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So I'm starting a new 1st level RUE OCC only game (hence all the basic questions lately.. it has been a long time) and I'm trying to decide on some basic issues dealing with their Mountaineer.

1. Gas based range. RUE says 600 miles due to an "extra large tank" but in the Revised Sourcebook 1 it says that basic gasoline engines get 60 mpg. 10 Gallons is not an extra large tank. I'm thinking 60 mpg is a little high. I was originally going to go with 15 mpg and a 40 gallon tank.

2. Extra armor and effect on speed. The description in RUE says that "additional armor can also be added at a cost of 10,000 credits per 30 M.D.C." with no comment on a maximum or penalties. Because other vehicles don't have this note, I'm assuming this is a special feature of this particular vehicle that makes it easier to add armor to than what you get with the Vehicle Armor skill.

I then looked at the robot "frame reinforcement" rules in Revised SB1. It looks like you can about triple the main body MDC but these additions only affect prowl not speed.

So now I'm left trying to decide how high (not including an Operator's "soup up" class skill) the MDC of a Mountaineer could go and how would it affect the speed.

3. Max. Load. It says how big the cargo area is, but not what the max load is. The thing is 25 feet long with a 10x8x8 cargo area. Looking in HU2 it says that a 10-wheeler has a max load of 60k and that is probably what the Mountaineer is closest to. Thoughts?

C. Chopps

23 views and not a comment?

I figure the gas range is really based on the kind of game you want to run and max load probably won't come up... but what about the armor upgrades? I know you guys are into that.

cchopps wrote:
2. Extra armor and effect on speed. The description in RUE says that "additional armor can also be added at a cost of 10,000 credits per 30 M.D.C." with no comment on a maximum or penalties. Because other vehicles don't have this note, I'm assuming this is a special feature of this particular vehicle that makes it easier to add armor to than what you get with the Vehicle Armor skill.

I then looked at the robot "frame reinforcement" rules in Revised SB1. It looks like you can about triple the main body MDC but these additions only affect prowl not speed.

So now I'm left trying to decide how high (not including an Operator's "soup up" class skill) the MDC of a Mountaineer could go and how would it affect the speed.

Pretty please.

A couple of things to keep in mind: the Mountaineer is closer to a Super Dump Truck than it is a Over the road vehicle. I've personally always been dubious of its maximum speed.

I'd personally go with 15 mpg, and 40 gallon tank, as logn as the speed is under cruising. Not at cruising, under it. It takes a lot to get that much bulk moving quickly.

As for carrying capacity - yes? Most of those big haulers are made for 25-40 tons. But they aren't made for speed either. So 15-20 tons might be a good comprimise (good gearing has to play into it some. Or maybe start at 30 tons stock, and take off one ton per 30 MDC you add - which BTW gives you an upper limit for MDC. You can armor it to high heaven, but good luck carrying anything.

Also, for every 1 ton lost in carrying capacity, it gives a penalty to driving checks (-2% per ton? So an extra 150 MDC would make you -10% to drive it)

All of that is without an Operator doing his thing and it gets pretty cost prohibitive after a while.

Of course all of this off the top of my head, so please take it as such.

MikelAmroni wrote:A couple of things to keep in mind: the Mountaineer is closer to a Super Dump Truck than it is a Over the road vehicle. I've personally always been dubious of its maximum speed.

I'd personally go with 15 mpg, and 40 gallon tank, as logn as the speed is under cruising. Not at cruising, under it. It takes a lot to get that much bulk moving quickly.

As for carrying capacity - yes? Most of those big haulers are made for 25-40 tons. But they aren't made for speed either. So 15-20 tons might be a good comprimise (good gearing has to play into it some. Or maybe start at 30 tons stock, and take off one ton per 30 MDC you add - which BTW gives you an upper limit for MDC. You can armor it to high heaven, but good luck carrying anything.

Also, for every 1 ton lost in carrying capacity, it gives a penalty to driving checks (-2% per ton? So an extra 150 MDC would make you -10% to drive it)

All of that is without an Operator doing his thing and it gets pretty cost prohibitive after a while.

Of course all of this off the top of my head, so please take it as such.

Where can you drive something at max speed?

MikelAmroni wrote:
Of course all of this off the top of my head, so please take it as such.

Thank you for the response! Gives me something to think about.

C. Chopps

Crucible wrote:Where can you drive something at max speed?

What do you mean?

C. Chopps

cchopps wrote:

Crucible wrote:Where can you drive something at max speed?

What do you mean?

C. Chopps

I'm guessing he's referring to the lack of highways on Rifts Earth.
Most of the time you'll be off-roading, cutting the speed down significantly.

Killer Cyborg wrote:

cchopps wrote:

Crucible wrote:Where can you drive something at max speed?

What do you mean?

C. Chopps

I'm guessing he's referring to the lack of highways on Rifts Earth.
Most of the time you'll be off-roading, cutting the speed down significantly.

GM's guide said its nearly impossible.

Munchkin Slappin GM wrote:Sustained top speed is hard if not imposible to achieve, but short busts are possible.

There are areas, but they are few and far between.

MikelAmroni wrote:Or maybe start at 30 tons stock, and take off one ton per 30 MDC you add - which BTW gives you an upper limit for MDC. You can armor it to high heaven, but good luck carrying anything.

Also, for every 1 ton lost in carrying capacity, it gives a penalty to driving checks (-2% per ton? So an extra 150 MDC would make you -10% to drive it)

All of that is without an Operator doing his thing and it gets pretty cost prohibitive after a while.

Of course all of this off the top of my head, so please take it as such.

Yeah and how long before you should stop using Pilot:Truck and start using Pilot:APC?
Edit: Upon further review I realize more armor doesn't change it into a military APC because a truck is the civilian equivalent to an APC... the difference is the controls.

Crucible wrote:Where can you drive something at max speed?

If you want to go full speed you need to fly or hover (usually)... although some semi-large cities that frequently trade with each other, and are relatively close to each other (like less than 24 hours if unharassed), are known to have roads between them. But few of these roads are well guarded and fewer still are paved.

psam_rage wrote:

MikelAmroni wrote:Or maybe start at 30 tons stock, and take off one ton per 30 MDC you add - which BTW gives you an upper limit for MDC. You can armor it to high heaven, but good luck carrying anything.

Also, for every 1 ton lost in carrying capacity, it gives a penalty to driving checks (-2% per ton? So an extra 150 MDC would make you -10% to drive it)

All of that is without an Operator doing his thing and it gets pretty cost prohibitive after a while.

Of course all of this off the top of my head, so please take it as such.

Yeah and how long before you should stop using Pilot:Truck and start using Pilot:APC?
Edit: Upon further review I realize more armor doesn't change it into a military APC because a truck is the civilian equivalent to an APC... the difference is the controls.

Crucible wrote:Where can you drive something at max speed?

If you want to go full speed you need to fly or hover (usually)... although some semi-large cities that frequently trade with each other, and are relatively close to each other (like less than 24 hours if unharassed), are known to have roads between them. But few of these roads are well guarded and fewer still are paved.

Which is why the Mountaineer is a GREAT vehicle to use.

Crucible wrote:

Killer Cyborg wrote:

cchopps wrote:

Crucible wrote:Where can you drive something at max speed?

What do you mean?

C. Chopps

I'm guessing he's referring to the lack of highways on Rifts Earth.
Most of the time you'll be off-roading, cutting the speed down significantly.

GM's guide said its nearly impossible.

The great plains? Salt flats? Deserts? I'd say the new west book it'd be easier than east of the Mississippi . You probably wouldn't do max speed usually, but you could get much closer.

and it's MDC construction is going to lend itself greatly to plowing down small trees that get in the way, and maybe medium sized ones if you've got enough speed it bowl it over.

having gone offroading several times and knowing how much fun running over little saplings can be, the thought of flattening large trees at 50+ mph sounds like it could be a lot of fun, lol.

could've swore there were actually stats for trying to ram your way through thick undergrowth, etc, and iirc it did do minor MDC damage to you.

Shark_Force wrote:could've swore there were actually stats for trying to ram your way through thick undergrowth, etc, and iirc it did do minor MDC damage to you.

I think i remember seeing those too. But i wasn't suggesting that it would work that way in game, just observing that if you could do that with impunity that it would be really fun, lol.

Zerebus wrote:You can do that with a hovertank equipped with a forcefield.

lol, true!

Munchkin Slappin GM wrote:

Shark_Force wrote:could've swore there were actually stats for trying to ram your way through thick undergrowth, etc, and iirc it did do minor MDC damage to you.

I realy don't think it would do minor md damage unless you ran into an MD tree or a big regular tree.

hmmm... had to dig for a bit, but i've got my reference. it's in the robotech book return of the masters, page 6 (mecha considerations for travel in southeast asia).

mecha can fly through the jungles using maximum thrust. you travel way slower, take some damage (explicitly MD) every 100 yards/meters, and leave a really obvious trail.

granted, robotech is not rifts, the book is not recent, and the north american forest is not southeast asian jungle. on the other hand, that's to fly through... we're talking about driving through the trunks of the trees right at the base, the above is for breaking through branches and such. you might be generous and decrease the damage somewhat, since iirc rifts material science is somewhat further ahead, and also because at the very least the north american wilderness is not southeast asian jungle equivalent in density... but then again, as i said, this *is* for smashing right through the trunk.

now, if you were to bring a vehicle specifically designed for ramming (or, at the very least, install a ram-prow designed to take this kind of punishment) i would probably increase the distance you could travel significantly between taking damage, and only take damage off the ram-prow (which would be much cheaper than normal armor to repair)

I have modified Mountaineers into absolute tanks, with over 1,000 MDC and Main Cannons dealing Boomgun Equivalent damage. Of course, in my game, actual military vehicles get double the MDC and Damage, so this only put them on par with some military vehicles, as tanks get x3, they were still inferior to military tech. Just saying that it can be done, but I have reasons for allowing them to go so far, namely, they needed to be fairly awesome just to survive.

Silverwolf wrote:I will have to agree that the Mountaineer ATV is a good vehicle, but if I had a choice I would choose either a NG-EV-011 Pathmaker (best choice of the two) or a Legion Armored Snow Lion APC. Both are slower than the Mountaineer, but make up for it in protection and versatility. Just my two cents.

Love the snow lion, where can I find the Pathmaker?

Ziggurat the Eternal wrote:Love the snow lion, where can I find the Pathmaker?

It is in SB1:Revised, but it costs waaaaay more than the other two.

C. Chopps.

cchopps wrote:

Ziggurat the Eternal wrote:Love the snow lion, where can I find the Pathmaker?

It is in SB1:Revised, but it costs waaaaay more than the other two.

C. Chopps.

fffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuu- thats the one book I dont have.

I know I am really late to this conversation but in looking I have to ask one thing. In every listing for the Mountaineer it lists as 25 feet long and 18 feet high but nothing about how wide it is. Does anyone have a listing to clarify this or should I just set my own number there?

The Bearded Tech wrote:I know I am really late to this conversation but in looking I have to ask one thing. In every listing for the Mountaineer it lists as 25 feet long and 18 feet high but nothing about how wide it is. Does anyone have a listing to clarify this or should I just set my own number there?

WB 34: Northern Gun 2, Pg. 213. - It's 14 feet, 21 feet with the tires.