Logistics? An M1 has limits due to how much fuel it consumes and bridges it can cross. Foot pound, yes lighter for a tracked. Height? How tall can a tank be to see things? Crew, why have a crew of 3-4 when you can have a crew of one or two?
Complex, a mecha is very complex and unless done well, it has alot more places for dust and crap to get into it and make it just junk. Avatar, how far would a tank get with out a whole crew of loggers, cutting trail? Tanks are mostly open country vehicles. Lousy in forests (tight old growth and like especially) or in jungles or in places like Afghanistan with its hills and mountains. Yes, a Mecha or battlemech looks cool, and individual, versus having to act in concert with a crew member/co pilot, but Take out the pilot/driver and you got what? Junk? Why helos have two? Co-pilot and such? Also helps in detection of things and operation of controls and weapons.. There is only so much a normal human can handle.. Ground pressure to protect the environment or to deal with land mines or with boggy soil/sand and like? A mecha if done will, is little more than a battle suit or a soldier, so the whole weight issue is mote? So a soldier not having to hump a ruck of 60-120 pound of gear, weapons, ammo, armor and more. With a mecha or exo-skelton can do it all and not have to be tired at almost all times? Mecha can turn on a dime, try doing that with a tank or like vehicle? Training, one person or a crew? Height of vision, you can stand up in a mecha, but how hard it is to replace a leg or like in a mecha vs a track? Track replacement is LEGENDARY on how much a pain it can be.. Expensive for some vehicles, such as the SUSV or like where the vehicle is small numbers and parts in stock and you can not just slap any track on it, it has to be a rubber one. Damage from small to heavy weapons, how hard is a mecha to hit and can it survive and be recovered? Mike _______________________________________________ GurpsNet-L mailing list <[email protected]> http://mail.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l
