Thread: BRP Mecha

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

You are letting vehicle weapons get "impales"?

Not vehicle, mecha. The real advantage of a mecha attacking a ship is that it can circle around it and find the weak spots in the armor - hence the impale.

The modern 120mm APFSDSDU used in the M1A2 has penetration capabilities comparable to the 406mm cannon-at least out to about 2km or so. Chances are the 120mm cannon used by mecha are probably ever better that the APFSDSDU,

Those are SMGs, not cannons. They cannot be as powerful and precise as M1A2 ordnance. Single-shot ballistic weapons are almost non-existent in the anime mecha genre. The dreaded "Autocannon/20" is a Battletech construct that I have no intention to put into BRP Mecha.

Originally Posted by RosenMcStern

Not vehicle, mecha. The real advantage of a mecha attacking a ship is that it can circle around it and find the weak spots in the armor - hence the impale.

I can see that. Come to think of it mcha could probably target a location on a bit ship a bit easier too. Sort of like humans vs. giants. IF the mech is standing right next to a gun turret, it shouldn't be too hard to hit that location.

Those are SMGs, not cannons. They cannot be as powerful and precise as M1A2 ordnance. Single-shot ballistic weapons are almost non-existent in the anime mecha genre. The dreaded "Autocannon/20" is a Battletech construct that I have no intention to put into BRP Mecha.

Well "cannon" isn't a type of gun so much as the size of the gun. For instance we have 40mm autocannons that pump out a lot of rounds. I could certainly see a more technologically advanced culture making a 120mm autocannon/SMG. If the 120mm cannon in BRP does 15D6 (per BRP and CoC) that would work out to about 1.5d6 mecha scale or 1D9, so 1D8 is a good match. Especially if they bleed off some of the gasses to make the weapon fully automatic, and use a smaller barrel to make the weapon more portable.

Just by looking at how much weapons have evolved since WWII can give a good idea of just how much tings could change in a futuristic setting. We don't use battleships anymore because they are obsolete. There are better ways to direct more firepower on a target faster, and with higher accuracy, with only a fraction of the men, materials or cost (and that's a scary thought).

Naturally just how much they do change would depend on the setting. In many mecha series the mecha are so advanced as to make conventional weapons obsolete or even useless. In others humanoid mecha are just another option available to the combatants.

What's the ETA?

There is no official ETA, as other projects have a higher priority - like, huh, Merrie England - and need attention. Unfortunately, our BRP production line has slowed down a lot. But it is still planned.

I hope I can provide more details about our planned BRP stuff after Chimeriades. I should be able to make a checkpoint with Charlie (and Jeff) there.

Just wondering, is the slow down something unique to your BRP product line, or a general trend for all your RPG lines?

Geez! Let us just say that 15 months ago we had just one line (BRP/RQ). Now we have two, with the arrival of HeroQuest in Aug 2010. In one month, we will have four RPG lines, in two different languages.

Is this a good reason for slowing down a bit?

Originally Posted by RosenMcStern

Geez! Let us just say that 15 months ago we had just one line (BRP/RQ). Now we have two, with the arrival of HeroQuest in Aug 2010. In one month, we will have four RPG lines, in two different languages.

Is this a good reason for slowing down a bit?

Nah, just means you have to work four times as fast

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

Well "cannon" isn't a type of gun so much as the size of the gun. For instance we have 40mm autocannons that pump out a lot of rounds. I could certainly see a more technologically advanced culture making a 120mm autocannon/SMG. If the 120mm cannon in BRP does 15D6 (per BRP and CoC) that would work out to about 1.5d6 mecha scale or 1D9, so 1D8 is a good match. Especially if they bleed off some of the gasses to make the weapon fully automatic, and use a smaller barrel to make the weapon more portable.

OTO Melara, An Italian arms firm have 76mm auto cannon on the market that can fire upto 120 rpm

http://www.otomelara.it/EN/Common/fi...rs/76-62SR.pdf

They also have a 127mm naval gun that they've got to about 60rpm in tests. The main stumbling block with the smaller gun is ammunition supply of the ship it's mounted on. In tests they've achieved over 120rpm ( but not with consistent reliability ), but it's only a matter of time....

EDIT just noticed on their site they have a 40mm gun that can pump out 450 rpm !

Originally Posted by Agentorange

They also have a 127mm naval gun that they've got to about 60rpm in tests. The main stumbling block with the smaller gun is ammunition supply of the ship it's mounted on. In tests they've achieved over 120rpm ( but not with consistent reliability ), but it's only a matter of time....

It isn't so much a matter of time, but one of need. Back during WWII the trend was for heavier artillery. But, afterwards it was discovered that lighter, rapidfiring guns are better than bigger, slower, less portable guns.

Even if somebody make a rapid firing 120mm gun, it would be of limited usefulness if there wasn't a way to carry and load enough ammo to make the gun useful. Lots of aircraft have cannon that can toss off thousands of rounds per minute, but only carry a few seconds worth of ammo.

Keep in mind that in the real world, it ususally inst a case of more damage = better. In many cases a 120mm cannon would be overkill. Of coruse, most mecha settings are the exception.

EDIT just noticed on their site they have a 40mm gun that can pump out 450 rpm !

Not surprising. High ROF 40mm guns make great anti-aircraft weaponry.

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

Lots of aircraft have cannon that can toss off thousands of rounds per minute, but only carry a few seconds worth of ammo.

Keep in mind that in the real world, it ususally inst a case of more damage = better. In many cases a 120mm cannon would be overkill. Of coruse, most mecha settings are the exception.

A mecha (real robot) is more heavily armoured than a tank (MUCH more) and can actually carry a lot of ammunition. Thus, it needs a Big Gun (120mm is normal for anti-tank weaponry nowadays, whereas the norm was between 75 and 88mm during WWII, the tiger employing an 88) and can afford to have an automatic one.

Standard equipment for a Zaku (the archetypal mass-produced mecha) is a 100mm SMG. It is shaped like a Thompson, and is the equivalent of the 127 described above in firepower. Smaller mechas from Code Geass may employ assault rifles that are the equivalent of an A-10 AT gun.