Gryphon wrote: I actually don't use any railguns on anything smaller than the SDF-1 and the Tristar. All other references to such weapons are changed to being energy weapons instead. I don't buy that the weapon Lunk used was a railgun, anymore than I can accept the sudden appearance of a Rifts like burst fire railgun on the Super Cyclone and Silverback.
I don’t have the books and resources everyone is quoting back and forth ……….. So my answer is ……. The weapon is comparable to the enemies systems. Good enough for plot and action…….. Keep it balanced.
Gryphon wrote: As for upgrades to UNDF era Destroids, I marginally boost the MDC in 2025-2028, but after that, I retire them all form service. The gun clusters on the Tomahawk typically get replaced by single pulse beam guns from the "failed" VF-4, and later the EP-13S, and the missile racks become a pair of fifteen tube SRM launchers instead, and the large over the torso rack becomes a six pack of MRMs. Other than that, no real changes are needed honestly.
Myself, I envision an increase of 25% to 50% in the armor capacity to resist damage without an increase in mass. Additionally a 20% increase in speed… This reflects improvement and advances in technology. The searchlight I never understood on something that has a complete set of Low light, infra red, and thermal camera systems. That gets removed and a Close in Weapon System (CIWS) goes in its place. Because the initial mission is to Tirol with an expectation of encountering Zentraedi loyal to the Masters adding counter missile features make sense as a design upgrade. A year into combat with the Invid and this would be swapped for something like a ROV-10. The 12.7 MGs in the head I swap for VF-1 head lasers, as those are much more effective on Zentraedi light infantry. The TZ-III Gunclusters I swap for a combination of auto cannon and lasers, dropping the MG, flamethrower, and 180 grenade launcher. Two linked ACs and Two linked lasers per gun cluster. The SRMs are replaced by Minimissile racks……. There for close in anyway, often used as counter missile defense and to overwhelm an immediate or close in attack such as in urban, canyon land, or forested terrain. Thus 30-40 MMs per launcher meets the original design requirement and keeps the Destroid in the fight longer before exhausting weapons load out. The MRM load over the right shoulder remains, the medium missiles will have undergone their own upgrades. I simply cap that with a more capable battlefield radar system combining millimeter wave and lidar to counter poor visibility situations that would blind thermal sights and infrared.
Gryphon wrote: The same SRM rack and gun cluster swap out to a EP-4/EP-13S happens for the Spartan, and the laser turret on top gets a slight boost in power and range. I normally have the 1st Edition RPG GU-12 gunpod retained, but I treat is as a caseless 105mm weapon with somewhat limited ammunition instead, comparable to the main weapon of the earlier VHTs. Another favored element is a Destroid body shield with holding racks for Demolition Charges (yes, Destroid hand grenades...) and a Battle Mace or Close Assault Defense Sword (Not initially a vibro like weapon, but later on it gets updated, usually on an individual basis.) An increase in MDC, but again, not a huge amount.
I love the shield idea and the demolition charges….. however, I don’t see the point in swords. The opponent is operating mecha so a cut or thrust with a blade isn’t going to sever arteries or cut muscle. The mace makes sense and does the same thing a medieval mace would do, crush and distort the armor.
Gryphon wrote: The Phalanx doesn't need not have the room for most upgrades. The only ones I use are the OSM (I think) minigun mod in place of the unneeded spotlight stack, and later a UEDF inspired defense laser instead. Note that I use 44 MRMs instead of LRMs, and have an alternate LRM rack that rarely sees use that carries only seven such weapons. 44 missiles with up to a range of 80 miles and their increased combat power is sufficient in most situations. Another increase in MDC, and once again, not a whole lot really.
I agree with the minigun head swap, and that is supported by the shows themselves…. I think later variations would see other head types either as secondary weapon stations with lasers or particle beams or as sensor platforms with radar, and camera clusters……. Since a destroid optimized for long range engagements needs a radar with a detection and tracking range equal to or greater than the range of the missiles on board. Though weapons mounted to the exterior of the missile pods go a long way toward giving the Phalanx something to do after all the missiles have been launched. Some of the head lasers from the VF-1 perhaps mounted at the 12, 3 or 9, and the 6 o’clock positions depending on which pod.
Gryphon wrote: The Defender also needs very little in the way of upgrades, because quite simply PFG-966s are the scariest guns in the game right now. Range a whole lot, damage, typically more than you, anti aircraft and antimissile capabilities, quite a bit of ammunition, highly accurate in almost all cases, and when they aren't accurate enough, you put a burst of air burst frag rounds into the air above a target and behind its cover, making this one of the scariest weapons you can face really. I mean, look at it, its current range is actually greater than any short range missile but more than half, so an Alpha can't even respond to one of these things! (Ran into one of these in a game at a con, there were at least two IMU's of some sort with a pair of these, and I had an Alpha, a Silverback, and a pair of Cyclones...we got so freaking schooled...) So other than a modest increase in armor at the same time as the others, there aren't very many reasons to modify it.
The problem for a Defender is 200 rounds per gun and a cyclic rate of 500 rounds per minute….. Every effort would have gone into making this an energy only system or as has been bandied back and forth a rail gun…. Just to increase the munitions pay load… As a pure Air Defense system in a conventional sense it does alright…. Modern fighters using jet fuel rush in, fire their weapons, and rush back out. The engagement is over in seconds, or a minute. Once the problem of fuel is removed though, pilots can hang around, this draws the engagement out and the Defender becomes defenseless when the onboard ammunition runs out. Attacks by Zentraedi Gnerl fighters that have energy weapons and a the fusion powered propulsion system had to have driven this point home in Space war one.
Gryphon wrote: And as for the MAC II, it was obsolete when it was built, and there isn't any thing it can't do that a couple Phalanxes or a ship in orbit can't accomplish anyhow. It's a bit like having self propelled artillery pieces being a part of a Marine amphibious landing force. The closest to modifying it I have ever come is welding a few simple platforms for Cyclones to stand on and act as point defense and close range defense units.
I disagree….. As we know from developments here in our real world the application of lasers is shaking the foundations of military planning. The airborne laser system was well on its way (before cancelation) to engaging and downing ballistic missiles in the boost phase. The Chinese have demonstrated a ground based laser that has engage satellites in low earth orbit. That attack left the satellites blinded. Currently, there is significant working into fielding lasers that will engage rockets, artillery shells, and missiles in flight.
What I am saying is the Air Defense Motto is becoming a military maxim “if it flies, it dies”. Anything breaking cover of the horizon becomes a target. Though it is much cooler, and far more theatrical, the fact is a Destroid on the ground stands a much better chance of surviving an engagement than a veritech in the air… Moving MAC IIs into position using a Zentraedi landing pod solves their mobility issue. Nothing sucks like having to sit there and take it when the other guy is shooting at you and you can’t shoot back.
The Marine Corps learned this lesson in the later stages of the island hopping campaign… The Imperial Japanese Army changed doctrine and no longer tried to hold of enemy forces at the beach. Common sense over ruled Pride, the IJA was losing men and material trying to hold the beach and being decimated by naval artillery. The IJA moved inland (island size permitting) and this separated the Marines from their naval artillery support and tanks. Desperate the Marines demanded and got M7 Priests and M8 gun carriages.
A lesson that is going to be learned by the Corps again when the US goes up against a foe with technological parity in the future.