Make zoids!

Started by ragarth, July 20, 2010, 09:15:05 PM

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ragarth

Hiya, I'm considering putting together a zoids game, but like any mech game (or really customizable fight based game where the weapons matter) it can get complicated. For this reason, I'm trying to put some numbers to zoid creation. Here are the rules I've slapped together, have a blast and design random mechs/zoids/robots and post them. :D If there's something missing, seems imbalanced, or you just have a suggestion, please let me know!

notes
weapons are presumed infinite ammo, no point tracking middling bullets
Unless a mech has special sensors or abilities, it cannot sense targets beyond sight range (long)
only light machine guns or melee weapons can be used at point-blank range unless the target is restrained.

These are all just suggestions to give an idea of how one weapon/mech compares to another. It's not an end all! A light machine gun can disable a heavy mech with a lucky/really good shot just as a .22 rifle can in theory take down an elk. A fast zoid cannot always out-run the tracking speed on a cannon, sometimes it will get hit. Beyond that the game is freeform.

ranges:
point blank - "I can reach out and touch you!"
short - "I can see the whites of your optical sensors"
medium - "I can make out general body features"
long - "You're a dot out there. A dot about to DIE"
extreme - "If I didn't have my uber-awesome sensors of doom, I wouldn't even know you're out there."

The weapon names are general descriptions, kinetic cannons can be chemically propelled, rail guns, gauss cannons, ballistas, etc. energy weapons can be plasma rifles, lasers, or sharks with fricken lasers on their heads.

procedure

1) choose an animal/form you want. (like wolf, turtle, humanoid, or inverted leg such as battletech's catapult)

2) choose movement type: air, water, or ground to get that movement type for free. More can be purchased as extras.

3)Assign your 27 points into the zoid's stats. The range given is the minimum and maximum values. Unless the range includes '0', you must put atleast 1 point in the stat. ie, if the range is [5 - 10] then 1 point gets you a 5 in that stat, 6 points ( 1 + 5 ) gets you a 10. Initially this value cannot be over the max value given. If extra points are used to buy this up further, it cannot go beyond 2 points above or below the initial value you bought it at. So if you buy a stat at 3, it can only ever be up to a 5.

4)use 35 points to buy weapons, extras, and buy up stats further. The number in the brackets is the cost of that item.

5) write a description!

class A zoid stats(27 points)
speed [1 - 10]- how fast the zoid moves
manueverability [1 - 10]- how nimble the zoid is
armor [1 - 10]- how much punishment the zoid can take
sensors [1 - 10]- the sensitivity of the zoid's basic sensors
strength [1 - 10]- how strong the zoid is
additional stats can be bought at 1 point apiece as extras- this can put the value up to 2 point above the max value.

weapons
(ac = accuracy, da = damage, tr = tracking, ra = range, sp = speed, ma = maneuverability, ar = armor)

light machine gun [17]
ac: 3 da: 3 tr: 8 ra: short
The light machine gun is as close to an infantry weapon as mech weapons get. It's short range but high tracking speed make it good for dirt-throw distances, and it's high rate of fire make it excellent for shredding infantry. Damage gets a +4 against infantry and inflicts area effect damage. Because of its spread, add 2 to its tracking for partial damage. Can be used at point blank range normally.

machine gun [17]
ac: 3 da: 6 tr: 5 ra: medium
The machine gun is a real mech weapon. It sprays bullets at its opponent with the classic ratta tat tat. Against infantry it inflicts area effect damage, and because of its spread, add 2 to its tracking for partial damage.

light kinetic cannon [17]
ac: 6 da: 3 tr: 5 ra: long
A rifle firing light slugs at high velocity.

medium kinetic cannon [19]
ac: 6 da: 5 tr: 5 ra: long
A rifle firing medium slugs at high velocity

heavy kinetic cannon [21]
ac: 6 da: 8 tr: 5 ra: medium
A rifle firing heavy slugs at high velocity

integrated sniper rifle (gunsniper) [25]
ac: 10 da: 8 tr: 2 ra: extreme
A rifle firing with extremely high velocity/energy. It also comes with specialized optics mounted to the weapon for precision aiming, sensing and firing at extreme range. If the optics aren't used, add 2 to tracking and subtract 4 from accuracy. Requires the zoid to be secured to the ground to use the weapon or the optics, effectively reducing maneuverability to 0.

light energy cannon [17]
ac: 7 da: 2 tr: 6 ra: medium
An array firing a beam of coherent energy.

medium energy cannon [19]
ac: 7 da: 4 tr: 6 ra: medium
An array firing a beam of coherent energy.

heavy energy cannon [21]
ac: 7 da: 6 tr: 5 ra: long
An array firing a beam of coherent energy.

pulse cannon [17]
ac: 5 da: 5 tr: 5 ra: short
An array firing a rapid string of energy pulses. Less accurate than energy cannons with less range, but good firepower on the cheap. add +2 to tracking for partial damage.

SRM [4]
sp: 10 ma: 7 ar: 2 da: 4 ra: short
missiles designed to hit targets at short range. Because of the noise, slower velocity, and heat signature, most targets will notice these even if fired while hidden. Mech needs sensor lock to fire.

LRM [4]
sp: 12 ma: 7 ar: 1 da: 2 ra: long
missiles designed to hit targets at along range. Because of the noise, slower velocity, and heat signature, most targets will notice these even if fired while hidden. Mech needs sensor lock to fire.

light artillery [17]
sp: - ma: 5 ar: 3 da: 7 ra: medium
guided shells fired with an arcing trajectory. Due to noise and slower velocity, most targets will notice these even if fired while hidden. These can be fired over obstactles, but mech needs sensor lock to fire. If fired at targets at short range, maneuverability becomes a tracking of 3 and projectile cannot be shot down.

medium artillery [21]
sp: - ma: 5 ar: 4 da: 9 ra: long
guided shells fired with an arcing trajectory. Due to noise and slower velocity, most targets will notice these even if fired while hidden. These can be fired over obstactles, but mech needs sensor lock to fire. If fired at targets at short range, maneuverability becomes a tracking of 3 and projectile cannot be shot down.

heavy artillery [26]
sp: - ma: 5 ar: 5 da: 12 ra: extreme
guided shells fired with an arcing trajectory. Due to noise and slower velocity, most targets will notice these even if fired while hidden. These can be fired over obstactles, but mech needs sensor lock to fire. If fired at targets at short range, maneuverability becomes a tracking of 2 and projectile cannot be shot down. Does area effect damage.

rocket [2]
sp: 13 ma: - ar: 2 da: 5 ra: short
dumbfire rocket propelled weapons carrying explosive payloads

bomb [26]
sp: - ma: 3 ar: 7 da: 16 ra: air drop
air-dropped payloads of explosives, does area of effect damage

body slam[0]
all mechs have this, the mech slams into its opponent, doing strength damage to target and half strength damage to itself

melee weapons [cost]
da: 1/2 cost + strength range: point-blank
Any weapon that operates at melee range- claws, hammers, teeth, swords, etc.

Extras

infrared sensors [2] - zoid can see into the infrared spectrum with equivalent clarity to normal sight.

radar [2] - zoid has a radar array, can pick up targets in line of sight up to extreme range

sat-link [5] - zoid has an uplink to a satellite, can get optical imaging of swaths of land. If zoid has infrared, this shows infrared as well. Will show targets at any range.

passive sensors [1] - zoid can pick up radar pings and calculate general direction its coming from

sniper optics [+5 per weapon type] - increase range by 1 grade and provides sensor contact at that range, add 2 to accuracy and subtract 3 from tracking when used.

shields [2] - can be used to absorb up to 20 points of damage per round for 3 rounds (doesn't need to be consecutive)

stealth system [10] - hides the zoid from anything except infrared sensors and normal sensors of less than 7 strength. spend 5 more points to hide from infrared too. If the zoid attacks, or is hit by an attack, it's exposed and cannot restealth for 3 rounds.

PDS (point defense system)[4] - point defense system, will block up to 2 armor points worth of projectiles. Can be bought multiple times. each time bought, add +2 to number of armor points stopped.

flight [10] - zoid can fly/hover at regular ground speeds. +5 points allows mach speed. Environmental sealing suggested for high altitudes.

swimming [10] - zoid can swim in bodies of water, suggest purchasing environmental sealing.

sand cavitation [10] - zoid uses sonic cavitation to allow it to move through sand like water. +5 points to move through dirt.

land movement [10] - zoids by default have this, ability to walk/roll/drive over normal terrain. Optionally can be replaced with another movement type. Zoids without this cannot fire artillery or any weapon that requires securing to the ground.

environmental sealing [1] - zoids by default draw air directly from the exterior. This gives the zoid's cockpit its own air supply and sealing from the environment.

boosters/afterburners [5] - systems designed to give the mech a momentary burst of speed. +2 speed for up to 3 turns.

maneuvering thrusters [5] - systems designed to momentarily enhance the mech's maneuverability. +2 maneuverability for up to 3 turns.

multi-ammo system [+5 per weapon type] - A system that can switch a weapon's ammo/focusing lens/other equipment between multiple types

explosive ammo [+2 per weapon type] - ammunition designed to explode on contact. Does +2 damage to unshielded targets

EMP ammo [+2 per weapon type] - ammo capable of disabling equipment without penetrating armor, -2 damage, does not disable shielded targets

shield-breaker ammo [+2 per weapon type] - ammunition capable of penetrating shields. Does +4 damage to shielded targets, 1/3 damage penetrates shields.

napalm [+2 per tube type] - gives artillery, rockets, or missiles the area effect value. If it already has area effect, it effects a much larger area. Against infantry its devastating.

BRIGHT guidance [+2 per tube type] - for missiles, bombs, artillery: allows them to be fired without initial sensor lock to target so long as projectile 'sees' target within the round.

Charged Particle Weapon [+10] - A mech can only have a single particle weapon. The weapon is now a particle weapon, it fires nothing else and cannot use special ammo, but it gains a range increment. Firing it requires the mech to lock down to the ground. The weapon's tracking speed drops to 0, but the weapon gains area-effect (stacking), +4 to damage, and any points lost in tracking transfer to damage. The canon tortoise is unique in that it can mount a charged particle heavy artillery cannon- maneuverability for the gun drops to 0, and armor becomes --. Both add to damage.

drones[10 + x]
Drones are light craft the zoid can communicate with. base price (10) gets drone with possible stats of:
speed [5 - 10]- how fast the drone moves
manueverability [5 - 10]- how nimble the drone is
armor [1 - 5]- how much punishment the drone can take
sensors [1 - 10]- the sensitivity of the drone's basic sensors
strength [1 - 3]- how strong the drone is
additional stats can be bought at 1 point apiece.

drones can move through water or air at land speed, sand/ground cavitation can be bought for 3 or 6 extra points.

drones can have up to 2 of these: 1 cannon weapon, 2 missile/rocket tubes or 1 melee weapon. The choices are:light machine gun, pulse cannon, light energy cannon, melee weapon, SRM, or rocket at 1 point each. A single melee weapon can be purchased with multiple points to make it stronger. In addition to weapons, drones can have: PDS, infrared sensors, shields, stealth systems, BRIGHT guidance, at 1 point each.

A drone can use a zoid's sensor data, or a zoid can use a drone's sensor data to establish line of sight, but unless the weapon has maneuverability, the weapon has to have line of sight from where it's being fired.

Signature Weapons
Some zoids have signature equipment. If a given zoid does, then it gets -5 to purchasing that equipment.
rev raptor: melee scythe blades
canon tortoise: super artillery charged particle cannon
gunsniper: integrated sniper rifle
shadowfox: stealth system

//It's come to my attention, trying to create some of the classic models that my point values wildly over target and undertarget them for buying standard equipment :-( I can get extra equipment for a rev raptor, but can't buy all the stuff for a cannon tortoise