Author Topic: BA Field Engineering Suite  (Read 1338 times)

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BA Field Engineering Suite
« on: 26 February 2020, 22:09:46 »
BA Field Engineering Suite

150 kg

2 Crits

The BA Field Engineering Suite consists of collections of useful tools like sensors, minesweepers, shaped charges and vibro-shovels, having a full engineering suite allows any properly trained BA operatives to function just like conventional field engineers (Tactical Operations, Pg. 340)



This BA-scale equipment is a part of my slowly-developing infantry overhaul.  Unlike the other parts of my infantry overhaul, this one can fit snugly into the existing system without a complete redoing of anything, so I included it separately here.  The equipment, as you might derive from the description, allows BA to operate in the same manner as conventional infantry engineers.  The advantage of being able to do your work from a suit of armor is obvious, whether from an agile lightweight 400kg PA(L) engineering suit or from a tough 2,000 kg behemoth.

dgorsman

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Re: BA Field Engineering Suite
« Reply #1 on: 26 February 2020, 22:19:40 »
Given the wide range of engineering requirements, I'd prefer something more (or literally) modular, like the equipment adapter manipulator on the Kanazuchi.  So one package for civil work setting up encampments, one for mine laying and clearance, another for structural demolition work, and so on.

And honestly having a chuckle imagining a BA operator try to use a shovel without utterly destroying it.   :))
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Re: BA Field Engineering Suite
« Reply #2 on: 27 February 2020, 11:59:44 »
Given the wide range of engineering requirements, I'd prefer something more (or literally) modular, like the equipment adapter manipulator on the Kanazuchi.  So one package for civil work setting up encampments, one for mine laying and clearance, another for structural demolition work, and so on.

And honestly having a chuckle imagining a BA operator try to use a shovel without utterly destroying it.   :))
The original intent was to have it as an all-in-one engineering suite, but you could treat it as modular in a way that the suits can only possess 1 form of equipment at a time, such as sensors equipment making the suit a "sensor engineer" suit, or explosive packs for a "demolitions engineer" suit.

The reason for me wanting it as an all-in-one engineering suite is for simplicity and not realism.  It's a lot simpler to manage a single generic "combat engineer" specialization than having to handle 6 combat engineering subspecializations with potentially 63 possible combinations of them.


Colt Ward

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Re: BA Field Engineering Suite
« Reply #3 on: 07 April 2020, 12:40:11 »
I would assume engineers would be using things like the mining exoskeletons & PA(L).  The other thing is that some suits work as impromptu engineers b/c they have the armored glove or basic manipulators.  IIRC we got the story of some 7th Kommando raid on a Blakist installation when Wolf got killed.  They at least demo'd a door or three.

Not sure vibro-shovels would be a thing . . . maybe pickaxe, but then some suit's claws with the augmented strength would work really well for breaking up soil & rock, the shovel just scoops.

What about carrying satchel charges externally?  Same with multi-purpose grenades . . . besides picking up AP weapons, it always seemed to be one of the un-addressed advantages to the armored glove.  Maybe the RPG covers that detail level.
Colt Ward
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Re: BA Field Engineering Suite
« Reply #4 on: 07 April 2020, 15:26:43 »
I would assume engineers would be using things like the mining exoskeletons & PA(L).  The other thing is that some suits work as impromptu engineers b/c they have the armored glove or basic manipulators.  IIRC we got the story of some 7th Kommando raid on a Blakist installation when Wolf got killed.  They at least demo'd a door or three.

Not sure vibro-shovels would be a thing . . . maybe pickaxe, but then some suit's claws with the augmented strength would work really well for breaking up soil & rock, the shovel just scoops.

What about carrying satchel charges externally?  Same with multi-purpose grenades . . . besides picking up AP weapons, it always seemed to be one of the un-addressed advantages to the armored glove.  Maybe the RPG covers that detail level.
Exoskeletons and PALs would be the mostly likely and most common suit.  I didn't want to limit them to just those suits arbitrarily, so I left the construction rules open-ended.

Vibro-shovels... Yeah, maybe not.  It was just a fluff thing I added because there's so many Vibro-XYZs in BT.

By external satchel charges, are you referring to those things infantry use for 'mech swarms and leg attacks, or things more like engineer demolition charges?  This equipment would cover the latter, but not the former.  I'm not too familiar with detail levels finer than TW.

Colt Ward

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Re: BA Field Engineering Suite
« Reply #5 on: 07 April 2020, 16:02:46 »
Satchel charges are both-



I remember them from movies like Iwo Jima where they were trying to get one in to blow a bunker . . . pull the fuse to ignite and you can throw it hoping you can get it where the blast is needed.  Or they can be placed- not the blocks- for careful detonation along planned lines.  Heck, I took a quickie class in blowing doors, trust me the explosive does not differ just the application.

You also have the good old WWII 'sticky' bombs seen as improvised in Saving Private Ryan . . . I think its out of practice b/c its easier to control adhesives now.


Either works!
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

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Re: BA Field Engineering Suite
« Reply #6 on: 07 April 2020, 18:24:24 »
You could certainly house-rule it as such.  This equipment is basically a house-rule in itself, after all.