AmaroqStarwind
04/09/18 05:23 AM
99.203.26.220
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For a fan-supplement I plan on making, titled Experimental Technical Readout: Heavy Industry, I have plans for a lot of custom components just for Industrial Mechs and civilian support vehicles to play with, and then a thought crossed my head... What about Open Cockpits?
And that made me wonder... What rules would you guys suggest for an Open Cockpit? Here's what I've thought up so far:
Open Cockpit
Unit Restrictions: Civilian units (IndustrialMechs and Support Vehicles) and Ultralight Mechs only.
Mass: 1 Ton
Critical Slots: 1 (Pilot's seat)
Cost in C-Bills: Very Little.
Battle Value: None!
ABesides negligible size and weight (compared to a standard cockpit, anyway), it also does not impose any restrictions on the pilot's movement, granting a -1 Bonus on piloting checks, and ejection is an absolute breeze: Just hop out at any time. Finally, it also does a really good job at keeping the pilot from overheating next to a Fusion Reactor, since there's absolutely nothing stopping by heat from escaping the cockpit.
The downsides are severe, however... The pilot has zero protection whatsoever from weapons fire, and minimal protection from the elements (they're sitting in the equivalent of a rather roomy (and convertible) trucker cabin), meaning it can't be used in hostile atmospheres, in vacuum, or underwater. Any cockpit hits from weapons will also do several times as much damage to the pilot as they normally would (meaning anything more powerful than a Light Machine Gun, even with body armor, will probably instantly kill them).
Any unit equipped with an Open Cockpit will receive the following Design Quirks:
+ Improved Life Support: If Life Support fails (which it automatically has, see below), then the heat level in the cockpit is treated as five points lower.
– Weak Head Armor: Basically none... All armor allocated to the head is divided by three, to a minimum of 0. Furthermore, the head can only carry Industrial or Commercial Armor.
– No Ejection Mechanism: Though you can just jump out.
– Non-Functional Component: Life Support.
- - - - - - -
Anyone else's feedback or ideas are welcome!
Discord: Amaroq the Kitsune#1092
Telegram: @Lycanphoenix
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ghostrider
04/09/18 12:52 PM
66.74.61.223
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first quirk sounds completely wrong. How can you have improved life support, when you don't have any to begin with? As for the heat issue, it seems off as well. A normal armored cockpit has coolant support keeping the heat away from it, or so the coolant vest warriors use would suggest. Also you can survive the hotter temperatures of combat then you could with it completely open to the air.
I would suggest using a heavy equipment seating, instead of a truck cabin. Some of those cabin house some nice climate control features.
And you do need some protection when using equipment. Boulders splintering. Chainsaws snapping, as well as a few other things can happen, and you don't want to lose a valuable worker from something as stupid as flying rocks from a boulder.
The argument that you do not have heat diverting away from you, and could be moving past the operator would increase the level in the drivers seat. Imagine sitting on top of the engine of a bulldozer instead of behind it.
Might consider 2 crits as the equipment needed would take up space.
Otherwise, I can see this being use to save money on equipment used any where in the innersphere. The clans? That is debatable. It would appeal to their lack of waste, as workers are lowly to begin with.
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AmaroqStarwind
04/09/18 03:50 PM
99.203.155.94
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Pfft. Why would the Clans put this on their IndustrialMechs when they don't have any to begin with? :P
I appreciate your rules suggestions. Lemme see here...
Okay, so...
- Mass: 0.5 to 1.5 tons
- Space: 2 Crits (1 Cabin, 1 Life Support)
- Minimal life support (Design Quirks: Poor Life Support + Poor Sealing, unless Environmental Sealing is installed separately)
- Very basic physical protection (Design Quirk: Weak Head Armor
- Design Quirk: No ejection mechanism (but the MechLaborer can still escape an immediate threat by just opening the door and hoofing it).
- Does not come with a Neurohelmet, and therefore is considered Hard to Pilot unless a separate Neurohelmet is purchased. However, without a Neurohelmet, the pilot will not suffer any damage from Internal Fuel Detonations.
- Cockpit includes a built-in Searchlight, can optionally install and a [mostly] useless Passenger Seat.
"You see, your equipment here is only mostly useless. There's a big difference between mostly useless, and all useless."
Variable Weight:
0.5 Tons: Single Non-Ejectable Seat
1 Ton: Two Non-Ejectable Seats, or one Ejectable Seat
1.5 Tons: Two Ejectable Seats
That might actually be just right.
Discord: Amaroq the Kitsune#1092
Telegram: @Lycanphoenix
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