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

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

Movement systems scale with installed weight. Multiply per-ton stats by tons installed to get total values. Each system has a sensible weight range - installing outside it may produce odd results.

Type E/t H/t Anchor/t Dyn/t Thrust/t Min t Max t Extra Hardpoint
Basetech
Rail 18 0 0.0003 167 50 1 20 Rails no
Simple Wheels 60 0 5 13 20 0.5 8 Flat terrain no
Floatation 15 0 0 5 90 0.5 10 Water no
Lowtech
Complex Wheels 90 0.5 1.5 50 40 0.5 10 Somewhat flat terrain no
Tracks 30 1 0.3 5 60 1 30 Rough terrain no
Simple Legs (pair) 10 0.5 0.5 5 45 1 15 All terrain yes
Jumpjets 1000 10 50 50 100 0.5 5 Upwards only yes
Midtech
Flexible Legs (pair) 20 0.6 0.6 2 100 2 25 Humanoid yes
Boostjets 1000 8 10 125 120 1 8 Any direction yes
Hightech
Spiderwalker (set) 40 2 0.025 1 200 0.5 10 Any surface yes
Anti-Grav 170 7 0 50 150 1 20 Flight yes

Leg count: Legged systems list values per pair. For 4 legs (2 pairs), double energy and heat. For 6 legs (3 pairs), triple them. Anchor, Dynamics, and Thrust scale with total installed weight regardless of leg count.

Speed Calculations:

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

  1. Forces:
    • Thrust: Thrust * Amount (in kN).
    • Friction: Anchor * Total Mecha Mass (in kN).
    • Drag:
      • If Dynamics is 0: 100 * Speed²
      • Otherwise: Speed² / (Dynamics / 10)
  2. Acceleration: (Thrust - Friction - Drag) / Total Mass (in m/s²).
  3. Speed Update: Speed = Speed + (Acceleration * 0.1).
  4. 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:

  1. Net Force: (Thrust * Amount) - (Anchor * Total Mass)
  2. Top Speed (km/h):
    • If Dynamics > 0: 3.6 * sqrt(Net Force * Dynamics / 10)
    • If Dynamics = 0: 3.6 * (Net Force)^(1/3)
  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.


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