Author Topic: 1st & 2nd Generation OmniMechs 2855-3010 from S.gage Golden Century Campaign (Read 24991 times)

wolfcannon · « **Reply #30 on:** 22 June 2020, 23:01:47 »

a query. Hypernova seems......cant seem to describe what i am thinking, would not Quasar, Nebula, Far Star, Lynx or other such names be better? just a query of naming by the Nova Cats.

S.gage · « **Reply #31 on:** 22 June 2020, 23:35:47 »

Sure. I considered “Pulsar” and “Magnetar”. Fanged Badger was another questionable name for me. I almost switched to “Fanged Ratel”, and the Clans do love theme animal species names.

Thank you for your feedback, maybe I will change it.

Do you have any other suggestions?
S.gage

wolfcannon · « **Reply #32 on:** 23 June 2020, 00:13:05 »

so far no. the Omni’s seem well thought out to me

Intermittent_Coherence · « **Reply #33 on:** 23 June 2020, 09:04:17 »

First Generation Omnimechs (2870 and earlier) tended to be conservative with the use of ES and FF.
Coyotl only used ES. Nova, Hellbringer, and Crossbow all entering production in 2870 used neither.
Lupus used both, but it's effectively a 2nd attempt anyway. Woodsman's an outlier for using both in a first attempt by a Clan. Summoner only had FF and it entered production 2872.

Putting both on a first attempt simply loses the flavor of the era for me.

wolfcannon · « **Reply #34 on:** 23 June 2020, 09:44:36 »

If you go back and look at the SL Battlemechs that were produced, Terran designers incorperated ES, FF and XL on several of the Higher End Battlemechs. So for me its just continuation of what was started.

S.gage · « **Reply #35 on:** 23 June 2020, 11:13:46 »

Quote from: Intermittent_Coherence on 23 June 2020, 09:04:17

First Generation Omnimechs (2870 and earlier) tended to be conservative with the use of ES and FF.
Coyotl only used ES. Nova, Hellbringer, and Crossbow all entering production in 2870 used neither.
Lupus used both, but it's effectively a 2nd attempt anyway. Woodsman's an outlier for using both in a first attempt by a Clan. Summoner only had FF and it entered production 2872.

Putting both on a first attempt simply loses the flavor of the era for me.

Yes, there are difficulties in mounting Endo Steel with other space saving technologies (discussed in ED:GC, p. 6). The question was also asked of the writers, with this response.

Before beginning my project, I had been cataloguing all published BattleTech units. My special subcatalogue on OmniMechs includes construction materials. To respond to your question about "losing the flavor", let's look at what is already published. I do not know how to post a section of a spread sheet here, so instead here is a summary (ES, FF, XL, MA, fixed "JJ", or none of these "-")

Coyotl (2854); ES, XL
Lupus (2857); ES, FF
Woodsman (2865); ES, MA
Crossbow (2870); -
Nova (2870); XL, JJ
Summoner (2872); FF, XL, JJ
Battle Cobra (2873); ES, FF
Fire Moth (2874); ES, FF, XL, MA
Kingfisher (2887); ES, FF
Kit Fox (2890); ES, XL

Of these ten, 30% combine of ES and FF, while an addition 10% adds an XL. Looking at Endo Steel or Ferro-Fibrous without considering other construction materials, 70% use ES; half use Ferro-Fibrous.

And to me, nothing screams older OmniMech like a Battle Cobra or Kingfisher. Of course, I will likely revise these designs again when the next source provides more information or retcons the existing.

Thank you for your interest and your thoughts, I really do appreciate them!
S.gage

S.gage · « **Reply #36 on:** 23 June 2020, 12:08:28 »

The Knave is being phased out. Please refer to the Night Chanter from the fascinating Turning Points: Foster!

"Knave"

Mass: 50 tons
Chassis: "KNAVE" Endo Steel
Power Plant: Vlar 300 Fusion Engine
Cruising Speed: 64 km/h
Maximum Speed: 97 km/h
Fixed Jump Jets: 0
Armor: Tamaron FF 5.2 Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
15 tons of Pod Space
Manufacturer: Landen OmniMech Production Complexes
Primary Factory: Tamaron
Communications System: Landen Band 3
Targeting and Tracking System: CI-X1

In 2861 Clan Coyote debuted their sixth OmniMech, the Knave. The Knave is fascinating, in that its design principles could become more common during OmniMech proliferation, except that the Knave was a disappointment. Most Warriors desired heavier weaponry on a 50-ton frame, and therefore the most effective configurations (focusing on energy weapons) were under-utilized, making the Knave underperform. Combined with the unforeseen advent of Clan Hell’s Horses mechanized Battle Armor tactics, OmniMech design shifted either toward more Pod Space (and less specialization) or better performance (and highly specialized configurations). Incidentally, the Knave was not the first moniker for this design. Unfortunately, the original name has been lost, but we do know the story of the newer name.

Capabilities

The Knave followed up on Clan Coyote’s two closest OmniMech chassis, the Coyotl and the Lupus. Massing 50 tons, the Knave featured a respectable 7.5 tons of Ferro-fibrous armor and a maximum running speed 97 kph on favorable terrain and weather conditions. This meant the Knave’s performance was intermediate to its two predecessors.

In terms of role, both of the Coyotl and the Lupus were cutting-edge, proof-of-principle platforms, with mixed payloads boasting flexibility. With a lack of Pod Space, the Knave’s design team made focused standard loadouts based on proven BattleMechs or roles, pushing the Mechwarrior into one tactical mindset based on the mission. The Primary Configuration was a brawler that emulates one of the most venerable of all BattleMechs, the Hunchback. Configuration A was a laser boat, augmented with an advanced targeting computer. Configuration B was a long-range fire-support specialist with paired ER Large Lasers and LRMs (with far too little ammunition to maintain its LRMs). The Archer or the Fox may have been the inspiration for Configuration C, with a mix of LRMs, and rear-facing ER Medium Lasers, capable of deterring a flanking adversary. Configuration D was a direct-fire brawler, and was inspired by the same Star League prototype that gave rise to the Enforcer and Enfield BattleMechs. Configuration E was a dueling ‘Mech, with ER Medium Lasers, Jump Jets, a targeting computer, and nearly enough Heat Sinks to use everything. In a twist, the moulds used on the Left Arm of this configuration would be copied by Clan Hell’s Horses for the Knave’s replacement, the Nova.

Unfortunately for the Knave, without an Extra Light Fusion Engine, it could not manage enough Pod Space to make it indispensable on the battlefield. Additionally, the best Coyote Mechwarriors had already grown accustomed to the flexibility of the Lupus and Coyotl; the mindset of the Knave’s design came too late. Most Knave configurations were also under-gunned by even conventional Clan BattleMechs with similar battlefield roles and loadouts.

Deployment

The Knave suffered from a poor reputation before it even saw combat. The Knave’s most often fielded configuration was reminiscent of the Hunchback, inviting Warriors to compare it with Clan Smoke Jaguar’s Hunchback IIC, a poorly regarded, last-chance BattleMech for Mechwarriors eager to earn honor in their battlefield demise. Production for the Hunchback IIC began in earnest five years before the Knave walked off the assembly lines. While the Knave had staying power compared with the Hunchback IIC, it lacked the insane firepower. Established and renowned MechWarriors rarely gave the Knave a chance. To promote their new creation in spite of the best Coyote Warriors, the Scientist Caste changed the name of the prototypes to appeal more to down-on-their luck, aggressive Mechwarriors. Production numbers for the Knave always remained (understandably) low, with the Coyote Touman fielding no more than 11 per Frontline Galaxy at any time in its history, but fighting under-gunned Knaves became a turmoil for Warriors of other Clans, because the desperate Coyote they faced knew they could be soon demoted away from Alpha, Beta, Gamma, or Delta Galaxy. The saying, “Wild as a Knave”, became more common within the Kerensky cluster than the OmniMech itself.

The death of the Knave came with the introduction of the Nova in 2870. By that time, Clan Smoke Jaguar had made the Hunchback IIC moderately available to other Clans, mostly through isorla. In November a few months after the Nova debuted, the Coyote Council decided to replace all Beta Galaxy Knaves with cheap Hunchback IICs. Dispatching Delta Galaxy to Clan Snow Raven’s Circe Manufacturing Center Alpha, Delta returned with production rights and schematics for the Hunchback IIC. While the Knave’s modest performance could have justified continuing production, the combination of bad reputation and a pair of viable, 50-ton alternatives was too much for most Coyote Mechwarriors. In 2871 as production for the Hunchback IIC began at ~~Ashton ‘Mech Production Complex on Tamaron~~ TBD, the Knave was discontinued across Tamaron at Landen ‘Mech Production Complex:

"Knave" (2861)

BASE