Kokuten said:Tom: "Gurgle Hurgh *Bleed!*"
Yuzuki: "Hai!" *Boom!*
I still wonder about the durability of these arms ... but if they're firing gauss cannons, they must be pretty darn tough. So I'll bite on these.Fred said:An onboard computer-controlled set of robotic 'arms' that would replace the shoulder racks of the present Daisy. Conceptually nicknamed 'SQUIRE' by me at present, the idea is to:
- When empty, can be used to brace or hold against surfaces.
- Function as a normal shoulder weapon rack, except that it can move to either offer or receive any handheld weapons - thus greatly facilitating weapon swapping.
- When holding heavy weapons, can also serve as a turret-like mount to use them. A shoulder-fired 50mm gauss cannon would in fact be detachable to also serve as an handheld 50mm gauss bazooka.
- Assist user with indirect fire weaponry (homing missile launcher, thrown grenades/mines, mortar fire, etc...)
The only thing I don't like about under-arm mounted weapons is the action of having to move the hand out of the way.A weapon mounted under the arm was amongst my ideas. Something fired from a position not too different from where Spiderman fires off his webs.
Maybe even both, one of each on each arm?
- Plasma torch-style weapon: Like mentioned by Kokuten, and knowing of Blas' concern with the Daisy lacking solid melee weaponry, I figured the plasma torch/sword-like weapon could be envisioned. Maybe even make it detachable to use like as 'plasma saber' weaponry (this is kind of stepping on Lorath-weapon-territory, though) though I wouldn't expect much more than melee range for the detached saber.
- Graviton projector: Make bursts of gravity to pull, violently shove or even slam targets aside as well as hold on, heave up telekinesis-style, or reel in. Could be a useful utility tool just as much as a convenient asset in battle for increased control and breathing space.
It would be cool to introduce a bladed weapon back into the power armor mix, but I thought we always had trouble coming up with one that would be effective. Katars might be cool, but would they not have to vibrate or heat up or something?Other close weapon could include over the back-of-the-hand katal-like triangular blades that could slide out to chop stuff; or reinforced knuckle covers that would include shaped explosive charges offering that Bubblegum Crisis-like knucklebomber effect. I don't think both ideas are compatible together.
A THOUSAND TIMES YES.Armor composition:
I'm pretty fond of Yama-Dura like the Daisy has, but the insert seems to be a point of contention as most pilots seem to dislike the fleshy hemosynthetic one... though going without it spoils certain of its advantages. Personally, I'd think it'd be possible to use a kind of hybrid between nodal material (like the Sylph II) and hemosynthetic muscle fiber (like the Mindy II) covered up by the same sort of synthetic layer found in the Kylie.
The synthetic layer is there for comfort and allows users to use the armor suit while fully garbed. If the power armor sustains damage, then the covering layer is breached anyhow, and the HS material can come into contact with flesh and heal seal/mend wounds.
I dig this idea and think it would work really well!Insert/inner power suit concept:
I don't think SARP's ready for it, but I've had thoughts over making the actual insert of said power armor into an independent power suit. Seeing the tendency I see in players to don power armors inside starships - even on the bridge - to be safe from boarders... I figured the power suit could in fact serve to cover combat uniform, flightsuit, the AMES-suit role, provide extra protection like bodyarmor and also the enhanced strength of power armor without the bulk (making it useful as much for combat as for utility).
When the time comes to use power armor, the 'inner' power suit would then be slid into the support frame of the power armor exoskeleton and then operate from there.
The thing about these weapons is that they're very superbadassninja-type weapons. Mani and Meni using them is understandable, but a PC?Additional close weapon ideas:
Drawing from increased presence of nodal components, perhaps the armor could be able to form up the kind of forearm/elbow/knee blades we've seen used to deadly effect by Meni and Mani, except that they could spontaneously spring out locally in the same fashion as a NH-18/Arethusa can generate melee weapons?
I'd rather do without the monstrous freedom of shapechanging weaponry, but using the same system to simply compact such weapons and then deploy on use might be nice.
Shion didn't carry a handheld weapon. The shield-gun, especially on both sides, would eliminate a need for handheld weapon.Shield-clubbing is an art?
Nimura shield-clubs. I make you shield club sometimes too in my narrative. Seems silly not to in melee, and the shield seems a credible bludgeoning weapon and better than your armored fists.
A while ago, I thought about why the Daisy only seemed to use a shield on just one side. Why not have a forearm shield on the other side too?
Is encumbrance an issue? Can't easily wield weapons with shields in the way? In that case, what if weaponry becomes integrated with the shield: the shields the Daisy use is hollowed out zesuaium so conceivably weapons could be built and integrated in the middle. The end result could be similar to the M.W.S. Shion Uzuki used in the Xenosaga video games.
Totally down with this. The missiles seem like they'd be so tiny anyways.Elimination of Mini-Missile use:
All I see from players most of the time is missile use for offensive warheads or shield-canceling warheads. Countermeasures are rarely used by anyone except GMs.
With this in mind, and me not liking the mini-missile concept because I've some trouble picturing beercan swarms rocketing off to the explode and cause significant damage. I'd rather see over-the-shoulder propelled grenades, actual homing rockets and tossed grenades assume that role.
Also down with this. Feels like the original Daisy, before I stuck on the gravimetric engines on the legs (thus starting the 1B Spacy version).Speed:
I don't see this needing much more than 100kph given the challenge my plot has been offering. Using power armor as space fighters has never been popular in my plot and seems to be growing out of fashion in SARP too. If a power armor needs to go places, why not provide a proper power armor transport instead (shuttle appropriate for filling Hoshi's dropship role?).
I figure greater speeds could be obtained, but I'm not keen on anything higher than lightspeed - power armors shouldn't space travel in my book. If they have access to greater speed, it'd probably come off at the expense of the modular back mount - which may usually be the primary location for the barrier module. Space maneuverability or greater protection - that sounds like a decent tradeoff to me.
Affirmative. I can dig this, though if the armors are away from their base, they would need some other way to detect the enemy. Yuzuki's creativity aside, dropping drones is good.Sensors:
I'm bad at giving you radar input. I'd probably default with visual sensors mostly. I'm not very fond of drones either so don't expect me to be forthcoming with them. I'm however pretty fond of mission operator and spotting done from a nearby mobile base with better sensors as it goes much better with my narrative style.
The sniper rifle's recoil is too powerful. It will bruise/bloody the insert at the palms and fingers, whereas the revolver's recoil will be felt, but not hurt.Fred said:I don't see why lack of armor covering should prevent weapon usage.
Doshii said:I realized it in the shower. Where all great thoughts occur.
All of our major opponents have been melee masters and subsequently beat the crap out of us with melee weapons (Mani and Meni's spikes, Eve's kama, NH-18's blades).
This almost seems like a necessity ... because real combat is hard to write out. Think of modern combat: People find cover and shoot at each other until they can flank or call in added support. Or something along those lines. Hell, most shoot'em up movies end with some sort of melee fight at the end. Something messy that leaves us gasping at the end.
Doing that with one opponent likely is hard to write out and be epic.
However, it does put all of the armors at risk, while making Kotori something of a stand-out, since she's probably the best melee fighter, with Nimura a close second.
It makes me think about my plot and how I'm going to handle combat.
Fred said:Not just that.
Other factors could include that Meni and Mani were indeed capable of taking kills out in a 'sneak attack!' fashion. Stealth, creep in silently, stab to the person's vital and -boom-, the fight's over before it begins.
Another asset Meni and Mani had was that they had built-in melee weapons that they could use in up very close with high lethality when their opponents (you guys) did not share the same advantage. Up close, all the Daisy has is physical pummeling and shield-clubbing... so, of course you'd all look outmatched.
Point being: Meni and Mani looked good while doing it because they could do it well, yes, but also because you people couldn't do it at all in the first place. Reverse that and the result might not be equal, but it might also not be all that sucky.
Also, there's also an issue concerning the Mishhuvurthyar. So far, if I have one wrap their tentacles around your Daisy, odds are that if that Mishhu is any smart (and mine usually are), it's a deathflag for the grappled pilot. Include elbow-blades and wrist-daggers into the mix (sharp but not necessarily augmented ones), and cutting out becomes somewhat more feasible.
We're not just talking anti-armor weaponry here. There's a good deal of anti-personnel here too. Also factor in that power armor strength is still a pretty big deal. Nimura could tear the heads off Nekomachina with her shieldclubbing, so imagine what a wrist-dagger or an elbow-blade can achieve with power armored strength. without zesuaium in the mix, this can end up being lethal.
Giving extra melee capabilities doesn't mean it's always a good idea to use them as your primary means of harm... but if you get into the kind of pinch that makes them more appropriate than a ranged weapon used point-blank, they could end up being very useful.
Agreed on all fronts. Though I still prefer handheld melee weapons to ones sticking out of elbows and knees (too ninja for me).
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