movement

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Movement Systems

Movement systems provide the propulsive force for the mech. Mecha movement is determined by raw power against weight and the environment.

Factors

Thrust: The propulsive force generated by the movement systems (roughly in kiloNewtons). For most systems, this scales with the weight of the module installed (Thrust/t).
Mass: The total weight of the mecha, including all modules and cargo (Tons).
Speed: The velocity relative to terrain is usually given in km/h.

Stats

Anchor

The Anchor represents the Weight based hurdle to overcome to get moving at all.
The higher the Anchor stat of a movementsystem, the bigger the role in how much energy is required to move.

Dynamics

The Dynamics stat represents aerodynamic efficiency and mechanical smoothness.
Low Dynamics represent high air resistance or other factors that dominate at high speeds, while high Dynamics means the System is well optimized for reaching high speeds.

Acceleration

A mecha continues to accelerate as long as its net force (Thrust minus friction and drag) is positive.

Systems

Type	Energy	Heat	Anchor	Dynamics	Thrust/t	Extra
Basetech
Rail	55	0	0.001	500	50	Rails
Simple Wheels	100	0	8	20	20	Flat terrain
Floatation	15	0	0	5	90	Water
Lowtech
Complex Wheels	175	1	3	100	40	Somewhat flat terrain
Tracks	100	3	1	15	60	Rough terrain
2 Simple Legs	30	2	2	14	45	All terrain
4 Simple Legs	30	4	1	12	45	All terrain
6 Simple Legs	30	6	0.5	10	45	All terrain
Jumpjets	1000	10	50	50	100	Upwards only
Midtech
2 Flexible Legs	100	3	3	10	100	Humanoid
4 Flexible Legs	100	5	2	8	100	Stable walk
6 Flexible Legs	100	7	1	6	100	High stability
Boostjets	2000	15	20	250	120	Any direction
Hightech
Spiderwalker	150	9	0.1	5	200	Any surface
Anti-Grav	500	20	0.0	150	150	Flight

Speed Calculations:

The mecha's speed is calculated iteratively in 0.1-second intervals until it reaches a steady state (where acceleration becomes negligible).

Forces:
- Thrust: Thrust * Amount (in kN).
- Friction: Anchor * Total Mecha Mass (in kN).
- Drag:
  - If Dynamics is 0: Speed³
  - Otherwise: Speed² / (Dynamics / 10)
Acceleration: (Thrust - Friction - Drag) / Total Mass (in m/s²).
Speed Update: Speed = Speed + (Acceleration * 0.1).
Steady State: The calculation stops when acceleration drops below 0.001 m/s².

Rule of Thumb:
For quick reference without a computer, you can estimate a mecha's performance using these formulas:

Net Force: (Thrust * Amount) - (Anchor * Total Mass)
Top Speed (km/h):
- If Dynamics > 0: 3.6 * sqrt(Net Force * Dynamics / 10)
- If Dynamics = 0: 3.6 * (Net Force)^(1/3)
Acceleration Duration (Time to 90% Speed):
- If Dynamics > 0: 4.7 * Total Mass * sqrt(Dynamics / Net Force) seconds.
- If Dynamics = 0: 10 * Total Mass / (Net Force)^(2/3) seconds.

Example: A 20-ton mecha with 200kN Thrust, 1.5 Anchor, and 5 Dynamics:
* Net Force = 200 - (1.5 * 20) = 170.
* Top Speed = 3.6 * sqrt(170 * 5 / 10) ≈ 33 km/h.
* Duration (90%) = 4.7 * 20 * sqrt(5 / 170) ≈ 16 seconds.