the shape of things to come

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In Classic BattleTech, the term “Support Vehicle” refers to a wide
range of conventional vehicles not built to same precise military
standards as BattleMechs, ProtoMechs, Combat Vehicles, and
fi ghters. This class of unit includes civilian and industrial variants
of everything from ground vehicles (tracked, wheeled, hover and
WiGE), to VTOLs, airships and fi xed-wing aircraft, to naval vessels
such as surface ships, hydrofoils and submarines. Common almost
anywhere where that industrial development exists, Support
Vehicles perform such diverse functions as civilian transportation,
industrial applications and even battlefi eld recovery.
The following system enables players to construct unique
Support Vehicles for Classic BattleTech games that conform to the
standard rules presented in Total Warfare. As these rules can be
fairly math-intensive, designers are encouraged to do all work on
scratch paper before committing the resulting Support Vehicle’s
specifi cations to an appropriate blank Vehicle Record Sheet.
SUPPORT VEHICLE BASICS
Support Vehicle construction relies on three primary factors:
motive type, technology base and weight. These factors were
broadly overviewed in the Construction Basics section (see p. 18).
The notes below expand on these factors.
MOVEMENT (MOTIVE) TYPE
Support Vehicles in Total Warfare standard rules play come in a
variety of movement (motive) styles that largely determine what
their maximum tonnages may be and the terrains in which they
may operate. These features are broadly outlined below. Because
so much is infl uenced by the vehicle’s movement type—includ-
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ing its record sheet—this factor must be decided upon fi rst in
the design process. The more varied nature of Support Vehicles
provides for more motive types than with Combat Vehicles
Airships: Airship Support Vehicles use light-than-air gases to
achieve their lift, and require smaller engines to achieve thrust.
These relatively slow-moving aircraft Support Vehicles may weigh
as much as 300 tons, and are favored mostly as observation units
or airborne cruise liners.
Fixed-Wing: Fixed-Wing Support Vehicles are essentially
conventional aircraft, including propeller-driven planes and atmospheric
jets. Massing up to 200 tons, they are generally favored
for long-distance transport and passenger service, though some
more militarized versions have been developed as radar planes,
airborne refueling craft or even search and rescue units.
Hovercraft: Hover Support Vehicles are among the fastest types
of ground vehicle. Weighing up to 100 tons, most of these are commercially
used for cargo and passenger transport duties, though
more militarized versions may be employed as police cruisers.
Naval: For Support Vehicles, the naval category encompasses
submersible, hydrofoil and standard displacement hull-type
vessels whose upper mass depends on their fi nal chassis modifi -
cations (subs and displacement hulls can be as heavy as 300 tons,
while naval craft with a hydrofoil modifi cation may only mass
up to 100 tons). Most of these are used for cargo and passenger
transport on water-rich worlds, though fi shing boats and deepsea
explorers are also common.
Tracked: Tracked vehicles are the most common type of
industrial Support Vehicles. These vehicles can weigh as much as
200 tons, and can handle most terrain thanks to their tracks or
treads. Typical applications for such vehicles include tractors and
construction equipment, though militarized models include the
likes of bridge layers and armored riot control vehicles.