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A. C. R. O. N. Y. M.
A. C. R. O. N. Y. M.
#1
ACRONYM Creation Rationalizations, Or: Naming Your Machinery

I've asked this kind of question before, because I tend to have only accidental success at it myself, but anyoine have suggestions for why a power armor might be officially referred to with the letters EZLS? Best I've got so far is Enhanced Zero/zero Light Suit, probably appended to something like Cyberpunk's ACPA as a catch-all for the general class of Armored Combat Power Armor, with zero/zero being either referring to being able to deploy from the air like an ejection seat (zero altitude/zero airspeed to as high as the vehicle can take it) or something like zero reduced agility/zero added sensor signature compared to a normal foot soldier.

Or as the troopers call it, Easy Alice, 'cause it's hot and tight and any conscript farm kid can get in and ride as soon as they get out of Basic Training, but even the old hands have to admit it's damn good fun. Despite not matching the unit's official designation in any way, this also leads to the more complicated recon/spec ops suits (with a notoriously PITA active camo system) being called "Bitchy Betty." Tongue

I don't like the Z/Z part as it stands, though, so if anyone can come up with a better rationale to fit the flavor text, it would be welcomed.

Likewise, if anyone's got a piece of gear they want help naming, let 'er rip; I may not be much help but I can try.
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‎noli esse culus
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RE: A. C. R. O. N. Y. M.
#2
"Engagement Zone Launch System", perhaps? I doubt they'd be worn at all times, after all. However, that backronym implies artillery instead of power armor.
--
Rob Kelk

Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown
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RE: A. C. R. O. N. Y. M.
#3
Enhanced Capability Load System - Eee Cee Alice
SEZ
BZG
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RE: A. C. R. O. N. Y. M.
#4
Electrische Zware Lading Steunen (Electric Heavy Load Supports, except in Dutch)

The first EZLS as the modern soldier knows them were the result of people weaponizing logistical support equipment to carry crew served weapons alone. Sometimes one handed. Although the original suits had 15 minutes of battery time at most and were otherwise dependent on a wire hookup, the modern EZLS is substantially more capable.

Why operators are called 'easels' is unknown, as it does not fit the usual casual, crude and rude banter soldiers generally engage in.

(It's because the logistics staff that used the non-military suits were called 'ezels', which is phonetically similar, and the Dutch 'ezel' can mean 'easel'. The intended interpretation however is 'donkey', because the workers carried heavy loads and were often considered dumb labour.)
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RE: A. C. R. O. N. Y. M.
#5
Ooh, that's a good one, Hazard! Rob and Batz too, but that really goes the extra ... kilometer, I suppose, for a weapon system sourced anywhere-not-USA Tongue

For the militarization of the original civilian versions, I'm now imagining something like the Ukraine situation where defenders forted up in a steel mill after slowly falling back through the rest of a heavy industrial district and collected all the EZLS they could along the way, welding on gasoline or diesel generators as a backpack to maintain operational time with grid power cut off, and a few pieces of sheet steel to armor critical locations, at least against small arms fire. Being basically as mobile as a human but much stronger then allowed for a single operator to use a normally crew served weapon as noted, but also to quickly set up barricades for defensive and ambush points, and to quickly move important supply stockpiles as the lines continued to shift. After all, soldiers and guns are what win a battle, but running out of food and bullets to supply them is what loses a seige.
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‎noli esse culus
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