Questions on the Mindy Armor

[Immortal Cyan]

I have been reading through the Mindy article and those of its associated subsystems for a few weeks now, trying to obtain a fuller understanding of the armors capabilities, strengths, and, weaknesses. Although I have made a good deal of progress, I find that I am left with more questions than I started with. So without further ado, I have a series of questions that I would like to pose to the SARP community regarding the Mindy armor.

1. Teleportation Module: The article states that the teleportation module, "has a range of 100 kilometers, which is artificially limited by software for safety purposes. It can activate every 15 seconds and can be used continuously several (7-10) times in a row before requiring a cooldown period of ten minutes or less (for heat dissipation)."

The wording of this section is leaving me slightly confused regarding the frequency that the Mindy can teleport without a capacitor of some sort. My questions: Is it possible to teleport to one area, and then to immediately initiate a teleport to another area? Would a pilot have to wait through the 15 second activation time period for each consecutive teleport within the "(7-10) times" before requiring a cooldown? What role do the capacitors play in allowing the pilot to utilize the teleport feature more frequently?

2. Combined Field System (Aether Beam System): The article for the CFS states that, "Ships equipped with the CFS also can use it for offensive purposes." In particular, it details an aether "beam system", which works in the following manner: "The spatial distortion around the ship (the Combined Field System) is used to release condensed potential energy from the Aether, the ubiquitous sea of energy. By distorting the shield-space, the origin of the beam can be maneuvered around the field bubble, allowing it to be fired from any point on the field system."

My questions: To what extent can the Mindy armor utilize this feature of the CFS, if at all? Is it possible for a pilot to shoot raw aether from their hands or from any other point of their body, while the CFS is active? (In the manner of a mage, to be specific)

3. Combined Field System (Stealth): The article for the CFS also states that the system has stealth applications.

My question: Can the Mindy utilize the shield bubble to keep itself within its own plane of existence? Can the CFS render the armor invisible "to scalar radar, aetheric-energy sensors, and, other forms of detection"?

4. Physical Strength and Mobility: The article leaves out a few details regarding the brute strength, foot speed, and agility of the armor. I understand that the CFS system has quite a few mobility applications, but I have a few questions regarding some more select details that may or may not operate independently of the CFS.

• Does the Mindy amplify a pilot's base strength? If so, how much stronger (Quantification preferred) would a pilot be within the armor?
• Does the Mindy amplify a pilot's base sprinting/foot speed? If so, how much faster (Quantification preferred) would a pilot run within the armor?

5. Photonics Array: This is an interesting system, because it gives the armor alternative shielding and stealth applications in the event that CFS is disabled by anti-FTL technologies such as miasma.

• If utilized in an offensive manner (think of a volumetrically projected melee weapon or sword), what would the Damage Rating of such a construct be?

Thanks in advance to anyone who replies to this thread. I might post a few more questions later on, but this is all I can think of at the moment.

 

[Fred]

As someone whom is not-Wes but has some familiarity with KFY power armor, I'm going to answer to "fill-in" until @Wes can review the questions, as he's the best authority on determining what the Mindy IV can or cannot do. More importantly, some of those questions likely fall beyond scope of what he'd thought so far of the unit, so he may have to figure out what he wants those answers to be.

Combined field System:
Typically, power armor-sized hardware doesn't do the pocket dimensions required to achieve the kind of stealth bigger vehicles can manage. The Mindy usually relies on its thermoptic camouflage.

It's about the same deal with projecting energy beams. The Mindy's CFS unit isn't potent enough to generate such phenomenon under normal circumstances.

Photonics Array:
Assuming Green Lantern-levels of potency here in regard to creating solid objects (but not complex ones like firearms), as the DRv3 guru, I'd advice up to 'same tier' as the Mindy, which is Light Anti-Armor. I usually consider the melee attacks of power armor to potentially be a threat to their own tier, I have trouble justifying hardlight being worse/better, so... mostly up to GM interpretation from that point on. I wouldn't recommend making weighted momentum-based blunt weapons like maces out of hard light.

 

[Wes]

1. After the first teleportation, one must wait 15 seconds to teleport a second time. The equipment is not designed to be used immediately. Capacitors allow skipping most of that 15 seconds but will be used up.

2. The CFS on the Mindy 4 is designed for defense and locomotion only. It might possible to use as a weapon but it is not set up that way as designed. Maybe it could be done with a software solution? Keep in mind diverting functionality to offense lowers defense. Doing what you are talking about is the exact way Chiharu died.

3. A Mindy could use its CFS to hide that way while in deep space (outside the solar Hill sphere). This is not recommended for most users as improperly doing it could result in being stuck in that pocket universe for as long as it exists. The Mindy is not designed to do this out of the box and would require special modification.

4. The Mindy armor provides slightly more strength and mobility than an unarmored Nekovalkyrja, which is already a lot.

5. Damage ratings are not typically applied to melee weapons but photonic weapons are as effective as monomolecular Zesuaium swords. I also endorse Fred's answer on this.

 

[Fred]

1. So, basically, for the Mindy IV's teleporter:
a) The system takes 15 seconds to charge and be ready for use.
b) The teleporter has reserve power (capacitor system) that allows to tap into it and instantly charge to full.
c) The capacitor also takes 15 seconds to renew.
d) it is therefore possible to teleport two times in a row. Then you'd have to wait 15 seconds for your teleporter to be capable to function again. A depleted capacitor then takes 15 extra seconds to charge once the teleporter is at full charge.

2. I believe a plot previously used salvaged Mindy power armors to erect "defensive towers" that could project barriers or energy beams. Though the Mindy isn't made out of the box to do it, that's likely one of the things Wes refers to by retooling over the default specs. Doesn't mean it's ideal (and you might need more than the pieces of just one Mindy to achieve something truly potent), but it's potential that's already in the tech.

3. I didn't know that was possible for the Mindy... but I suppose that makes sense. I always kind of considered the Mindy's teleporters to be transposition technology derived... and scooping things out of one place in the universe to put it elsewhere is pretty much what that does. >_>

4. By personal experience:
a) the Mindy can grab your forearm and crush the bones within fairly easily.
b) a Mindy can physically charge through thin non-armor surfaces (the plaster walls of a house, the thin walls of a subway car)
c) a Mindy can force open most-non-armor doorways/obstacles; possibly even man-sized armored apertures if there's handholds though the Mindy usually has better options than just brute force those.

Does the above make sense to you, @Wes ?

 

[Wes]

Yes.

 

[Immortal Cyan]

2. The CFS on the Mindy 4 is designed for defense and locomotion only. It might possible to use as a weapon but it is not set up that way as designed. Maybe it could be done with a software solution? Keep in mind diverting functionality to offense lowers defense. Doing what you are talking about is the exact way Chiharu died.

3. A Mindy could use its CFS to hide that way while in deep space (outside the solar Hill sphere). This is not recommended for most users as improperly doing it could result in being stuck in that pocket universe for as long as it exists. The Mindy is not designed to do this out of the box and would require special modification.

What sort of modifications would be require to utilize both of these functions? Would they require software solutions or mechanical ones?

If none exist, then I might submit a "CFS Extension Software/Hardware" to the NTSE, that would perhaps allow the Mindy to more fully utilize the CFS system.

 

[Fred]

This sounded more to me like a few programming changes in the BIOS/firmware and mechanically cobbling/rewiring things at need.

I don't speak for Wes, but this seems more the result of technical improvisation than changes that would be FM-approved. Those things are not standardized because they're not meant to be standardized.