STORY: 2574. More than 300 years since humanity mass-evacuated the empty husk of a planet that was once the Earth to move into the newly-terraformed Andromedian Cluster, a star-belt of minor galaxies dotted with habitable planets. The peace that had reigned humankind for the past few centuries was shattered with the uprising of a well-funded and heavily armed terrorist group led by a disgraced former general of the United Colonial Defense Force. Within 8 months, they drove the U.C.D.F. alongside the few remaining government officials and millions of innocent civilians fleeing for the relative safety of space aboard the Dreadnought-class military ships. 5 years later, Supplies are low and morale is lower. There are barely 100 active soldiers remaining in the corps but we must keep fighting to save our homeworlds from the grip of tyranny and anarchy, or face extinction.
RULES: -No Godmodding, Superman-ing, etc. -GM and any appointed C0-GMs have the final say in the event of player disputes. -Characters must be approved before posting. If you'd like to introduce a 2nd character, ask first. -Let the others know if you'll be away for a while or dropping out, so we're not waiting for posts. -Other usual RPG rules apply, any questions can be PM'd to me -Have Fun!
CHARACTER SHEETS: PILOT NAME: AGE/GENDER/APPEARANCE: (pictures acceptable) MILITARY RANK: CALLSIGN: (Squad name and operator's number. See -SQUADS- section below) CODENAME: (optional nickname) CONFIRMED KILLS: BIOGRAPHY: (Background, Psychological Analysis, and Military Record)
MECH NAME: (Can be a nickname/codename or Chassis Model name) CHASSIS: (Model/Type see -MECH- section below) WEAPONS SYSTEMS: (Ballistics, Energy, Enhanced, or Hybrid) ARMOR PLATING/SHIELD SYSTEMS: (see below) EXTRA SYSTEMS: (Reserve Reactor Battery for longer operation times, Internal suspension for maximizing capacity, Targeting Computer, Radar, Jumpjets/Jet Booster, Pilot Defense Systems, etc. (see below) OTHER DETAILS: (optional)
THE CODEX: (Work In Progress)
Discovered by a Deep-Space Exploratory Mission in 2063. NASA discovered a minimum of 8 Earth-sized planets that could be inhabited with minimal Terraforming operations. In 2070, a crew was sent to begin Terraforming. Today, approximately 35 colonies exist across the 5 galaxies that make up Andromedian.
The military force formed from the combined might of the old Earth's military's, the UCDF is the last line of protection for the colonies. Since the uprising, they have been conducting their operations from the Dreadnought fleet.
The flagships of the UCDF. The Dreadnoughts were originally developed as the Arks back on Earth that carried humanity to the Andromedian Cluster during the Great Departure. They have since been retrofitted and redeveloped as warships. Ranging in size from 15 to 25 kilometers in length, the Dreadnoughts are too large to safely land on a planet's surface. To that end, the UCDF employs 2 other forms of craft to transport personnel, Mechs and supplies to the surfaces of the colonies. The UHF-86 VENTURE-Class Personnel Transport Ships (AKA 'The Shuttles') and the UGT-94 Sub-Orbital Transport Vessel (AKA 'Drop Pods'). Only 7 Dreadnoughts remain in the fleet, listed below. UCD NORMANDY (Chief Executive Officer: Admiral Joseph Cole) UCD OMAHA (Chief Executive Officer: General Adam Rydell) UCD MAJESTY (Chief Executive Officer: Commander Clint Hawe) UCD PATTON (Chief Executive Officer: Admiral Keith McGraw) UCD WASHINGTON (Chief Executive Officer: General John Richards) UCD VALLEY (Chief Executive Officer: Admiral James Thompson) UCD ROYAL (Chief Executive Officer: Commander Lee Huntley)
The next evolution of warfare, Mechs were first developed as a viable warfare device in 2150. The first generation of Mechs were little more than 10ft tall tanks, they were clunky, hard to operate, and could only be outfitted with a single weapon. The second generation, developed in 2190, introduced the concept of legs rather than tank treads as the movement device. Gen 2's were easier to operate, but still severely underpowered when compared to other war machines. The next advance came in 2220 with the development of Arc Reactor Cores, these new sources of power allowed for the creation of larger, heavily armed Mechs. Gen 3 Mech's dominated Earth's battlefields right up until The Great Departure, and some Gen 3 models are still used today. Gen 4 Mechs were developed in the Interior Colonies in 2390. This generation introduced Modular Weaponry, whereby weapons were designed separately from the Mech, allowing for different loadouts depending on the mission. Rumors abound that development has begun on a new class of Mechs, one that promises to change the battlefields forever, alas for now, they are just rumors... CHASSIS There are currently 4 Classes of Mech Chassis to choose from. They are as follows: ULTRA-LIGHT: Also known as Power Armor, the only model of Ultra-Light that exists is the Drone. Standing at simply 7 ft tall when activated, It is equipped with a shoulder mounted laser rifle and a repair tool. It's main purpose on the battlefield is simply to provide field repairs to damaged Mechs. LIGHT: Light Mechs are the smallest and fastest models, they are usually employed as recon or special ops. Light Mechs can be outfitted with more than one main weapon, but they have a low durability and armor rating, making them ultimately combat inefficient. Usual Size ranges from 15 to 20ft. MEDIUM: The workhorse of the UCDF. Medium Mechs have a stable durability, armor and damage output. They are not as fast as Light Mechs or as powerful as Heavy Mechs, but they are the best for managing power output, allowing for longer operation times. The optimal Mech for standard ops. Usual Size ranges between 25 and 30ft. HEAVY: The Hard-Hitter. Heavy Mechs have the highest armor, durability and damage output. However, they are extremely slow and because of their sheer size, have poor energy ratings, they can only operate for shorter than average periods of time before the Reactor needs to recharge.
ARMOR/SHIELDS Mechs utilize different types of metal for their Armor Plating. Light Mechs usually use a thinner alloy like aluminum to keep overall weight down and increase speed, while relying on Energy Shields for defense. Medium and Heavy class Mechs tend to use heavier alloys, or sometimes a mixture of alloys with multiple layers of plating. there are 5 Classes of Energy Shields, each one more efficient than the next at absorbing damage, however, the more efficient a Shield utilized, the bigger power-draw it will be, draining the Reactor faster than normal. To that end, most Heavy Mechs and certain models of Mediums tend to forgo Energy Shields and rely on their Armor Plating for defense. Choose wisely.
EXTRA SYSTEMS Mechs can be outfitted with many different types of additional equipment that can be helful in the heat of battle. The following are some examples of Extra Systems: -RADAR SYSTEM: Comes in 2 Types- A standard personal radar system that sweeps for enemy signatures at the cost of minimal Reactor energy, or a more advanced Deployment System which launches an airborne drone which continually scans for enemy signatures and relays precise information, however, it drains more power than a standard radar.
-TARGETING COMPUTER: An aim-assist and target-locking/tracking program that aids pilots in combat. Replaces standard Pilot Manual Aim Program.
-JUMPJETS/JET BOOSTER: An Ignition system that allows for short burst of acceleration either upward (Jumpjets) or forward (Booster)
-RESERVE BATTERY: An additional source of power for the Reactor that, while effective, is quite spacious, limiting room for other systems or spare ammunition for Ballistic weapons.
-HOLLOW BAY: An additional Storage Bay that adds Weight to the Mech in exchange for greater carrying capacity. Also used to refer to a Mech that has had its innards hollowed out to the bare minimum to lessen weight and create space for additional Ballistic ammo, A Reserve Battery, or Power-Armor.
-PILOT DEFENSE SYSTEMS: There are 3 varieties of PDS: Eject Package, CRASH Suit, and ROVER Pod. The Eject Package is a standard, quick-acting ejection system that launches the Pilot's seat out of the Mech in the case of emergency. Attached to the inside of the Pilot's seat are survival supplies, flares, and spare ammunition for the Pilot's handgun. The CRASH Suit is a dual ejection system/survival suit. The Pilot arms the suit prior to ejection from the Mech and upon landing is able to continue combat in a minimal role. the CRASH suit is equipped with miniature jumpjets, electrically charged gloves and an arm-mounted submachine gun. Effective, but dangerous. The ROVER Pod is an ejection system where the cockpit of the Mech itself ejects, rather than the Pilot. The Pod has an autopilot that is programmed to return it to a Dreadnought, or otherwise programmed in 'home base' and is equipped with life-support, flares, and an optional manual control system. Weapons are sometimes attached to the Pod.
"The Dirty Dozen" is the colloquialism used to refer to the remaining Mech Squads. Once there were nearly 30 teams of Operators, now only 12 remain. The operators utilize a simple Callsign system for communication- Squad name and operator number. The squads are: Alpha Squad Beta Squad Eagle Squad Echo Squad Fox Squad Gamma Squad Hyper Squad Kilo Squad Nova Squad Sierra Squad Trigger Squad Zulu Squad
