Cray
09/25/03 01:42 PM
147.160.1.5
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[So, are the Clan protomechs not quite what you wanted? Were you hoping to duplicate Heavy Gear or other, lower tech mini-mechs for your Periphery planet? Then this modification of the Protomech construction rules is for you.]
The Clan protomechs are ultra-advanced, lightweight war machines that use the Clans' direct neural interface (EI) technology and advanced materials technology to be heavily armed (for their size), ultra-nimble, bullet-dodging little goobers. "Near miss hit locations" - wee!
However, these "micro-light mechs" exist in a weight class where they don't NEED to be ultratech wonders. Protomechs' loads and stresses are not nearly the same as mechs. They are one third to one half the height (giving much lower moment arms, torques, etc.) and about one tenth the mass (straight forward stress reduction) of mechs. Everything from myomer power demands to chassis loading are lower. This means engineering one of these bantamweight mechs should be much easier.
On the flip side, they're also easier to build than battle armor. You have no need to wrap motors, power plants, jump jets, armor, and load-bearing framework around a person. Nor are you forced to work in cram a literal ton of equipment into something about the size of a human. You can just stuff a cockpit pod anywhere that's convenient and all the mechanical systems aren't so micro-miniaturized and forced to deal with the user's needs.
In other words, nothing should be stopping Protomechs from being quite viable as soon as you develop myomers and reasonably capable robotic motion control systems. For BT, call it the late 21st or early 22nd centuries. So, what would low tech protomechs (LTPs) look like?
WHAT DOES LOW TECH MEAN?
"Low tech" sometimes has specific connotations in BT, like "low tech mechs," i.e., ICE-powered workmechs. For the purposes of this article, "low tech" refers to "not as high tech as the Clans." That starts at cutting edge Star League/3067 Inner Sphere tech and drops to BFE Deep Periphery backwaters.
There's also "Really Low Tech Protomechs," (RLTPs) representing the work of truly backwater planets.
ENGINES
By definition, low tech protomechs are low tech, so if Clan protos can't use the compact Clan XL engines, then LTPs certainly cannot (nor can they mount light fusion engines). However, there are some other engine options for LTPs. These alternate engine options use normal protomech engine rules (i.e., figure rating by multiplying tonnage by running MPs, round up to the nearest 5 if the engine is rated over 40, etc.)
First, ICEs! This may represent batteries, fuel cells, gerbils in exercise wheels, or other non-ICE engines, but it's used here as a catchall for primitive power plants like ICEs. These are twice as heavy as fusion engines - find the engine size per normal proto rules, then double it.
Second, primitive fusion, advanced fission, or genetically engineered super hamsters in advanced exercise wheels: 50% mass increase.
Since "Low Tech" covers normal Inner Sphere technology, don't forget standard fusion engines.
MOVEMENT LIMITS
LTPs do not have advanced Clan control systems, so they're limited to running at about the same speed as a 3 to 3.33x scaled up human. This translates to having no movement rating over 8/12. (There's room for arguing for 9/14 based on Olympic Sprinters, but 8/12 will do for now. Besides, you're probably going to have trouble fitting a large ICE anyway, so it's unlikely you'll bump heads with this limit.)
GYROSCOPES
Still no need for gyroscopes. LTPs have about the same strength-to-weight ratio as Clan protos, so they can achieve their balance without the assistance of a gyroscope.
INTERNAL STRUCTURE
Given the relatively low stresses of protomech frames, it's relatively easy for advanced Periphery and Inner Sphere nations to produce internal structures comparable to those used by the Clans. In short, 10% internal structure mass is the norm for LTPs.
But for those of you interested in REALLY primitive mechs, you have two primitive structure options: the LTP internal structure (aka Periphery Ultra Light, x1.5 normal internal structure mass, and the RLTP internal structure (aka Deep Periphery Super Light Special, x2 normal internal structure mass).
COCKPITS
When the Inner Sphere attempted to build its own protomechs and accepted that it wouldn't be able to manage direct neural interface systems, it was able to save several hundred kilograms on control computers needed by the Clan EI system. Then the Inner Sphere promptly had to backfill that saved mass with fairly standard battlemech motion control computers, since the pilot would not be directly controling the limbs of the protomech. Periphery nations have had to do the same. The end result is that most LTPs use the same 500kg cockpit as Clan Protomechs, though it's called an "LTP Cockpit."
(The reason for keeping the same cockpit mass is simple: the weapons are going to get heavier and the engine may be heavier, so to carry any useful weapons, I needed to save weight somewhere. The same reasoning applies to armor and internal structure).
Because some Deep Periphery nations cannot produce the brass needed by the advanced Inner Sphere and Clan babbage engines, they must make do with heavier copper and iron control computers. "Really Low Tech Protomech (RLTP)" cockpits are 750kg.
There are negative effects to the loss of direct brain control of protomechs, discussed below.
ARMOR
The Inner Sphere can manage a pretty good copy of Clan protomech armor. If you like, you can use "standard protomech armor" at 50kg per armor point.
LTP armor is 60kg a point.
RLTP armor is 75kg a point, worse than standard Inner Sphere armor.
Fancy stealth, mimetic, etc. armors are not yet available.
HEAT SINKS
Major Periphery and Inner Sphere nations can mimic the 250kg "protomech heat sink." My handwavium for them...oh, let's say the relatively high surface areas of protos relative to their bulk eliminates much of the plumbing needed by heat sinks on larger vehicles. Whatever. The weapons are going to get bigger, so there's no sense in wasting tonnage on heat sinks.
LTP heat sinks are available at...oh...375kg each, and RLTP heat sinks are available at 500kg each.
POWER AMPLIFIERS
ICE and fission-powered mechs need power amplifiers at the usual tonnage (1/10th of the energy weapon's mass). However, don't round - keep the number in kilograms. A 1-ton medium laser needs a 100kg power amplifier.
JUMP JETS
These are also unchanged from Clan protos. High jumping mini-mechs seem cool enough, and those ultra-light proto jumpjets sure make that happen.
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
Clan Protomechs definitely benefit from the half-weight Clan missile weapons. LTPs don't. Normal Inner Sphere battlemech/vehicular weapons are used - not battle armor weapons.
An LTP LRM launcher is 400kg per tube, an SRM launcher is 500kg per tube, and a Streak Launcher is 750kg per tube. Munitions mass the same as on Clan protomechs (10kg per SRM and 25kg per 3 LRMs).
Rocket launchers should have a definite attraction for LTPs. RLs are 50kg per tube. To determine range characteristics of an odd-sized RL, round the number of tubes up to the nearest 5; up to 10 if below 10; and down to 20 if larger than 20. (For example, a 3-tube would have the range of an RL-10, while an RL-11 would have the range of an RL-15, and an RL-37 would have the range of an RL-20.) Obviously, the wise designer will probably just break up "big" launchers into multiple small ones. Protos have weight limits on equipment, not critical slots.
Incidentally, I noticed it's difficult to give protomechs autocannons (and mortars and whatnot) like Heavy Gears are always totin'. I figure the way around this is to claim that a missile launcher carried as a "main gun" or torso mount is, in fact, a "light autocannon" or "mortar." It's a harmless fluff change with no impact on weapon stats.
THE BAD NEWS
While even LTPs represent (to early 21st Century eyes) an impressive demonstration of humanoid robotic movement and intelligence, they definitely take a hit on agility for lack of direct human brain interfacing.
*The most glaring penalty is the loss of "near miss" hit location. Whenever a hit location roll turns up "near miss," ignore it and roll again.
*The next problem is that LTPs *do* have to make piloting checks, just like a mech. Instead of the usual +1 penalty per 20 points of damage, protos suffer a +1 per 10 points of damage. (10pts will probably result in limbs popping off left and right, so it seems like a good increment.) All normal instances when mechs make PSRs, so do LTPs.
That's it for the first draft. Comments?
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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widowmaker
09/25/03 10:21 PM
24.171.110.132
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Gerbils!!! Hamsters!!! WHEE!!!!!!
widowmaker
What's your dice fetish?
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realworldviews
09/28/03 08:16 PM
24.98.62.128
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I like it
Colonel Brian Davis
Gamers United
"Dreams become reality, for all who start off with a dream"
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