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2 Dropships 3 HyperPulse Generators 4 Jumpships 5 OmniMechs |
BattleMechs
A BattleMech ('Mech), in the science fiction of BattleTech, is a war robot ~10-12meters in height, and up to 100 tons in weight. These vehicles are powered by fusion reactors and are capable of fighting underwater and in outer space. Some could also transform into flying aerospace fighters.
BattleMechs use a muscle-like artificial fiber called myomer to articulate their legs to move. Powerful gyroscopes provide stability, and the pilot controls the 'Mech with a neurohelmet, which effectively links the 'Mech's controls into the pilot's nerve system.
BattleMechs are armed with a frightening array of weaponry, including lasers, short, medium, and long range missiles(Interestingly, BattleTech missiles are far shorter ranged than their modern counterparts. This was explained as guidance technology being lost over time, through the Succession Wars.), machine guns, autocannons, gauss rifless, flamerss, particle projection cannons (PPCs) and the 'Mech's own arms and legs. A single 'Mech can easily destroy a city. A BattleMech's only true rival is another 'Mech - artillery, aircraft, and tanks are nearly worthless against them without BattleMech support or a strong advantage in numbers.
As transmission is expensive, messages are frequently bundled into batches of hundreds, sent simultaneously. So, while the transmission of HPG array messages is done nearly instantaneously, it may be days, weeks, or months before a message is sent; one can pay a higher fee in order for "priority service". The maximum range of an HPG pulse is 50 light-years.
It is possible for a jumpship to use "pirate points" which are closer to the planets--and are caused as the planetary bodies of a system orbit, cancelling one another's gravitational influence--but these points are much harder to navigate to compared to the traditional nadir and zenith points around a star.
Dropships
While Jumpships move units and other hardware from star system to star system, it falls to the dropships to move them inside the system. Almost all dropships are capable of landing on a planet, and they are the primary method of moving goods and armies.HyperPulse Generators
The HyperPulse Generator (HPG) arrays are based upon numerous worlds all across the Inner Sphere. Comstar owns and operates these, collecting payment from those who wish to transmit messages. The FTL devices are the primary means of interstellar communications, and ComStar has a virtual monopoly on their usage.Jumpships
Jumpships are what make interstellar exploration, colonization, and warfare possible. Dropships dock to the Jumpship, which is almost always positioned either at the nadir or zenith points above or below a star, where gravitational influence is negligible and FTL travel is possible. To jump, the Jumpship calculates the correct course and field strength and fires the Kearny-Fuschida drive, which instantly transports the ship to the projected star system, up to 30 light-years away.OmniMechs
OmniMechs are essentially the Clan version of BattleMechs. They are generally of superior technology, and their weaponry and equipment may be mounted and unmounted in a modular manner, allowing MechWarriors to customize their war machine's loadouts to emphasise their own skills, making them all the deadlier foes to face in battle.