Guess I'd better look to choosing a name for this so it is clearly apart from Starmada.

Suggested names so far.

A.P.E. Corps

Steel Spartans

Angry Stars

Metalstorm

And the one I'd have to veto, considering the name has essentially already been taken (Assault Corps, anyone? )

Played around with the design rules and had a fun time working through the ruleset making a mech.  Here are my thoughts so far.

For the amount of space, do you take 2 x size x leg type space modifer? example: So a bipedal size 8 mecha has 40 spaces available

If movement for mecha is equal to 12-size (like vehicles), are these movement points free, or do you need to provide power to them.  If so, how much and secondly, is there anyway to change the speed of the mecha (I like the way power plants work, why not the same type of thing for movement).  Personally, I like the idea of figuring out the movement of the mecha by buying a number of movement factors (like energy output) with certain modifiers and dividing by the size + armor value of the mecha.

For example: For 3 spaces per leg, you get 30 movement factors (needing 3 points of energy for normal walking). Without any  additional modifications, a size 6, armor 2 Bipedal mecha (costing 6 spaces) would have a movement of 4 (30 MF / 8 = 3.75 rounding to 4) and if it spent double the energy cost (6 in the example), it could 'run' granting a movement of 6  (x1.5 the normal walking speed or 3.75 x 1.5 = 5.6 rounding to 6).

I think the thermal signature is a great idea. I really like the idea of using it instead of a heat scale.  I can see, a lot of battlemechs being easily hit due to insane thermal signatures!

I haven't had any real problems with the weapons and how they are created yet, but I haven't really torn them apart.  Going back to the battletech example, how would you model a LRM 20?  my thoughts would be:

Ballistic: Range 15, ROF: 1 DMG: 3/+3 4 additional barrels.  This takes up 8 spaces (15x3x1.15x1.15x1.15x1.15/10), but if I am reading the specials right, all 5 shots can be done at once (not exactly a LRM 20 with 5 rounds)

OR

Ballistic: Range 15 ROF: 4 DMG 1/+1 4 reloads. 30 spaces (15x4x1x1.5x1.5x1.5x1.5/10) and 6 energy.  Assuming a ROF of 1 per 5 missiles, it's a better model of the LRM20, just its WAY to big.

Thermal lock on/Hit resolution/damage application:

I haven't tried this out yet, but the bipedal mech I created with the main guns being two Particle cannons (ENGERY: rng: 12, ROF:1 DMG 3) had a 19 thermal signature and only a 4 armor.   I guess I better remove a weapon and take "Thermal dampers" a few times (is that even possible).

Thinking about that, aren't the Frame's Special equipment a bit under priced SU-wise.  Assuming I can take Thermal dampers three times, in the above example taking my signature from 19 to 3 by only spending 3 SUs? Seems a bit too easy for me.

The only issue I have about the damage application chart is once I beat the armor of a mech, there is a 1 in 5 chance, that I can blow it up (and that isn't taking into account my DMG modifer).  I like the idea of the armor value lowering after each shot, but perhaps the damage application chart being some form of critical hit (like the roll doubling the armor value or something). Thus as a mech takes more damage lowering its armor value, it becomes easier to score a critical which destroys systems and soon the mech itself.

That's all the thoughts for now.  More to follow.
-Bren

Yup.

For the sake of simplicity and play speed the assumption that the power plant provides enough energy to run basic cockpit systems, gyros, and regular "bodily movement" is made.  Energy point expenditure comes into it for flight mode however. 

It's my thought on how to provide some built in balance.  You can build this heavily shielded, really nastily armed mecha...but you pay for it in being easier to tag. The larger mecha can take the damage if you get through their defenses, while the smaller mecha who take less damage gain their defensive advantage in being a bit harder to lock up.  Kind of like the watching the big slow troll trying to smash a jack rabbit.

Technically speaking, you couldn't truely model a LRM 20 with these rules.
Well...you could I suppose if you wanted to take 19 extra tubes but it would be space and energy prohibitive.  The Ballistic Base weapons are more modeled along anime type lines.  You have a launcher that expends it's ordinance and needs reloaded.  The idea is you can get a bit longer range and heavy strike, but again, it's at a price.  I suppose the closest to an LRM 20 would be the use of the multiple warhead enhancement, though it provides more AOE than damage on target.

Ballistic Base weapon ROF is variable based on the number of tubes.  So if you have your 5 tubes, yes, all could fire at once but then would be out of ammunition until reloaded or you could fire them off one at a time over 5 turns...or fire them in whatever number of tubes a turn you wanted. The main thing is that each tube may only fire once without being reloaded. 

You can only take Thermal dampers once.  So that would reduce your thermal signature to 9.5 rounded to 10.  Decoy Flares would be a good investment as well with a thermal that high.  Either remove a weapon or change it to a Kinetic type which have lower thermal sig. modifiers.

Yeah. I have made some adjustments to the Frame Enhancement Costs to bring it into more whole numbers.  I was noting that smaller mecha were getting some things for free essentially.  Not the intent.  :oops:

I'm still a little bothered by this as well and am looking at possible alternatives.  I don't really want to get into the critical hit aspect of it since that smacks entirely too much of BT.  What I may do is change the damage allocation table by providing some "null damage" results.  This would increase the odds against getting a one shot kill yet still provide system damages with hits.  Waiting on actual playtest data before I get too carried away with things though.  :wink:

Thanks for the input! 

And here's what those Wardogs might LOOK like....
:-)

I've got some more, but I don't want to fill up Dan's webspace with them.

I've got one (after your suggestion) with a "Energy Hand Weapon", and some that look a bit heavier than this one.

You realize if you take away one letter, this says "nude nudge".

Very nice pictures!  They got me thinking (a terrible habit, I know).  Looks to me (from a miniature standpoint) that mech pieces could be designed in basic components and build together to form mecha.  Since it looks like the leg , torso and head pieces for the two mechs are the same, it works into a simple mecha component idea below

1. Medium bipedal leg component
2. Medium bipedal torso component
3. Head Component

Then the player would only have to purchase separate arm compenents and his two mechs are a reality.

Oohh... The posibilities are endless....
-Bren

I like 'Wardogs'.

JP

Gotcha.  vehicles are made the same way, so there that's where I was confused...  I got it now.

The only reason I was working with movement factors is that I like the idea of allowing players a way to build mecha with different speeds.   The movement factor idea allows players to make large heavily armored mecha that are fast, but it comes at a huge price (in spaces and energy).  I don't think it would affect play much since mecha would be designed with movement rates already created and the space and energy requirements for them would be included in the design creation. Of course, the extra energy required to run would force a player to either have extra energy on hand or take some away from firing its weaponry...

Currently two size 6 mecha have the same speed using the same energy (since it is included), but with a Movement factor system, one would be able to design differences in speed without the need for flight movement (and thus stability checks)

My thoughts are that every 10 Movement factors cost 1 space per leg and 1 energy.   I like the idea that energy isn't needed to power all 'required' systems, but movement isn't 'really' a required system.   Allowing players to build the speed of the mecha by the calculation: MF/(size+armor) allows someone to build a very fast large mecha, but using a lot of energy and space that can't be used for weaponry.

I would state that  Thermal damperings come in three levels with the minimum signature be 1:
10% SU = 1/2 Thermal signature
30% SU = 1/4 Thermal Signature
60% SU = 1/8 signature

I thought about this and with the idea above for Thermal Signature levels, I came up with this idea for to hit/damage (after thinking about ARES way of doing damage):

Players roll d10 and hit if they roll equal or below the signature of the target (with all the modifiers for speed and the like).
For every ROF that hits, the number of damage dice are rolled and are compared to the armor+shields of the target
less than armor+shields = no damage
equal to 2xarmor+shields = 1 damage
2x to 3x armor+shields = 2 damage + 1 'critical hit'
3x to 4x armor+ shields = 3 damage + 2 'critical hits'

So lets say I have a ROF 2 DMG 2 gun that hits both times against a target with 3 armor and 1 shield.  I roll 4 dice for damage getting: 2,4,6 and 9.
The 2 doesn't do any damage. The 4 and 6 each do 1 damage point, but the 9 does 2 and requires a critical hit roll. Total damage 4 points + critical hit.  The best that mech can do next shot is 1 shield... Bye bye mecha!

I would say for that if at least three DMG rolls that don't do damage due to high armor, it still causes a point of damage so that there isn't anything that is invincible.

Thoughts?
-Bren

You mean like this?

http://www.arenafan.com/graphics/teamlogos/colw.gif