Drunkard's Walk Forums

Full Version: Redlink Elimination: Motoroids
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
Or redlink removal:

First spotted in use by the Roughriders A-Team, the first MZ-12 motoroids were known to have originated in the workshops and labs of 37 Fides. Motoroids are a transformable mecha, capable switching between a flight-capable humanoid form and a motorcycle form.

A motoroid has three operating modes:

In motoroid mode, it operates independently in humanoid form, capable of providing fire support and backup to the wearer, or independently holding ground against attackers. Roughriders models border on D-grade intelligence, and are capable of operating on their own limited initiative. It is flight capable in atmosphere and open space.

In motorslave mode the operator’s hardsuit armour is physically docked with the motoroid, with the motoroid’s own sensors providing data to the wearer’s hardsuit. The Motoroids own armour provides additional protection, and allows the wearer to go toe-to-toe with heavier mecha if needed. Slave mode requires the operator to be wearing a Stingray model hardsuit. It is flight capable in atmosphere and open space.

In motorcycle mode they are capable of achieving 320kph on level ground, and being equipped with an automatic transmission and two wheel drive. They can be ridden by any humanoid capable of handling a heavy high-speed motorcycle.

Motoroids are some of lightest transforming mecha, weighing in at less than two hundred kilograms without rider. Most of the frame is made from magnesium alloys, while the armour is a lightweight ceramic metal fibre-reinforced composite. It’s exact composition is a trade secret of 37 Fides.

It is capable of withstanding a direct hit from 20mm calibre weapons. Compared to a battlemover or landmate, a motroid is still very lightly armoured, and is closer to an oversized powered-exoskeleton. The pilot is exposed in a number of places.

Power comes from a combination of fuel-cell electric drive for the real wheel in motorcycle mode, and a pair of fusion-turbine powered gravity-rotors mounted in both halves of the seperating front wheel in motorcycle mode. The rotors themselves are conceptually similar to those powering B-36 Peacemakers. They allow the motoroid to skim the ground in atmosphere, or fly at low speeds in vacuum. They also grant the ‘roid an exceptional maneuverability, including the ability to hover in place, jink, and to continue travelling along a vector while turning to face a target.

Most motoroids are capable of supplying power for a 20mm railgun, using the same power supply as the main motor drives to save weight. They can also be armed with single-shot missile launchers, or conventional chemically propelled firearms.

Motoroids are sold to reputable factions on the open market... though with a few changes to armour compositions and electronics. Motoroids require a Stingray hardsuit to function effectively, and cannot be operated by an unarmoured wearer in slave mode.

--Knight Saber Motoroid “MZ 20 Typhoon” --

The Knight Saber motoroid, while appearing similar, is much heavier, replacing light alloys and composites with seibertron alloys. Externally, the Knight Saber motoroid is distinguished by being slightly bulkier, having larger actuators and power supplies..... and by having feet designed to mimic high-heeled shoes incorporating maneuvering jets.

Performance is estimated to roughly be on par with their Roughrider cousins, thanks to uprated actuators, drives and power supplies to compensate for the extra mass.

Knight Saber motorslaves use a slightly modified contra-rotating rotor design to enhance their stability and maneuverability.

Knight Saber motoroids use their extra mass to mount higher calibre weapons. Normally they carry a 30mm Grazny Shipunov autocannon firing high-explosive or armour-piercing shells, with one occasionally being equipped with a heavy railgun.

----- Heavy Motorslave “MZ-23 Judy”

A prototype heavier version of the motoroid, was gifted to Shinji Ikari. Designed with an enclosed cockpit as standard allowing it to be piloted by someone not wearing a hardsuit, it is intended for flight within cislunar space. It can be operated without a hardsuit, and is equipped with a self-stabilising and support system which operates in motorcycle and motoroid mode.

It is noticeable large in motorcycle mode, with a pair of additional panniers fitted to a longer chassis reminiscent of the original Highway star.

The Heavy motorslave is unarmed as standard, though has provision for armaments in an emergency.

Faster in open space than a motoroid, but slower on land. At less than 600kg it is still one of the lightest machines of it’s kind.

Originally known as Judy, Shinji officially renamed it ‘Misato Katsuragi’.

-----

One size fits all: Unlike the hardsuits, adapting a motoroid to fit a different user is pretty simple. It could probably be automated if anyone had the inclination to bother.

No shirt, no shoes...: User must wear a Stingray model hardsuit.

Mad Machine Motoroids use a much simpler constant-power actuator design, rather than a safer but more computationally complex constant force system. It’s hard to not break things wearing one.

Hurricane Gravity rotor drives whip up miniature tornadoes if operated in an atmosphere, picking up and flinging light debris if they’re close to the ground, raising dust clouds and generally annoying people.

Skimmer Limited to altitudes below 1km in an atmosphere.

-----

Trivia: When I think of it.

-----------------------

Needs more quirks.

Top speed in space is .001 C (Yes really). Land is 320kph. Air is 200kph. Maneuverability is the same as the Havoc choppers (The lifting drives operate on the same principal)
AI is pretty dumb.... basically capable of comprehending 'friend or foe' and basic commands such as 'cover me' or 'fall back' or 'stay here'.
You can probably make it work with any sort of powered armour.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
Quote:You can probably make it work with any sort of powered armour.
However, I suspect Jet designed in a failsafe so that an unarmoured AI couldn't use it. Nobody wants a DD Battlemover running around Fenspace, after all...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
... especially not with stories like http://www.fenspace.net/index.php5?titl ... sey_Tripod]the New Jersey tripod and http://www.fenspace.net/index.php5?titl ... t_incident]the Kentucky Cat incident already in the 'Dane memepool.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
Naturally. They require a number of data signals from the hardsuit and it's operator that would be difficult, though not impossible, to fake in order to operate in slave mode. Though these things are nowhere near as heavily armoured or as tough as a full battlemover or landmate.

And now back to Shinji....
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
Because I've been rereading UF CORE, "Judy" immediately made me think of the Bahamode, the obnoxiously huge mecha-motorbike which Megazone uses in the Second Wedge War. If ever there's a production run of MZ-23s, people will be calling them Bahamodes no matter what the official name is... And taking a second look at that model designation, I realise that it's deliberate. (The Bahamode part, anyway. I'm not sure if you're referencing Megazone 23 directly or if like me your only contact with it is through Undocumented Features.)
Not through UF.

Megazone was shown at a con a few years back, and I remember thinking it looked a lot like the BGC Motoroids. Which it did for good reason.... since MZ and BGC shared a mechanical designer. I looked it up, and got the name 'Garland' from MAHQ for it. Hence, 'Judy'.

And there won't be a production run. Not unless enough people beg to cover the costs of having hepheastus run them off.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
Garland... Judy...

ARGH!!!!!!!

Ow... *whimper*

That is BAD. ^_^
*Grins wickedly* What? You're not gonna sic the Narn Batsquad on him?
blackaeronaut Wrote:*Grins wickedly* What? You're not gonna sic the Narn Batsquad on him?
I thought they went into retirement recently?
--

"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor
Who do you think works security on Babylon .5? (Besides the Garibaldi family, that is...)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
Redlink eliminated... but the page could still use some editing.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
It's not a bad pun if it takes that long to pick up on it. ;P

I'll clean up the page soon enough.

Now back to gazing longingly at my recently finished Aile Strike.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?