Discussion: Mech Chassis

those HAG/40s are terrifying, one of my Deimos variants has one with a targeting computer

 

I want them on my hypercrab

 

We're still sticking to the "any chassis goes for lancers" right?

 

Anything 75 tons or less. And I think 5/8 is the minimum speedspeed

 

Got it; 100ton 1/2/3 dakkamobile on the way.

Just kidding. I have some plans for a 25/30t and a 50/55t. It's just a matter of figuring out which parts I actually need based on my crit slots/available tonnage. Why the hell did you have to open up all the shinies for us, Magnus!?

 

So I was wondering if there's anything that can be looked at or fleshed out while megamek campaign stuff is on hiatus.

I'm looking to devote some more time to contributing and I'd like to know how I can help at this point.*
I'm posting this here because designing 'mechs is the aspect I'm most familiar with, but please direct me elsewhere as seen fit.

*I cobbled together a concept for a regular DK Dragon omnimech, but I'll refrain from posting it unless necessary.

 

Found an error with two drone designs: Luthien Exports' Hikage II and Hikage III have the wrong engine mounted

• Hikage II has a 225 instead of a 250 (50 tons with 5/8 movement)
• Hikage III has a 260 instead of a 280 (70 tons with 4/6 movement)

To correct these, each of these mechs will need to free up a ton or two, though I'm not sure what should be cut

 

So this is a hint of what I had been working on last December.
I also haven't been working on it since December, as I'm trying to get things sorted out here in the 21st century.

I'd been hesitant to post about it since:

1. I didn't want to interrupt the Skjaldborg Campaign and,
2. This is technically not something that needs to be worked on right now

Still, I felt that I should at least share something (and also apologize to Magnus for being inactive and/or sidetracked).

Spoiler: Without further ado:

 

awesome!

 

It is indeed equipped with a Partial Wing; 5/8/7 movement.
Inner Sphere Advanced tech, but I had to flip to Experimental to access the Partial Wing.

Also, friendly reminder that Partial Wings mounted on mechs 60+ tons only give +1 jump instead of +2 for some reason.

 

In the interest of keeping things neat, I'll be compiling my "official" information about this 'mech in this post.

DRG-O1 Dragon III "Kōryū"

Spoiler: Fluff

Following the conclusion of the Great Revolution, Luthien Armor Works was tasked with designing an omnimech for use within the new Draconis Kingdom’s armed forces. It seemed natural that LAW would base this new ‘mech on one of its most venerable and popular designs, the Dragon.

Unlike the Dragon II battlemech from the post-Jihad era, the new omnimech (officially known as the Dragon III) would be designed for the close-assault role like the original Dragon and Grand Dragon. As such, LAW’s designers focused their efforts on reaching a balance between firepower, durability, and mobility (with some emphasis on mobility).

In response to the demands of the modern battlefield, a complete overhaul of the original chassis was in order. The Dragon III was designed to weigh 55 tons in order to ease the incorporation of mobility enhancements (i.e. jump jets and partial wing; more on those later). Aside from that, the design still takes several cues from its predecessors. For instance, the chassis would be constructed out of Endo-Steel, like the Grand Dragon and Dragon II before it. Standard models for the gyro, cockpit, and armor are used to allow integration of the rather bulky Partial Wing system. Finally, a 300-rated Light Fusion Engine (seen by some as a throwback to the original DRG-1N) was installed in order to save weight without leaving the ‘mech especially vulnerable to engine destruction.

Unlike the Grand Dragon, the Dragon III would emphasize jumping rather than running as its primary form of mobility. To this end, the ‘mech utilizes five standard jump jets and a Partial Wing system, giving it a total jump distance of approximately 280 meters*.

A notable drawback of the design is that the Dragon III is somewhat restricted when it comes to free tonnage and critical space. With only 16 tons of available pod space, commanders and pilots cannot afford to be extravagant when loading out. The main result of this was a prevalence of energy weapons, which tend to be relatively compact while still providing adequate firepower. Melee weapons are also popular, both to control the heat from the energy-heavy loadouts and to counter reflective armor.

As a bit of a footnote, many members of the design team deemed “Dragon III” to be an unfitting name for the new design. A direct result of this would be the adoption of the first prototype’s codename, Kōryū (鋼竜, lit. “Steel Dragon”), as its unofficial nickname. While the design would still officially be known as the Dragon III, the moniker gradually became popular among pilots and is widely used to this day (in some cases, affectionately corrupted into Koryū: 小竜, lit. “Small Dragon”).

*Based on the understanding that 1 tile is now 40 meters in Project Prometheus; please correct me if I'm mistaken.

Spoiler: Prototype Variants

Four loadouts were conceived for the original DRG-O1 chassis. The first, Kōryū (鋼龍), was designed for general close-quarters combat, notably equipped with a sword. The Hiryū (飛龍) was slightly more specialized, with an ER Flamer for anti-infantry work. The Tenryū (天龍) was meant to be a scout hunter-killer, switching the PPC for the more accurate Large Pulse Laser and mounting a Guardian ECM. Both Hiryū and Tenryū are also equipped with superchargers, granting them bursts of speed that are well-suited for their respective roles. The Unryū (雲龍) is meant to be a test-bed for equipping one of the largest energy weapons in the arsenal, the Heavy PPC.

After a number of trials, it was suggested to try incorporating Triple Strength Myomer into the design. This required the chassis to be reconstructed, resulting in the DRG-O2. Conveniently, the two existing variants that could best make use of TSM happened to have some extra critical space, resulting in the Hiryū Kai (飛龍改) and Tenryū Kai (天龍改).

As part of designing the Hiryū Kai, however, the actual armament loadout had to be tweaked in order to fit the TSM. A request to replicate the resulting loadout on the original DRG-O1 chassis would create the final first-generation variant, the Sōryū (蒼龍).

Spoiler: The Four-Pod System (Coming "Soon")

Try out the prototypes!
Includes MTFs to export directly into megamek as well as the SSW file for your tweaking pleasure!