The year is 2075 roughly 40 years after the AI war that nearly ended humanity. The world has recovered, for the most part, civilization rebuilt. Two main groups control the world, with smaller factions squabbling beneath them both. United Empire and Vertex, they control their halves of the world. Vertex rules under a dictatorship, while the United Empire a monarchy. Pressure is being placed on the United Empire as Vertex slowly pushes closer and closer to their territory.

Amongst the forces are HELIX Frames, giant legged war machines originally made by the AI. Both factions control armies of their HELIX Frames, them being their multipurpose destroyers. Controlled by a neural interface planted in pilots with surgery, the mechs move as a human does, naturally and with great agility. Using these machines, armies are able to strike with superhuman abilities that show their strength in battle. To make these machines even feasible, Phalanx drives are used, which were generated by the AI as a new power source. A miniature nuclear fusion plant, able to generate a unique shield called a Phalanx Shield, these drives were used for their military applications.

Vertex is moving ever closer and closer, raising tensions sky high. With the military of the Unified Empire on alert at any time, scouting is done to watch over the nations, one of these groups is called the Snowbirds, a Canadian based HELIX Frame squadron watching over the edge of Alaska, ensuring that Russian based Vertex squadrons do not move in. The leader of the Snowbirds pilots a machine named EYE2, known for frightening lethality. With these rising tensions, he has been tasked with training recruits in order to fight back against Vertex if they so choose to attack.

Please check the Lore Thread for more information on HELIX Frames and the world's history.

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Rules:

1. No mary sues, powergaming, metagaming, or being overpowered from the start, this is a standard rule.
2. Don't be an asshole to other players, please do not take IC actions personally.
3. Posts should be at least one paragraph long, and a realistic amount of detail is ideal, however please do not pressure players by going too into detail.
4. Discuss with the GM if you want an antagonist character.
5. Any questions, concerns, or requests should take place in this thread or the roleplay when it goes live.
6. You can have as many characters as you want, so long you don't burn yourself out.
7. This roleplay is death enabled! You have been warned.

Pilot Sheet Template:

[b]Pilot Sheet[/b]

[b]Name:[/b]

[b]Appearance:[/b]

[b]Personality:[/b]

[b]Backstory:[/b]

[b]Misc Info:[/b]

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HELIX Frame Sheet Template:

[b]HELIX Frame Sheet[/b]

[b]Codename:[/b]

[b]Appearance:[/b]

[b]Class: (Light, Medium, Heavy, etc.)[/b]

[b]Role: (Scout, Long Range, Interceptor, anything you think it fits)[/b]

[b]Equipment: (Weapons, utilities, defense, etc.)[/b]

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NOTE: This is my first time GMing, so please don't be put off by that. I want to get better at roleplaying and being a GM, also the fact it's been half a year since I last roleplayed here.

I'm just going to sub to this.

It's been a fair bit since I've posted anything here, but to get back into it, a mecha RP with shades of Armored Core in it seems like a good place to start.

I'll give some thought to a character and a frame.

@BigPapaBelial thanks for the interest. Armored Core is definitely a big inspiration because it's more gritty than Gundam, and gritty is the world I'm leaning towards.

@Senhara I've always enjoyed Armored Core, it's a spectacular series of games. So this is right up my alley. Looking forward to see if this gets off the ground.

Last Armored Core I played was For Answer I think. Spirit of Motherwill and Great Wall are recalled atleast. Hated Great Wall.

@BigPapaBelial entering Great Wall was easy. Exiting? Yeah good luck. I really like the designs in AC so I use them a lot for mecha roleplays.

It's true the games, the later ones especially had a very gritty, yet at the same time, very refined feel to them. And everything about the NEXT parts to the weaponry all had that very nice and solid Sci-Fi element. All the energy weapons and kinetic weapons made you really think that this is the way technology could go.

The look and visual feel of the NEXT parts also made it feel real.

Translating that to an RP setting might be abit of a trip, but doesn't mean it won't be fun.

Mechs. MECHS! Interested!

Out of curiosity, what is a reasonably sized weapon for a Helix in this world? Would 50mm be considered 'assault rifle' ammunition for a Helix? Or would something larger like 70mm - 120mm? I just wanna get a good vision in my mind for the firepower these things are throwing out.

For reference, this is a 50mm cannon.

60mm cannon

127mm cannon don't let the title fool you.

I mainly just want to know what size weapon would realistically be killing other Helices, would would count as a 'heavy weapon' versus a 'small arm'.

It depends on the size of the machine. Considering that an A-10 has a 30mm autocannon, I would say 60mm would be standard (however I don't know weapons that well). 127 would probably be a heavy weapon, @Whoami.

Actually disregard that. 80-100mm might be standard, with 170 being considered heavy

mechs

Always interested in mechs.

@Senhara So I may have missed it so rather then assume, are we okay with energy weapons? Like Laser cannons and the like? A plasma caster even? I'm just wondering. I read the lore thread but may have missed it.

So I do have questions. Perhaps I should apologize ahead of time. I should also state now that I am not concerned with what the answers to these questions are you n specific. They are just nagging me.

So politics... How fuedal is the UE? They're labeled as a monarchy so they've got the familial succession thing down presumably, but I guess I want to know if they take anything else from what I might associate with an old European style kingdom. Presumably not everything since they have a pretty modern sounding name. Are there Lord's collecting taxes to maintain their familial rights to rule territory? Is there a serf class? Since it is the United empire is the leader a king of Kings? Emperor of Kings?

And then how is the vertex different in it's flavor of autocracy?

So shields. Does kinetic force transfer to the suit or pilot? Like if I pick up a boat and start beating another mech with it will I start damaging internals before I break the shield? Will the pilot feel anything?

Might have more later. Sorry in advance.

@BigPapaBelial, energy weapons are allowed, you will find HELIX Frames with laser weapons.

@Cultural Titan I don't do politics but I would say it's a cross between America and a monarchy, heavy lean ton freedom and stuff like that. As for Vertex, I would liken them to the USSR/China but actually able to self-sustain, standard BBEG stuff, that may change later. As for the shields, there is no kinetic transfer as it surrounds the machine, you'd end up physically breaking away the Phalanx Shield and slap the mech.

Sounds good

I'll be following this

Oooh something mech related, I'll be sure to follow.

I'll keep the IC open for a few days, as it is the holidays and all.

Still interested. Are transforming mechs allowed?

@Gigan Try to stay away from that. I'm trying to hit a mix between hard sci-fi and soft sci-fi