Yam I Am

M E K H A N A U T S - A Far-Future Mecha RP Inspired by Dune, UnderRail, and BattleTech

I wish to propose an absolutely STUPID idea which I am mostly certain will immediately get shot down but I want to propose it

@Senhara

Well uh,

I already uh,

Y'know...



Yeah.

M E K H A N A U T S - A Far-Future Mecha RP Inspired by Dune, UnderRail, and BattleTech

Ohhh that makes more sense, and kY can't go over even if it's conditional?

@Senhara

Normally no, you can't use more kY than you have ENE - the one exception to this is the Auxiliary Battery subsystem, which requires it to be manually "turned on" and thus lets you allocate more ENE to kY.

I apologize for all the confusion, as most of the creation is still in notes and not in presentable-format like everything else is thus far.

M E K H A N A U T S - A Far-Future Mecha RP Inspired by Dune, UnderRail, and BattleTech

I'm having some trouble understanding some of the stats, like POW and STR, considering they show up on several parts. Can you describe these a bit more and how to calculate them together or?

@Senhara

All the stats you see are additive, and everything except Energy (ENE) and Power (POW) cap at 10 - there's no benefit to picking things like, say, Agility (AGI) over 10.

EX// If you have a Juggernaut with a Raptor Chassis (3 STR), a Fusion Engine (3 STR), and a Tungsten Frame (1 STR), then it adds up: 3 + 3 + 1 = 7 STR. You record your 'naut as having a STR of 7.

Power (POW) and Energy (ENE) are used as "caps" for systems' Weight (WGT) and Energy Use (kY). The total of your Juggernaut's WGT can't exceed it's POW. Same goes for kY and ENE.

Mass Effect: Harpocrates

@LetMeDoStuff

M E K H A N A U T S - A Far-Future Mecha RP Inspired by Dune, UnderRail, and BattleTech

<Snipped quote by Yam I Am>

I'm currently spitballing a few ideas but I'm thinking a large shoulder mounted cannon ala Armored Core, but modified for close range usage, then perhaps a medium range kinetic handheld weapon, like an autocannon but less heavy and one handed. Maybe a close range energy shotgun as well? Laser or plasma, mayhaps? Still thinking on this.

@Senhara

Yep, those are all in as defaults thus far.

a large shoulder mounted cannon ala Armored Core, but modified for close range usage

@Senhara

Howitzer with the Weapon Slot as your Back Subsystem.

a medium range kinetic handheld weapon, like an autocannon but less heavy and one handed.

@Senhara

Autocarbine, just flavoured however you please. Like, when it mentions 5.6mm, 7.62mm, and 9mm, it's in reference to large rifle rounds just of those calibre.

Maybe a close range energy shotgun as well? Laser or plasma, mayhaps?

@Senhara

I have this as a Plasma Projector: A close-range fan of superheated plasma as a heavy (two-handed) weapon.

Also, the CAWS, which is like an automatic shotgun that fires Armour-Piercing Incendiary Flechettes.

I think I got you covered in most of those regards for the ideas you have in mind so far, at least.

M E K H A N A U T S - A Far-Future Mecha RP Inspired by Dune, UnderRail, and BattleTech

Was thinking like, hyperextending leg actuators, reverse jointed legs, and talon-like feet for usage in melee combat. I plan to make a highly melee focused build.

@Senhara

Yeah, those work fine, especially for a Raptor chassis. Most Juggernauts we've drawn in early art are built upon a swivelling hip, so they can turn a full 360° irrespective of their legs' cardinality.

Oh so I can just... Design my own weapons, throw them at you, and see if they fit?

@Senhara

If they're like, markedly different than any of the defaults then sure. If it's "close enough" in size and concept to a pre-existing weapon card then i'll just say you can use the stats of that card for the purpose of your sheet and then you can flavour it however you wish. But if it's just something I never got around to making and you have an idea for it, pitch it to me and we'll work something out.

Again - tell me what you have in mind and we can go from there

M E K H A N A U T S - A Far-Future Mecha RP Inspired by Dune, UnderRail, and BattleTech

I have a question, for melee weapons, could I give my mech a Pilebunker?

@Senhara

I actually did have something similar to that already in mind for a default weapon card: It's called a Thermic Lance and it operates on a similar principle, using a two-stage warhead to pierce directly into armour in the same way.

The weapon cards are meant to be archetypical, anyway: You can flavour them however you please with things like make, model, caliber, etc.

Second edit, for my mech can I throw in L and R leg modifications and a few design quirks to explain some of the machine's properties?

@Senhara

Tell me what you had in mind and I can give you some better pointers

M E K H A N A U T S - A Far-Future Mecha RP Inspired by Dune, UnderRail, and BattleTech

I am curious to know more about keepers and Azvanrism in general. Like can a keeper become a juggernaut pilot or vice versa? I like playing religious characters, so I'm thinking of a character who is androgynous and very much in touch with their juggernaut's spectre. One of their specialties would be theology and interfaith dialogue, which might make diplomacy with the Avrakhans more of an option.

@Stern Algorithm

Keepers in the majority of Azvanrist sects are more kept as spiritual figures than they are in active roles - it's something that's dependent on local cultures and the exact nature of their upbringing. And though it wouldn't really be too out of it for a mekh operator to turn over a new leaf as a keeper as a religious experience, there's usually a stiff layer of economic and social calcification that keep a lot of people from doing so. Likewise depending on how long they were on that exact path, forsaking being a keeper could range from anything to a young devotee deciding (or getting persuaded) that they're not cut out for this whole monasticism thing to basically outright apostasy/excommunication. Owing to the nature of the "space feudalist" structure that the Empire has had there's only really a lot of social mobility on a local scale - anything that involves multiple planets is very much sealed-in.

In general, though, Keepers do maintain a similar role as there would be to, say, clergy in most militaries: That is, an important part of the maintenance of morale and as supportive roles, but not anywhere near the direct up-and-front fighting. This being said, it wouldn't be entirely out of the picture for a keeper to pilot a juggernaut...though it would be considered highly unusual, like how if the army base's Chaplin decided he was going to be a helicopter pilot for a day.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the goals of adherence and that of role as a keeper aren't mutually exclusive: "Keeper" as the term itself refers to a specific societal role that's in many ways part caste, part profession, and part lifelong journey. Think of it more as a dedicated monk.

Though, it's not to say that you must be a keeper in order to maintain or display that show of faith in androgyny. People throughout the Empire can and do present themselves in androgynous forms as to communicate their devotion to Azvanrism all the time, and i'd even go as far as to say it wouldn't be out of the question to say it's even a cultural norm on some planets' local societies.

There's still a good number of religious minorities all around the Empire and there's just not enough infrastructure or frankly care to clamp down on them all: Persecutions in the Sirian Empire were usually political and the religious aspect of trying to defend or push the faith typically came later. Really big influences - like the aforementioned Avrakhans - were usually the prime suspects because they put the stability of the Empire into question with clashing values and different collectives in things like churches, banks, common houses, soup kitchens, and so forth that they powers that be saw as potentially dangerous breeding grounds for insurrection. But if you're just some guy in his house praying to some obscure God in private then nobody will probably care. It's when you start Secret Society-ing that where the Empire does not fuck around.

Also, are funnel-type weapons (remote-controlled drones) going to be allowed?

@Stern Algorithm

I had a few of them written down, yeah. In general if someone has an idea for something - be it a part, weapon, subsystem, etc - then i'll allow it and draft something up for them.

M E K H A N A U T S - A Far-Future Mecha RP Inspired by Dune, UnderRail, and BattleTech

Thanks for all the interest so far all!

As i've mentioned in it, the creation for your Juggernauts is sort of CYOA-styled. I've gotten most of the creation panels done - I mostly only need to finish up all the Subsystem cards as well as all the Weapon cards.

In the meantime, feel free to browse through what's finished - there will be a full explanation sheet for how everything works in the OOC, but before then don't be afraid to ask questions!
@Bork Lazer@Fiber@wikkit@Abstract Proxy@Bartimaeus@Stern Algorithm@BCTheEntity@Smike@TheEvanCat

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Juggernaut Options

Weapons

M E K H A N A U T S - A Far-Future Mecha RP Inspired by Dune, UnderRail, and BattleTech

@Bartimaeus@Smike@Stern Algorithm Great - glad to have you all aboard!