| From: | Danyel N Woods <9604801@********.AC.NZ> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: EW-209 (was : Aztec Armored Troopers) |
| Date: | Tue, 26 May 1998 15:50:23 +1200 |
<<SLICE my post>>
>Why don't you just make the damn things remote-controlled? One single
>rigger
>(perhaps in a r-tank at the home base) could pilot several, and in case
>of jamming
>they'd proceed to shoot anything that doesn't show a proper ID on a IFF
>(incoming
>friens or foe) system built into the autopilot (wich should be around
>5).
Well, for one thing, Bira, radio links can be jammed, and Identification
Friend or Foe (IFF) systems are too dicey: what happens if you have to
turn off your IFF to penetrate enemy lines (who also have IFF), and the
unit interprets the lack of signal as an 'enemy'? Remember Robocop 1,
when ED-209 was first demonstrated to the Board? Remember how they had
to take a guy out of the room in a bucket? That was a faulty threat
routine in the IFF software. You need a human mind *in the cockpit* to
prevent fratricide like that in heavy-jamming environments (which would
be most 205X battlefields). This is where 'volunteer' Crusher pilots
come in. In areas where 'collateral damage' doesn't matter, the
'Berserkers' are turned loose - which leads me to my next point.
For another point, the whole *idea* of my mean-machine was to have a
human (or what was left of one) inside these things. When (*if*) the
PCs take one of these things down and take to it with a DiKoted
can-opener, they'll be shocked/horrified to find a 'brain in a jar'
running it. Y'know, sort of an editorial on the inhumanity the corps
are capable of?
<PC conversation>
"Jesus, they cut off the guy's limbs and *permanently* wired him into
this thing? What about the rest of him?"
"Spare parts."
"Aw, shit, man...What's that gotta do to his mind? D'you think he's
still sane?"
"D'you think the Azzies care?"
"...!"
Danyel Woods
9604801@********.ac.nz
'Are you deliberately trying to drive me insane?'
'The universe is already mad. Anything else would be
redundant.'
