Lots of people are still interested in the old hoplite: can we update its article? Workhorses ftw

The Artemis was my attempt to modernize it and give it a new name and life. Yukari did get hers from salvage, but it won't be much of a Hoplite by the end. Same with the others modified in the setting.

I know Kumiko's is pretty close to stock, but she just hasn't had much opportunity to play with it.

My Hoplite is better than your Hoplite.

And thus the first Hoplite owners meet up devolved into a brawl over which restoration of the venerable design was better.

Reminds me of Robyn Reliant owners. But I imagine SARP has room for multiple modifications of the same root design as long as these variants are clearly stated in the name, such as the Hoplite Artemis, using Doshii's name for his characters as an example.

I'm not entirely fussed with transforming mecha, but perhaps we can simply update the original article, bring it into line with the current standard of work and maybe peoples pride won't be so bruised to bring an old skeleton out of the closet so often? Perhaps they were all scrapped for their valuable equipment and the chassis's were left to rot or something?

Alright, so I decided to look at the historical data and search our archives for what we have on this.

History

October 2003: The Lamia M1 is introduced.

Looking at the Wayback Machine, I found the Hoplite had alread been replaced by August 2004, as the LAMIA M1 appears on the Star Army equipment list but not the Hoplite.

In this thread from July 2005, I stated that the Ki-V1 Hoplite was retired when the LAMIA M1 power armor was mass produced and that at that time, the fighters had been replaced by power armors.

Strangely, some Hoplites must have managed to get back in service because there's a Hoplite pilot in these orders in April 2006.

In July 2006, another post mentions the Hoplites were retired when the Mindy came out.

In August 2006, Xenedine was asked to make some Artemis fighters out of recycled Hoplites but couldn't/didn't deliver (?). There was an approved competitor, the Hyuga. Also that month Hoplites appeared in the Fifth Expeditionary Fleet RP.

In September 2006 (YE 29) it's stated that old surplus Hoplites were used in the self-defense forces of Taiie. This was called the Taiie Planetary Defense Group.

In an NSS Nerkat thread from April 2008, the Reds have some old Hoplites which are used to attack the PCs.

In 2015, a smaller version of this thread already happened in which I said basically the same thing to Osaka.

Existing custom Hoplite concepts/WIPs

1. Artemis (Doshii Jun - previously approved class made circa 2006 but no longer up to standard)
2. Moonsong (WIP by Eistheid - unfinished & deleted by author)
   
3. Banshee (Foxtrot - this one was actually approved)
4. Diaposon (another one of Osakanone's ideas - deleted since no work was done on it in 2 years)

The reason why I'm okay with the Banshee and not Osaka's Super Hoplite is because the super hoplite is not someone's unique custom remodel of a vintage frame, it's because it's a class. I don't want these on an industrial scale.

Existing Hoplites

How to get a Hoplite: These occasionally pop up as salvage and you can get them if you ask the right people. The Reds have one for sale right now.

Also Kumiko has one. Luca has one on the Crimson Kestral. Toshiro's Alex Burning has one.

Conclusion

I couldn't really find any evidence of their sale to the public (they weren't) or their destruction (but I remember they were mostly scrapped). It's possible that they were stored at Nataria when the Mishhu blew up the depot but they were probably already gone by then. In theory, any that somehow survived in the UOC were probably returned with the rest of the Star Army's stuff but it's murky.

I think this would be okay if it was just one or two of them and their frames were acquired from sources that make sense (that determination would be made in the Setting Submissions forum).

How much are the reds selling the damaged hoplites for <.< >.>

Syaoran said:

How much are the reds selling the damaged hoplites for <.< >.>

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It looks like the last one sold for maybe 10-12k KS. So really (and depending on condition) they're cheap when they can be found, and there's still a small but significant number apparently floating around.

Well Kiet needs to get a loan now XD. But yeah since it's just the shell with dead weapons power and shields...he could get the Taipan crew to help him replace those with Hoshou parts and make other modifications to the thing for a full custom job.

Leone will be tossed up for approval at some point, though I think K I better get in gear and get it done!

This has been a very civil and helpful thread.

Here's to hoping we can get a second custom rebuild up.

We normally do not allow tech to be retroactively introduced. Because it creates too many issues with continuity. Typically the only exception is for Factions that are being worked up. Tech items for them are often created at some point in the past.

But there is nothing to stop you from creating a new design, just not for SAOY as Wes has already made it clear that they are not interested in such tech.

Nashoba said:

We normally do not allow tech to be retroactively introduced. Because it creates too many issues with continuity. Typically the only exception is for Factions that are being worked up. Tech items for them are often created at some point in the past.

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To further clarify: Factions without a lot of written RP or history -- basically those being still built up, but might also be seeing a little RP here and there -- don't need to sweat this retroactive problem.

Factions with a lot more written history -- Nepleslia, Yamatai, the Lorath -- do face this issue, and that's where reviewers are looking for it.

tl;dr: Based on the original schematic, a just-the-fighter-not-the-sillytech platform is released for civilian use maybe recent-ish?

Again, I love the idea of law enforcement getting their variable fighter on.

Fred said:

Sorry. I usually try to make whatever I write about you gender-neutral. I blew it in my last paragraph.

In my defense, I work in an IT call center, and I was trying to squeeze out something before my next call.

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I've got boobs, Fred. There's your first hint.

Wes, don't delete articles without telling people. Its really poor form.

As someone who was brought up on macross and robotech I highly support this. I also had originally planned to have my character to pilot a variable fighter. I strongly support this.