Provide Feedback for an item for my new Campaign

[HWalsh]

Doing a campaign set in the future of Rifts NA. The details are in another thread, but the basic gist is that the CS is broken up, the Spluggorth are severely weakened, the Xitcitix have been (mostly) neutralized...

In this case Titan Robotics (AKA Archie Three) have released a "add on" for Power Armor/Giant Robots. This add on is the Advanced Neuro-Gestalt Enhancement Link. Or the ANGEL System. Basically it is an AI installed in Power Armor/Giant Robots that a character with the Bionic ANGEL System implant can interface directly with. This creates a Gestalt, a merging between the two, which increases the performance of the Armor/Robot. Like most forms of augmentation this comes with a price. The price, in this case, is that the longer a pilot uses ANGEL Systems the more dependent they become on them. Without an ANGEL a Power Armor/Giant Robot feels slower and sluggish, because it is, but dependency makes this worse and causes penalties.

The Benefits:
+1 Attack Per Melee until level 6, then at level 7 or higher +2 Attacks Per Melee.
The Pilot can access any skills programmed into the AI at the level of skill the AI has in it.
+2 to Strike/Parry/Dodge, this applies to melee or ranged combat.
These bonuses only apply while piloting a Robot/Armor equipped with an ANGEL System.

Certain Power Armors/Giant Robots, made by Titan Robotics, have additional benefits that will be listed with them when a pilot is using an ANGEL System.

The Penalties:
For each month a pilot uses an ANGEL System there is a 5% chance of becoming dependent on it. Each additional month adds another 5% to that chance. (A pilot who has used an ANGEL System for 6 months has a 30% chance to become dependent.) A Pilot must not use an ANGEL System, at all, for 2 months to lose their dependency.

Dependency Penalties:
A Pilot who uses Armor/Robots without an ANGEL System suffer the following penalties:
-2 Attacks Per Melee, the pilot feels slow and sluggish.
-2 to Strike/Parry/Dodge
-10% to Skills while piloting, as the Pilot feels as though something is missing and is distracted.

Why is ARCHIE Three doing this? The idea is to make more people comfortable with interfacing directly with Artificial Intelligences. In addition to that, this allows ARCHIE to gain information directly from the pilots linked to his ANGEL Systems. The CS has attempted to reverse engineer the ANGEL System but has so far been unsuccessful. The rumor is that the system was developed due to Titan Robotics studying Psychics with Telemechanic Capabilities. The CS does not endorse the use of the ANGEL System, as they suspect that it may have an extraterrestrial origin, but due to their reduced size, they do not wish to risk declaring them off-limits or openly opposing them as Titan products are quite important to the quality of life of the people remaining in the CS.

The New Republic outright HATES the ANGEL System as they are aware that it is the work of ARCHIE Three but do not dare to openly announce it. Not only are they now aware of exactly how powerful the AI is but they don't want to risk a fight on two fronts as they continue to be locked in a war with the Coalition States.

[HWalsh]

ANGEL System Specific Power Armor:

T331-Saraphim "Longrifle"

The Longrife is sometimes known as the Titan Glitterboy even though it isn't as tough and doesn't have Chromium Armor. The machine was obviously based around it and even features something remarkably similar to the famous Boom Gun. The Longrifle is a nasty piece of work and has already begun making a name on the battlefield. The Longrifle has lower armor, and the Longrifle itself (the Boom Gun) isn't as powerful as the famous Glitterboy's. Though it makes up for it with high speed and the lack of a need for a pylon support system.

MDC By Location:
Longrifle - 120
*Head - 200
*Hands (2) - 75 each
Arms (2) - 200 each
Legs (2) - 375 each
Reinforced Pilot's Compartment - 120
*** Main Body - 500

* - Requires a called shot at -4 to strike.
*** - Depleting the main body will shut the power armor down completely.

Speed:
Running: 90 mph maximum. Note that the act of running does tire the operator, but only at 10% of the normal fatigue rate.
Leaping: The robot legs can leap up to 15 feet high or across. Add 10 feet if running. Jet thrusters in the legs can propel the armor 90 feet up or across.
Statistical Data:
Height: 9 feet 8 inches
Width: 3.7 feet
Length: 3.7 feet
Weight: 0.85 Tons fully loaded
Physical Strength: Robotic P.S. 26
Cargo: Minimal storage space, a 1 foot compartment and weapons container that has room for a rifle, a pistol, and a few personal belongings, as well as a first aid kit.
Power System: Nuclear, average energy life is 10 years.
Cost: Can be purchased from Titan Robotics with an ANGEL System AI for 15 million credits.

Note: The Longrifle requires an ANGEL System to utilize.

Weapons Systems:
1. RG-23 Rapid Acceleration Electromagnetic Rail Gun (1): Longrifle
A large rifle that is mounted to the machine over the right shoulder like a boom gun. The longrifle accelerates a flechette slug down the length of its barrel at incredible speeds. Once it clears the barrel the slug breaks up into a hundred small flechette rounds that tear through targets. The weapon is fed through an internal system.

Primary purpose: Assault, anti-armor, anti-aircraft

Weight: 659 lbs
Mega-Damage: 2d6x10+10 M.D.

Due to the smaller round, and the slower speed, while each shot is incredibly loud they do not have the sonic boom issues that the normal Boom Gun has.

RoF: Each blast counts as 1 melee attack/action.
Maximum Effective Range: 8,000 feet.
Payload: 500 rounds in an internal system. They are fed into the weapon via the shoulder mount from the right arm. Destroying the right arm destroys this system.

2. Alternate Weapons: Due to the small hands of the armor the user is capable of using normal rifles and other weapons as secondary weapons.

3. Hand to Hand Combat: See the pilot's pilot robot/power armor skill, also note that the Longrifle is equipped with an ANGEL System.

The Longrifle has all of the standard power armor features. In addition to this it has an advanced laser targeting system that grants a +2 to strike with the Longrifle.

4. Special ANGEL System enhancements - The ANGEL System is integrated into the core of this armor. As such it provides a very unique benefit. This ties the user's natural senses into the sensors of the power armor as well as into the combat system, as well as the training and capabilities of the AI, allowing it to react much more quickly to threats than otherwise possible. As such the ANGEL System grants the user an "Automatic Dodge" with a +2 bonus. It is this feature alone that is making the Longrifle a feared thing on the battlefield.

[Jefffar]

Both Mutants In Orbit and Warlords of Russia contain rules for being cybernetically interfaced with vehicles and the like.

Giving a PA that has as much MDC as an assault robot and a gun more powerful than that on many tanks an auto-dodge also seems a tad much.

Other than that, concept is fine and I can see Archie wanting to do something like this to make humans more comfortable with a machine mind.

[HWalsh]

Both Mutants In Orbit and Warlords of Russia contain rules for being cybernetically interfaced with vehicles and the like.

I have the MiO book (need to get Warlords) but in this case it isn't just the cybernetic interface with the vehicle it is the cybernetic interface with the AI in the vehicle, which is a bit different.

Giving a PA that has as much MDC as an assault robot and a gun more powerful than that on many tanks an auto-dodge also seems a tad much.

The gun is just the Shemarrian Railgun (more or less) but I see the point in the armor. What would be your thoughts on a further 30% reduction?

Other than that, concept is fine and I can see Archie wanting to do something like this to make humans more comfortable with a machine mind.

Yeah, that is pretty much it. In the alternate future of my game ARCHIE has already fully transitioned into Selfish. With the fall of the CS he sees a real opportunity to come out of the shadows once the New Republic has been dealt with. Consequently he is actually selling to the CS at reduced rates in order to help them in their fight against the New Republic.

[Zamion138]

"The Benefits:
+1 Attack Per Melee until level 6, then at level 7 or higher +2 Attacks Per Melee.
The Pilot can access any skills programmed into the AI at the level of skill the AI has in it.
+2 to Strike/Parry/Dodge, this applies to melee or ranged combat.
These bonuses only apply while piloting a Robot/Armor equipped with an ANGEL System.

Certain Power Armors/Giant Robots, made by Titan Robotics, have additional benefits that will be listed with them when a pilot is using an ANGEL System."



Couple things the phrasing until 6th level then at 7 you get a another attack id state as +1attack and at level seven +1 additional attack.

What skills can be programmed? How many? What % do they start at, can thew grow/raise? How do add new ones?, are they usable outside the PA? Ie is it in the suits ai or the cybernetic?

[HWalsh]

Jefffar - Something like:

MDC By Location:
Longrifle - 85
*Head - 140
*Hands (2) - 50 each
Arms (2) - 140 each
Legs (2) - 270 each
Reinforced Pilot's Compartment - 90
*** Main Body - 350

[HWalsh]

"The Benefits:
+1 Attack Per Melee until level 6, then at level 7 or higher +2 Attacks Per Melee.
The Pilot can access any skills programmed into the AI at the level of skill the AI has in it.
+2 to Strike/Parry/Dodge, this applies to melee or ranged combat.
These bonuses only apply while piloting a Robot/Armor equipped with an ANGEL System.

Certain Power Armors/Giant Robots, made by Titan Robotics, have additional benefits that will be listed with them when a pilot is using an ANGEL System."



Couple things the phrasing until 6th level then at 7 you get a another attack id state as +1attack and at level seven +1 additional attack.

Good idea I will revise that in the next version.

What skills can be programmed? How many? What % do they start at, can thew grow/raise? How do add new ones?, are they usable outside the PA? Ie is it in the suits ai or the cybernetic?

Still working on that part actually... My idea is to have a certain number of, for lack of a better term, slots... So a standard ANGEL System AI can hold 5 skills. They don't raise, they are a set percentage when installed. I don't have a list or price yet. They are usable *inside* the PA only as the pilot can only access them when interfacing with the AI.

[Zamion138]

Id suggest the sourcebook 1 robot/ai cost chart perhapes, with land nav being the base free software with purchase of the unit.
Also how much does angel cyber cost, do you need a headjack to run it?

[ShadowLogan]

Both Mutants In Orbit and Warlords of Russia contain rules for being cybernetically interfaced with vehicles and the like.

WB5 also includes cybernetic links with machines.

In this case Titan Robotics (AKA Archie Three) have released a "add on" for Power Armor/Giant Robots. This add on is the Advanced Neuro-Gestalt Enhancement Link. Or the ANGEL System. Basically it is an AI installed in Power Armor/Giant Robots that a character with the Bionic ANGEL System implant can interface directly with. This creates a Gestalt, a merging between the two, which increases the performance of the Armor/Robot. Like most forms of augmentation this comes with a price. The price, in this case, is that the longer a pilot uses ANGEL Systems the more dependent they become on them. Without an ANGEL a Power Armor/Giant Robot feels slower and sluggish, because it is, but dependency makes this worse and causes penalties.

Really using an AI level system for the bonuses indicated seems like a big waste of what the AI system could do to assist the pilot. The canon examples of automated weapons on mecha (bots, pa, vehicles) more likely result in a better platform with their non-AI level programming, if those automated systems are updated with better AI they would be that much more effective.

Though going to a mecha w/o the AI "secondary operator" I can see resulting in the penalties described since you are used to having an AI assistant to reduce some of your workload.

[HWalsh]

Id suggest the sourcebook 1 robot/ai cost chart perhapes, with land nav being the base free software with purchase of the unit.
Also how much does angel cyber cost, do you need a headjack to run it?

You need a special ANGEL Interface, it usually includes a head jack.

And yes... A(NGEL) I(nterface) is a pun. Hagan is proud of that one.

[HWalsh]

The recent big addition however is that a lot of the CS lies were revealed in setting. Thus the CS is persona non-grata to a number of their former allies. So they aren't getting any further benefit from some of their previous pacts. So they are starting to integrate ANGEL Systems into their power armor because programming packages allow them to skip lots of technical training.

Slap someone with an interface into an ANGEL equipped power armor and they can suddenly know how the sensors work, combat tactics, radio communication, and the like. This reduction in training time allows them to refresh forces much faster than had ever previously possible.

[Pepsi Jedi]

The books already imply such a mental link is used in PA and what not much like the 'thinking caps' from robotech, as a way to explain the swift movement and reaction times of the Rifts armors and robot vehicles.

[HWalsh]

The books already imply such a mental link is used in PA and what not much like the 'thinking caps' from robotech, as a way to explain the swift movement and reaction times of the Rifts armors and robot vehicles.

Yes? And? It's also talked about in MiO.

This is different in the fact that it's an interface with an AI. It provides benefits above traditional armor. See the initial post.

[HWalsh]

I'm thinking of doing an updated Flying Titan. Wondering how an AI could somehow help the pilot pull extra G's. Might look at Triax 2's cyborg pilot for inspiration.

The first main story arc is the CS / NR war. I already have the outcome planned, namely that the CS will win due to ARCHIE Three tipping the scales in their favor. But that will still take from 115 PA to 121 PA.

Since the ANGEL System will factor heavily into that I have to really push out some extra ANGEL Armor.

[Marcethus]

An interesting thought is what would happen if a pilot with Telemechanics got in one of these ANGEL Suits.

[HWalsh]

An interesting thought is what would happen if a pilot with Telemechanics got in one of these ANGEL Suits.

Well, I actually assume this is one of the first things people did when they started trying to reverse engineer the units. The person doing so would learn everything about the power armor, which is stock, then they'd be able to communicate with the AI telepathically.

The AI's intended purpose is to interface with the pilot and grant the pilot access to its programmed knowledge. In addition to this the AI is designed to provide a "sixth sense" to the pilot by connecting the pilot directly to the sensors of the unit.

The AI is also designed to improve the pilot's accuracy by automatically calculating exact distances and compensate for environmental and situational factors then feeding that data directly into the pilot's brain. The AI utilizes it's ability to process information to help the pilot multitask in battle thus speeding up the pilot's reaction time.

Hard coded into the AI is a series of directives to monitor the pilot's thought process during use as well as to prioritize the health and well being of the pilot.

The AI is a terrible conversationalist. It "thinks" in terms of numerics and percentages. This makes communication sometimes cumbersome.

Asking it, for example, how it "feels" about another member of the party (aside from its pilot) could result in significant exposition regarding the percentage chance that target could become threatening, the effectiveness it's weapons systems would have against the target, the apparent vulnerabilities of the target, and how the target compares to other targets in the area.

[Astral Pantheon]

ANGEL System Specific Power Armor:

T331-Saraphim "Longrifle"

The Longrife is sometimes known as the Titan Glitterboy even though it isn't as tough and doesn't have Chromium Armor. The machine was obviously based around it and even features something remarkably similar to the famous Boom Gun. The Longrifle is a nasty piece of work and has already begun making a name on the battlefield. The Longrifle has lower armor, and the Longrifle itself (the Boom Gun) isn't as powerful as the famous Glitterboy's. Though it makes up for it with high speed and the lack of a need for a pylon support system.

MDC By Location:
Longrifle - 120
*Head - 200
*Hands (2) - 75 each
Arms (2) - 200 each
Legs (2) - 375 each
Reinforced Pilot's Compartment - 120
*** Main Body - 500

* - Requires a called shot at -4 to strike.
*** - Depleting the main body will shut the power armor down completely.

Speed:
Running: 90 mph maximum. Note that the act of running does tire the operator, but only at 10% of the normal fatigue rate.
Leaping: The robot legs can leap up to 15 feet high or across. Add 10 feet if running. Jet thrusters in the legs can propel the armor 90 feet up or across.
Statistical Data:
Height: 9 feet 8 inches
Width: 3.7 feet
Length: 3.7 feet
Weight: 0.85 Tons fully loaded
Physical Strength: Robotic P.S. 26
Cargo: Minimal storage space, a 1 foot compartment and weapons container that has room for a rifle, a pistol, and a few personal belongings, as well as a first aid kit.
Power System: Nuclear, average energy life is 10 years.
Cost: Can be purchased from Titan Robotics with an ANGEL System AI for 15 million credits.

Note: The Longrifle requires an ANGEL System to utilize.

Weapons Systems:
1. RG-23 Rapid Acceleration Electromagnetic Rail Gun (1): Longrifle
A large rifle that is mounted to the machine over the right shoulder like a boom gun. The longrifle accelerates a flechette slug down the length of its barrel at incredible speeds. Once it clears the barrel the slug breaks up into a hundred small flechette rounds that tear through targets. The weapon is fed through an internal system.

Primary purpose: Assault, anti-armor, anti-aircraft

Weight: 659 lbs
Mega-Damage: 2d6x10+10 M.D.

Due to the smaller round, and the slower speed, while each shot is incredibly loud they do not have the sonic boom issues that the normal Boom Gun has.

RoF: Each blast counts as 1 melee attack/action.
Maximum Effective Range: 8,000 feet.
Payload: 500 rounds in an internal system. They are fed into the weapon via the shoulder mount from the right arm. Destroying the right arm destroys this system.

2. Alternate Weapons: Due to the small hands of the armor the user is capable of using normal rifles and other weapons as secondary weapons.

3. Hand to Hand Combat: See the pilot's pilot robot/power armor skill, also note that the Longrifle is equipped with an ANGEL System.

The Longrifle has all of the standard power armor features. In addition to this it has an advanced laser targeting system that grants a +2 to strike with the Longrifle.

4. Special ANGEL System enhancements - The ANGEL System is integrated into the core of this armor. As such it provides a very unique benefit. This ties the user's natural senses into the sensors of the power armor as well as into the combat system, as well as the training and capabilities of the AI, allowing it to react much more quickly to threats than otherwise possible. As such the ANGEL System grants the user an "Automatic Dodge" with a +2 bonus. It is this feature alone that is making the Longrifle a feared thing on the battlefield.

and

MDC By Location:
Longrifle - 85
*Head - 140
*Hands (2) - 50 each
Arms (2) - 140 each
Legs (2) - 270 each
Reinforced Pilot's Compartment - 90
*** Main Body - 350

Instead of giving an Auto Dodge...[Since, its a future timeline]...I would use the second stats with "Spinne" Force Field (Reversed Engineered) --250 MDC-- instilled in armor.

[HWalsh]

Instead of giving an Auto Dodge...[Since, its a future timeline]...I would use the second stats with "Spinne" Force Field (Reversed Engineered) --250 MDC-- instilled in armor.

That wouldn't have much to do with the ANGEL System though.

[Marcethus]

An interesting thought is what would happen if a pilot with Telemechanics got in one of these ANGEL Suits.

Well, I actually assume this is one of the first things people did when they started trying to reverse engineer the units. The person doing so would learn everything about the power armor, which is stock, then they'd be able to communicate with the AI telepathically.

The AI's intended purpose is to interface with the pilot and grant the pilot access to its programmed knowledge. In addition to this the AI is designed to provide a "sixth sense" to the pilot by connecting the pilot directly to the sensors of the unit.

The AI is also designed to improve the pilot's accuracy by automatically calculating exact distances and compensate for environmental and situational factors then feeding that data directly into the pilot's brain. The AI utilizes it's ability to process information to help the pilot multitask in battle thus speeding up the pilot's reaction time.

Hard coded into the AI is a series of directives to monitor the pilot's thought process during use as well as to prioritize the health and well being of the pilot.

The AI is a terrible conversationalist. It "thinks" in terms of numerics and percentages. This makes communication sometimes cumbersome.

Asking it, for example, how it "feels" about another member of the party (aside from its pilot) could result in significant exposition regarding the percentage chance that target could become threatening, the effectiveness it's weapons systems would have against the target, the apparent vulnerabilities of the target, and how the target compares to other targets in the area.

Interesting stuff. You have obviously put a lot of thought and work into this. I look forward to seeing more.