Quikscell's Do-It-Yourself kits

[Colt Ward]

One of, for me, the interesting bits going back to at least the Clan invasion era and I think earlier was that Quikscell offers their products as DIY kits.  I think the blurb I remember was a recommendation to buy the kits rather than their finished product- just one more case of indicting their quality control efforts.

But what vehicles did they make as DIY kits?

Ones I seem to remember specifically mentioned
Hetzers (just AC/20?  or the other models?)
Condors (old 3025 standard, not Davion/Liao)

But they also made a LOT of the vehicles, particularly the more generic types so-
SRM Carrier
LRM Carrier
AC/2 Carrier
Vedette
Scorpion
APC & Heavy APCs

For RP purposes, do you like the idea of buying the kit and assembling the vehicle yourself- to make sure it is put together right?

I always felt merc/RPG opportunity was missed by them not putting out a kit of converting their old designs to FF armor, swap AC types, or now even FCE conversions.

[Daryk]

Only if the price is right... 

[idea weenie]

Quikcell would still find a way to screw it up.  Accidentally label several of the LRM launchers as belonging to the SRM Carrier, get the part numbers swapped for the Pike and the Demolisher so they have each other's autocannons, or just never label the SRM ammo container as fragile/explosive so your cook crew has been using that container to support the BBQ grill.

Overall, as long as you order enough of their products you are statistically likely to get the vehicles you ordered.  The fun part is tracking down all the necessary pieces in the process, requiring more admin skills than technical skills.


For RPG-wise, it would mean you need more of a technical staff on-hand as you are having to assemble the vehicles, rather than receiving them (mostly) put together.  On the bright side, the usual assembly defects don't show up since it is your personnel putting the equipment together.  Your tech teams can even make sure that the units with bad equipment are fully demanded a refund for, while swapping the parts around to make as many vehicles as possible.  I.e. you order twelve Scorpions as pieces, and 9 of them have separate flaws that would make the unusable.  So you file a claim to QuikCell for discounts/replacements for all nine of those Scorpions, while your techs are swapping parts around so you have eleven Scorpions that work and one Scorpion that has nearly everything wrong with it.

Still, hope your tech teams have the correct instruction guides as it would be a shame if they were using the guide for the Scorpion-1S and and you received the parts for the Scorpion-I5

[Nav_Alpha]

Ahhh, tanks made by IKEA...

“Sarge, we’ve got all these extra pieces after we finished putting it together. And I’m pretty sure a Hetzer isn’t supposed to have a turret...?”

“It damn sure isn’t supposed to be a hovercraft either, private - but they sent us three hover fans and no road wheels, so we’ll make of it what we can!”

[Daryk]

*snip*
Overall, as long as you order enough of their products you are statistically likely to get the vehicles you ordered.  The fun part is tracking down all the necessary pieces in the process, requiring more admin skills than technical skills.

For RPG-wise, it would mean you need more of a technical staff on-hand as you are having to assemble the vehicles, rather than receiving them (mostly) put together.

Sadly, Quikscell knows the secret: people are more expensive than tech! 

[Maingunnery]

DIY Carrier kits are likely shipped without weapons, very DIY.

[Colt Ward]

DIY Carrier kits are likely shipped without weapons, very DIY.

While you might be joking, it probably is the case- a w/ weapons and w/o weapons version.

[Kovax]

While you might be joking, it probably is the case- a w/ weapons and w/o weapons version.

....clearly noted in the ultra-fine print on the bottom of the shipping crate, just in case you didn't see it.  Too bad you bought it "as is"......it says so on the back of that sales invoice your agent signed.

Several angry customers have made attacks on the Quikcell corporate HQ building over the years.  Fortunately, they were using weapons purchased from Quikcell, so no damage was done.

[Dayton3]

I was shocked that there are several advanced technology variants of the Hetzer floating around.   Including with fusion engines,  advanced weapons,  and new technology armor.

To me that's kind of like the cartoon that showed a homeless guy under a bridge holding up a sign that said

"Will work for food.   For more about my plight check out my website at www.bumunderthebridge.com

[Colt Ward]

I was shocked that there are several advanced technology variants of the Hetzer floating around.   Including with fusion engines,  advanced weapons,  and new technology armor.

To me that's kind of like the cartoon that showed a homeless guy under a bridge holding up a sign that said

"Will work for food.   For more about my plight check out my website at www.bumunderthebridge.com

See I always mentally fluff that sort of thing as a after market mod that got back to the manufacturer who made a official update- or in Quikscell's case a upgrade kit.  Brannigan's Brigands has a company of medium mechs that are lower on the tech rating- so not cutting edge- but good enough . . . and unable to buy heavy mechs or having salvaged any.  They buy a lance of used Hetzers for the ability to knock down heavy mechs, and after patching bullet holes and washing the blood, decide they need a bit more Oomph.  Since they CAN get FF armor, they replace the Hetzer's armor so they last longer . . . and they were able to locate some LBX BFGs.  One went in their Hunchback but two (future spares?) went into Hetzers.  Now Brannigan's Brigands has a lance of can-openers to back up their mech company of Griffin 1N & 3M, Centurion 10-B, Hunchback 4G (LBX), Wolverines, Watchman, Enforcer 5D, and other older designs.  Quikscell hears about a couple Hetzers with LB-20X in the Chaos March giving a medium mech company some teeth, decides to take that idea and run with it . . . thus the Hetzer (LBX).

Honestly just like IRL, some companies' products will be accomodating to after market modification & upgrades . . . others will design a tight package (planned obsolescence) that requires you to buy a brand new system up get performance improvements.  Quikscell does not seem the type of company that would create 'tight' designs.

[PuppyLikesLaserPointers]

I remember that Quickscell have many delivery issues, so it is no wonder that the package has wrong weapon/parts.

By the way, is there any Drone Control parts in their DIY kits? It seems that only the sucidial soldiers will attempt to run such vehicles, especially for Carriers.

[Dayton3]

I remember that Quickscell have many delivery issues, so it is no wonder that the package has wrong weapon/parts.

By the way, is there any Drone Control parts in their DIY kits? It seems that only the sucidial soldiers will attempt to run such vehicles, especially for Carriers.

Don't be so sure.    As Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) troops said about using the aluminum hulled M113 APCs

"It's still better than walking"

[Daryk]

This thread is a continuing source of hilarity! 

[Maingunnery]

This thread is a continuing source of hilarity! 

In case the supply officer forgot to reserve the weapons for the w/o weapons version, it should be possible to use it as a Personnel Carrier, of course the crew will tilt the infantry compartment for laughs now and then.

[glitterboy2098]

Quilscell isn't the only company to do this though. Nav Hull ships their Monitor as a kit for application to existing ship hulls. (which sometimes makes me wonder why there was never a Hydrofoil version put into canon, since it seems likely that at least some world would use a hydrofoil hull as the base)

[Daryk]

In case the supply officer forgot to reserve the weapons for the w/o weapons version, it should be possible to use it as a Personnel Carrier, of course the crew will tilt the infantry compartment for laughs now and then.

Laughs indeed! 

[Nav_Alpha]

Don't be so sure.    As Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) troops said about using the aluminum hulled M113 APCs

"It's still better than walking"

As a former cavalry scout, I can assure you - a third class ride beats the hell out of a first class walk any day

[PuppyLikesLaserPointers]

...I understand why we need to become the pacifist.

[idea weenie]

Other fun ideas for Quikscell Customer support:

• They sent five spare LRM launchers with your order of a few LRM carriers.  The spare launchers are LRM-10
• They sent spare ammo for the SRM Carriers, unfortunately it was all linked together as reloads for SRM-4.  If you hadn't spotted the issue then the SRM-6 launchers would only load 4 missiles at a time.  Your quartermaster doesn't complain as much as this way there are 11% more missiles included with every ton of ammo.  Your ordnance people spend the next few hours re-linking the SRM ammo to feed properly into SRM-6 launchers.
• You ordered 4 each of the Hetzer and AC/2 Carrier.  As a bonus Quikscell gave you a ton of free ammo for each.  It is standard ammo and easily fits into an AC/10.  The customer rep advises they are coming out with an AC/10 carrier in a couple years and the ammo can be used for that.  This is the tenth year in a row you have heard that
• Getting the Hover APC and Tracked APC orders swapped
• Shipping naval units with a full set of desert camouflage paint.  No primer though, so if you just apply the paint to the metal it will peel off in a matter of days
• You bought their first production run of Alacorns, and found out in testing that the Gauss Rifle accelerator systems were wired backwards.  Fortunately the rounds were at the base of the barrel when it was fired, so they just tapped the breech support instead of ripping through the autoloaders
• The CASE system was set as too-sensitive, and if not spotted before combat will go off when the vehicle is hit by machine gun fire and dump all the ammo into the air.  This is easily checked by one of the techs during standard maintenance, but the tech who was sitting on top of the ejectable compartment is breathing into a paper bag for the next half hour, as the mechanics were using a ratchet gun to check the wheels at the same time

The fun part is given the state of the Inner Sphere, attempting to return the incorrect equipment and have it replaced will mean your planet will be defenseless during that time. As a result most planetary militias have to make do with whatever they receive, and the amounts of equipment that is truly inappropriate is small enough that trading to a neighboring planet is not cost-effective.

[Dayton3]

Other fun ideas for Quikscell Customer support:

• They sent five spare LRM launchers with your order of a few LRM carriers.  The spare launchers are LRM-10
• They sent spare ammo for the SRM Carriers, unfortunately it was all linked together as reloads for SRM-4.  If you hadn't spotted the issue then the SRM-6 launchers would only load 4 missiles at a time.  Your quartermaster doesn't complain as much as this way there are 11% more missiles included with every ton of ammo.  Your ordnance people spend the next few hours re-linking the SRM ammo to feed properly into SRM-6 launchers.
• You ordered 4 each of the Hetzer and AC/2 Carrier.  As a bonus Quikscell gave you a ton of free ammo for each.  It is standard ammo and easily fits into an AC/10.  The customer rep advises they are coming out with an AC/10 carrier in a couple years and the ammo can be used for that.  This is the tenth year in a row you have heard that
• Getting the Hover APC and Tracked APC orders swapped
• Shipping naval units with a full set of desert camouflage paint.  No primer though, so if you just apply the paint to the metal it will peel off in a matter of days
• You bought their first production run of Alacorns, and found out in testing that the Gauss Rifle accelerator systems were wired backwards.  Fortunately the rounds were at the base of the barrel when it was fired, so they just tapped the breech support instead of ripping through the autoloaders
• The CASE system was set as too-sensitive, and if not spotted before combat will go off when the vehicle is hit by machine gun fire and dump all the ammo into the air.  This is easily checked by one of the techs during standard maintenance, but the tech who was sitting on top of the ejectable compartment is breathing into a paper bag for the next half hour, as the mechanics were using a ratchet gun to check the wheels at the same time

The fun part is given the state of the Inner Sphere, attempting to return the incorrect equipment and have it replaced will mean your planet will be defenseless during that time. As a result most planetary militias have to make do with whatever they receive, and the amounts of equipment that is truly inappropriate is small enough that trading to a neighboring planet is not cost-effective.

That sounds like potentially a great couple of chapters about a hard luck mercenary unit hired to garrison a planet.

[Dave Talley]

That sounds like potentially a great couple of chapters about a hard luck mercenary unit hired to garrison a planet.

island of misfit toys ;-)

[Maingunnery]

island of misfit toys ;-)

Extra plus discount offer by local supplier. 

[Dave Talley]

Extra plus discount offer by local supplier. 

also it could be on the local planet that is used as supply depot and refit center for the house, plus MRB could have impounded mechs from defaulting units,

so a bunch of new parts, a few for auction, and a buttload of salvage to pick thru

[Daryk]

Heh... Quikscell is the premier purveyor of misfit toys, and will ship to a planet near you! 

[nerd]

This reminds me of why a family friend who was an Air Force Inspector at Pratt & Whitney in the 1980s was posted there.

[Colt Ward]

This reminds me of why a family friend who was an Air Force Inspector at Pratt & Whitney in the 1980s was posted there.

Part of what I found was the FedCom had inspectors for each shipment of Quikscell products and billed them for the time spent repairing production flaws.

[Dayton3]

I wonder if there are any modern day equivalents to Quickscell?    I have my doubts.

[Colt Ward]

I wonder if there are any modern day equivalents to Quickscell?    I have my doubts.

IRL?  Quality issues . . . probably . . . building things from kits?  Yes, I think there is a company that builds kits for making down scaled WWII fighter replicas.  I know there are companies that sell parts so you can assemble your own AR weapons of various calibers.

[Dayton3]

IRL?  Quality issues . . . probably . . . building things from kits?  Yes, I think there is a company that builds kits for making down scaled WWII fighter replicas.  I know there are companies that sell parts so you can assemble your own AR weapons of various calibers.

AR15s are  indeed one of the best "do it yourselfers".    Which is a big reason for their popularity.

[Colt Ward]

Yeah, small arms is easier- it gets down to scale . . . besides the kits for replica WWII fighters I would think you could also find some 'how to' for making what we see as a spec ops dune buggies.