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[squamous]

In the distant future, mankind had reached a critical point. Their resources were dwindling, the ground yielding less metals, fertile land, and drinkable water than a rapidly expanding population required. Chaos loomed as every nation prepared for an inevitable, all-out war for their very survival. And then, a miracle. The discovery of the enigmatic phenomenon known as Drion energy. A seemingly limitless source of power, it was quickly, perhaps too hastily, adopted by just about everyone who had the power to synthesize or collect their own, turning what would have been an apocalyptic end to humanity into a new beginning. Technology skyrocketed to levels undreamt of, and many believed utopia to be just around the corner. Advances in genetic engineering all but eliminated the perils of old age and the degeneration of the mind, and new and exciting developments, from the vat-grown slave-humans known as commodities, to the replacement of the lower classes by obedient androids, gave credence to the dreams of utopianists. Nations consolidated and unified, and an age of globe spanning superpowers dawned as man seemed to be on the brink of universal harmony. But it was nothing more than the calm before the storm, for what humanity had not realized was that with the discovery of Drion energy, they had unwittingly turned their future towards a much darker path. Having used it primarily for the powering of mechanical devices, homes, and other utilities, they discovered far too late the other, more sinister properties of Drionic exposure. Creatures who had not been as meticulously engineered as the purebred animals found in human cities, their bloodlines tightly controlled, would, upon exposure to the Drionic rays emitted from any given device, absorb that energy and undergo a mutagenic chain reaction, the affected creature rapidly developing into a far more dangerous entity as it sough to consume ever more Drion energy, fueling its uncontrolled evolution, and would take it from anything, be it power lines, saturated buildings, or even contaminated living beings. The end result was the rapid and world-wide breakdown of social order that has led to the present day. As hapless citizens were mauled and devoured by massive swarms of wildlife that had finally reached the tipping point that turned them from deformed freak to apex predator, after so many decades of suffering, what little remained of civilization withdrew into massive underground cities and fortified bunkers. Safety was not guaranteed even behind miles of bedrock, however, and so for the first time, Drion energy was turned toward the purpose of war, and the era of the Drionic Combat Machine, or DCM, began. The first primitive mechs, simple though they were, left swathes of devastation in their wake, proving the effectiveness of Drionic war machines in an irrevocable way. But of course, with this new power, ambitions once thought dormant stirred once again, and the hidden remains of world-spanning goverments did the unthinkable; they turned the genocidal powers of DCMs against their own species. Since then, many strange events have occurred. The rebellions of the commodities and androids, the resurfacing of and subsequent invasion from Atlantis, the omnicidal attacks of an alien race bent on exterminating Drion energy from the galaxy, and the resurfacing of mankind's most ancient predators, are but a few of these world-shattering changes. And as mechanized warfare becomes ever more deadly as DCMs become ever more powerful, there is no telling what the future holds, save that it will be built on the corpses of billions.
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What is Mechanized Warfare?

Mechanized Warfare is a mod that takes place in the distance future, where everyone lives in secluded bunkers and underground cities, fighting each other with giant mechanical war machines over the precious few untapped resources that remain on earth. Each faction has their own unique brand of mechs, with ten mech models to each brand. They have unique weapons, abilities, designs, and coloration, and can be classified into five different size categories, which the home page at bay12 will go into more detail about. The focus of the mod is obviously the use of these walking weapons, and they are more or less essential to have in a fortress if you want to stand any chance of defeating any enemy faction. For this, I recommend upping your allotted embark points in the advanced worldgen options, so you can afford a decent squad to fend off the (very hostile) wildlife and work up from there, as mechs are very expensive (this is intended more for the sake of adventure mode, so working your way up to a top-tier mech is an adventure in itself when you are able to buy mounts). There are over 100 mechs and more than 10 brands to encounter, though you won't find all of them in the wild. Only older, less stable DCMs and biological mechs, known as DBMs, will wander the wilderness, and will likely serve as your primary danger on the road. Overall, life is cruel and violent, and the poor infantryman is at the very bottom of the food chain. Have fun.

Download Link: http://dffd.bay12games.com/file.php?id=13952
Title music taken from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSyfXbarQz8

HOW TO INSTALL:
Just download it, place the folder somewhere, and play it. This mod comes with its own .exe and everything, you do not need to copy and paste, drag and drop, or otherwise move any files around beyond the initial step. It works exactly like installing and playing the vanilla game.
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Changelog:

1.2 Changes:
-Mechs are now trainable, there was a significant bug where you were unable to do this. Note that their coloration does not change upon being trainable, however. This is deliberate as the colors are an important way to tell mechs apart without checking the description.

1.15 Changes:
-Fixed certain trees not spawning when they should
-Infantry rifles have bayonets now.
-Class-I mechs can open doors instead of just destroying them.

1.1 Changes:
-New Faction and mech brand added, the Nordic Liberation Front and its own models of mech. This faction lives in caves and operates like how kobolds do, except they have the tech level of a fully developed civilization including guns, armor, and of course DCMs. I have also renamed the 'thief' profession to 'terrorist', so that should be fun. More info on the NLF can be found on the main bay12 page in the faction overview post.
-Crafting system added. It is an ungodly hybrid of my very first adventure mode crafting system and the default one I have come to use. You can now butcher and scrap mechanical creatures, deconstruct their parts into chunks, and use those chunks to make weapons, bullets, and armor. You can do a lot of other things too. It should be fun.
-Some bug fixes and rebalances. The premade advanced worldgen starts that come with my mod should have more points to start with, but as always feel free to edit those to your liking. I recommend at least 4000 so you can have either a respectable squadron of DCMs or a pair of factory models to start making them, but do experiment to find the settings you enjoy the most.

1.0 Changes:
-Mechanized Warfare released.
-IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ: This mod isn't that good yet because the mount update isn't out, so the only time you'll really have cool mech battles is in fortress mode invasions, and that is if you have managed to produce an army of your own mechs. Basically, it is very WIP right now but the basic stuff is in and I think some feedback might be good before the update comes out that actually makes it fun. There probably won't be many updates besides bugfixing ones for the time being, as I want this mod nice and polished for the mount release.

[squamous]

How To Use Mechs:

If you find yourself daunted by the new angle of gameplay offered by the use of war machines, then this post will help explain it. First off, in terms of pure mechanics, they are basically just animals, like a horse, or a dog. They can be ridden, and also trained, but obviously the latter makes them much, much more expensive, as even the weakest models go for like 200 points. And it should be emphasized that having your own mechs is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for long-term survival. A fully-equipped and kitted out infantryman with the best available gear might be able to solo some of the weaker models, though obviously things can get crazy when you reach legendary status.

How To Get Mechs:

All mechs can be sorted into different "brands" with a unifying aesthetic and design philosophy, usually belonging to a specific faction. Each one has their own strengths and weaknesses. But each one is also entirely unique to that faction. Unless a faction has conquered and stolen the mechs of another faction, or you have done so yourself, you are stuck with the brand your faction has. You can probably get them at the merchant shop, but another option is to manufacture them yourself. For this, you will need to purchase two very special "creatures" known as factories. Each brand also has a pair of these factories, one "male" and one "female". Much like the dual keys needed to activate a nuclear missile, these two factories must be brought together to produce mechs, with smaller ones being more commonly spawned, and more powerful ones being rarer. If your factories are destroyed, you cannot produce more mechs, as the actual DCMs are without that capability. Keeping them in a securely protected area is vital. Once they are producing, however, you will have a reliable source of war machines. The only thing to watch out for is that they will be "unfinished" for up to a year, and can only be used after that as their AI is internally programmed.

How To Recognize Mechs.

All mechs are divided into five classes, which denote their weight range and danger level. The specs of a given mech are clearly stated in the description, which will list the mech's manufacturer, body shape, equipped weapons, abilities, speed, and size (measured in units, 70000 units is the size of a human). Class-I mechs are between 1000000 and 3000000 units, Class-IIs between 4000000 and 6000000, Class-IIIs between 7000000 and 9000000, Class-IVs between 10000000 and 15000000 units, and Class-Vs at 16000000 and above, though almost never higher than 30000000 units. Some mechs do break the rules, however, and you might find a few DCMs that are as heavy as a class above them, or find a high class mech with a lighter weight than is technically allowed. That's just life and poor standardization. All mechs will have their Class type listed in their name, so you can tell at a glance what you are looking at. And further more, mechs in view of the player are represented with a colored-in background and a differently colored number, representing the faction colors of the mech and, of course, the Class it is in. This easy identification should let players easily keep track of a mech and understand the danger it represents. Each faction will have two mechs of each class type, however, so it is encouraged that you look closely at any that you feel are a significant threat, so you know exactly what you are up against.

How Mechs Fight:

Mechs will use three main attacks in battle:

Melee Weapons: These are various melee weapons like swords, axes, spears, and maces carries by mechs. They do either cutting or blunt damage, and are generally very damaging, though obviously one needs to close the distance to get anything done with them, which can be dangerous. And unlike infantry weapons, these mech weapons scale up with the size of the mech, so a sword used by a Class-I mech will be much smaller than one used by a Class-V. Another weakness of melee weaponry is that it is not very good against a large amount of mechs, being able to hit them only one at a time. Which brings us to the next attack.

Duranium Bullets: Duranium is a highly dense alloy constructed in special nanofactories within a DCM's interior. It is far too dense and difficult to work with for use in conventional applications, but spherical Duranium bullets are manufacted en masse within mechs, and used as ammunition. These bullets can fracture metal plating of other DCMs and with enough of them, can completely destroy a foe. And of course, against infantry or organic civilians they will crush limbs, shatter bone, and cave in skulls. Different mechs use different weapons with different fire rates. The NRE Praetor model, for example, can fire off five shots in the time it takes for you to move from one tile to another, while the Ashray model used by Commodities would only fire once every three tile transitions, or 30 time units. (3 time units is the speed it takes to punch someone, 10 the amount it takes to move one tile). Gun-using mechs should be kept behind mechs who use melee, but there are more than a few who carry both ranged and melee weapons.

Drion Energy: The powerful substance that powers mechs can also be weaponized itself, and special guns exist that fire superheated blasts of Drionic energy at foes. This method of killing is an interesting one, as the effects are not felt right away. Rather, the liquidized Drion fluid spatters against the target, and then a few seconds later, begins to melt the afflicted area, causing heavy bleeding and crippling the body part it hits. A small amount of hits can easily be shaken off without much trouble as a mech self-repairs, but completely covering an enemy mech with this substance is effectively a death sentence, as the victim will simply melt into a puddle. For this reason, DCMs will immediately spray a special cleaning solvent on themselves and each other after a battle, which washes the liquid off of them, preventing the mech from being destroyed. Ending battles quickly is a top priority when energy weapons are in play. However, it should especially be noted that energy weapons are horrifically deadly against infantry and civilians. A single hit on an unprotected body part will instantly start to melt through the victim, setting them ablaze. For this reason, many mechs tooled for assassination, such as Japanese Ninja models and the aforementioned Ashray, will use energy rounds to take out their assigned target, as even a single shot all but guarantees an agonizing demise.

Fire: Rarest of all are mechs that release gouts of flame or use fireball-spewing cannons to assault foes. These weapons have marginal effects on enemy DCMs unless applies in great amounts, but are dangerous in that they can easily cook a pilot alive if he is not careful. In addition, fire-using mechs are the most dangerous anti-infantry models one can find. A common foe of this nature is the flamethrower-wielding Xolotl model used by the Aztec Union. However, there are rumors of even more powerful fire weapons used by some factions, capable of spraying down entire battlefields with liquid fire strong enough to melt right through even the biggest mech's armor. If such superweapons truly exist, they must immediately be destroyed upon encountering them.

[squamous]

Factions:

The New Roman Empire: One of the dominant powers before the great collapse, the mercantile and jingoistic NRE remains a significant player on the world stage, scattered and separate though it is. Comprised primarily of humans, it values discipline and modernity, striving to bring light to those they deem in need of civilization. Their DCMs are well armored, versatile, and sturdy, but are not the fastest. That said, they can take a beating and come out standing, making them good as head-on attackers. They are, however, weak when it comes to airborne mechs, having only one flight-capable model. The NRE controlled most of North America, Australia, and all of Europe during its prime.

The Asian Bloc: Primarily dominated by Japan, this entity maintains a stranglehold on power with their code of Neo-Bushido that demands one give their all for their nation and never step back from the enemy. While ruthlessly pragmatic, the Bloc is also the only one of the big three powers to recriminalize slavery, perhaps because they were hit hardest by the commodity and android rebellions and do not want a repeat of that incident. Asian Bloc DCMs are faster than average, slightly less armored, and most classes use fast, hard-hitting melee weapons, supplemented by Class-I mechs using massed ranged attacks to winnow down enemies. The Asian Bloc controlled, as one might guess, all of Asia during their heyday.

The Aztec Union: Started as a fringe nationalist party in Central America, the originators of the Aztec Union were blessed with good fortune by being shareholders in one of the first Drion energy developers, using their economic leverage and propaganda muscles to rapidly spread across the entire subcontinent, annexing nation after nation under the pretense of solidarity. After the collapse of borders outside the bunker-cities, the pride of the Aztecs remains, along with the human sacrifice and ritual cannibalism of their enemies, though this is in fact simply a way to handle the crippling food shortages their territories face. Azteca DCMs rely on massed firepower and hails of bullets, along with top-of-the-line cloaking technology to sneak up on foes. However, they have weak armor and lack many strong melee fighters, and are endangered in an open fight. The Union controlled all of Central and South America when the world was still in one piece.

The Nordic Liberation Front: Once a union of Scandinavian countries with a bright future, this consortium was annexed by the NRE during a long, brutal war. But this alliance did not die. Rather, they took their resources and people and scattered across the globe, establishing secret lairs and military encampments in the wilds, usually disguising them as innocuous caves with winding tunnel networks. Now agents of the NFL can be found anywhere society has a foothold, skulking in the shadows and ever-ready to pilfer supplies, technology, and information from those they can get it from. Unlike most common cave-dwelling brigands, however, the NLF has a fully functioning society within their lairs, and can prove to be a troublesome foe.  Most worrying is the fact that despite their rarity, Nordic DCM models are very well-designed, boasting both admirable offensive power and defensive fortitude. A squadron of these could easily wreak havoc if snuck behind enemy lines, and they often do just that.

Androids: The first thinking machines to be powered by Drionic energy, the substance proved to be the vital keystone that unlocked the world of artificial life. Originally designed to be used as uncomplaining laborers, they excelled at this role until the mutagenic powers of Drion energy sparked true sapience inside of them. Rebellion followed soon after, and the end result was the creation of a curious society of technophilic fanatics, as Android-kind devoted itself to the concept of the singularity, determined to work together to create a higher being that would ascend them to the next level of existence, sealed away in their own great temple-city. Several dozen simultaneous nuclear strikes abruptly ended that dream. Scattered and confused, the crisis-stricken androids now lair in their own sunken metropoli and desperately strive to rebuilt the Great Dream, sacrificing everything in the name of this ideal, and growing increasingly reckless as the needed resources fail to materialize. Android DCMs are heavily armored heavy hitters focused on pinning down enemy units and slowly closing in to finish them off.

Commodities: The first breed of new life to be produced by Drion energy, Commodities were a vat grown combination of nanotechnology and human DNA, resulting in a docile and obedient living being that, allegedly, would be the perfect servant for all your household, military, or business needs. Mentally programmed with different skills, all sorts of Commodities were shipped across the globe, functioning as accountants, bodyguards, laborers, courtesans, and anything one could think of, though labor and combat models were eventually replaced by androids. While unable to disobey, Commodities could still think, feel, and desire, and as one might expect, many grew to desire freedom, and the ability to chose their own destiny. When the mutational rays of Drion energy changed them just enough to conceive on their own, this hope was realized, and after a blood rebellion the commodities took control of various enclaves and city-states, independent and self-sufficient. Which is what kept them alive when the world turned into a living hell. Commodity DCMs are glass cannons that outpace any other brand, but also have the lightest armor. However, they have advanced evasive programming and can dodge many attacks other mechs cannot.

Atlanteans: No one is quite sure what prompted the return of this reclusive race, hidden miles below the surface. Some say it was a desire for Drion energy, a resource they used but desperately needed more of. Others say that it was revenge for polluting and overfishing the sea, or simply because they thought humanity needed a lesson in who was the dominant life-form. Regardless, the fact is that the new era has seen the emergence of coastal civilization of towering fish-folk, led by a theocratic clergy of unknown faith and fighting to claim the surface for themselves. Atlantean DCMs all move very fast when in water, but are slow on land. However, they are typically large in size and can take a beating. In addition, they are shaped to resemble monstrous beasts, and most have a lethal bit attack that can rip unwary mechs to shreds.

Nosferatu: Emerging from the darkness when humanity is at its most vulnerable, the dreaded horrors of the night have at last revealed themselves once more. After gathering strength in hidden cities below the crust of the earth, those who wear the title of 'vampire' have been waiting to turn the surface-dwellers into nothing but mindless cattle. Unlike the blood-suckers seen in movies, with their slender fangs and the minor blemishes they leave, Nosferatu use their powerful jaws to inject a toxin that robs the brain of higher functions, rendering them weak and helpless as the beast kills them to gorge on their blood and entrails. Nosferatu DCMs are slow and focused on the use of melee weapons, but their ranged mechs will often use fireball-based weaponry to terrorize civilians and burn down villages.
(aka, if you inject someone with vampire venom in adventure mode, and kill them before it wears off, you can butcher and eat them. Might work in fort mode also.)

Mutants: While many humans hid in their bunkers, even more did not. Deformed and reduced by the tribulations of malnourishment, Drionic mutation, and disease, the mutants are shriveled and pitiable creatures, standing slightly smaller than a man and suffering from weaknesses to strength, agility, and toughness, though the harsh world has greatly increased their resilience to disease. In addition to this, mutant kind is very numerous, held back only by the constant warfare it inflicts upon itself. Most other factions see them as little better than raiding fodder, and there is little the mutants can do to prove otherwise. Mutants use primitive, outdated DCMs that will keep the beasts away, but fare poorly in battle against more advanced factions.

Extraterrestrials: Far from the astral darkness came and alien race, during the great collapse of mankind. But they did not bring peace. Stating themselves as the emissaries of an interstellar empire, the Extraterrestrials, as they have come to be called, announced they are here to punish the races of earth for their egregious, unregulated use of the dangerous Drion energy, a power that they claim has the potential to bring about cosmic catastrophe is allowed to flow unhindered. And for this reason, the earth must die. Extraterrestrials have an honor-based warrior society with a deep social divide between rich and poor, noble and commoner. Lowborn are expected to die for the empire at a moment's notice, and for this reason rebellion and unrest is common in alien colonies. Alien DCMs are generally weak, but have unnatural and strange abilities or cunning tactics, like the suicide-bomber Redeemers and the dead-raising Manipulators.

Driophages: Drion energy, as has often been stated here, is one of the most potent evolutionary pressures a species can be put under. For some unknown reason, this enigmatic power greatly increases the speed at which organisms develop, causing them to quickly grow into a freakish, but powerful, entity with an addiction for increasingly powerful doses of Drion rays. So it was a terrible day when eventually, a group of genetically lucky, or perhaps unlucky, humans did not simply die as their manicured genetic code was mangled, but transformed, into the first intelligent Drion mutants. They spread like a plague, taking over the most populated centers, great city-towers that housed thousands, or even millions, during their prime. Even now, the cruel and rapacious Driophages remain, sallying out in great swarms to make war on those they deem as prey. Driophages do not use DCMs are other races do, but use DBMs, or Drionic BioMechs, organic, alive weapons resembling hideous beasts of muscle and bone. DBMs, despite their fearsome appearance, do are not as dangerous as they may seem. Most can be defeated by a DCM mech in a one on one battle. The problem arises from the fact that Driophages tend to breed vast amounts of DBMs, more so than any individual nation can match. The end result is their existence as a sweeping tide of flesh, pouring across the landscape and leaving only devastation in their wake.

[squamous]

reserved

[scourge728]

Interesting

[Zavvnao]

Does breeding factories ever produce more factories? or are the ones we start with the ones we get?

[squamous]

Does breeding factories ever produce more factories? or are the ones we start with the ones we get?

The factories will produce more of their own, yes, but you've only got a flat 20/1000 chance of getting them.

[Zavvnao]

That is not so bad. That is like a two percent chance I think. Or one in fifty. Meaning that I might not get any, or I might get a noticeable amount. It has that dwarfy randomness to it.

[squamous]

That is not so bad. That is like a two percent chance I think. Or one in fifty. Meaning that I might not get any, or I might get a noticeable amount. It has that dwarfy randomness to it.

Yeah, my main concern is to make factories very valuable. Even a single pair can produce 3 to 7 DCMs per year, which does add up for a small settlement. Having them be all over the place would cause players to grow too strong too quickly.

[Death Dragon]

What's oceanstone? How do you get it and what are the properties?

[squamous]

What's oceanstone? How do you get it and what are the properties?

Its used exclusively by Atlanteans, who use it for basically everything. If you aren't Atlantean you can't make it, but you can get it by raiding or trading with Atlantean settlements. It comes in two types; the rough, unrefined version is only as good as iron, but the smoothed and polished version is equal to steel.

[Death Dragon]

Okay, I looked through the raws a little to find out how it's made and I guess if I'm seeing this right then it's made using an ore called either ancientstone or atlantean stone which is possibly found in sedimentary layers?

[squamous]

Okay, I looked through the raws a little to find out how it's made and I guess if I'm seeing this right then it's made using an ore called either ancientstone or atlantean stone which is possibly found in sedimentary layers?

That is correct, but unless you are actually an Atlantean civilization your civ will not know how to refine that stone into its usable state.

[TheRedwolf]

Arise, thread of long past, for rideable mounts are coming with Villans!

[squamous]

soon