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Or giving them something to do.

It's a rough thought. And because for every one of the big mass producers of hardware, there're the smaller people


While there are several groups capable of mass production of self-designed hardware, the prior investment required is beyond many of the garagiste Gearheads. After the success of the licensing agreement covering the OV-200 project and the Gagarin class, WireGeek realised that these Garagistes were a large potential market, which could fill up some of Hepheastus' unused capability, while opening a new revenue stream.

The Hepheastus Affiliate Program allows the smaller gearheads to sell equipment to the mass market, with Hepheastus taking a ten-percent cut of the profit once the cost of manufacture is covered. HAP products are sold and promoted by the original designer, with Hepheastus themselves handling the construction and ultimate delivery of the product.

Affiliates are naturally required to share full technical details of their designs with Hepheastus, though such information is treated as highly confidential. Some of the garagistes however, still prefer to go it alone however, especially if they feel they have the Next Big Thing, or feel they may make more money selling their trade secrets directly to one of the larger concerns

In the 2020's, 77 Frigga sell Havocs, Hokum and JF-21 series through the Hepheastus Affiliate Program and are typical of the smaller groups catering to smaller markets, or the more individualistic Fen. They may sell in a year what the larger groups sell in a month, but it's still some money that's useful for other things.
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

HRogge

Interesting idea, which will allow some of the smaller/independent groups to get their own hardware built. I like it... Smile

shaderic

Alright, I managed to fix my internet. Go technically incompetent me.

Anyway, I was thinking a few days ago about making a company that made and sold Gundams. I then realized that this like a company that makes space ferraris that are armed with weapons that belong on a tank. And that the set-up costs would almost be prohibitively expensive.

All this, and I haven't even begun to consider the 'fun' that attempting manufacture giant robots with the wave would inflict. Or how hard it'd be to stop AI's from forming halfway through. Or how to get around the Wave's anti-weapon function...

But hey, at least this is something that would provide enough funding to make the facilities to make general use mobile suits, which could then be customized into Gundams by the people they're sold to. That sounds like a reasonable business model.

So do you mind if I use this for the background of War Dog Heavy Industries? (That's a legit sounding name for a company that makes giant robots, right? It's that or I fold to a friend's suggestion and make it Anaheim Manufacturing)
I've got no objection to Gundams. I've been dithering with making a GAT-105X replica canon, or just leaving it as part of the Battletech crossover. It's a matter of finding a reason for it to exist in-universe. There's some stuff about it in the Shinji Ikari Raising Project, including a battle and it going berserker. The original GDoc for it is Here if there's anything useful to you in it.

In general, there's a tendancy to wave individual components rather than the completed project. Usually that keeps AI's from forming, or it'll allow you to build a weapon merely by waving the componentry for durability, or subcomponents. like powersupplies and the like. The closer to actual science and practice, the better the effect will be.
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

Ace Dreamer

How about some small stuff, tools, that a lot of people might be interested in?

For example, the "w-scanner" and the "w-sensor".

The first is a highly specialist modified toy Trek tricoder, that can tell you handwavium is about, and where it is. Works best for single sources, but can handle "It's all around you". A trained person (even a scientist would need practice, a Trek science tricorder user would learn fastest) can interpret the display to tell the variety of handwavium, and the quantity.

The second is an on-off sensor, which just has a sensitivity dial and an on-off switch. Choice as to how it displays the presense of handwavium, basic models use a flashing light and/or a buzzer, 'novelty' versions might klaxon "Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!".

The design for these would come from an obscure source, "HH Engineering".
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"It is the business of the future to be dangerous" - Hawkwind
Ace Dreamer Wrote:How about some small stuff, tools, that a lot of people might be interested in?

For example, the "w-scanner" and the "w-sensor".

The first is a highly specialist modified toy Trek tricoder, that can tell you handwavium is about, and where it is. Works best for single sources, but can handle "It's all around you". A trained person (even a scientist would need practice, a Trek science tricorder user would learn fastest) can interpret the display to tell the variety of handwavium, and the quantity.

The second is an on-off sensor, which just has a sensitivity dial and an on-off switch. Choice as to how it displays the presense of handwavium, basic models use a flashing light and/or a buzzer, 'novelty' versions might klaxon "Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!".

The design for these would come from an obscure source, "HH Engineering".
Even if they are are just scanning for raw handwavium, they could be quite popular with people not interested in bio-moding themselves (especially handy if there's a possibility of Wavium fumes), also with cops/Space patrollers investigating an unsecured location (both for finding hidden Wavium stockpiles and so that you don't accidently go swimming in guacamole. 8P )
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"I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." - George Carlin
The Blue Blazers already have handwavium scanners, but they aren't the only ones who have them. Yours look like they're somewhat different from the others...
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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

shaderic

I really have four or five other projects I should be working on instead of this...
Can't bring myself to care though.
Full Product Name: Johnson-Einzbern Mass Production Mobile Suit Frame, Design Generation Two
Nicknames: MS, Miss, Missus, Second Gens
Designer: War Dog Heavy Industries
Design Notes: The MS was originally developed to be a cheap, safe, simple to maintiain, easily produced, and highly customizable Gundam. The first design generation was none of these things. Of the two units produced, one had a distressing tendency to lose it's arms mid-test, while the other was impossible to keep balanced. Both went way over budget, had poor manueverability, ate maintenance hours like candy, and could not get up on their own if they fell on their backs.
After spending considerably longer at the drawing board this time, the designers eventually came up with the Second Generation design. The Second Gens were designed to be a lot thinner, with the intent that they would be customized by the end-user before seeing active use. This was a major change from the first generation, which included it's own armor, but it lightened the weight of the MS considerably. Other design modifications included an over-haul of the cockpit and control system, the redesign of the hard points on the MS, and revisions to account for a 'Booster Pack' which would include an additional generator to extend battlefield performance and a set of 'wings' to allow flight.
The overhauled design was lighter, and easier to use and maintain. Simulations indicated that it would handle much better, and would probably even be able to get up on it's own if it fell on it's back.
Unfortunately, it was projected to go way over budget (again) and War Dog Heavy Industries didn't have the tools, expertise, or resources to actually build it. Luckily, Hephaestus soon announced it's Affiliate program. Although sales were very sparse due to the costs inherent in making a giant robot, the profits did allow them to start building their own facilities. Eventually, they hope to be able to manufacture the MS without outside assistance.
Trivia!
The designs of the first generation MS were based on the blueprints for the RX-78 in Tokyo Bay. The use of this 'short-cut' is what those in the know blame for the many failures of the first generation. Although, some people feel that there would have been many issues anyway, given that it was a first generation MS, and that use of the plans shortened the initial development cycle.
The two first generation MS's look a lot like fatter versions of the RX-78, for obvious reasons.
The popular use of the acronym MS has lead to the trend of refering to them as girls. And while few of the produced MS have AI, and none without having first been converted to a Gundam, they all identify as female.
MSF was originaly going to be the identifying acronym for the Mobile Suit Frames. However, the F was dropped as more people connected Mobile Suits with Gundams and giant robots than they did Frames.
If Trombe! is played within ear-shot of any MS, it's own speakers will start blaring the song it as loud as they can without hurting anyone's ears. This rapidly results in all MS units in range playing Trombe! This continues until all units playing it have been shut down.  
A/N Alright, in case I didn't make it clear somehow, the MS is designed to a be a sort of proto-gundam. It'll work just fine on it's own, but it's meant to be customized into a Gundam. Or, depending on your tastes, a Zaku or a Tallgeese. Whatever floats your boat. The reason behind the customization thing is three-fold. One, is that producing Gundams is expensive as all get out. Getting the buyer to foot the bill for 'finishing' saves quite the pretty penny, and since the price is lower it lets more people buy it. The second reason, is that there are LOTS of different Gundams. Producing a single general unit that can be converted into most of them is a lot easier than trying to build each and every single one from top to bottom. The third reason, is that some Fen like building things. Constructing a Gundam from scratch might be a bit much for most of them, but a customizable frame? That's a little more accesible.