| From: | Ereskanti <Ereskanti@***.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Acers |
| Date: | Tue, 26 May 1998 10:40:49 EDT |
James.Ojaste@**.GC.CA writes:
> >Not unless you first design a chassis and probably an engine for it. I
> >tried building a walker vehicle with room for one occupant once, but
> >couldn't because of load restrictions
> >[snip]
> >> After all, in spite of the motors, it's a suit of armor, not a vehicle.
> >
> >But where exactly does the difference between a suit of powered armor
> >and a walker vehicle lie?
>
> The suit of powered armour has an occupant? Is meant to be piloted
> internally instead of remotely? Something like that. Yeah, go ahead.
> Build a new chassis. Technically, SRII tech should be able to handle
> it (just build a cyber body that's a little bigger and hollow), but
> it would be hugely expensive. I'd give it the Unusual design/features
> markup of 1.2 and a milspec markup of 5, and remove the "drone" markup
> for a final markup of 11.
Okay folks, if you want to build "Power Armor", you had best start looking at
the given mods within the rules and literally "flipping" them.
Please note, I am talking about the R2 rules here, not anything in first ed.
You could build anything in first ed., because first ed B/R didn't tell you
what to -really- do.
When you want build a -real- walker, try using the "Crane" modifications, only
do it to more than two limbs, and flip them upside down. Turn them into
"Jacks", and use the same rules. Use James' suggestion of special markups and
the like for cost modifiers. It isn't -that- hard to build a Star Wars At-At,
though the smaller one's (symbols I don't care to remember) are harder. The
trick is to gain a chassis that is light enough for two of four limbs to
support. Apply Structural Agility (this -IS- the kind of thing that option
was meant for) with some liberal cost. Apply Engine Customization, but don't
give any bonuses for the first level at all. Just let that first level
represent the additional work needed to modify existing drive trains to work
on the jack/limbs proportionately. Utilize cost factors for "Mechanical
Limbs" as additional work, and to reflect a greater degree of control over the
Jack/Limbs.
Yes, this is stretching it, but that is exactly what has to be done in order
to get "Walkers" in SR the scale that everyone keeps wanting to reach.
Mechs.
That is the majority of people's end goals here in this discussion after all.
Just to find out how "Far Can You Go."
As for "Power Armor". Here is a thought. Give the system an
"Anthroform"
beginning body, and remember that the Power Plant in the "armor" isn't the
-only- engine that is working with the weight. There is also the (meta)human
occupant who get's to utilize his/her own muscles in it as well.
We recently designed some armor along these lines, using variations on Heavy
Milspec and the Jym suits in the book. Taking into account the environment
was either going to be water or space for the design basis, where weight vs.
mass weren't -quite- consistent with the surface environment of "standard
gravity".
A LONG time ago now, Mike and I were both talking about taking the designs and
rearranging them to get other stuff. THIS is kind of what we meant. The
"Power Armor" that we came up with the "Titanic Recovery" game was
very
strange, and it became -very- obvious how dangerous it was. Especially when
that stupid submarine showed up (as in -Hull- attribute vehicle, not -Bod-).
No spell or weapon we had could directly effect it.
Freeze Water. Gotta love the mechanics of Ice chunks and pressure.
But guys, come on. You -CAN- design anything you want still, it just takes
some more thinking to do it. At least here, the thinking is the fun part.
-K
