Why specifically Fast and Murder? While it's a great combo, why not establish different concepts. Evasion (in this mode: ODD), Tank (in this mode: Total Immunity), Gun-access (in this mode: heavy gun like Portable Autocannon), Melee (in this mode: Assault, Natural Born Warrior and sky-rocket CC), Split (in this mode: each "STR" splits into a Synched light infantry with worse stats than the S5 whole) So, let's say Evasion - Assault. Start with a statline similar to a Kriza. Mechanical Transmutation, Remote Presence, Valour: No Wound Incapacitation, Martial Arts L1 2xMULTI Rifle, EXP CCW Evasion mode: CC 18, ODD Assault mode: CC 21, Assault, Natural Born Warrior Or take Gun-access - Split. Remote. Mechanical Transmutation, Remote Presence, Electric Pulse Gun Access mode: Yan Huo statline, S4, STR 3, Portable Autocannon, Heavy Flame Thrower Split mode: Dakini statline, S2, Mimetism, Climb+, G: Synched, Light Flame Thrower, Assault Pistol Note: if Gun Access is damaged, Split mode will spawn with one of the Splits being Unc-1, if Gun Access is in NWI state, Split mode will spawn with both Splits being Unc-1. Reforming requires at least two Splits in base-to-base with each other and the Access profile will have STR equal to the STR of the combined Splits. If any Split was not in BTB on reformation, it becomes Locked until such a time as the Access goes into Split mode again.
That would be something different, that's for sure! I think one of the earlier transformer proposals had a Sapper HMG in combat mode but an SMG in mobility. IIRC, this was for a Korean character Su Jian.
If we're going down the wish-listing route then I'd quite like to see something entirely focused on non-lethal subjugation and suppression using the Su Jian chassis. So it would have electric pulse, weapons would be hopefully a pair of e-mitters or adhesive launchers as well as stun pistol(s) and a zapper plus a blitzen.
It's funny, this is exactly the kind of thing I wanted to see for Varuna. It'd certainly be an interesting option. But keep in mind that as far as the Human Sphere is concerned E/M weaponry is NOT non-lethal. It's actually MUCH worse than using bullets to destroy the body, because it risks the destruction of the mind and the soul.
Fair point regarding E/M since it can destroy cubes... although that sort of fits in with Yu Jing's current bad image. Pushes it towards adhesive launchers, stun pistols and a jammer? (Don't think of Yu jing ever getting one of those. Not to mention the contradiction of a remote presence carrying such a weapon.)
Yeah, Adhesive and Stun are the best "non-lethal" options, with Jammers coming into the same conceptual space as well. 'though for SOME citizens of the Human Sphere a Jammer is nearly as bad as E/M... but Cube 2.0 and Posthumans aren't that common and many citizens probably don't really even understand the implications of cutting off Maya access for such an individual.
As much as this means nothing, but I don't see non-lethal happening in IA. IA are Army, they are not special forces dedicated to people retrieval nor are they security police in the way ISS are. Lethal all the way and preferably over-kill just to make sure.
Definitely the case, but all MULTI weaponry comes with built-in Stun functionality. Given how much access we have to MULTI Rifles, Snipers and even HMGs, as well as the Electric Pulse on our REMs, IA is ironically probably going to be better at taking its foes alive then almost any other army save for Bakunin.
Yeah... our equivalent of the Gestapo are probably the worst faction at abducting people... But all that is fine and dandy, I do still think that the main concept isn't going to be "take them alive" for any unit in this faction. Dropping a Multi weapon to Stun also means dropping burst something fierce. I'd love to see a Stun Combi Rifle in ISS and more extensive glue gun use (Akrylate-Kanone instead of 'faust for Su-Jian, for instance, and Kanren to be Veteran Troops so they can abduct HVTs). For the Hulang, I expect CB to get clever about a trooper doing skirmishing duty as opposed to the Zhencha's button pushing duty. I'm hoping for an answer to the Dart and TAG problem.
There's a disappointing lack of Perimeter weapons in all of the two units shown so far. Would be kind of funny if Hulang was a high-tech K9 with Koalas and MadTraps (yes, why not both?) to provide perimeter defense.
To be fair, ISS is for when stuff needs to be hunted and burned down, not taking prisoners. Passive area defense is definitely something we could use more of. An HI causing a ruckus like Yojimbo would be nice.
Well... Celestial Guards are said to kidnap people during the night, leaving no trace... So we can say the ISS is for when you need something hunted and burned and/or maimed and/or erased from all records and/or interrogated and/or ''converted''.