#ultimate utility mech

[matrim-cauthons-hat]

ive only had my raven for twenty minutes but if anything happen to her i would kill everyone in this hanger and then myself

[boinkingbattlemechs]

Orion

“A poor man's Atlas”

The Orion was built in 2456 as the first true heavy BattleMech. Originally designed for the Terran Hegemony to maintain its dominance and built on Hesperus II, the Orion is a dependable workhorse design that can handle almost any combat role, thanks to its mix of long and short-range weaponry and its respectable armoring. After the K model was introduced in 2525, the 'Mech first saw combat during the Reunification War and continued to serve the Star League and its Member States for the next few centuries. Perhaps its most famous role was as the personal 'Mech of Aleksandr Kerensky during the Amaris Civil War, and it was while piloting his Orion that the General kicked down the palace doors to take the Usurper prisoner.

The inspiration for the Orion's beginnings is said to be a direct result of Operation PROMETHEUS when the Terran Hegemony realized they would no longer be the sole user of BattleMechs. Work began shortly after with the Hegemony Armed Forces requesting machines suited for various combat roles, and the Hegemony's military leadership were soon accepting proposals for competing designs almost simultaneously. With other designs already underway, it would be General Mechanics winning a contract for a proposal that would ultimately become the Hegemony's premier heavy attack BattleMech: the Orion. Ironically, GM had actually unveiled a prototype as early as 2453, but the HAF, while interested at the time, were dismissive as it did not meet the High Command's requirements for speed and armor, and its armament was considered too lackluster for a front-line war machine. GM had returned to the drawing board in the following years, further refining their design by settling for a smaller, less powerful engine to free up weight for additional weaponry. It would not be until GM's third prototype—the ON1-H, which mounted a newly developed class-10 heavy autocannon—that the HAF would finally approve the design one year following Operation PROMETHEUS in 2456. Following the successful introduction of the prototype, the HAF immediately pushed General Mechanics to produce as many Orions as possible. The armed forces of the Hegemony quickly assigned them to BattleMech regiments in whole companies at a time, adding to their growing ranks of Mackies, Banshees, and later Archers and Griffins.

After the fall of the Star League, Kali Yama Weapons Industries took over production of the Orion, building new models from their factories on Kalidasa. This left the Free Worlds League as the only producer of new Orions during the Succession Wars, although the other Successor States were capable of building spare parts to repair their 'Mechs, and meant the Free Worlds League Military was the largest Orion user. When Kali Yama merged to create the Kali Yama - Alphard Trading Corporation, Orion production was started up on Kendall as well. The League's dominance in new Orions began to change during the Clan Invasion when the Successor States met on Outreach and agreed to work together to combat the Clans. Kali Yama/ATC was among those companies which agreed to sell war matériel, including the Orion, to the other States undergoing Clan attacks. In spite of the design's age it still finds itself utilized extensively on the modern battlefield and new variants continue to be produced.

The Orion has a varied weapons mix. The 'Mech's primary long-range weapon is a KaliYama Death Bloom LRM-15 launcher mounted in the left torso along with two tons of reloads. While an accurate weapon useful against both land and air targets the system's control cables travel through a narrow area in the shoulder. This area is potentially subject to excessive heat, which can cause either the weapon or actuator to shut down. For intermediate ranges, the Orion carries a KaliYama Class 10 Autocannon/10 in its right torso with two tons of ammo. For centuries the ammunition feed to the cannon suffered regular jamming unless pilots loaded nineteen salvos instead of the full twenty in the ammunition magazine. This defect was eventually solved in the 3030s by Norse-Storm BattleMechs, although the fact that the weapon's placement limits right-arm movement and can be knocked out of alignment if accidentally struck couldn't be helped. Finally, for close-range combat, the Orion has an Irian Weapons Works Class 4 SRM-4 launcher in the left torso fed by a one-ton bin of ammo and two Irian Weapons Works medium lasers; one in each arm.

Carrying fourteen and a half tons of armor gives the Orion superior protection to most other heavy 'Mechs, with its chest and rear torso being the most and least protected respectively. Combined with an average cruising speed of 43.2 km/h the 'Mech is a challenging opponent. Only ten heat sinks mounted in the engine leaves the Orion vulnerable to overheating but experienced pilots know to avoid this issue by alternating weapon firings. Technicians love the Orion, because its spacious interior makes performing repairs and maintenance far easier than many other 'Mechs; this is also the reason for the design's longevity.

[cerastes]

*My main interest here is to show people the utter insanity of OG2, but for that game to make sense, you have to see OG1, which is the opposite of a problem, because it fits right home in my list of vaunted "Very Interesting Games" alongside the likes of Def Jam: Fight For NY, Soulcalibur III or Trails from Zero+Trails to Azure.

Just like Def Jam FFNY is incredibly interesting in that it's a fighting game designed with a single player focus first and foremost, Soulcalibur III, despite being a competitive focus arcade fighter, went out of its way to have incredibly robust single player features and replayability, and how ZeroAzure utilize the limited size of the PSP, their original console, intelligently in making a game with iconic, revisitable environments and an incredibly good, small cast of characters to keep the game fresh even though you are never really going out on an adventure and yet it feels like you went on three of them by the end, OG1 is a well designed, perhaps too ambitious (affectionate) SRPG that really drives home the importance of managing limited resources in both a micro (stage by stage) and macro (the entirety of the game) stage, as there is a finite amount of every resource, experience included. Additionally, it's a game that spins off from a franchise mainly known to do crossover titles, but now it's fully original, in-house characters, letting them tell stories with a lot more freedom and being able to go balls to the walls with it. Had it been only of these factors, it'd already be an interesting game, but it's both simultaneously, which is why I call this a Really Good SRPG and not a Really Good Mecha SRPG; I recommend this game not because it's got cool mechs (and it does) but because it's a phenomenal SRPG first and foremost, that just so happens to have mechs.

All that is to say: Having to show OG1 before OG2 is the opposite of a problem, but ultimately one cannot ignore the concrete fact that I want to show OG2 more because that one has Lamia Loveless and Axel Almer who completely rewired my brain chemistry back then and are characters I consider Formative to who I am Today.

[heelycular-manslaughter]

Hellbreak, a game i'm making thats inspired by some stuff, has some stuff that has been made for it. a cool one is

Dire, Goddess of the Arsenal

they/them and it/its

Vein, Goddess of Violence and sister to Erylis, was very good at her role in the pantheon. The goddess gave mortals blood to spew, as well as arteries for it to spew from. The organic structures of mortals were partially formed by her simply as material for art pieces. Being the goddess of violence, she was very good at whipping up conflict in mortalkind and godkind alike. She was such a natural at creating targets that she inevitably made herself one. Mortals had learned from her, outgrew her in collective bloodlust, and created an arsenal large enough to overwhelm a god. Vein joyfully died via thousands of bruising hammers and piercing blades. After her death, the world of violence changed. With an arsenal large enough to kill a god, the collective desolation-energy formed Dire, Goddess of the Arsenal. The world of violence was now defined by fear; if an arsenal could simply grow large enough to kill the goddess of violence, then the simple role of violence was not enough.

Thousands of blades interlock to create their form, never decreased in size for the comfort of mortals. Even when granting boons, it will most often only bestow them via an image of its hand.

Dire is cold, the beating blood of its predecessor now staining the thousand blades forming its body. To them, violence is a tool for growth, for control. They know the exact number of blades that belie its body, but understand that mortals are more afraid of the uncountable.

Dire is willing to help runners out, although not all runners are very happy to accept support from it. Hell was largely a product of Dire’s influence, after all. Many runners have the ultimate goal to kill Dire, or somehow revive Vein, but ultimately, an arsenal is still a tool to achieve those goals. Dire doesn't see runners as much of a threat, and it recognizes itself as a tool as well, utilized by anyone with access to them.

Core Mechanics: Boon Weapons

Dire will gift you partially formed weapons, which start with only one available action. To switch between weapons, you'll need to spend a Cast.

yea this is just a reference to my other game. this also made me start making a mech game called Arsenal just cause I liked the idea of each goddess representing a definition of violence and the corresponding games delving further into each definition

prev god (Lord Mistress of Hell)

prev update (Harvest Scythe)

[sonicasura]

‘A slight miscalculation has been made…’

Dart’s DNA was bothersome even a good day. So, it should have occurred to the most powerful device in multiple universes—that an extended mostly non-organic transformation would have side effects. It was far too used to having users who utilized it for many years… Dart didn’t have as much experience with them nor the same DNA as most universes’ humans.

The Omnitrix could painfully admit that it still experienced the odd bug or miscalculation. Exploring the Multiverse opened its artificial intelligence to countless new factors. It should have noticed the decline in Dart’s energy lately.

———————————————

All it took was the human teen de-transforming for a few hours to cause everything to go to hell. The Autobots—the good guys—annihilated the other Predacon clones. As one can imagine being part of a mostly extinct race, Predaking was pissed. Dart was frankly disappointed.

Predaking: “Where were you?!”

Was the first thing to greet them as they reluctantly transformed back into Bygone. They let a brief flicker of green wash over them, but ultimately decline the Omnitrix taking the wheel.

Bygone: “I was resting.” *Maybe it was the smashed tanks in Shockwave’s lab, or maybe it was the way Predaking’s face held a flicker of disgust.* “Clearly, someone should have been here.”

Predaking, at their dry tone: “Do you not realize what this means?”

Another flicker of green—this time, Dart allowed the Omnitrix to take charge. Bygone’s optics dimmed to hide the personality change.

————————————————

‘Bygone’: “It seems the universe has chosen for you to remain the only Predacon.”

His counterpart easily dodged the swipes of his claws only infuriating the dragon-like cybertronian further. How dare they. How dare they!

How dare they speak as if Bygone didn’t share the same species as him.

How dare they ignore all the prattling that gave his young self headaches growing into his sapience.

It’s only when he exploited their mech mode’s tail that Predaking could get them to stay still.

Predaking: “These were our kind! Why aren’t you as enraged as I am?!”

The sudden blow of almost equal measure caught him off guard. Always the smart one—hurting him by utilizing certain weak spots…Bygone’s optics were now glowing an unnatural green, as if some unseen force was. Was.

Bygone: “Predacons went extinct, Crest. They died out for a reason and it was only though a scientist efforts you exist. Your actions define that lost race, so I sincerely hope you are ready to bear the consequences. Either the Autobots killed the others because you were such a threat despite our efforts or something else happened!”

If Predaking was disgusted by the smaller Predacon’s disregard for their lost species, then Bygone was disappointed that he devolved to violence.

(What a pair they made…)

—ROB’d Anon.

Dart’s not doing so hot—janky DNA and all. Still, this little argument was them simply being out of it. A shame the Decepticons (Megatron) never accounted for a Noah’s Arc of a device.

Transformers Prime unreliable narrator really cements how grey things actually were. Like Predaking, those clones weren't really programmed with any malicious intentions. Merely developing newborns who don't know that their creation was for more sinister reasons. Thus the annihilation hits harder.

Predaking doesn't know about the massive bombshell that Bygone is essentially a shapeshifter with the equivalent of Noah's Ark. Even though the term would need to be explained, he'll probably get the gist that his species aren't completely extinct. There might come a day where the Predacons can return but this time without a massive war hanging over their heads.

[sukimas]

🔥 Gundam (as a franchise, but if you want to dig in on a specific entry/setting please feel free)

Send me a “ 🔥 “ for an unpopular opinion.

I already mentioned that Victory really isn't that dark, so that's my plot thought, but let's talk about the mechs instead. Generally speaking- and this may just be my own personal preference for sleek designs and overthinking aerodynamics- I find the chunkier designs less appealing. Somewhere between the ν Gundam and the ZZ Gundam is where I draw the line for "amount of Stuff on this thing before I get tired of looking at it." (ν on the side of "I haven't tired of looking at it yet", ZZ on the side of "I've tired of looking at it.") So, despite a cool initial silhouette, I can't find myself liking things like Darilbalde or generally any of the Post Disaster mobile suits- just way too much going on. A mobile suit is, of course, meant to be cool to sell toys, but ultimately, form follows function. Sure, they have armor for protection, but covering the joints or having them lay flat also increases aerodynamics; you're not always in space (and most of the worst offenders I can think of aren't in space a lot of the time.) Ultimately I think that part of what got me into WfM was the mobile suit designs (mostly) resembling the technology I'm used to utilizing in the lab, and seeing other people utilize. While mechanical parts are beautiful, we cover them up the majority of the time so dust and debris doesn't get in, and so they don't get caught on anything. This is just as relevant in space battles, and doubly relevant in land battles.

This is what "technology" looks like to me- not perfect Apple sleek, but not with so many extraneous bits and bobs. So I like my mobile suits to resemble this sort of thing, mostly.

[real-live-human]

🌻

(from the ask game)

ok so predictably i love the flavour text in lancer - you've got your contextless ominous quotes, your snippets from what appear to be in-universe literature, your coroporate euphemisms for something truly horrifying - but recently i've been really thinking about the white witch. because all its flavour text comes from what is evidently some kind of development log or some such, but that contains a really fun range. you've got your incredibly worrying yet kind of vague descriptions of what the thing actually does:

“To say we can pull this needle from ‘thin air’ is the best-fit phrase, but it’s not accurate. Not entirely. There’s no such thing as thin air, not in the way one means it when they use that phrase. ‘Agreeable atomic space’ – that’s what ‘thin air’ really is. A place where one could – if one could – coalesce utility from useless particulate mass with a thought. With a snap of our finger. Here, watch this –” (ferrofluid lance)

“We call it ‘demand-compliance tethering’. Though, that makes it sound as if they have a choice to resist.” (pinning spire)

“Manipulating the world around the platform doesn’t end at rearranging the natural/built environment. This was the line that many on the team were afraid to cross, the question we had all asked ourselves once we bracketed the platform: what happens when we apply it to a person? What does existence mean when it can be ended with a thought?” (camus' razor)

but then you look at a couple of the other mech systems and it basically just becomes the exotic materials department getting increasingly frustrated by the company's attempts to make their horrifying death machine more marketable:

“The first test nearly ended the program. Exotic Materials is a … liberal department within the Constellation, but even our executives were hesitant to approve a second run. The data generated by WW_01 was invaluable, and we were sure we could get it right with a second test – all we needed was the sigma on its rewrite cone! Suits just get leery when systems fail. They forget that progress takes blood – sometimes literally – as payment for a breakthrough.” (ferroreactive shell)

“Soon enough we realized that shaping weapons from molecules and particles wasn’t enough to justify the conical mag as a system worth platforming. We needed to find a way to make it … more. More visual, tactile, concrete, imposing, thrilling – we needed to sell the next step in realspace control! So with some tuning and, regrettably, input from Visual, we figured out how to define the White Witch: as the most terrifying, alien thing you’ve ever fucking seen.” (sympathetic shield)

“Again and again the meatheads over at Visual asked us to ‘help them sell’ the platform. What else could we do? We handed them a power that gods of death and war had coveted since Cain cracked a rock over Abel’s head, and they told us, ‘if we can’t see it, we can’t sell it.’ So we mucked around and made another diadematic little wonder for them, the F-Barrier. It’s brilliant. Of course it is. We’re Exotic Materials, brilliance is easy.” (ferrospike barrier)

and then the icing on the cake comes from the retort loop description - at a glance it seems like someone waxing poetic about what horrors man hath wrought or whatever, but if you actually stop and read it:

“Ultimately, I have to return to the core of what we made, the code we cracked when we finally figured out NO/EM. From a simple prompt, we created a terrible engine. I am more proud of what we did than anything I’ve ever worked on before, but it should never see the light of day. Working with Visual convinced me of this: it’s their job to translate our work to sales, and they could not. If the translator cannot understand the text … then who are they to rewrite it? Who is the reader to attempt to access it? I conclude my summary with this: mothball the platform. There are less terrible paths we can walk.”

this is someone becoming gradually disillusioned with their crowning achievement as an artist, because in making it palatable to the wider market they keep having to water it down, and so rather than face that indignity to their craft they have put it to rest. and also the project in question is a horrifying murder machine.

[satoshi-mochida]

Multiplayer mech action game Mecha BREAK announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PC

Gematsu Source

Seasun Games has announced multiplayer mech action game Mecha BREAK for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC (Steam). A release date was not announced.

Here is an overview of the game, via Seasun Games:

About

Mecha BREAK is a multiplayer mech game that allows players to choose from diverse mechs, customize appearances, and battle colossal war machines on treacherous terrain. Get ready for the ultimate showdown—blitz, brawl, and blaze!

Key Features

-Gameplay Modes – Choose from three-versus-three, six-versus-six, or Battle Royale modes for intense battles and survival challenges.

Six-versus-Six Battlefield Mode – The game features different mid-sized battlegrounds like “Eye of Misra,” “Mercury Shipyards,” and “Cape Blanc Observatory.” Players are randomly assigned to these battlegrounds, forming squads to complete missions. In the six-versus-six battleground, tactical decisions are crucial, including cover, strategic retreats, and baiting enemies. Choosing the right team tactics at the right time is key to winning.

Mashmak – Form a team of three or six players to execute combat missions. Utilize your piloting skills to defeat enemy mechas, or employ strategic coordination for seamless victories and game-changing maneuvers. You’re in full control. Immerse yourself in a 48-player battleground, where you’ll encounter ambushes, hostile resistance, and the looming threat of colossal weapons. Navigate lethal pulse storms, skillfully evade pursuers, and claim victory alongside an abundance of spoils.

Three-versus-Three Arena Mode – Three-versus-Three Arena Mode offers the ideal platform to showcase your exceptional piloting skills. Navigate intense combat with agile evasion of incoming missiles, while seizing strategic moments for decisive strikes. Your precise maneuvers will be the key to victory, propelling you towards becoming an ace pilot.

-Character – Customize paint jobs and create your own unique mecha. The appearance of the mechas’ weapons can be customized. You have the ability to personalize the weapons, shields, and wings, allowing you to tailor each mech’s appearance according to your preferences. Each mecha is divided into over 120 color modules. This allows players to create unique color combinations. Through battles or purchase, players can acquire common or rare paint colors. The game also offers a wide selection of patterns and decals for you to choose from, so you can personalize your mechas to your liking.

-Battle Experience – 1) Aerial and ground combat combined for a dynamic engagement. 2) Intense close-quarters brawls. You will experience a thrilling sense of speed, firepower, and strength as you control a 12-meter-tall mecha from a third-person shooter perspective. Engage in battles against other players in various battlegrounds while accomplishing difference mission objectives.

-Mechs and Pilots – Unlock a wide array of mechas and exclusive pilots, each with their own unique backstory. Each mecha is equipped with distinctive weaponry and serves a specific role, such as sniper, brawler, attacker, defender, or support. Coordinate with your squad members to maximize your advantages and secure victory.

World Setting

The Catastrophe – Triggered by a massive coronal mass ejection, the Catastrophe occurred as supercharged particle flows impacted Earth’s magnetic field. Collisions between highly active thermal mantle plumes and the crust led to earthquakes, volcanic activities, and the eruption of EIC.

EIC – Scientifically known as “Corite,” Eruptive Inorganic Carbide (EIC) emerged from geological disasters during the Revival Era. EIC manifests in towering mineral columns and hazardous mines formed by volcanic activities. With immense technological value, this enigmatic mineral possesses wide applications in the energy and tech industries, making it vital for post-Catastrophe reconstruction. However, it also poses a severe health risk and remains humanity’s greatest threat.

Epoch of Biped Strikers – After the Catastrophe, Lunarians invented bipedal machines as the primary mode of transportation. These walking vehicles were designed to navigate lunar terrain, surpassing the limitations of traditional vehicles. Eventually, they were weaponized, leading to intense conflicts among powerful mechanized soldiers called “Strikers.” These adaptable armored units replaced conventional vehicles and showcased their dominance in resource struggles. The third-generation Strikers emerged as the elite among their kind.

BREAK – “Third Generation Strikers,” often referred to as “Mind Projection Type Strikers,” use the power of the EIC supercomputer “Cubrain” to form a neural link between the human brain and the Striker unit. This concept, known as Mind Projection, is the cornerstone of their operation. BREAK Strikers take this technology a step further. By taking into account the pilot’s physiological indicators, they surpass previous synchronization constraints. This enhancement allows the Striker to deliver a significantly improved performance on the battlefield.

Moonbow – Moonbow is a powerful independent force, operating globally utilizing their airship of the same name. They deploy the formidable BREAK Strikers to address various EIC-related crises and explore the truth behind EIC.

Conflicts – Moonbow confronts persistent threats from EIC and the malice of humanity. While BREAK Strikers are more than mere weapons, they often become a necessary means while facing unavoidable conflicts.

Marcens Pandemic – The Catastrophe released EIC debris, contaminating the Earth’s atmosphere. High EIC concentrations result in plant mineralization and the fatal Marcens Disease in animals. Regions and cities transform into lifeless “Marcens Zones” through high-purity secondary Corite crystallization. Today, these zones rapidly expand via deadly EIC Pulse Storms, while humanity remains oblivious to EIC. Is EIC a natural disaster or something more sinister?

New Terrain – The Catastrophe shifted Earth’s tectonic plates, altering its landscape. New rifts and straits were formed, while mountains rose and landforms crumbled. Islands were engulfed, and volcanoes emerged, inflicting immense devastation upon both ecosystems and societies.

New Paradigm – As a response to Corite pollution, cooperation gradually became crucial, leading to the emergence of the Culturia Alliance, the Cygnia Union, and the Thalassic Federation. Meanwhile, the Lunarians proclaimed their independence under the name of the Commonwealth of Lunar-mare amidst the chaos.

New Conquest – EIC is an indispensable resource for science and commerce. Various factions are congregating at the largest Mercens Zone, Mashmak, preparing for an intense upheaval. The Catastrophe reshaped landscapes and disrupted the global order. Amidst recovery and Corite pollution, the Vulturia Alliance, Cygnia Union, Thalassic Federation, and Commonwealth of Lunar-mare emerged. Despite risks, these factions vied for self-interests. A storm is brewing in the largest Marcens Zone, Mashmak.

Watch the announcement trailer below. View the first screenshots at the gallery.

Announce Trailer

English

Japanese

Korean

Traditional Chinese

[dvadvadva]

"D.Va was never a StarCraft pro"

Clarification of Michael Chu's Tweet (Circa 2018) on the Blizzard Forums

"It's a common misconception, but D.Va wasn't a StarCraft pro before joining MEKA."

"Misconception probably wasn't the right way to describe it, more like something that we haven't clarified properly. I think the best I can do here is give the backstory (har har) on how we got here:

Going back to when we announced D.Va as a hero, we had been experimenting with using different methods of teasing new characters. We thought it'd be fun to use the StarCraft WCS site and slip D.Va in as she had a background as a pro gamer (this all happened before she was officially announced). At the time, I actually worried that it would be taken as canon, but I was hoping elements like the fact her preferred race was listed as "random" and the fact she couldn't have competed in the current series would help defray that. In hindsight, yeah... pretty confusing.

D.Va is absolutely a world champion professional gamer which was what got her recruited into MEKA in the first place. However her best game wasn't StarCraft (which was what I was attempting to clarify). We imagined that she was most known and specialized in a game with a skillset that was closer mapped to the skills that she (and the other MEKA pilots) utilized while piloting their mechs.

That said, D.Va has definitely played more than her fair share of StarCraft (as she references in some of her lines in Overwatch) and a slew of other games. Bonus fact: StarCraft is one of D.Va's father's favorite games! And he was pretty good at it.

Ultimately, I totally recognize that with the way we initially teased D.Va and since we didn't specifically say otherwise in her official backstory, the distinction was pretty unclear."

Source:

[christianlep]

Blog 7- 1/31

Watching Mobile Suit Gundam was a nice experience, and which I would consider the first modern anime piece we have watched in this class. Despite this tag of being a modern anime, I believe there are noticeable ties to past manga and events that this show draws upon. As we’ve discussed in class and read, Tezuka’s Astro Boy was a prominent influence in Japanese literature when it came out, with many being drawn to the aesthetics and themes conveyed, such as the notion of a futuristic world in which humans and technology (or more specifically robots) are intimately intertwined. While the mechs presented in Mobile Suit Gundam and Astro are different in the fact that one requires human input and the other is autonomous, they both share the characteristic in that they heavily impact the lives (for better or worse) of the humans with their advanced capabilities. While I was watching, I couldn’t help but think if Mobile Suit Gundam also serves to provide commentary about war and a need to regulate weapons of mass destruction, as we can see the fragility of human life demonstrated with the Zeon’s ambush attack in episode 1 in which the citizens could only run. Without the Federation’s own mech to combat the Zaku, Side 7 would’ve been overtaken from the get go due to the lack of technology or defense, which in some ways draws parallels to the bombings on Japan that would ultimately force them to surrender during WW2. While I was reading Lamarre’s Introduction, the first thought I had was that this guy really loves discussing the technology behind animation and there were some parts where I wasn’t following along too much, but there were elements that I did understand. For instance, Lamarre mentions the machines and apparitions we utilize to create media ultimately affect how we digest it, such as the train example he gives, where we no longer have the feeling in which we are moving forward when we see the animation outside the train, and instead take it in as a output device which we interpret comprehensively. In his discussion of cel animation he draws upon a similar concept, although it would be the inverse of the train analogy, as the viewer (or camera) is stationary, and it's the physical movement of the elements in front of it that establish the animation. Luckily I already understood how older animation worked so when Lamarre explained it I could visualize it, but essentially the camera, as it ultimately has a single point of seeing, relies upon a phenomenon called the parallax effect, where things that are further in stance appear to move slower as it takes longer to leave your field of vision, and things that are closer move quicker because it leaves your field of vision quicker. In animation, the frames are separated by layers depending on its perceived depth (like foreground, midground, background) and are moved at a speed relative to their perceived distance. Lamerre also mentions this but Disney invented the multiplane camera, which took this concept and elevated it by having dedicated racks for each layer, which could be moved up and down, which meant that to the camera, not only do the layers move at different speeds, but can now enlarge and shrink. We can see this parallax technique is used throughout Mobile Suit Gundam, such as in the first scene of the intro, when Amuro runs into center screen at a fast pace, while the background moves at a constant speed, even after he goes into slow-motion (in this case the parallax was more abstract). I know Lamerre’s paper was published 2009, but I also wanted to note that a lot of modern animation has transitioned away from hand drawn animation and now utilize 2D softwares, although the same concept of utilizing z-space is still present.

[sabersourcing]

LEGO Star Wars Mech: Complete List and Ultimate Guide

LEGO Star Wars Mech is a series of small sets featuring a minifigure piloting a large, humanoid robot. The buildable robots utilize articulating shoulders, legs and fingers, allowing the user to pose the figure. Collect multiple sets to create epic team ups or battles between characters. Designed for younger builders ages 6 and up, the sets are easy to build and pack in a lot of play value for a…

[maythray]

ajc has a relatively easy to understand trading tier economy. goes like this

clothing betas (cbs) -> den betas (dbs) -> short spiked wrists -> long spiked wrists -> short spiked collars -> long spiked collars (with the spikes having their own color tiers within themselves)

this is largely irrelevant except for cbs and dbs. the main way to get any item in this system was typically through the forgotten desert (tfd) grinding (adventure which gave out random pools of items, including cbs and dbs)

just a little bit ago, tfd goes down mysteriously and is inaccessible (ie: it is no longer in the games files. like at all.) and people no longer know what to do with the time they used to spend in tfd. so they turn to regular adventures. namely they turn to return of the phantoms, which has an adventure completion reward of a random pool of clothing items!

many people are just running this normally as it doesnt take very long from start to finish, however a decent chunk of people are utilizing a client which allows them to auto-complete the adventure and win items on loop. meaning they can gain a LOT of these items very very quickly.

WITHIN this prize pool includes three types of clothing betas, these being the worn blanket, fox hat, and rare bow and arrows. the rest of the items within the pool are largely worthless aside from personal collection. and so people typically are only keeping these three cbs.

the result of this is clothing betas prices TANKING, where once a group of 3 or 4 cbs could equal one db, it has now given birth to. This. (cb prices on top, db prices below)

and so now no one desires clothing betas, no one cares for them and theyre thrown around like a trash rare no one wants to actually use.

THIS is where i now get into the mech helmet issue that makes me insane. Mech helmets are the only remaining member clothing beta (there used to be more but for stupid reasons all the others have died out) and as such, cannot be won from the nonmember adventure, return of the phantoms. they cannot be won from any normal adventure in fact, as all normal adventures are available to nonmembers, requiring that every possible prize is also for nonmembers.

then how would you get mech helmets? well the only possible source of this item was from the forgotten desert, which now is defunct. however this fact has been entirely ignored and the mech helmet has been grouped together with all other clothing betas, despite becoming *more* difficult to find and aquire than ever before.

when the mods of the worth wiki (and essentially the ultimate deciders of worth) were asked about this, they said that this was done because they simply werent "desired enough"

and like. Sure. i can understand that i guess. but for its worth to unfairly drop so significantly makes me furious. its an item that deserves better. PLENTY of decent worth items on the wiki are ones i see are entirely undesired. people only get them just to turn around and sell or trade with immediately.

i don't really have anything else to say about this or really add but like. i just think she deserves better. :(

actually now that im on about it im gonna let non jamblr people know my mech helmet issue in classic rn. in regards to the current economy crash. gimmie a second

[bmblboop]

I find the dichotomy of the atlas elites interesting

On the one had character like the ace ops, Whitley, may and to a lesser extent cordovin prove that they can change, that many people will be better if given the chance

But the you’ve got people like Jacques, like ironwood, like madam, who up until their final breaths continue to be self serving evil pricks,

It all comes down to who’s example the rest of the atlas elites will,follow

My question is at Keats for the time they stay in vacuo they’ll play nice, but once they get a chance at power again, likely in mistral, they’ll go right back to their old ways,

The difference between the Ace-Ops/Whitley/Cordovin is that they may have held powerful positions, but they never held absolute power - which is something that Jacques, Ironwood and Madam had, and utilized to inflict suffering on others. The people who held absolute power never reflected on their actions, and never felt remorse for what they did or "had to do for the greater good".

Cordovin is interesting, because she kinda did have absolute power in the Argus branch, as the commanding officer there. She was, in a very meta perspective - a smaller version of Ironwood. She used her position in anger and in 'justified justice' against those who slighted her. However, when she was defeated, she was able to reflect and recognize that blaming RWBY+ would not save the city, they were not the real enemies, and that is what allowed her to change - seeing people she once viewed as 'below her' as equals. Her absolute power was stripped from her when her mech was immobilized, forcing her to confront her hubris and grow from it.

Harriet undergoes a similar arc, in which she is utilizing perceived 'ultimate power' from her orders to justify her actions, as well as a detached perspective on the situation to avoid grieving over Clover. She reflects on this when she is confronted by the fact that her coworkers are her friends, and she does care actually about them.

I think that's why I've been arguing in favor of the Atlesians as not all awful people, because there were very few people in Atlas more powerful than Ironwood or Jacques, and thus, few people likely to be as stubborn as them. I could be wrong, but I'm willing to bet that 90% of the kingdom's population and a solid 75% of Atlesians are willing to "play nice," in your words.

I'm sure there are still power hungry snobs out there, but they have no systems of power to use or exploit anymore, since Vacuo is noticeably devoid of them. Atlastocrats might still harbor Atlesian ideals, but that mentality will either be beaten out of them by the harshness of the refuge situation they are facing, or flee to Mistral, where they may take root again, as you speculate. (but idk how many can flee to mistral without taking an airship - which may not be cheap or readily available)

[docgold13]

365 Marvel Comics Paper Cut-Out SuperHeroes - One Hero, Every Day, All Year…

January 28th - Deathlok

The cyborg hero known as Deathlok heralds from a reality alternate to the mainstream Marvel 616 reality.  In this adjacent timeline, The Roxxon Oil Company attempted to take over the American government by instituting ‘Operation Purge.’  This entailed the use of Nth Projectors to banish Earth’s super-humans to a lethal extra-dimensional realms. Having exhausted their Projectors, Roxxon then attempted to conquer America via conventional means, which degenerated into mass chaos and all out war, with mysterious explosion devastating Manhattan and a dozen other American cities. The U.S. military eventually retook America, but the C.I.A. and various splinter groups fought for control.

Luther Manning had joined the Army several years prior to the events of Operation: Purge.  He was torn apart by a concussion bomb during a training exercise. Wishing to preserve Manning’s knowledge and experience, Simon Ryker selected him for Project: Alpha-Mech, transforming him into a cyborg where cybernetic prosthetics replaced and reanimated dead tissue controlled by a brain that is half organic and half computerized.

Now known as ‘The Deathlock,’ Manning waged a war against the militant forces of Roxxon as well as other, more malevolent cyborg soldiers.  

Shortly after an encounter with a dimension-traveling Spider-Man of Earth-616, Deathlok met the enigmatic Godwulf, a repentant former member of the Nth Command.  Godwulf used a special invention that sent Deathlok to Earth-616, whereupon he aided the occult agent Devil-Slayer against the demon-worshipping Cult of Vera Gemini.  

His transplantation onto Earth 616 awoke some of the memories Deathlok had when he was Luther Manning and he felt compelled to seek out the 616 analogs of his wife and son (although not daring to reveal himself, feeling that he had been transformed into a monster).  

Deathlok would go on to have many more adventures.  The computerized aspect of his cognition frequently led to his being misused as a weapon by both super villains and military agencies alike.  At one point Deathlok was acquired by Roxxon’s subdivision, The Brand Company, where the cyborg’s design was studied and mapped out by Harlan Ryker.  Ryker’s reverse engineering of the technology would ultimately become the foundation of the ‘Homo Ascendent’ subspecies.  

Deathlok would eventually return to his original reality and helped Godwulf destroy the evil Hellinger, bringing peace back to that world.  

What has since become of the Luther Manning version of Deathlok remains to be told; yet there has been many other individuals transformed into cyborgs utilizing the Deathlok technology.  This has included the unwilling test subject, John Kelly, accident victim, Michael Collins, Doctor Henry Hayes, and Ryker’s teenage daughter Rebecca, who became known as ‘DeathLockett.’  There has additionally been many unnamed Deathlok drones utilized as security or assassins by a number of shadowy organizations.    

Actor J. August Richards portrayed an altered version of the Deathlok character in the MCU television program Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD.  

The original Deathlok first appeared int he pages of Astonishing Tales #25 (1974).

[farsight-the-char]

In my SiFi setting...

Alliance Combat Ships are larger and have heavier fire-power, and utilize multiple styles of shielding/armour to take damage, to the point many of their foes can’t even scratch the surface of armour before being obliterated by Alliance guns in some cases.

Mobility is valued, true, though the preferred Alliance tactic to form “Phallanx Shield Walls”, joining Shielding Systems in ways that reinforce a fleets collective defence.

The Alliance does not utilize “fighter pilots” (though does use disposable interceptor and/or attack drones).

Individual cultures have different styles of ship, though larger ones tend to be human design (since the Terran Federation are the major arms manufacturer for the “big guns”)

The ultimate manifestation of this philosophy are the Void Dreadnoughts aka the “Apocalypse Vessels”, and the Mega-Carriers aka the “Doomsday Arks”.

...

The Pirate Families tends to use smaller, more mobile ships. Faster and often able to fly circles around the other fleets.

The goal is to get close to launch Boarding Drones and Harvest Cargo.

Fighters and Bombers are utilized, piloted by “Glory Feasters”.

Incredibly Diverse styles.

The ultimate manifestation of these philosophies are the “War Thrones”, massive “Battle-Mechs” caplable of FTL, piloted by the Pirate Royals.

,,,,

[jam-does-audio]

Congrats!! It's a very fascinating experience. I also deeply recommend watching some online media of some kind related to lancer, either simple breakdowns or actual plays.

If you're not looking for Gm/campaign advice and experience here, go have fun and you got this! Always happy to see someone new taking on Lancer

I'm worried about being too much or 'man splaining' and stuff, I really get passionate about things like this and I know that's grating or annoying for some people which I apologize about if the case. Do stop reading if at any point your feeling like that

Seeing Lamcer media genuinely shows you things you wouldn't think about while reading the book, and sewing the game in motion. One of the biggest things for me I learned like that was a lot of ttrpg players don't know how to play rts combat. Lancer has very fascinating combat, if it's properly utilized which can be very challenging. But very rewarding

I got my teeth in by having a campaign in a mech tournament arc with each one being a unique game and gimic rules. You can build fascinating strategies around that because you set out with a goal and design your enemies accordingly. It's crucial to think through creating cohesive team work. And the other half is utilizing your terrain. By God utilizing terrain is so important nothing will make your lancer combat more boring than just putting your players in a flat room. There's so many rules and bonuses and weaknesses built around having high ground, firing cover, multi level grounds, flight options, choke points and hazards.

You can take everything I say with as much salt as needed, I apparently caused a bit of controversy still by pointing out a lot of the playerbase has never really played or designed anything but 'dnd combat.' Lancer just won't work that way

I'm honestly thinking of posting a combat encounter I designed that's still the best I think I've ever done so far. I created a location where long range tech was distrusted by unstable reality, so the long range canons the enemies had used drones to scout and locate targets. If they spotted you, two unique artillery mechs would launch shells which yeah very bad to get hit by. However, stealth was an option and there was slight relay delay between them. Additionally the other guards were in the process of switching out and would be offline for 3 rounds. That's all the information I gave my players, and they used that to create a fascinating strategy of using the artillery to clear hazards and terrain (there's a lot of lancer attacks that can rearrange the terrain is really cool) as well as damaging the towers the artillery themselves were standing on. One Player just straight up charged them, which wasn't what I had in mind of course, but at the same time I respect the unique approach and they took those shells like a champ. But ultimately the thing I've taken away from that is they had to think about what was happening and what they were going to do next. Some folks hitmaned there way through and took out drones before they noticed, others tripped as many as possible. And last I asked they all had fun and wanted to go again. And so do I honestly. I really like how well this game works when it works, and I know you can too.

Oh and fuck stun making you not do anything at all, I'll stand by this till I die but if you're stunned I say you're allowed to stick your head out and use one of your players' personally tools. You got grenades and emps and smoke bombs and deployable scan drones and shit, use them in combat too

I've had the Lancer rulebook for YEARS though I haven't actually read it yet, but I think it's finally time to take on that task now that I'm Very Normal about mecha