Heavy Gear, another view

Right-o, guess I have only myself to blame for getting myself into this
topic now. Ah, well....

Okay, up front here are the rules I'm gonna break: 1) max # of weapons =
vehicle size. I don't think this is much of a problem; I'm still paying for
everything, and can only shoot one weapon per turn anyway.
2) Minimum weapon sizes on some of the guns.  See above -- this really
just lets you cram more weapons systems onto a single chassis, which then are
kinda hard to make effective use of.
3) Oh yeah, that one about walkers being either size:1 or size:5+.
<shrug>

Just as an example, here is one design I did manage to dig up; the design
notes in [brackets] were actually in the file, so I did write it that
way... actually, I think I'd been e-mailing with Andy Skinner at the
time, if anyone remembers him. (He's still active on the Epic mailing list.)

-----
KODIAK-class Heavy Gear
Class 2 walker

Class 2: VSP = 10  (cost +10, total cost = 10)
Armour 2: 40% VSP = 4  (cost +4, total cost = 14)
**BVP = 14
FGP power plant: 60% = 8.4 = 8?  (cost +8, total cost = 22)
combat walker mobility: 100% BVP  (cost +14, total cost = 36)
add fast tracked mobility: 1.5*40% BVP  (cost +8, total cost = 44)
[+50% to cost to represent the added expense]

1x MDC/3, +6 capacity (6/10), 30 points, total cost = 74
[Probably the best fit for the particle accelerator... it's not a
laser.]

[hmm, no small rocket pods... if I could fit a class-1 rocket, MDC would
be class 2. Though it should probably be a class 2 rocket... <sigh> Actually,
it's a *light* particle accelerator, so class 1 might fit the above... but I
think it's more powerful than that.]

1x GMS/L, +2 capacity (8/10), enhanced guidance so +30 points, total
cost 104
[AGMs, Anti-Gear Missiles.  Not quite as good as ATMs, anti-tank
missiles, but they're a lot better in Heavy Gear than they are in Dirtside
II....]

2x APSW, 1 free, buy 1 so +1 capacity (9/10), 4 pts. each so total cost
108.
[Two heavy machine guns.]

1x APFC, +1 capacity (10/10), 2x5 points so total cost 118.
[One anti-personnel grenade launcher.  Close enough.]

Enhanced firecon, 4x3 = 12, total cost 130.

Basic/effective signature 3
-----

I think I was calling the Heavy Gear APGL an APFC, which isn't as good a fit
as I'd like right now. This does show how hard it is to fit all the
weapons systems into a size:2 walker chassis, but then the high-end
assault
Gears are severely over-weaponed anyway.  (Not that they don't use it,
but....) I also used the FGP power plant, but then swapping it for an MHT
wouldn't save that much anyway. If I were to redesign this today, I'd drop
the MDC/3 to an MDC/2, lose the APFC and one APSW and put in a SLAM/2.
(Call it range 8/16/24", reduce the range to maintain the volume...
something like that, anyway.  SLAM/1 range 4/8/12"... though then should
they be 12 points each? I do like that idea, Mark, as well as costing
V-engines as CFE but 25%... not that that will always cost much more,
since these things are pretty small overall. Maybe 30%?)

Apart from the exceptions above, which should be pretty easy to figure out
what to do with (just draw the reduced # of chits, for #2) I don't think I
have any special rules, just general guidelines... most would have to do with
the statline within Heavy Gear, e.g. armor 15 or less should be armor level 1,
regardless of the size of the Gear... some of these designs will be somewhat
inefficient, but they do allow a fair amount of play.

Just one note, from after writing the designs: I'm more and more inclined to
start using fractional vehicle sizes, just so that the vehicles don't have the
empty capacity, and also to start discounting if I don't want the free APSW.
But... that gets these things into more of a "specialized" area, so....
<shrug>

---
CHEETAH Heavy Gear class 1 walker

Class 1: VSP = 5  (cost +5, total cost = 5)
Armor 1: 20% VSP = 1  (cost +1, total cost = 6; BVP = 6)

V-engine: 30% BVP = 1.8 = 2  (total cost = 8)
Combat walker mobility: 100% BVP = 8 (total cost = 16) Secondary HMW mobility:
45% BVP = 2.7 = 3 (total cost = 19)

Weapons:
 HG DPG = RFAC/1, 2 capacity, 2/5 used, cost 5  (total cost = 24)
 HG LRP ~= SLAM/1, 2 capacity, 4/5 used, cost 12(?)  (total cost = 36)
Free APSW [though there is no equivalent on the HG vehicle]

Other: Basic firecon [upgrade to reflect more experienced pilots?], cost 2
(total cost = 38)
 Stealth/1 [small, fast, hard to hit], cost 20, effective signature of 1
(total cost = 68) Basic ECM [may not want to use this, cost is getting
prohibitive], cost 15 (total cost = 83)

[Overall, a spendy little machine, mainly in the optional extras at the
end.]
---
CHEETAH FANG Heavy Gear
[uses a light bazooka in place of the DPG and rocket pods, basically
anti-armor oriented]
Uses basic Cheetah chassis, total cost = 19.

Weapons:
 HF LBZK ~= HVC/2, 4 capacity, 4/5 used, cost 16  (total cost = 35)
 Free APSW

Other: Basic firecon, cost 4 (total cost = 39)
 Stealth/1, cost 20  (total cost = 59)
Basic ECM, cost 15 (total cost = 74)

[A little cheaper than the basic Cheetah, which actually matches the
costs per the Heavy Gear construction rules. Nifty.]
---
HUNTER Heavy Gear class 2 walker

Class 2: VSP = 10 (total cost 10) Armor 1: 20% VSP = 2 (total cost 12; BVP =
12)

V-engine: 30% BVP = 3.6 = 4  (total cost = 16)
Combat walker mobility: 100% BVP = 12 (total cost = 28) Secondary HMW
mobility: 45% BVP = 5.4 = 5 (total cost = 33)

Weapons:
 HG LAC = RFAC/1, 2/10 cap. used, cost 5  (total cost = 38)
 HG LRP ~= SLAM/1, 4/10 cap. used, cost 12  (total cost = 50)
Free APSW [actually has the HG APGL this time....]

Other: Basic firecon, cost 2 (total cost = 52)

[Not a whole lot going for it, really, except that it *is* quite cheap.
The weapons I put on the chassis are also clearly usable on a size 1 chassis,
but then the next two designs would not be possible.]
---
ASSAULT HUNTER Heavy Gear
[A tank hunter, though you need to be mildly suicidal to use one....]
Basic Hunter chassis, 33 points

Weapons:
 HG SC ~= HVC/3, 6/10 cap. used, cost 24  (total cost = 57)
 Free APSW

Other: Basic firecon, cost 6 (total cost = 63)

[The costs also work out with what's in the book.  Heh.  Anyway, it's
simple, direct, and to the point.]
---
BEARHUNTER Heavy Gear
[An up-armored Hunter varient; this time, we need to upgrade the chassis
itself] class 2 walker

Class 2: VSP = 10 (total cost 10) Armor 2: 40% VSP = 4 (total cost 14; BVP =
14)

V-engine: 30% BVP = 4.2 = 4  (total cost = 18)
Combat walker mobility: 100% BVP = 14 (total cost = 32) Secondary HMW
mobility: 45% BVP = 6.3 = 6 (total cost = 38)

Weapons:
 HG LAC = RFAC/1, 2/10 cap. used, cost 5  (total cost = 43)
 HG LRP ~= SLAM/1, 4/10 cap. used, cost 12  (total cost = 55)
 HG APM = APSW, 5/10 cap. used, cost 4  (total cost = 59) [has an
anti-personnel mortar]
Free APSW (total of 2)

Other: Basic firecon, cost 2 (total cost = 61)

[There is no way to simulate the decreased maneuver in DSII; it may be
that the model really should have only armor 1, but whatever... now, moving on
to other Gears.]
---
GRIZZLY Heavy Gear
[Assault/fire support gear]
class 2 walker

Class 2: VSP = 10 (total cost 10) Armor 2: 40% VSP = 4 (total cost 14; BVP =
14)

V-engine: 30% BVP = 4.2 = 4  (total cost = 18)
Combat walker mobility: 100% BVP = 14 (total cost = 32) Secondary fast tracked
mobility: 60% BVP = 8.4 = 8 (total cost = 40)

Weapons:
 HG HAC = RFAC/2, 4/10 cap. used, cost 10  (total cost = 50)
 HG MRP ~= SLAM/2, 8/10 cap. used, cost 24  (total cost = 74)
 HG HGM ~= GMS/L (basic), 10/10 cap. used, cost 20  (total cost = 94)
[basic guidence due to low accuracy of the mortar in HG game]
Free APSW [machine gun]
 [Don't get the full effect of having two rocket pods -- perhaps
2xSLAM/1?
-- and am missing a DPG, but since the replacable weapons aren't quite
as important in DS II as in HG I'm not going to sweat that.]

Other: Basic firecon, cost 4 (total cost = 98)
---
JAGUAR Heavy Gear
[New, top-of-the-line upgrade to the Hunter, more or less]
class 2 walker

Class 2: VSP = 10 (total cost 10) Armor 2: 40% VSP = 4 (total cost 14; BVP =
14)

V-engine: 30% BVP = 4.2 = 4  (total cost = 18)
Combat walker mobility: 100% BVP = 14 (total cost = 32) Secondary HMW
mobility: 45% BVP = 6.3 = 6 (total cost = 38)

Weapons:
 HG MAC = RFAC/2, 4/10 cap. used, cost 10  (total cost = 48)
 HG LRP ~= SLAM/1, 6/10 cap. used, cost 12  (total cost = 60)
 Free APSW

Other: Enhanced firecon, cost 6 (total cost = 66)

[This does come out to be a fair bit cheaper than it should... hmm.
Maybe I *should* just go with the Hunter as a size:1, though it does muck with
a few of the varients.]
---
MAMMOTH Strider
[Big & stompy]
class 3 walker

Class 3: VSP = 15 (total cost 15) Armor 3: 60% VSP = 9 (total cost 24; BVP =
24)

V-engine: 30% BVP = 7.2 = 7  (total cost = 31)
Transport walker mobility: 80% BVP = 19.2 = 19 (total cost = 50)

Weapons:
 HG ATM = GMS/H (enh.), 4/15 cap. used, cost 45  (total cost = 95)
 HG SC ~= HVC/3, 10/15 cap. used, cost 24  (total cost = 119)
 HG MAC = RFAC/2, 14/15 cap. used, cost 10  (total cost = 129)
 HG LMG = APSW, 15/15 cap. used, cost 4  (total cost = 133)
Free APSW (total of 2)

Other: Basic firecon, cost 6 (total cost = 139)

=========================
Okay, well, that's it for now. I guess I don't have a system as such, just
some guidelines on how to fit the various Gears into DS II without bending the
construction rules too much. Sometimes it works better than others... looking
up at the Hunter, I think I classed it as size:1 mainly so that it would be
cheaper than the Jaguar. (Though really, there probably isn't so
much of a difference between the two at this level -- except perhaps the
firecon -- that there would be any difference at DS II scale.)

One thing that can easily change is the firecons and use of ECM; there are
certain assumptions about how each works that, I believe, do not hold true
across the two universes. Where Heavy Gear relies on a few specialized Gears
with EW capability (usually), DS II has more of an emphasis on "personal" ECM
capability. Also, how well you shoot in HG is very dependant on pilot skill,
which isn't present in the DS II constuction rules (though upping the FC level
isn't hard, either).

Comments, criticism, questions? I can try to get to the Southern Gears
later....