▸▸ℍeavy Metal Magellan◂◂ free-form, original mech roleplay (full)

[Saria]

The initial panic from the impact had died down by now. There was a still a tension in the atmosphere, but almost ten minutes had passed without the entire transport falling apart or being consumed by fire, so it was starting to look like it wasn’t the end. There was a loud pop as the intercom came alive, then the Captain’s voice. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience while the crew and I investigated the problem. “It now appears that our right wing was impacted by what was probably a large chunk of space debris, or possibly a meteor. We have lost engines 9 and 10 completely, and engine 8 is dubious. More importantly, the structural integrity of the right wing has been severely compromised. “Let me reassure you all that we will land safely. I say again, we are in no mortal danger. I cannot guarantee that we will land where we are supposed to, but we will make a safe atmospheric reentry and land safely at the nearest available airport - though it’s still too early to know exactly which one that will be. “Unfortunately, we will have to jettison the cargo. The wing can easily handle reentry braking, but not if we’re carrying the weight of all our cargo. “Cargo containers are designed to survive reentry, and make reasonably soft landings. However, there will be no guarantees where on Earth your cargo will land. Even if the cargo survives reentry and landing, it may still be unrecoverable if it lands in an inaccessible location, or someone else recovers it before the proper authorities. I apologize for the inconvenience, but this is an emergency situation. “Container jettison procedures will begin in 45 minutes. You have 30 minutes to enter your containers and retrieve any valuables you can carry, if you wish. Or, if you wish, you may stay in your container after that time, and go down with it. By regulation, cargo containers are designed to double as emergency escape pods, so they will land safely - though not comfortably - should you prefer stay with your cargo. The choice is yours, and you have 30 minutes to make it. “To repeat: We have suffered damage, but can still make a safe landing at the nearest airport if we jettison the cargo containers. You have 30 minutes to access your container and retrieve anything of value that you can carry. Or, if you wish, you can go down in one of the dropped containers, which should land safely - though there is no way to know exactly where. The First Officer and Third Officer will be on hand to answer and questions and assist you. Thank you for your patience.”

After a mysterious accident on board a transport shuttle from the Lunar colonies to Earth, a small group of mech pilots are dropped from orbit with their machines. They land safely, but in the worst place they could have: smack dab in the middle of Ryazan, with its belligerent dictator and ruthless army of fanatics, all of whom would love the thrill of a gory public execution of foreigners.

Now they will have to make a 10,000 km journey to safety through some of the most dangerous countries on Earth. They will have to traverse rugged terrain and shifting political landscapes, and struggle to make do with limited supplies and little hope of finding allies, with the largest and most heavily-armed military in the world pursuing them ferociously.

An alternate universe, realistic, free-form mech roleplay

Created by		King Serperior
GM		Saria

Characters

• Deepika Patel / LMC-42
• Angela Blair / Ragnarok
• Athena Metaxas / Arion/Aegis
• Joseph Hendrial / MMC-65
• Leonardo Staltz / Jack
• Alexander Nobel / Dragon
• Open - this could be you!

The story

___ mech pilots opted to stay with their mechs when the containers were dropped:

• Lt. Deepika Patel, mech pilot and electronic warfare specialist with the North Atlantic Alliance joint military, had just finished a set of low-g certification trials on the Moon, and was returning to rejoin her unit. She had two options. Within her mech were a set of important encryption keys for accessing the NAA military network, and identifying oneself as a friendly unit. If those keys were to fall into the wrong hands, it would be a catastrophe - enemies could decrypt secure communications, send false information through channels that should be trustworthy, or pass themselves off as allies. Deepika could either attempt to wipe her mech's hard drives before the drop - which was not 100% certain to work, and might leave traces that could be recovered - or go down with her mech and protect those keys until allies recovered her and her mech. She opted for the latter.
• For Angela Blair, pilot of the colossal arena combat mech Ragnarok, there was never really much choice in the matter. Her mech was not only her livelihood, it was massive piece of proprietary technology containing some of the most important advances of her family's mech manufacturing knowledge. Other mech manufacturers would pay billions for the chance to take it apart and study it, which would spell the eventual ruin of Blair Industries. Not to mention the millions of fans who would kill for a chance to rip off pieces of it as a souvenir. No, she couldn't just let it drop to be recovered by whoever happened to find it first. She had to stay with it, both for her own sake, and for the sake of her family's company.
• Athena Metaxas is not concerned so much for the safety of her companies. If the Arion/Aegis were to be taken by a rival, it would hurt her profit margin considerably, but as a genius mech designer she could simply move on to something else. What Athena is really concerned about is the fate of the world. The HAS/HEE concept is decades ahead of anything currently being used by any of the world's armies, and if the wrong nation got hold of it, and were able to replicate its technologies and put them into production, it could shift the global balance of power dramatically. Not to mention, like any great artist, she is loathe to have her work go public before she's satisfied that it's ready. The Arion and Aegis are her creations, and she will fight to protect them.
• Joseph Hendrial is little more than a victim of circumstance.  He was in one of the containers, making a few last minute inspections to one of the new MMC-65 chassis when the sub orbital transport suffered damage.  The control systems to his container were damaged during the event, effectively locking him inside.  With few supplies and even fewer options, he decided the best course of action is to commandeer the chassis and try to make his way back to a friendly area.
• Cpl. Leonardo Staltz joined the military for action, but this wasn't quite what he had in mind. On the way to his first posting, the incident on the transport plane meant that he was about to watch the first mech that had been assigned to him dropped to who-knows-where on Earth, possibly to never be recovered. If it did end up lost, knew how long he would have to wait to be assigned another. No, Leo wasn't having that; he was going to stick with the machine he worked so hard to earn a place in.
• Alexander Nobel's job went without a hitch... almost. On the way back to Earth from a successful hit, wouldn't you know that something would have to go wrong? He'd only brought his mech to the Moon as cover for his real mission - officially he was just getting his machine tuned in one of the low-g factories; unofficially he was disposing of an underhanded businessman who thought he was safe in the Lunar colony. But while it was just his cover on that mission, he simply couldn't afford to have his machine simply dropped out of his hands.
• TBD

All landed safely, but unfortunately for them, they landed in just about the worst place they could have hoped to on the entire planet.

[Saria]

Name: Deepika Patel
Rank: Lieutenant
Role: Mech pilot / electronic warfare specialist
Nicknames: D.P., Deepi, Deep
Call sign: Thumper
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Bisexual
Height: 174 cm (5' 7")
Weight: 60 kg (132 lb)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown, mid length, slightly wavy, not particularly well-styled or managed
Skin: Tan
Physique: Medium fit
Distinguishing marks/accessories: None

Appearance:
Although she cleans up quite well, the general impression one gets of Deepika's appearance is "dishevelled". She never looks dirty, but rather she always looks like she started the day dressed immaculately, but was then forced to do something physical or stressful, and ended up just a little out of sorts - even if she just stepped out of the house in the morning. This is partly deliberate - to give higher-ups the impression that she is working hard (even when she isn't) - and partly due to simply not caring about the details, and leaving just a few strands of hair out of place, or her shirt just a little too untucked on one side, or simply never bothering with makeup. She also has a tendency toward slouching, and loose posture and casual walk. She is often accused of failing to meet military standards of dress code and appearance. On those rare occasions that she does pull it together, she often startles even those she works closely with: She has soulful, expressive eyes, full lips, and body in immaculate shape due to her natural height and figure, and propensity to work out when bored or stressed.

Bio:
Deepika was the fourth daughter - not child, daughter; she was actually the seventh child - of a moderately wealthy family who "adopted" (bought) children from poor families in the "homeland", and raised them according to their religious principles. But "Mommy" was always away doing business (and, allegedly, doing business partners), and "Daddy" was an artist who thought it was fine for the kids to run free so long as they left him alone. So Deepika started "acting out", and it wasn't long before she had her own Juvy rap sheet, and became more of a headache than her adoptive parents were willing to tolerate.

Soon she was bouncing around the system, and petty shoplifting blossomed into organized thefts with a girl gang, and soon running cons. None of her foster families could straighten her out - indeed, most were actually victims of her scams. But after an epiphany she had while watching a busker one day, she started to grow a distaste for the life, and eventually collaborated with authorities to get her pimp and the ringleaders of her gang arrested. Unfortunately, she was arrested herself a year or so later during an attempted robbery, and because she was now an adult, facing prison time and a criminal record.

The judge - planning to campaign for public office - offered to waive prison time and a record if she joined the military, under the logic that it would "straighten her out" in a way prison wouldn't. He never thought she would take the offer, but she knew her former gang mates were waiting for her in prison. The military might have been dangerous, but the alternative was a shiv in her spine within months.

She never intended to take the military seriously. The plan was just to tough it out until Basic was complete - thus fulfilling her court-ordered obligations - then fake an injury, get medical discharge, and benefits. But she discovered that the military wasn't all that bad. There was a lot of bullshit to put up with, but she was a sanguine, easy-going type, so she could shrug it off. And the danger could be mitigated by picking the right career path - though her options were very limited because of her lack of education and half-assing Basic, so she couldn't avoid a combat position; electronic warfare specialist was a much better option than, say, infantry. Her plan is to make Major, then transfer to a cushy position, and she's already close to Captain.

Chassis:  Light modular core (a core that accepts attachments at 7 points: back, left and right shoulders, left and right arms, left and right legs)
Model:  LMC-42 "Valkyria" core, with 2 LC/L-6 legs and 2 LC/A-4 arms
Weight Class:  Light
Weight:  28 T (tare); 45 T (max gross)
Height:  8.5 m
Mech Name/Callsign:  —
Armaments (Standard Layout):  — (being a modular mech chassis, has no single "standard" layout)
Armaments (Non-Standard):
Fully automatic flechette gun: Removable, mounted on right forearm. Fires 6×45 mm fin-stabilized carbon steel darts (with polymer sabots) at a rate of 350 rounds per minute, with a 1000 round cartridge. This is a primarily anti-personnel and penetrating round used against the very light plating of non-armoured vehicles and some kinds of power armour. Unlike bullets, the flechettes are not designed to flatten out and stop inside a target (so they have little "stopping power"), they rip right through the target, and continue on through whatever is behind them. The result is while a single shot has less chance of killing than a bullet, but far more chance of penetrating through light cover and thin plating (like bullet-proof vests). It is totally ineffective against even light armouring.
Combination light shield / light pile bunker: Removable, mounted on left forearm. Uses compressed gas to drive a super-hard 15 mm diameter spike into a target. Several tonnes of force are focused on a very small point, which enables punching through light armour, and into the circuitry, mechanics, or people inside. By the power of the piston alone, it can penetrate light armour consistently and even medium armour under good conditions, but a skilled pilot can time the piston release at the apex of a punch to add several tonnes more force, and puncture even medium armour with ease, though care must be taken not to exceed the limits of the punching arm. (Deepika Patel is aware of this technique, but cannot use it consistently.) The pile and its compressor is covered by a large plate of medium armour that extends to the sides, and doubles as a shield. With the arm positioned correctly, the shield is large enough to cover the entire pilot profile, but not much else.
Subsystems (Standard and Nonstandard):
LC/EW-4 Electronic warfare package: Removable, attached to the core at the back and both shoulder mounts. Contains a suite of systems designed to make the mech a electronic warfare and countermeasures platform. Consists of:

• Radar: Active and passive phased-array radar systems. Effectively useless against ground targets due to interference from terrain and structures, but able to pinpoint airborne targets for hundreds of kilometres, if they're high enough and have a large enough radar cross section; can pick out a small surveillance drone at 50 km in good weather, ~20 km under average conditions. Active radar gives position away, but is necessary for radar target acquisition.
• Lidar: Pulsed 1500 nm wavelength lasers are used for ground imaging, in combination with standard and infrared cameras. The system is able to image a centimetre in diameter half a kilometre away. Its primary purpose is to generate battlefield maps and targeting information, such as for artillery or orbital strikes, but it doubles as "night vision" and infrared or ultraviolet vision to allow the pilot (and any connected allies) to "see" through darkness or smoke. When not using the pulses for extra resolution, lidar is passive.
• Chaff: Cartridges that are fired, usually upward, that burst at a preset height and throw out metallic confetti that confuses radar. There are two types of cartridges: one simply throws out chaff, the other bursts into a small balloon that dangles chaff. The chaff scattered by a regular air-burst cartridge floats slowly to the ground over the course of several minutes. The balloon stays airborne for an hour or more, provided it isn't shot down or blown away. Chaff blocks all radar - friend or enemy.
• Full spectrum antenna and broadcast unit: Capable of resolving and emitting signals across the entire broadcast range. Useful for detecting the presence of enemy by their transmissions, but since the emitter is more powerful than the standard broadcast emitters in most equipment, can also be used to jam, drown out, or spoof enemy signals.
• Satellite detection and tracking: If the sky is clear, can detect the presence of satellites overhead, and identify them using a database of registered satellites. Useful for being aware of when enemy spy or tracking satellites are coming into range.
  
  • Integrated Battlefield Intelligence System (IBIS): All of the data collected from the detection systems is collected and put together to get one big picture of the battlefield. That data is then combined with all data collected from allied units, and then routed through the commander - who could be in an entirely different mech, or even kilometres away in a base camp, or in an aircraft - who marks targets, paints waypoints and routes, and gives targeting instructions. The upshot of all this is that when a mech with the IBIS package is on the field, the other mechs in her squad can get the majority of their target acquisition and tracking data from IBIS, so they can carry less optics, radar, and processing equipment, and instead carry more weapons, ammo, and armour. They are also able to coordinate better, and avoid all shooting at the same target (unless that's what is desired). IBIS transmissions are encrypted, so they can't be snooped or spoofed, and sent both using radio and light pulses - if radio transmissions are jammed, mechs can still share IBIS data among each other so long as there is a line of sight path. The system includes a "keyring" of encryption keys for important allied organizations, so that squads can connect to any allies they run into, share data, and cooperate better... but if those keys fell into the wrong hands, the enemy could spy on all battlefield communications in real time, and give false information that will be taken as "safe", and access networks and information with a wealth of highly valuable and highly dangerous information.
  Jump jets: Non-removable (built in to the LMC-42 core and the LC/L-6 legs). Compressed air assistive jets mounted on the backs of the thighs, calves, and ass. The LC/L-6 legs provide a powerful push off the ground, which alone allow for a jump of almost 15 m, but when the jump jets kick in, they magnify the effect considerably. Unloaded, the mech can jump almost 70 m into the air. With the current loadout, ~50 m. The jets require 30 s to fully repressurize, but after 5 s can provide just enough thrust to cushion the landing from a full jump. Bursts from the jump jets can also be used for quick "dodges" to the side - a standard tactic is to step out from cover, fire, and when return fire is incoming, jet-burst back into cover. The trick is to pull that off without unbalancing and toppling over gracelessly.
  Adaptive camouflage: Removable. Any place it can be managed, the mech is covered with 10 cm diameter hexagonal flexible "stickers", that wirelessly communicate with each other, and with the mech's main computer. They are dull grey by default, but can change colour on command to any hue. Generally the mech's main computer will use the optical sensors to "see" the environment, then try to create a pattern of random colours that the "stickers" can display that will make the mech very hard to see in that environment. If the mech remains stationary, and the environment is chaotic enough, it can hard to spot by both human eyes an machine vision (due to the semi-regular hexagonal pattern) even from less than 50 m away. The colours do not change instantaneously - it takes a second or two - so the camouflage is useless in motion. The colours are also somewhat limited to dull, dark colours - they cannot produce pure white or pure black. The "stickers" provide no help with armouring, and if damaged become useless (but can be trivially peeled off and replaced).
  Strengths:
  Highly mobile and manoeuvrable: Very fast, and able to quickly change correction, and move within just about any terrain type - even city streets and civilian vehicle bridges. Hard for slow tracking turrets to target, and able to effectively fight from cover because the mech can quickly dart in and out of it.
  Stealth: Though the mech could hardly be considered a true "stealth" machine because it is not truly invisible to visual, radar, or anything, its adaptive camouflage and ECM package make it extremely hard to pinpoint and target. Under the right conditions - in a chaotic enough environment or from far enough away - it can be effectively invisible.
  Hands: The hands on the LC/A-4 allow the mech to operate a wide range of equipment, without requiring any modification to the mech. It can pick up and use clubs, blades, rifles, shotguns, RPG launchers, and a variety of non-weapon tools. More importantly, it can reload hand-held weapons, implying a functionally infinite ammo supply in combat (assuming you have a functionally infinite ammo supply available).
  Modular design: The mech itself is really just the torso and head. The arms, legs, backpack, and shoulder weapons are separate, and anything that fits the same standard connection points could be substituted. There are a variety of parts available, such as heavier legs without jump jets that provide better stability when firing heavier weapons, or arms that don't have hands but rather integrated machine guns or beam weapons instead. It also means the mech is usually trivial to repair, if you have spares: just pop the broken limb off and snap a new one on (not to imply this could be done by hand - you need a crane to lift mech limbs - but it can be done even on the battlefield with a "medic" mech / combat engineer).
  Weaknesses:
  Open field combat: While the mech excels in combat in areas where it can duck behind cover, in open spaces it's basically an 8 m tall clay pigeon to enemy mechs, and it doesn't have the armouring to take much of a pounding.
  Light armour: Can take hits from most standard mech weaponry, but only from range. Utterly useless in close-up combat, and against heavy or high-powered armour piercing ordinance.
  Light weaponry: Starts out effectively unarmed, but even after acquiring a full load-out, still wouldn't be much of a threat to anything but other light mechs, unless Deepika is willing to give up the EW/ECM equipment.
  Not sealed: The mech can operate completely submerged... but only for a few minutes before the pilot drowns. The cockpit isn't sealed, so the pilot is vulnerable to chemical or biological weapons - which includes water deeper than ~7 m. There is a face mask in the cockpit connected to small air tank, but only ~30 min worth.
  No soloing: With its EW/ECM load-out, this mech can't even handle a fair fight with equivalently-classed mechs - it would only be a threat to foot soldiers and battle armour, and even the latter would be a challenge. It is supposed to be a part of a team, providing only light attack power on its own, but vastly multiplying the combat effectiveness of the dedicated combat mechs it is linked with. Without the team, it's almost entirely ineffective.
  Overall Description:  The LMC-42 "Valkyria" comes to a little over 8 m tall, with LC/L-6 legs, and with LC/A-4 arms has a mostly humanoid appearance, albeit with a bit of a sunken head. The pilot sits/stands in the upper torso - the "head" lifts up and tilts back and the front plate folds down to allow the pilot to enter; a Christmas tree ladder extends down from the front plate to allow the pilot to climb the 6 m to the cockpit. When the pilot leaves the cockpit, she takes a "key" with her - which is either a small tab that fits on a keyring like a conventional garage door opener and is only used to open/close the mech, or a small tablet/remote that can allow the pilot limited operation of the mech from outside (which is mostly used to facilitate maintenance). The battery is in the crotch - panels open to allow recharging cables.

[King Serperior]

Name:  Angela Blair
Rank:  N/A;  Civilian
Role:  Pro Mech Fighter
Nicknames:  Often called 'Angel of Destruction' in the arena or just 'Angel'
Callsign:  N/A
Age:  24
Gender:  Female
Sexuality:  Straight, but curious
Height:  5'5" (165cm)
Weight:  125lbs (57kg)
Eyes:  Green
Hair:  Red, straight, cut to shoulder length, often gets cut shorter if it gets too much to handle
Skin:  Lightly tanned
Physique:  Healthy and lithe
Distinguishing Marks:  Tattoo of a purple rose on left shoulder.

Appearance:  Like the image, for the most part. =>;  Appears rather pixie-like.  Despite that, she is very much tomboyish, though she does occasionally like to make sure she looks decent.  In all honesty, she looks more like the kind of girl who should be a model instead of a mech fighter.  More often than not, her looks cause her opponents to underestimate her. 

Bio:  Angela was born on one of the small colonies on Earth's moon and was raised by her grandparents, her parents owning a few decently-sized factories that build and repair mechs.  She was born on the moon because her parents didn't want her to live on Earth which was no place for a child to grow up on due to the fighting going on in some areas and the intense mech combat in the more peaceful countries.  So, the first ten years of her life was spent going to one of the better schools on the moon and growing up.  Despite that, she discovered the joys of Mech Combat when she was 10 after watching an underdog pilot defeat a champion pilot in a wild 1v1 match.  From that day forward, she was interested in combat mechs.  By the time she was thirteen, she learned how to drive a small loader mech, the very one that that her grandfather drove to load and unload shipping containers at the colony's main port.  When she was sixteen, she caught the attention of someone who worked on the mech combat circuit.  It turned out that the guy had never seen someone so young pilot a machine like that with such ease and thought she had potential.  By the time she was eighteen, she was piloting a Light mech and winning one-vs-one battles with little effort in the lower leagues of the circuit.  By the time she was twenty, she'd upgraded to a Heavy mech and was working on two-man teams for a change.  However, she quickly found that her style of battle clashed with most of the teammates' she sided with.  By the time she was twenty-one, she'd won one of the larger tournaments and that supplied her enough money, along with the selling of her winning Heavy mech, to buy a custom Colossal mech.

Her parents, having followed her progress, helped her upgrade and work on her newest mech which was based on an 'Omni-Shell' system, one of the most adaptable of the Colossal Mech shells.  Her parents were thrilled to learn that she was planning on piloting the newest mech type and helped upgrade it according to her strengths.  Thus, the Ragnarok was born.

Angela eventually took this machine to win a number of smaller championships and excelled in Free-for-all battles.  In just two years, she achieved enough victories and made friends in key locations to receive an invite to this year's grand championship as one of three Dark Horse picks.  There, she fought her way to 7th place, surprising a number of people with her skill and dogged determination.  After such a hard-fought victory, reaching the top ten in that tournament, she and Ragnarok returned to the Moon for repairs, upgrades, and reloading.  She planned to stay there for a few weeks before returning to Earth just in time to enter the new season.

Equipment/Gear (Grabbed before entering the Mech's Storage Container):
A couple of cases of personal items ranging from spare clothes to some food to some water.

Chassis:  Hexapod Omni-Frame
Model:  Custom Design
Weight Class:  Colossal
Weight:  125 tons (Standard loadout, fully loaded); 180 tons (Maximum carry weight)
Height:  27m (89 feet)
Top Speed:  40kph (25mph)
Mech Name:  Ragnarok
Armaments (Standard Layout):
Rail Gun:  Central weapon and main gun, the Rail Gun fires a long piece of hardened Tungsten that is designed to penetrate even through cover.  It can only fire one shot before requiring reloading and requires a three second charge time before firing.  However, once fired, the seven pound projectile travels at speeds that exceed Mach 6, making a direct hit devastating.  It takes 10 seconds (5 with the custom ammo delivery system) to load up a new projectile.  The weapon has an effective range of nearly 30 kilometers (Effective meaning safely firing each projectile without risk of damaging the rails of the weapon), each projectile losing nearly no velocity when it reaches its target.  The Rail Gun has a normally has a total of 100 projectiles, more than eight the number she would ever need in the arena, theoretically anyway.  However, when it was loaded on the transport, the Ragnarok was loaded with it's maximum ammo for all weapons:  600 projectiles (4.2 tons).  Can be removed/change, but not recommended as it's the main weapon.  Angela has the ability to turn off all safety features to allow the Rail Gun to fire at a target nearly 160 kilometers away at speeds that reach near Mach 8, resulting in the complete and total destruction of almost any target.  Doing this, however, means the weapon will be unable to be used again until new rails are added as firing at such power will warp the rails too badly.  It is a last resort tactic that should only be used when there is absolutely no other choice as replacement rails are very difficult to come by.
Minigun:  Mounted just above and to the right of the main gun, the Minigun is designed for closer work than the Rail Gun and can help pin down a close-range target while the main gun charges and takes aim.  The minigun fires depleted uranium rounds that can tear apart smaller mechs, vehicles, and personnel with ease.  Fully loaded, the minigun has a total of 720,000 rounds of ammo and the gun fires at a rate of 12,000 rounds per minute.  It takes about a second for the barrel to spin up before it fires.  The minigun can be removed and/or replaced if needs be.
2x 14-Missile Pods:  Featuring 14 explosive high-yield missiles, these pods are mounted on the just above, behind, and to the left and right of the main gun in a half-hexagonal, half-cube launcher whose safety covering can flick open to rain either direct or suppressing fire on the targets.  Each missile carries a high-yield payload and travels at 350 mph towards its target.  Each missile can be fired either individually or at the same time as any number of others, providing either precise attacks or an overwhelming assault.  Each pod has three full pods of replacements, totaling 84 missiles overall, though the missile pods must be emptied before the replacement set can be loaded (which takes up to thirty seconds).  The Missile Pods are set on rotating turrets and, as such, are currently only weapons that can be fired backwards on Ragnarok.  It is mainly used to pin down a target, get them out of cover, or for pure offensive purposes.  Both missile pods can be removed and/or replaced.
Armaments (Non-Standard):  N/A
Subsystems (Standard and Nonstandard): 
Ammo Delivery System:  Halves the time it takes to reload ammo.  Extremely important for the Rail Gun's lower reload rate.
Target Lock:  Makes the Rail Gun and Missile System much more accurate and deadly; Limited range, but once a target is locked onto, target lock remains even if the target is out of sight for almost 60s.
6x Gripping Claws:  Under each leg is a 'foot' with a 4-prong gripping claw that allows the mech to grab the ground to help reduce recoil and provide extra stability.
Fortress Armour:  The mech doesn't need speed, rather it needs heavy armor to survive in the arena while picking off targets.  Even for it's weight class, the Ragnarok's armor is substantial. 
Basic Sensors and Communications Equipment:  Designed for the arena, these sensors and communications are of limited range.

Strengths: 
Omni-Frame Chassis and Advanced Fusion Core:  The most advanced frame ever created by Blair Industries and the only one of it's kind, this frame is a company secret and was designed solely for Angela and the Ragnarok.  The Omni-Frame is extremely adaptable, allowing it to take on nearly every weapon and electronic subsystem in existence with no problem.  The entire mech, all weapons systems, and electronic systems are powered by a massive fusion core, which is the most efficient core ever put on a mech.  It's powerful enough to power a medium city all on it's own with nearly no strain on it.  The Omni-Frame was designed by Angela's mother and the Fusion Core was designed by her father.
Powerful Weaponry:  It is rare that a mech has the stopping power of two Missile Pods, a Rail Gun, a Minigun, and enough ammo to hold back a small army.  The Ragnarok has this stopping power, making it a deadly threat on the battlefield.
Extremely Heavy Armor:  Backing up the weaponry is the massive slabs of armor coating nearly every surface of the mech.  It is a true juggernaut in the arena, able to shrug off attacks that would cripple smaller mechs.  The Ragnarok once survived a missile barrage of more than 100 Swarmers with barely any damage, walking out of the smoke to blast the legs off the smaller mech it was facing.
Very Stable Firing Platform: Six legs and six gripping claws allows the mech to accurately fire it's weapons on just about any terrain while on the move.
Massive Power Source:  It takes a LOT to power this behemoth of a mech and it's fusion engine is one of the most powerful of it's weight class.
Pilot Protection:  The pilot sits deep inside the mech, protected from nearly all assaults.  It is theorized that, when the cockpit is sealed, the pilot could survive a nuclear blast due to the mech's massive, thick armor and the cockpit's sealing system.
Ranged Combat:  A combination of missile fire and the massive range of the Rail Gun's projectiles allows it to cut down targets before they get into range.
Open Environments:  With the combination of massive armor, range, and firepower, the Ragnarok is the kind of mech that excels on an open battlefield.

Weaknesses: 
Size:  Being an Colossal mech, it's size means that it is a big target.
Noise:  The Ragnarok is pretty much impossible to use silently, so sneaky tactics are out of the question.
Speed:  Though the Ragnarok has a powerful power source and is fairly quick for it's size and weight, it is still fairly slow, maxing out at 40kph.
No Hands:  Due to it's design, it has no hands to use in delicate situations.
Close Range:  Due to the weapons systems, the Ragnarok's main defense at close range is it's Minigun as the Rail Gun fires too slowly to make it useful beyond a single shot.  As such, when dealing with small, fast targets, assistance by allies is appreciated.
Urban Environments:  Due to the Ragnarok's size, battles in cities prove difficult due to the closed in space.

Overall Description:  Ragnarok is a large, somewhat squat, Hexapod mech with thick armor plating covering nearly all of the mech's body.  Due to it's increased weight and the way it's legs are designed, it is not very fast or agile.  It's thick legs instead provide stability when firing it's weapons, no matter the terrain.  Each leg has gripping claws that allow it to grip the ground and stand it's ground while the pilot aims and fires it's weaponry.  Ragnarok has the Blair Factory Logo (a purple rose) printed on it to represent it's pilot's family's factories.  Other than that, it can easily be painted multiple coloration, but it is usually a rusty brown, giving it the illusion of it being little more than a giant rust bucket.  The main gun is the largest and most central of the armaments and is the most powerful ranged weapon the Ragnarok has (Though a full barrage of missiles outdoes it).  The Minigun is more for closer work and the missile pod is for pinning down targets until Ragnarok can bring it's other weapons to bear.  The heavy armor on the legs provide additional protection.  The pilot accesses the cockpit via a cable and footloop to lift the pilot from the ground.

Equipment/Gear (Stored inside Ragnarok's cockpit):

• 3X Pilot Suits: Two of them being spares loaded into the cockpit since Angela ruined two suits during the course of last season's 'Mech Wars.'  Suits are form-fitting and are designed to protect the pilot;  Colored purple and white with the Blair Industries logo on the left shoulder.
• 2X Pilot Helmets:  One is a spare;  Not meant to stop bullets, rather to integrate with machine: has built-in face mask, augmented reality display, and communications, once plugged in to the mech;  Has the Blair Industries logo on the left side of the helmet.
• Maintenance Kit:  As a precaution, the kit would allow Angela to do some minor repair work on the Ragnarok.
• Plasma Torch:  Though the cockpit is sealed and is nearly impenetrable from the outside, the inside has a number of special failsafes that, when cut through, would allow the pilot to escape should the mech be entirely powerless for some reason;  Doubles as a weapon, but why would she need a weapon?
• Fire Extinguisher:  For the unlikely, but still possible chance, of a fire in the cockpit.
• Aid Kit:  For mostly minor wounds and scrapes;  Hasn't been used, but is periodically replaced anyway.
• Flashlight:  For if the internal lights go out, just in case.
• Sturdy Knife:  For if she is forced to cut through the thick straps of her pilot's seat if they become jammed;  Doubles as a weapon if somehow needed.
• Old, but well-kept 9mm pistol:  Though it has no ammo, Angela keeps her grandfather's old pistol he used in the war with her as a good luck charm since it kept him alive;  She has fired it before and is decent with it, but only on the practice range.
• Gas Mask:  Standard in all mechs
• Three Gallon Water Purifier:  Depending on the format, some mech battles can take a long time.  During this time, the cockpit tends to heat up and that causes the pilot to begin sweating.  To counteract water loss, Angela's father personally installed a water purifier into cockpit that can hold up to three gallons of water at a time.  The pilot can sip the pure water through a straw-like cord that can be connected to the pilot's helmet.

[Karma]

Name: Athena Metaxas
Rank: Elite Contractor
Role: Engineer and mechanic, pilot when necessary
Nicknames: Meta, Queen Bitch
Call sign: Hephaestus
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Explosive and selfish
Height: 175 cm (5' 9")
Weight: 56 kg (125 lb)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Skin: White
Physique: Slender just short of malnourished
Distinguishing marks/accessories: Arms and legs are peppered with scars of all sizes from her rigorous work ethic designing and implementing mech technology. Sides and inner arms are crisscrossed with self-inflicted but incredibly intricate Greek script that appears to be complete gibberish even in Greek.

Appearance:
Athena is an undeniably beautiful woman with the heart of an engineer. That is to say that she rarely takes any advantage of it; more often than not she is greasy, sweaty, and uninterested in doing anything about it until she finishes that “one last thing” that never seems to be completed. This often leaves her in boy shorts and clingy undershirts, for what it’s worth. Similarly, she’s known to rarely smile or laugh, taking great ownership of a classic “resting bitch face.” She’ll make a fantastic old witch one day.

Bio:
Athena’s father, Aineas, was once a well-respected aeronautics and bipedal robotics engineer. His designs were said to be truly genius; he was considered by his peers to be designing up to fifty years ahead of existing technology at any given time. It became a given that each new Metaxas design would require entirely new manufacturing processes to even test. The development of utilitarian mechanized armors into purebred weapons of war was a movement that Aineas Metaxas codified when he was still a young man; his legacy was great and terrible, and where lesser men would have buckled under the guilt, Aineas was focused only on the next big thing. His diligence and genius made him wealthy and highly sought-after, though not only for contracts. When Athena was only twelve, she watched from a closet as “peace activists” put a violent end to him. Humans are weak, she learned that day. We need to become something stronger.

Born of a rather short-lived tryst with a popular actress, Athena’s beauty and inheritance could have bought her a life of ease and luxury even in a world such as this. Though she had her mother’s gifts, she also had her father’s: mechanical genius and deep-seated sociopathy. She pored over Aineas’ prodigious notes after he died and proceeded to burn them all once they were settled in her head. By the time she should have been starting college, she was already spearheading the resurgence of Metaxas Defense Industries to the fore of government-contracted mechanized infantry work. Once her father’s legacy had been assured, she became a recluse, working feverishly on the project, as of yet, has not borne any publicly known fruit.

Athena views modern mecha as bloated abominations. Though it was primarily her father’s doing, she can be easily goaded into ranting about how pointless it is for a simple gun platform to have feet instead of treads. While her father’s company continues supplying much of the world with the very mecha she hates, she has continued private work on her magnum opus. Force amplification is a concept basic to physics and can be seen in tools as simple as levers and pulleys. It is this concept that underlies her Human Amplification Suit, or HAS. Powered assistance mechanisms have existed for centuries, but never with the fully natural feel of the HAS. It is her greatest work, and few know about it yet.

Personality: Athena is cold, misanthropic, and brilliant. The only thing that matters to her is research and development, and she possesses a disturbing lack of discretion about what methods are used to enable it. She is not an especially talented combatant, and has seen little direct action, but has spent thousands upon thousands of hours tuning and improving her HAS as well as the HEE (Hostility Escalation Exoskeleton) that it docks with, which has given an her extremely exact sense of what it is capable of. She takes little interest in her own well being. She spends inordinate amounts of time working on and wearing the HAS, barely sleeping or eating, and it has left her health in a sorry state. While some of her muscles are toned from working endless hours with her hands, most of them have atrophied to at least some extent. In her suit she's the strongest person on the planet, but out of it she can't walk quickly for long without getting winded, among other things.

Chassis:  Humanoid Exoskeleton
Model:  Extremely modified Hostile Environment Suit
Weight Class:  Featherweight
Weight:  <½ ton (empty) 1 ton (Standard loadout, fully loaded); 10 tons (Maximum carry weight)
Height: 2.4 meters (8 feet)
Top Speed:  112kph (70mph)
Mech Name: Human Amplification Suit (HAS), nicknamed Arion
Armaments: HAS uses human weaponry, albeit with extreme accuracy and no recoil. Athena has also created several modular armaments for it including shoulder-mounted missile pods, short-range artillery, an anti-personnel cannon, and leg-mounted RPGs. All of these use standard ammunition but custom equipment.
Subsystems (Standard and Nonstandard): 
Boosters:  At several points on the suit, repulsors are installed to aid with evading, jumping, and hard landing.
HUD:  The HAS, being at its core a hostile environment suit, utilizes a highly advanced area scanning overlay that is able to report an incredible amount of detail. The HUD is projected onto the visor and as such, if damaged, will not obscure vision. Features include target tracking, aim assist, topology, infrared, and a suite of other options.
Performance Enhancement:  Life support systems gauge the user’s physical state and administer medicine and other chemicals based on context or user request. If the HUD system is active, the two systems work together to optimize each situation.
Phoebe:  Behind the HUD and PE systems is Phoebe, a nexus for all of the HAS’ systems and sensors. While not an AI by any traditional definition, Phoebe’s assessments and suggestions can give that illusion. As long as the suit has power, Phoebe can also control the HAS if so directed.
Failsafe Design:  If any or all of the HAS systems fail, the suit is still capable of functioning, if at a significant handicap. An average human would still be able to walk in the suit at about 5MPH without power. Each part of the suit can either be retracted or ejected in an emergency.

Strengths: 
Agility:  Bipedal design gives the HAS a maneuverability and unpredictability of movement that cannot be matched by “vehicle” type mechs. Its capacity for sudden changes of direction, bursts of speed, acrobatics, and its very small size make it very difficult for standard mech targeting systems to get a solid lock. The immense relative strength of the HAS allows it to leverage its agility in the form of jumping and climbing.
Natural movement:  There is no guesswork involved in controlling the HAS. As a force amplifier, each movement is directly translated, so that the basic tenets of its use can be understood in mere minutes. It is carefully balanced so that once the user has become accustomed to the suit, they can utilize it almost as if the suit has become part of them.
Stealth: Its small size and simple mechanisms make the suit hard to spot or hear due to the sensor standards of most large mecha.
Dynamism:  The size and humanoid nature of the HAS makes it widely applicable to any situation.

Weaknesses: 
Firepower:  While the HAS can handle large scale human weapons with ease, and has weapons platforms that only it can use, they are all generally small caliber in comparison to standard mechs. It will never win in a direct firefight and will have to rely on pinpoint strikes and, in many cases, melee combat in order to disable its opponents. The best option is to never directly engage at all.
Armor:  The HAS possesses one of the greatest strength-to-size ratios of any mech, but it is still small, and so has very light armor. Large scale weapons meant for full size mechs will get through its armor quickly. Fortunately, nearly all weapons that could get through with one hit are slow enough to avoid.
Repairs:  Athena has personally fabricated a large amount of custom parts for her HAS. While she can readily fabricate more, this takes time, and only in rare cases will the HAS be easily repairable with found parts.

Overall Description:  Arion is a powered exoskeleton the size of a very large human. It opens up from the back to allow the user to enter, and can adjust itself to fit a wide variety of body types. It is very fast but lightly armored. The forearms are reinforced to absorb blasts and hide climbing aid apparatus, while the shins and ankles are likewise reinforced and can open up into claws for grip. The suit uses very little power for the most part, which allows it to run on batteries instead of a reactor; a necessity for its small size. This does mean, however, that use of its boosters must be carefully calculated as they are very energy intensive.

Chassis:  Giant Humanoid Exoskeleton
Model:  Custom Build
Weight Class:  Sub-Light
Weight:  5 tons (empty) 10 tons (Standard loadout, fully loaded); 75 tons (Maximum carry weight)
Height: 3.65 meters (12 feet)
Top Speed:  195kph (120mph)
Mech Name: Hostility Escalation Exoskeleton (HEE), nicknamed Aegis
Armaments: The HEE can use most handheld weaponry from mechs its size and larger. Its hands are too large for HAS or human weaponry, and it is too small for standard hardpoint attachments. As such it is designed primarily around harrying and melee combat, as well as sabotage like its core, the HAS.
Vibrosabers: Aegis carries two swords in back mounts. These swords require power (via being wielded) to vibrate, but are perfectly functional blades without power. They are designed to remove limbs and cut through armor to expose internal components. They can be dual-wielded but are at their best when used two-handed. (2)
Kunai: The HEE carries four of these at a time, at mount points on each knee and both hips. These blades are meant only for stabbing or throwing; they have an extremely sharp point but no cutting edge. Each contains a burst battery capable of providing limited course correction via thrusters. If the kunai detect that they’ve pierced armor, they break open and blow the rest of their charge for an electromagnetic assault on the innards of the target. Rechargeable. (4)
Autocannons: Both forearms of the Aegis hold retractable rotary cannons that can use various ammo types, though they are usually stocked with anti-armor rounds. (2x100)
Shoulder Spikes: What appear to be standard weapon catching/deflecting spikes are actually further anti-armor weaponry. They are rockets, as opposed to missiles, filled with an anti-armor payload. As they are rockets, they can only fire straight out, making it often preferable to literally ram the opponent with the Aegis’ shoulder to get them lodged in the enemy’s armor before detonating them. (2x6)
Vulcan Cannon Two barrels on each side of the head house anti-personnel rounds. (2x25)

Subsystems (Standard and Nonstandard): 
Microreactor Batteries become unreasonable for the Aegis’ size and necessary power output. The reactor is an ultra-safe design meant for home and business use that has found a unique home. Athena has altered the limiter to let it run hotter than would be comfortable otherwise.
Boosters:  Unlike the HAS, the HEE features a full-fledged rocket propulsion system thanks to its reactor. Still mostly used for jumps and evades, but is capable of short flights as well.
Mnemosyne:  When the HAS and HEE are docked, Phoebe gains access to significantly more computing power, graduating her to a true simple AI. While Phoebe’s control over the HAS is relatively simplistic and reactive, Mnemosyne is a capable combatant in her own right. She can’t compete with human aces on an even footing, but combined with the Aegis’ high agility and speed relative to most mechs, can often outperform them. Athena has built in safeguards against Mnemosyne taking full permanent control; fully independent circuits detect if a human is in the suit every five minutes and eject the HAS if none is detected over two cycles. The HEE has no onboard memory and cannot house Phoebe, making Mnemosyne only possible when the suits are combined.
Failsafe Design: The HEE is designed under the same basic principles as the HAS. Unpowered walking speed is about 20 MPH.

Strengths:  The HEE has the same advantages as the HAS, but has improved firepower.
Mnemosyne: The AI can seamlessly adjust aim, avoid projectiles, and provide many other combat enhancements.

Weaknesses:  The weaknesses are also similar for the most part, minus the glaring firepower and armor concerns.
Mnemosyne: The AI’s actions are not always seamless. More of a struggle for the pilot than for survival, Mnemosyne can take action without warning for the purpose of mitigating damage, as it has developed a desire for self-preservation. The actions of the Aegis not matching up 1:1 to the pilot’s movements can be extremely disconcerting for the uninitiated.

Overall Description:  Aegis is effectively, and by all external appearances, a standard humanoid sub-light mech. It is extraordinarily fast and structurally tough, but its armor is still on the light side.

[Grizzly]

Interesting concept.  I'm intrigued.  Are there any special rules for character creation or mech selection?  What sort of realism are we looking at?

[King Serperior]

Interesting concept.  I'm intrigued.  Are there any special rules for character creation or mech selection?  What sort of realism are we looking at?

Hello, Grizzly, and thanks for the interest!

For the character and mech creation rules, there are actually some.  They're right here:

Code Select Expand


[float=right][img height=300 padding=10]INSERT CHARACTER IMAGE URL[/img][/float]
[b]Name:[/b] 
[b]Rank:[/b]  [i]Military or civilian[/i]
[b]Role:[/b] 
[b]Nicknames:[/b]  [i]If any[/i]
[b]Callsign:[/b]  [i]If any[/i]
[b]Age:[/b] 
[b]Gender:[/b] 
[b]Sexuality:[/b] 
[b]Height:[/b] 
[b]Weight:[/b] 
[b]Eyes:[/b] 
[b]Hair:[/b] 
[b]Skin:[/b] 
[b]Physique:[/b] 
[b]Distinguishing Marks:[/b] 

[b]Appearance:[/b]  [i]Anything the picture doesn't show.[/i]

[b]Bio:[/b]  [i]Brief biography of character[/i]

[b]Equipment/Gear (Grabbed before entering the Mech's Storage Container):[/b]  [i]Items grabbed before everything is jettisoned[/i]


[hr]

[float=left][img height=300 padding=10]INSERT MECH IMAGE URL HERE[/img][/float]
[b]Chassis:[/b]  [i]Mech Frame[/i]
[b]Model:[/b]  [i]If it is a standard-issue mech, name the model;  If it is a custom design, just leave it as 'Custom'[/i]
[b]Weight Class:[/b]  [i]Battle Armor, Light, Medium, Heavy, or Colossal[/i]
[b]Weight:[/b]  [i]Mech Weight (List weight with standard layout and maximum carry weight)[/i]
[b]Height:[/b] [i]Mech Height[/i]
[b]Top Speed:[/b]  [i]Mech's top speed under standard layout[/i]
[b]Mech Name:[/b]  [i]If the mech is named, list it;  If it has a callsign instead, list that.[/i]
[b]Armaments (Standard Layout):[/b]  [i]List the mech's standard weapon systems;  Each system should be noted as fixed or not (I.E. can it be removed and replaced with another weapon?);  Basically, the weapons that the mech starts with.[/i]

[b]Armaments (Non-Standard):[/b]  [i]List any additional and/or replaced weapons on the mech.[/i]

[b]Subsystems (Standard and Nonstandard):[/b]  [i]Anything that isn't a weapons system (I.E. adaptive camouflage, jump jets, Advanced targeting systems, ect); Note whether they are standard or nonstandard.[/i]

[b]Strengths:[/b]  [i]List at least three things this mech excels at, both in and out of combat (I.E. Hands, mobility, armor, ect)[/i]

[b]Weaknesses:[/b]  [i]List at least three things this mech has difficulty with both in and out of combat (I.E. Very loud, slow reload/recharging weapons, limited mobility. ect)[/i]

[b]Overall Description:[/b]  [i]A short, detailed description of the mech that the picture doesn't show.[/i]

[b]Equipment/Gear:[/b]  [i]Gear that is stored in the mech's cockpit[/i]


As you can see in the Mech CS part, it talks about weight class.  The weight classes are:  Power/Battle Armor, Light, Medium, Heavy, and Colossal. 
Power/Battle Armor is about the size of the Hulkbuster from the Avengers.  They usually weigh no more than 5 tons. 
Light mechs are about 25-30 tons, give or take. 
Medium mechs are around 50 tons. 
Heavy mechs are around 75 tons. 
Colossal mechs, such as the Ragnarok, are 100+ tons.  For example, Ragnarok weighs in at about 125 tons. 

Mechs that fall under the minimal weight class (I.E. a 60 ton mech) would be classed as Medium.  A mech must weigh at least 75 tons to be classed as Heavy).

Some things to note:  Power/Battle Armor usually can interface with a larger mech, allowing the pilot to take control of it or provide extra firepower and defense.  Doing so while someone is piloting the target mech is usually a very bad idea as an interface attempt with an active mech is liable to throw the smaller one off and cause serious damage.

As for the heights, it really depends on if the mech is a biped or multiped.  A general rule of thumb is that heavier mechs tend to be larger than smaller ones.

As for realism, it will be as realistic as a mech game can be.  Rest assured that this is NOT like any anime.  Mech's get damaged, malfunction, and can be destroyed.  Pilots get hurt or sick or die.  Weapons can overheat and jam and missiles can be duds.

[Ralhend]

(It seems I am fashionably late...)

Name:  Joseph Hendrial
Rank:  N/A;  Civilian
Role: Mercenary Mecha-Combat Technician, Working for NAAJM
Nicknames:  None Assigned Yet
Callsign:  None Assigned Yet
Age:  30
Gender:  Male
Sexuality:  Straight
Height:  6' (182.88cm)
Weight:  210lbs (95.25kg)
Eyes:  Green
Hair:  Auburn, cut short, often mussed
Skin:  Lightly tanned
Physique:  Healthy and solid
Distinguishing Marks:  Severe scarring on either sides of his spine, with stainless steel plates and myomers visible along its length.
Distinguishing Behaviors:  When lost in thought, he will often touch the back of his neck, fingering the vertebral ridges under his skin...
Appearance:  American; Mixed German and Dutch Heritage. Strong and athletic.  Often wears coveralls with a gun-style toolbelt.  He carries a special set of Jeweler's screwdrivers in his left breast pocket, and a 12" adjustable wrench on his right leg, both for technical and sentimental reasons.

Bio:  Was a promising cadet during mech basic training, but was dishonorably discharged after severely beating his Recruit Division Commander.  The details of that event are sealed and he doesn't talk much about it... Not one of his favorite subjects.

Hendrial found work after washing out of training as a security guard for the moon colony.  During the Ankharran Blitz he manned an older sniper rifle, and with four others,  held off an attacking force of 300 by using the terrain to their advantage. Joseph and his ad-hoc squad bought enough time for the main forces to arrive, and force back the imperial invasion attempt.  Their bravery saved thousands, but Joseph sustained major injuries to his spine. Injuries that were serious enough to warrant a cybernetic replacement.  While being armored and well protected against bare hand / knife attacks, the spinal replacement affords him no special abilities.  While he has full mobility, he is left with a dull ache along his lower back and legs, an unfortunate side-effect of the synthetic nerve replacements. He takes regular doses of morphine to counteract the pain.

Being immobile for nearly seven months during the recovery process, he poured himself into researching mecha electronics, focusing on radar and communications.  He also (from his bed) played a popular online mech simulator game, familiarizing himself with standardized mech operation.  He is currently ranked 9th out of 12,000,000 subscribers.

Over the next several years he became an authority on mecha systems, and is often sought out as an "Independent Consultant". He currently works for the North Atlantic Alliance Joint Military In this capacity.  Joseph's role and reason for being present on the transport are to help evaluate the new MCC-65 Mecha Chassis.

During the incident, he is in one of the containers looking over one of the new mechs technical readouts, and constructing a formalized evaluation of the design to send back to the manufacturer.  He is not able to exit the container during the incident due to damage sustained in the meteor strike, and is forced to make do with what he has available in an effort to escape.  He has the armor, The anti-material rifle (But only one magazine/5 shots), and basic gear pictured (List will be updated).  His mecha has no armament however to start, aside from the medium range mecha assault rifle. 

(This is the gear of a fallen soldier that was being shipped back to the homefront, found as he was rifling through container's storage crates in an effort to gather supplies for the drop.)
Lightly damaged Type-2 Infantry Flak Armor
Backpack
Bedroll
Shaving kit (75% intact)
Canteen with Bio-Filter. (cleans most microbes out of the water but leaves it smelling/tasting like a swimming pool)
Survival Knife
Barret Mark IIV Anti Material Rifle, One Magazine, 5 rounds, no reloads
Used Medical kit with 50% of its supplies intact
50' Coil of rope
One Flash-Bang Style Grenade
One Frag Style Baseball Grenade
Damaged Las-Pistol (Good for close range only, 30ft, until the focusing Lenses are replaced)
550 Caterpillar style bracelet

Regular Gear:
500ml of Morphene (about two weeks worth, he can make it last 3, but expect him to be grumpy)
RADU-II Diagnostic AI System

RADU-2

The "Reclaimed Automated Diagnostic Unit Mark-2"  Is a type 2 Mil-Spec AI computer core that was made fifteen years prior to the current storyline.  It was recovered and rebuilt by Joseph Hendrial, a civilian Mecha-Electronics Technician working for {Insert name of our allies military force here, we need to discuss this later}

Joseph decided that he could use a new diagnostic unit for running repair routines and automatic test programs.  Due to budgent contraints, the military denied his request.  Frustrated, he pieced together RADU-2 
Using salvaged parts from other heavilly damaged Mark 2, 3, 4, and 5 systems in his spare time...   A memory buffer here, a closed nitrogen cooling system there, and then re writing the code and memory values to hopefully make everything work correctly...

Once the system was brought online it performed almost perfectly.  Diagnostic routines and repair efficiencies in the repair shop were up almost 50%...  The system could also play a seriously mean game of chess...

The finished product is housed in a 5 gallon wire mesh bucket, and is roughly 3 times the size of a newer Mark-6 Artificial Intelligence unit...   It also runs 25% faster, but at a price.

The cobbled together nature of the system is its greatest strength and its greatest weakness.  Despite many fixes to the software and hardware, the components will sometimes run into synchronization problems which can cause RADU to malfunction from time to time.  The longer RADU operates, the more the synchronization issues compound and increase the likely-hood of a glitch.   

For every hour that the system operates, there is a chance that a synchronization issue will occur.  Roll one ten sided die, and subtract 5 from the result.  If the end number is less than 0, no synchronization issues happen, and the system works fine.  If the number is greater than zero, add this to RADU's percentage pool.

There is a way to resolve the issue.  The system has to reset itself with a diagnostic routine that requires at least one minute of cycle time for each percentage point accumulated.  Every hour that RADU is operating however, and has percentage points in its pool, roll percentile to see if a malfunction occurs.

For example:  Radu and Joseph are out assisting Deep/Thumper on a salvage run, and RADU has been operating for 5 hours straight.   1d10 is rolled 5 times:

Roll 1 : 4                  no points in the pool, no glitch event possible yet
Roll 2 : 6 (add 1)     72 is rolled against 1%, no glitch event
Roll 3 : 7 (add 2)     65 is rolled against 3%, no glitch event
Roll 4 : 3                  81 is rolled against 3%, no glitch event
Roll 5 : 9 (add 4)       5 is rolled against 7%, See below

This equates to a 7% chance that RADU experiences a glitch.  A d100 is rolled.  If a 01-07 is rolled, RADU has something happen.  If 08-100 is rolled, the system works fine.

For purposes of this example, lets say the player rolls a 5.  He would then roll percentile again on the following table: (I'm open to modding this table btw if you guys have any ideas for an interesting glitch event)

01-35%  Language processor glitch. RADU begins slurring his words.  One word out of every 5 he says will be pronounced backwards for 1d10+(X%) minutes
36-45%  Radar Ghosts appear, when there is actually nothing there. RADU however will insist that a hostile is nearby for 1d8+(X%)minutes
46-55%  HUD malfunction.  HUD begins to flicker, making targeting and ranging difficult for 1d6+(X%) minutes
56-65%  Language software recognition glitch.  RADU begins speaking gibberish and cannot be understood at all.  He likewise cannot understand pilot commands for 1d4+(X%) minutes
66-75%  Hydraulics regulation malfunction.  Mech's speed is reduced by half for 1d4+(X%) minutes
76-80%  Weapon system lockout.  One weapon system goes offline, and cannot be used for 1d10 minutes
81-90%  Engine overcharge event.  Mech speed is doubled for 1d10+(X%) minutes, afterward speed is reduced to 25% until diagnostics are run
91-94%  Jumpjets fire for no reason, launching the mecha in a random direction.
95-97%   FCS error.  All weapons are unusable for 1d4(+X%) minutes until the system restarts.
98-99%   Minor Hardware Error.  Mech powerplant regulation hardware goes out of phase, Initiating a synch routine. Re-boot in (X%) minutes
100%       Fatal Hardware crash.  A critical component experiences a power surge, and the part is effectively slagged.  Mech shuts completely down until the part is replaced.

Chassis:  Medium Modular Core, class-65(a core that accepts attachments at 9 points: back, left and right shoulders, left and right chest bays, left and right arms, left and right legs)
Model:  MMC-65 "" core, with 2 MC/B-8 legs and 2 MC/C-6 arms
Weight Class:  Medium
Weight: 34 T (Dry); 65 T (Fully Loaded)
Height:  11.2 m
Mech Name/Callsign: — Ares
Armaments (Standard Layout):  — (being a modular mech chassis, has no single "standard" layout)

Reinforced Arms and Legs (Standard):  This chassis was designed with the possibility of hand-to-hand combat in mind.  The hands and feet, wrists and ankles, elbows and knees, hips and shoulders have all been reinforced to withstand the stresses of mecha scale combat.  With the right training, a pilot could be quite deadly even when all of his ammo is spent.

Monofilament Edged Combat Knife (Standard):  The MMC-65 comes with a 2.5 meter long mecha sized knife, edged with titanium monofilament wire.  In hand to hand situations, this allows the pilot a better chance of penetrating thick armor and striking a vital system or the enemy pilot.

Ares Model 7 Quad-Medium Laser Rifle (Non-Standard): This was the closest weapon available, and all Joseph was able to grab during his escape.  Its a mech sized medium range battle rifle, consisting of a cluster of 4 medium lasers chained together in a box configuration.  This weapon can fire from a detachable box power cell (Containing enough power for 30 shots) or it can draw power form the mech’s reactor core, allowing it to fire indefinitely. The only real disadvantage this weapon has is it’s limited range and its tendency to overheat if misused.

Subsystems (Standard and Nonstandard):
GN/GPG/-72 Fire control System: Removable. This is a standard issue, low cost FCS made to be mass produced for rank and file soldiers. Consists of:
•   Radar: Active and passive phased-array radar systems. Able to pinpoint airborne targets for roughly 100 km, if they're high enough and have a large enough silhouette.  This system can pick out a small target (5m across) at 20 km in good weather, ~5 km under average conditions. Active radar gives position away, but is necessary for target acquisition.
•   Infrared and Low Light Amplification: These are standard issue optics that allows the pilot to have fair visibility in low light / Fog / Smoke filled conditions.
•   Mecha Communications Suite: A standard issue communications hardware package allowing the mech to coordinate with the rest of his mecha infantry unit.
•   RADU-2 (Reclaimed Automatic Diagnostic Unit)(Removeable) This is Joseph’s Jury-Rigged Mark 2(6) AI.  The system itself is made to tap directly into the mech’s computers for purposes of running diagnostics.  In his haste to escape his damaged cargo container, Joseph used this AI to bypass the chassis anti theft systems.  When not connected to an outside power source, RADU is able to operate off of its interal battery for about 10 hours.  The system is housed in a standard interface computer frame, about the size and shape of a standard 5-gallon bucket.  It weighs 20lbs
 
Jump jets: Non-removable (built in to the MMC-65 core and the MC/B-8 legs). These are compressed air thrusters made to give the mech somewhat better mobility in rough terrain, and to slow a parachute descent after a halo-drop.  The system requires a full minute to recharge after being used.  A fully charged unit is able to propel the chassis a distance of 50 meters, straight up or across.

Strengths:
Highly Adaptable: This chassis was made with the intention of creating a machine that useful in almost any situation.  Its mix of fair speed, good armor, and generous hardpoints allow this mech to make use of any heavy (or lighter) standard mech weaponry pods.  If a faster mech is needed, the armor and weapons could be stripped, and the mech issued a long range sniper type weapon.  If close range combat is to be expected, the weapons and armor could be issued to reflect this.
Sealed Cockpit:  This chassis was made with keeping the pilot alive as long as possible under extreme conditions.  The MMC-65 is rated to operate completely submerged up to a depth of 200 meters.  Its possible it could go deeper, but the pilot runs the risk of damage to the mecha. 
Hands:(Borrowed from Deepka's mech) The hands on the MC/C-6 allow the mech to operate a wide range of equipment, without requiring any modification to the mech. It can pick up and use clubs, blades, rifles, shotguns, RPG launchers, and a variety of non-weapon tools. More importantly, it can reload hand-held weapons, implying a functionally infinite ammo supply in combat (assuming you have a functionally infinite ammo supply available).
AI system: RADU-2 is a high performance, (if unstable) AI that assists the pilot in battlefield situations. RADU is linked directly to the mech’s computers and sensors, and is capable of giving the pilot updates of the situation around the mech, as well as making suggestions of what actions to take. RADU has a limited ability to pilot the mecha, but is locked out of firing the weapons systems.
Modular design / Ease of repair: This chassis was made with heavy use and constant repair in mind.  Being a mass produced mech, replacement parts are fairly common, and the chassis itself is spacious and roomy, allowing properly equipped technicians to make field repairs quite easily, usually able to complete their work in about half the time it took them to repair the earlier MMC-50s. 

Weaknesses:
Inexperienced pilot: Joseph Hendrial is a technician, not a pilot. While he is familiar with how to operate a mech, he has no mecha combat experience outside of the simulators and video games. Unlike the sit down arcade cabinets, the mech moves and heaves as he pilots it, and he finds this somewhat disorienting...
Limited communications system: The stock comms system on an MMC-65 is designed with only the basics in mind, as it was made to be a small part of a larger mech force, coordinating and networking with the units designated comm-Officer, who’s mech is usually equipped with a more advanced system.
Patchwork AI (RADU): RADU-2 is a daisy-chained combination of obsolete components and spare parts.  While able to perform better than the late model mark-6 AIs, RADU can be somewhat tempermental, and sometimes the parts have synch issues.  There is a cumulative 1d10-5x1% chance for every hour he continuously operates that he malfunctions (The results of which are determined by a random table that’s currently in the works)  The only way to prevent this is to put the system into a synchronization cycle periodically, which takes about one minute for every 1% that was accumulated. (IE if he accumulated a 34% error rate, he we need a 34 minute synch phase to find all of the bugs in the system.)  The mech is inoperable during this time, since RADU is required to bypass the mech's anti-theft systems.
No secondary weapons installed:  This particular mech was prepped for transport only, and did not have any of its hard points fitted with any weapon pods.  The bays themselves however are functional, and are ready to accept upgrades at any time.
Jack of all Trades, Master of none: While this is a good mech for most situations, its not a great one. Light mechs are faster and more maneuverable, while heavier mechs have more armor and carry better weapons.

Overall Description:  The MMC-65 "Ares" is a bipedal war machine, made to be commonly and cheaply mass produced to bolster mech infantry forces.   It’s a little over 11 meters Tall, with a squat appearance.  The main reactor is housed in the abdomen just under the cockpit.  The powerplant is an “off the shelf” Nissan 227 production type, with ports for recharging external batteries of vehicles and other light mecha.  The pilot accesses the cockpit from a cable with a foot loop, which lifts him up from the ground.

[Saria]

Whew, it's been a hell of a busy last-half-of-the-week! It looks like I have some catching up to do!

[King Serperior]

Alrighty, I have heard from Gurass and he's nearly done with his character.  So, depending on what he comes up with character and mech-wise, that might leave just one final spot open.  Then, we can begin this journey of dangers!   

[Saria]

Awesomesauce. Then I think I'll change one spot to "claimed", and the title to say "1 spot left".

[King Serperior]

Sounds good to me!  I wonder what our new two mechs/characters will be like?  As of now, we have:

One frail, fast mech that is nearly a god in electronic offense and defense that is piloted by a strict, by-the-book personality;  One highly experimental Power Armor that provides more of a punch that it appears to be able to piloted by a near anti-social mind;  One adaptable mid-close range medium mech with good armor, but lacks powerful weaponry and piloted by an inexperienced ex-military man; And one massive, heavily armed and armored monster of a mech piloted by a cocky arena pilot.

Looks like there's a lot of room for interesting niches and personalities in this rather dysfunctional group.   

[Saria]

Oh, Deepika is just about the farthest thing you can get from strict and by-the-book. As far as following the rules goes, her philosophy is much closer to "what the commander doesn't know won't hurt zem".

Strictly and by-the-book, she should wipe her mech's systems and surrender to the local authorities the instant she realizes she is in hostile territory. But of course, that ain't gonna happen.

[King Serperior]

Haha, well, you have a point!  I suppose that she's more along the lines of "by-the-book until she finds a passage she deems is BS, so she changes the text to her advantage." 

[Saria]

More like: "Who needs a book? Only people who can't think for themselves, and need everything written out for them." (Followed by: "I am intelligent and creative enough to not need the book at all." "Hey, Deep, what's the best way to do ___?" "... give me the book.")

She'll expect everyone to do what she tells them, but not because she's a believer in rules or regulations... just because she wants everyone to do what she tells them. "Do as I say, not as I do."

On another note, I've got a couple of questions about that map, so let me clarify:

The map is just a visual aid for inspiration and understanding. I don't intend to use it in-game. In fact, I could have made a completely fictional world map, but a) too much work, b) I wouldn't want to be stuck using that map in-game either.

I don't intend to actually use real-world geography, territories, or political boundaries. That's just too much work to keep track of for too little payoff, and too much risk of bothering people who have a stake in various nationalities or political issues.

Also, the differently coloured areas on that map don't necessarily need to be all different countries; they're just "areas". One country can have areas in it which are more dangerous than others. I'm not really keen on either making up or keeping track of 50 different countries that we pass through. As far as I'm concerned, there are only like 6 countries: one made up of the former USSR (which I've called "Ryazan"; one made up of China, Mongolia and everything south/south-east; one made up everything between Africa and China (basically the Middle East plus India); one made up of Northern Africa; one made up of Southern Africa (or basically just South Africa); one made up of Europe; and "everywhere else".

And there is no connection between the places on that map, and any places mentioned in character back-stories or in-game chit-chat. Athena is Greek, Deepika is Indian, etc. but the India Deepika is from has no relationship whatsoever with the orange blotch on the map. Deepika is not an agent from a hostile country.

[Kiric Rand]

well I am intrigued. I love the whole mecha thing and would love to get into a game using them.

[King Serperior]

well I am intrigued. I love the whole mecha thing and would love to get into a game using them.

Hey there, Kiric!  Long time, no see!  Glad to see that you're interested!   

So, what sort of ideas for mech and pilot do you have in mind?

More like: "Who needs a book? Only people who can't think for themselves, and need everything written out for them." (Followed by: "I am intelligent and creative enough to not need the book at all." "Hey, Deep, what's the best way to do ___?" "... give me the book.")

She'll expect everyone to do what she tells them, but not because she's a believer in rules or regulations... just because she wants everyone to do what she tells them. "Do as I say, not as I do."

Haha, that's why I love her personality! 

On another note, I've got a couple of questions about that map, so let me clarify:

The map is just a visual aid for inspiration and understanding. I don't intend to use it in-game. In fact, I could have made a completely fictional world map, but a) too much work, b) I wouldn't want to be stuck using that map in-game either.

I don't intend to actually use real-world geography, territories, or political boundaries. That's just too much work to keep track of for too little payoff, and too much risk of bothering people who have a stake in various nationalities or political issues.

Also, the differently coloured areas on that map don't necessarily need to be all different countries; they're just "areas". One country can have areas in it which are more dangerous than others. I'm not really keen on either making up or keeping track of 50 different countries that we pass through. As far as I'm concerned, there are only like 6 countries: one made up of the former USSR (which I've called "Ryazan"; one made up of China, Mongolia and everything south/south-east; one made up everything between Africa and China (basically the Middle East plus India); one made up of Northern Africa; one made up of Southern Africa (or basically just South Africa); one made up of Europe; and "everywhere else".

And there is no connection between the places on that map, and any places mentioned in character back-stories or in-game chit-chat. Athena is Greek, Deepika is Indian, etc. but the India Deepika is from has no relationship whatsoever with the orange blotch on the map. Deepika is not an agent from a hostile country.

Oh, I completely understand.  Depending on how far in the future we are (guessing pretty dang far considering there are Lunar colonies and mecha!), boarders of countries and even their names, would have greatly changed.  I am perfectly fine like that.

Besides, that is a visual representation, so a completely different version of Earth is also quite fine as well.  I'm good with it.  *nod*

[Kiric Rand]

actually looking over that now.... trying to decide what I want to run as a character

[King Serperior]

Alrighty then, well, if you have questions, let us know.   

[Kiric Rand]

I actually have a character concept already in mind, it's the mech i am having trouble with

[King Serperior]

Alright, well, I have a lot of mech image ideas.  It just depends on the basic concept that you're looking for.  What are you thinking when you visualize a mech for your character?  Worst case scenario, I can post a few of the mechs I have in my collection and maybe one will spark an idea or two?

[Kiric Rand]

Well, the idea for the character is kind of this big, imposing merc of a character, kind of quiet and reserved, more of the actions speak louder than words. And I want his mech to kind of match that kind of personality. I am thinking a heavy class mech, some decent weaponry. His whole attitude is "I don't get paid by the hour."

[King Serperior]

Well, the idea for the character is kind of this big, imposing merc of a character, kind of quiet and reserved, more of the actions speak louder than words. And I want his mech to kind of match that kind of personality. I am thinking a heavy class mech, some decent weaponry. His whole attitude is "I don't get paid by the hour."

So, you're looking for a merc-style mech, one that has the tools to do the job where it needs to?  I have a few mechs like that in my folders:

[Kiric Rand]

nice, I'll take a look at them and see if one of them fits what I am after

[King Serperior]

Okay, well, I hope one of those images helps!

Also, since you are going for a Heavy class, do note that Jump Jets are unable to be placed on them due to their weight.  If you're looking for that, I would suggest a Medium class.

[Kiric Rand]

that is fine. I don't expect him to be a mobile mech, just a brutal one

I will finish out the mech tomorrow. getting late