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Proposal: WR.Tulpenbloei Small LaserDifficulty: Very EasyResult: (5+1)+2=8,
AverageLasers aren't necessarily cutting-edge technology on account of not needing an edge to cut, and also being in production for various military assets for ages. The
Tulpenbloei draws more power than the basic small laser. This greater power is also focused into a smaller beam, which has aided in extending the effective range of the beam's ability to hit its target as well as a bump to the damage it causes when it does so.
The
Tulpenbloei are relatively fearsome small lasers, but they tend to generate heat at a rate you'd more expect from a larger sized energy weapon.
If the heat issue can be mitigated, the
WR.Tulpenbloei Small Laser could prove to be quite the effective small energy weapon. There isn't a lot of complicated work going on inside these things, so parts and maintenance cost about the same as it would for a
Small Laser, making the
WR.Tulpenbloei Small Laser Cheap.
Proposal: Dijkstijl Composite ArmourDifficulty: Very HardResult: (6+6)-2=10,
SuperiorWhen you want to make a mech harder to kill, there are few easier solutions than better armor.
Dijkstijl is a composite armor with four layers of material that should in fact make Republic Mechs harder to kill. The outermost layer is a ceramic scale that does not hold up too well against physical strikes, but is not compromised by them easily (thanks to the scaling) and does a lot of work to diffuse and mitigate the impact of directed energy weapons. Beyond this ceramic skin is sandwich of two steel plates with an intermediary layer of rapidly-expanding Ceramo-Resin. When the steel layer is penetrated the resin rapidly expands to fill the hole near-violently, but cools and hardens very quickly afterward. This expansion of resin is enough to reduce the impact of high explosive weaponry, and the released resin severely aids in keeping the interior if the mech uncompromised in undesirable or dangerous environments. The dried resin is brittle, so physical impacts will find it easier to break through than the armor before it, but the heat from energy weapons is absorbed and damage reduced to a great degree.
Dijkstijl Composite Armour is considered
Cheap.
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IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE! You have two normal designs as well as one Mech Credit design.
Small Weapons
Small Lasers: Low-power energy weapons that draw from a mech's power source. Low power draw, but low range and low damage as a result. Cheap
-WR.Tulpenbloei Small Laser: A small laser that draws more power to increase range and damage at the cost of additional heat generation. Cheap
"Pinscher" 12.5mm Machine Gun: A 12.5mm machine gun that fires 300 rounds a minute. Effective against infantry and light armor. Cheap
Components
WO.Mk4 Fusion Engine: A fusion engine designed by the Weitraum Republic and Okinasu Empire. Functional, but can catastrophically explode if it takes a significant blow. Efficacy of this engine drops precipitously as mass and energy weapons are added to a chassis. Cheap
WR.Kaarsvlam Fusion Engine: A fusion engine designed solely by the Weitraum Republic. It has extra armoring and provides more power to the mech than previous generations of fusion engine. A Near Ignition Tritium Reagent One Use Substance fuel injector lets the pilot add extra oomph to the mech without drawbacks so long as they control themselves. Should have no problems with powering light mechs and is theoretically capable of handling heavier mechs.Cheap
Jump Jets: Jet boosters that allow a mech to subject itself to a loosely controlled launch in a parabolic arc and subsequent loosely controlled landing. A larger number of jump jets are needed for higher mass chassis. Cheap
Subpar Heat Sink Bank: A collection of heat sinks meant to release excess thermal energy produced by a mech in order to keep the meat inside from cooking beyond medium. Slightly more effective than putting a fan in the cockpit. Cheap
"Hitteontruimingslichtwerper" Infrared Emitting Heat Lamps: Large lamps mounted on the outside of a mech that convert internal heat into external IR light. H-Lamps are more efficient at higher temperatures than a typical heat sink bank. Expensive
Standard Steel Armor: A basic, cheap form of protection. Can stop small arms and lighter vehicle-based weaponry, and can resist smaller mech-sized weapons with some regularity. Cheap
"Dijkstijl" Composite Armor: Mutlilayered armor with a scaled ceramic outer layer followed by a Ceramo-Resin sandwiched between steel plates. The resin rapidly expands and hardens with the heat and pressure that often accompanies armor-penetrating munitions and energy weapons. The hardened resin is fragile but makes up for it with a higher resistance to energy weapons. Cheap
HTM-1 "Hitman": A 30 ton bipedal mech with a cubed torso and a fixed domed head holding the cockpit. The torso can rotate up to 90 degrees in either direction. The HTM-1 has a Small Mount in the center of the torso housing an "Pinscher" 12.5mm Machine Gun with its ammo and a Small Mount on each side of the torso for a pair of Small Lasers. The side mounts have limited horizontal traversal but can be adjusted vertically +/-60 degrees. The torso mount has a greater freedom of movement, allowing it to fire on close targets much smaller than itself. The HTM-1 utilizes a WO.Mk4 Fusion Engine to provide power throughout. Jump Jets in the upper legs provide some ability to get airborne and control descents. The HTM-1 runs fairly hot during prolonged combat tests due to an inefficient pair of Subpar Heat Sink Banks in the torso flanking the "spine". The HTM-1 uses Standard Steel Armor for protection against smaller weaponry and some defense against an equivalent mech. Cheap