Remember to check the core thread for the combat report after reading your revisions but before reading the little bit at the end that sums up your situation!
Proposal: Heat Sink BankDifficulty: TrivialResult: (2+1)+4=7,
AverageSometimes the best fix is the simplest one. Sometimes it's best to make "good enough". Other times you mash the two together for the simplest "good enough" fix you can find. The Okinasu Empire flexed some ties to the long-lived DuPont industrial chemical company (thanks to favors owed through successful lobbying efforts by DuPont within the empire) and have lifted restrictions on use of freon within empire space in exchange for vast stockpiles of said freon, which there was a lot of - it turns out a chemical that can burn a hole in the atmosphere isn't too popular in a civilization spread across the stars.
Swapping out the coolant for this very cheap alternative was almost a nonissue, so additional work went into replacing the aluminum fins with more efficient fins constructed of graphite. There are
more fins now, too. As a result of the modification, the
Heat Sink Bank is definitely an improvement on the previous iteration. It isn't
groundbreaking and it isn't going to shake anything up, but it's definitely better. And it's still
Cheap!
Proposal: ONI-1TODifficulty: HardResult: (1+1)-1=1,
Utter FailurePeople often associate the Empire with fine arts, exemplary craftsmanship, and limitless ingenuity. Some of these people may decide to declare the
ONI-1TO the project that proved this idea false. Others may claim it proves it true to the furthest extreme.
The cockpit of the
ONI-1TO is decked out in dimly glowing colored lights that help create an air of relaxed ambiance in conjunction with the white noise generator mimicking the sounds of a babbling brook. The pilot's seat is made of the finest dark crushed leather over a soft but supportive memory foam. Every button, switch, and lever in the cockpit is modified with RGB lights, and the rail for the catapult system even changes from green to red as the seat catapults past! The floor is also covered in a tasteful carpet bearing an image of the Imperial flag.
The
Oni's Bark was also installed in the vacant torso slot, and also includes a ring of neon green lights around the base of the weapon. In fact, tasteful strings of neon lights decorate the entirety of the outside of the
ONI-1TO! Especially bright red ones ringing each of the four
Subpar Heat Sink Banks on the back of the mech and the one on the front!
The "only" issue is some faulty wiring in each of the mechs. When the
Oni's Bark is fired it often shorts out a large number of the extremely numerous lights which tend to all come on at once and, somehow, overwhelm the system just enough to cause a "stutter" in any input from the pilot's controls at the moment power flickers. This surely couldn't be an issue in the middle of a battlefield.
As it fully equips the
ONI, the
ONI-1TO entirely replaces it. Thanks to the amount of accessorizing they are also
Expensive.
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As you worked on developments in the sphere of mech warfare, the IDF did not sit idly by. They worked on the following projects: (note: you get no experience for their equipment and cannot requisition it from them - these exist to simulate an evolving battlefield outside of your own direct involvement)
IDF Design: Type 35 "Toigurenedo" 255mm Self-Propelled ArtilleryDifficulty: NormalResult: 6+2=8,
AverageThe
Toigurenedo is a tracked artillery piece built on the chassis of the modern Imperial main battle tank. It does not have much in the way of armor and top speed is lower than average, but where the vehicle falls flat the gun shines. The large shells can be fired out to ranges beyond 50km at a rate of 15 rounds per minute. 150 shells are stored in the large autoloader compartment positioned behind the gun hanging past the rear of the tank chassis, and when that runs dry the weapon can be hand-fed through a breech inside the vehicle. The
Toigurenedo can be rapidly reloaded by a utility vehicle equipped with a crane. Rounds are standard High Explosive.
IDF Revision: "Nokku" 255mm Multipenetrator Airburst ShellDifficulty: HardResult: (5+2)-1=6,
AverageWith the threat of mechs, heavy armor, and fortified positions, the IDF has opted to develop the
Nokku. Designed to be fired by the
Type 35, the
Nokku replaces the high explosive warhead with one packed with a dozen sharpened tungsten carbide rods. A charge inside the shell detonates during flight after it begins returning to the ground, breaking the shell apart and propelling the rods in a shotgun-like blast. The shell is more blunted than is typical, impacting range and accuracy somewhat, but is capable of dealing devastating damage as the oversized nails puncture man and machine both.
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This war is rapidly turning against the Empire, so drastic measures are to be taken. While initially planned to be unveiled further down the road, the need for a leg up on our opponents has pushed our timeline forward.
Now that we have been forced to make a couple standard bipedal mechs, the restrictions on limbs have been lifted. The only current restrictions that actually still stand are the need for at least one meat-man in the machine and the inability to fly.We will also be receiving a
Mech Credit to take advantage of this...advantage before the Republic can.
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
"Akita" 12.5mm Machine Gun: A 12.5mm machine gun that fires 300 rounds a minute. Effective against infantry and light armor. Cheap
"Type 25" 40mm Precision Cannon: An automatic 40mm cannon firing sabot rounds at 180 RPM. Provides anti-armor capability at close and medium ranges. Produces some heat. Cheap
Medium Weapons
"Oni's Bark" Type 77 120mm Cannon: A weapon that fires a pair of 120mm rounds in quick succession: a leading armor penetrating round and then a high explosive shaped warhead. Recoil is somewhat strong and heat generation is high, but otherwise it is an effective fighting weapon. Can fire every eight seconds. Expensive
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
WOO MK1 Fusion engine “Donutstacker”: A fusion engine designed by the Okinasu Empire. The decompression chambers sandwiching the reactor core do little more than provide a small power bump. Definitely does not divert entire fusion explosions out of exhaust pipes. Cheap
-WOO Mk1 "Donutstacker-Wasabi": A Donutstacker that uses the decompression chambers as secondary reactors instead, providing a small increase in power generation. Now with a protective armor casing! 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
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. Fairly effective thanks to the use of DuPont Freon and better fin materials. Cheap
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
RockSkin Armour: Multilayered armor consisting of steel plate, metal-impregnated foam, a honeycombed layer of ceramic plates, and a final honeycombed layer of aerogel. It currently fails violently. Incomplete
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 "Akita" 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
-HTM-1TO "Hitman": A variant of the Hitman that replaces the lasers with Type 25s and the WO.Mk4 with a MK1 Donutstacker. It is slightly faster than the base Hitman and comes with a jet-assisted ejection seat. Cheap
ONI-1TO: A 50-ton mech with a bulky triangular body wider at the shoulders and tapering in toward the waist. A Small Weapon Mount at each shoulder houses a Type 25 and a Medium Weapon Mount is installed centrally in the torso with an "Oni's Bark" Type 77 120mm Cannon. The rudimentary L-shaped arms end in conical fists and act as tertiary weapons. The Oni can launch powerful strikes using the tip of the conefists and immense force to punch through thick armor. The arms can pivot somewhat in their shoulder joints to provide a better range of attack. Another triangular shape makes up the head and cockpit and is equipped with a pair of powerful spotlights resembling eyes. Comes with a catapult-assisted ejection system. Armor is very thick for mechs of an equivalent weight class, and angling across its entire body aid in reducing effective incoming fire fairly well. Thanks to the WOO Mk1 "Donutstacker-Wasabi" powering the mech it can still hit speeds greater than the Hitman. Five Subpar Heat Sinks provide a fair bit of cooling. The cockpit is impeccably decorated with every comfort provided to the pilot. Neat neon lights line the outside of the mech and border the Oni's Bark and the heat sinks. Expensive
Type 35 "Toigurenedo" 255mm Self-Propelled Artillery: A tracked artillery piece built on the chassis of the modern Imperial main battle tank. It does not have much in the way of armor and top speed is lower than average. The large shells can be fired out to ranges beyond 50km at a rate of 15 rounds per minute. 150 shells are stored in the large autoloader compartment positioned behind the gun hanging past the rear of the tank chassis, and when that runs dry the weapon can be hand-fed through a breech inside the vehicle. Can be rapidly reloaded by a utility vehicle equipped with a crane. Rounds are standard High Explosive.
-"Nokku" 255mm Multipenetrator Airburst Shell: Replaces the high explosive warhead with one packed with a dozen sharpened tungsten carbide rods. A charge inside the shell detonates during flight after it begins returning to the ground, breaking the shell apart and propelling the rods in a shotgun-like blast. The shell is more blunted than is typical, impacting range and accuracy somewhat, but is capable of dealing devastating damage.