>>22064307

Links to archived threads:

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/21368164/
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/21423338/
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/21481062/
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/21559682/
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/21863382/
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/21928927/

Or search the foolz archive for MechEngineer Quest.

>>22064307
Okay, we're good on our schedule, and IIRC we ate recently.

So let's get some more work in, having lean room in case things go horribly awry is a good thing. Let's get the Myomer Muscle layout dealt with, it seems like the next step.

Yes.

YES.

What's left on the list then? Weaving the synths, weapons, and limbs?

File: 1355634536123.png-(76 KB, 644x486, Sensei.png)

>>22064307
Dear Anontech, MechEngineer Quest is awesome and made me reinstall Missionforce: Cyberstorm.

Take detailed notes of how the acuators are fitted, and try to establish a refrence to help you duplicate it on later designs.

>>22064410

(Hey, I remember that game. Loved it. Also, thanks! Nice to hear you enjoy it as much as I like running it for you all.)

Yeah, we probably should take notes of all the crazy shit we've come up with making this mech, from the modular system rails, the actuators (including their mechanical locking system) and all that jazz.

Glad to have you back Anontech! Actually had me wondering when this might come around next.

>>22064400

(The last thing you designed was the cockpit. You have that, the actuator/limb layouts, the torso, and the chassis as a whole done now. You need to design the electronics conduit mapping, as well as the myomer layout as far as major systems are concerned.)

We finished the Actuators, and made them well-armored and reliable.

Let's work on the Myomer next.

>>22064391
>>22064410
>>22064469
>>22064480

After Dieter leaves, you remind yourself that not only should you make a physical backup (which you have), you should make a detailed 'ideabook' of all your brainstorms, like the modular torso and all that.

It'll take a few hours to set up and copy everything down, but you're ahead of schedule, and you can spare the time. After that, you can work on the myomer layouts you decide, since you now have actuators and limbs to work with.

You get yourself some coffee and hunker down to begin your technical memoirs. It'll be nice to be able to apply these notes and equations to your next design, whatever that might be.

Outside, you glance to see the crane truck in action, as it seems to be hoisting an oversized machine gun up the side of Mechbay 1, where the UrbanMech is housed.

>>22064479
I still say we should take as many notes as possible and build a refrence for the acuators, we know they came out really well, and making reliable acuators is always going to be useful.

The heatstacks + long cockpit thing is situational, but when are reliable, easy to maintain, and well protected actuators are (almost) always going to be useful.

I'm not saying we drop everything and do it right not, maybe we could do it after Hazard Pay is completed?

>>22064534

Several hours pass, and as you are finishing up your reference document, you see an email notification pop up from Goddard.

You can't recall the last time you got a mail from him. He always comes to talk in person. In fact, you can't recall seeing him since the Arms Dealer left days ago...

>>22064608
Well, let's check the email, then.

>>22064608
Well, we should probably check the mail we got.

>>22064608
I guess prepare a status report on the mech design, mentally, and ephasise the reliability of the mech to him, as well as tell him about the novel cockpit (so he can figure out how to best spin it to investors.)

We should ask him about inviting a Capellan representative to the next investors meeting.

>>22064655
>>22064656

You open the email.

It reads:

"You have 24 hours to clear out of your current location. If you do not comply, we will not spare you.

You have been warned."

>>22064699
Well shit. Calmly call a general meeting of whoever we can find.
We need to stay calm and collected.

>>22064699
Right, this takes high fucking priority over everything else we're doing.

We need to see Goddard and Janine about this 5 minutes ago.

>>22064699
Well crap, inform the others, copy the data onto a portable harddrive, and wipe everything?

"Fuck, I knew things were going too well to be true, if this is a joke, I swear I'll strangle him."

Forgive me, I'm new to Battletech, but Myomer is a sort of synthetic muscle right?

>>22064715
With Goddard missing, it stands to reason that he's been captured, if he can't make it don't wait for him.

Especially since the email was *from* him.

>>22064699
Why anontech, we just want to make some mechs and you won't let us.

>>22064759
Yep!

>>22064711
>>22064715
>>22064733

You frantically send emails to everyone to meet in the commissary, forwarding the message to each recipient.

The thought occurs to you to make a backup of all your data, and so you do. You have access to an external server, located elsewhere in the depot (Janine's quonset), so you can secure your data. You set the computer to doing so, and head to the commissary to wait for everyone.

It isn't long before people start filing in. Ivan and Janine are first, with Hatamoto, Ilsa, and Wanda arriving next. A few minutes later, Dieter arrives, and everyone starts clammering about what's going on.

It's going to be chaos in a moment. People are already irate.

>>22064770
I blame the LosTech, some asshole probably sold us out.

If this is a joke, we ARE going to beat the absolute shit out of him.

>>22064788
"Right, first things first. Has anyone seen Goddard? No? Then we have a problem."
Show them that email if we have a tablet or something, otherwise explain the situation.

>>22064788
Tell everyone to calm down. Then ask if anyone has seen Goddard in the past few days and get information on his whereabouts.

File: 1355636732055.jpg-(291 KB, 1190x633, oraoraora.jpg)

>>22064807
Well that's a given, the question is the severity of the beating. Just a simple punch to the face, or ATATATATATATA.

Pic Related.

>>22064809
>>22064817

You yell over everyone, and get them to shut up for a minute.

You then ask them if any of them have seen Goddard in the last few days, to which everyone shakes their collective heads. You haven't either, you recall, and that makes you very, very nervous.

You deem it possible that he's been taken, and voice your concerns, which sends a murmur through those gathered.

Janine pipes up. "I was there with you on the tarmac last time I saw him... he was walking off with Vincent."

I almost want to blame the wobblies, but they don't exist yet, so I blame comstar.

WE're fucked, oh balls.

we're NOT to say we're fucked though.

>>22064869
>Vincent
Right. The Vincent that said that Comstar was being more thorough than usual.
Could we clear out of here in 24 hours?

>>22064869
"Do we know where Vincent is supposed to be now? That's our only lead."

>>22064869
"Well fuck. Look, someone sent me an email that looked like it was from Goddard, said we have 24 hours to clear out or we die.

My guess is that someone found out about the LosTech and things have gone bad for us. Might be Comstar, Vincent might be involved.

Does anyone have any ways of getting into contact with Vincent or Goddard?"

>>22064894
IF we can't we could set demo charges and blow the entire place to shit.

Meanwhile try to flee to the Cappellan's I guess, since I'm sure they aren't involved.

>>22064894

If it was Comstar, they wouldn't bother asking us to clear out.

They'd just land a couple Lances and kill us off anyway.

Might be Vincent trying to steal our shit.

>>22064925
ROM would probably start with threats like this, if only because getting the goodies without deploying the ComGuard is better than getting the goodies by deploying the ComGuard.
Not that I think it's Comstar.

>>22064904
>>22064910
>>22064919
>>22064925

You ask if anyone's seen Vincent, and no one states as such. Same as the last time anyone saw Goddard.

You curse, and you wonder how long it would take to evac and destroy everything, and where you could take asylum.

Everyone seems as tense as you, but Ivan pipes up.

"Bah! Everyone is scareds of peoples coming to kill us? Ivan was in much debt, and Goddard saved him. People were going to kill me, but I didn't let them, and now Goddard is in the shit and Ivan is not going to let him down! Where do you thinking he is last at? I will go punch down door to find him!"

>>22064925
Honestly, I'm suspecting the FWL, if we've been sold out, chances are it's to the local powers rather than a merchant who risks getting his inventory searched.

>>22064976
"I guess we'll have to try and find Vincent. If he's behind this, he'll be in the area still."

>>22064976
Ivan's got a point.

Is there any way to track down Vincent and get him to tell us where Goddard is?

>>22064995
We get him to tell us where Goddard is by putting the pressure on him.
35 tons of pressure to be exact.

>>22064976
"Janine, get me anything you have on Goddard and Vincent's itineraries, we might be able to find more about where they are. Anything that'll help us track their movements.

Ivan, Ilsa, how is the Crazy Ivan doing? Is it armed and ready? If not can you get the Autocannon on in short order?"

>>22065004
Urbanmechs are only 30 tons.

>>22065013
Then we strap 10000 pounds of construction supplies to it first.

>>22065013
We strap 5 tons of concrete to the Urbie's foot to make up the loss.

>>22064976
"One Urbie can't hold out against an entire platoon, Lostech or no."

"He was last seen with the weapons merchant, IF he was the one who took him, the only ones with conctact were Goddard himself, Janine, and Myself. I barely spoke to the guy, and Janine's smart enough not to ruin the benifits of being able to manufacture Lostech."

>>22064976
I'm guessing that if it's Vincent doing this, which seems likely considering the timing, that he wouldn't tell Comstar. He knows that Comstar would just cut out the middle man and take it themselves instead of dealing with him. So he might be bluffing, trying to scare us.

>>22064987
>>22064995
>>22065004
>>22065013

You nod at Ivan, and ask Janine to dig up what she can about Goddard and Vincent's whereabouts that day and after. She nods, and takes off to use the comm relay in her quonset.

Ivan clenches his fist, and raises it high.

"The Crazy Ivan can being ready in hours! Giving me time and all techs to get dual autocannon assembly attached to shoulder and we will be kicking down doors with angry trashcan in no time!"

Everyone else looks concerned, but the determination and gusto Ivan is exuding seems to be calming everyone down. You suppose Ilsa's musing about misfits and families might have had some substance to it after all.

You have some time while Janine and Ivan do their work. What do you plan to do with your time, Daniel?

>>22065080
More backups, then see what we have in the way of small arms.

>>22065080

Finish our backups. Then go back and back everything up to the one thing NO ONE can destroy.

Our mind.

>>22065080
As hilarious as it would be to say we should work on the myomer muscle, I think this takes a higher priority.

First, we need a cigarette. Then we find what small arms we have available and who here is good at using them.

Then we check in with Janine and see what she's found.

>>22065080
Retrace steps. Step one; figure out where the hard credits went. I suspect whoever handled them, if they aren't in the trusted 'family,' is the betrayer. Getting our guard down with that payment and paying the betrayer, at the same time.

We might consider seeing if we can't build a blueprint for the fastest-to-assemble automated (or at least remote-targeted) guns we can design.
We have the coffee.
We have the nicotine.
We are all systems GO! for engineering until assholes show up to get shot.

Might be jumping the gun here, but would talking to our resident experts about rigging our very own power plant we found along with the lostech goodies to go catastrophic by remote be doable? Always nice to have another bargaining chip if possible or a 'Fuck me? Well fuck you too' ready, since they want the facility more than our boss

>>22065091
>>22065100

(The backups you are making are automatic and already running; they are downloaded into a black box server in Janine's quonset that is hidden for later retrieval if things go sour. Pretty standard in this day and age really, even large factories get raided.)

>>22065110
>>22065127

You light a smoke, and notice everyone looking to you since you seem to be the man with the plan here, especially now that Ivan is gone to make sure the Urbie is up to snuff in a hurry.

>>22064410

hahahah holy fuck i loved that game.

How does it work on win 7?

>>22065174

(Fusion reactors melt down, but they don't really explode. The shielding on them causes a concussive force out to about 90m for a mech-sized one, and maybe 200-300 for the one buried in your backyard, and there is massive heat released at ground zero, but you wouldn't be wiping everything in a two-mile radius out if that's what you're thinking.)

>>22064795
>I blame the LosTech, some asshole probably sold us out.
Why did you buy the control software that come with automatic government oversight!

>>22065180
Well we could use the weapons designated for the Hazard Pay to create some makeshift turrets?

>>22065204
As much as we all dislike Stackpoole, that one time where the pilot specifically rigged his mech to nuke-splode should be possible on a larger scale. It's just really, really stupid, and we'd need heavy protection just to get near the thing in order to disable it's many safety features.

>>22065206
So we didn't have to buy the software that was a 3/10 and screw over our whole "Built Skvorec Tough" idea!

Okay, next staff member? Software engineer. We need Goddard to find us an awesome one.

>>22065184
I dunno, I'm still in the dark ages and play it on XP.

>>22065206
Because the Hazard Pay had absoltely zero Lostech on it?

Everything in Hazard Pay could be found pretty easily.

Oh man. I wasn't expecting this so soon.

We can't hire any mercs with our budget for immediate drop, can we.

Hell, our mechs probably would take that long to walk there.

24 hours is a short time to deploy; unless they're dropping from a dropship we're going to pick them up from the horizon. Or they'll be an infantry force.

We need to survive the assault, or clear out. I'm of the mindset to clear out and hire a merc team to get the place back, as we have no-one who can fight professionally.

Tracking down Goddard will be tough, though.

>>22065206

We haven't even built the fucking thing yet.

Let alone put any Lostech on it.

>>22065204

Anontech, how complex is hazard pay?

What are the odds of getting it built up and operational?

Also, has anyone checked our powered down mech heavy mech hangar and/or the Rail System in the base for more mechs in storage?

HA HA

AND YOU ALL SAID HIRING A MECHWARRIOR AND GETTING SOME SECURITY SPECIALISTS AND TURRETS WERE A BAD IDEA

GRAHHHHHHH

>>22065211

(small arms maybe, and they wouldn't be automated. they'd have to be manned, and you'd have to tie any laser weapons into the power supply AND sink them to function, otherwise they will melt themselves down in seconds of sustained fire)

>>22065180
"Okay people. Who here has military experience or is otherwise good at using a gun and being in combat situations? What man portable firearms and weapons do we have available to us?

>>22065206
We're going to send them testing data on a mech, that isn't even built yet, and sell them mechs if they want later. They don't have any presence here. HZD-PAY has no LosTech in it whatsoever. This isn't because of the software.

>>22065266
It's still being designed, it'll take a while to finish the design let alone building it.

>>22065204
I was thinking more scuttling what they want rather than taking a chunk out of the planet with them on it, although not knowing the facility's size and whether that would happen, I guess getting people busy with what defenses we can muster would be better; busy scared people are less hysterical than busy bored people.

>>22065266

(simple by most standards but solid. it's the AK-47 of mechs right now without the possible accuracy issues. but it'd take too long to build one, even if you had complete plans available. fabricating the prototype will take months most likely)

>>22065273
Security really isn't our job, and we aren't in a position to hire an intern, let alone a specialized soldier.

>>22065282
er bored scared people, think I might need to go sleep and read up how screwed we get in the archive tomorrow

>>22065273
Do be fair, we're in charge of designing mechs, we're not in charge of security.

Danield was doing is job, you know, designing fucking mechs.

>>22065266
Hazard Pay is pretty damn low-tech, IIRC, all it really has are a few engineering innovations, that could easily be duplicated.

There's nothing really ground breaking, it's just using what's availible pretty damn well.

>>22065282
>>22065280
"If they're after the fact that this is a Lostec facility, whoever is threatening us is going to come after us and kill all of us so the word doesn't get out."

What sort of vehicles do we have on base? What small armaments do wr have?

>>22065280

You ask who might have any experience with this sort of thing.

Hatamoto steps forward.

"I have basic military training. I had to, to become a citizen. I and most of the crew own sidearms, and we all know how to at the very least fire downrange at a hostile. I can gather any crew not working on the Crazy Ivan into a militia if you do not require me elsewhere."

Dieter doesn't say much, just mumbles to himself. Wanda steps forward as well.

"I'm not a bad shot. I'm no sniper, but put a gun in my hand and I'll take a few punks down a notch."

No one else seems to have anything to offer in that regard.

As far as 'small' arms, you have some smaller 'Mech-grade weapons too, but see the earlier comment I made about turrets.

We need to design a basic mount system, maybe use the myomer to aid in moving the larger guns, but it sounds like it's all manual-aim. We gotta get started on this yesterday.

Also, we should make the facility look abandoned, so when they roll up and open the door, BLAM! Something's day was ruined. Tying into the basement generator is key, as we can't use much of anything if they cut the power on their way in.

>>22065296
That's... not that great. Is there any way we could reduce the buildtime without compromising quality?

This isn't ENTIRELY the best time to ask, but still.

>>22065334

(you have an UrbanMech, four cargo rail trucks, a rail crane, and some civvie vans. lots off sidearms, and some 'Mech-grade weapons in storage)

>>22065322
>>22065303
Mmhmm. My suggestion of hiring a security chief and/or mechwarrior pilot was to get around that but everyone disagrees for some reason. Admittedly it would still have been far too late to help matters.

>>22065345

It's a new fucking mech bro.

It takes months for Prototypes to be constructed, because every single stage is tested to make sure the computers didn't fuck up.

We don't even have a god damn torso frame for it yet, haven't finished the myomer, limbs, it's not even half done yet.

>>22065345
The Mech hasn't even been started yet, we're still in the design phase.

Unless you think you can finish the design for, and build a 35 ton prototype mech in one day.

>>22065345
It's not even completely designed yet.
As is, it has no form of movement and no electrical infrastructure. It'd literally be a statue.

>>22065367

Torso frame CONSTRUCTED* yet.

>>22065345

(I meant that as you've made a super-reliable tough machine that will serve well for years (so far), and that in other ways it is unremarkable, and has no advanced tech or weapons beyond what you've engineered as positive quirks for it, and the standard weapons of the day.

speeding the process isn't really possible for a prototype, but once you've field tested, production is much faster, but still not 24 hours unless you're Luthien Metalworks or another huge factory)

>>22065357
Easiest thing to do would be to set up some lasers on top of the vans and hook them into the base power. Instant anti-armour, but it'd die if anything looks at it funny.

I say no to blowing up the facility; we can take it back later but not if its a hole in the ground.

Fight, or flight?

A lot of the techs might not be willing to die over this.

>>22065357

Is there any way to seal the lostech depot away from the top surface?

Goddard and his crew only found out about it by accident.

>>22064608
remind me who goddard is? The dude in charge of this whole operation, right?

I'm GUESSING, and i mean guessing, that this is purely a domestic powergrab.
1) Its an email from our boss. This means hostage, and that he's local, being coerced, or sold out.
2) It means they're too broke to send us a message with cbills. Probably
3) if they're that broke, chances are this is a regular infantry/armored convoy force that's just trying to some bust up our shit for profit.


Hypothesis: Goddard was coerced by his 'old buddy' into spilling beans he shouldn't, they want to steal all the profitable lostech and sell it, and goddard convinced them to give us a chance to run.

What this means: We can't let the pirate have our lostech, because comstar will confiscate it, and THEN come gunning for US.
Which we want to avoid.

So this means either fighting or being sneaky about this.

We should email goddard back and ask for their hostage demands; its clearly not him writing

Perhaps we can use some of the rail trucks as mobile weapons platforms?

Nevermind, they don't really go above the surface.

We should think about who is attacking - this Vincent?
We can take him, he can't have much armament. He wouldn't trust telling anyone else about Lostech, he needs it himself. If he hired someone with more muscle, they'd take it from him themselves.

Governments? We're boned, but it's not likely because they wouldn't warn us first.

Small time merc group looking for free parts and ammo? If they have to try and scare us off first, we can take 'em.

>>22065342
Okay, get Hatamoto on setting up the militia.

So the rail trucks, they can operate just fine off of the rails. Would it be possible to convert one of them into a technical using one of the AC/2s that we have, or are both of those being used by the Crazy Ivan?

>>22065401
I think this is a bit of a bluff. It's probably Vincent being a dick, not Comstar coming after us.

>>22065381
Hey. Can we get a list of all the mech-grade shit we've got?

Also, check for fucking viruses on the mainframes if we have time.

>>22065359
We were busy focused on actually getting a design to present to the investors since we literally are working for free ATM and are being paid with sales from the mech.

I don't think offering a wage of $0 to bring in a mech and its pilot is all that reasonable.

Goddard had to scrape the bottom for a reason, his chief designer is fresh from Uni with no job prospects, and his cheif mechanic was rescused from gambling debt.

I'll reiterate, it's not the job of the *only* person who can design mechs to be in charge of base security.

(Also this is my first time in MEQ, because I keep going to bed before it starts, so yeah.)

>>22065401

I say fight. Any of our vees fusion powered? Those come with some sinks, generally speaking, so we can put lasers on those. Failing that, we turn them in SRM or LRM carriers. We are going to Libyan Milita the fuck out of things for now.

>>22065410

(yes you can seal it away easily in the 'basement' you found. 24 hours would be plenty of time to move the three things you have that could be considered LosTech)

Do we have LRM targeting systems? How many LRM launchers?

What mech weapons do we have?

We can mount the lasers on trucks without too much work and we can launch LRMs once only for an initial salvo. We should also look into securing the main avenues of attack.

Assuming no aerial attackers. We are screwed if that is the case.

Have some vans ready to roll out if we are looking at enemy mechs or anything not simply APCs; otherwise we can fight.

>>22065342
"Okay. Way I see it, there's two possible scenarios. Scenario one, ComStar sniffed something out. They will shit fury all over us, and we will drown in it. Let's hope it's not scenario one. Scenario two, Goddard was loose-lipped with his old friend Vincent, and he's brought some bandit punks down on our heads and they're trying to fleece us, with violence as a plan B. I'd say the latter is a lot more likely. Anyone here think we can jury-rig some rudimentary armored cars out of the vans to support the Crazy Ivan?"

>>22065410
If he's being interrogated, chances are they know about the depot, thus hiding it there would do nothing.

Unless Goddard's secretly a Spec-Ops commando, I highly doubt that he has any anti-interrogation training.

>>22065464
AC-2s are actually pretty good for AA.

>>22065443

Which are those?
LBX+ammo/Urbie/Antimissile?

Did anyone actually find the drive core or auto lathe that was hinted at in previous threads?

>>22065467
You forgot Scenario 3:

Goddard sent that mail and this is a fire drill.

>>22065477
You don't consider Scenario 3, even if it is Scenario 3, because you're supposed to treat Scenario 3 as Scenario 1 or 2.

>>22065424

(Ivan is using both of them as far as you know)

>>22065430

(you have:

1 Medium Laser
1 Large Laser
1 LRM 10
2 SRM 4
2 Small Laser
3 LRM 5

unless i am missing something., you sold 2 AC/2s, the MGs, and the flamer, as well as the 140u engine)

>>22065477

A "Fire Drill" that deals with Comstar is fucking worthless, as they WILL hunt you down and end you.

I wonder if we have enough cabling to run from base power up the crane arm to a hastily mounted laser, wouldn't be as good as a real turret and probably only good for one shot before getting ruined by return fire, but that 1 shot could fuck something's day up. Just a thought, also if there's only 1 port in town where Vincent's ship landed we should get ready to go ask him angry questions there unless Janine comes up with a different location.

>>22065494
Yeah, that sounds right. Kinda wish we still had the MGs, oh well.

It's going to be hard to use the lasers as we need to tie them into power supplies and heat sinks, and I don't think most of our vehicles can accomplish that. So put that on hold.

We can however stick SRMs and LRMs on trucks, so organize people to get started on that. Do we have any heat sinks around that we can use to turret the lasers?

>>22065477
We can't assume that. We have to act as if it's Scenario 1 or 2, and if it's 3 we get to punch Goddard in the face.

File: 1355640110136.gif-(1.13 MB, 225x153, 1342418940643.gif)

Maybe we shouldn't use the urbie unless they find the basement... But if Goddard talked, they know about it.

Well, if we mount up everything we can and half-assed aim it, we can still make 'em sorry. Wasn't part of the facility hardened, or armored in some way? That's where we need to put our turrets, probably on the rail trucks. We'll meet 'em with missles, autocannon, and small arms. Then we draw them into ambush against the mounted LAZAH'S! By the time they realize they're in a trap, they're boned.

>gif semi-related

>>22065500
Wait, is it possible to Jury-Rig a SRM or LRM onto the back of a truck like a Katyusha or MRLS?

>>22065531
It depends, if we're the A-team and have some music for a montage, should be possible.

>>22065439

(I.C.E. only, sorry. the rail trucks are electric, but that's not any help to mount energy weapons really)

>>22065474

(the core is below the main building. no one's found the hatch to it yet, except for the conduit that runs to it from the cache. the auto-lathe hasn't come up)

>>22065467
>>22065424

You nod to Hatamoto, and he marches off with Wanda to round up the troops.

You then ask if anyone thinks the vans you have can be used somehow to defend the depot, and no one seems sure that's possible. Dieter points out your only ballistic weapons are going into hiding or onto the Urbie, and the missiles would take too long to set up; they need fire control, since they aren't rocket launchers, which you could fabricate if you wanted to out of the LRM and SRM ammo possibly, but that would expend the ammo and you wouldn't have it for the HZP prototype to use.

>>22065531

Anontech, we need details on the vehicles we have at our disposal.

I think people are plannin on FIGHTAN, which means ENGINEERIN.

And also lots of emplaced explosives.

>>22065439
>I say fight. Any of our vees fusion powered?
This anon has a particularly pertinent question: fusion vehicles or ICE?

also this depot has GOT to have defenses of some kind. Its star league era. Someone should get to that computer.

>>22065527

>Lazers on crane arm and/or rail trucks.
>Missles on the vans
>Urbie
>Running battle, draw them in
>Ambush with concentrated fire
>SHOOP DA WHOOP

Just saying, I like my plan here.

>>22065553
"If we need to expend the ammo and don't have it available, we might not be alive to set up a prototype. Looks like we're going Katyusha on these bandit fucks."

>>22065553
WAIT GUYS WAIT
I HAVE AN IDEA
WHAT IF, NOW HEAR ME OUT,
WHAT IF
We mounted the LosTech weapon on the Urbie. Any kind of missile ordinance coming near us would be destroyed by it. I'm willing to mount it, and have it work on the Urbie if it saves us and everything else, or perhaps mount it to a truck so that the Urbie has more weapons on it to pack a punch on any kind of mech they send at us. I'm not sure how much damage that LosTech thing does to mechs, but mounting missiles to trucks and other ballistics we can pull those out if a mech is coming at us, and let the Urbie deal with their foot soldiers.

>>22065584
Besides, if memory still serves me correct, we actually made a profit of Vic, so I think we should be able to just buy some more ammo. I dobut Missiles are really rare or anything, hell we might even be able to buy some off the local garrison, that 'fell off a truck'"

If we can get enough power to the large laser for 1 shot and *any* range of motion to aim it enough for point blank operation it can at least give pirates something to think about, and heat sinks won't be as much of an issue if we don't plan for repeat firings. Also, if we fight and lose, we were probably doomed anyway. If we win we get GLORIOUS salvage parts for our shoestring mech company, either from the raiders themselves or from Vincent's entire fucking stock we take immediately afterwards, along with his ship.

>>22065611
Yeah, and if anyone (like the local garrison) sees it, we'll be right back to square one, only with an entire planet's of mechs affter us.

>>22065553
We've got two tons of SRM ammo and 3 tons of LRM ammo, we can use some of it.

>>22065611
That could be useful. Though it comes second in priority after getting the ACs on it.

Another valid point, missles could be used for placed remote charges. Stick 'em in a box with a remote detonator and wait for them to walk / drive by...
We should get to our computer and design some rockets and mounting setup for the vans. We need better than handguns to stop light armor, which we should assume is coming.
Molotov cocktails are also possible vs. anything flesh or anything with a hole in it. We should get started on that.

>>22065624
Well, if the local garrison sees it, guess what, we are screwed anyways because it is most likely the local garrison attacking us. Because if the local garrison is there, they would be helping us and I doubt we would need the LosTech

>>22065611
I'll second this
but before that,
>>22065645
brings up the point of contacting the local garrison, can we try that?

>>22065626
>>22065612
>>22065584

Dieter nods a bit, and summons Ilsa to his side.

"My dear, we have work to do. We need to fuse all these missile reloads into workable launchers. Get some of the fabricators to weld girders and struts together to make some frames for the rockets. We'll fuse them to a wired remote launcher."

You nod at them, and they leave to see to the rockets.

Just then, Janine returns.

'Daniel, I called into town asking about Goddard. Seems he was last seen entering a hotel with Vincent after a night at the bar spent carousing. Vincent was seen leaving the next morning, and he hopped a flight back to orbit; it was confirmed by the spaceport. Goddard never left the hotel it seems."

Hey, guys -
Guys -
If there's a local garrison, why not call them up and get an assist here?

It's possible Vincent hired them, but if we assume they're hostile and have them flank our enemy, it'll work out. If they ARE the enemy, we assume hostile, and when they get too close after repeated warnings, we know to open fire.

Basically, we assume they're the bad guy until they're shooting at our "raiders".

>>22065693
"Okay. We have people setting up defenses here. You and me, we should head into town, investigate this a bit further, and try to have a talk with the local garrison, things might get ugly."

>>22065645
Yeah, except that all the fighting we're doing might attract some attention. Last time I checked, autocannons and missiles arne't exactly silent.

>'Daniel, I called into town asking about Goddard. Seems he was last seen entering a hotel with Vincent after a night at the bar spent carousing. Vincent was seen leaving the next morning, and he hopped a flight back to orbit; it was confirmed by the spaceport. Goddard never left the hotel it seems."

Well fuck, idiot drunk couldn't keep his mouth shut.

>Daniel thCourn
WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME, CAPTCHA?

>>22065744
Alright, I'll work with you here, mount the LosTech to a truck, if the local garrison come then the truck can just go in the basement. Simple and easy, we can assume the local garrison MIGHT be able to handle what is there.

Also, I'm all for contacting the local garrison to see if they can help out.

>>22065775
I guess that could work, if a truck can handle it.
We might want to have the elevator prepped beforehand, then.

Also what the fuck Goddard, we're working like 15 hour shifts, while he gets his druken ass kidnapped? If he survives the kidnapping and the beating we give him, we have Hatamoto teach him ASIAN WORK ETHIC.

>>22065775
>>22065744
>>22065717
>>22065701

You suggest you and Janine head into town to check on things there, and to request assistance from the garrison.

She nods, and you tell everyone else to go help with whatever wherever they are needed.

You jog to one of the vans, and Janine hops into the driver's seat.

"Buckle up."

As soon as you do the van is in motion, and you are speeding towards town. As you go, You look at Janine, and she seems pretty upset. Not weepy upset, but certainly upset. Probably angry too, given what you know about her.

"Daniel, I had a feeling something like this might happen. Goddard is a good guy but he's too damn flighty. I'm betting he blabbed something and someone overheard it, and in his circles it's not frowned upon for a friend to abandon another... it's all 'just business'. I'd know about that, too, if you recall."

You nod, and you see the lights of the town approach through the windshield.

"You want to hit the bar, the hotel, or the cops first? Or do you have another idea?"

I've not much to add to these plans, other than seconding the local garrison because y'know, that's their job.

>>22065838
Hit the Hotel first. Find Goddard, secure him, and find out what he blabbed and to who.

>>22065838
"Yeah, his friends kinda suck. And him getting kidnapped is rather inconvenient, gets in the way of work.

First the bar, the bartender might remember something about him. Then the hotel, track Goddard's steps. We might get more evidence and data to give to the cops."

It might be worth pointing out that we have some C-bills since Vincent bought some of our old crap we can use for bribes to help give the backwoods garrison commander some incentive to give a damn about our situation. Additionally, using money we got from Vincent to help kill the people that he's likely sending seems a fitting use, as long as we don't have to use too much of it.

>>22065860
>>22065868

"I'm not too sure he's still going to be at the hotel, unless he's masterminding this whole thing, which would certainly surprise me. And then I'd rip his head off.

I'm all for the bar though."

>>22065878
Just offer them 1/2 salvage rights, with us getting first pick?

Bargin down to them getting 2/3'rd with us getting first pick.

>>22065942

Yeah. Bar, hotel, then cops.

(thread got awfully quiet awfully quick. something up?)

>>22066033
Just a lull. Bar first, then we'll hit the hotel, and then the cops.

>>22065942
"Don't even consider that. Scenario 3, the firedrill, must never be named. We'll check his room for any evidence, cautiously. Don't want to get blackjacked."

>>22066033

its rather late here, i'm about to bow out.

Let's hit the bar.

>>22065977
>>22066047

Janine checks her data tablet and gets the address the police emailed her for the bar they were sighted at, and in minutes you arrive.

You disembark, and enter the establishment. The building itself is pretty unremarkable, but the inside is actually decently kept; there is a hardwood bar, which is rare, and a lone bartender, with a half-dozen patrons at various places around the room.

The bartender looks up and you and smiles.

"Welcome to the Arena. What can I get you two?"

>>22066069

(guess starting at 9 was a transition time then. that's fine, sorry east coasters!)

I'm good with offering 2/3 salvage to the garrison as long as we get first pick. Anything too damaged wouldn't be as useful to us because of the man hours we would need to get it working. That wouldn't bother the garrison much though.

With first pick we can take whatever is most useful to our business.

Anontech, please give us a countdown of how much time we've got remaining. I suspect it won't matter; either they're going to see we're not leaving and attack early, or it's a bluff and they are going to need to spend some more time setting up any raid.

Still, a countdown of how much time we've got would be good.

>>22066080
Sit down at the bar.

Order a beer. Then ask if he remembers Goddard and Vincent coming here a couple nights ago, describe what they look like because he probably doesn't know their names.

>>22066080
"Our idiot boss and his traitorous merchant friend."
We are being raided by DEBT COLLECTORS, people. Remember this.

>>22066080
"Have you seen this man?" Slap a hundred creds down on the table and show him goddard's picture.

"We need to find him, make sure he's ok and know what happened to him, fast."

>>22066115

(okay, sure. 24 hours as of the email. 23 as of organizing everyone. 22 1/2 as of arriving at the bar. i'll try to update the time after every action)

>>22066128
Secondededed. Money is a universal language.

Another anon down with offering local garrison partial salvage rights. Another idea is offer to pay for their expended ammo.

>>22066158
Yes, this, we will talk with the local garrison after the bar and hotel check. If we DO find that he is still in the hotel, we can pull some sort of fire alarm, I'm sure that would be interesting.
>>22066061
gave me the idea
if he IS still in the hotel and we find this out, we call the police/local garrison, tell them about hostage situation, pull the fire alarm, stay on them

>>22066119
>>22066128
>>22066158

You sit at the bar, and Janine flanks you. You order a drink, and slide your card. The barkeep arches an eyebrow at the 100 Cbill tip.

"Looking for... oh, them? I remember them. Bought drinks for everyone, hanging all over each other all night. Left in the am. Nice guys, but kinda loud. I don't run a dive here, but they were throwing money around so I let it slide."

>>22066206
"Do you remember anything else about them? Did they talk about anything unusual? Act strange? How drunk were they when they left? Did one of them drink more than the other? Anything really."

>>22066220
Pretty much these questions.

>>22066206
"And do you know which way they went?"
Good. Call back to the base, we've got communications with them, right? Tell them it's Vincent and whatever forces he's scrounged up, tell them it's better to dig in, we'll be able to handle this on our own.

"We need to hit the hotel after this, Janice."

>>22066033
Honestly its my first MEQ and I found out we're not going to be doing any mech design this week.

Kinda dissapointed we're now Detective Daniel rather than engineering some giant robots.

>>22066206
Goddammit Goddard, were you trying to get kidnapped

>>22066246
We're pretty sure it's Vincent, but we don't have any more proof of it than we did last night.

>>22066246
We're not absolutely sure. Not yet. Still tell them to dig in, I'll second that.

>>22066251
I mean that we did before we hit the bar. I completely lost where I was going with that sentence.

>>22066220
>>22066244
>>22066246

"Uh, they didn't seem to talk about anything too strange, though the one guy bragged that he'd be the guy that put Skvorec on the map, once his ace team did their thing. The other guy seemed to agree with him too. As for where they went when they left, not a clue. I had to clean up after they got everyone drunker'n a skunk."

>>22066250

(sorry you aren't liking the direction things headed in, but that's what happens with collective games controlling one character; majority rules and it was decided to actively play detective. i'm glad you got to participate this time though, that's something right? and the quest will happen closer to this time more often so there will be others)

>>22066283
"Damn. Know of anyone else who might know where they went?"

>>22066283
"About when did they leave? Would anyone else know where they went, they leave with anyone?"

Let's hit the hotel, and then head back. If we can't find Goddard then we're wasting time when we could help out.

Hamato's finding a militia to help out, right?

>>22066283
It's not bad, but when you join a thread called "MechEngineer Quest" you kinda expect it to be about, well, engineering mechs.

And it doesn't really feel like we have much of a choice, thread started and *BAM* leave in 24 hours or you die, doesn't really leave any room for design.

Unless I missed something in the previous threads stating we wanted to go in this direction?

Hey, do we have a picture of Richard or whoever Goddard fired before we got here?

If he was in the bar while Goddard was in his cups about the company's success that would give him a motive.

>>22066304
He's organizing a militia. We've got a pile of people with firearms, he's just organizing it and so on.

And we still should visit the local garrison before we head back home, backup could be nice.

>>22066296
>>22066301

"Naw, but they talked a spell with a few guys I don't know before they left. Sat at a table and had a little pow-wow, laughing and having a good time. Dunno what they were on about, but after that, the two you're probably after took off."

You nod to Janine to call the depot and let them know what's happening, and she agrees.

"They left... 'bout 2 am. Just them two."

>>22066313
Not useful. Who cares if it's Vincent or Richard, unless it's someone with government backing we're probably going to get a small infantry force, with light vehicle support. That's all we need to know.

What we also need is to find out what happened to Goddard, but it looks like we won't find him so fast.

>>22066333
"I'm guessing that you haven't seen the guys they hung out with since then."

Doing >>22066313 is a good idea. Or asking if he heard the name Richard Kensington Jr.

After that thank him for his time and head to the hotel.

>>22066311

(well to be fair it was argued that daniel is a designer, not a security guy or the guy to hire one, but yet they are here playing detective, which is not a bad thing at all, just kinda funny when you consider it along side that. still, i hope you aren't considering this a railroad; events that have happened in the last three threads lead to this so it's not as if i'm trying to force things in a certain direction, so please don't think that.)

>>22066333
"No more information here. Let's hit the hotel fast then go down to the garrison and see if we can't get some actual backup."

What is the local garrison like, anyway? Any aeroforce? Mechs, troops, vees?

>>22066313
>>22066352

You ask if he's heard of Richard, and he shakes his head. He also admits he hasn't seen the guys they palled around with after that night.

Janine puts away her tablet, and you believe you've learned all you can.

"I've got the address to the hotel. Or do you want to go straight to the station?"

>>22066356
Well I don't mind him playing detective, he doesn't really have much of a choice in this, everyone has to kinda try hard not to get killed, and Daniel can't sit around doing nothing.

I dunno, I guess the foreshadowing was too subtle or something, for me it felt like it came out of left field.

To be fair, I might've missed some important clues plowing through it on sup/tg/.

All that being said, Goddard DID recruit a lot of people from shady situations, so we can't dismiss that it was an inside job.

>>22066394

(as far as you know, they are a local group of cops/soldiers who have some vees and a Stinger on-hand)

>>22066412
Hotel.

>>22066412
Hotel.

>>22066423
Damn, only a Stinger. Hopefully there isn't anything big that we have to deal with.

>>22066418
Well, Goddard did completely drop out of circulation for a couple days, we just were a bit focused on ENGINEERING to notice, though I'm surprised nobody else thought it was odd.

>>22066423
How long would it take them to get out to the base? I like the idea of trapping any attackers between two forces as an ambush.

Go to the hotel first, of course, but then head to the garrison.

Suggest mostly that they can get 3/4 salvage rights with us getting first pic for the majority of the cost of the contract, get the stinger and a platoon if you can. Call out charge and a bit of a bonus, if we can.

(assuming the garrison isn't going to be the attacking force. WELP)

>>22066352
But it does matter. If it's Richard and not Goddard were dealing with local butthurt rather than interstellar cutthroat business. Richard sounds like the type to be dramatic even though it spoils the surprise. Goddard knows business, he would have shown up with a lance.

>>22066485

GOddard is our boss, Vincent is his merchant friend.

>>22066435
>>22066457

You both get into the van and head over to the hotel.

(22 hours left)

You arrive, and see the place is about the same condition as the bar; average, with a decent enough interior. Seems this whole town is just a quaint place, barely a city even. Plain everything.

You approach the woman at the desk, and she smiles.

"Hello... how can I help the two of you? We have a few spare rooms at the moment."

>>22066457
To be fair, we don't have regular with Goddard he just pops in randomly, as the new guy, we're the person LEAST likely to notice any oddities in his schedule. If anything, Janine seems to work with him the most, so she should've been the first person to notice.

Also Goddard seems rather flaky, I'm guessing it wouldn't be OOC for him to be missing for a few days.

>>22066502
"Yes. A couple nights ago, probably between 2-3 AM, 2 people came in." Describe Goddard and Vincent and give their names. "I was wondering if you knew anything about their stay, or if you know who would know more about this."

>>22066502
Same deal as before, we're just looking for our boss and his friend.

>>22066524
>>22066525

The woman blinks, and taps her chin with her finger.

"I wasn't working the last few nights... my son was sick so I was taking care of him at home. I can call my manager if you want. Are you police?"

Ya know, we're not thinking carefully enough. Say the bartender, the hotel clerk, etc. has been tipped off to tell Goddard's captors if someone goes looking for him?

Do we really wanna get ourselves captured? 'Cause we're cruising that way.

>>22066544
"Not exactly. Though I'd like to see your manager and ask if he knows anything about this."

>>22066544
"Nope, employees. Boss can't pay us if he's busy boozing it up with his buddy."

>>22066544
"Private investigators, with reason to believe that one of your patrons- Vincent- kidnapped the other. No need to call your manager, I think we have all the information we need."

>>22066544
"He's our boss, he's been missing for three days and hasn't contacted us at all. We just need to check if he's all right. Has he checked out? If not, we would like to see if he's still in or not.

>>22066588
We didn't get any information from here yet. And this place might have something, it might have security footage, we shouldn't leave just yet.

>>22066562
>>22066573
>>22066588

"I'll uh.. I'll call her up. One moment."

She flips on her comm and after a few beeps a woman answers.

"Hi Flo, this is Tammy. I've got two people here who want to know about some customers a few nights ago. Two males, they say."

Flo answers, "Oh, them? Yeah, tell them one of them left some of their crap in the room; I put it in a box under the counter for the guy to pick up, but he never did."

Tammy nods, and hangs up with a 'thanks'.

"Well if you can tell me his full name I'll release the box to you."

>>22066621
"It's Goddard Grey. Mind if we have a look at the box?"

>>22066621
Goddard Grey wasn't it? If he used something else this just gives us another reason to kick him in the balls at the next opportunity.

>>22066631

She looks inside and nods.

"All yours."

She hands it to you, and you open it.

Inside is a coat, which you recognize. Under that is a wallet, with his ID and cards still inside. Besides it is a sock.

You unfold the coat and check the pockets. Inside the inner pocket you find a folded paper. You unfold and read it.

"We will communicate with you soon."

>>22066685
CURSE YOU, ROM
Head for the cops.

>>22066685
"Well, shit. Aren't they savvy."

>>22066685
Check out the sock, there might be something in it, who knows.

This is a bad situation, but we can't really investigate much more, we don't have any good leads.

We ought to visit the cops/garrison now.

What.

Ok, either someone was going to communicate with Goddard, or.. something. Goddard's beyond our reach, then.

Time to get to the garrison and see if we can't hire some troops.

>>22066701
>>22066704
>>22066706

You thank Tammy, and head out the door with Janine.

Into the van, to the garrison.

You enter the headquarters building, and there is a sergeant seated at the desk.

"Can I help you folks?"

>>22066719
"Yeah, could you let us see whoever is in charge here? We need to talk to him about something important."

Was there anything in the sock, or was it just an empty sock?

>>22066719
Whatever we say, we're blaming DEBT COLLECTORS, not Comstar.

>>22066736

(nothing in the sock, except for some lingering smell)

>>22066747
(CHECK THE SMELL)

But seriously. "We're in need for some protection on fairly urgent basis. Can we speak to your boss?"

>>22066761
>>22066736

"What's the problem? I'll get the captain if I think he needs to be bothered."

Janine takes the reigns this time, it seems.

"Long story short. You know that depot outside of town?"

"Yeah?"

"Well it's probably going to be attacked soon by pirates or mercs or something, and we need your help to protect the workers."

The sergeant blinks. "No shit?! HEY GUYS, THE EIGHTS ARE BACK. GET MAPLES ON DECK TO FIRE UP ANNIE, AND GET URSULA ONLINE!"

You both can't help but blink, and the sergeant picks up on your confusion.

"Eights are a pirate group that operates in the area. Only ones that could possibly threaten anyone with any kind of force. Plus I recall Gonzales telling me you called earlier asking about the two men's whereabouts. Small station, word gets around. You two should get back to the depot and hunker down. We'll get out there as soon as we get everyone suited up. Just keep your heads down and we'll take care of everything."

>>22066798
Well that went well.

>>22066798
"Alright. Just a heads-up, we've got an Urbanmech of our own out there."

>>22066798
Well that's half the problem solved. We should still deploy the urbie just in case.

>>22066798
"Understood.

Tell the captain we'll have an Urbanmech with two 45mm Autocannons strapped together attached to it to assist and we're also organizing people to use small arms just in case and making missile launchers with the SRM and LRM ammo we have available for artillery support.

What is Annie and Ursula if you don't mind me asking? I'm guessing one of them is the Stinger."

>>22066798
Wow, these guys are kinda pretty decent.

When we get Hazard Pay in full production mode, we should give them a free mech to show our appreciation.

Not only will it make them more likely to protect us in the future, and provide ample goodwill, but if they like it enough, their reccomendation might be enough to open a new market with the locals.

>>22066827
Shit nigger, we'll give them one once it starts getting bought, and once it's in full-swing we'll give them another.

>>22066816
>>22066817

"Yeah, no shit? Well I guess it can stand there and turret if you really want to let it fight. Oh, I should tell you: these guys are known for ransom kidnappings. It's how they operate. Find some slob, snatch him, extort. Thing is, we can't usually lock them down because they don't normally do this sort of thing. I guess they think there's something worth taking at your little depot there. Maybe that Urbie you got; it's gotta be better than that junkyard Banshee they got."

Where is Skvored exactly? If it's out in the boonies it probably won't have a military presence and the local police double as the garrison.

>>22066837
Well we *are* a Mech manufacturer, even if we are a small one, they probably thought we'd be an easy target for mech parts.

>>22066837
"Yeah, we recently bought a moderately sized shipment of weapons to attach to the mech we're developing - wouldn't be surprised if they're after that too."

>>22066822

The sergeant chuckles.

"They gotta have names, right? Ursula's the Wasp; someone musta told you she was a Stinger that don't know 'Mechs. Annie is our Vendette. She's a sweet girl but only Maples knows how to start her.

Anyway, you two should git. The Eights got gangers and hobos everywhere that spot for them, so they might have tagged you snooping around. Don't stop till you get back to your depot; I'll let the patrols know not to pull you over. Just gimme your van's plate number."

You do, and he nods, and heads to the back. Janine pipes up.

"Color me surprised they weren't useless rednecks who wanted a million Cbills to get out off their chairs."

>>22066843

(its in the Free World's League, near their border with the Magistracy of Canopus and the Periphery.

>>22066864
>Just gimme your van's plate number.
notsuspiciousatall notsuspiciousatall notsuspiciousatall...

>>22066864
Let's get Janine out of here before one of the cops overhears her opinion of the locals.

>>22066864
Well shit...
(PARANOIA MODE : ACTIVATED)

...What if they just want our plate to make us an easy target? I'd be more paranoid if they wanted to escort us, but...

Damn. Curse you Anontech! Who can we trust? AND WHO WAS PHONE?!

>>22066864
"Well to be fair, by taking out these bandits, they're probably getting their hands on a small fortune worth of salvage for a couple hours work.

If they do want salvage rights, try and bargain to get medium lasers, and some heatsinks, you can never have enough of either."

>>22066892
Couldn't we phone the base and tell them there's a chance the local law enforcement could be in on it and trust no one?

Said said, I dunno what to do..

>>22066864
The sock. THE SOCK. It was soaked in chloroform, wasn't it? We can't give him our number, and we can't just say no... So what if we ask him to smell the sock? Figure out what's on it? Maybe there's enough left to make him woozy and forgetful.

>>22066913

>"Can you just smell this sock for me?"

That seems real likely to lead to positive response.

>>22066908

Trust nobody until they shoot some pirates. Then trust them enough to not shoot at them until they point guns at you.

>>22066932
It's legitimate forensic evidence! It just happens to be a sock!

>>22066945

Generally speaking, "sniff it" is not part of standard procedure when dealing with forensic evidence. He'd probably just put it in a plastic bag and take it away from us or something. And there might be something significant about the sock which we haven't spotted yet.

"Well, does it actually spell like cholorform?"

ANYWAY! Give them the number, head back to base hightime. Do we ourselves have a gun?

We are armed with an angry steiner otherwise

>>22066945

You sound like my ex-girlfriend who sniffed my socks to see if I used them as cum rags so she could bitch at me for watching too much porn.

>>22066864
So they've got a tank, and a Wasp. Which is damn good help against these buggers.

>>22066864
"They seem to be competent, which is good. We should get back, hunker down, we've done what they can, I might get some more work done once we get back.

Fucking Goddard, getting himself kidnapped, asshole, I can tell that I'm going to burn through a lot of cigarettes today."

>>22066961
That is one of the deadliest weapons in the BattleTech universe.

File: 1355649001312.jpg-(8 KB, 205x197, 1334810094581.jpg)

>>22066968

Wat.

You and Janine leave, and hurry home. You arrive unmolested, as promised, and gather everyone together, letting them know what you found out and what's happening.

Dieter says he's ready to wire the missile ammo into unguided rockets if you want, but now that the garrison is coming he's not sure you have to.

Hatamoto tells you everyone has been drilled as to where to set up and who to shoot first, which is the best he can do.

Ivan informs you the Urbie will be combat ready in five hours.

Ivan smirks. "Letting them come! I will fill them full of so many holes they will being like swiss cheese!"

Time remaining till the deadline: 20 hours.

(That's all for tonight folks. I have to leave soon, due to work early tomorrow. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves this time, and while I might have to reduce running MEQ to once a week, I promise to still deliver as best I can.)

Ha, it almost seems like about all we CAN do is head back and work out the myomer for good ol' HZD-PAY.

I can't wait until the glorious thread comes where our baby is finally finished!

Since the situation is pretty much out of our hands we should go bck to being an engineer.

Can someone post the stat sheet for the version of the mech we plan to make? The one with the 2 SRM 2SLAS 1MLAS. There were a bunch of them iirc.

>>22066980

>Dieter says he's ready to wire the missile ammo into unguided rockets if you want, but now that the garrison is coming he's not sure you have to.

Well, would it be a major issue to rewire them back later if they end up unused? I'd rather have 'em and not need 'em than need 'em and not have 'em.

(thread is archived, I'm sure you know where to go by now)

I'll stick around for a bit to Q&A, as usual, but then bed.

>>22067003

(in order to make them detonate on impact he has to kill the guidance on them and set them to 'hotload' mode, which arms them while they are sitting on the rack. they CAN be switched back, but it'd take lots of time. it's one of those things that's easy to turn off, and hard to turn on again.)

Ya know, there's only 3 reasons as a mech factory we NEED ammo -
>Testing
>Tech Demo
>Personal Security

Really, we're not in the business of supplying everyone's ammo. I don't even know that we need to ship every mech locked n' loaded. That said, why NOT rewire the rockets, just in case?

>>22067042
We won't be making a working prototype for weeks or months. Doesn't sound like a problem to me.

>>22067053

You have a point; keeping some around is a good idea but you aren't an arms dealer, you're a mech factory.

>>22067016
Can we put weapon rails in the arms too?

Eh. Might as well. When it comes to life or extra work, go with extra work

>>22067077

Not now you can't; you'd have needed to do that before you worked on the actuators, since their placement influences internal space and layout in the limbs.

It'd be a hell of a roll to do it too, since going that far with it is basically making a diet Omnimech. The arms are a much harder space to efficiently design like that, since they are so crowded with myomer and actuators/joints.

Tell Deiter to hotload just enough of them to arm the launchers we have. I don't think we have any way of reloading the launcher in combat anyway.

>>22067108
You misunderstand.

The SRM/LRMs are being dumbfired without any launchers. We're literally putting them on metal poles and firing them.

Be sure to stand well back, folks!

>>22067108

this is true, you really don't. basically, if you have him go through with it, you'll end up with five RL10s to put wherever you want.

Can we rig some SRM landmines?

>>22067097
We are very easy to adapt, however; if they need to go so far as to bolt the weapon to the armor all they gotta do is replace a sheet of armor that is pretty much the correct size as-is from the factory and drill some holes, run the cables - the hardest part is likely the targeting system configuration.

>>22067097
Hmm okay then. Would it be possible to make different arm designs based around different weapons? You could have a flamer arm, a MLAS, and dual SLAS. Since the tonnage would be similar whoever builds the mech could just pick one of the three. You can mirror the design as well so could have the same weapon on both arms.

>>22067158
This reminds me of a thread or two ago, when I was arguing that we should have multiple configurations available for purchase, and make the weapons as interchangeable as possible - for some reason, I couldn't get much support. That said...

>Seconded if possible

>>22067148

This is true, for the most part.

>>22067158

It's expected that you'll concoct several different variants and present them all to the attending investors, who will then fund the version (or versions) they want.

>>22067175
Yeah, if we can't make it directly interchangeable we can just put multiple designs on file. It would take a factory refit to switch from one weapon to another, but there wouldn't be any jury rigging, you just follow the new design.

Since the rails are there in the chest you should be able to swap LRMs and SRMs. What else could you put there? It has plenty of space for lasers and the like, but that would also need more heatsinks.

> Flamer in each arm
> 3 machine guns in each side torso
> 2 tons of mg ammo
> Infantry prepare your anus

Alright guys, I need to get to bed.

It was fun, as always. Sorry I wasn't able to run till we autosaged as usual, but my new job doesn't let me burn the midnight oil anymore.

I'll let you know as soon as I can when the next installment will be. Night all, and thanks again for participating!

Class C refit kits are a cool idea and all but stock variants are going to be way easier to pull off if they come that way straight off the assembly line. The idea is you sell them on a classy trio of configs and then sell cripplingly expensive upgrade kits if they want to swap loadouts for additional roles later. That way they already have the chassis lying around and can slip into dat sunk cost fallacy nice and easy.

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>>22067232

So, what would the purposes of our three variants be?

I'm thinking two anti-mech variants (Our standard variant and a longer range variant) and an anti infantry variant for crowd control (Machineguns, flamers and such with the option to swap them out for more non-lethal things like beanbags, tear gas or high-pressure water)

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>>22067232
yfw aftermarket upgrades

What roles can this mech pull off? It's pretty damn fast. I think the two ideas we had were a striker with SRMs and a skirmisher with LRMs. Anything else? There were a lot of variants back when we hadn't decided on the 240 engine. Mostly to do with more guns.

>>22067286
I think one of the more popular ones was using two AC/2s for anti air.

>>22067298
Anti-air is way too niche in the BT universe, you literally have maybe three or four mechs or even variants equipped to do such a thing.

That's a great idea for a refit kit though.

>>22067286
Honestly it can pull off pretty much any role you're going to want out of a light mech. It's tough as nails, it has a good amount of armament, and it's about as fast as you could want from a 35 tonner.

It makes a good scout, though not as good as a Jenner due to it not having Jump Jets, but still good. It can hold an area due to having good weaponry and defenses, though it would be better at that if we had put in a small engine and added more Dakka. It can skirmish well due to its speed getting you into position, our locking system making the turn to aim quick, and unloading a barrage of missiles and death.

It can do pretty much anything you would want from a light mech, it's a damn solid Jack-of-all-Trades, there are mechs in its weight class that are better than it at something, but those ones give up a lot to do so.

>>22067307
Especially if we make the franken-AC/2s that were discussed.

>>22067260
This sounds like a solid plan. Standard, Sniper, and Anti-infantry.
This is a GREAT plan, especially if HZD earns a good reputation. Sell people this light, durable, relatively cheap mech, then get them to buy all the refit kits. Eventually even have a salvage / worker model, a command and control type with an awesome sensor suite and upgraded software, and anti-missle / anti-air.

This... We won the game. We won't have much difficulty designing the "Class C refit kits", and can sell them comparatively for tons of C-bills. Moreover, they may want the upgraded software / sensor suite anyways, AND another refit kit.

Excellent... Muahahahahahahahh...

>>22067298
Hmm, well if you ditched everything else and a little of the armour you could mount one AC2 in each arm with some ammo. That would make us half a Jagermech, but it would need good targeting software. It would also pop light vehicles just dandy. Question is if there is a market for this sort of thing.

With the chest rails I'm kind of envisioning them as a PC with hard drive cages. To mount something on the rails you just need to build a bracket around it to make it square and make sure the bolt holes line up. The rest of the work is just cable management basically.

If people wanted to retrofit a HZP in the field that would mean removing the arm weapons to gain weight and space. Then mount whatever in the torsos. We just need to account for stuff like power lines to allow them to do this.

How much space is available in each torso? What would be the biggest item someone could mount in there?

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>>22067319
We need sales people.
And we need to get them red shirts.
"Welcome to Skvorec Armorworks, can I interest you in a new Class C Upgrade Kit for your Hazard Pay?"

>>22067319
Class C refits are classified as changes to a 'Mech that include changing armor weight and location, additional/fewer heatsinks, weapon types (energy/ballistic/missile), weapon size (weight/crit), and weapon location.

Would "jump jets" be possible to add as a factory refit? I realize that it couldn't be done in the field, but having the ABILITY to add functioning jump jets would be great, even if they weren't very good. This is probably the time to go and revise our blueprints, if we have time at the end of everything else at the very least. If it's as simple as rerouting the exhaust vents to a slightly different spot, maybe it won't be so bad.

We can finish our current design with that in mind, and if we have time, go back and add in the base capability. Then, it's a matter of paying the extra for jump jets to be fitted before shipping, or we could send a kit for them to do it at a local repair facility.

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>Angry Steiner running a GW store

>>22067389
>Then, it's a matter of paying the extra for jump jets to be fitted before shipping, or we could send a kit for them to do it at a local repair facility.
But Skvorec won't be held responsible for any failures incurred during use of jump jets that were installed by anyone other than Skvorec approved Hazard Pay mechanics.
We everything wrong with the automobile industry now.

Now now people, remember, we want to have a GOOD reputation!

>>22067389
Yes we haven't fully designed the legs yet. I think we should include mounting points for the jump jets. One each in the three torso locations and one in either leg. That way we could mount anywhere from 1-5 jump jets and 30-150m distance. We don't have any on hand to use but this is planning for the future anyway.

>>22067412
Well, that's always gotta be a true statement. If I give you a lightbulb to install in someone's home, but you're so clueless about lightbulbs that you decide to fill it with gasoline before installing it, who gets in trouble?

We should only sell to approved repair facilities under warranty (perhaps charge a small fee for them to carry a license to retrofit Skvorec mechs, after all, we inspect and certify these facilities, and that costs us money too!), or customers with Skvorec mechs. If THEY take it to a non-endorsed facility to have it done, well... That's on them.

>>22067448
I was more referring to how automobile manufacturers intentionally build shit to use as many proprietary tools and parts as possible in order to muscle out local garages.

>>22067448
Fuck that, we want our mech to be a whore. Sell out jumpjet kits to whoever. Guarantee not included, but feel free to bring it back to a store to get it fixed up! They're tough old birds.

>>22067481
Yeah, no, we're not some sort of prissy Defiance factory. We bid to the lowest common denominator for things that work, and work well.

We're Skorvek, for the masses, arming the masses, and being paid by the masses.

Down and dirty and gets the job done.

>>22067500
We'll sell the parts, but guarantee them only from certain locations - we want solid reliability, and a foundation of trust amongst our customers, investors, and pilots. They should ALL know that they're getting their money's worth buying our stuff. Also, we can sell the license to the garage that fits our parts and make money off of not JUST the sale of the part, but the guarantee / warranty as well.

I still think we suggest to our good (currently kidnapped) buddy that we could use a great software engineer to custom design the interfaces to future mechs. We can custom-build the interface to ONLY be good for our mech, but by god - it will be perfect for it's usage.

Also, a worker / salvage variant with little to no armor and nothing but plasma cutters / welders / tools / various inventive ways to carry weight from A to B might be good for the civilian sector, too.

>Also, a worker / salvage variant with little to no armor and nothing but plasma cutters / welders / tools / various inventive ways to carry weight from A to B might be good for the civilian sector, too.
We can call it the Magpie!

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>>22067658

FUCK YOU.

>>22067658
>>22067686

Umm,
>>22067579 here, and... I don't get it.

>>22067703

Blood Ravens.

Famed for stealing everything, even shit that's bolted down.

>>22067727
Oh, now I DO get it, and I dunno whether I should laugh or rage. Maybe both?

>>22067658
If we don't want to call it Hazard Pay because of reasons we could call the whole mech Magpie. A shout out to our Cappelan overlords and their Raven.