Titan robotics and shemarrian railguns/CS interest?

[slade2501]

In teh Merc-Ops book Titan robotics has a new toy, the Titan Robot Killer, a gigantic robot thyat sports a Shemmarian style rail gun. In teh fluff, it states that the CS believes that Titan robotics has copied the alien Shemarrian railgun, and this COULD lead the CS into looking closer at the Shemarrians, Titan robotics, or both! This seems like a curious plot point as Rifts management seems to like both the CS and Archie 3 WAY too much to eliminate them any time soon.
How serious should we take this fluff? Has it lead any of your personal games to bring down Archie 3 or break the charade he has pulled for so long? Has it hurt Titan Robotics in your campaigns?

[Blue_Lion]

Most likely they will compare the working of the two and place the Titan robot killer on the ban tech list.

Any investigation by the CS would probably take years or longer to reach find out anything, about the origins of the Shemarians or the source of titan robots. The use of mobile factories makes it hard to trace titan back to Archie 3

[slade2501]

Most likely they will compare the working of the two and place the Titan robot killer on the ban tech list.

Any investigation by the CS would probably take years or longer to reach find out anything, about the origins of the Shemarians or the source of titan robots. The use of mobile factories makes it hard to trace titan back to Archie 3

So Titan robotics would not be able to sell them in Ispeming, but could defeinetly sell them in merctown or through the black market eh? that would neatly sidestep the CS raiding or attacking them in Ishpeming wouldn't it? Titan could still do business there, the CS could turn an eye and not worry about upsetting their economic friend, especially with teh demon war going on, right? economic and political expediency for the win!

[Mack]

Most likely they will compare the working of the two and place the Titan robot killer on the ban tech list.

Any investigation by the CS would probably take years or longer to reach find out anything, about the origins of the Shemarians or the source of titan robots. The use of mobile factories makes it hard to trace titan back to Archie 3

Mobile factories?

[taalismn]

Most likely they will compare the working of the two and place the Titan robot killer on the ban tech list.

Any investigation by the CS would probably take years or longer to reach find out anything, about the origins of the Shemarians or the source of titan robots. The use of mobile factories makes it hard to trace titan back to Archie 3

Mobile factories?

Got nothing there. So far, only mention has been made of static facilities.

But I agree that a CS investigation is likely to be desultory and slow to show results, especially if Titan is not seen to be openly arming or consorting with enemies of the CS, though anything of theirs that smacks of d-bee(Shemarrian) tech is going to be proscribed, as a cheap way of sending a message to Titan to either come clean or stop trading in d-bee tech. ESPECIALLY if and when the CS has more immediate problems, such as the Minion War, to deal with.

[Colonel_Tetsuya]

the CS would first have to get their hands on the Shemarian guns for reference anyway, which there is no evidence that they have. I dont see it as being something too likely to go anywhere (almost everyone has a lot bigger problems than trying to figure out where Titan got a boom-gun-lite gun).

If anything, theyre likely to just pass it off (if they think about it at all) as Titan unsuccessfully replicating the Boom Gun but still producing a decent weapon.

If i saw a gun that looked and operated similar to the Boom Gun, and fired a similar round, from a manufacturer that has always produced good (if not the absolute best) products and that is, as far as i know, terrestrial in origin, my first thought, if i thought about it at all, would be "huh, they got lucky and managed to scale a boom gun down or something".

im not reaching immediately for "must be D-bee tech!!"

[Colonel_Tetsuya]

My second thought is "can i get them to make an emplacement-ready version of that thing?" that i can turret mount on a tank or fortification.

[ShadowLogan]

the CS would first have to get their hands on the Shemarian guns for reference anyway, which there is no evidence that they have. I dont see it as being something too likely to go anywhere (almost everyone has a lot bigger problems than trying to figure out where Titan got a boom-gun-lite gun).

If anything, theyre likely to just pass it off (if they think about it at all) as Titan unsuccessfully replicating the Boom Gun but still producing a decent weapon.

If i saw a gun that looked and operated similar to the Boom Gun, and fired a similar round, from a manufacturer that has always produced good (if not the absolute best) products and that is, as far as i know, terrestrial in origin, my first thought, if i thought about it at all, would be "huh, they got lucky and managed to scale a boom gun down or something".

im not reaching immediately for "must be D-bee tech!!"

We know that the Glitterboy's Boomgun is not unique in terms of ammunition fired from a Railgun, Naruni Enterprises offers such a weapon on a Hovertank (Mercenaries) and the Shemarrians use it. Most Railguns in Rifts though do not. But we have examples of 3 races (technically 2) and at least 8 power blocks* that have the technology and successful deployment. So how much could the CS really say "this is d-bee tech" as opposed to "this is styled to look like d-bee tech".

Archie could in theory plant information connecting it to pre-Rifts designs (Boomgun, a variant/competitor, etc) or even "stolen" from Triax but given a cosmetic makeover to look exotic (ie Shemarrian). Any analysis on Titan products or even Shemmarrians will reveal the hardware is made on Earth (Shem Nation).

*IINM (though not all known to the CS): FQ, Triax, Silver Republics (SA), New Navy (Tico has GBs as part of its force), Republic of Japan, Orbitals, Archie/Shemmarians, Naruni

[slade2501]

the CS would first have to get their hands on the Shemarian guns for reference anyway, which there is no evidence that they have. I dont see it as being something too likely to go anywhere (almost everyone has a lot bigger problems than trying to figure out where Titan got a boom-gun-lite gun).

If anything, theyre likely to just pass it off (if they think about it at all) as Titan unsuccessfully replicating the Boom Gun but still producing a decent weapon.

If i saw a gun that looked and operated similar to the Boom Gun, and fired a similar round, from a manufacturer that has always produced good (if not the absolute best) products and that is, as far as i know, terrestrial in origin, my first thought, if i thought about it at all, would be "huh, they got lucky and managed to scale a boom gun down or something".

im not reaching immediately for "must be D-bee tech!!"

We know that the Glitterboy's Boomgun is not unique in terms of ammunition fired from a Railgun, Naruni Enterprises offers such a weapon on a Hovertank (Mercenaries) and the Shemarrians use it. Most Railguns in Rifts though do not. But we have examples of 3 races (technically 2) and at least 8 power blocks* that have the technology and successful deployment. So how much could the CS really say "this is d-bee tech" as opposed to "this is styled to look like d-bee tech".

Archie could in theory plant information connecting it to pre-Rifts designs (Boomgun, a variant/competitor, etc) or even "stolen" from Triax but given a cosmetic makeover to look exotic (ie Shemarrian). Any analysis on Titan products or even Shemmarrians will reveal the hardware is made on Earth (Shem Nation).

*IINM (though not all known to the CS): FQ, Triax, Silver Republics (SA), New Navy (Tico has GBs as part of its force), Republic of Japan, Orbitals, Archie/Shemmarians, Naruni

I like this a lot. Archie 3 engages in some counter-intelligence to plant the ideas that Cyberworks simply stole the visual design. Maybe even a fake tech report from NG that they somehow acquired, showing that an investigation with a Cyberworks employee over drinks revealed that the gun's visual design was purely cosmetic and based on the anecdotal stories of Shemarrian riders being monster killers and protecting civilians. A way to cash in on their story, so to speak.

[taalismn]

[

I like this a lot. Archie 3 engages in some counter-intelligence to plant the ideas that Cyberworks simply stole the visual design. Maybe even a fake tech report from NG that they somehow acquired, showing that an investigation with a Cyberworks employee over drinks revealed that the gun's visual design was purely cosmetic and based on the anecdotal stories of Shemarrian riders being monster killers and protecting civilians. A way to cash in on their story, so to speak.

And some CS bureaucrat who thought he'd lucked into a way for the CS to lean on some indie arms manufacturer for concessions, or to investigate in an area where he had interests, is told by a missive from further up to 'quit wasting time and credits and investigate something IMPORTANT!'

Arches-3's character shielding is preserved.

[pad300]

In all honesty, I see this "plot hook" going nowhere fast. 1) As mentioned neither the CS nor Archie is being written out of the metaplot anytime soon and 2) All Titan Robotics really needs is some fake documentation about the purchase from a random merc and then the successful knocking off of a Shemarrian Rail gun by an ambitious junior-executive type... The coalition objects to Dbees/Aliens taking over the world, not humans stealing their technology.

[slade2501]

Excellent. titan killer robots for eveyone! lets demon slay in style! (plays hulk hogan's theme song)
(In a Macho-Man Randy Savage voice) "Grab a demon, and SNAP-INTO IT!!!"

[Khanibal]

Excellent. titan killer robots for eveyone! lets demon slay in style! (plays hulk hogan's theme song)
(In a Macho-Man Randy Savage voice) "Grab a demon, and SNAP-INTO IT!!!"

E-gads! Boom Gun + silver plated ammunition. Avg 210MD per strike. Zoinks!

[taalismn]

In all honesty, I see this "plot hook" going nowhere fast. 1) As mentioned neither the CS nor Archie is being written out of the metaplot anytime soon and 2) All Titan Robotics really needs is some fake documentation about the purchase from a random merc and then the successful knocking off of a Shemarrian Rail gun by an ambitious junior-executive type... The coalition objects to Dbees/Aliens taking over the world, not humans stealing their technology.

"Hah, no! WE didn't steal the design from d-bees! They stole it from us, dressed it up to look different and claimed it was their own! We just took back what was rightfully ours! See? We even have documentation from the ChiTown Patent Office proving it!"

[Blue_Lion]

Most likely they will compare the working of the two and place the Titan robot killer on the ban tech list.

Any investigation by the CS would probably take years or longer to reach find out anything, about the origins of the Shemarians or the source of titan robots. The use of mobile factories makes it hard to trace titan back to Archie 3

Mobile factories?

SoT 6 mentions mobile titain robot factories that show up between driving back the CS and the final assault.
I believe they are modified bahimeth walkers.

[slade2501]

Most likely they will compare the working of the two and place the Titan robot killer on the ban tech list.

Any investigation by the CS would probably take years or longer to reach find out anything, about the origins of the Shemarians or the source of titan robots. The use of mobile factories makes it hard to trace titan back to Archie 3

Mobile factories?

SoT 6 mentions mobile titain robot factories that show up between driving back the CS and the final assault.
I believe they are modified bahimeth walkers.

This mobile factory is essentially a convoy of twelve Behemoth Explorer-type walking mecha, each converted towards component and armament construction
with the Behemoths are 144 bulk containers with raw materials

[Blue_Lion]

Gives the ability to construct at the sale site to avoid a supply route straight to archie 3.(almost like he is trying to keep his location off maps)
Depending on economic value they might even use the funds they collect to replace needed material or they could be mined by archie 3 resources at remote locations and then picked up by the convoy.

[eliakon]

I would point out that this isn't 40k. There is no "only human tech all other is heresy" thing going on.
If Titan robotics claims that they reverse engineered some captured Shemmarrian tech and combined it with boom tech to make their new gun no one is going to scream that they are heretics and burn them alive.
Stealing alien technology is fine to the CS. It just needs to be stolen and not bought or traded for. NG has an entire department that does this.

[Colonel_Tetsuya]

Excellent. titan killer robots for eveyone! lets demon slay in style! (plays hulk hogan's theme song)
(In a Macho-Man Randy Savage voice) "Grab a demon, and SNAP-INTO IT!!!"

E-gads! Boom Gun + silver plated ammunition. Avg 210MD per strike. Zoinks!

Dont really need this at all, as almost all the Demons and Deevils are vulnerable to MDC weapons anyway. Silver just allows SDC weapons to inflict equivalent MD.

Which would make a SAW or .50cal machinegun AMAZING.

[taalismn]

[
Which would make a SAW or .50cal machinegun AMAZING.

Hey, VanHelsing-Browning Smiter. Gotta love 'em.

[Khanibal]

Dont really need this at all, as almost all the Demons and Deevils are vulnerable to MDC weapons anyway. Silver just allows SDC weapons to inflict equivalent MD.

Which would make a SAW or .50cal machinegun AMAZING.

Merc Ops p.100 Wellington Industries WI-MG15 "Viper"

[Colonel_Tetsuya]

Dont really need this at all, as almost all the Demons and Deevils are vulnerable to MDC weapons anyway. Silver just allows SDC weapons to inflict equivalent MD.

Which would make a SAW or .50cal machinegun AMAZING.

Merc Ops p.100 Wellington Industries WI-MG15 "Viper"

Yeah, i remember those new WI guns. They are pure cheese. It has perfect scaling, the range of a railgun, and better damage.

edit: this isn't unique to the WI weapons in Merc Ops. It is a great book, but whoever wrote the weapons went a bit overboard.

The Wilk's pulse laser canon has BETTER than perfect scaling, for instance.

[Khanibal]

Great for vampires, heck great for vampire intelligences. If your Malvoren buddy wears a custom harness or has extra cyber arms specifically designed to interface with the weapon, I wonder how many he can fire-link. Somewhere around game-breaking I believe.