Blood and Iron questions

[89er]

After reading the preview of Blood and Iron, I have to ask about how advanced the Congress was when compared to NEXUS innovations and refinements, where can machine evolution lead to and how to bring over Palladium's Sci-fi sampler platter of high tech?

+Are the manned robots, power armor and more built from military of the time or remade labor robots?

+Will Techjacs (Technojackers) be able to destroy a robot then rebuilt it as power armor or a manned robot for the bigger bots?

+Can there be abilities that are the equivalent of biotech, such as gills?

+Are the Emancipated droids that have been reprogrammed and/or developed thair own self awareness?

+Could I refit a battle track to be a troop carrier by removing the big torso and wiring power armor torsos on its hull to act as turrets/defense?

+Can NEXUS produce equivalents of Rifts Earth tech and some Three Galaxies?

[krispy]

Hey 89er

As one of the authors of the book, let me just say that you have some interesting questions. some i can answer as they relate to TJs in general; however some relate specifically to the book, and until it is sees publication, i have to remain quiet sorry

general TJ Qs

+Will Techjacs (Technojackers) be able to destroy a robot then rebuilt it as power armor or a manned robot for the bigger bots?

If a TJ or group of TJs have the necessary skills, they can jury rig parts from a variety of sources and create Power Armour & Manned Robots

+Could I refit a battle track to be a troop carrier by removing the big torso and wiring power armor torsos on its hull to act as turrets/defense?

Yes, if you can capture one without damaging it too much, and again have the necessary skills to put it all together

+Can NEXUS produce equivalents of Rifts Earth tech and some Three Galaxies?

That is a choice for you mate, for your game

[Shark_Force]

note that a battle track refitted as a troop carrier would presumably have to give up some of its MDC and, most importantly, could only *safely* transport technojackers.

[Guy_LeDouche]

As one of the other authors, I'll say add my $.05 (adjusted for inflation.)

Never forget that ultimately, this is your game, your universe. Galactus Kid, Krispy, and I are all alike in that we feel much of the information should be there to guide players and GMs alike, not force the game into what we think it should be. The goal is always to have fun and stir imaginations; if something doesn't work or doesn't fit into the the "story" you are telling, throw it out. I'm all for it.

Now, as Krispy said, for what we can talk about:

+Are the manned robots, power armor and more built from military of the time or remade labor robots? Sadly, got to keep quiet on this one for now.

+Will Techjacs (Technojackers) be able to destroy a robot then rebuilt it as power armor or a manned robot for the bigger bots? I'm with Krispy on this. I would say that depending on how much damage was actually done, there may not be anything to rebuild. Or the damage was so catastrophic certain parts, systems, weapons, etc. are simply unusable. This is an area for player and GM creativity and common sense.

+Can there be abilities that are the equivalent of biotech, such as gills? I don't see why not. We've established that the TJs are "evolving" on their own. Over time, any number of abilities could present themselves.

+Are the Emancipated droids that have been reprogrammed and/or developed thair own self awareness? When I created the Emancipated, I left this deliberately vague and open to interpretation. I wanted the GM to shape the Emancipated into what would fit best for their particular Splicers "Universe".

From a Splicers/player perspective, no one really knows what causes a robot to sever its ties with N.E.X.U.S. or how they retain their independence. Similarly, no one really knows if the robots are truly “sentient”, have been hacked or reprogrammed somehow, or are now merely acting on some flawed or degraded bit of programming. I think it adds a great layer of threatening suspense to not know. And it opens up a ton of potential game plots, stories, and complications.

Speaking strictly for the Ledouche-verse, Emancipated are truly free and gone from N.E.X.U.S. control. This opens up another world of possibilities. How/why have these robots have been able to slip free of their shackles? Are they truly “aware” or is it a programming glitch of some sort? Can it be replicated? Can it be exploited for Splicers? If even a fraction of the Machine's own troops can be turned against it, this could be a potentially world changing occurrence.

For N.E.X.U.S., whatever causes this must be discovered and fixed. A glitch like this, falling into the wrong hands or spreading through other machines, and suddenly the entire might of N.E.X.U.S. comes crashing down.

+Could I refit a battle track to be a troop carrier by removing the big torso and wiring power armor torsos on its hull to act as turrets/defense? With the right skills and resources, sure.

+Can NEXUS produce equivalents of Rifts Earth tech and some Three Galaxies? N.E.X.U.S. is certainly capable of producing some pretty wicked technology. It's robots alone are easily the equivalent (and better) to most of Rifts Earth. The main book references or alludes to orbital weapons, biological/chemical weapons, and even something powerful enough to reshape the landscape. Ultimately it is up the GM, but I think N.E.X.U.S. planet-wise at least, it would be on par, even slightly better, than many Three Galaxies civilizations. Now, as far as space goes, who knows?