[img]https://i.imgur.com/fsoCCOU.png[/img] [center][url=https://discord.gg/qWQmUqm] DISCORD [/url][/center] The year is 3550. Mankind has spread through the stars, finding itself the most advanced species in the galaxy, but not the only one. Aggressive colonization paired with trying to maintain alien relations eons apart from each other has left the galaxy splintered, factions claiming small tracts of the cosmos in desperate bids for power or influence. Warfare has evolved. Infantry no longer serves as the frontline in planetary wars, instead, immense, multi-ton machines called Mechs dominate the battlefield. Armed to the teeth and more maneuverable than any land vehicle, Mechs are the ultimate war machines. Mech pilots are the new frontline soldiers, and you are about to join that illustrious group. [center][b]The Galaxy at Large:[/b][/center] [img]https://i.imgur.com/qDgNwb7.jpg[/img] A civil war brews on planet Kell, pirates run entire star systems with iron fists, mega-corporations in the inner colonies vie against each other in corporate warfare, outer periphery groups arm themselves in bids to unite the galaxy, and wars for territory are waged across space. In the middle of it all are you and your fellow pilots, standing to gain a whole heck of a lot of money, or die trying. [center][b]The Lightning Tigers:[/b][/center] [img]https://i.imgur.com/HqbEGHk.jpg[/img] You and your fellows, a not quite ragtag group of Mech pilots making a name for themselves in an uncaring galaxy. A competent merc group is well worth its weight in credits, but getting that kind of reputation isn't easy. Modestly equipped, you've got your own dropship and a company of Mechs. Led by Commander Natalia Faust, the Lightning Tigers are a little behind in their dues, so you'll need to make some money if you want to keep your home in space. How this faction develops is up to you and your fellow players, be it fame or infamy. [center][b]The Dropship Argonaut:[/b][/center] [img]https://i.imgur.com/deWOUc7.jpg[/img] In between missions your major hub will generally be the DropShip Argonaut, a large, vaguely egg-shaped craft that not only houses the Lightning Tigers, but also has a well equipped Mech Bay, for storing, modifying, or repairing damaged Mechs. There are bunks, a mess hall, and a recreation deck. Mechs can be dropped from this ship directly, in shuttles, or in certain cases, simply walked right out of the open doors of the landed craft. You'll receive and decide on contracts here. Not every mission will be Mech exclusive, and some missions might require a team to not use mechs at all. [center][b]Meet the Neighbors:[/b][/center] Humans are no longer the only species on the block, though they are by far the most numerous and generally advanced. The other species in the galaxy are vast and varied, but here are a few choice concepts... Species: Wergans Home-World: Zuria Average Lifespan: 150 years Description: A race of slow-moving invertebrates with many arms. They have highly ordered and logical minds and they are obsessed with mathematics and statistics. Zuria is a water world, though time among the stars has allowed them to be just as home out of the water as in. They come close to humans technologically and are the creators of the PPC weapon. Species: Apatagor Home-World: Xenu Average Lifespan: 60 years Description: Large fur-covered, bear-like creatures with pronounced muzzles and long pointed ears. They value physical strength above all else. They are governed by a gerontocracy. Xenu is a pragmatic and spectacular world, and many of the galaxies finest warriors hail from this very race. These beings are some of the only to have created mechs with the sole intent of fighting exclusively in melee combat. Species: Hihijli Home-World: Mukunga Average Lifespan: 80 years Description: A race of feathered, raptor-like telepaths. They find humans to be physically revolting. They are extremely arrogant and consider most other species to be inferior forms of life. As such, almost no other species has seen their homeworld first hand. They favor Light and Mediums Mechs for their speed and agility, regularly employing hit and run tactics to great effect. Species: Bespanites Home-World: Chotia 4 Average Lifespan: 30 years Description: A race of humanoid insectoid aliens who have three nostrils, digitigrade legs, and two thumbs on each hand. Their soldiers ritually burn and mutilate their own flesh to demonstrate their loyalty to their leaders. They make incredible soldiers, willing to fight and die for anyone they consider a worthy leader. As a species, they are far superior physically to humans and are considered the most tactically sound of all the races. [center][b]Mechs; Titans of the Battlefield:[/b][/center] [img]https://i.imgur.com/KWlJeqN.jpg[/img] A blend of various tech bases, Mechs are kings of the battlefield, with artificial muscle allowing an unprecedented level of fluid movement and agility. Mechs come in three standard sizes, Light, Medium, and Heavy. Light Mechs are typically scouts, or forward strikers, moving fast with a decent punch, and good heat management, but not a lot of armor. Heavy Mechs conversely, are either close in brawlers or weapons platforms, dishing out huge punishment, and taking it just as well, but heat management is low. Medium Mechs are well rounded, tackling melee or ranged capabilities well, and having decent heat management, but having neither the speed of lighter Mechs nor the staying power of heavier ones. There are even larger mechs, designated as Assault class, however, these are few and far between, and so prohibitively expensive that they are usually only fielded in large-scale conflicts between galactic powers. Mechs all come with equipment hardpoints, in the center torso, side torsos, and arms. Some larger mechs have an additional head hardpoint, but are rare and usually sacrifice armor or speed to achieve this additional firepower. Each Mech has two slots for weapons or equipment per hardpoint, but can carry a weapon above their weight class in a hardpoint at the cost of additional heat generation and filling the hardpoint completely. Keep in mind that the more weapons you pack on, the hotter your Mech will be, and this will impact your ability to fight intense situations when you really need that firepower. [center][b]Heat, the Eternal Enemy:[/b][/center] All weapons produce heat, with heavier weapons producing more heat than lighter ones. All Mechs have a heat threshold, past which the mech will shut down to keep from frying a pilot alive in their own Mech. Heavy Mechs typically have a heat threshold much higher than Light Mechs; Medium Mechs usually sit between the two in heat management. This is simply due to Heavy mechs having more space and available weight to carry more heat dumping mechanisms. Certain weapons run hotter than others, with energy weapons being the hottest and ballistics running the coolest. Missiles sit in between. [center][b]Two Sticks and a Rock:[/b][/center] [img]https://i.imgur.com/j044vnJ.jpg[/img] All weapons have a classification of light, medium, and heavy. Some require ammunition, while others do not. Keep in mind that you can only bring so much ammunition and that heavier weapons will have heavier ammo. Missiles come in three varieties, SRM(Short Range Missiles), MRM(Medium Range Missiles), and LRM(Long Range Missiles). SRMs are fast, small bunches of missiles that are devastating up close, but don't have the burn time to reach long targets. LRMs are slower, but pack more missiles per launcher, can be locked onto a target that you or an ally have targetted. The downside is that they take time to fully arm, so up close, they're all but useless. MRMs pack the most missiles per pod, and reach farther than SRMS, but are effectively dumb-fire, and have significant spread. Larger Mechs can hold larger missile pods more easily. Medium and Heavy LRM and all MRM pods occupy an entire hardpoint [center]SRM- Effective Range: 250 meters MRM- Effective Range: 500 meters LRM- Effective Range: 1000 meters[/center] Lasers are varying range energy weapons that require no ammunition, with light lasers being quick knife fighting weapons, while Heavy lasers boast large damage over incredible distances. Being so powerful, lasers run hot and require a steady hand to put damage where it needs to be. Larger lasers take longer to recycle than smaller ones, and of course, do more damage. Lasers are a common and reliable weapons system seen on almost every Mech in some form. Medium lasers are special in that they can be taken on any mech at the cost of one slot, even on Light Mechs. Heavy lasers occupy an entire hardpoint. [center]Light Laser- maximum Range: 300 meters Effective Range: 150 meters Medium Laser- Maximum Range: 600 meters Effective Range: 300 meters Heavy Laser- Maximum Range: 1000 meters Effective Range: 500 meters[/center] Particle Projector Cannons(PPCs)are a strange and poorly understood energy weapon of alien design using charged particles to fire a fast moving energy projectile great distances. They generate significant heat and take time to recycle, but unlike ballistic weapons, require no ammunition. Due to their relative size, and alien tech base, they occupy an entire hardpoint. [center]Light PPC- Maximum Range: 900 meters Effective Range: 400 meters Medium PPC- Maximum Range: 900 meters Effective Range: 400 meters Heavy PPC- Maximum Range: 900 meters Effective Range: 400 meters[/center] Autocannons are automatically reloading ballistic weapons that come in either slug or spread shot types. Smaller AC's reload faster than larger ones. They don't produce too much heat, but as the size goes up, so too does the heat, leaving heavier autocannons running hotter. They have good range, and hit harder than PPCs but are impacted by drop and weather conditions, as well as requiring physical ammunition. Heavy Autocannons require an entire hardpoint. [center]Light AC- Maximum Range: 1200 meters Effective Range: 600 meters Medium AC- Maximum Range: 1000 meters Effective Range: 500 meters Heavy AC- Maximum Range: 600 meters Effective Range: 300 meters[/center] Machine Gun Arrays are old tech, but ever reliable, useful for cutting through infantry and doing great damage to the inside of mechs. The produce very little heat, and have high ammunition capacities, but do almost nothing to armored targets. [center]All MG Arrays- Maximum Range: 200 meters Effective Range: 100 meters[/center] [center][b]Other Equipment:[/b][/center] Mech's can be fitted with other systems that help or hinder in various ways. ECM is an electronics package that scrambles targetting sensors of enemies, adding an extra layer of protection, but this must be actively used, and is not a guarantee that an enemy will not be able to target you. This equipment can only be mounted in a side torso. AMS is an anti-missile system that uses small rapid-fire laser pulses to destroy enemy missiles within 250 meters of your mech. While larger volleys of missiles will break through, it can take the punch out of even the fast-moving SRM. This will heat your Mech up while in use but can be turned off to prevent reaching the heat threshold. This equipment can only be mounted on a side or center torso. Missile Beacons are a special missile type weapon that fires an electronic beacon that will assist in the targetting of Mechs by missiles. This includes LRMs and SRMs, however, MRMs will be unaffected. These beacons will draw friendly and enemy missiles alike so be warned if you use or are struck by one of these support weapons. Maximum Range: 500 meters Targeting Assist Lasers are more or less immense laser pointers that are hooked into a targeting computer that can be shared with other friendly Mechs, allowing a scout to 'paint' a target for friendly missile Mechs to unleash swarms of missiles from afar. this comes with the downside of being visible as a light dot on the target, but is otherwise silent and effectively does no harm to an enemy to alert them. Maximum Range: 750 meters UAV Drones are small unmanned flying machines that can be remotely guided by a Mech pilot to get a birds-eye view of the battlefield, or to scout a location too dangerous for a mech to go. This equipment can only be mounted in the center torso. Jump Jets are large, engine-like thrusters that allow a MEch to perform a short aerial jump from point to point, either to get to higher ground or traverse difficult terrain. Each single jump jet requires a single slot and generally require multiple in order to be effective. [center][b]Melee:[/b][/center] Melee can be accomplished in most Mechs, either those with arms striking with them or with the legs of a Mech in a kicking/stomping attack. If a Mech has actual hands, they can pick up and use objects to strike with. While a powerful ability, it will damage the limb used to attack with somewhat(unless using an improvised object in the hand)but there are pilots that swear stepping on enemy tanks is the most effective way to deal with them. Certain Industrial Mech tools can be cannibalized and strapped onto a Combat Mech to use for melee, however, this will fill the entire arm hardpoint. [center][u][b]RULES:[/b][/u][/cemter] 1. Godmodding, autohitting, Meta-Gaming, etc is strictly forbidden. 2. Don't be a jerk, we're here to have a good time, so try not to be too prickly with each other. 3. Keep OOC stuff OOC. Nothing that happens OOC should be influencing your characters in game. 4. Have fun dude. It's a stompy robot game, go blow up stuff. 5. I have final say in all matters. (but I'll do my best to not be a colossal jerk with that power.) [img]https://i.imgur.com/hOkdW0G.jpg[/img] [center][b]Profile layout:[/b][/center] [b]Name:[/b] Explains itself, what's the character's name? [b]Age:[/b] Explains itself, how old is your character? [b]Species:[/b] What resident of the galaxy are you? [b]Gender:[/b] Explains itself, what gender is your character? [b]Appearance:[/b] What does your character look like? bodily features and normal off duty clothing, etc. [b]Equipment:[/b] What does your character tend to keep on their person? [b]Skills:[/b] Aside from piloting a mech, what can your character do? [b]Personality:[/b] What is your character like? [b]Bio:[/b] What happened to your character that led them to be a mercenary Mech pilot? [b]Weaknesses:[/b] What about your character is flawed? [img]https://i.imgur.com/Bdj6IOJ.jpg[/img] [center][b]Mech Profile:[/b][/center] [b]Mech Name:[/b] The name your character refers to their Mech by. [b]Mech Chassis:[/b] What the factory calls the type of Mech you run around in. [b]Mech Class:[/b] The class of your mech, be it light, medium, or heavy. [b]Appearance:[/b] What does the mech look like? [b]Armament-[/b] What weapons does it have? [b]Center Torso Hardpoint:[/b] [b]Left Torso Hardpoint:[/b] [b]Right Torso Hardpoint:[/b] [b]Left Arm Hardpoint:[/b] [b]Right Arm Hardpoint:[/b]