Author Topic: Design Challenge: Complicate your logistics  (Read 487 times)

Speedbump

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Design Challenge: Complicate your logistics
« on: 16 August 2024, 17:08:10 »
Many, if not most, of us have at one point designed the perfect set of mechs/omnimechs all using the same engine. The 240 standard, 300 Light and 300XL (usually but not always Clan) are popular options, but I've seen others. Often people try to limit the amount of other equipment types as well. Sometimes people are nice enough to themselves to give themselves more than one engine and make ~10 mechs instead of the normal spread of 4-5. Sometimes vehicles and ASFs are included. Whatever the exact restrictions you use, the "new model army" that slims down all the chaotic Succession Wars fragmentation/Star League bloat/Clan insanity to something more sensible is a common dream.

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is the screw that up. Put yourself in the place of a minor mech manufacturer in a nation where a plan like this has been adopted who are on the verge of being forced to licence designs from the 1-2 big mech manufacturers that have won the contacts to design the "Project XXX Engine" designs or only build for export. Your objective is design a mech that has capabilities destinct enough from anything the standard line of omnis can do that your nations military actually wants to buy it. The ultimate result may ultimately be determined by politics and lobbying, but you have to make something obviously destinct to give your supporters something to argue for.

Techbase is whichever techbase your favourite "new body army" uses, but without any of the restriction you previously put on yourself and perhaps plus a single proprietary experimental tech. Assume that engine(s) that have been picked for the project are unavailable to you. Feel free to complicate someone else's logistics if you have never had (or never given into) the temptation to make one of these. Bonus points for appropriate fluff on exactly how the mech ended up being accepted into service despite the original plan.

Daryk

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Re: Design Challenge: Complicate your logistics
« Reply #1 on: 16 August 2024, 17:27:00 »
Orguss Industries makes a play from the early 29th century (NOBODY uses the 90!): https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,81850.0.html

Lagrange

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Re: Design Challenge: Complicate your logistics
« Reply #2 on: 16 August 2024, 21:01:01 »
The Greathawk uses a 340XL. 

It's unique capability is disparity of fire.  Using a Jump of 7 it can impose a +10 to hit penalty (Range+CLPS+movement) while having just a +4 (pulse + targeting computer + jump + range) fire penalty with 3x LPLs.  That's a gap of 6(!) on a quantity of fire that matters, providing large advantages over just about everything else on the ground (at least until someone brings out the AE damage).

Hazard Pay

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Re: Design Challenge: Complicate your logistics
« Reply #3 on: 17 August 2024, 08:18:38 »
The Woodpecker

Code: [Select]
Woodpecker

Mass: 30 tons
Chassis: Composite Biped
Power Plant: 300 XXL
Cruising Speed: 108 kph
Maximum Speed: 162 kph
Jump Jets: Standard
     Jump Capacity: 300 meters
Armor: Standard
Armament:
     2 cER Medium Laser
     1 TAG
Manufacturer: Unknown
     Primary Factory: Unknown
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3145
Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-X-E
Cost: 21,746,140 C-bills

Type: Woodpecker
Technology Base: Mixed (Advanced)
Tonnage: 30
Battle Value: 1,269

Equipment                                          Mass
Internal Structure            Composite             1.5
Engine                        300 XXL               6.5
Walking MP: 10
Running MP: 15
Jumping MP: 10
Double Heat Sink              10 [20]                 0
XL Gyro                                             1.5
Small Cockpit                                         2
Armor Factor                  104                   6.5

                          Internal   Armor   
                          Structure  Value   
     Head                    3         9     
     Center Torso            10        15   
     Center Torso (rear)               4     
     R/L Torso               7         11   
     R/L Torso (rear)                  3     
     R/L Arm                 5         10   
     R/L Leg                 7         14   


Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm, Lower Arm, Hand
Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm, Lower Arm, Hand

Weapons
and Ammo                      Location  Critical   Heat    Tonnage
2 Jump Jet                       LL        2        -       1.0   
3 Jump Jet                       RT        3        -       1.5   
3 Jump Jet                       LT        3        -       1.5   
2 Jump Jet                       RL        2        -       1.0   
C3 Boosted System                HD        2        -       3.0   
TAG                              RA        1        0       1.0   
2 (Clan) ER Medium Laser                RA        2        5       2.0   
Actuator Enhancement System      RA        1        -       1.0   

Speedbump

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Re: Design Challenge: Complicate your logistics
« Reply #4 on: 17 August 2024, 11:45:30 »
Orguss Industries makes a play from the early 29th century (NOBODY uses the 90!): https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,81850.0.html
Interesting. So this is for a post 1st SW rebuild attempt? Trying to rationalise all that industry you built up in peacetime, stole from the Terran Hegemony and then got shot to bits to make your logistics sane again. On the one hand I can't see anyone winning the argument on "we cannot permit a Blazer gap", but on the other a good Urbanmech is definitely doing something that you're not going to match with your choice of engine rating between 240 and 300. Rather than compete for frontline units you can argue that city defense forces have different requirements.
The Greathawk uses a 340XL. 

It's unique capability is disparity of fire.  Using a Jump of 7 it can impose a +10 to hit penalty (Range+CLPS+movement) while having just a +4 (pulse + targeting computer - jump + range) fire penalty with 3x LPLs.  That's a gap of 6(!) on a quantity of fire that matters, providing a large advantages over just about everything else on the ground (at least until someone brings out the AE damage).

Yea this thing is a monster. About the only objection I can raise to this thing is that I can't see the likes of Alaric ordering a logistics simplification in the first place for this thing to disrupt. Could be one of the other Inner Sphere Clans though. A more sane polity might object to the health consequences of the Interface cockpit, but the most of the Clans have been using EI for a century now with no signs of stopping so this is just the cherry on top.
The Woodpecker

Code: [Select]
Woodpecker

Snipped
This is a very nice little spotter. I do wonder if a regular 300 cXL engine would let you make an Omni config that would do the job "good enough", but if your complicating the logistics of a force based around 350/360 XL engines or something then I can see this being compelling.

Edit: Typos
« Last Edit: 17 August 2024, 11:55:53 by Speedbump »

Hazard Pay

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Re: Design Challenge: Complicate your logistics
« Reply #5 on: 17 August 2024, 12:10:57 »
The Composite frame is also something that isn't seen often enough, especially when combined with an AES which I'd see as complicatign things further by wearing the arm joints faster.

XL Gyros and Small Cockpit further compund issues, and I forgot to add Reflect armor for extra fragility and logistics.

Daryk

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Re: Design Challenge: Complicate your logistics
« Reply #6 on: 17 August 2024, 12:38:48 »
The Blazer Cannon wasn't invented until 2812, hence the engineers' enthusiasm for the new technology.  Of course, it takes "old" tech heat sinks to make it work, but for only a little over 1.7M it's tough to beat for city defense.  Pay no attention whatsoever to Orguss' majority stake in that fusion engine factory making 90-rated engines... ;D

Speedbump

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Re: Design Challenge: Complicate your logistics
« Reply #7 on: 17 August 2024, 12:54:54 »
The Composite frame is also something that isn't seen often enough, especially when combined with an AES which I'd see as complicatign things further by wearing the arm joints faster.

XL Gyros and Small Cockpit further compund issues, and I forgot to add Reflect armor for extra fragility and logistics.
If you're going to add an alternative armour I'd actually recommend Heavy Ferro-Fibrous to "justify" why you can't swap the structure to Endo-Steel. Probably not quite as finicky on the maintenance, but it's still likely to be one more new armour type to carry replacements for.

Lagrange

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Re: Design Challenge: Complicate your logistics
« Reply #8 on: 17 August 2024, 14:24:26 »
Could be one of the other Inner Sphere Clans though.
It seems suitable for Jade Falcon.  They have a number of mechs with improved jump jets and partial wings.

 

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