the shape of things to come

Introduced: Pre-spacefl ight
Unlike BattleMechs, aerospace fighters, submersible vehicles and
DropShips—which all incorporate this technology by design—many
Support Vehicles and IndustrialMechs lack the hermetic sealing to operate
in toxic environments, vacuum or even underwater. At an added cost in
chassis mass, however, environmental sealing can be added to many of
these units, incorporating air tanks, fi lters, scrubbers and airtight sealing.
This process allows for the crew cabins, cockpits and critical parts to function
normally in such hostile environments, albeit at an increased cost.
ENVIROMENTAL SEALING
Even though environmental sealing protects the pilots and crews of
units so equipped and enables their parts to move properly, don’t expect
the likes of a Tyron 25 internal combustion engine to function when completely
submerged, even with full sealing. Such engines, after all, still need
to take in air to burn their fuel. Achieving full functionality irrespective of
environment can only be attained by vehicles and units that are not only
sealed, but whose engines also don’t need to breathe air (such as fuel cell,
fi ssion or fusion plants).
Tech Base: Inner Sphere and Clan
Unit Restrictions: BattleMechs, ProtoMechs, Combat and Support Vehicles built as submarines, aerospace fi ghters, Small Craft and DropShips
may not install environmental sealing (as they receive it automatically).
Game Rules: IndustrialMechs with environmental sealing may enter Depth 1 Water, but cannot be fully submerged unless they incorporate both
environmental sealing and a Fission, Fusion or Fuel Cell engine. Additional applications for enviro-sealing will be covered in Tactical Operations.
Construction Rules: BattleMechs, ProtoMechs, submersible Combat and Support Vehicles, and aerospace units (including conventional fi ghters)
all incorporate environmental sealing into their cockpit and chassis designs.
IndustrialMechs and Combat Vehicles must spend 10 percent of their total mass (rounded up as appropriate to the unit’s core construction
rules) on environmental sealing. IndustrialMechs must assign one critical slot per body location to the sealing systems (see p. 67 under Step 2
of the IndustrialMech core construction rules). Combat Vehicles need not assign sealing to any weapon slots. Support Vehicles may incorporate
environmental sealing into their chassis design process (see p. 133).
Table Reference: Weapons and Equipment (Industrial, pp. 344–345)
Introduced: Circa 2000 (maritime), early spacefl ight (aerospace)
Large spacecraft and Support Vehicles, with crews averaging in the dozens,
tend to incorporate escape pods into their construction as a sealed
sort of “mass transit” version of the ejection seat. Developed to sustain six
to seven adults at one time in hazardous environments—including space
and re-entry—typical escape pods come in space and underwater types,
deployed by spacecraft and submarines, respectively.
Though developed for very diff erent environments, both types average
out in function. A typical DropShip escape pod weighs about seven tons
(though two tons of this covers the launch mechanism). The pod typically
features maneuvering jets, re-entry shielding and a parachute or parafoil
for landing after blasting free of its parent ship with a maximum complement
of six people. Once launched, an omni-directional beacon mounted
ENVIRONMENTAL SEALING
ESCAPE POD
in the pod transmits a distress signal for up to thirty days—though the
pod’s life support can only sustain its full complement for twenty days,
and its on-board food rations tend to be good for all of twelve.
By comparison, the maritime escape pod weighs seven tons—the
extra weight going into structural reinforcement and space for up to ten
persons—and relies mainly on its buoyancy to ascend from its launch
depth to the surface, at which point the pod can function as a common
lifeboat. If the local atmosphere is breathable, the maritime escape pod
can open up on the surface to avoid running out of breathable air, and
stands a good chance of reaching safety long before its food supplies run
out, especially as many such models come with small electric motors that
can be used for propulsion once surfaced.
Tech Base: Inner Sphere and Clan
Unit Restrictions: Only naval-based Combat and Support Vehicles (including submersibles, hydrofoils and displacement hull craft) 5 tons and
over may use maritime escape pods. Only Small Craft, DropShips and Airship or Fixed-Wing Support Vehicles 5 tons and over may use aerospace
escape pods.
Game Rules: Escape pods have no impact in Total Warfare game play. The use of these items will be covered in Tactical Operations.
Construction Rules: Small Craft, DropShips and airborne Support Vehicle types over 5 tons may use aerospace escape pods. Naval (especially
submersible) Support Vehicles over 5 tons may use maritime escape pods. Pods are not considered to occupy weapon or equipment slots on
spacecraft or Support Vehicles, but should be noted in the unit’s statistics.
Table Reference: Weapons and Equipment (Industrial, pp. 344–345)
Introduced: Pre-spacefl ight
Another feature common to military aircraft and aerospace fi ghters,
but uncommon to airborne Support Vehicles, are external hardpoints:
fi xed mountings for external modules that can be used to carry external
fuel tanks, or even bombs and rocket pods. Their existence on civilian and
ESCAPE POD
EXTERNAL STORES HARDPOINT
commercial air vehicles is not necessarily tightly controlled, but wary warriors
should always keep in mind that a hardpoint devoted commercially
to extra fuel for an airliner may just as easily pack a few tons of cluster
bombs in the hands of a desperate resistance or terrorist group.
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