Somewhat off-topic, but have you seen the anime "Raimuiro Senkitan"?

From the AnimeNewsNetwork:

It's not exactly "mecha", and there's prolly more fan service than you'd really want (or maybe you do ), but it's the right time frame...

That'd be pretty easy really.  Limit the power plants to Tesla coils, steam, and clockwork...

Limit the frame enhancements as you see fit...so no flight mods or organic armors and the like...

Weapons would also have limited enhancements and possibly range...

I tried to set things up so the options are all there and can be played with as folks desire for whatever period.    You can also limit the mecha size if you'd like which would also limit what they could use.  Since the scale is roughly 2x size for height in meters...a size 3 mecha is 6m tall. (3x man-size)

And having been designing mecha and tanks the last few days with all the modern gee-whiz-bangs...I can tell you...space is at a premium with things like armor and power plants.  You can use 40-60% of your available space right there.

I think the biggest thing may be the thermal signature for figuring lock ons...since such tech wasn't readily available back then.  In such a case I think I might recommend size+movement/3 for the lock on roll and limited ranges to a max of 9 or 12.  Definitely a point to consider, that... :?

I'll take the file home tonight and look at it.  Offer suggestions you can shoot down

You'd have to use bore sighting as thermal locks wouldn't be an option.  I'd also think stabilization would be just about absent in this timeframe.

Okay...I think this will work. 

Size+10/ movement

So if you have a size 2 mecha that moves 6 hexes this will end up being

2+10=12/6...a lock-on of 2 or less. (or in this instance it should be considered a to-hit roll).

A size 9 mecha moving 3 hexes will end up being hit on

9+10/3= 6 or less.

Given the inaccuracies of bore sighting and weapon tech levels, there really are no easy shots even with the largest mecha (unless they're going slower than a snail on molassass.)

We could have armored vehicles, but no flying apparatus (or would we?)

I'm seeing it as the same setting as Iron Stars.

Fledgling tech here. I'm not creating a setting, just tryin to apply the rules to the timeline

Can we count the poison gas shells as a crowd control device?

The Iron Stars // Wardogs crossover sounds really interesting....

John

I wasn't suggesting different gases.... I was contemplating a Nazi mech force.......LOL

As much as I prefer to play "humane" forces on the battlefield.... occasionally, someone has to play the "bad guy".......

I was thinking of a scenario where the players are trying to stop opponents who are gassing a city......

The problem would be if they got caught in their own gas clouds...... especially if they are not well sealed.

John

This reminds me of:

http://www.steamwars.com/

:-)

If you get into the mechs, you open up a whole different type of game. If you add dirigibles it turns into a wargame, not a 'dreadnoughts in space' game, not a 'steam mecha' game. That being said, I kinda like the idea.
<chuckle>
I can see I'm going to need to make some more custom parts.

Steam Boy seems a bit early in the canon, perhaps not, enjoyed the trailers, though.

To summarize the tech, if we include 'primitive' Wardog Mecha (Steam Soldiers?), we ought to have...

- 'Cavor Lifters' - Spherical Surface to Orbit Cargo ships, they use minimal rockets to match orbits, no Zero Point Generators or Aether Propulsion.

- 'Cargo Sleds' - Cavorite lined sleds with propellers that are used as air/surface transports. Think Airboats like they use in the Everglades - but the bottom has Cavorite shutters to minimize the amount of mass that pulls down the sled - they try to achieve neutral 'bouyancy' in the atmosphere.

I haven't had a chance to read the last version of Wardogs....maybe at work this evening.