Slamurai

FRAMEs: Chapter II [Reboot] (Mech combat, politics & corporate intrigue)

To clear up a few questions that I've gotten or might get later on concerning various combat systems:

All military FRAMEs have, at the very least, radar and infrared/thermal senor packages, and smoke/chaff launchers. I'll go into a bit of detail about the operation of said equipment to help those "uninitiated" with their IC posts.

Radar works by bouncing radio waves off objects and receiving the signals to determine the bearing and range of said objects. FRAME radars are primarily for locating the position of other FRAMEs or military-grade vehicles. The received signal informs the pilot of the approximate location, size, bearing and range of whatever objects it comes into contact with. This information is displayed on a monitor in the cockpit. Radar alone doesn't typically differentiate between friend and foe, however, so additional visual confirmation about the nature of the objects is necessary to avoid friendly fire or other incident. Radars can paint a simplified image of a FRAME's immediate surroundings.

Specialized FRAMEs may make use of sonar, which operates similarly to radar. The difference is radar uses electromagnetic radio waves, and sonar uses sound waves. Both echo off objects and send data back to the source. Because it's an electronic system, radar is frequently jammed by ECM, which makes sonar a handy alternate for identifying and locating targets. Sonar packages will probably be added as a subsystem in the RP's context, in the form of a passive ground suite. Spikes inserted into the ground can pick up vibrations in the earth and send them to the pilot as audible information.

Thermal optics allow pilots to visually identify targets based on heat; FRAMEs and other military vehicles generate heat as they run, so it's an effective way to get an eye on a target. Infrared is a spectrum in which thermal radiation emissions can be seen. Objects that aren't hot enough to radiate visible light will emit infrared energy, which can be felt as heat. Hotter objects give off more infrared radiation. Chaff and smoke launchers can temporarily disrupt thermal optics if the smoke is laced with aluminum-coated glass fibers or red phosphorus. The emissions from the smoke and the material in it can hide emissions from objects behind it for a short length of time.

And now for a bit of fiction: The C3 suite subsystem sort of combines the sensors of multiple FRAMEs in a unit and clumps it into a cohesive picture. So a commander like Cecilia could look at her C3 monitor and see the radar and heat signatures of all her squadmates, and she can also use the system to see just what their sensors are picking up. It constantly collects data being fed by allied machines and puts it into a visual map of the zone of operation.
So Cpl. Jones might have an "oh, shit" moment and turn the corner to find a squad of mooks looking at him, and Lt. Brown's C3 will update him of the new data Jones' FRAME has picked up from the mooks. It's a nifty tool for commanders to micromanage their grunts remain totally aware of updates to their surroundings and act accordingly.

FRAMEs: Chapter II [Reboot] (Mech combat, politics & corporate intrigue)

Sorry to double post, but this pertains to my IC post I'm working on:

What's Cecilia's rank? And what are the ranks of everyone else on the team (since that could be useful for future reference)?

@Shorticus

The Panthers don't really use a strict ranking structure; generally, the longer you've been a member, the more respect you're due. They don't style themselves after any military organization and treat the work more like a business. That said, Richard Bentz is the founder/CEO and runs the day-to-day operations. Cecilia is acknowledged to be the Panther's field commander and Richard's adjutant. Most people refer to Bentz as "Director." He was a former Captain, though, so other ex-military might like to call him as such.

FRAMEs: Chapter II [Reboot] (Mech combat, politics & corporate intrigue)

@Silverwind Blade
I can see that sort of role doing well when we go up against units of similar or higher caliber than us; like the team of Barghests that kicked our asses and prevented us from saving the HFI. The ability to counter-jam, scramble and turn the odds in our favor will be appreciated IC. I would suggest that you start off a bit balanced - having a recon focus, but also being prepared for dishing out damage in equal measure. Then, after certain events transpire, you can lean as heavily towards your specialization as you desire.
But long story short, if you decide to make a "utility char," I'll do my best to see that you've got a purpose on the field.

FRAMEs: Chapter II [Reboot] (Mech combat, politics & corporate intrigue)

@Nevix
Not usually, but that's an idea for a subsystem that might come into play.

FRAMEs: Chapter II [Reboot] (Mech combat, politics & corporate intrigue)

So how will combat work here? Can we say that we hit enemies or is that up to the GM?

@Nevix

I've let players make their hits in the past. I just ask that combat is done in a reasonable and plausible manner.

FRAMEs: Chapter II [Reboot] (Mech combat, politics & corporate intrigue)

@DarkStar@Foster@Shorticus@Massasauga@Nevix

First IC post is up! Nothing fancy; we're just on a run-of-the-mill job to stop some small-time thugs.

Some context:
Had it been a year prior, this job would be way beneath our consideration, but times are tough. The Panthers have gotten by doing small-scale work for local organizations; most with a hand in the criminal world or temporary positions with fledgling businesses. The Samigina has had a drop in manpower, supplies and overall efficiency, and Bentz is struggling to keep it up and running with the budget at hand. We've also had to fight off rivals here and there, trying to pull the plug on the Panthers for good. Overall, it hasn't been a glamorous season.

Richard might have some good news when this op's over, though. -wink-

FRAMEs: Chapter II [Reboot] (Mech combat, politics & corporate intrigue)

Slums - Beiguang Autonomous Region - Xiang Cooperative Dialogue

Cecilia steered her Kirin around a corner, leading with the barrel of her autocannon. The FRAME was no longer a pristine, blue-grey, but a dusty brown, dotted with metallic specks where the finish was chipped. The Panthers decal on its right shoulder was barely visible beneath the muck. At the height of her career, Cecilia would never have let her machine down the ramp in such a state; but nowadays, apathy had become standard operating procedure in the unit.

After failing to secure the HFI, Cradle let the Panthers go. That was a big hit to the unit's income. Before long, news circulated quickly that they'd botched the operation. Underground circles made it a point to avoid contracting the Panthers, and the jobs that did come were far beneath the unit's caliber. As if that weren't enough, many pilots and personnel aboard the Samigina moved on or passed, manpower slowly declining to a minimum. Cecilia had seen comrades come and go, and although Bentz managed to retain most of his original staff, she knew they were loosing their touch.

This street was clear, save for a stray dog and lines of clothes that danced in the breeze. The Kirin rolled past neglected storefronts before coming to a halt at the next intersection. Maybe if she'd done things differently, the Panthers would be serving multinational corporations again; rolling in paychecks. Maybe if she'd been a better leader-

A fast blur across her monitor tore Cecila from her thoughts. Just a startled flock of pigeons. Cool it, Cecilia. An op's an op. Even if you're scraping the bottom of the barrel. Then, she'd noticed more flocks of birds, taking flight a few streets away. Something had evidently startled them.

"Heads on a swivel, Panthers. I don't think we're alone here."

The Panther's suspicions were conformed when a blip snapped onto her sensors - big enough for the system to suspect a threat. Cecilia slid her optics around the corner of the intersection, trying to get her eyes further down the road.

Movement. Not much, but something caught her eye through the other side of an open window a few blocks over. She waited, the tension creeping to her fingers, as it always did before an engagement. And then, the silhouette of a re-purposed utility FRAME emerged, brandishing a cannon.

"Contact! 500 meters, northeast. One... no, three... six, now. Six civvie FRAMEs with military-grade arms." Cecilia watched the patrol linger, before continuing on its way. It was flanked by a truck; the contents of which Cecilia could only speculate were small arms, or drugs, or both. Cecilia plotted the coordinates of the gangers on her GPS and shot them to the rest of the unit.

"Easy pickings. Time to earn our keep, folks." It was also a waste of time, but she kept that thought to herself. Cecilia exhaled a deep breath from her lungs to clear her head, lined up her weapon, and fired off the first round of the day.

FRAMEs: Chapter II [Reboot] (Mech combat, politics & corporate intrigue)

Speaking of vulnerabilities, I've been meaning to ask @Aristo, are the air intakes, reactor and such housed in the torso as well as the cockpit? Or are the distributed across the FRAME's whole? Likewise is there enough interior space to house ammunition or would it be mounted externally as part of a weapon system? Do pilots enter from the front or back torso? Finally if the external cameras were disabled or destroyed do FRAMEs have any sort of fallback system, like a periscope or other low-tech solution? Given how you describe them being operated I'm not sure they could be driven with an open or ajar cockpit.

@Lutalica

The reactors are typically mounted on the back of the torso, in a separate compartment from the cockpit. The top layer of the chest itself swings open for embarking/disembarking. Small arms ammunition, like machine gun rounds, can be stored in internal components nearby the weapon mount and feed rounds by a belt. Large-caliber ammunition, like autocannons, missiles, etc. are carried externally, more often that not. ACs usually have their own magazines.
I'll bet that most FRAMEs have failsafe periscopes or small viewports, but combat effectiveness decreases by a huge margin if camera-based optics are disabled.

I guess the best representation of FRAME piloting would be the Patlabor anime series. VOTOMs too, although our cockpits aren't nearly that small.
youtu.be/IsMTpSDAGxM
youtu.be/7HMDaNhTTi8
youtu.be/8j_TZ6skwoQ - Only less OP.

{Closed}

@Luminosity
Don't let me hold you up if you have something to post before I get one in!

{Closed}

I'll have something for Ezheia in the next few days. The dialogue between Fiona and Erickson made me chuckle.