the shape of things to come

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INDUSTRIALMECHS: TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY? BRANCHING INTO THE INDUSTRIALMECH MARKET Mr. Gilmour, esteemed members of the board, As you all know, the prospects for Gilmour Miltech look promising, continuing the established trend over the past four fi nancial cycles. Analysts have determined possible growth of up to fi fteen percent in the upcoming three years, given the Sphere-wide decline in major manufacturing due to the current wartime crisis. However, it doesn’t take a crystal ball to know that these projections are fragile at best. Our company rests on a single main source of revenue: the maintenance and rebuilding of military assets. While this is a wide and profi table market in a wartime situation like we have today, it is also highly unstable and heavily contested—as the unexpected loss of our Talitha Militia contract due to an unforeseen invasion has clearly demonstrated.
In light of these events, this group has attempted during the past two months to develop several alternative business models, the fi rst of which we present in this document. For ease of reading, you will fi nd a management summary of each technological topic with its respective chapter. Detailed fi gures, projection charts and investment calculations are grouped in Annexes I through IV. INTRODUCTION With the advent of new weapons systems and technologies in the past twenty years, the refi t market for BattleMechs has been profoundly altered. Blooming in the early fi fties by upgrading old machines to state-of-the-art models, this well of orders naturally begins to run dry. Customers run out of machines to upgrade, or decide to buy new, modern merchandise in the fi rst place. While Gilmour Miltech has also taken steps in this direction, the mass market is clearly dominated by larger corporations. Meanwhile, the mercenary niche market—to which we sell our current Cronus series—has grown increasingly threatened over the past few years, and sales there have noticeably declined. A similar picture shows up in the maintenance branch. Big suppliers tend more and more to sell their increasingly sophisticated products with service contracts included, leaving maintenance providers out of the loop. In addition, the fl are-up of warfare with abundant use of new, more destructive weapons has further diminished the stock of military equipment left to maintain. None of this, however, can be said of the IndustrialMech market. At the same rate the military markets have fl ourished, civilian customers have been neglected. Most of this industry has remained in an early thirty-fi rst century state and shows great potential in sales and maintenance markets. With the resources, facilities and know-how of Gilmour Miltech at hand, it would be relatively easy to quickly establish a stable foothold in this sector. Based on a two-year focus program, concentrated mainly on refi tting and reorienting our assets, calculations project that the local Talitha market alone could already account for close to sixty percent of our current export income. Bundled service contracts and maintenance support are not yet taken into consideration. Thus, our company’s survival could be assured even with a hampered interstellar distribution network—a distinctly probable scenario, considering the current state of aff airs. Preliminary surveys among potential customers from governmental and industrial sectors also indicate a general tendency toward automation, despite the ongoing fi ghting across the Inner Sphere. Whether this is a momentary fad— image-guided attempts to keep up in an increasingly technologized environment—or a real necessity due to reduced workforce capacity remains to be seen. On the topic of war: As military hardware is almost unattainable for private parties by now, alternatives in the security market are highly sought after. Off ering products in this branch would be a viable and profi table intermediate step while we retool our BattleMech-oriented factory lanes to manufacture IndustrialMech components. STRUCTURAL CORE Form follows function: IndustrialMechs have to perform a specifi c task and are built accordingly. This is not only refl ect- ed in their outward appearance, but also drastically changes how their mainframe must be designed. It is highly unlikely our development staff can be brought up to this challenge without external know-how. A cursory job-analysis on this topic was not very promising, revealing specialists in that fi eld to be rare on the open market. Consequently, if we are willing to go this route, we must fi rst take appropriate measures, or else accept a minimum three-year developmental period before a fi rst prototype. Blueprints Acquiring blueprints or prototypes could prove diffi cult as well. Current large manufacturers are understandably reluctant to part with information about their core businesses. Some see a quasi-monopoly endangered, others belong to interstellar corporations with no interest in selling, or only maintain old, automated factories with a rudimentary knowledge of how they work. Smaller companies represent a possibility to exploit. Often specializing in one kind of IndustrialMech, they hold an incredible amount of experience and innate knowledge about the workings of such machines. Freelancers and self-proclaimed inventors present a third option, off ering their plans and ideas freely, often for reasonable sums. Dealing with most of these calls for utmost caution, but then again, more than one great achievement has stemmed from risk and dubious sources. We also cannot discount various unforeseen means of obtaining technical data through the ongoing chaos of the current wartime state, Sphere-wide, especially with regard to multi-state corporations and major factories threatened by hostile action or occupation. This raises the possibility of engineers who not only boast the necessary experience and knowledge, but who may already have completed the design task on someone else’s dime, forced to relocate to a more…stable setting, which we may be able to provide. Internal Structure The necessary materials and resources—as well as the knowledge and hardware to process them—are readily available to our company. Built of basic alloys, the structural core of IndustrialMechs follows similar construction procedures to those we already use, and our own metal plants are perfectly capable of delivering the amounts and qualities needed. Moreover, we can very well do without the import of endosteel. Rare and extremely expensive in wartime anyway, it is an unnecessary component in IndustrialMechs. Working machines are not placed under anywhere near the same stresses as BattleMechs and they do not have to carry as much weight in the form of weaponry and armor. The advantage of endo-steel’s lighter weight also does not carry over, being quickly negated by the additional bulk, which blocks space needed for sleek, nimble design or tools in general. Armor Armor is something of a misnomer here as the term for what goes on IndustrialMechs. Instead, IndustrialMech “armor” substitutes battlefi eld integrity for physical protection against the environment. Most IndustrialMechs are thus armored for daily wear and tear, some more than others, depending on their purpose. INTRODUCTION CONSTRUCTION BASICS BATTLEMECH CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIALMECH CONSTRUCTION PROTOMECH CONSTRUCTION COMBAT VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION CONV. INFANTRY CONSTRUCTION BATTLE ARMOR CONSTRUCTION AEROSPACE UNIT CONSTRUCTION WEAPONS AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT INFANTRY WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT COSTS AND AVAILABILITY BATTLE VALUE INDEX RECORD SHEETS 61
Page 1 and 2:
35103
Page 3 and 4:
CLASSIC BATTLETECH BATTLETECHTM TEC
Page 5 and 6:
Choose Technology Base 46 Choose We
Page 7 and 8:
Nail/Rivet Gun 246 Refueling Drogue
Page 9 and 10:
To David Stansel-Garner for being t
Page 11 and 12: The one exception is the Equipment
Page 13 and 14: Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL)
Page 15 and 16: Battle Armor Aerospace Fighter Conv
Page 17 and 18: CLAN JADE FALCON OCCUPATION ZONE EC
Page 19 and 20: FREE RASALHAGUE REPUBLIC ECONOMY Ca
Page 21 and 22: BATTLE ARMOR Battle armor (battlesu
Page 23 and 24: each full four missiles (regardless
Page 25 and 26: ange brackets, and so instead of li
Page 27 and 28: on the ’Mech, including the rear
Page 29 and 30: BATTLE ARMOR RECORD SHEET Each Batt
Page 31 and 32: AIRSHIP DATA Type: Name: Tonnage: T
Page 33 and 34: Distinguished members of the media,
Page 35 and 36: sible. The relatively recent develo
Page 37 and 38: cancels the gyroscopic problems. On
Page 39 and 40: vert a standard into an XL—such a
Page 41 and 42: orbit. But even when working for sh
Page 43 and 44: neurohelmets typical of the Success
Page 45 and 46: on blind, crushing feet to create g
Page 47 and 48: WEIGHT BattleMechs use the tonnage
Page 49 and 50: Total ’Mech Tonnage BATTLEMECH IN
Page 51 and 52: Non-Fusion Engines Fusion Engines E
Page 53 and 54: Andrew has chosen a standard gyro f
Page 55 and 56: The placement of these critical slo
Page 57 and 58: the Base Armor Multipliers shown fo
Page 59 and 60: Chas distributes his armor points a
Page 61: ight side torso and the adjacent ce
Page 65 and 66: preliminary phases, we will still n
Page 67 and 68: Light IndustrialMechs weigh 35 tons
Page 69 and 70: structure circles in that location,
Page 71 and 72: ADD GYROSCOPE Like BattleMechs, Ind
Page 73 and 74: STEP 3: ADD HEAT SINKS Though not a
Page 75 and 76: Edward sees no great need to spend
Page 77 and 78: power amplifi ers to supply the nee
Page 79 and 80: MEETING AGENDA Project Details Proj
Page 81 and 82: loads. The lower- to medium-size Pr
Page 83 and 84: Light ProtoMechs weigh 3 tons (3,00
Page 85 and 86: John’s Siren-4 weighs 3 tons (3,0
Page 87 and 88: do not record internal space the sa
Page 89 and 90: At 6 tons (6,000 kilograms), Kevin
Page 91 and 92: With only 25 kilograms left (275 kg
Page 93 and 94: derstand the technologies employed
Page 95 and 96: able, accurate weapon. Given the Ch
Page 97 and 98: terrain other than heavy woods and
Page 99 and 100: Michael wants to design a fast and
Page 101 and 102: Units built as Trailers do not requ
Page 103 and 104: ing required, or consider the engin
Page 105 and 106: DETERMINE JUMP CAPABILITY Combat Ve
Page 107 and 108: STEP 4: ADD ARMOR Armor helps prote
Page 109 and 110: STEP 5: ADD WEAPONS, AMMUNITION AND
Page 111 and 112: the 23.5 tons he had after armoring
Page 113 and 114:
PTI’S HOT PRODUCTS: 3067 (SUPPORT
Page 115 and 116:
HOVERCRAFT Units in this category m
Page 117 and 118:
WHEELED VEHICLE The wheeled support
Page 119 and 120:
VTOL: VTOLs are one of the lightest
Page 121 and 122:
Motive Type design like Simon’s.
Page 123 and 124:
Base Chassis/Engine Values In addit
Page 125 and 126:
Choose Chassis Modifi cations For m
Page 127 and 128:
MD Sheet, Simon blacks out all of t
Page 129 and 130:
SUPPORT VEHICLE ENGINE TABLE SUPPOR
Page 131 and 132:
half-ton (32 tons [engine weight] x
Page 133 and 134:
Christine’s Dixon is a 300-ton Ai
Page 135 and 136:
total crew/passenger seat weight to
Page 137 and 138:
chassis modifi cation, which enable
Page 139 and 140:
tion is devoted to one or more of t
Page 141 and 142:
Because these minimum crew needs ar
Page 143 and 144:
13 August 3068 This is my diary. I
Page 145 and 146:
the forming clouds. The recruits on
Page 147 and 148:
Hovercraft-based mechanized infantr
Page 149 and 150:
CONVENTIONAL INFANTRY FORMATIONS (B
Page 151 and 152:
energy, “M” for Missile and “
Page 153 and 154:
Secondary Weapon Limits The use of
Page 155 and 156:
Oversized Platoons Even though over
Page 157 and 158:
Motive Type CONVENTIONAL INFANTRY W
Page 159 and 160:
ZM: Good morning, campers! They cal
Page 161 and 162:
Weapons break down into your usual
Page 163 and 164:
WEIGHT Battle armor, power armor an
Page 165 and 166:
BATTLE ARMOR STRUCTURE WEIGHTS TABL
Page 167 and 168:
BATTLE ARMOR NON-GROUND MOTIVE SYST
Page 169 and 170:
must adhere to their basic rules wh
Page 171 and 172:
Keith decides to provide his Tunnel
Page 173 and 174:
The weight for these extra magazine
Page 175 and 176:
MODULAR TECHNOLOGY When completing
Page 177 and 178:
a squad of meat bags in the back, a
Page 179 and 180:
laser-guided targeting system. All
Page 181 and 182:
secondary control stick instead. On
Page 183 and 184:
TECHNOLOGY BASE In Total Warfare st
Page 185 and 186:
Unit Types The following unit types
Page 187 and 188:
Base Engine Rating and Movement For
Page 189 and 190:
True to Clan style, Scott sees his
Page 191 and 192:
ays, ’Mech bays and so forth—ne
Page 193 and 194:
(see p. 192). To determine the armo
Page 195 and 196:
DropShip and not a fi ghter, it los
Page 197 and 198:
combat. Unlike fi ghters, however,
Page 199 and 200:
As neither quarters nor cargo bays
Page 201 and 202:
fi ghter, aerodyne Small Craft, sph
Page 203 and 204:
WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT The modern ba
Page 205 and 206:
• SMALL PULSE LASER • [PAGE 226
Page 207 and 208:
Clan Wolf-in-Exile finally succeede
Page 209 and 210:
Interestingly enough, the Clan vers
Page 211 and 212:
Introduced: Pre-spacefl ight Bay do
Page 213 and 214:
’MECH COCKPIT Introduced: circa 2
Page 215 and 216:
Introduced: Pre-spacefl ight While
Page 217 and 218:
AEROSPACE ENGINES (FUSION/TURBINE)
Page 219 and 220:
Introduced: Pre-spacefl ight Seen a
Page 221 and 222:
HYPER-ASSAULT GAUSS RIFLE [Introduc
Page 223 and 224:
DOUBLE HEAT SINKS Introduced: 2567
Page 225 and 226:
• AUTOCANNON • [PAGE 208] • U
Page 227 and 228:
PROTOMECH STRUCTURE Introduced: 306
Page 229 and 230:
STANDARD LASERS Introduced: circa 2
Page 231 and 232:
Today’s vehicular-scale missile l
Page 233 and 234:
Inferno SRMs: An enhancement of an
Page 235 and 236:
and communications. This impairs th
Page 237 and 238:
Capellan engineers soon realized, h
Page 239 and 240:
Tech Base: Inner Sphere and Clan Un
Page 241 and 242:
Introduced: Pre-spacefl ight Even b
Page 243 and 244:
during the mid-3040s. Even thicker
Page 245 and 246:
Introduced: Pre-spacefl ight Combin
Page 247 and 248:
Introduced: Pre-spacefl ight Extend
Page 249 and 250:
Introduced: Pre-spacefl ight Mid-ai
Page 251 and 252:
Tech Base: Inner Sphere and Clan Un
Page 253 and 254:
• MICRO GRENADE LAUNCHER • [PAG
Page 255 and 256:
FIRE RESISTANT Introduced: 3058 (Cl
Page 257 and 258:
Tech Base: Inner Sphere and Clan Ba
Page 259 and 260:
Introduced: Circa 2890 (Clans), 305
Page 261 and 262:
Introduced: 3062 (Capellan Confeder
Page 263 and 264:
The “big gun” of most battle ar
Page 265 and 266:
the standard modular weapon mount,
Page 267 and 268:
• SINGLE-SHOT SRM LAUNCHER • [P
Page 269 and 270:
Introduced: 2436 (Draconis Combine)
Page 271 and 272:
Introduced: Pre-spacefl ight Battle
Page 273 and 274:
Introduced: 3060 (Clan Cloud Cobra)
Page 275 and 276:
hunters, or as a desperate “backu
Page 277 and 278:
Conventional Infantry Conventional
Page 279 and 280:
Robert wants to fi nd the costs for
Page 281 and 282:
PROTOMECH STRUCTURAL COSTS AND AVAI
Page 283 and 284:
BATTLE ARMOR STRUCTURAL COSTS AND A
Page 285 and 286:
AEROSPACE UNIT STRUCTURAL COSTS AND
Page 287 and 288:
The combined structural and weapons
Page 289 and 290:
AVAILABILITY CODES TABLE Code Avail
Page 291 and 292:
Michael determines that his Hephaes
Page 293 and 294:
HEAVY WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT (CONT)
Page 295 and 296:
Weapon / Item Cost Availability IND
Page 297 and 298:
Weapon / Item Cost Availability HEA
Page 299 and 300:
ADDITIONAL BATTLE ARMOR WEAPONS AND
Page 301 and 302:
Weapon / Item Cost CONVENTIONAL INF
Page 303 and 304:
Weapon / Item Cost CONVENTIONAL INF
Page 305 and 306:
15 points per critical space of exp
Page 307 and 308:
CALCULATING THE BV OF: A TOYAMA TYM
Page 309 and 310:
Add 1 to the result if the ProtoMec
Page 311 and 312:
CALCULATING THE BV OF: A HEPHAESTUS
Page 313 and 314:
Squad Support Weapon: The BV of a S
Page 315 and 316:
CALCULATING THE BV OF: A MECHBUSTER
Page 317 and 318:
DEFENSIVE FACTORS TABLE Target Modi
Page 319 and 320:
WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT BATTLE VALUE
Page 321 and 322:
Weapon BV Archaic Weapons* Bow (Com
Page 323 and 324:
DropShips, 175-76 fi ghters, 178-79
Page 325 and 326:
Quarters, 236 • R • Range base,
Page 327 and 328:
CLASSiC FOUR-LEGGED ’MECH RECORD
Page 329 and 330:
CLASSiC VEHICLE DATA Type: Movement
Page 331 and 332:
CLASSiC VEHICLE DATA Type: Movement
Page 333 and 334:
LARGE GROUND SUPPORT VEHICLE RECORD
Page 335 and 336:
CLASSiC CONVENTIONAL INFANTRY: PLAT
Page 337 and 338:
CLASSiC FIGHTER DATA Type: Cost: NO
Page 339 and 340:
CLASSiC CRAFT DATA Type: Thrust: Sa
Page 341 and 342:
CLASSiC DROPSHIP DATA Type: NOTES A
Page 343 and 344:
Space Column Unit Type M BattleMech
Page 345 and 346:
clan HEaVY WEaPOnS anD EQUIPMEnT Ta
Page 347 and 348:
INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT TABLE (CONT) H
Page 349 and 350:
Weapon / Item Damage Range Min/sht/
Page 351 and 352:
CONVENTIONAL INFANTRY WEAPONS Weapo
Page 353 and 354:
CONVENTIONAL INFANTRY WEAPONS (CONT
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