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[evictedSaint]

And Thus Concludes Iron Behemoths.

I hope you enjoyed playing along and that the ending I've given does the story justice.
I'll be the first to admit I could have done a better job with this game, mostly through how the setting was built and how expenses were calculated.
I'm not going to sit here and list out everything I did wrong, but suffice to say that it was quite a learning experience.
I'd originally had a much more grand game in mind, but I think the ending is suitable for how it turned out.
I hope that you enjoyed it, and that you'll remember this game fondly.
GG everybody, thanks for playing.

p.s. No, I have no plans to do a Tunnel Wars game.  That setting is up for grabs, if anyone wants it.

[Man of Paper]

Didn't even need my plan to make things interesting, all those low numbers did it themselves! I'll post the Charon design when I get off work so youse guys can see the differences between two designs, and so anyone who takes up the Tunnel Wars mantle knows exactly what's being fielded in that regard.

[Kashyyk]

Feckin looters! The one time I could have used anything but a 1... Nogrania may have still stood, untouched by nuclear fire.

[Man of Paper]

Here's the final design for the Charon so youse guys know the full extent of it's awesome power. I had a slow ten hour shift at work to work on it, if that isn't obvious upon reading.

Spoiler: Design: Mk. II "Charon" Bipedal Tank (click to show/hide)

Nogrania experienced a few hiccups during development of some military systems thanks to a lack of funding, and Charon is why. Dr. Mann O'Papper had been siphoning resources from the R&D Department to fund the building of a facility beneath Nogrania's capital designed specifically to construct and test their first bipedal tank, as well as the first designed to be crewed by a single person.

The pilot controls Charon from the cockpit using a pair of control sticks and pedals. The control sticks maneuver the left and right arms, and also house a number of triggers responsible for firing multiple weapons systems. Each arm ends in two Eagle NACs set to fire alternately with each trigger pull (index finger), fed by helical ammo feeders in the arms. The right stick has a thumb trigger used for firing the Bartender 19 mounted on the right shoulder while a thumb trigger on the left stick fires the 4" Duke on the left shoulder fed by an autoloader and outfitted with HESH rounds. Reinforced external cameras connected to monitors within the cockpit aid the pilot in aiming the weapons by providing the ability to "aim down sights". Twisting both the control sticks left or right rotate the torso of the Charon in the corresponding direction in a 270 degree arc.

The pedals the pilot is strapped into control each leg. They rotate backwards or forwards in a circular motion similar to a bicycle pedal, however these pedals can be rotated independently. The pedals can also twist left or right (though not independently) to rotate the whole walker in the appropriate direction. Also of note, if both pedals are at their highest or lowest positions Charon will stand at full height with legs extended (useful for peeking over cover or intimidating predators) or crouched (for entering/exiting the rear hatch, or making a smaller target) respectively.

There are three buttons on the control panel significant enough to be mentioned. The first is large and white which, when pressed, seals the Charon external ventilation and activates a system of air scrubbers and basic life support, providing the pilot with up to 48 hours of air before the tanks run dry. While the life support system is off an air compression system refills the air tanks.
The second button is striped black and yellow square that is pressed to purge the engine compartment when the air inside gets too hot. A blast of compressed air fires through the compartment and out otherwise closed vents directed skyward out the back.
The final button of importance is a small black rubber-covered circle that turns on the microphone in the cockpit that transmits the pilot's voice outside through a set of speakers. Those outside need to communicate through hand signals or other visual means unless they have access to an Opera House or other compatible radio system, in which case their voice comes through speakers set up above and behind the pilot's head.

The Charon is also equipped with a Geiger counter with a gauge on the pilot's control panel.

Charon is clad completely in Heavy Armor, with plates of Medium Aluminum Armor mounted on struts spacing them a few inches from the armor over the ammo stores. The feet of Charon are made extra-wide to distribute the machine's weight more effectively than the weight-to-foot size ratio that our previous designs provide.

And my plan, for shits and gigs. Note that there is no actual animosity, I just wanted to make sure eS had some good stuff to write.

Spoiler: The Path of the Warrior (click to show/hide)

Dr. Mann O'Papper, feeling slighted after the council of engineers shot down multiple proposals, already had a chip on his shoulder when his fellows called for a ceasefire while the threat of nuclear annihilation loomed. His initial plan was to provide his fellow engineers with their own Charon Bipedal Tanks, but that changed after they called for the ceasefire, especially so when they mentioned plans to shoot those engineers who would not abide by said ceasefire. He instead provides them with Mk. I Sentinels, the early prototype of the Charon with many, many faults [Note: The Sentinel will be in the decoy post and will simply be a Charon with less armor, weaponry, and details so you can get plenty of freedom working with it]. O'Papper mans his personal black and gold Charon and visits commanders along the front lines on both sides (attaching a black flag of parley on his Charon when he confronted Toskeshi soldiers) in an attempt to persuade them to march with him onto both capital cities. His speeches and conversations hit the following points:

1) The leadership of both nations has abandoned them in their times of need. The engineers now in charge want both forces to stand down until the threat of death by nuke is passed. He offers a more permanent peace, unifying the militaries of both nations as one Military State led by generals from both sides. (Mann just wants to build weapons)

2) The Nogranian engineers are inviting soldiers into their bunkers as little more than a glorified personal guard. Mann offers them freedom and honor. (And knows this is a good opportunity to get willing soldiers inside his "fellow's" bunkers)

3) The Nogranian engineers are also threatening to kill those who will not maintain the ceasefire, regardless of side. They see themselves as the law. Chances are, since they're now in bed together, the Toskeshi engineers have similar ideas. They see themselves as the law of the land now. They see themselves as the nation. If the militaries of Nogrania and Toskesh fight for Mann's cause then they will be the nation.

Dr. O'Papper also tries to appeal to the navies of both nations, with the added request that any ships who join him allow any ships fleeing either capital to pass by unharmed.

If he recruits anyone, Dr. Mann O'Papper gives out however many Charons his facility had constructed to the most capable mech...warriors. This should hopefully be at least equal to the amount of engineers that were going to originally get Charons.

[Sensei]

Hey, at least I got to be on an airship.

[Urist Mc Dwarf]

Now I want to do an arms race game set in tunnels...

[Man of Paper]

I've been working on an AR of my own, but I see potential for a series of games here.

Namely an AR set above ground could be run alongside or close to a tunnel war ar, which then conclude in an AR of overworld vs underworld. There's two factions set up for each, and they all have their own unique flavor. All four factions seem to have tossed aside old national identity in some way which would allow for some good fluffiness to further individualize the sides.

The more I think about it the more I want to run one of them.