Design Notes for Rifts Vehicles
Tech-Level
Vehicles in use in Rifts can and do have any TL. The
same
price modifiers that apply to personal equipment also
apl to vehicle components, so most vehicles use a
combination of different tech-level components to
compromise between cost and effectiveness. TL8
components cost double, TL9 cost fives times normal, and
TL10 components cost ten times normal.
Mega-Damage Armour
There are many possible ways to convert mega-damage to
GURPS, however the approach I've gone for is this;
treat simply Mega-Damage armour as being TL10 advanced
ablative armour. All other types of armour are still
available, however for those who can afford it ablative
armour provides such a high DR for its weight that its
usually the best choice.
This makes a few changes from the usual Palladium rules.
Firstly, its possible to penetrate DR,
so MD constricts can be destroyed by a single good hit.
Secondly it means that even light weapons can slowly
wear down MD. From a gaming point of
view, both of these are good. It makes armour tough, but
still gives characters some chance.
Electronics and Sensors
Very few vehicles hve full sensor and ECM systems,
which are generally limited to Triax and the CS.
Sensors are one of the first things most producers
remove to cut costs (clients are mainly interested in
weapons and armour) so many vehicles produced for
the mass market have only basic sensor systems, usually
late TL6 infrared and radar. Triax and the CS both have
late TL7 electronics, which is the best available.
When designing vehicles, late TL6 electronics cost double
the standard price, early TL7 electronics cost five times
standard, and late TL7 electronics cost ten times normal.
Power
Virtully all vehicles use nuclear power systems, either
an RTG, NPU, Fission reactor, or Fusion reactor. In the
wilderness of Rifts
Earth it just isn't feasible to stop for fuel, so
vehicles have to be as self contained as possible.
Some vehicles use mana engines or soulburners, but these
are rare, since most people who use mechs distrust magic,
and most people who use magic distrust mechs.
Weapons
The one exception to the rule about being self-contained
is weapons. Rail-guns and missiles are so effective that
virtually all vehicles carry them, however most also
have energy weapons as a backup. Micronuclear weapons
are available to the CS, but rarely used because of the
extreme cost. See the section on Vehicle Weapons for a
list of common weapons.