


    Sub-Project 'Heavy Fireside Crawler' (Codename: Bushfire):

    Current Prototype (Rough Draft, Slice View w/o Outer Hull):

    Displayed above is a Rough Draft Profile of your Heavy Fireside Crawler standing at full height (maximum line of sight for weaponry.) A slice view is used to expose the internals as you outfit it, the exterior hull will be displayed later.

    Project Requirements & Ratings:
    Basic Requirements:
    1. ❌ Combat Potential: average D or higher
    2. ✅ Logistical Values: average D or higher
    3. ✅ Material Affordability: C or higher
    4. ✅ Build & Repair Speeds: D or higher
    5. ✅ Ease of Maintenance: D or higher
    Customer Requirements:
    • Kingdom of Kadiri:
      • ✅ Build & Repair Speeds: C- or higher
      • ✅ Ease of Maintenance: C- or higher
    • Bethnar Republic:
      • ✅ Tech Simplicity C+ or lower
      • ✅ Material Affordability B- or higher
      • ✅ Ease of Maintenance C- or higher
    • Sahel Alliance:
      • ✅ Skeletal Agility E- or higher
      • ❌ Heat Management C- or higher
    • Sagittarian Colonial Coalition:
      • ✅ Weapon Hardpoints C- or higher
      • ❌ Power Control C- or higher
      • ❌ Armour Plating C- or higher

    NOTE: I made an unnoticed copypaste error in the previous customer requirements page - you don't have enough Heat Management for the Sahel Alliance requirements to be met yet.

    Tech Specs & Ratings:
    Dimensions:
    Height:     ~3.67m
    Length: ~6.72m
    Breadth: ~2.96m

    Tonnage:
    Max Tonnage:     71 tons
    Chassis Weight: 38 tons (base estimates for cockpit and engine included)
    Usable Tonnage: 27 tons (no weapons, subsystems, or external armour plates equipped)

    Technical Specifications:

    Weapon Mounts:
    Heavy Embedded Mount (Size 6, ICT)
    Light Auto Turret Mount (Size 2, FCT)
    Light External Mount (Size 2, RCT)

    Skeletal Design (E+)
    • D | S-EFF Structural Efficiency
    • E+ | S-DUR - Skeletal Durability
    • E | S-AGI - Skeletal Agility
    • D+ | S-STB - Skeletal Stability
    • F+ | S-ACT - Actuator Precision
    Combat Potential (E+)
    • C- | C-WPN - Weapons Hardpoints
    • E- | C-ARM - Armour Plating
    • F | C-PTP - Pilot Protection
    • E+ | C-PTJ - Joint Protection
    • D | C-PTC - Component Protection
    Weapon Effectiveness (X)
    • X | T-WPN - Armour Penetration
    • X | T-ARM - Damage Output
    • X | T-PTP - Effective Range
    • E- | T-PTJ - Rate of Fire
    • F+ | T-PTC - Weapons Control
    Power and Drive Effectiveness (D+)
    • D | P-PWC - Power Control
    • C- | P-LMB - Limb Drive Speed
    • D | P-HTM - Heat Management
    Logistical Values (C)
    • B- | L-CST - Material Affordability
    • C- | L-TCH - Tech Simplicity
    • C | L-BNR - Build & Repair Speeds
    • C- | L-EOM - Ease of Maintenance

    NOTE: A new ratings category has been added - weapon effectiveness. This determines how dangerous the Mech's weapon systems are expected to be. Rate of Fire has an initial rating offered by your Mech's Heat Management and Power Control, while Weapons Control has an initial rating offered by your choice of chassis design, Skeletal agility/Stability, Actuator Precision, and weapon mount selection. Armour Penetration, Damage Output and Effective Range will be determined primarily by your choice of weapons.

    Most of these values start empty at X, except for Weapons Control (which has a baseline value determined by your chassis' maneuverability and initial weapon mount choices).

    Note that these ratings are not perfect simulations of the machine's capabilities and do not reflect the specializations of different weapons, and thus will not be a perfect indicator of actual battlefield performance.


    Now that we had our mounts, it was time to select a weapon style and configuration for the primary mount. The Heavy Embedded Mount could be largely built in two ways: either by mounting a system that runs from the interior of the hull along the spine before emerging out the front, or by emerging out of the back to provide indirect fire. Each option would come with its own pros and cons.

    Once you had decided that, you would then need to look into your weapons options. Your organization had limited weapons production capability, but you were confident you'd be able to produce the basics if you needed to. Alternatively, there were interested suppliers who saw this project as an opportunity to show what they're made of - weapons of the size you were looking to mount weren't typically seen on armoured vehicles, so this provided a unique opportunity for engineers and suits alike.

    Now, what to choose for the main heavy weapon?

    Weapon Option Details:

    Weapon Mount Style:
    The core of your weapon will be located in the central hull, but you will need to decide exactly where it will emerge from the hull, which will impact both the design of your mech's internals and its combat style.
    [Direct Back Mounted]
    This is the easiest system to build, as we'll simply mount the system forward-facing it on top of the spine and extend the hull up a little to cover and protect it. Cheap, easy, and it'll suit any weapon type we want to use and allow for easy venting of heat.​
    [+1] Heat Management, [+1] Build & Repair Speed​

    [Indirect Back Mounted]
    The weapon will be positioned in the rear of the center torso and emerge out of the back. This is optimized for indirect fire systems such as Ballistics and Rockets & Missiles and allows for greater control over the trajectory of your fire and thus its range.​
    [+1] Effective Range (unless energy weapons are selected).
    [If chosen with Energy Weapons that lack the Anti-Air Tag, the next most popular mount will be chosen instead.]
    ​
    [Spine Mounted]
    Slightly more complicated, this will mount the weapon system just above the spine so that it emerges near the front of the hull. This location allows for the weapon to vent its excess heat more easily across the length of the hull while giving us the best access to the Electroneural system for efficient redirection of power to and from the weapon. Only long weapons with a lengthy profile (e.g. ballistic and energy weapons) can truly benefit from this.​
    [+1] Power Control, [+1] Heat Management
    [If chosen with Rockets & Missiles or Drones, the next most popular mount will be chosen instead.]​

    [Nose Mounted]
    This mount is positioned deep in the interior of the Mech and emerges from the nose of the Mech. This protects the weapon from enemy fire and is optimal for precision aim of the weapon, but takes up a lot of space and will make it harder to build around it.
    [+1] Component Protection, [+1] Weapons Control
    [-1] Penalty applied to future rolls when building internal components in the Central Hull and Frontal Hull.​

    [Belly Mounted]
    This mount is not very efficient as a weapons location. The low position on the body emerges from the lower frontal hull - this position makes it more challenging to get shots on target, but it does make it very easy to access for maintenance, while also keeping the weapon in a hidden location that protects it from enemy fire.​
    [+1] Component Protection, [+1] Ease of Maintenance
    [-1] Weapons Control
    [If chosen with Drones, Anti-Air or Point Defence, the next most popular mount will be chosen instead.]​
    ​
    Weapon Mount Modularity:
    You can customize the configuration of your weapon mounts, making them more or less restrictive to allow for customizable loadouts in the field. While it does not directly impact the effectiveness of the weapon, it will improve the number of reconfiguration options available to them, which may make them more appealing to customers.
    [Fully Integrated Mount]
    This system is built entirely as part of the chassis and cannot be removed or replaced without a complete overhaul. This is the simplest type of mount to implement, but makes it completely impractical to change the weapon in the mount.​
    [+1] Material Affordability, [+1] Tech Simplicity, [+1] Build & Repair Speeds
    [-1] Weapon Hardpoints
    [No Weapon Swaps Allowed]​

    [Simple Modular Mount]
    This system is set up to enable easy removal and replacement of the weapons system with other weapon systems of the same type (e.g. rockets with rockets, missiles with missiles). Adds a small amount of customizability and makes maintenance easier.​
    [+1] Ease of Maintenance
    [Same Type Weapon Swaps Allowed]​

    [Complex Modular Mount]
    This system goes a step further, allowing for easy module swaps for weapons of the same category (e.g. rockets with missiles, missiles with rockets). Adds greater customizability at a premium price.​
    [+1] Weapon Hardpoints, [+1] Ease of Maintenance
    [-1] Tech Simplicity, [-1] Material Affordability
    [Same Category Weapon Swaps Allowed]​

    [Universal Modular Mount]
    This complex system is designed to allow for the easy replacement and install of any weapon type. This is a very difficult and complex system to implement, so while it provides great flexibility, it also comes at great cost.​
    [+2] Weapon Hardpoints, [+1] Ease of Maintenance
    [-2] Tech Simplicity, [-1] Material Affordability, [-1] Build & Repair Speeds
    [Any Weapon Swaps Allowed]​

    Heavy Weapon Systems:
    This weapon mount sacrifices your pilot's control of the relevant weapon systems in exchange for a dedicated autonomous gunner and an excellent range of fire. It is not recommended to build more than one turret as they will limit each others' arcs of fire.
    [152mm Battle Cannon]
    [In-House Build]
    Our weapons engineers have proposed a 150mm cannon which we believe will be more than capable of taking out the enemy up close or from a distance. It's simple, easy to build, easy to service, and militaries around the world are already familiar with systems of this type of weapon and will be able to source parts locally.​
    [5 tons, size 4. 1x Attack. Average range. Average accuracy. Average damage. Average reload. Versatile ammo types. 25 ammo capacity).]
    [+2] Armour Penetration, [+2] Damage Output, [+2] Effective Range, [+1] Rate of Fire, [+1] Weapons Control
    [+1] Heat Management, [+1] Build & Repair Speeds, [+1] Ease of Maintenance​

    [70mm Multiple Rocket Pod Array]
    [In-House Build]
    The other weapon system our engineers are confident in engineering themselves is an array of mid-range rocket pods. Once fired, rockets are unable to alter their trajectory mid-flight, making them inaccurate. On the flipside, they are extremely cheap and easy to build - the whole system is idiot-proof and basically any industrialized state should be able to produce, customize, and maintain these with ease. Their ability to penetrate armour and damage targets is poor individually, but the sheer volume of fire can saturate a target area or overwhelm targets at close range.​
    [4 tons, size 6. 20x Attacks. Average range. Low accuracy. Low damage. Very Slow reload. 100 ammo capacity). Weak vs. Point Defence.]
    [+1] Armour Penetration, [+3] Damage Output, [+2] Effective Range
    [-1] Rate of Fire
    [+1] Material Affordability, [+1] Tech Simplicity, [+1] Build & Repair Speeds, [+1] Ease of Maintenance​

    [148mm Rifled Cannon]
    [Built By: Tama Industries, Mali, Sahel Alliance]
    We have been approached by the Sahel Alliance. Even though they have lingering concerns about our Mech's ability to manage its heat in high-temperature environments, they are still interested. They're offering us cheap access to their locally-produced rifled anti-tank guns. They're not as easy to maintain and are limited to older, simpler types of munitions, but that might suit our potential customers - and it might convince the Sahelians to buy the mech.​
    [4.5 tons, size 4. 1x Attack. Average range. Average accuracy. Average damage. Average reload. 25 ammo capacity).]
    [+2] Armour Penetration, [+2] Damage Output, [+2] Effective Range, [+1] Rate of Fire, [+1] Weapons Control
    [+1] Heat Management, [+1] Material Affordability, [+1] Build & Repair Speeds
    [If chosen, the Sahel Coalition will buy this Mech even if we don't meet their full requirements.]​

    [Surface-to-Ground Missile Battery]
    [Built By: Vanderbright Unlimited, Posoga, North Atlantea]
    Go figure, wherever a weapon's being made, the Atlanteans are going to stick their nose in it. They'll sell weapons to just about anyone who isn't closely allied with the Chinese - and to their credit, they're good at it. Vanderbright is the leading weapons developer in the Federation, and their SGMs are accurate and deadly. Unfortunately, they also charge a premium for their systems - and the Atlanteans will place restrictive export controls on who we can sell to. They promise they'll find alternative clients for us - but will they keep that promise?​
    [3 tons, size 5. 6x Attacks. High range. High accuracy. Average damage. Slow reload. 48 ammo capacity). Weak vs. Point Defence & EWS. Must be at least Short Range to fire.]
    [+3] Armour Penetration, [+2] Damage Output, [+3] Effective Range, [+1] Weapons Control
    [-1] Material Affordability
    [If chosen, you cannot sell this system to the Kingdom of Kadiri, but the NAF promise to find you a replacement client before the end of the project.]​

    [High Energy Heavy Laser Cannon]
    [Built By: Wuhan Armouries, Hubei, Ning Dynasty]
    Leave it to the Imperial Court to sniff out the Atlantean interest. The day after we received the offer from Vanderbright, the state-owned Wuhan Armoury contacted us. The Ning produce plenty of effective weapons in our price range, and they'd be interested in selling us the Type 22c, the budget version of their latest heavy laser cannon. It's a lightweight and effective overall system - a little more expensive than a battle cannon, but the lack of ammunition is a big plus. On the flipside, it runs pretty hot and needs a lot of juice to fire - it's more dependent on your Power Control rating than other weapons, and generates a lot more heat than other weapon types.​
    [3 tons, size 3. 1x Attack. Average range. High accuracy. Average damage. Average recharge. High power draw.]
    [+2] Armour Penetration, [+2] Damage Output, [+2] Effective Range, [+1] Rate of Fire, [+2] Weapons Control
    [-1] Heat Management​

    [Charged Particle Beam Weapon]
    [Built By: Excalibur Systems, Logria, Brythonic Commonwealth
    If we're feeling a little more experimental, our contacts in Logria suggest the Commonwealth could be convinced to supply us with their latest directed energy weapon - the Charged Particle Beam. This complex system launches a condensed beam of highly charged particles at the speed of light - these can be highly destructive, but scatter and lose cohesion across even short distances. Unfortunately, the system is still relatively new and prone to shorts and breakdowns.​
    [6 tons, size 6. 1x Attack. Very Short Range. Average Accuracy. Very High damage. Slow recharge. High power draw. Increased range in Void Environments.]
    [+4] Armour Penetration, [+4] Damage Output, [+1] Weapons Control
    [-1] Heat Management, [-1] Tech Simplicity, [-1] Ease of Maintenance​

    [Heavy Drone Dock]
    [Built By: Chennai Aerodrome, Worker's Union of Bharat]
    If we're looking for a good drone system, there's no one better qualified to produce it for us than India. Chennai Aerodrome has built more combat drones than anyone else over the last century and they have systems suited to our budget. The CM2 is a medium drone bomber designed to be launched from trucks and air carriers, but we could easily build a suitable drone dock for their systems on the flat top of our Gunship hull. Unfortunately, the large docking system is not only complex, but represents a lightly armoured weak spot across much of the hull.​
    [7 tons, size 6. 1x Drone w/ 2x Bombs. Long Range. Medium Accuracy. High Damage. Very Slow Reload. 4 ammo capacity. Vulnerable to EWS.]
    [+3] Armour Penetration, [+3] Damage Output, [+3] Effective Range, [+1] Weapons Control
    [-1] Rate of Fire
    [-1] Armour Plating, [-1] Tech Simplicity​


    New Vote: How are we configuring and outfitting the large Heavy Weapon mount?
    Approval voting is used to represent some level of chaos and unpredictability in a large project like this - not everything is always going to come out perfect, and you'll have to do your best to make it work at each stage of development. There will be some time at the end of a project to refine and address flaws or contradictions in the design, depending on how much funding you receive for the project. The top vote from each category will win - ties will be resolved with a coin flip/die roll.
    Usable Tonnage: 27 tons (no weapons, subsystems, or external armour plates equipped)

    [] [Style] Direct Back Mounted
    [] [Style] Indirect Back Mounted
    [] [Style] Nose Mounted
    [] [Style] Spine Mounted
    [] [Style] Belly Mounted

    [] [Modularity] Fully Integrated Mount
    [] [Modularity] Simple Modular Mount
    [] [Modularity] Complex Modular Mount
    [] [Modularity] Universal Modular Mount

    [] [Weapon] 152mm Battle Cannon (In-House Build)
    [] [Weapon] 70mm Multiple Rocket Pod Array (In-House Build)
    [] [Weapon] 148mm Rifled Cannon (Sahel Alliance)
    [] [Weapon] Surface-to-Ground Missile Battery (North Atlantean Federation)
    [] [Weapon] High Energy Laser Cannon (Ning Dynasty)
    [] [Weapon] Charged Particle Beam Weapon (Brythonic Commonwealth)
    [] [Weapon] Heavy Drone Dock (Worker's Union of Bharat)


    Apologies for the long wait after the vote closed, this was a chunky one and I had a busy evening and energy crashed once I got back to my desk, so I didn't finish it before I absolutely needed some sleep. I'm likely to be busy Tuesday as well so I'm going to leave the vote open until .

    The two light weapons will be done after the decision on the heavy weapon is made, since there are dependencies in play.

    I'll go through and try to check I haven't missed answering any important questions in the comments, but regarding the questions around agility and how that can affect your ability to use certain weapons, I've tried to roughly model it in the new 'Weapon Effectiveness' ratings, as well as blocking off certain weapons from certain mount styles to prevent you from dead ending yourself. Low Weapons Control will mean you have trouble directing and aiming the weapon in question, some weapons and mount options will improve this (and you can invest in subsystems to try to help later), but the more accuracy the weapon requires (e.g. a cannon or laser) the more painful that will be.

    Hopefully no critical mistakes in this as I'm up early and trying to get it out the door. Shout if you see something.
     
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    • Scheduled vote count started by Verisaimilitude on Jan 21, 2025 at 12:53 AM, finished with 44 posts and 25 votes.
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    • Turn 9: Year 4 of Project Knight (Codename: Bushfire) New
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    • Project Knight - Mecha Design Bureau
    Turn 9: Year 4 of Project Knight    ​


    [X] [Style] Direct Back Mounted
    [X] [Modularity] Simple Modular Mount
    [X] [Weapon] 152mm Battle Cannon (In-House Build)

    Rolls for Chosen Upgrades:
    Delayed. Rolls for implementing weapons will be done once all weapons are implemented.

    We settled on the main weapon system for our Mech - a homebrewed 152mm Battle Cannon, featuring a smoothbore barrel with a simple auto-loader. We weren't experienced weapons engineers, but the tech required to make this kind of stuff had existed for a millennia. The optics would be integrated closely into the Electro-Neural system, and a series of blowout panels would be provided near the ammo store to reduce the risk of explosions.

    The system was big and heavy, and it wasn't fancy - but it suited the role of the Mech and the needs of your customers. It was cheap, durable, easy to produce, and it was effective against many types of targets at many ranges in a forward-facing cone. After centuries of developments, weapons development still liked to stick a big gun on something and pointing it at the enemy - it was crude, yes, but very effective.


    Sub-Project 'Heavy Fireside Crawler' (Codename: Bushfire):

    Current Prototype (Rough Draft, Slice View w/o Outer Hull):

    Displayed above is a Rough Draft Profile of your Heavy Fireside Crawler standing at full height (maximum line of sight for weaponry.) A slice view is used to expose the internals as you outfit it, the exterior hull will be displayed later.

    Project Requirements & Ratings:
    Basic Requirements:
    1. ❌ Combat Potential: average D or higher
    2. ✅ Logistical Values: average D or higher
    3. ✅ Material Affordability: C or higher
    4. ✅ Build & Repair Speeds: D or higher
    5. ✅ Ease of Maintenance: D or higher
    Customer Requirements:
    • Kingdom of Kadiri:
      • ✅ Build & Repair Speeds: C- or higher
      • ✅ Ease of Maintenance: C- or higher
    • Bethnar Republic:
      • ✅ Tech Simplicity C+ or lower
      • ✅ Material Affordability B- or higher
      • ✅ Ease of Maintenance C- or higher
    • Sahel Alliance:
      • ✅ Skeletal Agility E- or higher
      • ❌ Heat Management C- or higher
    • Sagittarian Colonial Coalition:
      • ✅ Weapon Hardpoints C- or higher
      • ❌ Power Control C- or higher
      • ❌ Armour Plating C- or higher

    NOTE: I made an unnoticed copypaste error in the previous customer requirements page - you don't have enough Heat Management for the Sahel Alliance requirements to be met yet.

    Tech Specs & Ratings:
    Dimensions:
    Height:     ~3.67m
    Length: ~6.72m
    Breadth: ~2.96m

    Tonnage:
    Max Tonnage:     71 tons
    Chassis Weight: 38 tons (base estimates for cockpit and engine included)
    Usable Tonnage: 22 tons (no weapons, subsystems, or external armour plates equipped)

    Technical Specifications:

    Weapon Mounts:
    Heavy Embedded Mount (Size 6, ICT)
    Light Auto Turret Mount (Size 2, FCT)
    Light External Mount (Size 2, RCT)

    Skeletal Design (E+)
    • D | S-EFF Structural Efficiency
    • E+ | S-DUR - Skeletal Durability
    • E | S-AGI - Skeletal Agility
    • D+ | S-STB - Skeletal Stability
    • F+ | S-ACT - Actuator Precision
    Combat Potential (E+)
    • C- | C-WPN - Weapons Hardpoints
    • E- | C-ARM - Armour Plating
    • F | C-PTP - Pilot Protection
    • E+ | C-PTJ - Joint Protection
    • D | C-PTC - Component Protection
    Weapon Effectiveness (X)
    • X | T-WPN - Armour Penetration
    • X | T-ARM - Damage Output
    • X | T-PTP - Effective Range
    • E- | T-PTJ - Rate of Fire
    • F+ | T-PTC - Weapons Control
    Power and Drive Effectiveness (D+)
    • D | P-PWC - Power Control
    • C- | P-LMB - Limb Drive Speed
    • D | P-HTM - Heat Management
    Logistical Values (C)
    • B- | L-CST - Material Affordability
    • C- | L-TCH - Tech Simplicity
    • C | L-BNR - Build & Repair Speeds
    • C- | L-EOM - Ease of Maintenance


    With our Heavy weapon settled, that would make decision making on the front and rear weapons easier. Since the auto turret up front was the more complex of the two, we'd start with that.

    First of all, we had to decide where to mount it. The length of the main gun barrel was expected to extend at least a meter and a half beyond the nose of the mech's hull, so that ruled out placing it on top of the mech. That left the nose cone, the chin, or perhaps to either side of the nose, depending on what you wanted out of it - there were pros and cons to each spot. Not to mention we hadn't even settled on what weapon system we'd be mounting there…

    Weapon Option Details:

    Weapon Mount Style:
    The core of your weapon will be located in the central hull, but you will need to decide exactly where it will emerge from the hull, which will impact both the design of your mech's internals and its combat style. The impact of this weapon may be less significant due to the weapon's small size.

    [Nose Mounted]
    A turret placed on the Mech's nose will be optimally positioned for accurate fire on the forward arc. Additionally, it should have the greatest arc of fire both vertically and horizontally of our options, and allow for greater air cooling. On the flipside, it will take up the most space in the frontal hull, which may become problematic if we decide to place the cockpit there later.​
    [+0.33] Rate of Fire, [+0.33] Weapons Control, [+0.33] Heat Management
    [-1] Penalty on rolls for building cockpit in frontal hull.​

    [Chin Mounted]
    By mounting the turret underneath the chin, we'll have a sheltered and comfortable position for the weapon system to lay down fire across a wide horizontal arc. The turret also provides some additional protection for the underside of the hull, reducing the threat of Unfortunately, its vertical arc will be very limited by comparison.​
    [+0.33] Rate of Fire, [+0.33] Weapons Control. [+0.33] Component Protection
    [Turret Flaw] Weapon Blind Spot (Vertical)​

    [Side Mounted]
    A little less conventional, but mounting the turret to the side of the nose it loses much of its horizontal arc as it can't aim to the other side of the nose. It makes up for this with vertical flexibility - the barrel of the main gun won't be in its way, it can easily rotate up to target airborne threats or fire indirectly.​
    [+0.33] Rate of Fire, [+0.33] Weapons Control, [+0.33] Effective Range (non-energy weapons only)
    [Turret Flaw] Weapon Blind Spot (Horizontal)[/I]​

    Weapon Mount Modularity:
    You can customize the configuration of your weapon mounts, making them more or less restrictive to allow for customizable loadouts in the field. While it does not directly impact the effectiveness of the weapon, it will improve the number of reconfiguration options available to them, which may make them more appealing to customers.
    [Fully Integrated Mount]
    This system is built entirely as part of the chassis and cannot be removed or replaced without a complete overhaul. This is the simplest type of mount to implement, but makes it completely impractical to change the weapon in the mount.​
    [+0.33] Material Affordability, [+0.33] Tech Simplicity, [+0.33] Build & Repair Speeds
    [-0.33] Weapon Hardpoints
    [No Weapon Swaps Allowed]​

    [Simple Modular Mount]
    This system is set up to enable easy removal and replacement of the weapons system with other weapon systems of the same type (e.g. rockets with rockets, missiles with missiles). Adds a small amount of customizability and makes maintenance easier.​
    [+0.33] Ease of Maintenance
    [Same Type Weapon Swaps Allowed]​

    [Complex Modular Mount]
    This system goes a step further, allowing for easy module swaps for weapons of the same category (e.g. rockets with missiles, missiles with rockets). Adds greater customizability at a premium price.​
    [+0.33] Weapon Hardpoints, [+0.33] Ease of Maintenance
    [-0.33] Tech Simplicity, [-0.33] Material Affordability
    [Same Category Weapon Swaps Allowed]​

    [Universal Modular Mount]
    This complex system is designed to allow for the easy replacement and install of any weapon type. This is a very difficult and complex system to implement, so while it provides great flexibility, it also comes at great cost.​
    [+0.66] Weapon Hardpoints, [+0.33] Ease of Maintenance
    [-0.66] Tech Simplicity, [-0.33] Material Affordability, [-0.33] Build & Repair Speeds
    [Any Weapon Swaps Allowed]​

    Light Weapon Systems:
    Your choice of light weapons is limited by your weapons engineers' experience, current tech levels, the demands of the project, and the potential vendors willing to supply you with off-the-shelf solutions.
    [75mm Battle Cannon]
    [In-House Build]
    Our engineers are already building a 152mm cannon, it shouldn't be too hard to design a scaled down 75mm system to complement that. It won't easily penetrate heavy armour, but it's still perfectly capable of doing damage - with the right munitions it can devastate softer targets at a lighter cost.​
    [2 tons, size 2. 1x Attack. Average range. Average accuracy. Average damage. Average reload. 40 ammo capacity).]
    [+0.66] Armour Penetration, [+0.66] Damage Output, [+0.66] Effective Range, [+0.33] Rate of Fire, [+0.33] Weapons Control
    [+0.33] Heat Management, [+0.33] Build & Repair Speeds, [+0.33] Ease of Maintenance
    ​
    [40mm Autocannon]
    [In-House Build]
    Building a traditional cannon is probably overkill on top of the 152mm main gun. A 40mm rapid-fire autocannon on the other hand provides a different weapon profile with greater flexibility in target selection.​
    [2 tons, size 1.5. 2x Attacks. Average range. Average accuracy. Average damage. Average reload. Versatile ammo types. 300 ammo capacity).]
    [+0.33] Armour Penetration, [+0.33] Damage Output, [+0.66] Effective Range, [+0.66] Rate of Fire, [+0.33] Weapons Control
    [+0.33] Heat Management, [+0.33] Build & Repair Speeds, [+0.33] Ease of Maintenance
    ​
    [70mm Multiple Rocket Pod Array]
    [In-House Build]
    Our engineers are still confident they can build a set of mid-range rocket pods. Once fired, rockets are unable to alter their trajectory mid-flight, making them inaccurate. On the flipside, they are extremely cheap and easy to build - the whole system is idiot-proof and basically any industrialized state should be able to produce, customize, and maintain these with ease. Their ability to penetrate armour and damage hard targets is poor individually, but volume of fire can saturate a target area or overwhelm targets at close range.​
    [1.5 tons, size 2. 7x Attacks. Average range. Low accuracy. Low damage. Very Slow reload. 25 ammo capacity). Weak vs. Point Defence.]
    [+0.33] Armour Penetration, [+1] Damage Output, [+0.66] Effective Range
    [-0.33] Rate of Fire
    [+0.33] Material Affordability, [+0.33] Tech Simplicity, [+0.33] Build & Repair Speeds, [+0.33] Ease of Maintenance
    [Saturation] Lays suppressive fire over a small area, devastating exposed soft targets.​

    [20mm Rotary Autocannon]
    [Built By: Stahlschmiede Metalworks, Rheinehafen, Europa]
    A more complex system to build than our other cannon options, our ballistics specialists would prefer not to build this by themselves while also managing the 155 main gun. Thankfully, we have a readily available off-the-shelf option being offered to us by Stahlschmiede Metalworks at a competitive price..​
    [2 tons, size 2. 3x Attacks. Average range. Average accuracy. Average damage. Average reload. 1000 ammo capacity).]
    [+0.33] Armour Penetration, [+1] Damage Output, [+0.66] Effective Range, [+1] Rate of Fire
    [-0.33] Tech Simplicity
    [Saturation] Lays suppressive fire over a medium area, devastating exposed soft targets.​

    [Surface-to-Ground Missile Launcher]
    [Built By: Vanderbright Unlimited, Posoga, North Atlantea]
    The Atlanteans haven't given up on selling us missiles, but they're not as enthused now that it's just a support system. They'll sell weapons to just about anyone who isn't closely allied with the Chinese - and to their credit, they're good at it. Vanderbright is the leading weapons developer in the Federation, and their SGMs are accurate and deadly. Unfortunately, they also charge a premium for their systems - and the Atlanteans will place restrictive export controls on who we can sell to. They might find alternative clients for us - but will they?​
    [0.5 tons, size 1. 1x Attack. High range. High accuracy. Average damage. Slow reload. 8 ammo capacity). Weak vs. Point Defence & EWS. Must be at least Short Range to fire.]
    [+1] Armour Penetration, [+0.66] Damage Output, [+1] Effective Range, [+0.33] Weapons Control
    [-0.33] Material Affordability
    [If chosen, you cannot sell this weapon system to the Kingdom of Kadiri. Given this is now a support weapon, the NAF cannot promise they will find us a replacement customer - but will put a good word in for us, which might help.]​

    [High Energy Laser Cannon, Light]
    [Built By: Excalibur Systems, Logria, Brythonic Commonwealth]
    When it comes to Laser Cannons, the Commonwealth offers a good deal. This compact and lightweight weapons system is the perfect complement to an Auto Turret, combining its advanced targeting systems with the exceptional accuracy of the lasers.​
    [1 ton, size 1. 1x Attack. Average range. High accuracy. Average damage. Average recharge. High power draw.]
    [+0.66] Armour Penetration, [+0.66] Damage Output, [+0.66] Effective Range, [+0.33] Rate of Fire, [+0.66] Weapons Control
    [-0.33] Heat Management (additional -0.33 if two are equipped to the same turret).​

    [Point Defence System]
    [In-House Build]
    One of the most reliable ways of knocking out enemy drones and missiles is simply to put enough metal in the air that you shred them before they become dangerous. The proposed system will autonomously track and acquire incoming threats while active and rapidly fire 12mm rounds on intercept trajectories to divert or destroy the threat. In a pinch this gun can be turned against nearby soft targets as well.​
    [1.5 tons, size 1. 1x Attack. Average range. High accuracy. Average damage. Average recharge. High power draw. 2000 ammo capacity.]
    [+0.33] Armour Penetration, [+0.33] Damage Output, [+0.66] Effective Range, [+1] Rate of Fire, [+0.33] Weapons Control
    [-0.33] Tech Simplicity
    [Point Defence] Autonomously targets and fires at drones/projectiles entering arc of fire.​

    [Laser Defence Array]
    [Built By: Wuhan Armouries, Hubei, Ning Dynasty]
    The Imperials have an interesting alternative to the ballistics-based point defence system: more lasers. Specifically, this is an array of multiple miniature laser cannons scattered across the turret. They can aim and fire individually, or coordinate fire against a single target. This makes them a flexible and powerful form of point defence, and can be used against softer targets in a pinch.​
    [1 ton, size 1. 1x Attack. Average range. High accuracy. Average damage. Average recharge. High power draw.]
    [+0.33] Armour Penetration, [+0.33] Damage Output, [+0.66] Effective Range, [+0.66] Rate of Fire, [+0.66] Weapons Control
    [-0.33] Heat Management, [-0.33] Tech Simplicity
    [Point Defence] Autonomously targets and fires at drones/projectiles entering arc of fire.​

    Mini Weapon Systems:
    Turrets can mount multiple weapons, and some of the Mini Weapon Systems may make useful additions. Note that rating adjustments marked with 0* may attempt a roll in that rating, but they are unlikely to move ratings without an extreme roll or significant numbers..
    [12mm Heavy Machine Gun]
    [In-House Build]
    Simple and effective, the Machine Gun has withstood the test of time and is a great way of keeping infantry units at bay.​
    [0.5 ton, size 0.5. 2x Attacks. Average range. Average accuracy. Very Low damage. Average reload. 1000 round capacity.]
    [+0*] Damage Output, [+0*] Rate of Fire, [+0*] Weapons Control
    [Suppression] Lays suppressive fire over a small area, suppressing exposed soft targets.​

    [70mm Rocket Pod]
    [In-House Build]
    Cheap and easy, mounting a couple of 70mm gives our turret a little extra punch against hard targets.​
    [0.5 ton, size 0.5. 2x Attacks. Average range. Low accuracy. Low damage. Very Slow reload. 10 ammo capacity.]
    [+0*] Damage Output
    [-0*] Rate of Fire
    [+0*] Material Affordability, [+0*] Tech Simplicity, [+0*] Build & Repair Speeds, [+0*] Ease of Maintenance
    ​
    [40mm Grenade Launcher]
    [In-House Build]
    An automatic grenade launcher provides flexible direct and indirect fire support against soft targets.​
    [0.5 ton, size 0.5. 2x Attack. Average range. Average accuracy. Low damage. Average reload. 50 ammo capacity.]
    [+0.33] Damage Output, [+0.33] Effective Range
    ​
    [Flamethrower]
    [In-House Build]
    Cheap and easy, mounting a couple of 70mm gives our turret a little extra punch against hard targets.​
    [0.5 ton, size 0.5. 1x Attack. Average range. Average accuracy. Very Low damage. No reload. 10 shot ammo capacity.]
    [+0*] Damage Output, [+0*] Rate of Fire
    [-0*] Effective Range
    [+0*] Tech Simplicity
    [Overheat] Targets hit by the Flamethrower suffer additional heat.
    ​


    New Vote: How are we configuring and outfitting the Auto Turret
    Because turrets have more potential components thanks to their multiple weapon components, we'll be using a plan vote for selecting the full weapon loadout of the turret.
    Usable Tonnage: 22 tons (no weapons, subsystems, or external armour plates equipped)

    TURRET PLANS: When voting for turrets, you can end up placing multiple weapon systems. The combined size of all weapon systems cannot exceed the max size of the turret.

    Approval Vote:
    [] [Style] Nose Mounted
    [] [Style] Chin Mounted
    [] [Style] Side Mounted

    [] [Modularity] Fully Integrated Mount
    [] [Modularity] Simple Modular Mount
    [] [Modularity] Complex Modular Mount
    [] [Modularity] Universal Modular Mount

    Plan Vote:
    [] [Turret Plan] PLAN NAME (Max Size: 2)
    -[] [Light] 75mm Battle Cannon (Size 2; In-House Build)
    -[] [Light] 40mm Autocannon (Size 1.5; In-House Build)
    -[] [Light] 70mm Multiple Rocket Pod Array (Size 2; In-House Build)
    -[] [Light] 20mm Rotary Autocannon (Size 2; Europa (Earth))
    -[] [Light] Surface-to-Ground Missile Launcher (Size 1; North Atlantean Federation)
    -[] [Light] High Energy Laser Cannon, Light (Size 1, Ning Dynasty)
    -[] [Light] Point Defence System, Light (Size 1, In-House Build)
    -[] [Light] Laser Defence Array, Light (Size 1, Ning Dynasty)
    -[] [Mini] 12mm Heavy Machine Gun (0.5, In-House Build)
    -[] [Mini] 70mm Rocket Pod (Size 0.5, In-House Build)
    -[] [Mini] 40mm Grenade Launcher (Size 0.5, In-House Build)
    -[] [Mini] Flamethrower (Size 0.5, In-House Build)


    Voting is open until .

    EDIT: Fixed a couple of copypasta errors and now off to make some food, back in a bit!
     
    Last edited:
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    • Scheduled vote count started by Verisaimilitude on Jan 22, 2025 at 1:33 PM, finished with 30 posts and 16 votes.
    [style] [modularity] [turretplan] [turrentplan]
    Click to expand...
     
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    • Turn 10: Year 4 of Project Knight (Codename: Bushfire) New
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    • Project Knight - Mecha Design Bureau
    Turn 10: Year 4 of Project Knight    ​


    [X] [Style] Nose Mounted
    [X] [Modularity] Simple Modular Mount
    [X] [Turret Plan] Point defence and suppression (Max Size: 2)
    -[X] [Light] Point Defence System, Light (Size 1, Ning In-House)
    -[X] [Mini] 12mm Heavy Machine Gun (Size 0.5, In-House Build)
    -[X] [Mini] 40mm Grenade Launcher (Size 0.5, In-House Build)

    Rolls for Chosen Upgrades:
    Delayed. Rolls for implementing weapons will be done once all weapons are implemented.

    You set the team to work developing the turret. With such a heavy main gun already in place, a defensive focus for the turret seemed fairly obvious. The team would be required to get a working point defence system in place in order to protect the mech from air and missile threats. There were lingering concerns about the PDS being unable to cover the rear of the mech, as well as the blind spot presented by the barrel of the main gun - but mitigating blind spots was the team's job, and you had confidence in them figuring something out.

    In the meantime, the last weapon mount was to be decided - what were you going to build?


    Sub-Project 'Heavy Fireside Crawler' (Codename: Bushfire):

    Current Prototype (Rough Draft, Slice View w/o Outer Hull):

    Displayed above is a Rough Draft Profile of your Heavy Fireside Crawler standing at full height (maximum line of sight for weaponry.) A slice view is used to expose the internals as you outfit it, the exterior hull will be displayed later.

    Project Requirements & Ratings:
    Basic Requirements:
    1. ❌ Combat Potential: average D or higher
    2. ✅ Logistical Values: average D or higher
    3. ✅ Material Affordability: C or higher
    4. ✅ Build & Repair Speeds: D or higher
    5. ✅ Ease of Maintenance: D or higher
    Customer Requirements:
    • Kingdom of Kadiri:
      • ✅ Build & Repair Speeds: C- or higher
      • ✅ Ease of Maintenance: C- or higher
    • Bethnar Republic:
      • ✅ Tech Simplicity C+ or lower
      • ✅ Material Affordability B- or higher
      • ✅ Ease of Maintenance C- or higher
    • Sahel Alliance:
      • ✅ Skeletal Agility E- or higher
      • ❌ Heat Management C- or higher
    • Sagittarian Colonial Coalition:
      • ✅ Weapon Hardpoints C- or higher
      • ❌ Power Control C- or higher
      • ❌ Armour Plating C- or higher

    NOTE: I made an unnoticed copypaste error in the previous customer requirements page - you don't have enough Heat Management for the Sahel Alliance requirements to be met yet.

    Tech Specs & Ratings:
    Dimensions:
    Height:     ~3.67m
    Length: ~6.72m
    Breadth: ~2.96m

    Tonnage:
    Max Tonnage:     71 tons
    Chassis Weight: 38 tons (base estimates for cockpit and engine included)
    Usable Tonnage: 19.5 tons (no weapons, subsystems, or external armour plates equipped)

    Technical Specifications:

    Weapon Mounts:
    Heavy Embedded Mount (Size 6, ICT)
    Light Auto Turret Mount (Size 2, FCT)
    Light External Mount (Size 2, RCT)

    Skeletal Design (E+)
    • D | S-EFF Structural Efficiency
    • E+ | S-DUR - Skeletal Durability
    • E | S-AGI - Skeletal Agility
    • D+ | S-STB - Skeletal Stability
    • F+ | S-ACT - Actuator Precision
    Combat Potential (E+)
    • C- | C-WPN - Weapons Hardpoints
    • E- | C-ARM - Armour Plating
    • F | C-PTP - Pilot Protection
    • E+ | C-PTJ - Joint Protection
    • D | C-PTC - Component Protection
    Weapon Effectiveness (X)
    • X | T-WPN - Armour Penetration
    • X | T-ARM - Damage Output
    • X | T-PTP - Effective Range
    • E- | T-PTJ - Rate of Fire
    • F+ | T-PTC - Weapons Control
    Power and Drive Effectiveness (D+)
    • D | P-PWC - Power Control
    • C- | P-LMB - Limb Drive Speed
    • D | P-HTM - Heat Management
    Logistical Values (C)
    • B- | L-CST - Material Affordability
    • C- | L-TCH - Tech Simplicity
    • C | L-BNR - Build & Repair Speeds
    • C- | L-EOM - Ease of Maintenance


    Weapon Option Details:

    Weapon Mount Style:
    The core of your weapon will be located in the central hull, but you will need to decide exactly where it will emerge from the hull, which will impact both the design of your mech's internals and its combat style. The impact of this weapon may be less significant due to the weapon's small size.

    [Top Mounted, Rear-Facing]
    A rear-facing mount on the top of the chassis is the easiest way to guarantee the widest range of fire towards the rear arc and some of the side arc of the mech.​
    [+0.33] Ease of Maintenance [+0.33] Heat Management​

    [Top Mounted, Front-Facing]
    This will be a challenging mount - the main heavy weapon mount blocks some of the arc of fire, meaning we will need to offset this weapon mount and/or commit to a weapon capable of indirect fire.​
    [+0.33] Ease of Maintenance [+0.33] Heat Management
    [Turret Flaw] Weapon Blind Spot (Direct Fire Weapons)​

    [Rear Mounted]
    By placing the weapon mount on the back of the chassis, we guarantee a full view of the rear of the mech, allowing it to fire on targets circling behind the relatively slow mech. The mount position is well suited for aiming at targets in this arc, but it leave larger blind spots to either flank of the mech.​
    [+0.33] Ease of Maintenance [+0.33] Heat Management, [+0.33] Weapons Control
    [Turret Flaw] Weapon Blind Spot (Horizontal)​

    [Belly Mounted]
    If we just want to cover the rear of the mech, why not mount the weapon system in the rear of the belly? It'll limit our vertical arc of fire somewhat, but means that the system will be more protected and provide a little more metal between enemy fire and the vulnerable internal components in the belly of the mech.​
    [+0.33] Component Protection, [+0.33] Ease of Maintenance, [+0.33] Heat Management
    [Turret Flaw] Weapon Blind Spot (Vertical)​

    Weapon Mount Modularity:
    You can customize the configuration of your weapon mounts, making them more or less restrictive to allow for customizable loadouts in the field. While it does not directly impact the effectiveness of the weapon, it will improve the number of reconfiguration options available to them, which may make them more appealing to customers.
    [Fully Integrated Mount]
    This system is built entirely as part of the chassis and cannot be removed or replaced without a complete overhaul. This is the simplest type of mount to implement, but makes it completely impractical to change the weapon in the mount.​
    [+0.33] Material Affordability, [+0.33] Tech Simplicity, [+0.33] Build & Repair Speeds
    [-0.33] Weapon Hardpoints
    [No Weapon Swaps Allowed]​

    [Simple Modular Mount]
    This system is set up to enable easy removal and replacement of the weapons system with other weapon systems of the same type (e.g. rockets with rockets, missiles with missiles). Adds a small amount of customizability and makes maintenance easier.​
    [+0.33] Ease of Maintenance
    [Same Type Weapon Swaps Allowed]​

    [Complex Modular Mount]
    This system goes a step further, allowing for easy module swaps for weapons of the same category (e.g. rockets with missiles, missiles with rockets). Adds greater customizability at a premium price.​
    [+0.33] Weapon Hardpoints, [+0.33] Ease of Maintenance
    [-0.33] Tech Simplicity, [-0.33] Material Affordability
    [Same Category Weapon Swaps Allowed]​

    [Universal Modular Mount]
    This complex system is designed to allow for the easy replacement and install of any weapon type. This is a very difficult and complex system to implement, so while it provides great flexibility, it also comes at great cost.​
    [+0.66] Weapon Hardpoints, [+0.33] Ease of Maintenance
    [-0.66] Tech Simplicity, [-0.33] Material Affordability, [-0.33] Build & Repair Speeds
    [Any Weapon Swaps Allowed]​

    Light Weapon Systems:
    Your choice of light weapons is limited by your weapons engineers' experience, current tech levels, the demands of the project, and the potential vendors willing to supply you with off-the-shelf solutions.
    [75mm Battle Cannon]
    [In-House Build]
    Our engineers are already building a 152mm cannon, it shouldn't be too hard to design a scaled down 75mm system to complement that. It won't easily penetrate heavy armour, but it's still perfectly capable of doing damage - with the right munitions it can devastate softer targets at a lighter cost.​
    [2 tons, size 2. 1x Attack. Average range. Average accuracy. Average damage. Average reload. 40 ammo capacity).]
    [+0.66] Armour Penetration, [+0.66] Damage Output, [+0.66] Effective Range, [+0.33] Rate of Fire, [+0.33] Weapons Control
    [+0.33] Heat Management, [+0.33] Build & Repair Speeds, [+0.33] Ease of Maintenance​

    [40mm Autocannon]
    [In-House Build]
    Building a traditional cannon is probably overkill on top of the 152mm main gun. A 40mm rapid-fire autocannon on the other hand provides a different weapon profile with greater flexibility in target selection.​
    [2 tons, size 1.5. 2x Attacks. Average range. Average accuracy. Average damage. Average reload. Versatile ammo types. 300 ammo capacity).]
    [+0.33] Armour Penetration, [+0.33] Damage Output, [+0.66] Effective Range, [+0.66] Rate of Fire, [+0.33] Weapons Control
    [+0.33] Heat Management, [+0.33] Build & Repair Speeds, [+0.33] Ease of Maintenance​

    [70mm Multiple Rocket Pod Array]
    [In-House Build]
    Our engineers are still confident they can build a set of mid-range rocket pods. Once fired, rockets are unable to alter their trajectory mid-flight, making them inaccurate. On the flipside, they are extremely cheap and easy to build - the whole system is idiot-proof and basically any industrialized state should be able to produce, customize, and maintain these with ease. Their ability to penetrate armour and damage hard targets is poor individually, but volume of fire can saturate a target area or overwhelm targets at close range.​
    [1.5 tons, size 2. 7x Attacks. Average range. Low accuracy. Low damage. Very Slow reload. 25 ammo capacity). Weak vs. Point Defence.]
    [+0.33] Armour Penetration, [+1] Damage Output, [+0.66] Effective Range
    [-0.33] Rate of Fire
    [+0.33] Material Affordability, [+0.33] Tech Simplicity, [+0.33] Build & Repair Speeds, [+0.33] Ease of Maintenance
    [Saturation] Lays suppressive fire over a small area, devastating exposed soft targets.​

    [20mm Rotary Autocannon]
    [Built By: Stahlschmiede Metalworks, Rheinehafen, Europa]
    A more complex system to build than our other cannon options, our ballistics specialists would prefer not to build this by themselves while also managing the 155 main gun. Thankfully, we have a readily available off-the-shelf option being offered to us by Stahlschmiede Metalworks at a competitive price..​
    [2 tons, size 2. 3x Attacks. Average range. Average accuracy. Average damage. Average reload. 1000 ammo capacity).]
    [+0.33] Armour Penetration, [+1] Damage Output, [+0.66] Effective Range, [+1] Rate of Fire
    [-0.33] Tech Simplicity
    [Saturation] Lays suppressive fire over a medium area, devastating exposed soft targets.​

    [Surface-to-Ground Missile Launcher]
    [Built By: Vanderbright Unlimited, Posoga, North Atlantea]
    The Atlanteans haven't given up on selling us missiles, but they're They'll sell weapons to just about anyone who isn't closely allied with the Chinese - and to their credit, they're good at it. Vanderbright is the leading weapons developer in the Federation, and their SGMs are accurate and deadly. Unfortunately, they also charge a premium for their systems - and the Atlanteans will place restrictive export controls on who we can sell to. They promise they'll find alternative clients for us - but will they keep that promise?​
    [0.5 tons, size 1. 1x Attack. High range. High accuracy. Average damage. Slow reload. 8 ammo capacity). Weak vs. Point Defence & EWS. Must be at least Short Range to fire.]
    [+1] Armour Penetration, [+0.66] Damage Output, [+1] Effective Range, [+0.33] Weapons Control
    [-0.33] Material Affordability
    [If chosen, you cannot sell this weapon system to the Kingdom of Kadiri. Given this is now a support weapon, the NAF cannot promise they will find us a replacement customer - but will put a good word in for us, which might help.]​

    [High Energy Laser Cannon, Light]
    [Built By: Excalibur Systems, Logria, Brythonic Commonwealth]
    When it comes to Laser Cannons, the Commonwealth offers a good deal. This compact and lightweight weapons system is the perfect complement to an Auto Turret, combining its advanced targeting systems with the exceptional accuracy of the lasers.​
    [1 ton, size 1. 1x Attack. Average range. High accuracy. Average damage. Average recharge. High power draw.]
    [+0.66] Armour Penetration, [+0.66] Damage Output, [+0.66] Effective Range, [+0.33] Rate of Fire, [+0.66] Weapons Control
    [-0.33] Heat Management (additional -0.33 if two are equipped to the same turret).​

    [Point Defence System]
    [In-House Build]
    One of the most reliable ways of knocking out enemy drones and missiles is simply to put enough metal in the air that you shred them before they become dangerous. The proposed system will autonomously track and acquire incoming threats while active and rapidly fire 12mm rounds on intercept trajectories to divert or destroy the threat. In a pinch this gun can be turned against nearby soft targets as well.​
    [1.5 tons, size 1. 1x Attack. Average range. High accuracy. Average damage. Average recharge. High power draw. 2000 ammo capacity.]
    [+0.33] Armour Penetration, [+0.33] Damage Output, [+0.66] Effective Range, [+1] Rate of Fire, [+0.33] Weapons Control
    [-0.33] Tech Simplicity
    [Point Defence] Autonomously targets and fires at drones/projectiles entering arc of fire.​

    [Laser Defence Array]
    [Built By: Wuhan Armouries, Hubei, Ning Dynasty]
    The Imperials have an interesting alternative to the ballistics-based point defence system: more lasers. Specifically, this is an array of multiple miniature laser cannons scattered across the turret. They can aim and fire individually, or coordinate fire against a single target. This makes them a flexible and powerful form of point defence, and can be used against softer targets in a pinch.​
    [1 ton, size 1. 1x Attack. Average range. High accuracy. Average damage. Average recharge. High power draw.]
    [+0.33] Armour Penetration, [+0.33] Damage Output, [+0.66] Effective Range, [+0.66] Rate of Fire, [+0.66] Weapons Control
    [-0.33] Heat Management, [-0.33] Tech Simplicity
    [Point Defence] Autonomously targets and fires at drones/projectiles entering arc of fire.​

    [Combat Drone Dock]
    [In-House Build]
    We should be more than capable of building and integrating our own drone system into this thing. Building an external drone dock provides us with a platform to store, launch and receive semi-autonomous drone systems. These modular multipurpose combat drones can be outfitted as recon drones for spotting targets, gun drones for light fire support, and explosive drones to act as loitering munitions in the battlespace.​
    [2 tons, size 2. Long Range. Medium Accuracy. High Damage. Very Slow Reload. 3 drone capacity. Vulnerable to Point Defence & EWS.]
    [+0.66] Armour Penetration, [+0.66] Damage Output, [+0.66] Effective Range, [+0.33] Weapons Control
    [-0.33] Armour Plating, [-0.33] Tech Simplicity
    [Spotter] This grants the unit the ability to recon areas, identify and mark targets.​

    Mini Weapon Systems:
    Turrets can mount multiple weapons, and some of the Mini Weapon Systems may make useful additions. Note that rating adjustments marked with 0* may attempt a roll in that rating, but they are unlikely to move ratings without an extreme roll or significant numbers..
    [12mm Heavy Machine Gun]
    [In-House Build]
    Simple and effective, the Machine Gun has withstood the test of time and is a great way of keeping infantry units at bay.​
    [0.5 ton, size 1. 2x Attacks. Average range. Average accuracy. Very Low damage. Average reload. 1000 round capacity.]
    [+0*] Damage Output, [+0*] Rate of Fire, [+0*] Weapons Control
    [Suppression] Lays suppressive fire over a small area, suppressing exposed soft targets.​

    [70mm Rocket Pod]
    [In-House Build]
    Cheap and easy, mounting a couple of 70mm gives our turret a little extra punch against hard targets.​
    [0.5 ton, size 0.5. 2x Attacks. Average range. Low accuracy. Low damage. Very Slow reload. 10 ammo capacity.]
    [+0*] Damage Output
    [-0*] Rate of Fire
    [+0*] Material Affordability, [+0*] Tech Simplicity, [+0*] Build & Repair Speeds, [+0*] Ease of Maintenance
    ​

    [40mm Grenade Launcher]
    [In-House Build]
    An automatic grenade launcher provides flexible direct and indirect fire support against soft targets.​
    [0.5 ton, size 0.5. 2x Attack. Average range. Average accuracy. Low damage. Average reload. 50 ammo capacity.]
    [+0.33] Damage Output, [+0.33] Effective Range
    ​

    [Flamethrower]
    [In-House Build]
    Cheap and easy, mounting a couple of 70mm gives our turret a little extra punch against hard targets.​
    [0.5 ton, size 0.5. 1x Attack. Average range. Average accuracy. Very Low damage. No reload. 10 shot ammo capacity.]
    [+0*] Damage Output, [+0*] Rate of Fire
    [-0*] Effective Range
    [+0*] Tech Simplicity
    [Overheat] Targets hit by the Flamethrower suffer additional heat.​


    New Vote: How are we configuring and outfitting the rear external mount?
    Approval voting is used to represent some level of chaos and unpredictability in a large project like this - not everything is always going to come out perfect, and you'll have to do your best to make it work at each stage of development. There will be some time at the end of a project to refine and address flaws or contradictions in the design, depending on how much funding you receive for the project. The top vote from each category will win - ties will be resolved with a coin flip/die roll.

    Usable Tonnage: 19.5 tons (no weapons, subsystems, or external armour plates equipped)


    [] [Style] Rear Mounted
    [] [Style] Top Mounted, Forward Coverage
    [] [Style] Top Mounted, Rear Coverage
    [] [Style] Belly Mounted

    [] [Modularity] Fully Integrated Mount
    [] [Modularity] Simple Modular Mount
    [] [Modularity] Complex Modular Mount
    [] [Modularity] Universal Modular Mount

    [] [Light] 75mm Battle Cannon (Size 2; In-House Build)
    [] [Light] 40mm Autocannon (Size 1.5; In-House Build)
    [] [Light] 70mm Multiple Rocket Pod Array (Size 2; In-House Build)
    [] [Light] 20mm Rotary Autocannon (Size 2; Europa)
    [] [Light] Surface-to-Ground Missile Launcher (Size 1; North Atlantean Federation)
    [] [Light] High Energy Laser Cannon, Light (Size 1; Brythonic Commonwealth)
    [] [Light] Point Defence System, Light (Size 1; In-House Build)
    [] [Light] Laser Defence Array, Light (Size 1; Ning Dynasty)
    [] [Light] Combat Drone Dock, Light (Size 2; In-House Build)
    [] [Mini] 12mm Heavy Machine Gun (0.5, In-House Build)
    [] [Mini] 70mm Rocket Pod (Size 0.5, In-House Build)
    [] [Mini] 40mm Grenade Launcher (Size 0.5, In-House Build)
    [] [Mini] Flamethrower (Size 0.5, In-House Build)


    Voting will be open until .
     
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    • Scheduled vote count started by Verisaimilitude on Jan 23, 2025 at 6:14 PM, finished with 31 posts and 17 votes.
    [style] [modularity] [light]
    Click to expand...


    EDIT: I've made a lot of mistakes in the last few updates, so I'm gonna take a breather and let the next one simmer a little bit longer before I post it, so I can properly proofread it.
     
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    • Turn 11: Year 5 of Project Knight (Codename: Bushfire) New
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    • Project Knight - Mecha Design Bureau
    Turn 11: Year 5 of Project Knight    ​


    [X] [Weapon] 152mm Battle Cannon (In-House Build)
    [X] [Style] Direct Back Mounted
    [X] [Modularity] Simple Modular Mount

    [X] [Turret Plan] Point defence and suppression (Max Size: 2)
    -[X] [Light] Point Defence System, Light (Size 1, Ning In-House)
    -[X] [Mini] 12mm Heavy Machine Gun (Size 0.5, In-House Build)
    -[X] [Mini] 40mm Grenade Launcher (Size 0.5, In-House Build)
    [X] [Style] Nose Mounted
    [X] [Modularity] Simple Modular Mount

    [X] [Light] Combat Drone Dock, Light (Size 2; In-House Build)
    [X] [Style] Rear Mounted
    [X] [Modularity] Fully Integrated Mount


    Rolls for Chosen Upgrades:
    Engineering Rolls:     Your team will roll dice for each factor of the design they are trying to impact. The dice roll is a simple d20 modified by their level of training and experience in a given field, versus a difficulty target that must be met or exceeded. The degree of success/failure will then modify the final result accordingly.
    Bonus: Well funded! Your engineers roll twice and choose the higher result.

    Rolls for Central Heavy Mount:
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Armour Penetration increases from X to F | 14 vs. 7 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Armour Penetration increases from F to D | 22* vs. 7 - massive critical success​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Damage Output increases from X to F+ | 20 vs. 7 - major success​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Damage Output increases from F+ to D- | 20 vs. 7 - major success​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Effective Range increases from X to F | 8 vs. 7 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Effective Range increases from F to E+ | 19 vs. 7 - major success​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+0)
    Rate of Fire increases from E- to D- | 14 vs. 11 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+0)
    Weapons Control increases from F+ to D- | 19 vs. 7 - major success​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Heat Management increases from D to C | 17 vs. 16 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Hull Mounts): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Heat Management increases from C to B- | 7 vs. 16 - minor failure​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Build & Repair Speeds increases from C to B | 19 vs. 19 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Hull Mounts): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Build & Repair Speeds increases from B to A | 19 vs. 19 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Ease of Maintenance increases from C- to C+ | 13 vs. 18 - minor failure​
    Weapons Development (Hull Mounts): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Ease of Maintenance increases from C+ to B+ | 21 vs. 18 - minor success​

    Rolls for Frontal Auto Turret:
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+0)
    Armour Penetration increases from D to D+ | 18 vs. 16 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+2)
    Damage Output increases from D- to D | 21 vs. 16 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+2)
    Damage Output does not increase | 11 vs. 16 - minor failure​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+2)
    Damage Output does not increase | 21 vs. 16 - minor success (weapon too small)​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Effective Range increases from E+ to D | 19 vs. 14 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Effective Range increases from D to D+ | 7 vs. 14 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Rate of Fire increases from D- to C- | 17 vs. 15 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Rate of Fire does not increase | 18 vs. 15 - minor success (weapon too small)​
    Weapons Development (Ballistic): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Weapons Control increases from D- to D | 16 vs. 15 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Turret Mounts): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Weapons Control does not increase | 10 vs. 15 - minor failure​
    Computer Systems (Targeting): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+2)
    Tech Simplicity decreases from C- to D+ | 15 vs. 19 - minor failure​
    Structural Engineering (Turret Mounts): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Ease of Maintenance does not increase | 21 vs. 23 - minor failure​

    Rolls for Rear External Mount:
    Weapons Development (Drones): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+0)
    Armour Penetration increases from D+ to C- | 13 vs. 16 - minor failure​
    Weapons Development (Drones): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+0)
    Damage Output increases from D to C- | 19 vs. 15 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Drones): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+0)
    Effective Range increases from D+ to C- | 13 vs. 16 - minor failure​
    Weapons Development (Drones): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Weapons Control does not increase | 15 vs. 16 - minor failure​
    Weapons Development (Hull Mounts): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+1)
    Weapons Control increases from D to D+ | 17 vs. 16 - minor success​
    Weapons Development (Hull Mounts): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+0)
    Heat Management does not increase | 13 vs. 20 - minor failure​
    Weapons Development (Hull Mounts): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+0)
    Weapon Hardpoints does not decrease | 18 vs. 17 - minor success​
    Armour Development (Hull Mounts): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+0)
    Armour Plating decreases from E- to F+ | 16 vs. 11 - minor failure​
    Structural Engineering (Hull Mounts): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+0)
    Material Affordability does not increase | 14 vs. 20 - minor failure​
    Structural Engineering (Hull Mounts): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+0)
    Build & Repair Speeds does not increase | 21 vs. 24 - minor failure​
    Structural Engineering (Hull Mounts): Trained (+2) vs. Extra Difficulty (+0)
    Ease of Maintenance does not increase | 17 vs. 22 - minor failure​


    Work on designing and integrating the weapon systems into the crawler prototype was now complete. Although it wasn't going to be easy, we had chosen to go in-house with the entire build and now our weapon techs were working overtime trying to build something suitable. Thankfully, nothing we were building was particularly challenging. Building a bespoke drone system for the mech was a challenge in its own way, but nothing your team couldn't handle. Now that our payload was decided, the chassis was really starting to look like a war machine even without any additional armour plating.

    The main gun was mounted relatively far back to help control the recoil and reduce the overall length of the mech - there were concerns that mounting it further forward could affect the mobility and balance of the chassis. A simple hull extension was brought up to encase the entire upper half of the weapon system while the rest was nestled deeper into the body. The setup limited the usability of the gun compared to a turret, but it was still able to achieve an arc of fire of 72 degrees laterally, and half that vertically.

    Up front, a complex turret mechanism was mounted onto the nose cone of the chassis, including a ball joint and flexible overlapping plates allowing the turret to achieve a wide arc of fire in every direction. A suite of sensors and automated targeting systems were integrated into the system, enabling the PDS on the top of the turret to automatically track, detect, and fire upon incoming threats, while the grenade launcher and machine gun ensured nfantry or light vehicles in range would suffer dearly.

    Finally, we gutted the rear armour panels of the chassis to build a wide drone dock, complete with arms for catching and folding the drones into the dock and automated systems for swapping the system modules and weapons attached to each drone. The entire thing was one big vulnerable spot in the back of the mech, but the reconnaissance alone would go a long way to getting the most out of the main gun and allowing the pilot to proactively spot and avoid potential ambushes against the vulnerable rear.

    With so much ammo packed into the system, we also took the liberty of installing blowout panels near each set of ammo cases, hopefully mitigating the damage risk associated with a cookoff to some degree.

    With our weapon systems decided, we once again reviewed the current progress on the mech…

    The project was going well so far. The emphasis on cheap, easy to maintain components had resolved many of the logistical concerns we had from earlier versions of the mech. While the components were complex and difficult to make, this was currently more of a limiter on where you would be able to set up manufacturing of the mech - maintainability was now good enough that the locals should have no problems keeping them running.

    Our potential customers have reviewed our work on the Mech so far. We are happy to say that the Kingdom of Kadiri, Bethnar Republic, and Sahel Alliance are all currently interested in acquiring the mech, and are looking forward to seeing the final prototype. The Sahel Alliance and Kingdom of Kadiri are, however, also interested in the model being developed by the East African Federation which may be a rival competitor in the Second Tier market.

    The SCC on the other hand has its doubts. While they recognize that you have yet to choose a final engine or allocate additional armour plating, they fear that the vulnerable drone dock on the rear of the mech will be a fatal flaw. The mech's agility is rather low, which limits its turning radius, and the SCC expect that they will be fighting opponents who are able to dominate the airspace in any conflict zone, making it easy for them to access and target the exposed rear. Additionally, given the reported speed and agility of the Zaibatsu Space's mecha force, there are concerns that the main gun will be too unwieldy to properly target and defeat them. They're shopping around for other options, but if we can do something about these weaknesses, they might change their mind.

    We do have some good news. The Amazon Republic have officially expressed their interest in Project Knight!
    • Amazon Republic:The vast territory of the Amazon Republic stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific, encompassing fertile coastal plains, vast jungles, and the high mountains of the Northern Andes.
      • The Amazon Republic is locked into a cold war with their neighbours in the Southern States, who have long overshadowed them as the prominent power of South Atlantea. Border conflicts flare up every so often, but the real battles are in space, where the two constantly plot and maneuver against one another. They need a large number of adaptable, highly mobile system that can handle all kinds of tough terrain better than your average tank, meaning it needs to be somewhat agile, easy to maintain, quick to build, and simple and rugged enough to reduce complexity.
      • Bonus Requirements: To sell to this faction you should achieve:
        • ❌ Skeletal Agility: D- or higher
        • ✅ Ease of Maintenance: C- or higher
        • ✅ Build & Repair Speeds: C- or higher
        • ❌ Tech Simplicity: C- or higher

    There's obviously a conflict between what they want and the Bethnar Republic wants - for what it's worth, the Amazon Republic are much more likely to make practical use of these things, and have a larger budget than the Bethnar do - but is it worth trying to meet their demands? That's up to you, director.


    Sub-Project 'Heavy Fireside Crawler' (Codename: Bushfire):

    Current Prototype (Rough Draft, Slice View w/o Outer Hull):

    Displayed above is a Rough Draft Profile of your Heavy Fireside Crawler standing at full height (maximum line of sight for weaponry.) A slice view is used to expose the internals as you outfit it, the exterior hull will be displayed later.

    Project Requirements & Ratings:
    Basic Requirements:
    • ❌ Combat Potential: average D or higher
    • ✅ Logistical Values: average D or higher
    • ✅ Material Affordability: C or higher
    • ✅ Build & Repair Speeds: D or higher
    • ✅ Ease of Maintenance: D or higher
    Customer Requirements:

    • Kingdom of Kadiri:
      • ✅ Build & Repair Speeds: C- or higher
      • ✅ Ease of Maintenance: C- or higher
      Bethnar Republic:
      • ✅ Tech Simplicity C+ or lower
      • ✅ Material Affordability B- or higher
      • ✅ Ease of Maintenance C- or higher
      Sahel Alliance:
      • ✅ Skeletal Agility E- or higher
      • ✅ Heat Management C- or higher
      Sagittarian Colonial Coalition:
      • ✅ Weapon Hardpoints C- or higher
      • ❌ Power Control C- or higher
      • ❌ Armour Plating C- or higher
    • Amazon Republic:
      • ❌ Skeletal Agility: C- or higher
      • ✅ Ease of Maintenance: C- or higher
      • ✅ Build & Repair Speeds: C- or higher
      • ❌ Tech Simplicity: C- or higher

    Tech Specs & Ratings:
    Dimensions:
    Max Height:     4.21m
    Length: 7.41m (8.46m with weapons)
    Breadth: ~2.96m

    Tonnage:
    Max Tonnage:     71 tons
    Chassis Weight: 38 tons (base estimates for cockpit and engine included)
    Usable Tonnage: 17.5 tons (no subsystems, or external armour plates equipped)

    Technical Specifications:

    Weapon Mounts:
    Heavy Embedded Mount (Size 6, Simple Mod, ICT)
    - 152mm Battle Cannon (5 tons)
    Light Auto Turret Mount (Size 2, Simple Mod, FCT)
    - Point Defence System (1.5 tons)
    - 12mm Heavy Machine Gun (0.5 ton)
    - 40mm Grenade Launcher (0.5 ton)
    Light External Mount (Size 2, Integrated, RCT)
    - Combat Drone Dock (2 tons)

    Skeletal Design (E+)
    • D | S-EFF Structural Efficiency
    • E+ | S-DUR - Skeletal Durability
    • E | S-AGI - Skeletal Agility
    • D+ | S-STB - Skeletal Stability
    • F+ | S-ACT - Actuator Precision
    Combat Potential (E+)
    • C- | C-WPN - Weapons Hardpoints
    • F+ | C-ARM - Armour Plating
    • F | C-PTP - Pilot Protection
    • E+ | C-PTJ - Joint Protection
    • D | C-PTC - Component Protection
    Weapon Effectiveness (C-)
    • C- | W-PEN - Armour Penetration
    • C- | W-DMG - Damage Output
    • C- | W-RNG - Effective Range
    • C- | W-ROF - Rate of Fire
    • D+ | W-CTR - Weapons Control
    Power and Drive Effectiveness (C-)
    • D | P-PWC - Power Control
    • C- | P-LMB - Limb Drive Speed
    • B- | P-HTM - Heat Management
    Logistical Values (B)
    • B- | L-CST - Material Affordability
    • D+ | L-TCH - Tech Simplicity
    • A | L-BNR - Build & Repair Speeds
    • B+ | L-EOM - Ease of Maintenance

    We've outfitted the weapon systems as best as we can. There are a couple of minor issues - the weak point in the rear of the hull and the limited ammo supply for the main gun come to mind. Additionally, one of the annoying quirks about the weapons layout we've chosen is that the main gun presents a blind spot for the PDS in the turret directly below it. We can sort of get around that against most targets through movement and adjustment of the gun and turret, but it's inconvenient. As long as we leave some tonnage left at the end, though, we should be able to figure out some kind of solutions for this.

    Now we're at a crossroads. The Mech's Engine, Armour, and Subsystems still needed to be chosen - and worryingly, there still wasn't any sight or sound of the promised Cockpit. You queried the Senior Directors as it was getting difficult to plan cockpit space in an increasingly shrinking mech, and got the feeling they were agitated by the lack of progress on a working model. You did your best to escalate the risks to your superiors.

    Now, you had a simple decision ahead. You had money left in the contingency budget - you could probably spend some of it on addressing some of the current problems with the mech now before moving onto the Engine. Doing so would come with its own pros and cons. Spending that funding now would reduce the amount of contingency you had later - but the longer you left problematic issues in the mech and did not address them, the more expensive and/or technically challenging it would be to resolve them, potentially removing the opportunities altogether.

    Your Chief Engineer, Charlotte Lanza, was arguing that the flaws could probably wait. There was nothing about the mech so bad that it couldn't be fixed later. But she did note that once we set up the engine and drive controls, it would make it much more difficult to apply further adjustments to the limbs and actuators. If we wanted to tackle the issue of the Mech's agility and turning radius to try and please the SCC and Amazon Republic, it might be easier to do that before we design and install the engines.


    New Vote: Your Engineering Team has increased in skill while working on the development of the current project. One of the skills your team has gained sufficient experience in will be improved:

    [] [Skill] Materials Science +2 to +3
    [] [Skill] Structural Engineering +2 to +3
    [] [Skill] Weapons Development +2 to +3
    [] [Skill] Ballistics Expertise 1: Once per turn, reroll a failure when rolling to develop the (Ballistics) tag on any skill.

    New Vote: What step of development do we focus on next?
    Approval voting is used to represent some level of chaos and unpredictability in a large project like this - not everything is always going to come out perfect, and you'll have to do your best to make it work at each stage of development. The top vote from each category will win - ties will be resolved with a coin flip/die roll.
    Remaining Funding: 2

    [] [Develop] (Free) Let's settle the Engine question now - between the right drive setup and whatever benefits the cockpit's Neural Link might unlock, we might be able to hit those agility targets without a limb refactor.
    [] [Develop] (Free) We're not even close to our Combat Potential, this thing is very vulnerable to fire. Let's decide how we're going to armour this thing and figure out how much weight we're going to allocate to it.
    [] [Develop] (-1 Funding) Screw it, let's spend some budget on refactoring our existing setup now. We can address flaws in the recently implemented weapons systems, and the Kinematics team can look at more potential improvements to the skeleton while we're at it.
    [] [Develop] (Gamble for -1 to +1 Funding) Trying to build this thing without a working cockpit is getting ridiculous. Petition the board and convince them to let us work more closely with the Neural Link department - maybe we can help unblock their issues in building the cockpit and get this project back on track.


    Voting is open until Voting will be open until .

    Not 100% I captured everything in the rolls list 100% accurately so if you spot an error, please let me know - I'll be double checking them with fresh eyes before we advance to the next stage either way.
     
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    Extra Content - Intelligence Report SC3206 New
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    • Project Knight - Mecha Design Bureau
    EXTRA CONTENT
    Intelligence Report S.C.3206    ​

    QM's Note: Just a little bit of extra side content to flesh out what's happening outside your bureau as the story of early mech development advances - and some information on your known competitors! Written both for fun and because I was fleshing out a detailed overview of what your competitors look like at this stage anyway.


    NEW MAIL:
    FROM: Market Research Lead Simon Dealer
    TO: You

    Hey Director,

    I've managed to drag up some intel on our competitors that I thought might be of interest to you.

    You might've heard recently about the defeat of that North Atlantean armoured brigade out on the Rim. Well, it might not surprise you to learn that the Zaibatsu have something to do with it. The Director General of Japan has disavowed involvement and condemned the Zaibatsu actions - but everyone knows the Seven Conglomerates escaped government control centuries ago when they moved their collective headquarters to the Pleiades Cluster. The Conglomerate in question this time is the Mutsuraboshi Group - the same Zaibatsu responsible for the development of the Warmech we saw the other day. The NAF is blaming the Zaibatsu for escalating conflict in the peacekeeping zones by deploying a battalion of Type 01 "Senshi" units to strengthen the rebel forces.

    Well, the good news is that international interest in acquiring Mechs is now at an all-time high. The bad news is, Mutsuraboshi announced today that they're going to be releasing a budget version of their now infamous Warmech. They're calling it the Type-06 'Zeitgeist' and they're going to be staging field trials next year, with an aim to have it in full production by the end of the decade - it'll likely end up being a direct competitor to us, and they've already got the branding power behind them to boot. Thankfully our chassis is significantly different in both style and combat role, so we don't think it'll be able to knock us out of the market that easily.

    We don't have much information on the Zeitgeist so far, but we have picked up some information about the Type-01 'Senshi' and its capabilities:

    Type 01 "Senshi" (Mutsuraboshi Heavy Industries - low espionage level)
    • Bipedal Form
      • Integrated Jump Jet Systems
      • Height is ~10m
      • Weight estimated at 102 tons
    • Universal Weapon Mounts for highly flexible loadouts
    • Typically equipped with a 'handheld' Zaibatsu-built Heavy HEL Cannon
    • Dedicated Backpack Space for Power Cells and Munitions
    • Shoulder-Mounted Twin Micro-Missile Arrays
    • Wrist-Mounted Plasma Cutter
    • Helmet-Mounted 40mm Grenade Launcher

    I don't know how 'budget' the Type-06 'Zeitgeist' is going to be compared to its parent model, but if we assume they cut back on modularity and some of the luxury features, that's a good starting point. Honestly, even the cut down version's probably going to be a beast and pretty hard to compete with - although I hear that the Chinese and Atlanteans are already working on systems that'll do just that. Given how much money and power is flying around the high-end Mech market right now, I'm kind of glad we didn't immediately jump the gun in trying to compete with them - the board's not exactly skimping on funding for our department, but it feels like we've got a niche almost to ourselves right now.

    That's not to say we don't have any competition to worry about, of course. Enter the East African Federation - they're already very close to completing a homebrew mech they're calling 'Object 22', built off the chassis of their highly successful Industrial Walker program - which I might remind you already ships thousands of WorkMechs a year out of Zanzibar Spaceport. They're planning on flooding the market with these cheap conversions, and are already making overtures to every Second and Third Tier State you can imagine. We've already got some idea of what their capabilities are likely to be like:

    'Object 22' (Zanzibar Metalworks - high espionage level)
    Light Bipedal Mech Chassis
    Dimensions:
    Max Height:     6.71m
    Tonnage:
    Max Tonnage:     65 tons

    Weapon Mounts:
    Medium Carried Mount (Size 4, Universal Mod, Both Hands)
    - Typically a Medium-sized Autocannon, Battlecannon, or Rotary Cannon- Backpack Feed for Ammo or Power Cell
    Light External Mount (Size 2, Universal Mod, Left Torso)
    - Stock Configuration: 70mm Rocket Pod
    Light External Mount (Size 2, Universal Mod, Right Torso)
    - Stock Configuration: Light HEL Cannon

    Skeletal Design (E+)
    • D | S-EFF Structural Efficiency
    • D | S-DUR - Skeletal Durability
    • F+ | S-AGI - Skeletal Agility
    • E- | S-STB - Skeletal Stability
    • E | S-ACT - Actuator Precision
    Combat Potential (E+)
    • D- | C-WPN - Weapons Hardpoints
    • D- | C-ARM - Armour Plating
    • E | C-PTP - Pilot Protection
    • E | C-PTJ - Joint Protection
    • E+ | C-PTC - Component Protection
    Weapon Effectiveness (E+)
    • D- | W-PEN - Armour Penetration
    • D- | W-DMG - Damage Output
    • D- | W-RNG - Effective Range
    • E | W-ROF - Rate of Fire
    • E+ | W-CTR - Weapons Control
    Power and Drive Effectiveness (D-)
    • D- | P-PWC - Power Control
    • E- | P-LMB - Limb Drive Speed
    • A- | P-HTM - Heat Management
    • E- | P-SPD - Top Speed
    • F | P-ACC - Acceleration
    Logistical Values (A)
    • A+ | L-CST - Material Affordability
    • B+ | L-TCH - Tech Simplicity
    • S | L-BNR - Build & Repair Speeds
    • A- | L-EOM - Ease of Maintenance

    Overall, as a combat system, it doesn't seem like it's going to be a huge threat to us when it comes to customers who are looking for quality, but it sure as heck might make a difference to the customers who are just looking to deploy a high volume of metal on the cheap. They're going to make it onto the market before us at this rate, and not only are they going to be able to build these things quickly and cheaply, but they already have a significant mech industry behind them, so we risk falling behind if we hope to compete with just numbers. Still, Object 22's a bit of a glorified technical, so if we do a good enough job of providing value for money, maybe no one will actually want it?

    Anyway, see you in Bali next week!

    - Simon
     
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    • Scheduled vote count started by Verisaimilitude on Jan 25, 2025 at 3:02 PM, finished with 49 posts and 22 votes.
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    • Turn 12: Year 5 of Project Knight New
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    • Project Knight - Mecha Design Bureau
    Turn 12: Year 5 of Project Knight    ​


    [X] [Skill] Structural Engineering +2 to +3

    [X] [Develop] (Gamble for -1 to +1 Funding) Trying to build this thing without a working cockpit is getting ridiculous. Petition the board and convince them to let us work more closely with the Neural Link department - maybe we can help unblock their issues in building the cockpit and get this project back on track.

    Skill Improved: Structural Engineering improved from Trained (+2) to Experienced (+3)

    While the Engineering team was reviewing the latest work, you had time to reflect on the state of the project and how best to go about getting success out of this situation. More and more, your mind went back to the topic of the Neural Link technology, the missing cockpit, and how it was holding you back. While it's true that you needed to complete an engine design so that you weren't just running this thing off local cabling, running proper field tests via remote control was nothing like a realistic test of the chassis' capabilities. You needed to get pilots into this thing sooner rather than later.

    It wouldn't be easy to convince the Senior Directors, but you needed to get access to the Neural Link project. You had plenty of qualified computer techs, electro-neural engineers, and AI controllers to support this kind of effort - heck, one of your senior tech leads wrote his thesis on safe implementations of brain-computer interfaces. This kind of tech didn't have a great track record when it comes to remote control - simply put, the human brain doesn't adapt particularly well to controlling even a humanoid body, let alone something inhuman. Most of the team had probably seen the blooper compilation from the Scapa Conference Demo.

    The point was, this stuff was really hard, and while more cooks in the kitchen wasn't necessarily going to solve any of these problems, you had plenty of talent on the team - maybe all the project needs is a set of fresh eyes?


    Project Twilight:

    Convincing the board wasn't easy, but you managed to do it - you got access to the top-secret Project Twilight. Getting the necessary security clearances was a hell and a half, and you weren't allowed to take any notes while you were in the place. Orientation was unsurprisingly a bit of a mess, and you got the impression Director Chelling wasn't too happy with you being here to interfere with things.

    The first thing you came to realize was that this project was really unlike anything you've ever seen or touched before. Where your experience largely lay in industrial engineering and weapons development, you now found yourself involved in project management for a strange blend of scientists and occultists. A few facts about the Neural Link and its development soon became obvious:
    • Development of the Neural Link System had stalled for the past few years despite a large number of staff assigned.
    • The entire project is steeped in Mysticism - even the PhDs in the room seemed completely bought into the idea that we're channeling the unknown and unknowable in order to make this system work. This means that a large staff of Artificers (so-called modern day mages) are deeply involved in every process.
      • Supposedly, their rituals allow pilots to manifest powers of the veil and possess the mech. Frankly, you can't see how anything they're doing is actually creating tangible effects, but the specialists on the team insist it's essential to the process. When pressed, they have trouble explaining exactly why.
    • Standard Electro-Neural systems used for Mech controls are insufficient - Neuroscientists on the team have indicated that it is necessary for the synapses to be as structurally similar to those found in the human body as possible. This is a serious nano-engineering problem as we're having trouble building fabricators able to complete the task reliably at this scale.
    • The current hardware involves the use of an external Neural Interface placed over the head while neural signals are beamed to and from a Brain Computer Implant (BCI) embedded within the pilot's brain.
    • A powerful AI-driven computer core works to interpret the feed between the brain, motor controls, and sensors and signals received from outside the mech, forming one half of the 'possession' process.
    • The other half of the 'possession' process appears to be some sort of occult ritual engraved into the cockpit by the Artificers.
    Given the above, you definitely have areas where you might be able to make an impact and assist with a breakthrough - especially if you're able to bring some of your own qualified people in to make a difference. You begin scheduling meetings with the teams and get to work.

    Leadership: 1d20+1+2 = 18 vs. 11 (minor success)

    As you break down the issues the Mech is encountering, you find many inefficiencies in the process. It seems like the entire project was scaled up to its current size with little warning, and most of the leadership staff involved were not inexperienced in projects of this scale. Director Chelling wasn't going to like it, but you weren't going to let something like that stop you. After a month of investigation, you had proposed a long list of process and organizational changes that would go a long way to improving the way the team was working.

    However, project management alone wasn't going to solve Twilight's issues. Through your work so far, you had discovered several unsolved issues with the Neural Link generally:


    [Pilot Rejection Syndrome] The largest and key problem that the Neural Link is encountering is a neuro-degenerative condition known as Pilot Rejection Syndrome. The majority of test pilots enlisted to test this system find controlling the limbs to be exceptionally difficult even when utilising a two-limbed test bed. Initial onset of symptoms is nearly immediate, inducing chronic migraines, extreme nausea, erratic mood swings, and loss of impulse control. Progression of the disease results in memory loss, hallucinations, psychosis, and loss of motor control. We believe further progression of the disease will lead to death, but thankfully all patients so far have been cured thanks to experimental nanite treatments - but reportedly the resulting memory loss and neural repairs lead to noticeable changes in personality. The cause is not fully understood.

    [Synaptic Overload] Even those test pilots who prove to be compatible and do not suffer from Pilot Rejection Syndrome often report experiencing intense feedback from the BCI during intense movements. This can manifest as acute nerve pain, loss of feeling in the extremities, and in extreme cases, nausea and faintness. Thankfully, there's no long-lasting consequences, but it can knock a pilot out for a day or two.

    [Synchronization Lag] We're getting noticeable latency between the pilot's intended actions and the actuators' response. This might be a natural consequence of the unrefined and inconsistent engineering of the Electro-Neural systems, or it could be a delay in transmitting to and from the BCI, or in the worst case scenario, something could be going terribly wrong with our methodology and the whole thing will require a rework.​


    While your team's specialists weren't in any way qualified to observe the Artificer's side of this work, you were sure you'd be able to make some meaningful progress on the engineering side. Given that most of the problems seemed to be in or around the BCI, it couldn't hurt to have another opinion, so you went through the effort to bring in your best technicians and have a look.

    Electro-Neural Engineering: {1d20+2} = 1* + 2 = 3 vs. 12 (minor critical failure)

    Frankly speaking, your Electro-Neural Engineers were completely stumped - any attempts at trying to contribute to the conversation just seemed to be getting in the way. That shouldn't be too surprising, considering that Project Twilight was already staffed with some of the best neuroscientists available, and their own techs had spent years developing this tech. It wasn't the sort of stuff that an amateur could come in and instantly resolve.

    Materials Science: {1d20+2} = 5 + 2 = 8 vs. 9 (minor failure)

    Your appreciation for rigorous scientific method did have some results: the experiments so far showed that alterations to the materials used in the construction of the Neural Link and Electro-Neural Pathways of the test bed had shown different outcomes in pilots - the current setup was the most stable we had found and resulted in the lowest rate of Pilot Rejection Syndrome and Synaptic Overload - albeit at a cost in greater Synchronization Lag. Your team started searching for exotic materials or any commonalities between what you've tried so far, but wasn't pulling up any obvious leads…

    Computers (Artificial Intelligence): {1d20+2} = 18 + 2 = 20 vs. 10 (major success)

    Finally, you had something of a breakthrough. Where your team's engineering experience had previously failed you, it was the computer techs who were able to step up. One of your senior engineers had cooked up an isolated analysis module that was busy extrapolating data and running simulations - what it found was a small, nearly indiscernible commonality in cases of Pilot Rejection Syndrome and Neural Overload. Pilots whose heads were larger or smaller than average were statistically more likely to experience this system shock. Upon further investigation, the team found that there were two common elements in these cases - loose headsets and unusually thick skulls. Particularly interesting was that the reverse also saw a decrease in cases - headsets which were too tight and those who had particularly thin and brittle skulls were less likely to experience rejection.

    Now we're getting somewhere.

    Unfortunately, not everyone on Project Twilight was appreciative of your findings. It seemed the occultist faction of the department were deeply distrustful of AI systems - even a benign algorithm like this. They were reluctant to allow AI systems to make optimizations - fearful that it would disrupt the carefully calculated actions of the Artificers and thus break their carefully constructed rituals. If it interfered too deeply, they warned that the ritual would fail to pull back the veil. Frankly, you were getting frustrated with how closed-minded they were being of the whole process.

    Thankfully, for a change, Director Chelling agreed - the AI systems your team deployed had made the first real bit of progress in six months, and they couldn't afford to let caution stop them from trying. Even after several of the Artificers quit, he ordered the rest to work in conjunction with your technicians to build a new Neural Link prototype. The two of you would work together closely to keep the balance between the teams and teach them to work together, rather than apart…

    Computers (Artificial Intelligence): {1d20+2} = 15 + 2 = 17 vs. 15 (minor success)
    Electro-Neural Engineering: {1d20+2} = 7/18 + 2 = 20 vs. 15 (minor success) (reroll invoked by Project Twilight)
    Arcana (Ritual Spells): {1d20+2} = 19 + 2 = 21 vs. 15 (minor success)
    Materials Science: {1d20+2} = 12 + 2 = 14 vs. 15 (minor failure)

    This Prototype isn't the one.

    It's riddled with problems, barely hacked together, and you haven't even started the process of transitioning it to a quadrapod yet. Sync Lag is terrible and pilots report the usage as terribly disorienting.

    But…it's close. Really damn close.

    We're talking by far the lowest rates of Pilot Rejection Syndrome and Synaptic Overload you've seen, and confidence that if we continue to refine our methods, we'll bring it down to an acceptable washout rate. Much to the chagrin of the old school Artificers, your team's AI system is also incredibly quick to start decoding their Arcane rites to speed up the design process, and even starts suggesting optimizations to their work. Some of them are fascinated and embrace the potential they see unfolding before their eyes - others are horrified and strongly protest against future use of such systems for this type of work, fearing what might happen if Machines learned how to unlock the veil by themselves.

    Regardless of their opinions, though, you're getting closer to a working Neural Link - and thus a working cockpit. It's taken longer than you would've liked, but you're pretty sure they'll be able to refine this into something working within a year or so, allowing you to head back to your department and resume work on the Engines.

    Director Chelling is impressed with your team's capabilities, and admits he was too skeptical of your assistance at the start. You agree to get lunch sometime, then head back to make your report to the Senior Directors.

    They're pleased with your results - many of the individuals on that team can be hard to work with, but you didn't let that faze you, and you found a way to get a result. If you keep this up, there'll probably be a promotion in your future. How does 'Senior Director' sound?

    Well, better focus on finishing the Crawler project first, you muse. If you don't do your job properly and the mech's a flop, you can kiss your promotion prospects goodbye...


    Project Funding Assessment:
    As a result of your rolls, you will neither gain nor lose funding from your involvement in Project Twilight. You sped up the development of the Neural Link but at the cost of some of your own team's momentum. This means you still have 2 points of Funding to spend between development phases.

    Unlocked: Artificer Team
    Once Project Twilight is complete, you may be able to turn to them for the development of exotic materials and technologies that physical engineering alone could never replicate - once developed, they can give your mechs a bit of an edge.

    "Artificers (sometimes known as Arcanists) are the oldest tradition of metaphysical practitioners. They tend to be very secretive, working in small communities and passing their knowledge down from chosen apprentice to chosen apprentice. They are able to access the powers of the veil safely and reliably by utilizing the physical properties of elements and meta-elements in combination to produce profound effects on the real world. Many refer to their inventions as 'Magitech' but most reject that label, insisting their work is just another form of science. To a true scientist or engineer, of course, their ways are steeped in occult tradition and lack the rigorous methodology required to be called that."​


    Project Requirements & Ratings:
    Basic Requirements:
    • ❌ Combat Potential: average D or higher
    • ✅ Logistical Values: average D or higher
    • ✅ Material Affordability: C or higher
    • ✅ Build & Repair Speeds: D or higher
    • ✅ Ease of Maintenance: D or higher
    Customer Requirements:

    • Kingdom of Kadiri:
      • ✅ Build & Repair Speeds: C- or higher
      • ✅ Ease of Maintenance: C- or higher
      Bethnar Republic:
      • ✅ Tech Simplicity C+ or lower
      • ✅ Material Affordability B- or higher
      • ✅ Ease of Maintenance C- or higher
      Sahel Alliance:
      • ✅ Skeletal Agility E- or higher
      • ✅ Heat Management C- or higher
      Sagittarian Colonial Coalition:
      • ✅ Weapon Hardpoints C- or higher
      • ❌ Power Control C- or higher
      • ❌ Armour Plating C- or higher
    • Amazon Republic:
      • ❌ Skeletal Agility: C- or higher
      • ✅ Ease of Maintenance: C- or higher
      • ✅ Build & Repair Speeds: C- or higher
      • ❌ Tech Simplicity: C- or higher

    Tech Specs & Ratings:
    Dimensions:
    Max Height:     4.21m
    Length: 7.41m (8.46m with weapons)
    Breadth: ~2.96m

    Tonnage:
    Max Tonnage:     71 tons
    Chassis Weight: 38 tons (base estimates for cockpit and engine included)
    Usable Tonnage: 17.5 tons (no weapons, subsystems, or external armour plates equipped)

    Technical Specifications:

    Weapon Mounts:
    Heavy Embedded Mount (Size 6, Simple Mod, ICT)
    - 152mm Battle Cannon (5 tons)
    Light Auto Turret Mount (Size 2, Simple Mod, FCT)
    - Point Defence System (1.5 tons)
    - 12mm Heavy Machine Gun (0.5 ton)
    - 40mm Grenade Launcher (0.5 ton)
    Light External Mount (Size 2, Integrated, RCT)
    - Combat Drone Dock (2 tons)

    Skeletal Design (E+)
    • D | S-EFF Structural Efficiency
    • E+ | S-DUR - Skeletal Durability
    • E | S-AGI - Skeletal Agility
    • D+ | S-STB - Skeletal Stability
    • F+ | S-ACT - Actuator Precision
    Combat Potential (E+)
    • C- | C-WPN - Weapons Hardpoints
    • F+ | C-ARM - Armour Plating
    • F | C-PTP - Pilot Protection
    • E+ | C-PTJ - Joint Protection
    • D | C-PTC - Component Protection
    Weapon Effectiveness (C-)
    • C- | W-PEN - Armour Penetration
    • C- | W-DMG - Damage Output
    • C- | W-RNG - Effective Range
    • C- | W-ROF - Rate of Fire
    • D+ | W-CTR - Weapons Control
    Power and Drive Effectiveness (C-)
    • D | P-PWC - Power Control
    • C- | P-LMB - Limb Drive Speed
    • B- | P-HTM - Heat Management
    Logistical Values (B)
    • B- | L-CST - Material Affordability
    • D+ | L-TCH - Tech Simplicity
    • A | L-BNR - Build & Repair Speeds
    • B+ | L-EOM - Ease of Maintenance


    New Vote: How did you and Project Twilight solve the Neural Link problem?
    Approval Voting is in effect. Top result wins.

    [Neural Helmet (Partial Possession)]
    This is a refinement of the Neural Link headgear we were previously using, but with the features somewhat dialled back and refined for efficiency. For the most part, traditional controls are used to maneuver the mech, but the pilot can share the Mech's sensors, issue mental commands, and share some degree of their coordination, reflexes, and balance with the mech. The simplicity of the system makes the cockpit more resilient, since it's noninvasive and the sturdy helmet offers extra head protection.
    [+1] Skeletal Stability, [+1] Pilot Protection

    [Cybernetic Plug Implant (Partial Possession)]
    The most invasive method of connecting the pilot to the Electro-Neural system. A cybernetic spinal port is installed directly into the body of the pilot, enabling them to plug the mech directly into their BCI. This works similarly to the Neural Helmet in practice, requiring traditional controls enhanced by the pilot's own body, with lowered latency and greater sensitivity.
    [+1] Actuator Precision, [+1] Power Control

    [Neural Harness (Full Possession)]
    A natural advancement of the Neural Helmet. This is a full body harness designed to both restrain and protect the pilot while connecting to multiple BCI implants located across the body. By reading multiple implants and translating their signals into controls for the mech, you get a reliable and non-intrusive way of achieving Full Possession of the mech and thus the greatest degree of control - but it is also physically fatiguing for the pilot.
    [+1] Skeletal Agility, [+1] Skeletal Stability, [+1] Actuator Precision
    Pilots suffer a penalty to Endurance tests against Fatigue.

    [Cybernetic Immersion Tank (Full Possession)]
    The ultimate combination of the systems above - this requires the pilot to wear a life support helmet and skintight Neural Harness before being fully immersed in a sensory deprivation tank. All this tech comes at a premium, but it shows results - the combination of direct connection to the implant, tracking via a neural harness, and the sensory deprivation seem to allow for the most complete form of Full Possession so far - so much so that test pilots experience some disorientation upon returning to their own bodies. Additionally, all this complexity increases the chance of the pilot being disabled by cockpit damage.
    [+2] Skeletal Agility, [+2] Skeletal Stability, [+2] Actuator Precision, [+1] Power Control
    [-1] Heat Management, [-1] Pilot Protection, [-1] Tech Simplicity
    [Heavy] This will use 1 ton from your remaining usable tonnage.
    [Bulky] This cockpit is almost twice the size of other cockpit types.
    No physical backup controls.

    [Magitech Crown (Partial Possession)]
    This one comes from the occultists, and it's effective - but also maybe a little restrictive. They've built some kind of crown-like neural helmet that they say is superior in performance to the previous neural helmets in every way. The downside? It doesn't respond at all to pilots who haven't already seen beyond the veil, meaning prospective buyers' pool of pilots would be greatly reduced to just those who are empowered in some way.
    [+1] Skeletal Agility, [+1] Skeletal Stability, [+1] Actuator Precision, [+1] Pilot Protection, [+1] Power Control
    [Magitech] Only Empowered Pilots may use this system (as few as 1/50 people display any level of aptitude for accessing the veil).

    [] [Link Style] Neural Helmet (Partial Possession)
    [] [Link Style] Cybernetic Plug Implant (Partial Possession)
    [] [Link Style] Neural Harness (Full Possession)
    [] [Link Style] Cybernetic Immersion Tank (Full Possession)
    [] [Link Style] Magitech Crown (Partial Possession)


    Sorry for the overnight wait; it took longer than I expected to massage the various magitechnobabble to the place I wanted it, and it ended up being a lot more words than I expected!

    Voting is open until Voting will be open until .
     
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