I am toying with a two ideas for the Kapteyn Universe and wanted a little input from the crowd. Both ideas revolved around technology: OmniMechs and Technological Advancement.
Technology
I have always found BT technology upgrades a little clunky and have been toying with one for the KU that would be somewhat different. Basically, each step up in technology gives a 10% increase in an items benefits (more armour, damage) and reduces the costs associated with the item (weight and criticals).
For example, these are the new stats for the following bits of kit:
System Tech Range Dam Heat Crit
Med Laser Pre-AoW 7 4 4 1
Early AoW 7 4 4 1
Late AoW 8 5 3 1
Standard 9 5 3 1
Star League 10 6 3 1
Golden Century 11 6 2 1
Current Clan 12 7 2 1
Advanced Clan 13 7 2 1
System Tech Range Dam Heat Crit
PPC Pre-AoW 13 7 14 4
Early AoW 15 8 12 4
Late AoW 16 9 11 3
Std 18 10 10 3
SL 20 11 9 3
A 22 12 8 2
Cl 24 13 7 2
Advanced Clan 26 15 7 2
System Tech Range Dam Heat Crit
AC/5 Pre-AoW 13 4 1 5
Early AoW 15 4 1 5
Late AoW 16 5 1 4
Std 18 5 1 4
SL 20 6 1 4
A 22 6 1 3
Cl 24 7 1 3
Advanced Clan 26 7 1 3
Additionally, these would be the base changes to the stats of four different Mechs (ignore that some where not made until after the AoW).
Mech Tech Weight Engine Structure Armour Arm Pts Sink Weight Heat Sinks Weaps Total
Commando Early AoW 25 6.8 3.1 4 52 0.0 10 9.9 23.7
Late AoW 25 6.1 2.8 4 58 0.0 10 8.9 21.8
Standard 25 5.5 2.5 4 64 0.0 10 8 20.0
Star League 25 5.0 2.3 4 70 0.0 10 7.2 18.4
Golden Century 25 4.5 2.0 4 77 0.0 10 6.5 17.0
Current Clan 25 4.0 1.8 4 85 0.0 10 5.8 15.7
Advanced Clan 25 3.6 1.6 4 94 0.0 10 5.2 14.5
Mech Tech Weight Engine Structure Armour Arm Pts Sink Weight Heat Sinks Weaps Total
Griffin Early AoW 55 19.1 6.8 4 123 2.5 12 20.3 52.7
Late AoW 55 17.2 6.1 4 137 2.2 12 18.3 47.8
Standard 55 15.5 5.5 9.5 152 2.0 12 16.5 49.0
Star League 55 14.0 5.0 9.5 167 1.8 12 14.9 45.1
Golden Century 55 12.6 4.5 9.5 184 1.6 12 13.4 41.5
Current Clan 55 11.3 4.0 9.5 202 1.5 12 12.0 38.3
Advanced Clan 55 10.2 3.6 4 223 1.3 12 10.8 29.9
Mech Tech Weight Engine Structure Armour Arm Pts Sink Weight Heat Sinks Weaps Total
Marauder Early AoW 75 23.4 9.2 4 149 7.4 16 30.8 74.8
Late AoW 75 21.1 8.3 4 166 6.7 16 27.8 67.8
Standard 75 19 7.5 11.5 184 6.0 16 25 69.0
Star League 75 17.1 6.8 11.5 202 5.4 16 22.5 63.3
Golden Century 75 15.4 6.1 11.5 223 4.9 16 20.3 58.1
Current Clan 75 13.9 5.5 11.5 245 4.4 16 18.2 53.4
Advanced Clan 75 12.5 4.9 4 269 3.9 16 16.4 41.7
Mech Tech Weight Engine Structure Armour Arm Pts Sink Weight Heat Sinks Weaps Total
Atlas Early AoW 100 23.4 12.3 4 247 12.3 20 44.4 96.4
Late AoW 100 21.1 11.1 4 274 11.1 20 40.0 87.3
Standard 100 19 10 19 304 10.0 20 36 94.0
Star League 100 17.1 9.0 19 334 9.0 20 32.4 86.5
Golden Century 100 15.4 8.1 19 368 8.1 20 29.2 79.8
Current Clan 100 13.9 7.3 19 405 7.3 20 26.2 73.7
Advanced Clan 100 12.5 6.6 4 445 6.6 20 23.6 53.2
Additionally, things like lighter engines, better heat exchange systems and better armour would not have extra criticals assigned, instead, Mechs would have limited criticals, based on the following:
Mass Head CT RT/LT Arms Legs
20 6 5 5 5 4
25 6 5 5 5 4
30 6 6 6 6 4
35 6 6 6 6 4
40 6 7 7 7 4
45 6 7 7 7 4
50 6 8 8 8 4
55 6 8 8 8 5
60 6 9 9 9 5
65 6 9 9 9 5
70 6 10 10 10 5
75 6 10 10 10 5
80 6 11 11 11 6
85 6 11 11 11 6
90 6 12 12 12 6
95 6 12 12 12 6
100 6 12 12 12 6
OmniMechs
The following is taken from the currently in development Clan Sourcebook for the KU Clans:
With the debut of the OmniMech in Clan Coyote, the Clans suddenly saw the future and embraced the new machines. However, the expense of creating new designs based on OmniMech technology saw many Clans retrofit Omni-technology onto older SLDF designs, creating the O-Series Mechs. Although OmniMechs, the O-Series has never had the same level of success as the purpose designed OmniMechs. All of the SLDF’s proprietary designs were upgraded to OmniMech status by one Clan or another, as were a handful of Inner Sphere designs, seen as a cheaper alternative by many Clans.
Following the O-Series was the O2-Series, which consisted of designs that started as non-OmniMech chassis and then were later modified to create OmniMechs. The O2 Series has continued to be created over time, as a standard chassis is made, the model tested and if successful, modified into an OmniMech chassis. Many Clan designers see this development path as the safer bet. However, like the original O-Series, the O2-Series retains several drawbacks over pure Omni designs.
Since the introduction of the -O and -O2 series of designs, the pure OmniMechs have become known as the OM-Series, with these designs technical sophistication and expense seeing them used only by the finest warriors of the Clans. All three Series continue to be built, with -O2 Series Mech still being designed, however, the –OM Series is the preferred machine of most Clan pilots.
The time taken to repair a –OM series Mech is about 30% that of an equivalent Inner Sphere BattleMech, with –O2 Series taking about 45% of the time and the –O Series about 60% of the time.
Those were my initial thoughts and have been expanded to the following level for more game detail:
O-Series OmniMechs
Design Failure Rate: 15%
Base Repair Rate: 60% of standard
The second type of OmniMech was created by the ever resource strapped Blood Spirits in 2869. The O-Series sought to take the ideas of the OmniMech and Mercury BattleMech and meet halfway, due to long development process and high failure rate of what would become the –OM-series. The Blood Sprits began work on what would become the Mercury-O upon receiving OmniMech data from the Fire Mandrill Kindraa Smythe-Jewel.
The O-series OmniMechs take existing stock Mech chassis and rebuild the weapons compartments, allowing them to mount different weapons configurations. This provides some flexibility to the design, but has two major drawbacks: the cooling system and weapons bays.
As the cooling system is hardwired into the original chassis, the O-series is unable to utilise pod mounted heat sinks, greatly reducing the flexibility of these models in comparison to the OM-series, which have an adaptable, modular cooling system.
The second weakness is that the pods for weapons are located where the weapons were on the original chassis and are capable of only taking pods of the same weight, again limiting the flexibility of the design against the OM-series. However, compared to the original Mech, the O-series is far more flexible, especially due to other changes to the base chassis, structure, myomer and actuator packages, which allow for faster repair times.
With a low conversion failure rate and the advantage of allowing pilots to remain with a familiar Mech, the O-series was highly popular throughout the Golden Century and is still produce in large numbers today. Being cheap, to both design and produce, was also an advantage and many Clans was learnt the ropes of OmniMech production on the O-series before attempting mass OM-series production.
O2-Series OmniMechs
Design Failure Rate: 30%
Base Repair Rate: 45% of standard
The second OmniMech program (third in historic order of the OmniMechs) of the Blood Spirits was started in 2869, but did not produce a Mech until 2870, the Blood Kite-O2. Realising the limitations of the O-series, the Blood Spirits sought to produce a more flexible design system than what the Mercury-O possessed, but not at the cost of a full OM-series chassis.
The O2-series sought to address what the Blood Spirits saw as the major flaw of the O-series: the lack of a modular cooling system. In order to produce a Mech that was cost effective, a base model of the proposed Mech would be produced, with a fixed weapons package and the modular cooling system in place, as well as other improvements to the base chassis like those of the O-series.
Should the test bed model be successful, it would then be upgraded, by having the same weapons pods installed as was the case for the O-series. This simple route made a much more flexible design, but did double the failure rate of new models, although this was still only half the failure rate of the OM-series.
OM-Series OmniMechs
Design Failure Rate: 60%
Base Repair Rate: 30% of standard
Developed by Clans Coyote and Diamond Shark, the OM series OmniMechs were many times close to abject failure. The histories tell us of the four models the Coyotes debuted in combat against the Jade Falcon in 2868, however, what they do not tell us of are the seven failed models, representing an enormous amount of lost time and resources to both Clans.
However, the advantage of the OM-Series was readily apparent to all, as weapons and equipment could be easily switched in and out of use and mounted wherever needed on the chassis, which provided the –OM series with unparalleled flexibility.
The OM-series had not only a modular cooling system, but also the ability to mount weapons and equipment anywhere on the Mech, without limitation brought on by a previous chassis and the design requirements that came with it. These machines were not only truly flexible, but could often be mistaken for a different design, depending on the weapons package installed. Additionally, the design of these Mechs, Omni from the ground up, with no compromises, made them the easiest to repair and refit of all three classes.
Despite this flexibility, the three-in-five possibility that any one attempt at an –OM series design would end in failure, due to the technical complexity of the OmniMech, made pursuing such programs en masse the province of only the most well endowed Clans.
Because of this limitation, it would be a lesser Clan who would simplify the OmniMech, ensuring that those Clans with limited resources would be able to garner some of the flexibility of the OmniMech, but at a fraction of the cost.
I would be interested to see what people think of this as this is all a first draft.
Also, the tables are in the attached document, for easier reading if you need it.
