No Combat Computer bonuses for most Human mecha?

Whether it is a Veritech or a Valkyrie, Robotech or Macross II, Earth is in danger eitherway. Grab your mecha and fight the good fight.

Moderators: Immortals, Supreme Beings, Old Ones

User avatar
green.nova343
Adventurer
Posts: 495
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2008 10:16 am
Location: Ohio, USA
Contact:

No Combat Computer bonuses for most Human mecha?

Unread post by green.nova343 »

I'm working on a personal project of mine, & was doing some comparisons of how characters would stack up against "stock" types in terms of the combat bonuses. I'm just strictly looking at how the combinations of HTH & MECT bonuses stack up, not taking into account the character's attributes. But I noticed something really weird.

Nearly every single Human-designed mecha, from the UEDF through the ASC to the UEEF, does not get any bonuses on strike rolls with their onboard weapon systems.
  • In TSC, all of the Battloids, Fighters, and Veritechs specifically state in their MECT bonuses sections that the strike bonus only applies to "punches, stomps, & kicks only". The Cyclones & VM-9 "Silverbacks" just list a straight strike bonus, but it's unclear if it applies just to HTH attacks or also applies to weapons. But the Invid? Even if their Protoculture Targeting Sensor isn't in use, they all get bonuses to strike with their built-in weapons...except for the Soldier, Enforcer, & Overlord (it's unclear, similar to the Cyclones), & the Commander (specifically says that the bonus only applies in HTH combat, not with weapons).
  • In the Macross Saga Sourcebook, the Destroids are equipped with a "combat computer" that grants them a +2 bonus to strike with built-in weapons, or a +1 with any handheld weapon. But the Valkyries don't have that as part of their combat computer system...which is really bad, because every single Zentraedi mecha specifically lists bonuses for striking with weapon systems...with the exception of the Gnerl Fighter Pod (which also doesn't get any MECT bonuses, since technically it's not a mecha, but its combat computer doesn't give it any targeting bonuses either).
  • In the Masters Sourcebook, the VHT & the ASC's Battloids have the same kind of combat computer that the UEDF Destroids had, so they get a bonus to weapon systems, as do the various ASC Power Armor suits. The Masters' Bioroids have a similar system as well (even slightly superior, as their handheld weapons get the same bonus as integral weapons). But the ASC's Veritechs, the Logan & AJACS? Nope, no bonus whatsoever from their combat computer. Nor any bonus for the ASC's conventional & space fighter designs.
  • In Expeditionary Force Marines, we finally see a book where pretty much every Human mecha gets bonuses to weapon attacks, thanks to their combat computer. But the weird thing here? The earlier Cyclone models also have one. The -010 series Cyclones have a combat computer that gives them the same +2 with built-in weapons/+1 with handheld weapon bonuses that the UEEF Marine Destroids & all other Human ground mecha seem to have. For the Invid Inorganics & new mecha designs, most of them just have the generic "+X to strike", with only the Malgo Invid Assault Trooper specifically stating its bonus only applies to HTH combat.
What I find weird about this? Every era makes a combat computer available to the Human ground mecha that makes their weapon systems more accurate, but the flight-capable mecha get the shaft. Even though the alien flight-capable designs show that it's completely possible to do so, & even though the same combat computers should be available to the Valkryies & other flight-capable units (including even the Zentraedi Gnerl Fighter Pods), they get excluded.

Has anyone else noticed this before, & if so did you make some sort of house rule to address it?
Post Reply

Return to “Robotech® - The Shadow Chronicles® - Macross II®”