Falling Skies: Tigres Team (Sci-Fi, Mecha, Space Odyssey/Opera)

[EnterTheHero]

Hopefully I can participate this time around. I've been looking for some hot mecha action again.

[vietmyke]

@Synthesis players can use 'next-gen' machines with modifications, so they can modify a Fafnir to their liking, but completely player made machines will use the 'old gen' setups.

And while yes, I will be taking control of the example character, in this rp I will be treating Tigres like another NPC and focus most of my actions on setting things up for other players.

The particular reasoning for the difference in next and old gen machines is simply that this RP/idea is some 3+ years old, and the sample designs I've made for 'old gen' machines are old. Some time during the past year I went and got bored and designed the 'next-gen' machines, which are lore-wise only a few months old, and are essentially cutting edge tech.

Also, it's perfectly possible to make a player made machine that completely outperforms next gen machines- all of the designs I've presented are purposefully unoptimized, and the builder gives you plenty of opportunities to make machines equal and superior to next-gen machines.

[Synthesis]

@vietmyke Lore-wise I can see the reasoning, but roleplay wise it just doesn't quite appeal to me, it feels limiting. Instead of designing a machine I would like to play and feel equal, I must use old gen parts and manipulate your stats system for maximum potential. In example, I can't have a medium chassis with four cores, because it's "too new", there in being I would have to saddle my machine with unnecessary 'accessory' parts.

As for joining up, well, I guess I'll think about it.

[vietmyke]

@Synthesis well technically you can have a medium chassis with 4 cores, because that's what they're supposed to have- the 'next gen' medium chassis have 5, but I get your point.

The reality of it is, the RP is balanced around the 'old/current-gen' system and is balanced to give you as much firepower as you'd possibly need for this rp- If for some reason you don't have enough power and weight requirements to put on the weapons/accessories you need/want, chances are you have too many weapons for the chassis you've chosen. It shouldn't feel so much limiting as it should the standard. The next-gen machines give you a little bit more flexibility, but its really only by a factor of 5 power points. If you pop a peek over at the other RP thread you'll see that the players of this RP have even more freedom than the players of the old one- the 7th MAS team players have to deal with reserving power points for operational time.

The next-gen ones are for those that don't want to go through the process of making a machine, but still want to be competitive with player made machines. The vast majority of enemies you will be facing will still be sporting old/current-gen machines, really only enemy aces or elite units will be using next-gen machines, and since this group will be roleplaying as an elite unit themselves, they also have access to next-gen machines.

[Synthesis]

I see, thank you for clarifying (and also my typo). I will likely join up then, I was just a bit confused for the difference.

For all intents and purposes, players will be creating nex-gen machines without calling them nex-gen.

[EnterTheHero]

I'm looking at the mech options right now- can't wait for this to take off!

[FrostedCaramel]

Never mind you answered my question earlier.

[EnterTheHero]

Is there a next-gen Light chassis? And what would the specs on that be?

[vietmyke]

@EnterTheHero the Coalition design philosophy generally falls around bulkier units with mobility enhanced by tesla drives- Fafnirs would be among the most maneuverable units in the Coalition arsenal

[Slamurai]

@vietmykeNoticed this was getting up and running and wanted to run an older character concept by you:

Alice Lau

Name: Lau, Alice
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Nationality: UEE
Callsign/Codename: Swallowtail
Kills: 48

Psychological Analysis: Alice has grown something of an independent streak since falling out with the UEE. She is loathe to appear inferior to other MA pilots, especially those of civilian origin. As a result, she is fickle and haughty, yet her experiences in the UEE have honed her skill in the cockpit and the need for team cohesion is not lost on her. She is more likely to operate semi-independently during operations, though her actions do take the mission parameters into consideration at the given time. Alice is confident in her abilities, and if she feels she is in a position to take advantage of them, she will not hesitate to do so.
The nature of the actions committed by herself and her squad left Alice with a resentment for the UEE military, but has also desensitized her to many wartime sights that would churn stomachs. Morally, there are still lines Alice is reluctant to cross, but for the most part, she has grown to anticipate and even expect the worst of human nature. Morally ambiguous missions that might cause second thoughts for some are met by her with little objection – as far as she is concerned, nothing has been worse than the atrocities she's already committed.

Employment Record: Prior to joining the ranks of C-MAD, Alice served with the UEE's newly-created 106th SOMAC - Special Operations Mobile Armor Corps. She'd been recruited from among the ranks of highly-decorated fighter pilots; her rapid-fire decision-making capabilities and knack for improvisation under pressure landed her a seat in a mobile armor. Her detachment operated along a theoretical border between several fringe UEE and Coalition worlds comparable to the Free-Enterprise Zone. For much of her service history, Alice's unit conducted patrols in the region, scouting for signs of buildup to a Coalition offensive and screening incoming and outgoing traffic in UEE-controlled space.

At a particularly critical junction in the war, Alice's unit was among several dispatched to put down pro-Coalition insurrections on a cluster of neutral colonies close to the border. When they arrived, they did indeed find Coalition-sponsored activity, and fighting between the special forces and guerrilla separatists erupted around the colonies. Despite the colonies' administrations having little to do with the Coalition's network in the region, UEE High Command distinguished little between the colonists and the separatists. When it was clear that the pro-Coalition fighters would not be halted by conventional means, it devised a brutal operation to root out and destroy any possibility of lingering separatist movements.

Alice's unit was unknowingly armed with a deadly chemical agent under the guise of a powerful anesthetic for the purpose of knocking out civilians and making it easier to transport them to safety. In reality, UEE High Command planned to use the gas to wipe out the colony populations – thereby eradicating all traces of separatist activity. The horror that Alice and her unit faced when they witnessed the effects of the chemical agent Alice dispersed by their own hand, no less – shook them to their cores. At the conclusion of the operation, Alice and her unit were awarded with decorations for “defending the integrity of UEE space,” and forced to keep a strict silence regarding the details of their mission.

For the next few months, Alice's unit struggled with wavering loyalty to the UEE and the weight of being used to perpetrate a war crime lingered on its shoulders. Some continued serving, either forgetting or trying to forget; others tried to justify the operation to themselves, while others left the service or defected. Alice had decided to abandon the UEE altogether, along with a handful of others who had become resentful of their former loyalties. Knowing full well they'd be branded as deserters and possibly hunted down, the former soldiers settled in the Free-Enterprise Zone. In time, Alice decided to step back into the cockpit, and came forth to Coalition authorities with sensitive UEE information, along with a request for a seat in C-MAD.

Equipment:
Standard UEE-issue sidearm w/ optional suppressor and LAM/Light module
-Non-standard HWF personal defense carbine with standard electronic sight and rail-mounted flashlight and foregrip. Optional suppressor, grenade launcher and shotgun attachments issued as needed.
-Non-standard tactical tomahawk
-Pilot suit, plus ballistic armor/equipment harness, and pilots' helmet with HUD.
-Mil-spec data pad

[EnterTheHero]

@vietmyke Okay, then. I can work with that.

EDIT: Can we make a modified Fafnir, or do we have to go current-gen for a custom MAS?

[vietmyke]

Yes, you can optimize a Fafnir, trick it out how you like within reason.

[EnterTheHero]

@vietmyke Yay~

[FrostedCaramel]

Practically finished, just working on his Fafnir. Let me know what exactly needs to be edited such as timelines/dates/kills/age.

Fafnir is complete, just awaiting review and things I may need to tweak.

Schulz

Credit

Name: Schulz, Emil
Age: 57
Gender: Male
Callsign/Codename: Gramps
Kills: 107

Psychological Analysis:
Blunt and lacking empathy, Schulz has no trouble telling a person what's going on exactly as it is. No sugar coating, no white lies, only truth. Known around the unit as a "Deadman Walking" due to his thousand-yard-stare and the fact that he seems to be always devoid of any sort of emotion, whether he has locked his emotions away in a safe and thrown the safe out of an airlock or he has simply become attuned to the loss that all MAS pilots experience to the point where it no longer phases him is a fiercely debated topic between the maintenance crews; but you'll never hear them say it around Gramps. For all of his faults, Schulz is an immensely reliable pilot. Unwavering in a fight, he possesses a vast knowledge of Coalition and UEE MAS' and their abilities as well as his seemingly uncanny sense of spatial awareness making him a MAS pilot to be reckoned with.

Military Record:
One of the few Coalition pilots to live long enough to earn the title "Double Ace", Schulz is an exceptionally talented pilot due in no small part to his over three decades of experience fighting. Schulz was born on a Coalition world settled largely in part by people of German descent, which is evident in the slight German accent he sports as well as his use of German in tight situations. Raised on a world that was a large supplier of both industrial output and bodies for the Coalition war machine, Schulz attended one of the many military schools set up in order to prepare children for the horrors of the war being fought far away and to groom them into picture perfect recruits.

After graduating public school, Schulz was selected to attend a military university where he studied everything ranging from wars of old to current strategy and statistics of battle, and the intricacies of orbital mechanics and fighting in space. Graduating with a markedly average placement within his class, Schulz, along with nearly half of the class, were chosen to become MAS pilots for the Coalition and were shipped off the very next day. Again Schulz did nothing to distinguish himself or hint at the caliber of pilot he would later become, with one Pilot Instructor (A Veteran of eight battles) even going so far as to write in his official training record that "...Schulz lacks the common feel for piloting a MAS that many of the recruits seem to have naturally, graduating such a student will surely be signing his death sentence.", however; he did successfully complete Pilot Training and was sent out to augment a MAS Unit that was engaged with an equally sized UEE force for a month straight.

Although the details of the battle are marred in black, crisscrossed in miscommunication and tactical blunders, and hazy even to those that participated in it, Schulz returned from what would be a two month long engagement with seventeen MAS kills and two UEE Cruiser kills. Following the debatably successful campaign, Schulz remained attached to the same unit where he continued to prove himself in battle, becoming a Coalition Ace in just under twenty engagements and was given command of his own Unit shortly after.

After leading his unit through seven successful campaigns, Schulz was assigned to lead a raid on a UEE fortress world. The raid resulted in a victory at the cost of heavy losses within his unit. After the campaign was declared over the Coalition saw it fit to instead of reinforce his now crippled MAS unit they would send the remaining pilots to units that they would best augment with their skills. With the transition, Schulz found himself attached to Task Force Omega and now involved in some of the most daring and rumored engagements of in the current war.

Since joining Task Force Omega at the age of 31, Schulz has managed to garner the respect of both his subordinates and superiors, and after a short stint as a team leader was assigned to Team Tigres during its formation and is now one of it's only remaining original team members.

Equipment:
Standard Issue Pilot Sidearm
Standard Issue Pilot Knife

AAT-101 Fafnir

Designation: AAT-101 Fafnir Type C - Custom
Role: General Purpose Combat
Chassis: Medium
Engine: Five-Core Engine - 25 Power
Description: The Fafnir is a high performance mobile armor suit designed by the Coalition based company Lockheed Martin. Developed to combat the increasingly efficient UEE mobile armor suit designs, the Fafnir series MAS is designed as a replacement for the aging Ferir series of MAS. An excellent, well rounded machine with low development and operational cost, the Fafnir, unlike the more expensive Ferir III is meant to combine combat effectiveness as well as affordability.

Schulz' Fafnir is considered a "Custom model" but only barely. The key point that makes it such is the Smart Target AI that has been added to his MAS and the custom paint job although that is less of a selling point toward it actually being a custom model. Otherwise Schulz prefers to take a rather standard model Fafnir into combat, relying on the tried and true systems that have been keeping pilots alive for years and on his ability to out-do an opponent based on experience rather than who has the shiniest toys, although shiny toys do give an edge.
Systems:
’Svayer’ Point Defense Laser 0 WT 2 PWR - The Fafnir sports a head mounted laser for anti-personnel and point defense needs. It’s a lightly powered laser that does little damage to MAS, but can damage exposed external systems and mess with sensors.
Class 2 Shield. 5 WT 5 PWR - While the old Ferir II forwent shields, due to the technology not existing at the time, the Fafnir takes advantage of new industry standards to mass produce and equip class 2 shields, which when combined with its armor, makes it more resistant to damage than a Ferir II.
Tesla Drive 0 WT 7 PWR. - Like most Coalition designs, the Fafnir utilizes a tesla drive system to allow it to fly while in atmosphere and also maintain high degrees of mobility in and out of zero-g conditions. The Fafnir Tesla Drives are mounted onto its back, reminiscent of traditional boosters, allowing the tesla systems to be mass produced and easily replaced when damaged beyond repair.
External Alloy Plating (Optimized) 5 WT 0 PWR - Sticking to the age old standard of Coalition design philosophy, the Fafnir features a lightweight composite alloy plating over the majority of its body, along with anti-beam coating to lessen the effects of weaker plasma weapons.
Smart-Target AI 5 PWR - By improving the standard MAS AI with a Smart Targeting AI, MAS's can now acquire multiple targets simultaneously, and can now track and target up to 50 targets, including missiles and other MAS's, instead of the standard 20. It has a power draw of 5 PWR.
A70 Type-6 35mm Autocannon 3 WT 2 PWR - A carbine variant of the Type-3 assault autocannon used by the Ferir, the Type-6 is a cut down, lightweight assault weapon that combines light weight and the heavy firepower of a 35mm shell fired from a 180 round internal magazine. The Type-6 fires at a rate of 600 rounds per minute, and has a semi-automatic, three round burst, and fully automatic fire modes. The lighter frame of the weapon increases the weapon's noticeable recoil, and as a result, most pilots fire in single and burst mode.
Composite Alloy Shield 3 WT 0 PWR - Providing the Fafnir with improved defenses is a medium sized slab shield attached to the Fafnir's forearm. Lightweight alloy alongside beam coating provides the Fafnir with extended protection against enemy weapons fire.
Combat Mace 4 WT 0 PWR - A large mace, made entirely of super-dense composite metals. The mace does not rely on any sort of plasma blade enhancements, instead receiving all of its lethal ability from the force of impact.
20WT/21PWR

[Synthesis]

The next-gen ones are for those that don't want to go through the process of making a machine, but still want to be competitive with player made machines.

"...this group will be roleplaying as an elite unit themselves, they also have access to next-gen machines..."

@vietmyke

Yes, you can optimize a Fafnir, trick it out how you like within reason.

@vietmyke

Hm? Wouldn't "Modifying" and "Tricking out" A Fanfir pretty much be going through the process of making a machine, but getting to use the upgraded chassis?

Why can't I have a chassis with the extra Core(s) again? Five power goes a long way in this system, I'm trying to create a mech suited to my tastes but unfortunately the creativity is heavily limited by a system of points.

Actually, scratch all that. I've lost interest in this.

[Slamurai]

@vietmykeJust want to make sure this build checks out. It's pretty much a normal Gladiator at its core, with a few specialized addons and a different primary.

PTX-101 Gladiator SOC

Designation: PTX-101 Gladiator SOC
Role: Special Operations & Assault
Chassis: Medium
Engine: Five-core engine
Description: When Alice deserted the UEE military, she absconded with her Gladiator mobile armor. The Gladiators used by the 106th are a SOC variant of the original design, intended for deployment in situations requiring rapid, direct action and special reconnaissance in hostile environments. The variant retains most of the armaments and systems of the mass-produced model, but is capable of operating for over thirty hours at a time. The Gladiator SOC features a unique sensor suite, granting it enhanced detection and identifying capability. The head mounts an enhanced targeting computer, linking with the weapons and fire control suite of the machine to grant the pilot greater accuracy. A stealth suite allows it to maneuver undetected by most sensors. Because of its additional systems, the SOC cannot shed its external power supply.
New technology allows the Next-Gen Medium MAS units to utilize 5-core engines instead of 4, and allows it to support 5 more weight.
Systems:

• XBR 28mm Multi-role Autocannon. (3 WT 2 PWR). - A machine gun used by UEE forces using the newer 28mm Autocannon round, the XBR is considerably lighter and more accurate than the standard M90, and has a higher rate of fire at 800 rounds per minute, and features a 50 round 'stick' magazine, along with 2 spare magazines on each leg. Advanced recoil mechanisms allow this weapon to be accurately fired with one hand.
  or
• XMR 40 mm Autocannon. (5 WT 3 PWR). The XMR is essentially an enlarged XBR, using a similar internal design. Issued as a designated marksman weapon, it is chambered for a more powerful 40mm round. Its lower rate of fire and ammunition capacity than its XBR counterpart is offset by greater range, accuracy and penetrating power. It is commonly fitted with a 20-round box magazine, although a 50 round drum is optional for sustained fire and support roles. Its rate of fire on automatic is 330 rounds per minute. Its maximum effective range is 12,500 meters, nearly 7.8 miles, and it has a muzzle velocity of 1,021 meters per second.
  

  ---

• S25 AutoMagnum. (1 WT 1 PWR). A backup sidearm in use by the UEE, the S25 fires a 25mm armor piercing autocannon round from a 25 round magazine. The S25 is semiautomatic and is typically used as an emergency weapon.
• Head Mounted .50 Caliber Machine Gun. (1 WT 1 PWR). A pair .50 caliber machine guns mounted on the Gladiator's head, this light weapon provides the Gladiator with anti personnel and small missile defense. It has a linked 400 round magazine.
• Energy Saber. (1 WT 5 PWR) The Gladiator utilizes a high powered energy saber stored in its shoulder. The blade length can be adjusted, but due to the saber using its own power capacitors, the operational limit of the blade is 3 hours.
• Composite-Alloy Shield. (3WT). A medium sized alloy shield with multiple layers of anti-beam coating sandwiched between multiple layers of powerful alloy, this new shield design allows a the Gladiator to withstand multiple hits from plasma weapons.
• Class 3 Shield Generator. (5 WT 7 PWR). With a higher level shield generator than the standard Sentry, the Gladiator improves its overall staying power with a powerful shield unit.
• Boosters (3 WT 5 PWR). Using advanced booster units situated on its back and feet, as well as behind its shoulders, the Gladiator has considerably more maneuverability than most Mass produced medium MAS's, and can reach and sustain high speeds as well as flight. This enhanced mobility allows the Gladiator to rival the Ferir Mk III in regards to maneuverability.
• Countermeasure System: - Countermeasure systems are often used by lighter MAS's to avoid missiles instead of using body mounted machine guns to intercept them. Using chaff and flares, countermeasure systems are negligible in terms of weight and power, but only has 3 chaff uses, and 6 sets of flares before needing to rearm.
• External Power Cores (5 WT +10 PWR). Coming in the form of a pair of large battery packs attached to the sides of the Gladiator, these Power Cores are designed to be quickly removed, and are often either utilized to extend the Gladiator's operating time to an astounding 32 hours, or to allow it to equip more powerful Class B plasma weapons. The SOC variant requires the additional cores to power its radar and stealth suites.
• Enhanced Radar Suite (Internal): Effectively doubles the MAS's radar range, Enhanced Radar Suites, as most extra systems, come in two variants, internal and external suites. An internal suite is built into the the MAS during creation, and therefore has no weight, but draws 5 PWR from the MAS energy system.
• Upgraded Targeting Suite (External): - Increasing the effective range and accuracy of the MAS's weapon system, Upgraded Targeting Suites has a Smart AI that quickly determines range as well as any other environmental factors faster than MAs's the onboard computer, and projects the predicted weapon path on the user's HUD. Installed after the creation of the MAS, the external suite has 1 WT, and draws 3 PWR, but can be very easily damaged by small arms fire.
• Stealth Drive: Stealth Drives allow a MAS to remain hidden from most scanning and targeting modules, and removes most of the MAS's emissions at the cost of a small amount of maximum thrust. It does not however protect the MAS from visual recognition. Stealth Drives draw 5 PWR.

[vietmyke]

@Aristo the issue isn't with the machine itself, it's just how she has it- and how it's stayed in such good quality after a stint in the FEZ. How long has Alice been a deserter? Because the Gladiators have only been in production for a few months. You can also just imagine how uneasy some Coalition might be fighting alongside a UEE spec ops machine, though I imagine that was sort of the point, wasn't it?

[Slamurai]

@AristoYou can also just imagine how uneasy some Coalition might be fighting alongside a UEE spec ops machine, though I imagine that was sort of the point, wasn't it?

@vietmyke

Pretty much; I wanted to play her as the wildcard nobody wants to trust but needs to, in order to get things done. She'd have to prove herself to the others, and overcoming the guilt of the gassing mission and her hatred of the UEE Command would be a significant part of her development.

As for the machine, I haven't really put a finger on how recently she'd gone rogue. My sheet says it's been a few months, but that can be shortened as needed. I think making her defection more immediate in the timeline would be a better way to introduce her - a sudden uneasy element on the team. Conflict makes a story, after all! Her machine certainly may have some wear from past action. Would it be too unfeasible to have her defect after the first few months of production? She'd need to plan her defection for some time, maybe a month or two following the gas incident. Then, right before the RP's start, it'd take time for her to present herself to Coalition authorities and go through their screening processes and receive her assignment.

[vietmyke]

@Aristo I am indeed a fan of the wildcard idea. However being too recently a new contender would give some pause- no one would allow her to fly with them on such sensitive missions- such as kidnapping a member of the Royal Family.

Of course, she could be the one that presented them with the information a several weeks prior, and they begrudgingly allow her to go with them.

As far as obtaining a Gladiator... It could be a unit that the Coalition black ops captured- and finished analyzing, and therefore no longer need.

[Slamurai]

@vietmykeMakes sense to me; nobody would let her on without some kind of bargaining chip, and the information concerning these missions just might giver her the needed leverage.

That also works; I assume most machines operate the same basic way, with some deviations, but she'd probably feel more comfortable operating one she was familiar with, forgoing the Coalition mobile armor crash course.